Dinner, Drinks and a Little King’s Cross Glamour

King’s Cross might still be associated with trains, commuters and hurried journeys across London, but anyone who hasn't explored the area for a few years may be surprised by what they find.

The redevelopment of King’s Cross has brought some genuinely excellent restaurants, bars and hotels to the neighbourhood. Head towards Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard and it feels a world away from the King’s Cross of old.

For us, however, a great restaurant for a special evening needs more than good food. The surroundings matter. The atmosphere matters. You want somewhere that feels like you've made an occasion of it, particularly when you’re dating a Kings Cross escort.

Two King’s Cross restaurants stand out for very different reasons.

Decimo at The Standard

If you're looking for glamour, atmosphere and somewhere that immediately feels like a night out, Decimo is difficult to beat.

Located on the 10th floor of The Standard hotel on Argyle Street, opposite St Pancras, Decimo combines Spanish and Mexican influences with one of the more dramatic restaurant settings in the area.

Even getting there makes an entrance. The restaurant is reached via The Standard's distinctive exterior red lift, taking you up the side of the building before you arrive at a dining room overlooking London.

Perhaps you’d like to take one of our Spanish escorts with you on a date there?

And those views are a large part of the appeal.

Floor-to-ceiling windows look out across the London skyline, while inside, the restaurant is warm, dramatic and unapologetically glamorous. This isn't somewhere we'd choose for a hurried meal before catching a train. Decimo deserves an evening.

The menu comes from chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and brings together his Spanish heritage with his love of Mexican cooking. Expect dishes designed for sharing, seafood, meat cooked over fire and plenty of bold flavours rather than traditional fine-dining formality.

Gambas rojas are one of the restaurant's signatures, while the menu might tempt you towards Iberico pork, tacos or something from the grill. Add a couple of mezcal cocktails and the whole experience starts to make sense.

This is sophisticated dining without being stuffy.

In fact, that's probably what we like most about Decimo. It looks luxurious, but it still feels like somewhere people have come to enjoy themselves.

Verdict

Best for: A glamorous date, cocktails and dinner, celebrations or the beginning of a special night in London.

Atmosphere: Sexy, lively and sophisticated.

Dress: Make an effort. Decimo itself encourages guests to "dress for the occasion", and this really isn't the place we'd arrive looking as though we'd just stepped off the train.

Babylon rating: A very strong choice when you want the restaurant itself to become part of the evening.

German Gymnasium

For something completely different, walk across to King's Boulevard and you'll find one of the most impressive dining rooms in King’s Cross.

German Gymnasium occupies a magnificent Grade II-listed building constructed in 1865 for the German Gymnastics Society. The building hosted London's first indoor Olympic Games in 1866, long before anyone imagined it would eventually become one of the area's most distinctive restaurants. Perhaps one of our German escorts would appreciate the cultural connection!

Today, the huge ceilings, original architectural details and dramatic proportions give German Gymnasium a sense of occasion before you've ordered anything.

It's difficult not to look upwards when you first enter.

Despite the grandeur, the restaurant manages not to feel excessively formal. There's a buzz to the room, with the central bar, Grand Café, restaurant and upper level creating considerably more energy than you might expect from such an imposing building.

Food takes its inspiration from Germany and Central Europe, but forget any idea that this means little more than sausages and beer.

You'll certainly find an excellent schnitzel, but seasonal dishes and regional German influences make the menu far more interesting than the stereotype suggests. This is German cooking presented in surroundings that wouldn't look out of place in one of Europe's great railway hotels.

It's also an exceptionally convenient meeting place. King's Cross and St Pancras stations are right beside it, making German Gymnasium particularly useful when two people are travelling into central London from different directions.

Have a drink at the bar first, settle in for dinner and there's no need to rush.

Verdict

Best for: Dinner for two, meeting someone arriving in London, business entertaining or anyone who appreciates a spectacular dining room.

Atmosphere: Grand and sophisticated, but still lively.

Dress: Smart works perfectly. You don't need to treat it like a formal fine-dining restaurant, although the surroundings certainly reward making an effort.

Babylon rating: One of those restaurants where the building is almost as memorable as the meal.

Which Would We Choose?

That depends entirely on the evening.

German Gymnasium would be our choice for an elegant dinner where conversation, good service and impressive surroundings are the priority.

Decimo wins when you want something sexier.

It's the restaurant we'd choose for cocktails as the sun goes down, dinner overlooking London and an evening where you have absolutely no intention of going home early.

And that highlights one of the advantages of spending an evening in King’s Cross. You now have excellent restaurants, sophisticated hotels and cocktail bars concentrated within a remarkably small area, while the Piccadilly line puts the West End, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and South Kensington within easy reach.

For anyone planning dinner as part of a more memorable evening, Babylon Girls also has a selection of King’s Cross escorts available for incall and outcall bookings in the area.