London’s King’s Cross neighborhood has undergone a complete reinvention in the last 10 years. Its canal-side warehouses have been transformed into trendy restaurants and bars, and some of the world’s leading tech companies occupy sleek new skyscrapers. Here’s our pick of the best things to do in the area.
Sip bubbly at the longest champagne bar in Europe
Direction
Grand Terrace, Upper Concourse St Pancras International Station, 58 Euston Rd , Londres N1C 4QP , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7870 9900
Are you heading to Paris by train from St Pancras station? There is no better way to start the weekend than with a chilled glass at Searcys St Pancras, the longest champagne bar in Europe. Overlooking the Eurostar train tracks, the bar is a great people-watching spot serving an impressive selection of Champagne by the glass, including some British sparkling wines. Take a seat on one of the leather stools that feature Art Deco lamps and ‘push for champagne’ buttons. There are blankets and warmers on hand for when the season cools down a bit.
Get an underground art fix at The Crypt Gallery
Direction
165 Euston Rd , London NW1 2BA , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7388 1461
Web
Visit the website
Get an alternate art arrangement at Crypt Gallery, where the work is displayed in a maze of underground corridors below St. Pancras Church. The crypt was used for coffin burials between 1822 and 1854 and opened as a gallery space in 2002. It now serves as an atmospheric backdrop for a year-round program of art exhibitions and events.
Visit Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station
Direction
Pancras Rd , London N1 9AP , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 3196 7375
Web
Visit the website
While you can’t board the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross Station, you can visit Platform 9 3/4 to snap a photo. Just outside the Harry Potter shop to the left of the main ticket booth, you’ll see a luggage cart embedded in the brick wall and a long line of Muggles waiting for a photo. You can take a professional photo with accessories (wands, glasses, scarves from Hogwarts house) or take your own photos. The store has been designed to resemble Ollivander’s Wand Emporium and offers all kinds of souvenirs, from school bridges to Golden Snitch necklaces.
Spend the night in a prison cell in a Victorian courthouse
Direction
78 King’s Cross Rd , Londres WC1X 9QG , Reino UnidoGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7183 9400
Web
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Between King’s Cross and Clerkenwell, Clink78 is a modern hostel in a converted Victorian courthouse where you can book a private room in a prison cell from just £ 65 a night. It’s ideal for value-seeking vacationers who like the buzz of a hostel but want the seclusion of a private room. Relax in the TV room that occupies a former court room and enjoy a drink at the ClashBar, named after the punk band that was once tried in court.
Explore la plaza Buzzy Granary
Direction
Granary Square , London N1C 4PQ , UKGet directions
Granary Square is a bustling canal-side hub near King’s Cross Station. It features over 1,000 choreographed fountains that dance throughout the day and light up at night. The square is home to a number of trendy restaurants, including Caravan, an industrial-chic spot that serves brilliant lunches, and Dishoom, a Bombay-style restaurant serving Indian street food. In the summer months, the steps leading to the canal are carpeted to provide a comfortable seating area. Regular events take place in the square throughout the year.
Spin Tunes on a Free Retro Jukebox
Direction
St Pancras Station, Euston Rd , Londres N1C 4QL , Reino UnidoGet directions
Channel your in-house DJ by playing a few tunes on the free retro jukebox at St Pancras Station, featuring the top 40 songs from the last 50 years. It sits below the South Eastern Trains platforms and was installed following the success of the station’s free pianos near the Eurostar terminal. The pianos have been played by renowned musicians such as Elton John and John Legend.
Visit some of the quirkiest museums in London
Direction
183 Euston Rd , London NW1 2BE , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 20 7611 2222
Web
Visit the website
Get a quirky cultural fix with a visit to one of London’s unusual museums. The Wellcome Collection on Euston Road features artifacts, artwork and tools that explore the relationships between medicine and art from the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome, a 19th century pharmacist. Some of the more extravagant items include Napoleon’s toothbrush, Peruvian mummies, and ancient surgical instruments.
At the House of Illustration in Granary Square, you can visit the world’s first public gallery dedicated to promoting and celebrating illustration with a permanent display of political cartoons, advertisements and fashion designs. Join a master class or family workshop to hone your own drawing skills.
Learn all about London’s waterways at the London Canal Museum, housed in a former 19th-century warehouse. The museum conducts regular tunnel trips, a guided narrow speedboat tour through the long Islington Canal Tunnel.
Stroll through the regent’s canal
Direction
Regent’s Canal, London , UK.Get directions
London’s Regent’s Canal is an 8.6 mile waterway linking the Paddington Basin and the Limehouse Basin. Go through the heart of King’s Cross and you can follow a beautiful scenic drive to Camden that takes about 30 minutes. Head down the towpath and stroll past colorful houseboats and luxurious oceanfront apartments housed in converted warehouses. You can walk past picturesque Little Venice or head to Islington and trendy Dalston with its canal-side bars and restaurants in the other direction.
Explore an urban nature reserve
Created from an area of moorland between King’s Cross and Camden, Camley Street Nature Park is a downtown oasis with wooded, grassland and wetland habitats. The two-acre site attracts kingfishers, chicken coops, warblers, frogs and more, and features a visitor center and floating observation deck. It is a great place for families with an outdoor eating area and plenty of seating.
Buy books in a floating bookstore
Direction
Regent’s Canal Towpath , London N1C 4LW , UKGet directions
Telephone
+44 7976 886982
Web
Visit the website
Word on the Water is London’s only floating bookstore. It’s packed with affordable books and features live music and poetry events on the roof of a restored Dutch barge from the 1920s. It was saved from closure after a passionate campaign and is now permanently moored in Granary Square near the station. from King’s Cross.
