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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
King Charles I, Kings Cross, N1
N1
N1 9BL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about King Charles I
This place was just called the plain old Charles I when I started working in the area but it then, like most pubs around here it went through an Irish phase and became the Craic House for a few years. Now it has thankfully reverted to its original regal title albeit in a slightly extended format. It’s not the easiest place to find but if you like quirky little pubs, it is well worth the effort to hunt down.
The single room interior is very small with basic and sturdy furnishings. The lighting has been improved so it is no longer resembles the Black Hole of Calcutta like it once did. The dark paneling is battered and worn but fits in nicely with the surroundings and the window sills are littered with candles and a random selection of books. The walls contain a bizarre mix of Voodoo style African masks and stuffed animal heads among the more regular old style adverts and brewery mirrors. Despite the slightly eccentric approach, the pub is quite welcoming and the staff approachable and knowledgable. There is a rather awkwardly placed Bar Billiards table in front of the bar which is sometimes replaced by a pinball machine (it has been bar billards for the last few months).
The 4 hand pumps offer an unpredictable selection although they do now lean quite a lot towards stocking Brodies ales. Occasionally they will also have additional ale in a cask plonked directly on the bar. To the right of the bar are a couple of boards listing the various bottled beers and wines. One disappointing aspect since my last visit is that the prices have increased considerably with ales now around the £3.20 mark. They don’t offer any food but welcome people to bring their own.
There are some benches outside for those who prefer to drink al fresco but the exterior of the pub and its surroundings are a bit glum. The pub is perhaps not to everyone's taste but it has been a favourite of mine for some time and I always try to fit in a visit when I am in the area.
On 30th March 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about King Charles I
Caught a bus to the Charles I pub as we heard they served Brodies beers, and were pleased to find 3 of their beers new to us. Mild, Californian and West End best. Enjoyed the ales. £4.80 for the 3 halves. It was very busy here with a nice atmosphere. Bar billiard table too, something you don't often see these days.
On 24th March 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about King Charles I
Nice pub off the main road. Been there many times, sells real ale, doesn't do food but you can bring your own or order it from the cafe opposite and they will deliver. They have menus from the local takeaways. They have a bar billiard table and strange things hanging on the wall.
On 18th February 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 759 recommendations about 721 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about King Charles I
Decent selection of ales on – St Austell Tribute; Everard’s Beacon; Brodie’s Mild and a cask on the bar containing Brodie’s Stout. There was also a fourth handpump with the clip turned round, probably usually dispensing another of the Brodie’s range. There also looked to be a large range of bottled beers on offer, advertised on a chalkboard. I had the Tribute (£3 a pint), which was in excellent form. The only food (at lunchtime anyway) were pickled eggs, scotch eggs and pork pies. Nothing wrong with that – and they are happy for you to pop over the road to the sandwich bar to bring something back to eat. The service was friendly and helpful.
This is a small one-room pub. The walls are covered with what looks like some pretty ancient wood panelling; there’s plenty of solid wood furniture; and some large African and Asian (Thai I think) masks on the wall. There’s even a bar billiards next to the door. The pub is small enough that I imagine it would get crowded pretty quickly, but it wasn’t too busy on a Friday lunchtime. This is the sort of pub that I would be very happy to sit in for a couple of hours with a few pints over a long lunch. I’ll be back.
On 8th March 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]