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Kings Cross Filling Station (KXFS)

I see the neon green sign for The Filling Station every time I drive through York Way; I’ve wanted to check this place out for ages, so last weekend the weather being beautiful as it was, I decided to take a trip. I parked a few yards away from the bar on a nearby side road; parking was free as it was a Sunday but parking restrictions do apply Monday to Saturday. If I remember correctly you can park locally on a Saturday from about 1:30pm onwards. So anyway, the weather is quite important to mention with this place because for those that don’t know, it’s basically an outdoor bar/restaurant based on the forecourt of an old petrol station. Nice idea right? And get this…the restaurant (Shrimpy’s) is actually based inside the original kiosk of the former petrol station. #Vintage.

Inside.

The bar is situated alongside the Regent Canal and if you’re lucky enough to get a seat in the unsheltered section of the forecourt, you’ll be sat right next to the canal, having the sunshine for company, which, when it decides to come out is definitely not a bad shout; as well as sitting underneath the glorious sunshine, you also have the view across the water of the old 1852 Granary building and Victorian railway structures, which are contrasted by the contemporary new developments under construction along York Way. Decor is minimal; cool, futuristic and industrial, with concrete floors and corrugated fibre-glass wall panels enclosing the space. I love the look of this place, it’s unlike anything else in the area and in fact anything I’ve seen in London, it will definitely get your friends talking if they haven’t been before.

Menu.

They also serve food at the forecourt bar, cooked on a huge grill which is perfect for barbequing when the weather permits. The menu is very simple with only 4 dishes and 5 drink options, this seems to change regularly but only in terms of the filling; the actual dishes remain constant in that they serve two different torta options (veggie or meat); this is basically a grilled sandwich served on a crusty bread roll which is also toasted on the grill, corn on the cob, or the sea food bucket. This is the most expensive thing on the menu at 20 quid, and I’m guessing this would be a sharing option but unfortunately I didn’t get to try it because on my visit they had actually run out! Instead I ordered a prawn and chorizo torta which I have to say was very tasty, although a bit steep at £7 considering it is just a sandwich. The veggie torta I’m told consisted of couscous and melted cheese. For drinks I ordered a gorgeous mango and hibiscus frozen margarita with a shot or tequila (you can have it with or without) this really did the trick being sat outside in the warm sun.

Staff and the crowd.

The staff were quite friendly if not a bit relaxed, and they do shout at you when your food is ready to be collected from the front counter, which can be embarrassing if you don’t hear them straight away because they will just keep shouting at you lol. The people also seem to be quite nice too; I randomly got talking to a lady called Sabena and a few of her mates as they hijacked the spare seats on our table, which believe it or not was actually quite refreshing because it was clear we were all out there for the same reason, to chill out with friends, have a drink and top up to the tan in the process. #Goodtimes.

A few things to note.

KXFS does not accept cash, so make sure you have your cards with you when ordering from the bar.

The restaurant Shrimpy’s is quite small and gets full very quickly so you have to book ahead in order to get a table.That being said, they will try to accommodate you if you turn up without a booking but it is very popular so it’s best to make a quick call.

The restaurant will not accept orders from people sitting in the forecourt; you have to have a table to be able to order from the restaurant menu.

This place is a very cool find, definitely worth a look if you’re in the area, especially if the sun’s out. My rating: 4/5

Across the Buildings.

Oh and before I forget…one other thing to mention: if you’re a fan of contemporary art, take a short stroll (about a minute’s walk) down the street to the ORM Viewing Tower where you can experience a panoramic view of Felice Varini’s ‘Across the Buildings’ which sits beautifully on the Front of the Granary building (now occupied by Central St Martin’s Art College) and interestingly connects all the other buildings in the vicinity to this focal point. Very cool and worth checking out!

KXFS can be found at King's Cross Filling Station, Goods Way, London N1C 4UR.

Happy exploring guys,

the Ldnr.