The Betjeman Arms offers a thoroughly modern gastro experience under the vast skylights of St Pancras.

The Venue
At first glance, The Betjeman Arms appears to be just one of the many chains that flanks the St Pancras platforms, but take a closer look and you'll notice that it’s actually surprisingly inviting.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to escape the fact that you're in a pub located in the belly of an international train station, and the pallet of colours splashed through the place only heightens this fact. Restraint and faux tradition seem to have been in the designers mind - surely the wrong way to go about trying to add personality to a place that lacks the zing of tradition? It's a typical gastro affair: chalkboards, polished granite bars, and chunky wood fills the place. The seating is comfortable and ever so slightly formal. It’s a surprisingly large pub, although the layout makes the multiple drinking areas feel a bit like a series of corridors that you simply pass through whilst looking for the main room utopia.

The Atmosphere
The friendly, knowledgeable staff at The Betjeman Arms will satisfy inquisitive customers. There are also positives to be had at being inside this international hub; the arrivals and departures create a mixed bunch that helps to give this place a definite sense of personality, lacking in the decor. A lot of the social hubbub goes on in the toilets, where men and women are as one. Each visit will provide a comment from somebody about the strange nature of the facilities, which is a definite icebreaker - just make sure everybody sees you wash your hands!

The Food
The food at The Betjeman Arms won't tempt people from far and wide, but it will attract the frequent traveller to return. The oysters are excellent and served with imagination. Ice and seaweed make the experience all the more decadent. Sausage and mash is an easy dish to get right, but to stand out from the crowd takes more guile and The Betjeman Arms succeeds. The caramelised red onion brings sweet to salt, and the clash is to be appreciated. One look at the menu will tell you that the Betjeman Arms wants the gastro title that is so au courant.

The Drink
The Betjeman Arms serves up an excellent mixture of commercial beers, and throws in a Belgian curveball to mix up the norm. The bold Duvel is stocked along side its label mate, Vedett. A light, crisp, extra blonde, and a weaker tipple at 5.5% than the powerful 8.5% Duvel.

The house red is good enough to be remembered, and is a generous choice for a bottle usually so unthinkingly delegated to the heathens that go 'house'.

The Last Word
Sample the beers, wander the bar and soak up the feel of the international St Pancras - there is a lot of living going on around The Betjeman Arms. Despite its shortcomings, this pub is easy to enjoy - like the trains, it's going places.

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