It's a point of pride for Londoners that Eurostar passengers depart from the slightly seedy Gare du Nord, and alight in the magnificent St Pancras Station.
Pulling into the platform beneath Barlow's cathedral-like glass roof, they are greeted by artworks by Paul Day and Tracy Emin, and the restored Gothic masterpiece of Sir Gilbert Scott's station and hotel.
On the upper floor, next to a statue of Sir John Betjeman who helped save the whole thing from demolition, is Searcys swish Champagne bar; blue liveried, with heated seats where arrivals can toast their excitement with a glass of France's finest bubbles.
Some might say such a high class bar has ideas above its station, but with the adjoining St Pancras Bar and Brasserie it's doing its bit for Anglo-French relations with a new menu by executive chef Thomas Piat.
Chanelling the restaurants of Parisian grand stations, this tale of two cities features soups; one French onion, the other a pumpkin and sage, French classics like escargot, (snails) moules marinière, and choucroute Alsacienne, and English ones such as lemon meringue pie, prawn cocktail, and pork belly with black pudding.
It's served amid the glamour of an Art Deco-style brasserie.
In a biased way you might hope that your chef, white-aproned waiter, and wines hailed from the French side of this entente cordiale - and so it proved.
We started with a signature cocktail, a St Pancras Passion, with Champagne, passion fruit and a cherry at the bottom of the ice cold glass - it was indulgent and very lovely.
Entering the spirit of the venue we ordered a Salade de Chevre Chaud and Chapel&Swan smoked salmon with horseradish cream.
Accompanied by a glass of classy Loire Sauvignon Blanc, both were impeccable, and beautifully presented; the salad so lightly dressed, with mini crunchy croutons, the horseradish cream not too pungent alongside and a thin veil of delicately flavoured fish.
Mains also straddled the channel with a rich ox cheek bourguignon on buttery mash, accompanied by a glass of superb St Emilion, and the crispest, freshest beer battered haddock you could hope for, with home made tartare sauce and proper chips.
It can be galling when a French chef delivers an English classic better than most British kitchens, but we didn't mind a bit as we shared a side of thin greens and bites of each others' dishes.
By rights dessert should have been the crème brûlée and lemon merengue pie, but we deviated with a cheese board that (naturally) included English and French cheeses, with quince jelly and English crackers. Once again it was impeccable with the creamy, crunchy brûlée rounding off a perfect blend of refined British pub classics and French Brasserie fare.
It may feel odd eating in a train station on a Saturday night, but St Pancras Bar and Brasserie is a destination not just for travellers passing through.
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