The Lighterman in Camden

Quick to get a table, staff were all really friendly - our server was great. Ordered the sirloin steak and hated it - over cooked and had a funny taste, peppercorn sauce was overpowering - very disappointed for £32. Ordered bread, was a loaf the size of my fist and was shocked to see it was £6!! Don't think I would go back.

Had a really lovely experience at The Lighterman. Shout out to the wine list (lovely reds), the outdoor and indoor seating, the outdoor heating, smoking areas, lovely spacious clean well-scented bathrooms, and the lovely flatbreads. Open fairly late on a Sunday too. Major props. Here’s hoping my date likes me enough for us to end up back here one day.

This is one of those modern and trendy places: but modern and trendy isn't necessarily good. The bar area serves several varieties of that unpleasantly hoppy craft beer that is so in fashion nowadays, but there is also Guinness so not so bad... service is fairly quick and there is plenty of seating. Unfortunately one of the waiters delivering food insisted on pushing his way between tables as a shortcut rather than going round and avoiding bumping into the customers. Very annoying, and it only takes something small like this to ruin an evening. The restaurant on the top floor was very noisy, with three large groups and several children. The waiting staff were efficient, taking orders and delivering drinks fairly promptly. However, several 'extra' items were no longer available, such as vegetables to go with the roast dinner. Cost control in the kitchen! Presumably to encourage customers to order (and pay for) more food, the main courses were tiny, served on small plates. The food itself was disappointing - for instance, a 2" square piece of fish served with a spoonful of Bird's Eye peas and some lukewarm chewy fries was OK but not worth the price. Granary Square itself is an excellent development of a previously derelict area: I will probably visit there again, but I won't be calling by this place.

Very upmarket gastropub. Excellent service, good range of beers, wines and food.

Couldn't get food so just had a few drinks. Service was average but the atmosphere was nice.

I was here for a drink after dinner and the atmosphere here is why it’s so crowded. Didn’t have food.

We had great time at the lighterman. we were welcomed by Mr John and were sat on a very nice table with nice view. Mr Rahat served us and made sure that everything was served nicely. very nice delicious tasty food and great experience.

This place had got better recently but they’ve changed their menu again. They’ve got 10 main course options - and only one of them is vegetarian (& it’s mushroom risotto which is a ‘00s offering 🙄). Come on… you can do better than this - even the regular plant burger + risotto would be a step up from what they’re currently offering. Sigh.

Went here for a dinner before my train, Had a chorizo flatbread and chips. Louis/Lewis our waiter was so amazing, funny and made sure our experience was good. He was so fun to talk to, and considerate of our allergies. Will definitely return

We arrived in London Pancras International train station and were starving so we walked and stumbled upon this place which was happening. There were so many people inside and outside so we decided to try it out. Nothing special but the view and patio seating is great, that’s about it. Food is typical pub food, service was slow, patio was dirty (fries, napkin and garbage on the floor everywhere). The staff looked overworked and unhappy.

Great venue with amazing service. Shout out to Rahat our waiter who was pleasant all evening. Food was decent with good variety of options to suit dietary requirements.

The sirloin was absolutely delicious. Best steak I've ever eaten! Super.

Stupendous gastropub overlooking the canal in a trendy location

Really busy bar full of nice people all having after work drinks.

Just popped in for some light bites which were lovely. Service excellent and friendly.

We came for brunch and had the most wonderful service. Our server Fatma was attentive, kind, and smiley throughout our meal. 10/10 experience! Thank you Fatma ! :)

Nice place,polite staff,nice view at Regent's Canal

I was seated at a table, I ordered, the food arrived so late. The food was overcooked. I found a piece of hair in my food. I witnessed a scene which disrupted my good mood, where the waiter was scolded by the manager, which I don't find appropriate because there should be no screaming or public humiliation in the restaurant.

I wouldn't even rate this 1 star, staff rude, ponsy place, not worth it at all!! Definitely won't be back!

My older parents and my daughter and I had a wonderful evening and meal. Our server Rahat set a lovely, warm tone: he was attentive, interesting and kind. We enjoyed ourselves very much and especially want to thank and commend Rahat for his service.

The most amazing brunch in London

Very nice, good service bit noisy.

Lewis was an absolute gem; he made sure my experience was flawless, from walking in, to dining out. What an individual experience

Food was good. Nothing over the top. The vibe and building are incredible. Kinda expensive for what you get.

