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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Lighterman
Large modern pub / restaurant on three levels in a fine position overlooking the Regent's Canal - the 'L'-shaped ground floor bar with outside seating in Granary Square, a larger downstairs bar with a large patio area beside the towpath and a first-floor dining room with a balcony. Two (rather unobvious) handpumps on the street-level bar-back and three more on the lower bar counter, offering a couple of Crate beers plus Peckham Pale from Brick Brewery (£5.20 - ouch!). To be fair, I found it more appealing on a fine evening than most other reviewers.
On 10th June 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Lighterman
A great PSM review covers all the important detail of this new addition to the canalside scene at Kings Cross Granary Square.Although the canalside bar was closed on my midweek afterrnoon visit,I did spy three handpumps here and agree this is the most drinker friendly looking part of this trendy bar.The ground floor is OK for drinkers but the best views are dedicated to dining tables,and the two handpumps here aren't as obvious,with on my trip Dark Star Hophead and Crate Rye (decent condition but £5pp???).The eight keg taps weren't drawing anything too exciting and beware that the drinking tables in this section can be booked,although a start time for the booking is advertised.Although it's hip and cool in here,it's largely aimed at a younger audience and I can't see a return visit for a real ale session.
On 2nd February 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Lighterman
This fairly recently built pub and restaurant in the Granary Square complex, is a three storey venue offering some fine views of the Regent's Canal and toward neighbouring Kings Cross station. The location next to the canal no doubt works very well in the summer and there was a good deal of outdoor seating on approach for those wanting to soak up the view. Upon entering, you are met by a greeter stood at a lectern. I was able to establish that it is okay to pop in just for a drink, despite the place being very busy with diners early on a Saturday evening. The ground floor room is a fairly straightforward rectangular space with the servery to the rear, an open kitchen to the front left and a long row of shelving units through the middle, effectively dividing the room in two. There are bare floorboards and granite effect tiles throughout with formally set tables and chairs to the front, left and right and just three high tables and stools opposite the bar for drinkers. Thankfully these were the only free tables in the room, so I was able to perch there with my pint and watch the goings on. The bar has a rather uninspiring grey counter and bar back, with a lot of bottles on show, presumably for the many cocktails available. Large floor to ceiling windows down either side of the room give some decent views and allow plenty of light in. The central shelves are filled with all manner of random bits including plants, vases, bottles and the like. Music played fairly loudly, but the lack of soft furnishings meant that the noise of the crowd drowned it out at times. Stairs lead up to a first floor restaurant where I presume the views are even better. I was just about to draw the same conclusion as the previous reviewer, in that this isn't really much of a pub, but before leaving I popped downstairs where I discovered a large basement bar with a separate servery along the right hand wall, a couple more partitioning shelving units breaking up the space and a good deal of canteen bench-style seating, none of which was being used by diners. The music was a little louder down here, but this is definitely the spot to head to if you're just here for a drink.
I was too late to fully appreciate this room and I was also too late to try their cask ale, as I'd already ordered a pint of keg Crate Pale (£5.20) when I spotted a couple of handpulls on the bar back, dispensing Dark Star Hophead and Crate Rye (£5.00 each). Other keg options comprised beers from Freedom, 1936, Peroni and Meantime, plus a cider from Hoxton Cidersmiths. The bottled range was fairly limited and the bar staff seemed to spend most of their time making cocktails. The Pale was okay but terribly overpriced for a 4.5% beer brewed a short distance away.
This wasn't quite as bad as I'd expected having read the reviews below, but it's also not the easiest place to warm to. I think you'd be best off coming here for food or maybe for a summer drink outside, but the downstairs bar hinted at a bit of potential, so long as you don't mind paying through the nose for your beer.
On 9th January 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Lighterman
Not a pub.
This is an upmarket eatery on the towpath of the canal, that happens to have a couple of beer on the bar and not very well kept ones at that.
The food isn't up to much either and as Tris C said, it is very noisy due to all the hard surfaces.
Won't be going back
On 10th October 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Lighterman
Describing itself as a public house, this is a thoroughly modern outlet pretty much acting as a centrepiece for the King's Cross redevelopment, especially that around Granary Square. It's very polished and swish, the sort of thing that would be opened by some top celebrity chef. You enter through an office-style glass door, the bar has a granite apron and the floor's wooden - as is the ceiling. Lighting is of course very modern. There are some high tables and chairs but mainly furniture comprising wooden tables with bench seating. The pub is situated on three floors which can be accessed by a lift and there's a first floor terrace, one on the square and one to the canal. The crowd, about half of whom were eating, is young and fashionable - I could probably have been the father of everyone there.
There's a fair selection of craft ales but only two real ales with pumps behind the bar: Dark Star's Hophead and Gipsy Hill's Southpaw. Unfortunately I only spotted them after I'd ordered a half of Crate craft ale which was of course freezing cold and set me back £2.40.
I suppose this place is very good at what it does but I wouldn't describe it as a 'public house' in the traditional sense and the interior designers have neglected to address the issue of acoustics; with all the hard surfaces it's incredibly noisy in here. This isn't my sort of thing so I can't see myself coming back.
On 11th April 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]