We had an absolutely unforgettable dinner at The Lighterman which we chose because it's positioned right on the gorgeous canalside of Granary Square in King's Cross and was the PERFECT way to kick off our European cross-country friends vacation. The location on the river was stunning and mysterious, with sexy, moody lighting that made the whole place feel like a chic scene out of a movie. Exactly the vibe we were going for as we like to give expensive, stylish, and fun feels. We started with three amazing appetizers: a beautifully fresh seafood starter, a creamy burrata, and a delicate carpaccio. Then came the flatbreads straight from the wood oven which was crispy, bold, and just what we needed for sharing. For mains, the burgers were juicy and really elevated, the trout was perfectly cooked and flaky, and every bite tasted just as good as it looked (kinda small though). The drinks were fabulous! Especially the martinis, which were smooth, cold, and exactly what we needed. 4 starts is because the service wasn't that great, like, seriously. So much so that I would rather not talk about it and just give the -1 star. Stylish atmosphere, gorgeous river views, and great food and drinks... The Lighterman absolutely delivered on every level for our celebration dinner. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a sexy, special night out in London. read more

Decent food, but service leaves much to be desired. We had a pretty large group here for a work dinner. Ended up ordering a bunch of food to share. Since it was a large group, it was understandably a little chaotic when it comes to ordering/ getting peoples attention. It also didnt help that the the restaurant was not exactly the quietest. Our server was not the most pleasant and at times bordering rude. We realized towards the end of our meal that we probably didnt order enough food, so we tried to order more food, but was somehow met with resistance. That was shocking to me. Overall a decent choice for dinner, but there's probably other better options around. read more

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We stopped by the Lighterman for a light Friday night dinner during our trip to London! We were able to sit outside immediately without a reservation. We shared the tuna tartar, chorizo flatbread, olives and the fried chicken. The tuna tartar is an absolute must order! As for drinks, the passion star was a fun take of the pornstar martini and the espresso martini was perfectly balanced. Gorgeous restaurant with a beautiful ambiance right on the water! The service was pretty standard, they were efficient but not very friendly or attentive. read more

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I had a flight out on Sunday and was going to catch the tube to Heathrow but I had a little bit of time and so I decided I'd have a Sunday roast. The Lighterman was nearby and still had a table open, so that was what I went with. It's vibe is less pub and more contemporary, and it's nice to have lots of windows and open, well-lighted space. The selection of beers isn't as broad as I'd like, and, as befits a place whose vibe is contemporary, the menu was heavily weighted to IPAs. If your fond of things like brown ales, stouts, and porters, this might not be your thing, but their lagers are good. I went for a Braybrooke lager, and it was good: light, dry, crisp, and not too hoppy. The Sunday roast was excellent. The vegetables were seasonal. Carrots and a root vegetable that I couldn't quite place. And of course there was mash, gravy, and a Yorkshire pudding. Good, filling, and the portions weren't too large. Service was good as well. All told, it's a bit on the pricier end, but a nice place to grab drinks and / or a meal. read more

The Lighterman - A Braybrooke lager. - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Last minute decision to eat here, but a good decision. Best fish and chips I had in London- super crispy. Tartar sauce was delicious. The only reason I gave 4 stars was because I didn't find the wait staff pleasant. My waiter barely looked in my direction and did the say more than two words all night. read more

The Lighterman - British Near Me - London, XGL

My meal was absolutely stellar and my waiter was awesome. I loved every bit of food I put in my mouth. I was fresh, delicious and well-seasoned. The cocktails were great too. Honestly, the only complaint I have is that after my meal I asked for a dessert menu and after 15 minutes of waiting to order a dessert, I gave up and just asked for the bill. It was busy, so I'm sure that factored into it. I definitely don't hold it against anyone and I'll be back again for sure, if I ever visit the area again. I went alone, but it seems like a great place for a date or group dinner. The location is unmatched and the vibe is just right. read more

Food and drinks were awesome! Impeccable service! Outside is pretty cute. Great for pictures!

