Drinking in and around King's Cross

on Chalton St - i bumped into Ian Wright in there one afternoon.

i would cross the Euston Rd at the british museum and go on to Mabeldon Place and Cartwright Gardens - walk along that road towards Bloomsbury/Great Ormond Street, there are good pubs along there and off the streets as you go.

The Lord John Russell

Mabels Bar

Marquis of Cornwallis

Callaghans Bar

The Lamb

The Perseverance

The Duke

The Music Room

in the sunshine its a good interesting route and you can go blue plaque sighting as you go
Mabels do Asahi and have a resident ghost
 
Just for those posters who have lived and worked in london - whats the deal with the drinking culture down there? I was down recently and in various areas around central london such boroughbridge market area and along southbank of the river, liverpool street/bishopsgate area and the pubs and areas right outside were VERY busy from just before noon and then throughout the afternoon mostly with office worker looking types. How does any work get done and do people go back to the office half cut?
 
Just for those posters who have lived and worked in london - whats the deal with the drinking culture down there? I was down recently and in various areas around central london such boroughbridge market area and along southbank of the river, liverpool street/bishopsgate area and the pubs and areas right outside were VERY busy from just before noon and then throughout the afternoon mostly with office worker looking types. How does any work get done and do people go back to the office half cut?
Work drink culture (I'm thinking liquid lunch/ lunchtime pint) has definitely changed over the years and it's not as big as it once was but still happens. However, pubs after work (especially in the city and the areas you mention) are busy every evening midweek.
 
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I often go to that cider place when I'm in that neckofthewoods. It's in the old Doric arch in front of Euston station. Which is right out of kings cross then walk down Euston road for five minutes. The toilets aren't always open so you have to use the toilets in Euston and if they are open you would probably wish they weren't. But the drink is nice so it's good if you're into that sort of place.
This! Good spot, small and cramped but full of character
 
Just for those posters who have lived and worked in london - whats the deal with the drinking culture down there? I was down recently and in various areas around central london such boroughbridge market area and along southbank of the river, liverpool street/bishopsgate area and the pubs and areas right outside were VERY busy from just before noon and then throughout the afternoon mostly with office worker looking types. How does any work get done and do people go back to the office half cut?
About 10 years ago I worked for sapient and no one would turn up to a meeting of the was no beer and pizza.

We had a beer fridge that was open all day Friday. So yes they're is a drinking culture.

Bare in mind income are greater so we tend to have more expendable income.
 
This! Good spot, small and cramped but full of character

It's (or used to be) two different bars.

On the left (as you look at the station) was the Euston Taps and on the right was the Cider Taps. Not sure if it still is, but it's a decent enough place to drink especially if you like looking at building sites as the current HS2 site is pretty much on top of it.
 
About 10 years ago I worked for sapient and no one would turn up to a meeting of the was no beer and pizza.

We had a beer fridge that was open all day Friday. So yes they're is a drinking culture.

Bare in mind income are greater so we tend to have more expendable income.

We have beer fridges, beer and wine taps and spirit cupboards, as we've inherited our head office's west coast US culture. Surprisingly no one canes it, and you'll rarely see someone with a beer before 4pm most days.

In terms of the pubs, it's usually a mix of tourists coupled with people either knocking off early (most people work flexitime) or conducting meetings in the pub. It's rare I have an afternoon meeting that I dont try and move to the pub, especially on Thursday or Fridays.
 
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It's (or used to be) two different bars.

On the left (as you look at the station) was the Euston Taps and on the right was the Cider Taps. Not sure if it still is, but it's a decent enough place to drink especially if you like looking at building sites as the current HS2 site is pretty much on top of it.
Yes. It's also not in the old Doric Arch. The old Doric Arch was demolished in the early 60s when Euston station was modernised. There is, however, a pub called the Doric Arch which is a Fuller's pub and is in one of the modern buildings by the 'bus station.
 
Boozy lunches in my industry still happen, but not every week, and nowhere near to the levels they were 10-15 years ago.

