Best Pubs near Cartwright Gardens, London

Best Pubs near Cartwright Gardens

There’s nothing like a traditional London pub, and we’re lucky enough to have our fair share of them in the vicinity of the Mentone Hotel. So, I’m happy to share with you my top pick of the best pubs near Cartwright Gardens London, as well as a few good pubs near King’s Cross, complete with some family favourite recommendations.

The Lord John Russell

91-93 Marchmont Street WC1N 1AL
1 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 0207 388 0500
Open: Saturday 12-11pm, Sunday 12-10.30pm, Monday to Friday 11.30am–11pm
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This is for sure a family favourite, and at only a minute’s walk from the hotel, it’s become a popular stop-off for our guests from all over the globe too.

The Lord John Russell is a welcoming pub restaurant, well known for its cask ales. I believe they’ve got 30-40 different beers on offer here, which you can sample alongside a traditional English lunch or Sunday roast. The latter is served till 7pm and I have to say it’s out of this world, especially the dessert.

There’s seating outside so you can have your fill of people watching, and you’ll find the service helpful and friendly.

Norfolk Arms

28 Leigh Street WC1H 9PF
2 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7388 3937
Open: Monday 5pm-11pm, Tuesday to Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 12pm-11pm
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I guess you can call this a ‘gastropub’ as its menus are pretty special, and you can’t miss the Iberian hams hanging in the window. Mediterranean tapas is a speciality here and it’s definitely one of our favourite pubs near Cartwright Gardens London.

There’s a huge tapas menu, and whilst you’ll see a fair few Spanish classics on there like patatas bravas, cured meats, grandma’s meatballs and chistorra, there’s so much more.

Have a look at the menu before you go otherwise you’ll be there all day trying to choose what you want. Just by way of a few examples of some of the more unusual dishes, you’ve got the likes of pea, broad bean and mint scotch eggs; cured salmon, orange and walnut rolls; lamb, red onion and red pepper tzatziki skewers, and a smoked salmon, mackerel, new potato and horseradish fish platter.

The Victorian tiled exterior and high ceilings add a splash of charm, and there’s a small amount of picnic bench seating and tables and chairs out front.

Mabel’s Tavern

9 Mabledon Place WC1H 9AZ
3 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7387 7739
Open: Monday to Thursday 12pm-11pm, Friday 12pm-12am, Saturday 11am-12am, Sunday 11am-11pm
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Mabel’s Tavern is a reputedly haunted classic tavern pub and traditional alehouse offering a wide variety of beers and freshly prepared food including lighter bites, gourmet burgers and pub classics like fish and chips, ham and eggs and steak and ale pie.

Situated between Euston and King’s Cross stations, the family and dog-friendly pub offers pavement tables, live sports screenings and an intriguing history all centred around the infamous Mabel, who despite having left this mortal coil in the 1970s, is still said to be heard operating the pub’s dumb waiter (which is an eerie tale in itself bearing in mind it was removed several years ago).

The Marquis Cornwallis

31 Marchmont Street WC1N 1AP
4 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7278 8355

Open: Monday to Thursday 12pm-11.30pm, Friday 12pm-12am, Saturday 10am-12am, Sunday 10am-10.30pm
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Whilst it could be considered a bit ‘touristy’, the Marquis is a nice-looking pub with big windows and a fancy tiled floor around the bar. They sell a range of premium draught lagers and ciders, craft beers, wines and spirits. Cocktail lovers are well catered for too.

On the food side of things, the pub offers classic British fare, Sunday roasts, brunch and buffet menus, sharers and small plates, and a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options. On Steak Night, you can order two steaks, and get a free bottle of wine.

The Skinners Arms

114 Judd Street WC1H 9NT
4 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7837 6521
Open: Monday to Saturday 12-11pm, closed Sundays
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This is another one of our favourite pubs near Cartwright Gardens London. It’s very traditional with dado wood panelling and leaded windows, and they serve real ales and classic British food.

There are a few picnic benches out front, but it’s cosier inside, especially in the winter in front of the open fire.

The pub is named after the cattle market and tannery trade that King’s Cross was so popular a few centuries back. They’ve got six real ale hand pumps, and four craft ale taps. Listings are changed regularly and they tend to specialise in beers from small breweries. They know their stuff beer-wise, so it’s a great place to sample a few.