I went there for my colleague's leaving do. We booked with a deposit and they booked us at the wrong place which we thought was very poor of them. As we had to be in the general area, rather than a private function room, it was very difficult to have a conversation with everyone. The general area is very echoey and noisy with other customers. The food was nice (I ordered tuna and chocolate mousse) but very expensive for what you get. I understand that everything is super expensive around King's X nowadays but we weren't impressed about the experience at all. I won't go there again for either work or private use.

This is an incredibly stunning location, the space is beautiful, tastefully decorated, and is near the canal. However, even though the Beaty of it is important, there needs to be more to elevate the whole experience. I ordered the monkfish scampi nuggets and the flatbread with shrimps, harissa and chives to start with, filled by the lamb cutlets. The 2 starters I ordered were ok but unremarkable, not very tasty at all, bordering on a lack of salt in both dishes. The best was the lamb cutlets that really saved the day . The service is ok, although not very prompt, despite of the fact this was lunchtime and it was not bust at all. It is a pity because the space, the location, everything is stunningly beautiful, but the food and service do need to match the location. I’m a dessert person, but I did not order one because I was not certain it was going to be good, and I preferred to finish on the high of the main course.

First of all I will start with this …. How can you run out of Sunday lunch on a Sunday?! I booked this restaurant specifically for their Sunday dinner, booked a table for 6pm, went to order and was told we’ve ran out of the vegetarian Sunday roast but we do have a flatbread for you. I didn’t want a flatbread!! They had also run out of cauliflower cheese and stuffing so my boyfriend who did manage to get a roast (the beef which was the only roast out of 3 they had on their menu) couldn’t get the sides he wanted to go with it. If you have reservations for a Sunday, my guess is the majority are going to go for the roast, so it’s easy to plan ahead and know how many roasts you need. Disappointing, the service was okay, drinks expensive and we were sat next to a large noisy table and we couldn’t hear ourselves talk. Wouldn’t return which is a shame as the view and area are lovely.

Great service from V, atmosphere and music was spot on.

Amazing place! Big thanks to V the waiter! Made our day! Thank you x

A great place for brunch in Kings Cross.

Dropped in for a couple of glasses of wine. Good atmosphere and very nice location by the canal. Must visit again.

The food and service were okay here, but the experience was overshadowed with the poor accessibility and disability provisions in the bathroom. It seems that the staff use the bathroom for their breaks / as their bathroom so my disabled mother had to wait ages before a staff member with their phone walked out. On entering, the toilet was positioned so low it was degrading for my Mother to be able to independently sit down, it’s simply not fit for purpose. We’ve never seen anything like it.

First visit and was very impressed! Lovely experience. Lovely setting overlooking square with floor fountains. The food was delicious and the staff polite and attentive!

Our waiter was outstanding, and the staff ensured we were seated promptly, even on a busy Saturday night. We appreciated the welcoming ambiance and attentive service. However, the food didn't quite meet our expectations. Among the seven of us, the fish and chips was good, and the schnitzel was unfortunately very dry, tasteless and tough to eat. I think its a safer bet to go here for drinks and chips/nibbles, not so much for a meal.

Ideal location for Kings Cross and St Pancras. Very nice menu. Good seafood choices. Good service as well.

Spacious, outdoor-indoor and canal view seating. A good range of drinks from draft beer to cocktails. Food menu is classic and bit pricy.

Location was amazing an price-quality balance was great. If you are looking for a good lunch in a London hotspot this restaurant is great. Simpel dishes but exacrly what you need on a busy touristy day

Visited on a busy Saturday. Very nice venue and location, we sat outside. Biggest problem was the food. Our table ordered chateaubriand and a rump steak. The portion sizes were very all small, considering the expensive prices. All cuts of beef were small, very chewy, poorly cooked and bland. Just really not worth the price. We left hungry sadly. Staff were all friendly, if a little unpolished for a relatively fancy place with high prices.

Not much variety, especially if you are a fussy/picky eater. Had the flatbread which was very nice.

Had some drinks in the sunshine earlier this week. When paying for our food and drinks, we were informed that all tips go to management. The waitstaff only receives cash tips.