When I first started in 2000, Fridays would be... get to the office, check email, go to pub at 11am, go back the office at 5pm, check email then straight back to the pub for the rest of the night.
 
Indeed, the drinking culture is not what it was. On my first morning at work in 1989 I went to the regular Monday morning meeting and then was carted off for 'matins' when the pub next door opened at 11am. We went to the pub next door because our own bar didn't open until 12. Many staff used to go to the bar practically every dinnertime. By the time I retired we were in a new building which didn't have a bar. Some people used to knock off early and go to the pub on a Friday but that was more or less it.
 
Just for those posters who have lived and worked in london - whats the deal with the drinking culture down there? I was down recently and in various areas around central london such boroughbridge market area and along southbank of the river, liverpool street/bishopsgate area and the pubs and areas right outside were VERY busy from just before noon and then throughout the afternoon mostly with office worker looking types. How does any work get done and do people go back to the office half cut?
Sometimes we turn up to work half cut. I was in london yesterday - a bit of sun and the pubs are packed.
 
Sometimes we turn up to work half cut. I was in london yesterday - a bit of sun and the pubs are packed.
Same - was there tuesday til yesterday, so many pubs with people in work wear (suits not hi-vis) from before noon and looking clearly in no rush to go back to work. It did seem when we had lunch that there was people there mixing business and pleasure. Just cant imagine going back to work and being productive even after 1-2 pints. Good luck to em tho - long as the construction lads stay out - crane driving and beers font mix well x
 
I’m here with the missus right now . Was in convent garden yesterday and really busy and today in soho and rammed also . Seems pretty busy everywhere . Old school pubs seem the busiest . It’s like a different world compared to the Boro
 
There are a couple of lovely Sam Smiths pubs around, and one, I can't recall the name, within walking distance of King's X. It also had a few tables outside as i recall, a good place to watch the world go by.
 
There are a couple of lovely Sam Smiths pubs around, and one, I can't recall the name, within walking distance of King's X. It also had a few tables outside as i recall, a good place to watch the world go by.
There's a Sammy smiths in Kings Cross? I thought Swiss cottage was the only one
 
There's a Sammy smiths in Kings Cross? I thought Swiss cottage was the only one

The Lyceum at the Strand used to be Sam’s (think it still is)
The Chandos near Trafalgar Square is
Citee of Yorke in Holborn is the best Sam’s in London tho - great spot

There are a few others (one near St Paul’s and used to be one on the corner of Tottenham Court Road.
 
Only if you're willing to queue, but there's plenty of other places that dont require you to stand in line with all the tourists for an hour. Given how hot it is, there will be plenty of families out there, grabbing drinks from the food / drink trucks and letting their kids loose in the fountains (including us on Sunday).

As others have said there's loads of bright new pubs / bars / places to eat round Coals Drop Yard, as well as some great shops and it's VERY different from what Kings Cross used to be. There's also The Standard hotel directly opposite Kings Cross which has both a beer garden and a roof terrace.

If however you still fancy traditional pubs then there's still a few as you head into Bloomsbury such as MgGlynns (with pub cat) and The Boot.
You won’t normally need to queue for breakfast but best book. At least I walked straight in there a few Saturday mornings ago. And whilst tourists do go in there a lot of locals do too because the food is excellent. Very impressed with breakfast.
 
You won’t normally need to queue for breakfast but best book. At least I walked straight in there a few Saturday mornings ago. And whilst tourists do go in there a lot of locals do too because the food is excellent. Very impressed with breakfast.
Yes since Dishoom have opened up half a dozen or so new branches around London the queues have not been as long as they used to and you can book breakfast very easily on line and no need to queue.
 
The Lyceum at the Strand used to be Sam’s (think it still is) - Yes, it is
The Chandos near Trafalgar Square is
Citee of Yorke in Holborn is the best Sam’s in London tho - great spot

There are a few others (one near St Paul’s and used to be one on the corner of Tottenham Court Road.
And the Princess Louise, and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. You are never more than a few yards away from a Sam Smith's in that London.
 
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