Hokus Pokus: A Cocktail Bar in King’s Cross Worth Finding

Go downstairs

Most good bars in London don’t announce themselves. Hokus Pokus is no exception. It’s in the basement of The Megaro on Belgrove Street, a short walk from St Pancras International, and if you didn’t know it was there you’d walk straight past the entrance. That’s partly by design, and partly the point.

Step below street level and the mood shifts immediately. The space blends Victorian apothecary detail with a futuristic steampunk edge: copper pipes, electric dynamos, steam valves and circuits running across the ceiling, a bar counter built from a deconstructed apothecary shop that wraps along the walls into cabinets stacked with chemistry tools, vintage equipment, curious props and things that don’t have an easy category. The lighting is theatrical in the right sense: low, layered and considered, the kind that makes an evening feel like an event without trying too hard.

It’s lively without being loud. Luxurious without being stiff. A place to settle into, order something excellent and let the evening find its own pace.

The story behind it

The name, the design and the cocktail philosophy all come from the same source. James Morrison was a Scottish entrepreneur and herbalist who in 1828 opened the British College of Health just a few doors from the current site on Belgrove Street. He promoted botanical compounds as a universal remedy for all ailments, preparing them in pill form and prescribing them with considerable confidence and equally considerable commercial success.

At Hokus Pokus, the team makes no claims of health benefits. But the botanical approach has been carried forward into the cocktail programme: ingredients are distilled, infused, pickled or smoked in-house, with no off-the-shelf mixes. The result is a drinks list that has genuine craft behind it, and a bar that earns the word alchemy rather than just borrowing it for atmosphere.

The cocktails

The menu at Hokus Pokus is built around in-house production. Cocktails sit across classic and more unexpected flavour combinations, all made with ingredients prepared on the premises. The approach is botanical and considered: house-made strawberry wine, beef tallow-washed bourbon, chilli-infused tequila, barrel-aged vermouth, fresh mandarin cordials and fruit extracts that come from the bar’s own lab rather than a supplier.

Alcohol-free options are available throughout the menu and treated with the same seriousness as everything else: not an afterthought, but properly crafted alternatives that work on their own terms.

The bar team will guide guests through the menu and can adapt cocktails to suit individual preferences. For guests who’d rather leave the decision to the team, that’s an option too.

Book a table at Hokus Pokus

Who it’s for and when it works best

Hokus Pokus suits a clear range of visits, and it’s worth being specific about that.

For a first drink of an evening before dinner upstairs at Spagnoletti, it’s a natural sequence. The two venues connect well, and moving from cocktails in the basement to sharing plates in the restaurant above is an easy and enjoyable way to spend an evening in King’s Cross.

For a standalone drinks evening, the bar has enough depth in its menu and enough atmosphere in the room to justify making it the destination rather than a prelude to something else. The kind of place where an hour becomes two without anyone noticing.

For groups marking a birthday, a team night out or a celebration that wants something with more character than a standard bar booking, Hokus Pokus is well set up. The space works for groups who want great cocktails and a sense of occasion, and the team are experienced at looking after gatherings that need a bit more attention and coordination.

For guests staying at The Megaro, The Gyle or The California, it’s on the doorstep in the most literal sense. Having a bar of this quality directly available during a hotel stay is a genuine advantage of the collection.

What it’s not

Hokus Pokus is an evening bar with a strong sense of identity. It’s not a casual drop-in spot, and it’s not trying to be a high-volume venue. The experience here is intentional and unhurried, and the cocktails reflect that. It rewards guests who engage with the menu rather than those looking for speed.

Getting there

Hokus Pokus is in the basement of The Megaro at 1 Belgrove Street, WC1H 8AB, King’s Cross. It’s moments from King’s Cross station and St Pancras International on foot. No hotel stay is required: the bar is open independently and welcomes all guests. Booking ahead is recommended, particularly for groups.

For dinner before or after your visit, Spagnoletti is directly above on the ground floor of The Megaro: an all-day Italian restaurant serving sharing plates until late.

Explore The Megaro Collection