The venue was beautiful and we were grateful to be seated under a heater on the balcony, but our table had a no smoking sign on it while all of a sudden the two tables directly next to us were puffing away on cigarettes and blowing their smoke in our direction. The food was priced rather high (though probably accurate for the area) and the value for money seemed less than expected. £10 for a flatbread that was practically some tomato sauce and rocket on a very thin tortilla was disappointing, the cauliflower fritters were okay but when the best item we had were the sweet potato fries and that's not what we expected for a place that presented itself so highly. It was okay, but we won't be going back in a hurry sadly. read more

To be honest, we came here because we couldn't get a table at our first choice. We were hungry so we picked a place nearby. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. I wouldn't necessarily recommend anyone to make a trip down here (it's a bit out of the way from central London), but if you're in the area, it's definitely worth trying. The waiter and hostess were friendly. read more

Walked in for brunch and was served right away. Ordered the eggs Benedict and was satisfied. Nothing to complain about really. I tried some of the coconut berry oatmeal and also enjoyed that a lot. It was super thick and heavy and they give you a lot, especially for the price. The fresh juices were okay, not my cup of tea. Highly recommend the bacon especially if you like it a little chewy. read more

The Lighterman - Eggs Benedict - British Near Me - London, XGL

OK, let's start on the good bits. Great view across the canal from the first floor balcony (beats the outdoor section out front). Beautiful furniture. Loads of friendly staff who seemed on top of things. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. We both wanted to start the week on a healthy note and opted for salad; difficult choice as the menu descriptions were rather basic: superfood salad listed little gem and dressing only, no itemised superfoods - turned out to be avocado, sprouts and pomegranate as advised by our server, carrot strips for garnish only; the beetroot salad consisted of beets that could be counted on one hand covered in green leaves. At around the £10 mark each you expect a main course portion ... the superfood came close but the beetroot version beyond disappointing. We had a steady flow of waiters asking us if we were happy with our meal. Having detailed our disappointment to two we expected some sort of gesture, especially from the more serious manager-y type with headset who left us with the words "let's see what I can do for you" never to be seen again. We moved indoors to connect to the free WiFi and decided we deserved dessert. Sorbets and icecreams are priced fairly at £1.50 a scoop and rather lovely. Further proof that the menu writer didn't have a good day though; instead of flavours the dessert menu listed details of a German Riesling ... luckily our waitress knew her stuff and reeled off the selection. We then did the London freelancer thing of making a coffee last all afternoon. By then the upstairs was more or less empty and staff did not push us to order more - we were the only laptop wielders, this is not the most obvious place for work meetings beyond working lunches. To sum up: great looking place that lacks substance. Granary Square is buzzing with more and more places opening up, I don't think I'll be back. read more

