Spagnoletti for Aperitivo in King’s Cross

Not every meal at Spagnoletti needs to be a full sit-down dinner. The restaurant’s sharing format, built around small plates and large plates rather than starters and mains, makes it just as suited to an hour of drinks and something to pick at as it is to a proper long meal. That’s the case for treating Spagnoletti as an aperitivo stop, whether you’re killing time before a train, meeting someone after work, or easing into an evening rather than committing to the whole thing straight away.

Why the format works

Spagnoletti is designed around ordering together rather than in sequence. The small plates, the antipasti and lighter dishes, are built to arrive first and sit in the middle of the table, which is exactly the shape an aperitivo takes: a few things to share, nothing that needs a knife and fork discipline, and no pressure to move straight on to a main course. Order two or three small plates, add a round of drinks, and you’ve got the early part of an evening covered without booking a table for dinner.

The restaurant is all-day, open from morning through to late, so there’s no fixed window you need to hit. Arrive at six with an hour to spare and it works the same way it would at eight with the evening ahead of you.

What to expect on the table

The kitchen is open, so you can watch the pasta being rolled and the boards being put together as you order. For an aperitivo-style order, cured meats and homemade pickles from the antipasti section make a natural starting point, alongside the toasted focaccia that tends to appear alongside most orders. It’s food built for a table to share, not individual plates, so a couple of small plates between two or three people usually does the job.

A setting that does some of the work

Spagnoletti’s interiors lean into old-world railway glamour with a playful, design-led edge, all set within the ground floor of The Megaro, directly opposite St Pancras International. It’s a livelier, more visual room than a standard hotel restaurant, which suits a pre-dinner drink better than a quiet corner would. If cocktails are the priority once you’ve settled in, Hokus Pokus, the hotel’s basement bar, sits just downstairs and makes a natural next move once you’re ready to leave the table behind.

Good for more than a quick stop

Spagnoletti isn’t only for guests staying at The Megaro. It operates as its own destination, so it works equally well as a standalone booking for anyone in the area. It also handles bigger groups without much friction, with private and semi-private space available for celebrations, group dining or a work catch-up that starts with drinks and doesn’t necessarily end there.

Getting a table

Given the location, directly opposite King’s Cross and St Pancras, Spagnoletti is an easy stop to build around a journey rather than a whole evening out. Book a table at Spagnoletti, take a look at the full menu, or find out more about staying at The Megaro if you’re making a night of it.