With one or two notable exceptions, you wouldn’t really think of King’s Cross as an area you’d want to spend a night out in.

Sure, you’ve got The Egg not too far away, and there are a few pubs here and there, but nothing that screams out as lively, trendy, fun bar to spend a night in.

What about the Big Chill House? It’s on Pentonville Road and right next to the exit to King’s Cross station that no one ever uses. The first thing to notice is that this place is bigger than Simon Cowell’s ego.

You’ve got some comfy sofas and funky seating downstairs, a bar on the first floor with room for dancing, and a wicked terrace on the roof. There’s no doubt that they pack some quality acts onto the ground floor, and there’s always a party vibe at the weekends. But if you pop in for an afternoon drink, or to use their free wifi, you always feel a bit dirty when you step outside. There’s a lingering smell of puke in the Big Chill House, and the flies buzzing around don’t do much to help.

That’s why this place really comes into its own on the odd occasion when the weather’s half-decent. The roof terrace is a great place to be when the sun shines. Your choice of drinks is slightly limited on the roof, but you won’t be too bothered about that, because there’s a barbecue on the go to keep your mouth busy.

This isn’t really a rant or a rave, more of a meh. At the weekends, the Big Chill House is an excellent place to go, whether for the night, or as a warm-up to something a little more brutal. And if you happen to be in King’s Cross on a sunny day/nice evening, the terrace is definitely a major selling point. But for the rest of the time, the steep prices and pukey ambience are probably worth avoiding, especially when Islington, Camden and Shoreditch are all within spitting distance.

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