How to get access

I always get asked about Eurostar lounge access, and can you get Eurostar lounge access with Priority Pass? Basically, there’s two ways to get into the lounge:

• You’re travelling on a Business Premier Ticket
• You flash an American Express Platinum Charge card

There’s 3 types of tickets on Eurostar trains: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. Only a Business Premier ticket will get you access.

An AMEX Platinum charge card will get 1 person into the lounge, but no guests. If your partner has a supplementary card, then they’ll also get access. In the UK, AMEX don’t charge for a supplementary card, but there is a charge in other countries (like the US).

I visited the lounge with my wife and daughter. I used my AMEX Platinum card, and my wife used her supplementary card. They let my daughter in, although they didn’t have to. I’ve never had a problem, but I’ve heard reports of kids being turned away at busy times.

And what about Eurostar lounge access with Priority Pass? The answer is sadly not. Your Priority Pass won’t get you access here.

What I liked

• Classy space. Well designed
• Lots of seating
• Beautiful cocktail bar upstairs
• Good coffee and a wide range of teas

What could be improved

• No hot food. Limited Buffet

Background to the Eurostar

There may be some non-European readers that are unfamiliar with the Eurostar. So lets fix that! Eurostar trains connect London to many destinations in northern Europe. Destinations include Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Disneyland Paris.

The train travels through a tunnel underneath the English Channel, which separates England and France.

Locals know that it’s the best way to travel and better than taking a plane!

• The train stations are in the city centre, saving travel to the airport
• No luggage restrictions
• You can arrive 30 minutes before your train departs
• Sitting on a train is more pleasant than being on a plane

The space

The Eurostar lounge St Pancras is a long narrow space, located over 2 floors. The space includes

• Cold buffet
• Tea and coffee
• Self service alcohol
• Lots of seating
• Magazines
• Manned bar on 1st floor

The design is really classy. Think exposed brickwork, wooden floors and leather seats - I liked it! The seating mainly consists of low chairs, with small side tables. The upstairs is a lot quieter, but there wasn’t any food while I was there.

There’s a couple of things that stood out for me. The 1st is that the lounge is very narrow, maybe 10 foot wide. You can get an idea by taking a look at the photos in the slideshow.

The 2nd thing to note is that there’s a beautiful cocktail bar on the 1st floor. In the evenings, they have a mixologist to serve cocktails. 

The food

The food was the most disappointing aspect of the lounge. There was a small breakfast spread on the ground floor:

• Pastries
• Bread
• Cereal
• Apples and bananas
• And that's about it..

There’s no way of sugar-coating this – it’s not good. Don’t expect to eat a meal at this lounge! I had some bread and a pastry.

I’m the 1st to complain about disappointing food at airline lounges! You’ll see this in my reviews of The Lounge Dublin Airport, ANA Lounge Lisbon and the Escape Lounge Tunis. But the difference between those lounges and the Eurostar Lounge St Pancras, is those other lounges are bad anyway! The Eurostar Lounge is good in every way, apart from the food. I really think that all lounges should provide a hot meal. A key selling point is that I can sit in a lounge with my family and avoid having to spend $100 in the terminal.

The drinks

The drinks selection is very impressive. It was breakfast time, so I had an Americano, which was good. There’s also a wide range of teas and juices. Some of the juices were fresh and the tea was high quality. I appreciate this, as British lounges often stock Twinings tea - which tastes like crap in my view!

The alcohol selection was very good too. There’s a wide range of craft beers and wines to choose from. On the 1st floor, there’s also a manned cocktail bar.

Conclusion

This lounge is infuriating for me. It’s a beautiful and classy designed space, but with barely any food. This lounge is a great place to have a coffee and a snack before your train leaves.

Eurostar have a network of lounges, including the one at Gare Du Nord, in Paris. The cocktail bar belongs in a James Bond Film! It’s that cool! That reason alone is enough to love the lounge. As with the St Pancras Lounge, don’t expect to be fed well!

When you travel with Eurostar, there are three classes of service. Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier. Standard Premier has the same seat as Business, and a free meal. The price is often similar to Standard. View my recent trip report here.

For me, Eurostar is the best way to travel from London to Paris. For other destinations in Europe, I prefer to fly. I recently flew in British Airways Business Class from London to Amsterdam. I was impressed! The food, drinks and service were all 1st rate. Champagne was free flowing.