Food is served Monday to Friday 12-2.30pm and 5-8.30pm, and Saturdays 12-9pm. The menu offers a selection of small plates, wraps, classic pub mains, pastas and salads. Definitely worth a visit in my opinion as it’s got a nice traditional atmosphere.

The Rocket

120 Euston Road NW1 2AL
5 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7388 0021
Open: Monday to Wednesday 10am-12am, Thursday 10am-1am, Friday & Saturday 9am-2am, Sunday 9am-12am
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In the heart of King’s Cross and Euston you’ll find this spacious traditional pub serving a wide variety of craft beers and cocktails. Décor wise, its most redeeming feature has to be its huge, arched windows and high moulded ceilings.

There’s seating outside, as well as a regular entertainment schedule. If you’re looking for live sports screenings, you can take your pick from no less than eight HD TVs, and if you want to stop for a bite to eat, you won’t go wrong with the Rocket’s traditional pub grub menu, plus burgers, sharing plates, pizzas, sandwiches and salads as well as breakfasts and a separate buffet menu.

The Dolphin Pub

47 Tonbridge Street WC1H 9DW
6 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7916 3191
Open: Monday to Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 12pm-10pm
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If you’re looking for pubs near Cartwright Gardens London with a difference, The Dolphin should make your list.

Mick and family have made this feel very welcoming, and it’s nicely tucked away too round the back of Argyle Street away from the London bustle. There’s a bit of seating outside, with ‘proper’ tables and chairs for a change rather than the usual picnic benches.

There’s a fair range of draught and bottled beers on offer, but special mention has to go to the food, because it’s not often you’ll find a pub with a Peruvian menu, provided courtesy of resident chef Juan Lobaton Santos who by all accounts is creating a stir in the local foodie world.

Menu highlights include lamb stew with Peruvian spices and rice; ceviche (raw fish marinated in citrus juice and spices); Peruvian fillet steak, and crispy fried pork belly with fried sweet potato layers.

Royal George

Eversholt Street, Euston Square NW1 1DG
8 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7387 2431
Open: Monday to Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday & Saturday 10am-12pm, Sunday 11am-10.30pm
Food served: 10am-9pm Monday-Saturday, 11am-9pm Sunday
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This is a classic pub near Euston Station with a front designed to look like the back end of HMS Royal George, a Royal Navy ship which was the largest warship in the world at the time of her launch in February 1756.

There’s a beer garden, live music and live sports screenings, so plenty going on. It’s classed as family friendly and dog friendly, and there’s a wide assortment of beers on offer to sample too.

Pubs at St. Pancras Station

There are a couple of pubs at nearby St. Pancras Station that are also worth a mention, and they’re also within walking distance of the Mentone.

The Barrel Vault serves a variety of real ales, craft beers and gins, as well as breakfasts and British pub food classics, and the Betjeman Arms is great for traditional fish and chips and a pint.

Other good pubs near King’s Cross

There are also a few good pubs near King’s Cross that I’d recommend.

The Harrison

28 Harrison St, London WC1H 8JF
8 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7278 3966
Open: Monday to Sunday 12pm-11pm
Food served: Monday to Sunday 12pm-9.30pm
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Just a short walk from King’s Cross station and not far from the Mentone, this trendy backstreet pub is unfussy and very popular with locals.

There’s a good range of real ales, live music and stand-up comedy a few nights a week and a pub quiz every Monday starting at 7pm. The Sunday roast has quite a reputation – as does the rest of the menu (lamb shank, ribeye steak, bangers and mash – that sort of thing) so as gastropubs near King’s Cross go it’s definitely one to visit. They serve an all-day breakfast 12-6pm on Saturdays too.

There are tables outside – all covered and heated – and dogs and children are welcome.

The Fellow

24 York Way, London N1 9AA
13 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7833 4395
Open: Monday to Wednesday 11am-11pm, Thursday to Saturday 11am-12am, Sunday 12pm-10pm
Food served: Monday to Saturday 12pm-10pm and Sunday 12pm-9pm
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Another of what you can call one of our ‘gastropubs’ near King’s Cross, The Fellow is just round the corner from King’s Cross and St Pancras train stations. It’s set out over three floors, with the pub on the ground floor, a cocktail bar and heated roof terrace on the first floor, and private hire rooms on the top floor.

