Despite the huge regeneration scheme Kings Cross isn't an area of London that I frequent too often. My Essex train comes into Liverpool Street so naturally I spend a lot of my time in east London. But when an invite popped up to to try out the new Bar & Block in that part of town, I took it as a sign that I should head north and catch up with Kim. And I'm very glad I did!
Located just a five minute walk from the station, the specialist steak restaurant looks slick and welcoming. After being ushered into our booth, we were almost immediately presented with some addictive beef-flavoured popcorn. After pouring over the cocktail menu, we decided to opt for the refreshing gin smash cocktail. A lovely light choice to go alongside our starters.
The juicy meatballs were covered in a tangy tomato sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese, Served with crusty ciabatta bread, this was just the right size for a starter and had me looking forward to the main course. My dining companion had creamy mixed mushrooms on two slices of ciabatta topped with a poached egg. I have it on very good authority that this was great too. It certainly looked it!
Given that it was a steak restaurant I opted to go for the butcher's block. This changes daily and I thought it would be good to try something I hadn't had before. On this particular day it was short rib topped with samphire and served alongside beer dripping chunky chips and chimichurri sauce. The meat was tender and the chips were beautifully crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. Kim went for the slow-cooked pork belly on a bed of wholegrain mustard mash with a smattering of rocket and apples. This looked divine and got the thumbs up!
Despite declaring we couldn't eat another thing, we took one for the team and ordered another cocktail - strawberry mojito - and poured over the dessert menu. As soon as I clocked the churro sundae there wasn't any other option. It was a monster when it appeared! Two gigantic churros were on top of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, clotted cream, brownie chunks and biscuit bites. Drizzled with a toffee sauce, it was pure indulgence. Kim's apple and blackberry crumble looked divine too.
Bar & Block is a great addition to the buzzing Kings Cross restaurant scene. There's something for everyone on the menu - even if steak isn't your favourite thing - and portion sizes are pretty decent. Our waitress couldn't have been more helpful or attentive and really made the restaurant experience all the better. Thanks for having us guys!
