Our favourite King’s Cross cocktail bars

After satisfying your late-night pizza craving at Happy Face, head downstairs to Supermax, a cocktail bar serving vermouth-led cocktails. The interior draws inspiration from ‘70s era Milan with a winding leather banquette and a terrazzo bar with just the right amount of neon lights.

We love Supermax’s Friday nights with Italo Disco and Funk records spun by the DJ – the same team is behind Spiritland, so expect world-class DJ sets on a top-tier sound system.

Supermax has an aperitivo hour with £7 cocktails until 7 p.m. Love the sound of it? This King’s Cross cocktail bar is available for private hire for up to 80 people standing for one hell of a party.

Booking Office 1869 is located in the stunning original 19th-century ticket hall of St Pancras station, the perfect blend of old-world European charm and British aesthetics with vaulted ceilings, red brick and stone detailing, gorgeous blue aqua tiled bar, and arched windows.

The signature cocktails at Booking Office are named after the Eight Virtues, all of which are depicted in the vaulted ceiling of the building’s iconic staircase. It’s swish, it’s luxe, it’s a stunning piece of architecture, and most importantly, there are world-class cocktails at this King’s Cross cocktail bar. We recommend patronising the bar on a Friday or Saturday night for top-notch DJ sets.

The German Gymnasium is a cafe, restaurant, and cocktail bar in a beautifully preserved Grad II listed building. It takes its name from the fact that this site was the first purpose-built gymnasium in England, dating back to 1865, and was solelfy funded by London’s German community.

Sharing the first floor with the Restaurant is the chic Meister Bar, a King’s Cross cocktail bar emulating the evening glamour of Berlin. Although on the pricier side – as you should expect of an upscale place like Meister Bar – the Golden ‘20s Berlin signature cocktail menu is worth the price for the experience with downright delicious flavour combinations crafted by master mixologists. We recommend the Mother Cat if you really want to tickle your tastebuds. You’re welcome.

As you can imagine with three different spaces on offer, German Gymnasium has several private hire options if you're looking for a swish place for a celebration.

Sweeties is the Standard Hotel’s cocktail bar, club, and late-night lounge. Admire the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows or lounge about on one of the many plush velvet sofas while listening to tunes spun by the DJ.

We like this King’s Cross for its cleverly-named cocktails, like the Deep Pockets which coincidentally happens to be one of the pricier cocktails on the menu. We also rate its retro vibe – vintage-inspired stacked speakers, Instagrammable carpets, central DJ booth, and a giant disco ball.

This 10th floor cocktail bar is available for private bookings if you’re after that exclusive, luxe kind of party.

As the home to international rail travel, King’s Cross has several world class bars, restaurants, and hotels – it has always been area for London to show off to international guests. The Gothic Bar in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is no exception.

This King’s Cross cocktail bar takes its name in honour of the building’s Gothic Revival style. Its opulent with gilded features, moody, and dimly-lit, downright theatrical in decor and design, as you expect of a place with such a dramatic name.

The signature cocktails are pricey but potent and delicious, and we appreciate the bar’s absinthe collection – so very gothic. This is one for when you’re feeling a little flush and devilish.

The Racketeer dates back to the 1840s, originally a pub, today it’s a cocktail bar and bottle shop serving up drinks that can be enjoyed in the gorgeous blue space of the ground floor bar, in its basement bar, and in its intimate garden-style patio.

We like this King’s Cross cocktail bar for an afternoon session when it has a relaxed ambiance and it feels almost sinful not to indulge in aperitivo and charcuterie. However, it’s equally worth a visit if you like your cocktails by moonlight. The Racketeer’s basement and patio are so cocktail lounge-feeling, we can’t get enough of it.

The Lina Stores’ King’s Cross location occupies the last remaining heritage building just behind Granary Square. Bar Lina is in keeping with Lina Stores’ retro mid-century Americana decor with minimalist modern touch.

We like Bar Lina as the King’s Cross cocktail bar with the finest selection of aperitivi. We don’t know how to contain ourselves – the Braulio Sour with blackberry & sage shrub, and the Limoncello Spritz with wild oregano infused limoncello.

Bar Lina has a dedicated Negroni menu and we bow down to the Boulevardier made with Woodford Reserve, and it has a dedicated Vermouth menu, all served over ice with a slice of orange. The Cocchi Americano Bianco is the standout with clove, cinnamon, and zest.

Look, we really, really rate Lina Stores for some the best aperitivi in the city. Full stop.

The Great Northern Hotel’s Bar & Terrace is a modern twist on traditional railway bars with fancy chandeliers, intimate seating, and chequered tile flooring around the bar. GNH opens directly onto the Western concourse of King's Cross station and the outside seating looks out across the square.

This King’s Cross cocktail bar seamlessly transforms from a breakfast and lunch restaurant during the day to a sleek night-time bar with stunning drinks. The bar does the classics to perfection, but it’s the signature cocktails that standout for us – as it should be. We recommend the El Rey, it’s smokey and bold mezcal with lush peach liqueur.

It takes no stretch of the imagination to know this brasserie and cocktail bar is located in Granary Square, a short walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. The brasserie has opted for interior design that marries traditional with contemporary with a little touches of elegance found in dramatic chandeliers and framed art.

What we like about this King’s Cross cocktail bar is number of cocktail menus it offers – classic, signature, and seasonal. You’ll find hot takes on classics like the Gold Negroni, but it’s the brasseries showcasing of local distilleries and producers that’s the real star. Go in for the seasonal cocktails like the Saffron Negroni made with Plymouth Sloe, and the Smoked Double Jus Old Fashioned made with 30&40 Double Jus.

Camino’s King’s Cross location is a well-established and much-frequented spot in the area for reasonably priced tapas. Now, Camino’s joined the ranks of King’s Cross cocktail bars by opening the aperitivo bar. Expect Vermouth and tonics, sherries, and cava.

There isn’t much to disagree with when it comes to nibbling on charcuterie, cheese, and of course, jamón, now we get to wash it all down with La Copa Rojo Vermouth served on the rocks with Spanish olive and orange, we also completely appreciate Camino’s titbits regarding the pairing of dry sherry with food: If it swims, drink Fino; if it flies, drink Amontillado; if it walks or runs, drink Oloroso.