There’s a decent menu – including a traditional Sunday roast and a sharing roast – as well as ‘posh nosh’ like curried haddock fishcake, crispy South Coast squid, grilled Young’s beer sourdough with bone marrow butter, and pork and fennel scotch egg with mango chutney.

It’s open every day, but it’s over 18s only from 5pm.

Water Rats

328 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8BZ
10 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7833 3312
Open: Sunday to Thursday 8am to 12am and Friday & Saturday 8am to 1am
Food served: Daily from 8am to 10pm
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Situated in the trendy “music centre” of King’s Cross, the Water Rats has quite a history – it was the venue for Bob Dylan’s first UK gig in 1962, played host to The Pogues’ first gig in 1982, and Oasis’ first London gig in 1994.

Serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner cooked fresh to order daily, offering everything from a traditional Sunday roast (Sundays only), to sharing boards for two and all you’d expect from a pub grub menu like beer battered fish and chips, steak, bangers and mash, club sandwich and a range of veggie options, the Water Rats is a popular venue for private hire, business meetings and events.

There’s a good events programme too, including live bands and cult entertainment.

The Lighterman

3 Granary Square, London N1C 4BH
18 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 3846 3400
Open: Monday to Thursday 12pm-11.30pm, Friday 12pm-12am, Saturday 10am-12am and Sunday 10am-10.30pm
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One of the best pubs near King’s Cross for views with its floor to ceiling glass walls and wrap-around terraces offering views over the Regent’s Canal and Granary Square, The Lighterman is a modern waterside drinks and dining venue set out over three floors.

Food wise you’ll find a traditional British menu based around seasonal ingredients, from fresh salads to braised short rib, salt-aged chateaubriand and sharing Sunday roasts, and a canalside bar menu offering everything from Cornish hake and chips to chicken schnitzel, chalkstream trout ceviche and a variety of flatbreads, there’s something for everyone.

O’Neill’s Kings Cross

73-77 Euston Road, London NW1 2QS
5 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7380 0464
Open: Monday to Wednesday 8am-12am, Thursday to Saturday 8am-1am and Sunday 9am-12am
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If you’re looking for sports bars near King’s Cross you can’t go wrong with chain pub O’Neill’s. As well as live sporting events shown across their four big TVs, there’s live music and entertainment, and a pretty decent pub food menu too.

As well as your usual breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizzas and steaks, they do a good selection of Irish Spice Bags, including tandoori chicken, doner kebab meat and the veggie “drunken mushroom”. They also do a buffet menu for private events.

The Euston Flyer

83-87 Euston Road, London NW1 2RA
5 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7383 0856
Open: Tuesday to Friday 10am-11pm, Saturday 9am-11pm and Sunday & Monday 10am-10pm
Food served: Tuesday to Friday 10am-10pm, Saturday 9am-10pm and Sunday & Monday 10am-9pm
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This is another option if you’re looking for sports bars near King’s Cross, with its large screen Sky and TNT sports events.

Food wise the menu is extensive. You’ve got your usual pies, fish and chips, burgers, pizzas and steak, plus a dedicated Sunday menu offering beef sirloin, roasted porchetta, Usk Vale turkey breast and corn fed chicken supreme – with all the trimmings. There’s also a brunch menu served daily.

The Rocket

120 Euston Rd, London NW1 2AL
5 minute walk from the Mentone Hotel
Bookings: 020 7388 0021
Open: Monday to Wednesday 10am-12am, Thursday 10am-1am, Friday & Saturday 9am-2am, Sunday 9am-12am
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Another pub near King’s Cross station showing live sports, The Rocket is a traditional pub with eye-catching big arched windows – and a Happy Hour every Monday to Friday from 5pm to 8pm.

On the menu you’ve got your traditional pub classics, including pies, burgers, fish and chips, sausage and mash, steaks and sharing plates. There’s also a breakfast menu and a buffet menu for private events.

Visiting London? The Mentone Hotel looks forward to welcoming you!

If you’d like to make a booking at The Mentone, please get in touch. All direct bookings benefit from a 10% discount and complimentary breakfast. And we’ll be delighted to share our tips on the best pubs near Cartwright Gardens and King’s Cross to visit during your stay. Just ask!

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