Set in the heart of dynamic King’s Cross, discerning locals and travellers alike are invited to the city’s latest cocktail bar and all-day hub, The Hansom...
Set in the heart of dynamic King’s Cross, discerning locals and travellers alike are invited to the city’s latest cocktail bar and all-day hub, The Hansom, now open at London’s famed St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. The spirited bar seamlessly blends a modern aesthetic with its magnificent neo-gothic architecture, and transforms from a laid-back hangout by day, to a social bar at night showcasing world-class cocktails inspired by the hotel’s Victorian roots.
“Set in the heart of the hotel, The Hansom weaves our famed history into the quality cocktails and British menu, offset by a modern, elegant design,” said Anne Legrand, General Manager at the St Pancras Renaissance.
Designed by Space, Copenhagen, The Hansom features a centralised bar elegantly crafted in marble with darkened brass and leather detailing, surrounded by modern furnishings blending with Victorian lampposts and a soothing palette of gentle greens and blue. Maintaining its renowned high vaulted ceilings with Barlow Blue ironwork and tall windows, the bright space is intimately broken up with sculpted screens.
The menu, curated by The Hansom’s mixologists, champions expertly crafted cocktails. In a nod to its heritage as the original Hansom Cab drop-off for St Pancras Station passengers in the 1800s, each serve draws on the Victorian era’s indulgent side, inspired by a poignant moment, figure, text or tradition. The Angel & Bragget Alehouse Flip, dedicated to The Alehouse Act and The Beerhouse Act passed in the early 1800s to encourage the relative safety of beer comparative to gin, infuses London Porter with rum, sherry and banana liqueur. The uplifting Livingstone’s Boatswain pays homage to David Livingstone, the celebrated Victorian explorer who crossed Africa with his notoriously lively wife, whose strong and spirited heart is echoed in the heady mix of brandy, rum, coffee and cream.
The herbaceous Mr. Cratchit’s Yuletide Punch mixes Earl Grey infused gin with Chapel Down sparkling wine, influenced by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol where on a cold winter’s night in Camden Ebenezer Scrooge and the Cratchit family gathered around the hearth drinking from a mixture of hot gin and lemons. Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s love for the ‘cratur’ is celebrated in The V&A Gold Fashioned, which mixes three exceptional whiskies including Chivas Regal 18 Year Gold Signature with calvados and celery bitters to create an aromatic tipple.
In keeping with its Victorian tradition, the menu also includes a range of low-alcohol cocktails such as the fruity The Whistle & The Loving Cup and the floral White Port Fixer, alongside a selection of zingy, refreshing mocktails.
