The Ivy group shows no sign of slowing down, with new restaurants popping up all over the country. We recently tried their latest location – Granary Square Brasserie – in Kings Cross to see if it lived up to the rest.
If you’re familiar with the old Grain Store spot (RIP!) you’ll know that these are big shoes to fill – quite literally, the Granary Square Brasserie is a HUGE restaurant, with over 250 covers. However, as we’ve come to expect from this group, they’ve managed to put their signature spin on the décor, with beautiful little nooks, bursting with character throughout. We love the central gold bar, the velvet booths and the palm printed outside terrace.
We first visited on a midweek morning before work and feasted on Instagram worthy healthy options such as crushed avocado on toast (natch), Greek yoghurt pimped with superfoods or the more decadent hot buttermilk pancakes and full English breakfast. Washed down with an array of freshly squeezed juices and a side of hot coffee, we can see this being a very popular place for breakfast meetings and freelancers alike – so far, so good.
Unfortunately things weren’t quite so slick when we returned for dinner with slightly awkward service. That being said, they’d only been open a few days so teething problems are perhaps to be expected. We’ll put our experience to one side and instead focus on the food. The menu is as large as the space, offering something for every budget and appetite. We’d urge you to start with the truffle arancini and a glass of fizz whilst you check out the rest of the menu. We opted for the mussels which come in a Thai lime and chilli broth – but be sure to order a side of bread to soak up all the juices. The tuna carpaccio also utilised Asian flavours with ponzu dressing and blobs of avocado puree and toasted sesame.
Moving on to the mains, there’s classic options like fish and chips or roast chicken available, but it’s really the grill section that takes centre stage. Apart from the obvious steaks, fish is also offered and we loved our swordfish, served with chimichurri and a side of truffle and parmesan chips – it has to be done. (In fact, all the sides sound great, we’ll be back for the olive oil mash!)
We finished with a decadent slice of flourless cappuccino cake, served warm with a mini jug of chocolate sauce.
With its beautiful décor, extensive menu and all-day atmosphere, we’re sure this will be as popular as its neighbour Dishoom, just around the corner.
