Booking Office 1869 is a bar and restaurant located in the heart of King’s Cross in the original ticket hall of St. Pancras Station. The food and drinks here were amazing and the surprise at 17:05 really added to our experience (more on this later!). The staff were lovely and immediately greeted us with a warm welcome, the host was especially welcoming and had us laughing from the start. The great hospitality continued throughout the evening, and we left feeling like we had been really taken care of.

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The stunning restaurant […] combines features from the original ticket office with new influences, to create a Victorian Gothic-style Winter Garden

The stunning restaurant designed by Hugo Toro combines features from the original ticket office with new influences, to create a Victorian Gothic -style Winter Garden with eccentric patterns and different fabrics throughout. The restaurant is beautiful, and you can see the arches and traditional windows throughout. A lovely touch is that the bar is actually the old ticket office! The mirrors behind the bars are where the original ticket booths used to be. It is a great feature that they have kept and really shows that they have thought about the history of the building; this is even reflected in the restaurant name: ‘Booking Office 1869’, reflecting the location and the year that St Pancras Station was completed.

Food

There are several starters and sharing options available, which are all very reasonably priced, allowing guests to try multiple dishes. We opted to share the Cure Loch Duart Salmon with green chilli salsa, buttermilk and pickled shallots to start. This was incredibly delicious and a nicely sized sharing plate for two people as there were four pieces. The presentation was beautiful with the salmon laying on top of the green chilli salsa and each piece topped with balls of the buttermilk and sprinkled shallots.

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The presentation was beautiful with the salmon laying on top of the green chilli salsa and each piece topped with balls of the buttermilk and sprinkled shallots

For mains, there is a variety of options including meat, fish, pasta and burgers along with a selection of sides. There are also two meat sharing options, including a Boneless, chargrilled Devon chicken and a 35-day dry aged T-Bone steak. My guest and I were both drawn to their Irish beef Grill section. My guest ordered the Steak Dianne, a rump beef with shallot and a parsley salad. I was hoping to order the 30-day dry aged rib eye, however they had unfortunately run out. I then also opted for the Steak Dianne and thankfully I was not disappointed! I also ordered a side of the Tenderstem broccoli which came with red chilli and toasted almonds. Before our mains arrived, they gave us some sauces that were served in mini glass jam jars. We both thought this was very cute and shows the effort they have put in with their presentation.

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The steak was incredible and was honestly some of the best beef I have had

The steak was incredible and was honestly some of the best beef I have had. Again, the presentation was beautiful, the beef was sliced with the parsley salad on top and surrounded by mushrooms and the Dianne sauced made from the seasoned pan juices. The Koffman fries and broccoli were served separately and were both delicious. The steak was perfectly cooked and had a lovely vibrant pink colour. The middle pieces were especially tender and melted in your mouth. I was surprised with how much meat there was – it is definitely worth the money! My guest did struggle to finish her portion so if you have a small appetite maybe opt for a small starter or go straight for a main. We were both full after our mains, so we didn’t get the chance to try any dessert, but our neighbouring table’s dessert looked divine, making us very jealous!

Drinks

For drinks, we opted for a bottle of white wine. We chose the Leefield station Pinot gris 2021 from New Zealand which paired lovely with our salmon starter. Bottles were quite pricey so perhaps opting for a glass or a cocktail would be a more budget friendly option for students. There is an extensive list of cocktails that have taken inspiration from the Victorian Gothic era, using Victorian materials for production and techniques from this era but with a modern twist! This is a great touch that again shows how the restaurant has taken the history into account to offer a unique experience.

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At 17:05, every single day, a bartender rings a bell to signal it’s time for the free punch ritual […] This was an incredible addition to the evening and was a lovely way to give something back to the guests

The unexpected surprise at 17:05! At 17:05, every single day, a bartender rings a bell to signal it’s time for the free punch ritual. Whilst people gather around, a punch bowl is set up on the high table in the centre of the room. The bartender then gives a speech about the ritual and some of the history of the room whilst handing out original train tickets from the 19^th century. We had a rum punch. The bartender started by using a blow torch on the rum which he humorously said was to ‘get rid of the spirits from the old days’ before mixing in the juices. He then poured a glass for everyone around the table – instructing us not to drink until everyone was ready to ‘cheers!’. This was an incredible addition to the evening and was a lovely way to give something back to the guests.

Overall, our experience was incredible. The food was delicious, and I can’t wait to explore the menu more. It is a little pricey for students but is 100% worth the money and you can find affordable options on the menu or just go for drinks and nibbles. The punch ritual at 17:05 was such a fun and unique experience and a great way to learn more about the architecture. The atmosphere was incredible, from the architecture and design to the lovely staff who made sure that we enjoyed our visit. I would highly recommend visiting if you get the chance.

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