You don’t have to wait for the festival to get your Big Chill fix. The Big Chill Bar’s newer sibling has brought a laid back house party atmosphere to the heart of Kings Cross.

The Venue
It really is a kind of house. There are three spacious floors, each made up of different sized areas, rooms, nooks and crannies, making it a great place to explore. There’s the Finlandia cabin downstairs which you can hire out for private parties, The Love Inn corner with low lighting upstairs for romantic flings and the terrace on the roof where you can look out over the city rooftops as you swig your drink on big wooden benches by the mirrored lily pond table.

Then there are the main bar areas, where there’s plenty of standing room and a fair bit of seating, so you can mill as you drink and chat or cosy up and chill in a corner.

The Atmosphere
A bit like the festival, there’s room for everyone at The Big Chill House, from knowing media types and musos to right-on charity workers and young professionals in office jobs who turn hippy by night. Because of the upbeat attitude of the staff and the open plan space, it’s very easy to get chatting to people you’ve never met before and end up making tables full of new friends before you’ve even got the second round in.

It’s like a party round at your mate’s house, except that there’s no danger of the drinks running out, and there’s a constant supply of top DJs playing the kind of eclectic mix of music that you’d kill to own.

The Food
When it comes to food, The Big Chill House has it all covered, from quick lunches or evening snacks to reviving Sunday brunch. Lunch options include the handily sociable vegetarian and meat platters as well as interesting bits and pieces like vine leaves, crabmeat stuffed peppers and grilled halloumi. You’ll find the same kind of thing on the evening menu, plus a mouthwatering selection of pies which are perfect for soaking up all that alcohol you know you’re going to end up drinking.

The Drink
Although its spot just up the road from Kings Cross station seems unlikely for this kind of hip DJ bar, it does mean it’s ideally placed between the two nightlife meccas of the West End and Islington, and so pretty convenient for dropping in and meeting friends for drinks on the way home or on the way out. Choose from the Big Chill Punch, a lip smacking mix of vodka, fresh lemon, peach, passion fruit and cava, a classic Mojito, a cool Tiger, Budvar or Heineken beer or any one of the wines on the long, carefully chosen list.

The Last Word
As London bars go, this is one of the friendliest and most interesting ones around. There’s enough room to move and mix, a relaxed and friendly crowd, music and comedy worth crossing London for and a choice of food and drinks that’s got all the important bases covered. This is a bar that’s really tapped into the spirit of the times.