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Last weekend was Beyonce's Formation tour at Wembley and in celebration of my friend Anne's birthday a group of 8 of us decided to go and worship at the altar of Bey. But first we needed to a) line our stomachs, before b) preload before getting to the stadium! Whilst I don't condone binge drinking, it was great to have a leisurely brunch and some quality wine before we headed into the mayhem of Wembley Stadium. So in comes the Lighterman at Kings Cross, situated on the canal and overlooking Granary Square this restaurant bar has been open for 3.5 months, but I haven't been to Kings Cross for ages, so I hadn't spotted it before. The Lighterman consists of 3 light filled floors, with lots of outside/balcony space and the previously mentioned views. But we weren't here just for the views - it was brunch time! The Lighterman has a special brunch menu until 4pm at the weekends (good to know if you are struggling to get up!) I started with a peach Bellini and some of my friends chose a Bloody Mary as a hair-of-the-dog. The regular menu is available alongside the brunch menu - ensuring that there was something for everyone. I decided to go for a mix of the brunch and lunch menu - starting with the signature flatbreads that The Lighterman does. For brunch they have a smoked salmon flatbread with avocado salsa, which hit my craving for avocado. I hadn't really expected the flatbread to be a DIY job though, all the elements came separately. I was expecting more like a pizza - i.e. with toppings on the flatbread already.. however the smoked salmon portion was very generous and the avocado salsa perfect with it. Anne went healthy and got the grilled salmon, which was served with a light green salad - the low carb option for sure. Sarah decided to go all out on the burger and fries (guess what they both had hangovers!) Laura also got the salmon flatbread, but added a side of crispy fried squid. To 'go' with my flatbread I ordered the baked goats cheese - coming with broccoli and a refreshing but crunchy mix of grapes and toasted flaked almonds, this was veggie heaven and another great 'light' low carb meal choice. With nothing left on the plates I can be sure that everyone liked their dishes! Having been so "healthy", we had to try the desserts of course...I got the chocolate mousse (with berries - see healthy!), Tiva got the grilled pineapple and Anne the berry trifle. The desserts were a picture, beautifully presented, light and tasty! All in all we appreciated the food, clean and light with a modern twist and the brunch options were a bit different and interesting, but they still had all the classics too. A few bottles of wine washed brunch down and then we were ready to head over to Wembley! The verdict: I'm definitely coming back to the Lighterman for brunch/lunch/dinner at some point - its location is great and the food and hosting very good. I would recommend booking at the weekend and for large parties, however they can fit in lots of people across the 3 floors, but they can't guarantee outside tables. read more

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The lower floor is a great spot to grab a drink by the water, or if you are lucky a place on the patio up top (which cannot be booked). The food was okay, but not something you get excited about. What was disappointing was the fact the service took absolute ages. I have gone a few times to perhaps give it another shot, but found each and everytime they forget to ask you for any drink orders (or even give water), yourd takes an incredibly long time to get to you, staff are tough to get hold of, and you practically have to grab an arm and convince them to give you a bill. This sounds like staff are overworked and forget tables. Which isn't great if you are starving. I would go elsewhere for food, here for drinks. read more

There is beauty in simplicity. While I'm certainly not a believer that less is always more, a simple thing done well - its essence identified and celebrated, fripperies stripped away - can be a true reason to be cheerful. But in turn, butchering basics is unforgivable. As a result, I was distinctly unimpressed by the Lighterman's botched take on the humble hamburger. Bad burgers are all too common in London pubs, so I should have been more wary. But I'm a perennial optimist, and after a long, damp day, I just wanted something robust, and meaty and handheld to chew on. Over-cooked and over-priced, this was an unambiguously bad burger. I'd asked for it to be done medium-rare (a request that seemed to confuse my waitress) but was served a grey, lifeless piece of meat that would misleadingly be best described as 'well' done. The bun - a brioche job, of which I'm often a fan - was burnt. Any pep from the aiolo adorning the burger was drowned out by the drab bitterness that this gave to every bite. Finishing it proved to be a chore, though I persisted, perhaps mostly out of stubbornness. For £15, I expected far more. Frankly, Wetherspoon's trusty Beer&Burger deal would have been a marked improvement. To make matters worse, the service here was equally poor. A friend also happened to order a side of fries to snack on, which he never received but was duly charged for. read more

Having just arrived from the US, we were on our way to Dishoom but saw the terrace at Lighterman's with folks having drinks and glowing in the sun. I love being outside so we stopped here instead. They were lovely about holding my friend's luggage at the front and seated us on the upstairs terrace. It was gorgeous and fun although the food was fairly ordinary and the waiter did forget one of the items we had ordered. On a beautiful day with a friend you haven't seen in a while, it can't be beat. Yes, waitstaff seems trying hard to look hip and were a bit disorganized, but they were perfectly welcoming to two early 50's Asian American ladies looking a bit scrubby from a cross Atlantic red-eye then train from Edinburgh. This was a Monday at 4 pm. Might have be different on a Friday. Take it for what it is. A great place to sit on a nice day that is conveniently located. read more

