Review: Karpo, Kings Cross
Style Points: 2/5
Price: ££
Overall: 3/5
Karpo, located a stone's throw from King's Cross St Pancras station, is an all-day independent restaurant serving food from 7am until 10pm. Dimly lit with a rustic wooden design, Karpo also uses foliage on the walls to give it a fresh vibe making one forget the hustle and bustle outside the front door.
There is a balcony with extra seating upstairs and the atmosphere is relaxed with quiet background music rather than the pulsating beats often heard in other London eateries. It is possible to book private areas in the restaurant which is great to know considering the very convenient location.
View into the kitchen
Would I Want Seconds?
I visited with HerFavouriteFood herself and we dined in the evening however the breakfast menu is wholly tempting with everything from eggs benedict to buttermilk pancakes being served up until 11am on weekdays.
As a vegetarian, the two main things to be considered when visiting a new restaurant is whether there is anything I can eat and whether their veggie options are actually appealing. Karpo had a distinct lack of veggie options, especially in their offerings for the main course, however there were a few more in the starters section. I would therefore be happy to eat here again if I was visiting with carnivorous friends but not if I was dining with fellow vegetarians.
I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was at Karpo considering the fact I did not have much choice in their offerings. My starter was pumpkin soup which was well seasoned and warming. If served alone, perhaps it would have been a little dull however it was greatly improved as it was served with great thick slices of granary bread with sunflower seeds and salted butter. It made for a tasty and filling starter.
For my main course, I had the wild mushroom risotto which was creamy and flavoursome and went down a treat. As I like risotto the fact that this was the only option was not a huge problem for me however if the option had been a goat's cheese tart or something of that ilk then I might have had issues.
At Karpo, the desserts change regularly so they aren't published on the website. I would encourage you to try the recommended wine that is allocated to each dessert in order to enhance the flavours. HerFavouriteFood had a delicious and attractive strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake but being a self-confessed chocaholic I opted for a chocolate and hazelnut praline. It was artfully presented however the dessert was so rich that an accompaniment of ice cream or cream would not have gone amiss.
Granary bread with sunflower seeds and salted butter
Pumpkin Soup
Crab salad
Wild mushroom risotto
Roast line caught cod
Strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake
Chocolate and hazelnut praline
Could I Afford Seconds?
Depending on what you are eating, you could afford seconds. Notoriously vegetarian dishes are cheaper than meat dishes and at Karpo you could be spending a hefty £60 on the Cote de Boeuf. The veggie dishes are a little more reasonable and you would be spending around £25 for three courses excluding drinks.
Overall:
I had an enjoyable meal within pleasant surroundings and with good service. Obviously more vegetarian choices would be preferable but if you like flavoursome food with delicious desserts then you won't be disappointed with Karpo.
Website: www.karpo.co.uk
Address: 23-27 Euston Rd, London NW1 2SD
Closest Tube Station: King’s Cross St Pancras
