Name: Karpo
Address: 23 Euston Road, London, King's Cross, NW1 2SD, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7843 2221
Rating: 9

American diners, burger joints and steakhouses are officially all the rage, however Karpo, a new all-day concept situated opposite King’s Cross station, takes transatlantic staples to produce a highly refined menu.

It’s a fairly minimalist space at first glance, however upon closer inspection the graffiti art and fake grass hanging from one wall becomes noticeable, in the latter case perhaps referencing chef Daniel Taylor’s vegetable garden on the roof. Karpo, in fact, is the name of the Greek goddess of fruits of the earth. People come and go from a door at the back of the room, we eventually learn it leads directly to the neighbouring hotel. Downstairs is an impressive bar with its own snack menu; it’s filled with dark wooden furniture, studded leather banquettes and a library adorning one side.

American dishes are interspersed with European ones; after all, the US-born chef worked with people like Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais. There’s lentil cassoulet and monkfish with blood orange hollandaise on the one hand, southern fried quail and cumin cheese straws on the other.

The smoked eel on rye bread is topped with sweet grated horseradish, along with a thick smearing of butter it’s a fantastic combination of flavours. The smell of seafood and onions wafts up from a bowl of Manhattan clam chowder, which has a piquant tomato sauce.

The Hanger steak is divided into juicy slices that are pink in the middle and smoky on the outside; the little blobs of bone marrow and shallots are great additions. The grits and shrimps here are a little different to the US classic. The prawns are paired with a firm cake made from ground corn rather than the typical porridge-like grits; along with tender mushrooms, smoky cubes of pancetta and gravy it’s another excellent dish.

Even the side dishes are exquisite; the creamed spinach is rich and lightly crispy on top, while the frites arrive with a pot of intensely yellow, gloopy homemade aioli.

For dessert we’re intrigued by the pink peppercorn meringue. The mildly peppery taste of the meringue is a great complement to the ice cream dolloped on top, which contains a chunk of the sharp fruit.

Karpo boasts a very reasonably priced wine list which includes organic and biodynamic wines, a crisp Viognier set us back a mere £23.50. A meal for two with wine is around £90. Dining on the Euston Road just got a whole lot better.

Karpo

Karpo Picture Gallery

All In London Review

User Reviews