The Parcel Yard, N1

Well worth seeking out and was impressed with the layout and theme. They had the full range of Fullers ales and a couple of guest on our visit. Mrs A went for Windsor and Eaton Kohinoor, whilst I played safe and had a pint of Pride. A bit of a walk to the loos, but it was good to have a stroll and a nose around the place.

Official site of The Parcel Yard - www.parcelyard.co.uk

Official site of The Parcel Yard - www.parcelyard.co.uk

The Parcel Yard is a Fullers pub located on the 1st floor within Kings Cross Station. A flight of stairs lead up to a few tables and chairs outside the entrance, but there is also a lift for the less able or for those carrying heavy luggage. The interior is a maze of different seating areas, the majority of which have been designed to be like train station waiting rooms. This sounds awful, but it actually works very well in this sprawling pub. The bar is located along the rear wall where premium draught products are available alongside twelve hand pumps that were drawing the full Fullers range, St Austell Rug and Roll, Five Points Brewing’s Railway Porter as well as Butcombe’s Bitter and Haka. Food is available and the breakfast option seemed popular during my recent Monday morning visit. I spotted a couple of plasma screens on stands that were showing rolling BBC News and there is also a departure board. There was some background music playing, but the volume was so low I wondered what that point of it was. I found the service to be polite enough, but I’ve had better pints of Pride as the one I received was a little cloudy. They probably would have changed it, but I couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way back to the bar. I would have no problem returning here as it is a comfortable spot for a pre train journey beer/meeting point.

This is apparently the largest station pub in the country and Fuller's have done a decent job here in converting the old station parcel office with lots of original features retained and materials reused. The glazed screens between the multiple separate areas look original and items such as station benches, suitcases on luggage racks, parcel sacks, station clocks and railway signage give a warm feel of the bygone age of railway travel. A caged off area contains bottles and may be an off sales area out of pub hours, it looks like an old fashioned train guards van. Floors are boarded with the odd rug or two, tables are made from reclaimed timbers and seating is mostly traditional. A side room has platform views and a train indicator board helps to ensure you reach your platform on time. Pride, Chiswick, Seafarers, HSB, a new one to me, Oliver's Island plus guest Moles St Elmo's Fire (£4.39). It isn't cheap but it is really rather good, is it me or are station bars finally shedding their downmarket image and moving on up? Food served, again not budget prices, F&C £12.50, steak and ale pie and the works £13.25.

The Parcel Yard is situated at the back end of Kings Cross station concourse,so very handy for a quick walk to St Pancras station. Once inside there is a olblongsish shaped room with the bar to the rear,the main room is divided into different seating areas,all full om early Saturday evening visit,there are also corridors which have old style station bench seats. The pub is a Fullers tied house,there was a very good choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Fullers Chiswick Bitter which went down very well,the other beers i noted were ESB,London Pride and there were guest beers By the Horns Diamond Geezer /Hopster,Butcombe Bitter and Windsor & Eton Knights of the Land. I really liked this pub,i had a drink in one of the corridors,i was half expecting to hear a steam train and whistle to go off,or Harry Potter to wander through looking for platform 9 and 3 quarters. Pub visited 14/2/2015