Coal Office Restaurant
Middle Eastern restaurant · King's Cross ·
Modern Middle Eastern fare, fresh breads, rooftop terrace, open kitchen
Modern Middle Eastern fare, fresh breads, rooftop terrace, open kitchen
"Whatever your feelings on Coal Drops Yard—the shiny, faintly dystopian hub in King’s Cross—you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t agree that it’s a comfortable place to kill an hour on a nice day. Coal Office is primed for this thanks to its long terrace that’s a little out of the ruckus, and an easy-to-pick-at menu of Middle Eastern breads and dips." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"For three forms of completely irresistible bread and a very comfortable outdoor terrace in Coal Drops Yard, there’s nowhere better than Coal Office. The Middle Eastern restaurant has a snazzy, industrial art fair feel about it thanks to its collaboration with the design company Tom Dixon downstairs. If the weather’s playing up then the bar is the place to be, complete with pumping music and loaf of kubalah. Carb obsessives will go to town on this warm, butter-laden brioche and it’s made better by the tang of labneh and a tomato salad. The abulafya is also good alongside tahini and schug, and although things like the tuna tartare underwhelm, there’s plenty of flavour to be found in a smoky grilled cabbage sitting in a pool of funky chilli fermented sauce. It’s a ‘get a few things, pick at this, and put the world to rights’ situation. Just remember, more bread never goes amiss. Food Rundown Kubalah This shining loaf of mini brioche-like bread is an absolute joy. It’s toasty, sweet, and has the unmistakable whiff of something that is packed with butter. PlayMute video credit: Jake Missing Abulafya Although advertised as a bagel, this is more accurately a bread roll that’s covered in sesame seeds. It’s pretty good and is a welcome vehicle for dips. photo credit: Jake Missing Labaneh & Tomato There’s a pleasing heft of grated tomato that’s been drenched in really good olive oil on top of this labaneh. Krov Cna’ani We’ve lost count of how many grilled cabbages we’ve seen on menus, but this one is a great order. There’s a tonne of blackened char on the edges, it’s still soft to cut through, the herb ash looks and tastes good, and the mossy-coloured chilli ferment has great tang to it. photo credit: Jake Missing Off Ve Amba It’s only natural that you might want some protein and this poussin does the job, although is a little underwhelming as a main. It’s cooked reasonably and the mango broth is subtle, but you’ll need more in a big group." - Jake Missing
"What It Is: An upscale middle-eastern restaurant at Granary Square from the team behind The Palomar. Perfect For: Impressing Out Of Towners, Action At The Bar, Date Night Despite arriving at 6pm, just as they opened, we were told they were all booked up and so we’d have to sit at the counter. This wasn’t a problem because the counter overlooks the open kitchen, and if you’ve ever eaten at The Palomar you’ll know just how fun it can be to watch these chefs do their thing. We were greeted with a shot of punch to get us started, and followed up with a couple of excellent cocktails and the kubalah, one of three freshly baked breads on offer. It was served with yoghurt, and we ordered a plate of chilli dips to go with it. It was incredible. A few of the sharing plates were underwhelming (sashimi, polenta) but the chicken liver pate was fantastic, as was a fig dessert which was served with tahini ice cream. Verdict: This is an exciting place to be, but it’s expensive, and the food didn’t hit all the marks we hoped it would. We’ll be back to give it another try before deciding whether it gets a spot on the Hit List." - sam collins, oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, eileen twum
"The Coal Office in King’s Cross have started a Fresh Food Hub. Which means you can follow their Instagram to find out which recipe they’re going to be making tomorrow and pre-order it today by emailing ToYou@CoalOffice.com. If you’d rather make it yourself, there’s the option of having the ingredients delivered so you can follow the recipe with them." - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"The Coal Office in King’s Cross have launched a Fresh Food Hub. What does that mean? It means you can follow their Instagram to find out which recipe they’ll be making tomorrow and pre-order it today by emailing ToYou@CoalOffice.com. Or if you’re feeling a little wild you can also get the ingredients delivered and follow the recipe yourself." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
