Hamilton Hall (JD Wetherspoon), EC2

Official site of Hamilton Hall (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

No, not named after an assumed American Country & Western singer but Lord Claud Hamilton, mastermind behind Liverpool Street station. Well described below, this Grade II-listed edifice was originally where the former hotel’s balls were held, delivered in a French-inspired Rococo style that would undeniably appeal to Napoleon. Or Donald Trump. It’s incontestably striking, though the customers are resolutely old-school ‘spoons, especially the tattooed apes outside. I’d had no intention whatsoever of visiting the gaff, but was desperate for the rehydration offered by a softie yesterday at 8.40pm, two 330ml cans of Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa coming in at £3.18, a most refreshing beverage at such a humid time. See it for the ceiling.

Official site of Hamilton Hall (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Once inside this is an absolutely stunning Spoons. Not a massive amount of seating inside but it's next to the station location makes it a good option whilst waiting for a train. However staff are rude and drinks a lot more expensive to what I'm used to up north. Shame as this grand building could be a great Spoons.

Impressive setting for a ‘spoons in the upper part of the station as already described. The semi circular counter sits under a mezzanine floor, there’s a main room plus the upstairs and a separate front room to the side, there’s also some outside seating. It took me a minute to discover you go outside the station to get into the pub. Two banks of five pumps serve the unholy trinity on one side with more interesting beers on the remainder. I had breakfast here while waiting for a train and it wasn’t the best, thankfully the beer was good afterwards as it should be in a GBG listed pub. London ‘spoons pricing of £3.69 per pint.

As station bars go, this one is a darned sight better than most. The vintage hotel ballroom has now been converted into a large eating and drinking space, which is exactly what you would expect of a 'spoons. As described by previous reviewers, the decor is incredibly ornate, with its sky blue and gold colour scheme reminiscent of the Russian czars' summer palaces. The usual mix of furnishings are here, with those on the upper mezanine floor seemingly more comfortable than those occupied by the hoi poloi on the ground floor. The prices here are more expensive than those at most London 'spoons, although of course not so in comparison with London prices generally. I did'nt buy the round here so can't comment on beer prices, but the traditional breakfast that is £3.19 in my local 'spoons was £4.59 here. Nonetheless, this one is certainly worth visiting. I don't think they have a quiet time here, but our visit at a slightly less busy time before noon on a weekday allowed us the luxury of being able to have a look round.