The Yellow Bittern is a cozy King’s Cross spot serving hearty, nostalgic Irish-British lunches with cracking pies, warm service, and zero fuss.
20 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DU, United Kingdom Get directions
"The Yellow Bittern is London's most controversial restaurant, known for its unconventional approach. It offers a nostalgic dining experience reminiscent of a pre-digital era, featuring a menu that reflects Irish, French, and Basque cuisines. The restaurant is famous for its small capacity, limited lunch-only openings, and unique reservation system." - ByAmiel Stanek
"Open for: LunchPrice range: $$This quaint place close to King’s Cross hasn’t been open long, but has been a conversation starter the likes of which the London restaurant scene hasn’t seen for years. Chef and Belfastman Hugh Corcoran’s sub-20-seater venue is open only at lunchtime (midday and 2 p.m. sittings are offered), reservations must be made via the restaurant’s landline (or postcard, honestly), it is cash-only, and the wine menu is all kept inside the faintly grumpy, periodically affable proprietor’s head. You can skip the starters (save, perhaps, the homemade soda bread and butter); just head straight to the mains, where you might find a slice of game bird pie with mash, a portion of braised guinea fowl with cabbage, or a fantastic rendition of a Dublin classic — coddle: boiled, peppery white sausages in a salty broth with root vegetables and lots of allium. This place eschews everything that the London restaurant industry has become, while bringing forth some (if not all) of the good things it once offered. And you can say, “I was there then.”Best for: Going back in time." - Adam Coghlan
"At The Yellow Bittern, time is forever suspended in that blissful week of full-throttle consumption between Christmas and New Year’s. The mood at the lunchtime-only, British-Irish restaurant on a corner of Caledonian Road is set to home-county cottage with a blackboard menu that reads like a who’s who of comfort foods. Sausage is the warm-up act for a glorious wood pigeon and guinea fowl pie, and pie becomes liberal bites of more pie, only it’s sweet and laced with apples this time. You have another glass of crisp white wine because the heating’s on and isn’t it just so nice to have someone wearing a knitted waistcoat and a cortisol-melting smile wordlessly hand you an open tub of moutarde de dijon like the Maradona of simple pleasures. That’s The Yellow Bittern. An air of an Austenian restaurant attached to an all-day basement bookshop. No website, no credit cards, just analogue comfort and the beauty of a flushed pie glow. video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch The pie in question is an esteemed graduate of The Henry VIII School Of Banquet Indulgence, with a medley of velvety guinea fowl, tender pieces of wood pigeon, all bathed in champagne for three days like newlyweds on a puff pastry honeymoon. It’s as charmingly confident as the presence of an accordion by the squeeze of an open kitchen where Le Creuset pots simmer and homemade puddings await their cream and rum drizzle counterparts. To ensure you get enough face time with that wedge of apple pie, book for the latter of the two sittings (there’s one at 12pm and one at 2pm), because you’ll likely be able to linger for longer. These cosy Dublin coddle quarters cause the kind of sentimental feelings usually reserved for tender romantic arcs so it’s worth booking the day off for a reunion with your favourite friend. Leaving your new Countryfile reality will be hard so once lunch is over, descend the plum staircase to pick up a James Joyce novel as a memento of your trip to Yellow Bitternsville—a place where time politely stops so champagne toasts can start. Food Rundown video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Soda Bread One bite of this soda bread and you’re not in King’s Cross anymore. You’re sitting at a mammy’s kitchen table, hunks of malty, slightly sweet soda bread being served by someone with a smile and feeder tendencies. Bad soda bread is dense and dry. Good soda bread makes you feel like buying an Aga and a gingham apron. This is the latter. video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Dublin Coddle A bowl of this stew did more for us than Lempsip ever has. And if we could eat it for lunch, every day for the rest of our lives, we’re pretty sure we’d be a better person. It’s a warming dish with a chunky, wholesome mix of potatoes, carrots, and sausages so soft you can spoon them into pieces. It’s mood-boosting, and we’re pretty sure immunity-boosting, stuff. Cottage Pie Ordering this is admitting you definitely aren’t going back to work. It’s a significant slab. The top is cheesy and crisp, the filling is all melting together into a meaty, buttery, stewed mouthful. It’s the food equivalent of stroking a golden retriever puppy. This rustic dish does feel like something you could make at home, but then again, why would you when The Yellow Bittern does it so well. video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Guinea Fowl & Wood Pigeon Pie We love this pie. Print it on t-shirts. Scream it from the rooftops. Everything—from the crisp, golden pastry to the soft, champagne-soaked meats—is perfect. If you order one thing here, make it this. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Green Salad There’s nothing particularly special about this green salad but it’s still essential. Everything else on the menu is varying shades of brown and a side of crisp greens in a zingy, fresh dressing goes a long way to alleviate the meat/pastry/butter overload. video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Apple Pie You should get the apple pie, but just know that it’s an end to the meal that spells one thing—a nap on the Victoria line. Much like the other pastry on the menu, this is very good. Not too crumbly, not too sweet. The apples are soft and tart, and some still have the faintest hint of bite to them. It’s served with a jug of cream and feels like a sleepy Sunday." - Heidi Lauth Beasley
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Tom Grater
Kelly Farrell
James Morgan
Joe Boley
Nancy Lintner
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