A guide to the Hokus Pokus menu

The Hokus Pokus menu describes itself as a mischievous little playground. That’s accurate, and it’s also a mild warning: this isn’t a list of standard drinks in familiar categories. The cocktails are presented as prescriptions and potions, built around botanical ingredients prepared in-house, and the range is broad enough that arriving without a sense of what you’re after can slow the first round down.

This page helps with that. Here’s how the menu works, how to choose by flavour profile, and how to approach ordering for a group.

How the menu is structured

The cocktails at Hokus Pokus are framed as prescriptions — a direct reference to the bar’s inspiration in the 19th-century quack doctors who practised around King’s Cross, including James Morrison, who sold botanical remedies from the British College of Health just a few doors from the current bar. The menu carries that conceit through in the naming and the language around each drink.

All ingredients are distilled, infused, pickled or smoked on the premises. The flavour in each cocktail comes from work done before the drink is made — infused spirits, house-made cordials, pure fruit extracts, herbal preparations — rather than assembled from standard bottles. The menu also includes alcohol-free options for guests who want to engage with the botanical approach without the alcohol.

Choosing by flavour profile

The cocktail list covers a range of flavour directions. A few confirmed examples give a clear picture of the range.

Spirit-forward and complex: the gin fat-washed with avocado oil, Lillet Blanc, fig liqueur, Fernet Branca and cardamon bitters, garnished with a grapefruit twist. The avocado fat-wash adds richness and a subtle nuttiness to the gin base. The Fernet Branca brings bitterness and herbal depth. The fig liqueur provides a quiet sweetness that balances rather than dominates. This one suits guests who drink whisky or bitter aperitifs and want something that rewards slow sipping.

Tea and spirit: cherry-infused cognac with peach liqueur, earl grey tea, lemon juice and aquafaba, finished with black walnut bitters and an apple fan garnish. The earl grey isn’t decorative — its tannins provide structure and dryness that pull the cocktail away from sweet and towards something more complex. The aquafaba gives a silky texture without egg. Good for guests who enjoy wine-like length and fruit without sweetness.

Fruit-forward with botanical depth: vanilla-infused vodka with apricot liqueur, Velvet Falernum, mango juice, aquafaba and passion fruit — described on the menu as a modern steampunk twist on a pornstar martini. The Velvet Falernum adds a spiced, slightly floral edge that lifts it beyond the original format. The right choice for guests who want something tropical and rounded without being one-dimensional.

These three give a sense of the range. The menu extends considerably beyond them, and the team can walk you through current options when you arrive.

How to order for a group

Groups tend to over-think cocktail ordering and under-use the team. The most straightforward approach: ask the team to take the table through the menu and make recommendations based on what each person usually drinks. The bar is designed for exactly this — the team are trained mixologists who pay attention to mood and preference and can suggest something unexpected that works rather than defaulting to the safe option.

For a group with very different tastes, it’s worth knowing that the range covers most flavour directions: something smoky, something fruit-led, something spirit-forward, something with tea, something alcohol-free. Nobody needs to settle for a drink that doesn’t suit them.

Most cocktails are customisable — the house approach means the team can adjust botanical elements, sweetness levels and finishing touches based on what you tell them. The cocktails listed on the menu are starting points as much as fixed prescriptions.

Booking for groups

For groups of six or more, booking in advance is strongly recommended. The bar is available for private hire for larger occasions — contact the team directly to discuss.
If dinner comes first, Spagnoletti — the Italian restaurant directly opposite King’s Cross at 23 Euston Road — is a natural starting point before heading downstairs to Hokus Pokus for the rest of the evening.