Clamour for glamour at Booking Office 1869. Photo: John Carey

A JOURNEY back in time is a tempting prospect right now. Step into the old ticket hall in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and you can rewind a soothing century or two.

Booking Office 1869 is an all-day restaurant and bar that inhabits the majestic space once filled with Victorian travellers on the Midland Railway.

The venue was revamped during the Covid lockdowns by the French architect Hugo Toro, who riffed on the concept of a Victorian-style Winter Garden – adding twists such as bold fabric prints, rattan-screened dining booths and four life-size palm trees.

Make no mistake – this is a gobsmacking space to visit. Watch out for a sore neck, though, as you gawp at the trees, soaring Gothic arches, lofty ceilings and gigantic 3D-printed chandeliers.

The bar itself curves in front of the old ticket hall windows and linenfold panelling. Here they mix a range of elaborate and innovative strong drinks. Their classic martini, for example, is pre-mixed with the use of an ultrasonic device that helps to infuse and blend a textural touch of beeswax. Top marks for their margarita, served clear over a large sphere of ice; my friend sipped a sgroppino, served with a flourish by a waiter pouring bubbles over a scoop of lemon verbena and ginger sorbet.

Booking Office 1869 is open from lunchtime until late for drinks and bar snacks – so you could spend a happy hour here ensconced on a velvet sofa without splashing too much cash.

For a lunch or dinner, navigate the menu with some care. We shared a clever dish of bright pink beetroot hummus (£10), beautifully fringed by red chicory leaves then topped with roasted carrots, pistachio and fronds of dill.

A generous starter of crab (£20) displayed a similar attention the detail. The chef deftly slices a half avocado into 3mm slices, then places it over fresh crab, which you dress with a squeeze of lemon.

For main courses, the new menu offers dishes such as a fried fish sandwich for lunch, a classy burger with Ogleshield cheese, oriecchiette pasta with Jerusalem artichokes and pistachio pesto or salmon with a vermouth and sorrel sauce.

My vegetarian main was a crisp schnitzel made with slices of aubergine, served with a dice of cucumber, onion and tomato (£18). This would benefit from a more elegant presentation and perhaps a sauce on the side.

My friend’s Dover sole with toasted almonds and capers was exquisite but comes at the hefty price of £55 – although it’s fair to say restaurant costs are skyrocketing these days.

This was a memorable evening in this re-imagined old ticket hall. The staff and service were excellent, too.

We were looked after by a ravishing Sicilian called Francesco, who was totally on top of his game.

Booking Office 1869 is a landmark destination in Camden – a must-visit for anyone interested in glamour, cocktails, local history, architecture or time travel.

Booking Office 1869
Euston Road, NW1
0207 841 3566
@bookingoffice
www.booking-office.co.uk