Coal Office is a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant in King’s Cross from renowned Chef Assad Granit, who’s responsible for two of my favourite restaurants The Barbary and The Palomar. Coal Office is similar to both restaurants in its cuisine and quality of food (more on that to come) but the beauty and design of Coal Office stands outs. Not just in relation to Chef Assad’s other restaurants but its unique design stands out amongst London’s finest restaurants.

The service was excellent, and although the décor is very modern the aura of the restaurant oozes Middle Eastern because of the music, the general vibe, and the staff.

The Food!

What we ordered

The menu is split into coal and wood (breads), small plates, in-between, big plates, and desserts.

We ordered Kubalah and Manakish from coal and wood. Machneyuda’s Polenta and Josperized Aubergine from small plates. Shikshukit 2.0 from in-between. Ironed Chicken and Black Masabbaha from big plates.

Coal and Wood

Both breads were delicious! But we preferred the Kubalah, especially because the yoghurt dip was sensational.

Small Plates

We weren’t particularly enamoured by either dish, but they were enjoyable. I preferred the aubergine because it was packed with flavour and textures, which is why Shiima wasn’t a fan. The Polenta was simple and creamy.

In-between

The lamb and beef kebab (Shikshukit 2.0) was really good and we couldn’t get enough of the pita. The spice on the kebab was subtle, and although I prefer my kebabs a tad spicier, I still enjoyed this.

Big Plates

I absolutely loved my Black Masabbaha. The beef fillet steak, ordered medium well, was perfectly cooked, succulent and scrumptious. My only complaint is that I wanted more! The runny poached egg and chickpea ragout really complimented the steak.

Shiima’s Ironed Chicken was delicately seasoned. Perfect balance between sweet and spicy flavours. Very well cooked too, and the dried yoghurt sauce and violet polenta were solid. A hearty dish.

Dessert!

We ordered Not So Simple Cheesecake.

It was amazing! Really beautiful and unique. The cakey biscuit was on a bed of subtly sweet and creamy cheese mixture. We weren’t the biggest fans of the lemon curd though as it was very sharp, but it didn’t affect our enjoyment of the dessert.

Verdict

We really enjoyed our dinner at Coal Office. The food is excellent, the service is good, and the atmosphere is unique – blend of avant-garde western décor and a seemingly authentic Middle Eastern vibe. We recommend for casual dates (a lot of people, like us, were on dates), special occasions, and group dining (anything from 4-8 people). Also, there are seats at a bar overlooking the kitchen if you want a fix of excellent Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. But do bear in mind that Coal Office is fairly expensive.

Cuisine: Middle Eastern & Mediterranean
Dress Code: Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Kubalah
Amen’s Star Dish: Black Masabbaha
Price: £40-£50pp
Rating: 5 out of 5

Coal Office
2 Bagley Walk
London N1C 4PQ
Reserve at OpenTable,
Or call 0203 848 6085