The Driver is located just a short walk up from King’s Cross and provides a welcome respite from the noise of the city but with the glamour of a more central location.

The Venue
Sharp lines, classy brass lampshades and wooden floorboards dominate the interior of this N1 gastropub. The bar itself is made from an enormous piece of polished oak, and a deer’s head peers down majestically from the exposed brick wall. The venue boasts a traditional bar area downstairs, more formal dining area upstairs with starched tablecloths and silver cutlery, and a roof terrace for the summer months.

The Atmosphere
Despite the well-dressed interior, The Driver is undeniably lacking in energy and atmosphere, and is a little lacklustre, even on a Friday night. It’s a shame, as the food is great, albeit tucked upstairs in the dining area. It feels more of a stop-off point for a quick drink on the way somewhere else rather than the destination of the night. Service is varied, with some very attentive and friendly members of staff, though others are harder to get the attention of.

The Food
Food is standard gastropub fare; starters range from carrot and coriander soup served with sourdough bread (£4.50), right up to seared queen scallops with spinach, red pepper salsa, black pudding and pesto (£8.00). The Driver Salad is a good choice for those after something light and fresh. Mains are classic pub grub dishes updated. Choose from beef and Guinness pie with braised red cabbage, roasted turnips and rosemary and thyme gravy (£14.00) or beer battered cod fillet with fries, tartar sauce and minted pea puree (a very generously sized portion). Vegetarians get left with the artichoke, petit pois and leek risotto with goat’s cheese, rocket and parmesan, whilst fish lovers should definitely opt for the delicate grilled sea bass with sautéed new potatoes, spinach and tomato vinagrette (£12.00), which is delicious. No pub meal would be complete without pudding, and The Driver provides them at just £4.50 a pop. Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream comes highly recommended and is rib-stickingly lovely, though the caramelised apple tart with chantilly cream is over spiced and the pastry too thick and chewy.

The Drink
Picking up a good bottle of wine for £15.00 is always a winner, and luckily The Driver offers a couple of great house wines for this price. The French sauvignon blanc is particularly good. Of course, you can up the budget and opt for a chardonnay, pinot grigio, chenin blanc or go more upmarket to a £50.00-£70.00 Burgundy. For reds it’s a similar story, whilst spirit drinkers can choose from flavoured vodkas (around £4.00 a shot), a standard range of gins, bourbons (ranging from £7.00-£10.00) or whiskies and rums. Beers, again, are not extensive, but cover all areas and range from £3.90-£4.50. Choose from Heineken, Moretti, Amstel, Kronenbourg on tap, plus Guinness, Blue Moon, a Powerhouse Porter and Symonds Cider.

The Last Word
The Driver makes a good pit stop for a nice Friday night supper or quiet mid-week catch up, providing quality pub classics in comfortable surroundings.

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