Canal 125, Kings Cross, N1

Originally the Swan Tavern and rebranded as a branch of the Babushka chain in 1996, this has been Canal 125 since 2005 and is situated in between the sites of two recent fatal teenage stabbings on the infamous Caledonian Road, overlooking the canal at number 125, hence the name. From the outside this is an imposing pub with an upper floor with terrace and ground floor terrace with a view over the Regent's Canal. Inside it's rather stripped out with a bare boarded floor, basic furniture and some slender structural columns with attractive capitals; the cornice is also rather ornate. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling and over the fireplace hangs a large mirror with elaborate carved wood surround looking a bit Grinling Gibbons. The ceiling is also home to unattractive aircon outlets and mirror balls which compliment the loud dance music; lighting is gloomy. Despite the lack of customers, service was very slow. For food, fisherman's pie of the month is advertised in the singular, titled "our pie" - so just the one then? There's no longer any real ale so I opted for something from the Brooklyn Brewery at a whopping £3.00 per half. If this pub were made more homely, ditched the mirror balls, loud music and served a decent choice of real ale at a price which is commensurate with the area then it could be better than exterior appearances suggest, but the current incarnation as well as the Cally Road location mean that I'm unlikely to return. The pub seems also to have some rather idiosyncratic opening times. The website says it's open seven days a week, but I've passed on a mid-Sunday and random mid-Monday evenings and found it closed without explanation.

After heading North East from Kings Cross Station on a recent Monday morning Canal 125 was the first pub/bar that I came across with an opening time before midday. I was very grateful for this small mercy because I didn’t fancy hanging around a Kings Cross street corner for twenty minutes in the pouring rain. Inside I found a long thin bar with some seating, DJ equipment and a staircase by the left hand entrance. I did not venture up the stairs, but I assumed that they led to an upstairs seating area where access can be gained to the awning covered balcony that I noted on my approach to the building. The bar along the back wall faces standard seating along the front windows and there is more seating to the right where there is a fireplace. Some doors in the right hand corner lead out to a balcony that overlooks the canal, but I did not investigate due to the weather. Both of the televisions were airing muted terrestrial television and there was some dance background music playing at a low volume. The bar supports two hand pumps that were drawing Greene King IPA and Sharp’s Doom Bar. The keg options were Stella, Becks Vier, San Miguel, Brookland Brewery’s Lager, Meantime London Pale Ale, Somersby Cider and Guinness. Food is available, but I didn’t look through the menu. However, I did see some filled baguettes emerge from the small kitchen behind the bar and some tapas options on the specials board were priced around £7 per dish. I wasn’t that impressed with this place because I felt it had the feel of a late bar that opens during the daytime. Maybe the clammy wet weather didn’t help but I thought it a bit grubby. I suppose that in fairness I should give it another try if passing on a more clement day.

Randomness Guide to London - Canal 125 entry

At street level, this looks like a run-of-the-mill gastro-pub with plenty of bare wooden furniture and decor so restrained that the menus on the tables seem to be the stand-out feature. However, the little terrace at the back - overlooking the Regent's Canal - is a fine spot for a drink in good weather. It looks like there are also other balconies upstairs (not visited). Not much to write home about on the beer front, with real ale being limited to Doom Bar being served direct from the barrel (£3.80 - too warm, and on the way out).

Randomness Guide to London - Canal 125 entry