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The light-filled dining room at Magenta
What can you tell us about Magenta?
Magenta is a contemporary Italian restaurant at The Megaro hotel that's just steps away from King's Cross station. In charge of the menu is Executive Chef Manuele Bazzoni, previously at Trinity restaurant, and he's put together a menu of modern Italian cuisine using locally sourced produce. We'd been hearing a lot about the food here, plus it had just made an appearance in the Michelin Guide, so we thought it was time to check out what the fuss was about.
Where is it?
You'll find The Megaro Hotel just across the road from King's Cross station (so the hotel's bars are a very handy place to meet). If you're coming from the underground, head through the underpass to the south side of Euston Road and you're pretty much there. Magenta has its own entrance on the corner.
Where should we meet for a drink first?
In the Megaro, you've got two excellent options. You can grab a drink at the bar of Magenta itself, but if you're coming here for dinner we'd recommend heading downstairs first to their own subterranean steampunk-inspired cocktail bar, Hokus Pocus. Taking a "Victorian quack doctor" from the 1800s as their starting point, botanicals are the focus of what they also call an "alchemy lab".
Cocktails include "flame potions" which involve a bit of flambeeing and "smokey potions" where they'll be adding a smoke bubble to the mix. You can, of course, get some twists on classics like the Hokus Pokus Negroni (Boatyard Gin, Cynar & Barrel aged blend of vermouth).
That said, in Magenta it's also worth looking at their own cocktail list - here's what we went for:
On the left it's the Magenta Fizz (Quaglia Chamomile liqueur, jasmine infusion, Prosecco, lemon juice & grapes) and on the right, the L’autentico Sour (pea flower infused white wine, Galliano l’autentico, sour cherry gin, Aquafaba & lemon juice)
Where should we sit?
As you can see from the photo at the top of the page, it's a light-filled room, so during the day anywhere will be great. We'd probably push for the booths if they're available and it's also worth noting that they have a large covered terrace outside too.
What's on the menu?
As mentioned, the menu takes a modern approach to Italian food and the food definitely showcases that there's real talent in the kitchen. There are a few options available - a set menu at lunch at two courses for £30 or three courses for £35, which makes it one of the better deals in the area. Alternatively, head for the tasting menu at £65 for five courses (plus bread and snacks) or the a la carte which follows the traditional Italian four-course approach.
We roamed around the a la carte menu and a fair bit of what we tried is also available on the tasting menu:
Charcoal sourdough, ‘Tonda Iblea’ extra virgin olive oil 2022 (£6) - they've imported that excellent olive oil specifically from a Sicilian olive producer that the hotel's owner just happened upon while there on holiday.
‘Tomato’ panzanella, cucumber water and basil (£16) - a particularly original take on panzanella with the breadcrumbs stuffed into that "tomato".
Tuna carpaccio, Amalfi lemon, capers and bronze fennel (£18) - this comes with extra tuna belly tartare at the centre.
Ricotta and parmesan agnolotti, broad beans, mint and preserved lemon (£17). A truly excellent pasta dish with superbly fresh pasta. The hotel also has a fresh pasta restaurant next door (Spagnoletti) where they create this agnolotti for the restaurant daily. The broad beans add a wonderful touch to a surprisingly light dish.
Poached wild seabass, mussels, courgette flower and nasturtium (£30) - as pretty as a picture.
BBQ lamb rack and belly, Isle of Wight tomato, courgette and smoked goat’s cheese (£32) - this is a plateful of beautifully seasoned lamb, both the chop and the skewer of lamb belly.
Hasselback potato, stracchino and radish (£8) - top marks for this potato side dish which is a must. We're all in favour of potatoes with a little extra cheese.
Strawberry “Rosa”, lychee, strawberry sorbet (£10) - featuring the restaurant's signature butterfly.
Maldon sea salt and caramel ganache with Piedmont hazelnut and banana ice cream (£12) - This has been on the menu since it opened, and the banana ice cream goes perfectly with that rich caramel.
The menu changes seasonally, so look out for more autumnal dishes in the coming weeks.
Anything else?
There are plenty of nooks and crannies in the hotel itself, including a really attractive themed private dining room, called Mauve, which looks out onto St Pancras.
Overall thoughts
We'd heard glowing reports of the food at Magenta and were keen to try it out for ourselves - and it truly delivered. Chef Manuele Bazzoni has created some truly unique dishes on the menu and the execution is flawless. This King's Cross restaurant really does stand its ground against some of the best Italian food London has to offer - a not-so-hidden gem.
More about Magenta
Where is it? 23 Euston Road King’s Cross, St Pancras London NW1 2SD
How to book: Book online or call 020 3146 0222.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @magenta_kingscross.
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