Join the rewards club for food lovers and unlock rewards

Coal Office

Lebanese, Middle Eastern·
££££
·
Silver Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Coal Office

Silver Award

Designer Tom Dixon clearly has a thing for canals. His old HQ was by the Grand Union Canal at the top of Ladbroke Grove and featured a restaurant where chef Stevie Parle shot to fame. For his new place he’s chosen a brick warehouse from 1851 that gently curves around the Regent’s Canal in Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, immediately recognisable from the other restaurants in the new development by the Melt pendant lights that glow like illuminated amoeba from the windows of Dixon’s shop, studio and restaurant.

Cheffing duties this time around fall to Assaf Granit, the brains behind the world-famous Machneyuda in Jerusalem and a collaborator on The Palomar and Barbary. Some of The Palomar’s greatest hits are here, including addictive kubaleh bread to scoop up the soft, Josper-roasted flesh of roasted aubergine, swirled with tahini, tomato and pistachio dukkah. 

Other dishes and flavours were new to us – a dish of Yellow Tail sashimi, pickled okra, mango, ginger and chilli rockets between sweetness, acidity and heat, in such a way that it took us a couple of bites to process everything that was going on. We decided, eventually, that it was delicious. The same can be said of gently roasted summer tomatoes, served with a strawberry coulis - a brave pairing but the interplay of sweetness and tang absolutely works. 

The larger mains are a little less exciting, leaning on tried and tested flavours. That said, no-one is complaining when faced with a smoky, charcoal-grilled chicken skewer, served with the glorious, soft innards of a coal-roasted leek, or the pulled leg of lamb which we hungrily wrapped in lettuce cups, and doused in sharp cucumber relish. Signature cocktails can be a disappointment in many of London's more expensive restaurants, but Coal Office does a bang up job, offering some genuinely inventive, exciting drinks. 

While the 160-seat site, spread over a restaurant, chef’s table, bar and roof terrace, might not have the intimacy of Granit’s previous London restaurants, the vibe provided by global beats, shouts from an open kitchen and, especially, Dixon’s beguiling design imprint provide a seductively hypnotic buzz. If you love a restaurant with a vibe, Coal Office certainly won't disappoint.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £50 - £79
Cuisines
Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Ambience
Cool, Fun, Lively, Quirky
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Alfresco And Views
Outside seating, Rooftop, Terrace, Waterside
Special Features
Chef’s table, Counter dining, Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Dates, Group dining [8+], Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

FAQs

Who is the chef here?

Celebrated Israeli chef Assaf Granit is the chef at the restaurant.

Helpful? 0

Coal Office is featured in

Location

2 Bagley Walk, King's Cross, London, N1C 4PQ

020 3848 6085 020 3848 6085

Website

Opening Times

Brunch
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat 12:00-16:00
Sun 12:00-16:00
Lunch
Mon 17:30-23:00
Tue 17:30-23:00
Wed 17:30-23:00
Thu 17:30-23:00
Fri 17:30-23:00
Sat 17:30-23:00
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun 17:30-22:30

Reviews

Share your thoughts with other diners

Write a review


8 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Sara D

23 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Delicious food, lovely setting by the canal in the refurbished area by Granary Square.

Fresh flavours and friendly service.

Anon

28 November 2021   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Fun lunch with the girls

Seated across from the open kitchen on high bar stools, quite comfortable but it did get quite hot.  Unfamiliar with menu but waitress was very helpful, starters and mains were ok, desserts were excellent.  We ordered a few breads, small and large dishes and shared.  Appreciate that we could enjoy a long lunch and didn't feel like we were being hurried to leave.  Overall fun place for lunch with relaxed atmosphere.