I went there had an amazing time. The bartender, pedro was really nice and was really friendly and made the best drinks. I’d recommend this place to everyone and look for pedro because he’s gonna make u have the best night ever

Trendy spot right along the canal. We visited the Book Barge and ate here afterwards. Modern Pub Atmosphere with good selection of seafood and beef dishes. A little pricey but nothing felt unreasonable. If you're in the area and looking for higher end Pub Food, stop in and check them out.

We had a fabulous evening at the Lighterman pub restaurant- delicious cocktails, stunning food, excellent service and a great atmosphere- we will be back!

Went Sat 7th Sept. Had a good time. Have Camden Ale and Purity IPA on tap. Double cooked chips are Nice as a snack. Nice outdoor area (with heaters), when weather is nice. RECOMMEND.

Beautiful view of the canal. Quiet and an amazing summers day outing!

Was here for a work event. The venue is very nice, great location for views, and friendly staff.

I was recommended The Lighterman by American Express Centurion who contacted them on my behalf to make the booking. From the get-go they were told that 'this was an important business meeting' and it would be just drinks. I arrived and was told that they only took bookings for food and drinks. After a bit of fuss (in from of my client) they relented and gave us a table next to the noisy, smelly kitchen. Apparently it wasn't possible to stop own the terrace due to safety issues although there were guest up there. The service was poor - don't fall for the tap water (no charge), filtered water (charge) trick. Worst of all I was overcharged. After brining the wrong bill, they bought another one which I stupidly didn't check. Rather than just a single bottle of champagne (£77 plus filtered water), they charged us for an additional glass (£14). So avoid. The atmosphere is awful and there are far better places a stones throw away.

Great location, lovely clean restaurant. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was delicious, will be returning

Where do I start ! Other reviews noting 4/5 stars make me question my own sanity/experience . The interior is drab and cramped . Tables crowded together , no atmosphere whatsoever. Chicken salad was at best a disgrace ....and charged £19.00.!!! Staff were just about ok/average . The only saving grace that its in a great location so I suppose it relies on that . All in all food dreadful , service average and interior drab and zero atmosphere . Not for me but I suppose others have different expectations .

Great place to stop for a drink or unexpected dinner.

Amazing experience here, highly recommend!!

We arrived here for a drink; downstairs is the bar, and upstairs is the restaurant area. The bar garden was packed out, but we easily found somewhere to sit. Nice views of the canal, very picturesque.

Great location, fantastic atmosphere, really good food.

Only had a drink but it was a decent place

Have been coming to the Lighterman for years with friends for drinks along the canal, it’s a great spot for that. Decided to try out the food and visited with a party of 4, we had a table out on the roof terrace which may have been the reason for my slight concerns. The table itself was excellent, looking over the square outside Central St Martins. However, we felt that frustratingly the outside tables were left a little to their own devices and service was not nearly as quick as you would have hoped. This is a relatively small issue given the food itself was actually incredibly good for what we had thought would be pub standard. One thing to add was that the server called V almost entirely made up for the experience, such as nice guy and really good server. The chorizo flatbread, beef carpaccio and hake & chips are all highly recommended - could not fault any of the courses and as a result would definitely go back even with the slightly slow service. All round, if you can get a table on a sunny day out on the balcony then this place is a great shout for a group of friends to catch up at. Good wine list, great selection of beers and excellent food. In terms of price, I would say to expect anywhere between £40 - £80 pp depending on your choice of wine / drinks.

Terrible table service for food. Servers pointedly ignore you and still impose a completely unearned service charge.

Writing this review as I sit here, frustrated by the service. Despite our repeated attempts to order, the waitress consistently ignored us, making the experience even more disappointing. Her demeanor was cold and unapproachable, and she barely attended to our table. We eventually had to approach the kitchen just to place our order, and even then, she turned away until one of my friends had to raise her arm to finally get her attention. To make matters worse, they still had the nerve to include a service charge on top of all this.

A very good drinking / eating spot right on Granary Square, with attentive and friendly service and a decent wine list. The food was a little overpriced for what you get, and the menu is sparse, but tasty nonetheless.

Great location, but the service is a joke and it will cost you a fortune

Lovely breakfast on the balcony overlooking Granary Square. Had the sweetcorn fritters which were fab. Staff were attentive without being overbearing. Great value. Lovely experience

Good place although trying to get a coffee was hard work "A decaff Americano please" Not a difficult question one would think!!

Nice views in Granary Square, but portion sizes for the prices were v poor value. Good and friendly service. This is my second visit but o won’t return as there is better value elsewhere in this great area of London

Great place to end a lovely Saturday put with evening drinks by the canal.

