Booking Office, St Pancras Station

[Arthurish]

Just to let you all know that this is the most costly place I have ever been in.
Here is my story.
I knew it would be expensive, but I had to visit as it is a bar selling real ale.
I asked at one end of the bar, the price of a half pint of real ale, can't remember the name but it was only 4.1. The young lady behind the bar didn't know, but went to ask a colleague. She came back with £3.60, for a half pint!! But I had to have one so I could report. I had to go to the other end of the bar to order it and the price had gone up to £3.94. I queried the difference and was told that the other person had got it wrong. I told them that I would report it on web sites, but as he wasn't wasn't the manager, it seemed he didn't care. I did ask the manager and was told that there is a 12% service charge. What sevice? I went to the bar my self and got the drink. I will not be going in there again, but maybe they don't want real ale drinkers, just tourists who will pay over the odds.
On another note, I hope Meantime Brewery are getting a bigger payment for their ales.
And that is the end of my tale
Thank you for reading.

Arthurish

[Strongers]

Ouch.. I'll still have to visit if in the area, but maybe I'll ask for a shot of ale!

[aleandhearty]

She came back with £3.60, for a half pint!! But I had to have one so I could report. I had to go to the other end of the bar to order it and the price had gone up to £3.94.

You have to admire the psychology behind it: You can't believe you've paid £3.94 for a half and rapidly descend into a state of shock. You need another drink to calm your nerves and so you order another half. Now you feel cross with yourself for being so stupid as to order another, but to calm down you order one more. By now the anger has turned into acute depression and so you order yet another half to cheer yourself up. At this point the sensible voice inside your head says that drinking isn't really the answer and you'd better go home, but the ba$tard$ have still got £16 out of you, for two pints! :D

[gillhalfpint]

Thanks for the info - I will stick to Euston Tap next time in London. Thought I had been done paying £3.70 for 2 halves in Old Windsor last night. Your story tops the lot!

[trainman]

Blimey! I thought the Betjeman prices were borderline, but sound a snip in comparison.
I didn't know there was a Booking Office bar, but i certainly won't be seeking it out.

[RogerB]

The shortest review I ever did (on the Dark Side) was for the Orange Brewery in Pimlico after a visit about 18 months ago. It just said "£4 for a pint of Deuchars. Get Real". I wasn't going to waste my time doing any in depth analysis and advertising their pub when they are blatantly ripping everyone off and if one person read my review and decided not to go there then it was worth it. I note that one of our own visited the place 6 months later and they were selling Harveys (a stronger ale than Deuchars) at £3.75 so maybe the message got through to a certain degree.

[trainman]

The shortest review I ever did (on the Dark Side) was for the Orange Brewery in Pimlico after a visit about 18 months ago. It just said "£4 for a pint of Deuchars. Get Real".

Yes, a long time since they churned out decent quantities of SW1 & SW2, presumably brewed there(?) with 'Brewery' in the name - something which I note has now been dropped since it reinvented itself as a posh B&B&B (bar). Shame, as it is handily positioned for a sharpener before lunch at my fav restaurant over the road - La Poule au Pot (great specials choice at lunch, 3-course ~£22, house wine served in magnums (~£36, or less if you don't finish it). Shame, also, that the Orange felt the need to paint over the lovely wood of the curved entrance doors in some cream neutrality. I'd neuter the 'designers'!

[wazouki]

Last night myself and a friend were walking through St Pancras station when we decided to have a quick pint in the "Booking Office".. We ordered 2 pints and some honey roast peanuts - the nuts were disgusting - soft chewy blackened clusters for some reason drenched in chilli powder.. why?? - they were off - so we left them.. In my normal experience honey roast peanuts are usually delicious.. The special "Meantime" London Lager tasted as per any standard lager. Fifteen minutes later we called for the bill and it was over twenty pounds for two pints of beer and some nuts..

Lager was priced at £6.50 + VAT (£1.30) making a hefty £7.80 per pint.

The revolting peanuts were £5.00 + VAT (£1.00) making £6 for these very nasty items..

Total for two pints of beer and nuts £21.60...

I have to say I do occasionally go to fairly swish places like The Wolsley where things are fairly expensive and the food and drink really is amazingly good - but The Booking Office is just a stupidly expensive bar and if they can muck up a simple bowl of peanuts its astounding they are charging £7.80 a pint.. As we continued our journey we acknowledged we had just been well and truly "fleeced"..

Incidentally - at these prices you can see why they choose to omit VAT on their pricelist...