This was another place I’d wanted to get back to since the pandemic.
I spent some time studying in Paris a few years ago and would regularly travel on the Eurostar from St Pancras and wanted to be reminded of it.
It’s a bit quieter at the moment obviously.
This station’s architecture is so special. I walked round to see everything; the public piano where a young man was playing Yann Tiersen, the DENT clock, Tracey Emin’s ‘I Want My Time With You’, the Betjeman statue honouring a writer I love, the Meeting Place lovers statue, Searcys Champagne bar.
It has top boutiques such as Chanel, Fortnum & Mason and Jo Malone. You can see the web site for the full list and more on the history of the station.
There are several good places for coffee, including a newly-opened branch of Instagram-favourite EL&N which I did make a point of looking in to – and they do have some very nice pink merchandise on sale – but I chose Le Pain Quotidien like I always do.
I absolutely love their pastries and muffins in the takeaway section.
There is also the eating-in area with its large communal table aesthetic, right opposite the Eurostar departures. You can still order the pastries there but the wider menu as well with especially nice breakfasts. I just find it so lovely to be in that atmosphere midway to France and listen to the announcements in French.
Today I held myself back and ordered just a Skinny Cappuccino.
Mostly Coffee and Dogs 