The Best Indian Restaurant Near King's Cross: Masakali London

Good Indian Food, One Stop From the Platforms

King's Cross and St Pancras move an extraordinary number of people every day, and the eating options closest to the concourse reflect that: fast, functional and built for a queue. If you have an hour rather than fifteen minutes, it is worth going a little further. Masakali London sits on Stanhope Street in NW1, one stop from King's Cross St Pancras, and it is a proper dining room rather than a place to eat standing up.

How Far Is It, Really?

Let us be straight about the distance, because "near King's Cross" gets stretched a long way online. Masakali is about a twenty-minute walk from King's Cross St Pancras, heading west along Euston Road and past the British Library. If you would rather not walk it, take the Victoria or Northern line one stop north to Euston and you are five minutes away on foot. Buses along Euston Road cover the same ground.

That makes it close enough to be practical for dinner before a train, and far enough from the station to feel like you have actually gone somewhere.

Why It Works Before a Train

Departures from King's Cross and St Pancras tend to be the long ones: Edinburgh, York, Leeds, or Paris and Brussels on the Eurostar. Those are journeys you want to start having eaten properly.

Tell the team your departure time when you book and they will pace the courses around it. A tandoor platter to share while you settle in, a curry and a bread, and you are out with time in hand rather than watching the clock over dessert.

What to Order

The kitchen covers a lot of ground, so order across the table rather than one dish each.

• Tandoor: sharing platters of grilled meats and paneer, smoky and straightforward to split
• Curries: from the gentler, creamier northern dishes through to properly spiced regional cooking
• Biryani: substantial enough that two people can share one and still order something else
• Vegetarian and vegan: a full section of its own, not a token pair of dishes
• Cocktails: Indian-inspired serves worth arriving early for

Nearby, If You Have Time

The British Library sits between Masakali and the station, roughly fifteen minutes from the restaurant, and Coal Drops Yard, Granary Square and the Regent's Canal towpath are all a short walk beyond it. If you are in the area for an exhibition or a wander round the canal basin, dinner on the way back is an easy detour.

Book Your Table

Masakali London is at 48 Stanhope Street, London NW1 3EX, open Monday to Sunday from 12pm to 11pm with last orders at 10:30pm. Book online or call 020 7419 9999, and mention your train time if you have one.