Had a lovely meal with friends here on Monday night. Great atmosphere and we would definitely come back. The Spiced margarita was amazing!

Nice spot to have lunch. Friendly service. Food was a bit tasteless

A delightful place to enjoy your drinks with your friends and family. Excellent service

Was very busy but got a table and had a few drinks and snacks outside. Nice place

It was a great experience, lovely food and excellent services. Specially the manager Jon and his staff were really friendly. Great day out to celebrate London sunny day😎👌.

Service and atmosphere is great! Good veggie options

Great spot buzzing reasonably priced great view setting by the regents canal

**PLEASE READ** I would like to say that this place has immense potential, but on our visit with a party of 11 they fell short on various aspects. I found the food prices slightly excessive and the food quality very mediocre. Portion sizes for some dishes are reasonable and for others it was abysmal. Service was awful. Very long waits for drinks orders, we needed to confirm how many of a certain dish we needed to order, and we were still OVERCHARGED on the bill for a dish we didn’t order. I believe they are abusing the location to maximise profits and not focusing on the core of the purpose of a gastropub; to offer good quality food, good service for a good price. I urge you all to attend to for drinks as then venue is lovely, BUT PLEASE be outspoken about anything you’re unhappy with. They’ve been getting away with it for too long.

Good place to meet after work. The downside is you have to order food to sit on level 1.

12.5 % discretionary tax exempted service charge. We got up and left. Raise prices instead of guilt-tripping customers. This is NOT advertised on the outside menu. Shame.

Very rude bartender wanted to charge me for someone else drink. No apologies either.

Had a lovely evening and service from V was excellent. He was attentive and helpful whenever we needed anything-especially friendly and helpful with the kids!

My benedict eggs were disappointing, the muffin was cold, the egg no runny, wish I had ordered something else. My friend was very happy with her avocado on toast. The natural juices and the coffee were great.

I don’t usually write bad reviews but I had a terrible experience at this restaurant. The dining experience itself was good but the restaurant charged me £80 for a no show despite me dining at the time of my reservation. Once I realised, I immediately called them to rectify the issue and the person on the line told me they would get back to me via email. This happened, I was asked to send a copy of either an invoice or the bill and once I sent them a copy of my transaction which clearly states time date name and location I am still being questioned and the restaurant hasn’t started its refund process yet. Quite ridiculous service, what had to be a casual dinner with friends ended up in multiple calls and an email chain trying to prove that I showed up with my guests.

Absolutely fantastic for Summer Friday Drinks and food. Fully accessible (many restaurants in Coal Drops Yard are not accessible), take a seat upstairs on the terrace overlooking the whole of Coal Drops Yard. I recommend the Chalkstream trout ceviche, St Ives monkfish scampi and fish and chips. The service is great: we chatted to the newly appointed manager and he was lovely! Great atmosphere and a brilliant place to meet lots of friends. Very highly recommended.

A rare occasion when a restaurant was too quick. We just had a main course, which was OK rather than great. The food was served almost immediately after ordering, so that we'd finished eating 27 minutes after arriving at the restaurant and had largely finished before our drinks arrived.

Great vibe. We came in for drinks and was served by Pedro, who was a great host behind the bar.

Unfortunately I dined here for dinner last night and didn’t have a pleased experience. I had the Chicken Schnitzel and grilled broccoli and contracted food poisoning. The chicken looked cooked but it was covered in breadcrumbs so it’s hard to tell. Apart from that, the atmosphere is great with views over the canal.

Lovely food and staff, bit expensive tho,but it is in a tourist spot.

There needs to be an allergy list as servers get their information wrong. The restaurant gave me an item on the house due to them serving me with the thing I am allergic to Food taste was lovely and the restaurant is very clean, atmosphere is relaxed and the location is beautiful

Great bar, great food it's situated right next toothed canal, it's a great place to meet up, talk, socialise and enjoy

Food is average Nice atmosphere The service was excellent

Waited over 30mins in outside queue for beer, only to be told they had run out and had to join the inside queue. No apology or help offered, appreciate it was busy, but no customer service. Also there was no cleanliness for the outside bar, the barmen where pouring beer into bins, no sink. So smell was getting worse in the hot weather.

Had a group lunch, food was good and reasonable value, will definitely come back in the future

Beautiful pub great views. Smashing Guinness. Proper pub.

