I was in London for a few meetings the other day and took the chance to pop in to the St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar that I’d heard so much about.
Just about all the major champagne houses were represented and what I particularly liked is the fact that there isn’t just a single champagne from each house, but at least one other champagne to discover. The strange exception to this was Charles Heidsieck –just one champagne from this great maker - the Blancs des Millenaires 1995 - but none of the excellent non-vintage.
Still it would be a bit mean to find fault with such a wonderfully comprehensive champagne list, although I wonder how many people actually take advantage of the chance to try something out of the ordinary instead of opting for the usual brut NV? Mind you that’s their loss, especially since the bar is running several offers that allow you to do just that:
• how about Taittinger Nocturne by the glass as a change from the standard Brut Réserve ? If you haven’t tried Nocturne yet, this luscious, sec champagne is slightly sweeter than brut and it's one I heartily recommend.
• if sec is not your style, then you could try a flute of Deutz Brut Classic served with a portion of smoked salmon for only £12.95
Deutz is a first class champagne house in all respects. Taken over by Louis Roederer in 1993 it received a lot of investment and now it’s one of those houses that doesn’t immediately spring to mind, but once tried, will always impress
• there again you might go for a tasting tray of 4 different champagnes from Pommery for only £16. A great way to sample champagnes you may not have tasted before without spending a lot of money.
• and if you still haven’t found what you are looking for then there’s always Gosset, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Dom Pérignon 2000 and Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle , all available by the glass, to name a few
Prices are not bad either I thought. There’s Jean Paul Deville at only £8 a glass and quite a number of champagnes at between £10 - £14, even a flute of the Dom Pérignon 2000 is only £26.50 That’s a lot for one drink I know, but not disproportionly expensive compared with the other champagnes on offer.
If you are with a party and buying by the bottle, or something even larger, then obviously you’ll be forking out a much larger sum, but the prices are still not exorbitant:
£150 for Belle Epoque 1996, £197 for Krug Grand Cuvée, £300 for Cristal 2002 - not exactly cheap, but I’ve seen higher prices elsewhere many a time.
At the top of the range in price you have Bollinger Vielles Vignes Françaises 1999 and Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1985, both at at £750 and Krug Clos du Mesnil 1996 at £880 bottle but there’s no doubt in my mind which is the best value....
If you have a spare £450 then I’d go for a magnum of Moët & Chandon 1964.
This is a fabulous champagne that will really open your eyes, and taste buds, to the amazing depth and power that champagnes can reveal. It’s the oldest champagne on the list at the St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar and will be a memorable experience
Will I be going back to the bar? Well, not soon I don’t think....
it’s not exactly a cosy venue being in the open concourse next to the platforms. The waitresses are smartly dressed in coats and scarves to keep them warm, but if they need to keep warm then you can imagine that it’s not a place where I can imagine settling down with a bunch of friends and whiling away a couple of hours.
In fact it reminded me of an airport waiting lounge in both style and atmosphere: sharp and modern but a little austere.
I imagine that the typical clients for The St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar are business people who grab a glass or two before catching their train and if they’ve just sealed a lucrative deal, perhaps they’ll splash out on one of the undoubtedbly fabulous champagnes.
I do hope that lots of these people do just that because the bar is doing a great job in bringing champagne lovers the chance to discover a whole range of super champagnes they might not otherwise find.
The bar deserves to succeed and I’ll certainly pop in again, it just won’t be until the next time I happen to be catching a train from St. Pancras.
For those readers who are not from the U.K., St. Pancras is one of London’s major railway stations. It’s a huge building dating from the Victorian era and the architecture is stunning in it’s own right, but the recent refurbishment has transformed the place into a shopping and tourist destination as well.
Just about all the major champagne houses were represented and what I particularly liked is the fact that there isn’t just a single champagne from each house, but at least one other champagne to discover. The strange exception to this was Charles Heidsieck –just one champagne from this great maker - the Blancs des Millenaires 1995 - but none of the excellent non-vintage.
Still it would be a bit mean to find fault with such a wonderfully comprehensive champagne list, although I wonder how many people actually take advantage of the chance to try something out of the ordinary instead of opting for the usual brut NV? Mind you that’s their loss, especially since the bar is running several offers that allow you to do just that:
• how about Taittinger Nocturne by the glass as a change from the standard Brut Réserve ? If you haven’t tried Nocturne yet, this luscious, sec champagne is slightly sweeter than brut and it's one I heartily recommend.
• if sec is not your style, then you could try a flute of Deutz Brut Classic served with a portion of smoked salmon for only £12.95
Deutz is a first class champagne house in all respects. Taken over by Louis Roederer in 1993 it received a lot of investment and now it’s one of those houses that doesn’t immediately spring to mind, but once tried, will always impress
• there again you might go for a tasting tray of 4 different champagnes from Pommery for only £16. A great way to sample champagnes you may not have tasted before without spending a lot of money.
• and if you still haven’t found what you are looking for then there’s always Gosset, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Dom Pérignon 2000 and Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle , all available by the glass, to name a few
Prices are not bad either I thought. There’s Jean Paul Deville at only £8 a glass and quite a number of champagnes at between £10 - £14, even a flute of the Dom Pérignon 2000 is only £26.50 That’s a lot for one drink I know, but not disproportionly expensive compared with the other champagnes on offer.
If you are with a party and buying by the bottle, or something even larger, then obviously you’ll be forking out a much larger sum, but the prices are still not exorbitant:
£150 for Belle Epoque 1996, £197 for Krug Grand Cuvée, £300 for Cristal 2002 - not exactly cheap, but I’ve seen higher prices elsewhere many a time.
At the top of the range in price you have Bollinger Vielles Vignes Françaises 1999 and Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1985, both at at £750 and Krug Clos du Mesnil 1996 at £880 bottle but there’s no doubt in my mind which is the best value....
If you have a spare £450 then I’d go for a magnum of Moët & Chandon 1964.
This is a fabulous champagne that will really open your eyes, and taste buds, to the amazing depth and power that champagnes can reveal. It’s the oldest champagne on the list at the St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar and will be a memorable experience
Will I be going back to the bar? Well, not soon I don’t think....
it’s not exactly a cosy venue being in the open concourse next to the platforms. The waitresses are smartly dressed in coats and scarves to keep them warm, but if they need to keep warm then you can imagine that it’s not a place where I can imagine settling down with a bunch of friends and whiling away a couple of hours.
I imagine that the typical clients for The St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar are business people who grab a glass or two before catching their train and if they’ve just sealed a lucrative deal, perhaps they’ll splash out on one of the undoubtedbly fabulous champagnes.
I do hope that lots of these people do just that because the bar is doing a great job in bringing champagne lovers the chance to discover a whole range of super champagnes they might not otherwise find.
The bar deserves to succeed and I’ll certainly pop in again, it just won’t be until the next time I happen to be catching a train from St. Pancras.
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