Italian restaurant near Kings Placedinner before a concert, Fiena on Judd Street

Kings Place is at 90 York Way, London N1 9AG. Building work began in 2005, and its opening festival started on 1 October 2008. It combines music and visual arts venues with seven floors of offices, and since December 2008 it has been home to the editorial offices of The Guardian. On its eastern side the building looks over Battlebridge Basin on the Regent's Canal, and the venue describes itself as "located right on the Grand Union Canal towpath". The architects, Dixon Jones, gave the York Way front its distinctive wavy glass façade, made of hundreds of very slightly curved sheets of glass, which also helps cut heat from the afternoon sun.

When it opened, Hall One was the first public concert hall to be newly built in central London since the Barbican's in 1982. It seats 420, and it's built as a separate box that sits on rubber springs, so it's acoustically cut off from the rest of the building. Inside, the panels, columns, ceiling coffers, seat backs and doors are all covered in veneer from the same tree: a 500-year-old German oak named Contessa. The hall won the overall Gold Award at the 2009 Wood Awards. Kings Place also has Hall Two, a flexible space, and the St Pancras Room for talks. Background from Wikipedia's Kings Place page.

You don't need a ticket to enjoy the building. Pangolin London, one of the few London galleries dedicated to modern and contemporary sculpture, shows work in its gallery by the entrance and throughout the public spaces and along the canalside. According to Kings Place, the main gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, and walk-in visits are accommodated where possible.

Kings Place says doors usually open 30 minutes before the event starts, and latecomers may have to wait for a suitable break, or may not be admitted at all, so it pays to plan. Our main menu runs from midday until close, so an early dinner is easy. If you're short of time, these are good choices:

• Pasta: Spaghetti carbonara, Penne arrabiata, Linguine Fiena with chicken, mushrooms, garlic and cream, or the Lasagna. Gluten-free penne is available for all pasta dishes.
• Pizza: the Margherita, the Buffalo with buffalo mozzarella, or the Diavola pepperoni with spicy nduja.
• Something lighter: a Chicken Caesar or salmon salad, or the Risotto mushrooms.

Let your server know what time your concert starts. Ayub's verdict: Great service without being rushed. (Ayub, Google review) Nick, who ate with us alone on a business trip, found the level of service and the quality of the food was really good (Nick, Google review).

The bar pours from 10:30, so there's time for an Aperol or Hugo spritz, a Negroni or a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo before you head off. All our cocktails use a 50ml spirit measure. See our posts on aperitivo hour, the Cosmopolitan and the wine list.

From Kings Place, head south down York Way to Euston Road, then turn right and walk west past King's Cross and St Pancras stations. Cross Euston Road into Judd Street and you'll find us at 4 Medway Court. It's about 1.1 kilometres, around 15 minutes on foot (route from OpenStreetMap), so leave a little extra time if you want a seat before the doors open.

Martin summed up our team: The staff were great, attentive knowledgeable and helpful (Martin, Google review).

Kings Place sits next to plenty more. Our guides to the London Canal Museum, just across Battlebridge Basin, Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard and Platform 9¾ all start from our door. Going to a dance show instead? See The Place on Duke's Road and our pre-theatre dinner guide.

“The staff were friendly, attentive, and really made the whole meal feel special.”

Ayub, Google review, 2025