The Lighterman - British Near Me - London, XGL

I went two the Lighterman twice, one for lunch and one for dinner. Both times I ate really well and the atmosphere was great! I went for lunch around September and it was sunny and warm, therefore we opted for the outside area. The view is very enjoyable and we had very good burgers (the vegetarian one was special, even though I usually opt for the beef one!) I went for dinner in January and the place was cosy and not too noisy. The staff is friendly and the service is fast. I had a very good salmon on the bone with vegetables. The sweet potato fries were amazing! Both times positive experiences, but for sure try it when it's warm and you can sit outside! read more

It's been over a week since we had lunch here, but it's still a memorable one! Lovely weather allowed us to sit outside and watch the activity on the plaza below. Crispy Calamari and a flatbread were excellent! read more

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The latest opening on Granary Square is a gorgeous spot on a sunny evening - three airy storeys with outdoor seating, a balcony and huge windows. We were on the upper floor with lush views out over the canal, though as the sun sank lower it was practically blinding the girls on one side of the table and it turns out they don't have window blinds. Cue sunglasses at the dinner table! The food is modern British with plenty of fresh and flavourful ingredients that helped us feel healthy (and others perhaps less healthy!). We ordered plenty to share, from crispy squid with chilli and lime, to ricotta and truffled spinach flatbreads, to grilled chicken, to asparagus with beans and peas. It's a varied menu so it was good to take advantage of it and try lots of different things. I thought it was all tasty and beautifully presented, but quite pricey for what it was and the smallish portion sizes. I think the staff might also be having a few teething issues as they seemed very stretched. There's better value for money to be had elsewhere at these levels but if you do book make sure it's on the upper level, as downstairs was rammed and too loud to hear yourself think. read more

Great location next to the canal in King's Cross, but that's no excuse to charge crazy prices for mediocre food. I know most ppl come here for drinks, but I think the menu here is overall overpriced. read more

Surprisingly good! The burger was exceptional - cooked to perfection (ordered medium) - a little pink on the inside with a chargrilled almost crispy outside. The chicken flatbread was good, and a light compliment to the burger. We went at a quiet time and service was great. read more

The Lighterman - Burger of the year 2016. - British Near Me - London, XGL

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We had a party of five. They either weren't prepared to handle a party of five in our section or someone called out. We had three different wait staff during our meal. The two who had lamb entrees had mild cases of food poisoning the next day. My daughters pumpkin and fig tart was inedible. Pumpkin was barely cooked. We told third waiter this was the case and he didn't offer to make it right. He was the same person who told us that the soup of the day was onion soup. They brought broccoli soup with no explanation. When I brought it to their attention no one knew what to do. Onion soup was to be my entree and by the time they figured out it didn't exist, my party had finished eating. Oh, the sausage rolls were served room temperature not hot. The venison carpaccio and the fried goat cheese were good. On the whole a rather disappointing evening. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

With a large menu for a pub, Lighterman offers something for everyone. Quite noisy and hectic at meal times, the busy staff does their best to accommodate the crowds of eaters and drinkers. Food is no more than average. read more

We arrived to a very busy restaurant with a table of 9 understanding we may not find space. The employees were taking up two large tabletops eating meals. We asked if we may be able to take one of the tables for our group and two employees were quite rude to us. The attitude influenced us to leave immediately. read more

I've been for drinks here before and it's in a great spot in the shiny new part of King's Cross. So when a we needed a brunch location in the area I was hopeful. We came on a very snowy Sunday, it wasn't busy so coming with a buggy wasn't an issue but nowhere to hang wet coats. Service was prompt and food and drinks ordered. We were a group of 6 and all catching up so didn't really notice the gap between our drinks arriving and waiting for our food. I ordered one of my faves eggs Benedict. When it arrive it was disappointingly small and when I cut into both poached eggs they were rock hard. I was really annoyed and would have complained but unfortunately the whole table ordered something with poached eggs and we all had the same hard eggs. We were all very hungry by this point so we just ate up and got the bill. It's definitely a case of style over substance. read more

