We went Wild at The Cross

When legendary 90s King’s Cross nightclub The Cross made a surprise comeback late last year, just a stone’s throw from its hallowed original home, every raver of a certain age – and plenty of younger ones too – put it firmly on their must-do list.

The new six-floor venue, comprising of club, pub, restaurant, lounge, cocktail bar and rooftop terrace carries the weight of expectation that such impeccable nightlife history bestows, fondly eulogised by anyone who ever glammed it up to the nines under the sweaty railway arches.

However, today’s incarnation of The Cross is necessarily quite a different beast. While there’s still an intense low-ceiling basement dancefloor that’s already been graced by many a firm-favourite DJ, this new era is as much about serious food, quality drinks and luxe décor as it is about getting spangled and throwing shapes.

Somewhat inevitably, this shift in the core offering initially confused a few people, unsure how to place it beyond a destination for a trip down memory lane. So now, seven months on, the first floor restaurant and its lovely outdoor terrace has rebranded and relaunched as Wild at The Cross.

It’s a simple but handy way to differentiate the dining room as a proper addition to the area’s fabulous food scene, while sticking to the venue’s wider evolution of 90s clubbing to now involve a sit-down meal and a late night cocktail enjoyed in a deeply comfy chair.

We paid it a preview visit last week, as long-standing friends of The Cross since way back when, and enjoyed a series of accomplished sharing plates, with an overarching Mediterranean slant. Favourites at our lively table included shells of citrusy scallops crudo, a plate of obscenely plump king prawns drenched in chilli and garlic and a beef filet with zesty salmoriglio sauce.