Champagne Bar at St Pancras

How much more romantic a setting do you want? OK, the crackle of electricity as the train's pylon connects with the overhead wire isn't quite the same as the bellowing clouds of smoke belching from a Class A3 Pacific, but the whiff or romance hangs heavy in the air; the hint of illicit liaisons, being whisked off to Paris, and all that entails.

The bar runs the length of the platform, and is partitioned off between booths and bar stools. The booths come complete with heated seats and blankets for the colder months, or simply for snuggling under. The service, as noted before, can be a bit odd some times, but then at others, it is spectacularly good. Like premiership refs, a bit of consistency would be much appreciated.

The champagne list is, like the bar itself, long but, and this is where the analogy falls over, it is dull. Yes there is a lovely English sparkler in there (the Balfour Brut Rose) but other than that it plays it way too safe: think Bolly, Moet, Veuve etc. Where are the small producers, the cutting edge Grand Crus? OK Salon and Selosse are here (at £270 and £165 a pop respectively), but these are hardly “finds”. Where is the Egly-Ouriet, the Larmandier-Bernier or the Jacquesson? Kettners, that’s where.

So what you have here is a wonderfully romantic location, but let down by indifferent service and a list that plays it safe on the champagne front combined with stonkingly high prices. And yes, they really no how to charge: Bollinger at 20% more than Kettners. Why? How on earth can you justify a 20% hike in price just because of the location?

My advice is stick to the Dom: £165 may sound a bit of an ask for a bottle of poo, but at nearly a ton retail, it is the closest thing to a bargain that you will find on this list.

Dreadfull service and luckluster food . Management appear uncaring and wantng to rip the punters off