We stopped by in the evening for a few drinks before seeing a movie at the Everyman nearby, the upstairs was packed so we hit the downstairs bar and got a corner of a table. It was so loud! It's basically all concrete and metal with a fairly low ceiling and it was a busy night so we couldn't even hear each other across the table. We had one round and left. It's too bad because the location is great. Maybe it would be better in the summer when it's more open to the deck next to the canal. read more

Love the brunch they have. Wanted to go back before I left London but didn't get a chance sadly. Got the avocado roast and poached eggs with some black coffee. Great breakfast to start the day. Plus location and scenery are a plus. read more

Had a really negative experience here. It seems to be one of those restaurants that is fundamentally disassociated from its actual product: food. Little care given to what I was served. Sent avocado, toast and egg back twice. Avocado way too cold - toast was also stone cold (2X). Texture, flavor, presentation all wrong. Absolutely mediocre in every way. Was early morning with almost no other customers there. Kitchen staff (and wait staff) simply couldn't be bothered. If I'm paying 5 quid for it at a corner cafe it's one thing. Almost £10 here, I'm sorry - but no. Lovely location but definitely wouldn't go back. Restaurants need to start remembering that their product is food - not just some kind of image. read more

Quite possibly the worst service I've ever had. Our server asked us if we were ready almost immediatly. We were sitting down for dinner so we quickly and quite rushed ordered some drinks and a couple of appitizers. The server asked us if we wanted anything else, we said that we would like to take some time to order our entrees. He apologized and said he would be back. That was it, he never came back. We were delivered our starters without silverware, and eventually had to chase another server down to ask for water and to order more. That should've been a warning to just leave. The (I am guessing) FOH manager started to take care of us. He took drink orders that we never got, got our entrees entirely wrong, and when asked for our drinks, he said "I forgot". My steak that I ordered was obviously Sous-Vided and never thrown on the grill to finish even though it was touted as a "grilled steak". My partners pie was delivered cold, it was obviously par-cooked and never finished correctly. We asked for the bill, the FOH manager said ok, we watched him do countless other tasks for other tables. We had to wave him down again to which his response was "after the bill are you?". At that point I was sure that he was going to comp it for how appalling it was. Nope, he delivered the bill, gratuity included, without even a free drink. This place is really a shame, the build out is gorgeous but it seems as if there is a lack of management to keep the threads tight within this establishment. Sad this had to be my lasting impression of London. This was our last dinner on a week long plus trip across Europe and was by far the worst service we experiened. We were in Sweden, France, Belgium, and England and ate at Michelin star rated restuarants down to hundred year old english snack counters and this was the most appalling. read more

So, tried to go to Dishoom but we were told there would be an hour wait so we ended up here. Kinda disappointed in the end - my main (octopus) was too chewy and the sides (£3.50 each!) were absolutely tiny. eg. two lettuce leaves? O_o Would have made a fuss but wasn't my rodeo.. Also the door kept being propped open and I was absolutely freezing. On the other hand, the steaks were apparently nice and the staff are /fantastic/. Oh, and so was my peanut butter dessert was pretty good. However, pricey for what it is so probably won't return. read more

Situated in Granary Square opposite the Kings Cross Theatre, this restaurant looks like a very expensive block of flats with fantastic views and balconies that over look Regents Canal. The place was quite busy for a Saturday eve and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table as we tried to book but they were fully booked and apparently the upstairs section of the restaurant is for pre booked tables and downstairs is for walk ins and drinks at the bar. The staff were very pleasant in getting us a table (for 5) and the food came out in good time with desserts that followed too in good time, even though the place was very busy it seemed we were not forgotten. The only one thing that bugged me was that I had to hand over my credit card for the evening until we got the final bill for the table so that incase we run off and didn't pay they have my credit card to pay for the meal (made us feel uneasy as if we were criminals!) read more

