Walk past the restaurants and design stores of Coal Drops Yard and, on Lower Stable Street, you will find a small outpost of one of London’s most respected record shops. Honest Jon’s King’s Cross brings the spirit of its long-standing Portobello Road home to the north side of the city, with crates of reggae, jazz, soul and music from around the world packed into a warm, wood-lined room.
Background / History
Honest Jon’s dates back to 1974, when Jon Clare began selling records in west London. After earlier homes on Golborne Road and in Camden Town, the shop settled on Portobello Road in 1979, and today it is run by Mark Ainley and Alan Scholefield. Over the decades the name has also become a respected record label, set up in partnership with Damon Albarn and known for carefully researched releases such as the London Is the Place for Me series, which documents the calypso, highlife and jazz of the city’s postwar Caribbean and African communities. The King’s Cross shop opened in November 2018 as part of the newly developed Coal Drops Yard, after the team were invited to bring an independent voice to the area. Opening weekend included DJ sets and a live broadcast with NTS, setting the tone for a shop that has always been as much about the music community as the stock on the shelves.
What You’ll Find
The King’s Cross branch is a smaller, carefully chosen reflection of the main shop. Hand-lettered dividers guide you through reggae LPs, 12-inches and dub, deep runs of jazz and soul, folk, blues, dance music and the “outernational” section that gives the shop much of its character, from African and Latin American sounds to library music and soundtracks. New releases from labels such as Basic Channel, Numero, Sublime Frequencies, The Trilogy Tapes and Habibi Funk sit alongside the Honest Jon’s own catalogue, and there is a healthy amount of second-hand vinyl to dig through. Several shelves of music books, many drawn from years of accumulated stock, add another layer, along with shop merchandise and slipmats bearing the familiar circular logo.
Experience / Atmosphere
The room is compact but thoughtfully laid out, with pale plywood racks, a bold blue back wall lined with face-out records and big windows looking out onto the yard. Good speakers keep something interesting playing, and the staff know the stock inside out, happy to talk about a Jamaican reissue or point you towards a West African record you would never have found on your own. It feels unhurried and welcoming, a calm counterpoint to the busy shopping streets outside, and a natural stop if you are passing through King’s Cross or St Pancras.
Why Visit
- A second home for a London record shop with roots going back to 1974
- Strong reggae, dub, jazz, soul and global music sections, clearly organised by hand
- The chance to browse the Honest Jon’s label catalogue where it was born
- Shelves of music books alongside new and second-hand vinyl
- Open seven days and a short walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations
Summary
Honest Jon’s King’s Cross packs decades of knowledge and taste into a single, well-curated room. Whether you are a seasoned collector of reggae and jazz or simply curious about music from further afield, it rewards a slow browse and a chat at the counter, and it carries the character of a much-loved London institution into a new corner of the city.
