H&C News recently wrote about the opening of Drake & Morgan’s flagship venture in Pancras Square, King’s Cross – an area that has been and is transforming, and which will get even busier as more office and residential tenants move in.
Having visited the Drake & Morgan premises when it was still a ‘site’ being fitted out, the ambition was clear and, whilst the pictures showed that the quality promise had been fulfilled, a visit to check out how it is all working was scheduled.
And, on a cold Tuesday night, it was apparent that Drake & Morgan has been building a significant customer base that was enjoying the ambience, food and drink – and in no hurry to go home.
Appealing on multiple levels
Drake & Morgan at King’s Cross may be bringing ‘late night cocktail culture and a cool vibe to the area’ but it also appeals on multiple levels.
It features two bars on the ground and lower ground floors, an elegant dining room with open kitchen alongside a deli, lounge, two unique ‘kitchen pods’, private dining room and outdoor terrace.
So – food, drinks, coffee and varied but high quality environments to please most tastes – and it does. The spaces, surfaces and finishes are genuinely high quality and enjoyable: it would require a very bad day at the office for a customer not to revive afterwards at Drake & Morgan!
And the menu?
The menu is eclectic: lots of choice drawn from different cuisines – from charcuterie to satay, bangers to curry, pie to burgers, and much more.
Our visit gave us the opportunity to start with the Ham Croquettes and Crab Fritters – both recommended by the waiter, and both an enjoyable introduction to the evening. Lightly seasoned, for the Croquettes, the herb mayonnaise added important depth of flavour; whilst the sweetcorn and chilli sauce was a powerful and delicious accompaniment to the Crab Fritters.
For the main course, we first tested that current and essential ‘staple’ of eating out in the UK: the burger. In this case, their Wagyu Burger. And very good it proved: high quality, tender meat accompanied by blue cheese and tomato chutney – and the generous portion of French fries lived up to the burger.
Blackened cod with cockles and samphire tempted as a dish of the day, allowing the chef to demonstrate different skills: the strong flavour of the samphire was not allowed to overwhelm the cod, whilst the cockles added another texture and flavour that worked very well.
The dessert choices delivered a very acceptable Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart – satisfyingly rich in flavour.
Sear & Sizzle
As indicated above, the menu presents small plates, as well as choices from the grill, and larger comfort dishes.
Signature dishes, cooked on a charcoal-fired robata, include octopus with pimento aioli, Dover sole on the bone, baby chicken with gremolata, lamb chops with mint sauce and blackened cauliflower with almonds, capers and brown butter.
There’s no doubt that the choice is wide-ranging, and it will be interesting to see if and how the menu evolves as the area and clientele develops, and still more competition arrives.
Wide-ranging meets high quality
As indicated above, Drake & Morgan is designed to appeal to a diverse audience, on diverse occasions:
- The eclectic menu should have dishes to suit most tastes and occasions
- The drinks offering ranges from a good wine list to an excellent choice of cocktails
- From deli to dining and drinking areas, there’s a location to suit the guest’s choice of activity and mood
- And the staff are both welcoming and efficient.
There’s no doubt that King’s Cross is building a formidable dining and drinking area at the same pace that it’s completing new and renovated buildings. Drake & Morgan has correctly identified the potential of the area, and this ‘flagship’ operation is more than capable of standing out from the competition.
Drake & Morgan at King’s Cross, 6 Pancras Square, King’s Cross, London N1C 4AG
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