Booking Office
Time Out rating:
<strong>Rating: </strong>5/5
User ratings:
<strong>Rating: </strong>4/5
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Time Out says
Wed Sep 21 2011
The superlatives come easy when describing the Booking Office: it is epic, soaring, dramatic, magnificent.
As part of the architect George Gilbert Scott’s 1873 Midland Grand Hotel, it was designed to instil in passengers a sense of awe of the power and wonder of the railways. These days, it serves as an awe-inspiring bar, and its refit has made the most of the Victorian splendour while introducing the comfort expected in a five-star hotel.
Around the sides are deep, modern sofas and armchairs, perfect for taking in the original arched windows, the ribbed vaulting, the ornate brickwork – all cleverly lit to impressive effect.
The drinks show equal attention to detail: the cocktail list was created by great London mixers Nick Strangeway and Henry Besant, and shows a deep respect of the history of British drinking.
Sours, fizzes and cobblers are represented, but perhaps most exciting are the punches, served with dash from handmade copper mugs – the Billy Dawson Punch Rocks was a dark and complex mixture of lemon peel, demerara sugar, rum, cognac, porter and nutmeg.
The Booking Office is as far from an everyday boozer as you’ll get in London, but everyone should pay homage at least once.
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