Alex G

07 January 2020  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4.5
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 3
Taste of Tel Aviv

Gourmand Gunno has been a regular traveller to and frequent advocate of Israel. There is much to love about the country and its food. Its location affords it two things: superb climate – after all, this is the famed land of milk and honey – and strategic positioning; at the intersection of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. With these factors in mind, it is hard not to be attracted. Londoners have been lucky enough to get a small insight into the country’s cuisine, first from Yotam Ottolenghi and more recently from venues such as The Palomar and The Barbary. The Coal Office, located in the Granary Square development behind King’s Cross, is the latest iteration of Israel’s potential and perhaps the venue in London that most faithfully captures the vibe of high-end dining outlets in Tel Aviv. Formal it is not, yet beneath the buzz, this is an incredibly slick operation. Expect pulsing beats, mini dramas from the open kitchen, engaging serving staff and – above all – mostly top-notch food. We were able to take everything in from the high-stooled table where we sat, the kitchen to one side the large open windows looking to the canal on the other. Décor is by designer Tom Dixon and the menu created by Assaf Granit (who found fame in Jerusalem’s legendary Machneyuda restaurant). The starting premise behind the food is ‘coal and wood.’ This may be part reference to the history behind the venue – in the Victorian era, coal was delivered up the canal to this part of London – but also a fundamental philosophy, that most things taste better when they are roasted and/or smoked. Simple can be good and a kubalah bread accompanied by labneh, tomato confit and fresh oregano, with which we began, proved this point. The bread was soft and comforting and the flavours melded seamlessly. Beyond bread, diners are encouraged to share a handful of smaller dishes, perhaps one from the ‘in between’ section and then conclude with a larger plate, again intended for sharing. We stuck broadly to this formula. While there was much love for the openers (especially the amazing polenta offering and also probably the most interesting take on fennel – here, with orange, olives, almonds and harissa – I have ever seen), the other dishes were more mixed. My octopus was quite superb, enhanced by an original truffle harissa sauce. However, my comrade was sufficiently unimpressed with her freekeh and smoked aubergine dish (‘bland, like a mid-week thing I might cook at home’) that it got sent back to the kitchen. It was – to the credit of the staff – replaced by an alternative. Similarly, for the puddings, tahini ice cream rocked, but the Coal Office’s take on malabi was discordant and rubbery. Maybe it didn’t matter too much, if you are happy to come and enjoy the vibe and think of the whole thing as a chaotically lively experience (the dishes come as soon as they are ready) with some flashes of culinary brilliance. It’s not super-cheap (especially once drinks are added in) and won’t be for everyone, but we mostly loved it.

Sehar M

26 July 2019  
Absolutely delicious food! We sat at the Chef's counter and felt like we were given a very personalised experience. Theres nothing more satisfying than watching your food and challah bread being freshly prepared in front of you and the joy with which the staff were doing their job! The beef and lamb were stunning. So were the complimentary tastings. And most exquisite black sesame olive oil ice cream. Good value and definitely recommend a visit to this wonderfully designed / refurbished part of town.

Izzi B

19 June 2019   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 4
Lively atmosphere and fun staff!

LOVE this restaurant. ticks all the boxes. Also great for a lunch meeting. Staff are very friendly, buzzing atmosphere and you cannot beat the food! 

Emelina M

31 March 2019  
Great food, service amazing, good drinks.

Mark D

05 February 2019  
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4
Atmosphere 4.5
Value 4
On trend and on the money

The combination of great food, informed service, beautiful setting and the sense of privilege at securing a table – it’s full houses most sessions – makes this one of the stand-out restaurant experiences of early 2019

Chris H

12 September 2018  
Food & Drink 4
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Interesting food
I attended a showcase event a couple of weeks ago and then went back for a meal last week. I can certainly recommend the Sashimi Uri Style (Kingfisher, ginger vinaigrette), Shikshukit 2.0 (lambe and beef kebab, tahini sour, aubergine, pita), Seafood Chraime (Tomatoes and pepper stew, Yemen pancake), and the Octopus special. The staff were very attentive. You can enjoy a pre-dinner drink from the deck overlooking the canal or visit Tom Dixon's workshop.
Book a table

Call Coal Office to make a booking on:

020 3848 6085 020 3848 6085

Visit their website

Sorry, you cannot spend SquareMeal vouchers here yet.

Other restaurants we like near Coal Office

Check availability