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This is a great bar/restaurant. You can either book for a table upstairs or you can just walk in and try and get a table on the ground level as they don't accept bookings on that level so first come serve first. Also the ground level is slightly noisier as the bar is there. We sat on the ground level with friends and sat next to a window on a picnic type table. Bit noisy down on this ground level but nerveless did not dampen our spirits as the food was amazing. I had pork and chose a spicy sauce to accommodate it. I was not disappointed at all the pork was succulent and moist. The crackling though was a bit like a long pork scratching than a fatty piece of crackling so that was a little disappointing I suppose but still nice. My other friends had a chicken burger which looked delicious, a sirloin steak and lamb shank and all according to my friends was amazing. We all then had desserts I had a sticky toffee pudding and it was a true sugary, sticky, toffee burst on my taste buds. In fact properly one of the best sticky toffee puddings I have ever had. Some of my friends had the apple crumble and they said it was the best sweetest apple crumble they have ever had. So top notch for the dessert factor. I also love the fact that the restaurant is based along the canal so if you are sitting on the side of the canal you can watch the barges going along the canal or if you are on the entrance side of the restaurant then you will have a nice overview of some waterfalls. At night they change colour the waterfalls. Highly recommend only reason I give this place a 4 is because it is a noisy on ground floor. read more

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Worst service I've ever had in a restaurant. I asked for my food without parmesan and sure enough it came out covered in parmesan. The server watched me struggle to pick it off but did nothing about it. He never once came over to ask how our food was until it was obvious we were done eating. Also, our drinks came after our food which was annoying. I'm really bummed because I'd been looking forward to coming here and I had heard positive things about it and it ended up being an awful experience. I don't plan on returning again. read more

Awesome awesome awesome!!! Love this beautiful place. Such a great date venue. Such amazing service from the staff, so attentive and tbh, if you were thinking of walking into a city bar/pub (after seeing the hordes of people outside, be prepared to be disappointed...not even close to a pub/bar. It's a full on restaurant read more

I had breakfast here on a weekday with a large group. There is plenty of space, the restaurants is shiny and new and modern, there is a great selection of breakfast items, and everyone had a good time. Between all of us, we ordered a good portion of the menu. The salmon dishes were best, but the poached eggs were sometimes overdone. Overall the food was average but I would go again! read more

Absolutely stunning in every aspect. Food, drink, service and location were exemplary. My daughter said that it is the best steak pie she has EVER had and to say that she is particular about her pies is an understatement. Full recommend eating here. read more

We had a £12 breakfast last Saturday and poached eggs on sourdough toast. The food looked good and tasted fine, but I think they need to work on their kitchen to table system. Everything was stone cold including plates, and had the feel of being prepared in advance. The sourdough toast was very leathery and the eggs although perfectly formed were absolutely rubbery and cold. I made a suggestion to the staff that at the very least they should serve the food on hot plates. If you are going to charge quite a lot of money - these things should be better. The staff were friendly but I wish they wouldn't command one to 'enjoy' as they hand over the offerings! read more

Food looked amazing however our burger was undercooked and the chicken burger was over cooked. At least we got a seat at a table by the canal....although a but cramped and a pole right in the middle. read more

Stopped in here for drinks and a nosh after work. We liked the beer menu and the cocktails. We ordered some flat bread and crispy squid - all yummy, not terribly original, all with fresh ingredients. The service was a bit slow... but then it was a hot, crowded Friday evening at one of the few venues overlooking a breezy canal. Will go back. read more

The location is just amazing as you have great view of the canal. So how can a place with such a great location (and the ambience/decor is nice, modern) get only 2 stars? Simple - terrible service and being pricey. I was quite surprised with the slow service (understaffed maybe?) and the poor communication. I had order a flat bread with mozzarella along with a drink. We all received our drinks - finished our drinks - and still no flat bread. I asked one of the staff who reassured me it is coming and we asked for water as well. 20 minutes after that, still nothing. 10 minutes after that - they showed up with something I didn't order. I again reminded them what I wanted - 5 minutes after that they showed up with that same thing. 10 minutes after that they came out with what I wanted - and they went to other tables asking if they ordered that. Disaster! And then went it came time to pay, they included the item we never asked for! Horrible service! read more