In April St Pancras Brasserie and Champagne Bar by Searcys – famously home to the longest Champagne bar in Europe – toasted the 150-year anniversary of St Pancras Station by unveiling its first Champagne School and a fresh new look.
The venue is synonymous with excellent Champagne and its 98 metres Champagne Bar serves an extensive bottle selection, including 9 available by the glass, making it the natural choice for a Champagne School. Guests can take masterclasses to learn all about Champagne and English sparkling wines, either at ticketed events, as part of a private party accompanied by a delicious meal, or as a one-of-a-kind celebration at the stunning new Tasting Room or Kitchen Bar.
Following a calendar of exciting Champagne events, every first Wednesday of the month, the Champagne School will host informative and inspiring masterclasses for £45 per person, skilfully led by Searcys’ Drinks
Ambassador, Joel Claustre. The classes will take guests on a nose experience through the world of Champagne with the chance to taste each on offer alongside expertly paired sharing plates.
Guests are also able to book their own private classes for groups that can include:
? Exclusive Masterclasses (£65 per person for groups of 6 or more), a two-hour session that will include Champagne and food pairing to appeal to all kinds of wine lovers, from beginners to connoisseurs.
• Champagne pre-dinner experiences (£25 per person for groups of 8 or more) which would be a short and informative introduction to Champagne.
• A full five-course menu matching English sparkling wines and champagnes (£120 perperson, to be booked in advance).
The introduction of the Champagne School is part of the venue’s larger redesign by London studio Softroom. The art deco brasserie, an all-day restaurant, now features flexible spaces perfect for informal meetings and meals, as well as catering for parties of different sizes, throughout the restaurant and in its new private dining room.
There’s a newly added Kitchen Bar filled with high tables and chairs for all-day working, breakfast meetings and informal business lunches. With room for up to 37 seated guests, it overlooks an open kitchen, that can be used for chef demo events.
The private dining room has been reimagined as a 12-seater Tasting Room which can be booked for meetings, masterclasses or parties fizzing with Champagne.
Searcys’ Development Chef Shaun Rowlands (HIX restaurants; Quaglino’s; Soho House Group) and the Searcys St Pancras’ executive chef Colin Layfield, have created a new all-day menu, which focuses on the UK’s finest seasonal produce, 90% of which is grown in the UK. Searcys’ eggs are all free range, milk is Red Tractor certified, and all meat, including bacon and poultry, is UK-reared. Searcys’ signature Scottish smoked salmon is caught and smoked at a family-run business on the edge of the Aberdeen harbour, John Ross Jr – proud holders of the Royal Warrant.
Breakfast highlights include Rainy Lane yoghurt, spiced Williams pear, pomegranate and granola, and John Ross Jr smoked salmon with avocado and lemon. For main courses at lunch or dinner, expect hearty dishes such as Creedy Carver chicken pie and 45-day house-aged Lake District Rib of beef on the bone.
The much-loved, longest Champagne bar in Europe with its panoramic views of the St Pancras station terminal, is here to stay. For those looking to enjoy a glass of something special, its menu also showcases a variety of champagne and world sparkling wines with a special focus in British sparkling.
A thoughtfully curated cocktail list features 10 contemporary twists on 1920s cocktails, named after trains which used to depart from St Pancras and King’s Cross such as the “West Riding Rum”, a punchy nod to the West Riding train which chugged into King’s Cross from Leeds, and the “The Heady Highlandman” – a taste of Scotland’s whisky to celebrate the Highlandman train journey from Fort William.
St Pancras Station originally opened in 1868, making 2018 the station’s 150th anniversary.
A masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, over the years the station has experienced near-demolition and decay, followed by a stunning restoration which was completed in 2007.
The Searcys Champagne bar first opened in 2007, designed by Martin Brudnizki (The Ivy; The Caprice; and later Sexy Fish and Scott’s). It swiftly became a must-visit destination in London, where guests enjoy the grandeur of this magnificent station from Europe’s longest Champagne bar: the perfect pit-stop before hopping on the Eurostar to Paris.
For more information or to book, visit stpancrasbysearcys.co.uk
