Karpo - Megaro Hotel (King's Cross)

• One of the most wonderful things about reviewing restaurants is finding little gems
• King's Cross is the place to be for the foodie scene
• Though there are rules to this
• The one thing we couldn't get over was the prices
• Just outside one of London's busiest train station it was incredibly well priced
• Our first starter was actually the weakest dishes of the whole meal
• What is not to be forgotten is the quality of all the ingredients here
• The scallops were excellent and disappeared very quickly though while eating this dish i was hoping for a little more depth to it
• Another small portion size for our starter was a crispy veal shin which had been coated in breadcrumbs and fried
• The outside was lovely and crispy
• Actually when you start with the main courses
• Side dishes are incredibly generous
• Whose skin was cooked perfectly
• Not crispy was made even better topped with some seared scallops
• Even simple dishes such as sides were brought to life by their expertly chosen ingredients
• Still with its great colour and crunch was made even better by delicious chunks of flavoursome parmesan cheese and a thick
• We missed brunch and thought it was the end of the world
• From the table you can see the cooks preparing the dishes with such precision
• An accompanying starter of blackened mackerel fillet and cucumber was also delicious and displayed the right blend of smokiness and lemon
• Mains brought me chargrilled venison with sharp red cabbage and a heavy sauce of chocolate
• My highlight of the evening was perhaps a fish main of lemon sole
• Crispy skin coated with seaweed butter and salty brown shrimps
• I sat down on a concrete bench and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was heated
• Along with a flat white coffee is what I ordered
• The ingredients were high quality
• The sausage was big and plump with a great meaty flavour
• The star of the plate was probably the fried potatoes
• I'm not very comfortable with chips on a fry up
• Hash browns are acceptable
• The two eggs were very well cooked
• That paired with the potatoes made this a really filling breakfast
• ) and next to the pass so I could easily see what was going on in the kitchen
• Whilst our starters were served quickly
• The offer of chunky seeded bread with butter whipped on site (served with a pile of salt and toasted pumpkin seeds) kept us going while we waited
• 8 12) we had a crab salad and scallops with chorizo and cauliflower
• Both portions were on the (very) small side which was disappointing
• The delicate flavour of the crab was overpowered by the marie rose sauce
• Roast duck breast had perfectly pink flesh and crispy skin with the fat nicely rendered
• Was served with a potato cake mixed with confit duck leg
• The generous amount of sauce on the plate was sticky and rich
• The special of brill with mussels and gnocchi was also served with a rich sauce
• The mussels were well cooked and the large pieces of homemade gnocchi were substantial
• Overall it was still a good dish
• We also ordered a side of broccoli with chilli and anchovy
• The fishy flavour was a touch too strong for our tastes
• Puddings are listed on the menu with accompanying dessert wines
• We chose a lemon posset with raspberries and shortbread crumbled on top
• A chocolate torte with praline and malt delice
• This turned out to be a rich creamy torte with unidentifiable crumbs on top (beautiful presentation)
• The crumbs turned out to include popping candy which was a lovely surprise
• This and the lemon posset were once again very rich and we were unable to finish
• Overall Karpo is a nice place and well priced for the location
• The starter portions are not particularly generous
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• I would encourage you to try the recommended wine that is allocated to each dessert in order to enhance the flavours
• It was artfully presented however the dessert was so rich that an accompaniment of ice cream or cream would not have gone amiss
• Notoriously vegetarian dishes are cheaper than meat dishes and at Karpo you could be spending a hefty £
• The veggie dishes are a little more reasonable and you would be spending around £
• 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
• I came here yesterday for a quick brunch with the girls and I was more than pleasantly surprised
• I'd had some of their ginger cake to take away which was lovely but hadn't eaten a proper meal
• Their brunch menu is pretty small several egg dishes
• I think it was one of the best poached egg dishes I've ever had
• The spinach was fresh and not too irony and the hollandaise was just perfect
• Sometimes it can be too heavy but this was just the right amount and texture
• I did wish it had come with a celery stick to munch on
• A culinary delight with great ingredients and super service
• A refurbishment is due to take place in the coming months

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