126 York Way,
Kings Cross,
London,
N1 0AX
(020) 7278 9708
The ViewLondon Review
Following the resounding success of its sister pub in Bethnal Green, the Star of Kings aims to help boost the nightlife scene of the King's Cross area. And with a fairly decent sized venue, good music and a growing clientele, the future of York Way’s little-piece-of-East-London looks bright.
The Venue
Once home to clubs The Cross, The Key and Canvas, the King’s Cross nightlife scene has now become a little meagre, and the journey up York Way to The Star of King’s isn't filled with as many party-goers as once was.
However, persevere and it should be worth it. Upon entering there’s an immediate Shoreditch-pub feel, but in a good way. Big ornate mirrors, dark wooden furniture, a large L-shape bar, and decks on a raised platform area at the back all contribute to its laid-back, modern look. There are token oddities dotted around, like the (fake) rhino’s head sitting on top of a cupboard and a wall full of mirrors.
The venue is deceptively large, with the ground floor area stretching round behind the bar at the front, allowing for a fair amount of space for tables and chairs. There’s also a club downstairs with another bar, good space to dance and a few sofas.
The Atmosphere
Unlike The Star of Bethnal Green, this venue is smack-bang in the middle of a lot of offices, and as such it attracts those looking for after-work pints or a pub lunch. Nonetheless, despite only having been open since Christmas 2010, it has obviously come to the attention of a fair amount of cool kids and, as the evening progresses, it soon starts to fill with party people.
The Music
Music is taken very seriously here and it’s as cool as you’d expect, with the club hosting a massive array of different DJs. Electro, progressive house and techno as well as funk, reggae, disco, boogie and soul are all served up here in large doses from Thursdays to Sundays.
The Food
The Star of King’s isn’t the kind of place you’d necessarily consider for a meal out as it is primarily a drinking/clubbing venue. Nonetheless, it caters really well for those who do want to eat. They offer pub grub with a bit more creativity than most and the menu includes burritos, chorizo, calamari and chilli pasta, smoked mackerel salad, smoked sausage selections and awesome sharing meze platters. Prices range from £6.95-£13.95 (for the sharing plates), and they have a £5 lunchtime deal and a 2 for £10 pizza offer on Mondays.
The Drink
Draught beer ranges from £3.70 for Becks and Bombardier to £4 for Red Stripe and Guinness. There’s an extensive wine list which is not too pricey, with a glass ranging from £3.90 for a small house wine, to £6.60 for a larger, fancier one. Bottles are available from £15-£33.50. There’s also an impressive cocktail list which are all around £7.80.
The Last Word
Due to its location and lack of obvious footfall, the Star of Kings faces a bigger challenge than its East End counterpart, but the owners clearly know what they’re doing and they seem to be succeeding. This is a decent, much-needed addition to this area, and if you like to be one of the first to discover a new hotspot, this is still at the stage where you’ll feel like you’ve arrived way before the rest of the capital catches up.
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