Shrimpy's at The King's Cross Filling Station

On Friday evening, my mother met me off my train at St Pancras** and we toddled off for dinner and some mother-daughter quality time.

Now, my mother is quite hip. She always knows all the fun, popular places that spring up around London and so she took me off to Shrimpy's at The Kings Cross Filling Station. From the outside, The Filling Station is a towering, translucent, waved form, with neon letters guarding the roof- you'd never guess the ghostly walls concealed a restaurant! However, as you go around the side, the walls give way to a large space where the old petrol station once was. Now, the kiosk is a tiny little restaurant and the space where the pumps once stood is an al fresco bar with a pretty view of the river.

As we entered Shrimpy's, we were greeted to a roar of laughter- there was a large table filled with a rather energetic group of diners all playing charades! Bar them however, since it was still rather early for dinner, the restaurant was fairly empty. We were shown to a pretty little table with an elegant table covering and crystal glasses. We sat down and took in our surroundings.

I loved the decor. There were quirky illustrations painted onto the walls (there where appearances from iconic figures such as Coco Chanel), cacti lining the window and giant gold pineapple lamps adorning the bar. Even the menus had lovely little drawings throughout. After taking this all in, we scanned the cocktail menu and gave our orders to the attentive waitress. We were sitting close to the bar and so I had a great view as my drink was shook up just feet away.

Once we had a chance to sample our cocktails (both delicious!), our food started arriving. The menu had looked so enticing we'd gone for three courses each, vowing to share our dishes. I had ordered Prawn fritters with a green chilli and lime dipping sauce where as Mum had gone for the seabass ceviche with plantains. Mine was yummy, but the sauce on the seabass was so good that we ended up asking for a spoon to slurp up every last drop!

Then came our second course. I had ordered the soft shell crab burger (somewhat a signature dish I was told), which came battered (legs and all) between two buns. The sauce in the burger was delicious and I enjoyed munching my way through it. Mum went for the Seared Ahi (basically a large tuna) with a  carrot and tequila salad. This dish was extremely colourful and the carrots tasted amazing!

Finally, we battled on to pudding. The menu boasted a banana and peanut butter sandwich which sounded like a bizarre pudding to serve at a restaurant and so I gave it a go. I wasn't disappointed- I was served two slices of rich brioche, layered with a peanutty sauce, fresh banana slices and ice cream, all sprinkled with almonds. Despite already being a touch on the full side, I managed to gobble down the entire thing!
Mum went for the Meringue with a hibiscus syrup, chantilly and pineapple (essentially it was a fancy eton mess!). This was also delicious and served beautifully, with a large fan of dried pineapple on top.

I really enjoyed my visit to Shrimpy's. The food was delicious, the waitresses helpful and the decor was fun yet sophisticated. It was the perfect venue for a catch up and a relaxed dinner. Despite the venue being small, it didn't feel cramped or too busy, even when as it got later, all the tables became full. I would highly recommend going and giving Shrimpy's a visit!

**A slight exaggeration. Mum was fairly late and so I was waiting around for a while. Giggling, Mum said it was reminiscent of when she'd forget she needed to collect my sister and I from the school gates when we were little!