The Brill (CLOSED)

We can see this likeable new spot becoming a favourite with denizens of 21st-century King’s Cross, but it’s also unfussy enough and close enough to the station to accommodate travellers. The Brill occupies a corner-shop site with large windows overlooking unkempt Cally Road. Inside, brown predominates, with caff-style furniture, tan banquettes and arty London photos. Downstairs there’s a cellar bar; next door, posh sandwiches and burgers are dispensed from a gleaming takeaway counter. Lunch is similarly simple, with sarnies boosted by the likes of duck salad and bacon. At night, to a background of chilled beats, a friendly eastern European waitress handed us a menu of robust British food. Prices are attractive: £4 for starters, £12 for mains, with good-value set meals too. Specials, such as our sumptuous sliced ox cheek on decent mash surrounded by delicious gluey gravy, are around £14. Not everything’s perfect – a starter of parsley-flecked ham hock loaf came with insipid ‘pickled’ veg; crisp fried hake and chips was marred by dryish mashed peas; and lemon tart with raspberry purée and sweet cream didn’t need its sour poached plums – but standards are generally high, the wine list is varied and the food enticing. The result: contentment.