Above the bustle of Mare Street Market on Lewis Cubitt Walk, Island has arrived in King’s Cross with one clear intention – to be London’s ultimate new surf and turf destination. Forget the lazy marriage of steak and lobster that most people imagine when they hear the phrase. At Island, every plate is built from gorgeous ingredients from land and sea and places them in perfect balance, creating a dining style that feels both playful and refined.
The menu is cleverly divided into “Small Islands”, skewers and “Large Islands”, so guests can chart their own route through the feast. It means you might stop by for oysters and champagne one evening, or go full throttle with an entire mixed grill and cocktails another. Dishes can be seamlessly mixed and matched, turning the table into a spread that feels made for passing around and sharing.
Oysters arrive in four guises, each more indulgent than the last – from the sharp kick of sumac mignonette to the unexpected but brilliant lamb doner sausage topping. The beef tartare comes with prawn crackers, a combination that encourages reckless shovelling – it’s indulgence disguised as sharing food, while skewers of duck and mussel or lamb belly and clam blur boundaries in ways you never knew you wanted.
For larger appetites, the Island Mixed Grill gathers the essence of the concept in one abundant platter, though the BBQ pork with crab slaw gives it stiff competition. Desserts keep the energy high – a towering chocolate fudge layer cake large enough for an entire crew, or a fried apple and peach pie that brings a hit of nostalgia wrapped in golden pastry.
Island is a place for parties, for long evenings when plates are swapped across the table, and for those who believe surf and turf should never be a compromise but a celebration. King’s Cross has plenty of restaurants, but none that invite you to build your own feast quite like this.