An awesome meal! Well prepared & delicious.

What a find - quite by accident. Fantastic food and an excellent range of drinks. Good value and good service. Hake and chips was fab and pannacotte superb

Sorry guys but pathetic, lack of taste, long wait, no ambience. But staff really nice

A great location near to King’s Cross Station. A nice spot when the sun is shining and you’re looking to have brunch or a late lunch. Varied menu and good cocktail menu. Looking forward to returning to sample their famous roast.

While roaming around the granary square on a Tuesday evening, the outside ambience of the lighterman caught our attention first. We didn't book earlier, so they couldn't give us a table by the window and also rooftop was privately hired that day. Highly recommend booking in advance. Went to the restaurant mainly to have some light snacks, but the lovely staff rahat was so accommodating that we ended up having our main dinner there. I am so happy that he made my parents' first time UK visit memorable. We wanted to add some more on top of the service charge, but he requested to leave a review instead. Thank you!

We went to The Lighterman for a work lunch to celebrate as a team. When ordering, I asked the waiter (Ibra / Ibham?) if their risotto dish could be made without any cheese of any kind advising the waiter that I was vegan, yet also allergic to vegan cheese. The waiter said that was no problem. I was then brought real cheese and had to send the dish back. Then I was brought the replacement risotto, with vegan cheese mixed throughout the dish. I was then told that it was not possible to make the risotto without any cheese. I explained to the manager that I highlighted my allergy and dietary preferences to the waiter when first ordering, and it had not been communicated to me that my request was impossible. The female manager then worked hard to create a variation of a dish that I could eat, which was kind of her, however by the time my food finally arrived all of my team had finished eating and I was left alone eating at the table feeling even more self-conscious after all the back and forth from earlier also. It was such an embarrassment and then the male manager kept coming over to try and make out that it wasn't their fault that they'd not advised me as a customer initially, and then that they'd brought out the wrong food to me twice. I appreciate my dietary requirements are very specific, but all I was after was clear communication from the start, and to have a meal with my colleagues where attention wasn't continually drawn to me and my alternative dietary needs. The Lighterman is a nice venue, but they need to learn a lot more about how to communicate with customers transparently and respectfully.

We enjoyed a lovely team dinner at The Lighterman on a Wednesday evening. The menu had plenty of great options, everybody enjoyed their food, all dishes arrived quickly and our waitress was lovely. Thank you Sophie for looking after us so well - we had a great time.

There are no sound buffers and it’s all open plan, so it’s very loud. The scampi was 10/10, but my burger was dry and tasteless. The chips were more scraps than potato. They added a 12.5% service charge to the bill - which is standard these days - but then our server handed me the card machine and explained that I could leave a tip if I wanted?! I felt like he was trying to pull a fast one by trying to make me tip on top of a tip. Not good!

There are no sound buffers and it’s all open plan, so it’s very loud. The scampi was 10/10, but my burger was dry and tasteless. The chips were more scraps than potato. They added a 12.5% service charge to the bill - which is standard these days - but then our server handed me the card machine and explained that I could leave a tip if I wanted?! I felt like he was trying to pull a fast one by trying to make me tip on top of a tip. Not good!

We were a party of 13, so always a challenge for a venue, especially one as busy as The Lighterman. However, the service and food were great. The food was hot, tasty and all arrived together, so we were not eating in shifts! We were served by Rahat who was friendly, very helpful and patient! I was particularly pleased to receive help for my gluten free diet. Nothing was too much trouble and Rahat quickly went through the menu identifying all the items that were suitable. For once I didn’t feel I needed to apologise for having a medical condition! We all enjoyed our evening in this extremely popular venue. Thank you so much.

Great location, good food, friendly and efficient service

Amazing place with excellent service and great food. We arrived by foot after having googled from our airbnb near by. From the lower level we decided not to spend time because of the noise. We went up to the square and here the level of noise was much better. We got a nice table in a corner outside and started to order. The Indian servant was super attentive and friendly. The starter cocktail was sweet as we like it and from there things was just showing that it was the right choice. The starter was a flat bread with mozarelka and tomatoes. I was expecting a bruscetta-thing but it was actually a small pizza. Super tasty. The waiter gave us a break before the main. We chose a wagyo burger which unfortunately was over done but everything else was amazing. I highly recommend this place for a nice informal meal.