The Midland Grand Dining Room

The west wing of the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel used to belong to Marcus Wareing’s The Gilbert Scott, but these vast gothic halls are home to new masters as of 2023 - chef Patrick Powell and property developer-cum-restaurateur Harry Handelsman. The pair know a thing or two about great restaurants - Powell’s Allegra is perennially underrated on account of being in Stratford, and Handelsman made Chiltern Firehouse a London icon back in the day (Powell also worked in the kitchen, as it happens).

So, the Midland Grand Dining Room has a very solid pedigree. The interiors too, speak of a restaurant that is shooting for the stars: the Grade I-listed Renaissance Hotel is already a stupendous building but the no-expense spared fit-out has brought a palatial opulence to the magnificent dining room. Marble columns stretch up into the room’s upper atmosphere, where they meet ornate plasterwork, gold cornices and a series of gigantic art deco chandeliers. The first time you walk in really feels like a moment - for all of London's brilliant restaurants, there are few that wash over you quite like this.

Powell’s menu follows the lead of the nearby Eurostar, connecting timeless Parisian bistro cooking with a touch of London’s modern spirit. A perfect puck of liver parfait comes with an elegant layer of Madeira jelly over the top; parfait can be a little dense and cloying but this one is whipped to incredible feathery lightness, and it’s accompanied by an exemplary duck fat-enriched Parker House roll.

There’s more impeccable cooking among the entrees - a skillful guinea fowl pate en croute brings great joy, as does a little raft of crab toast, floating in a pond of bisque. If people will bemoan anything here it will be the prices - the aforementioned entrees are £16 each and the portions aren’t terribly big. We dare say the walls of this vast dining room will hear a few mutters about ‘London prices’ over the next few months, but you’re not just paying for the food of course, you’re paying for a legion of well-trained staff, a very expensive and very beautiful dining room, and all the costs wrapped within.

The cocktail offering in the adjoining Gothic Bar is excellent too, and plenty of Champagne and absinthe speaks to yet more Parisian soul. Look past the prices and the Midland Grand Dining Room is a worthy addition to London’s lux dining scene - we can’t think of many better places to empty our wallets for a celebration.

Housed inside the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King’s Cross, The Midland Dining Room is a French brasserie launched by restaurateur and hotelier Harry Handelsman (Chiltern Firehouse, Allegra, Booking Office 1869), chef Patrick Powell (Allegra) and globally-renowned interior designer Hugo Toro. Its named after the Midland Grand Hotel, the Gothic Revival 19th century hotel which originally occupied the building, and its renowned dining and coffee room which was known for its haute French cuisine.

Between 2011 and 2021, the space was known as The Gilbert Scott, which was operated by celebrated Michelin-starred British chef Marcus Wareing. Now, The Midland Dining Room pays tribute to the building's impressive past with its Parisian-inspired design and menu.

Menus are rooted in French cuisine and change regularly according to the seasons, with a particular focus on British fish and meat. Alongside a versatile à la carte menu is a set lunch offering, while signature dishes include the likes of crab and elderflower pain perdu, chicken liver parfait with a truffle and Madeira jelly and Grand Marnier soufflé. These sit alongside broader, more familiar menu items such as salad of English tomatoes, pesto rouge, pickled shallots and soft herbs, wild mushrooms on toast with parsley and garlic, Welsh lamb with Pommes Anna, ratatouille and whipped aubergine, and grilled Dover sole.

As well as an a la carte, The Midland Grand Dining Room also offers a very reasonable lunch set menu that changes weekly. 

The wine offering is a considered list of predominantly old-world varieties, demonstrating established as well as up-and-coming producers. There is also a concise and carefully-crafted cocktail list created specifically for the restaurant to complement Powell’s menu, and overseen by bar manager Jack Porter. For example, Le Pain cocktail is a digestif that takes inspiration from Powell’s grandmother’s soda bread, including soda bread mix, Jameson, Guinness liquor, black walnut bitter and sweet vermouth.

Hugo Toro and Harry Handelsman have overseen the interiors which honour the Victorian origins of the room, while updating it for a cosmopolitan, contemporary audience. The vintage space features a variety of different botanicals and produce, along with bespoke tables, banquettes and its very own bar. Various textures are used via mirrors, rattan and caning, wood columns and glass, while the room’s bespoke orange colour pays homage to its original design.