{"id":84,"date":"2013-01-16T20:53:42","date_gmt":"2013-01-16T20:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/?p=84"},"modified":"2015-10-28T15:16:12","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T15:16:12","slug":"railway-station-coffee-shops-bars-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/01\/railway-station-coffee-shops-bars-character\/","title":{"rendered":"Railway Station Coffee Shops and Bars with Character"},"content":{"rendered":"

Railway stations vary greatly in functionality, aesthestics, and appeal; such characteristics can be exaggerated on a cold, wind-swept day and even more so, when you arrive either too early to catch a train, or the train is delayed.  If you’re like me, the first objective will be to find a decent coffee bar\/cafe\/bar (whatever your persuasion!) and pass the time away, hopefully with something to read.<\/p>\n

Recently, I have begun to take note of train stations that have an unusual coffee shop or bar; this has been partly stimulated by the TV programmes on railway journeys that appear periodically (e.g. Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys, accompanied by his Bradshaw Guide).  So, I thought it would be interesting to try and find out just where the best examples of train station hospitality can be found, in distinctive settings.   <\/p>\n

Last week, I visited York Railway Station and was intrigued to find two interesting candidates: the York Tap<\/strong> (adjacent to The Royal York Hotel) and the Costa Coffee<\/strong> (unusually perched atop a WH Smith outlet, but accessed directly from the footbridge).<\/p>\n

\"Costa<\/a>
The old signal box now topped with coffee!
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both can easily be found on the station entrance main platform. Whilst you might venture that Costa shops have a characteristic brand\/design – you certainly can not say that about the charming and unusual York train station location; not only that, but where else could you sit at your table and look, from an elevated position, directly down to the tracks and passing trains?<\/p>\n

Great stuff, you might say – if you happen to be a railway enthusiast (like me) but nothing special if you’re simply travelling from A to B! Well, my wife found the place fascinating: a cosy atmosphere inside, plenty of interesting passenger activity, amidst a design something surely akin to an old signalbox (you would think) – and you would be right; because Costa happens to occupy York Station’s old signal box, now restored (without the paraphenalia!).<\/p>\n

\"York<\/a>
Platform view of York Tap, atmospheric and winner of Cask Beer award.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And what of the hostelry, York Tap?  Well, with bags of character, you’ll be reassured to know that the York Tap has been named Best Cask Beer Pub in the Great British Pub Awards 2012.<\/p>\n

Both places are well worth a detour, should you be nearby or passing through.<\/p>\n

Two others that also spring to mind are The Refreshment Room<\/strong>, at Carnforth Station, and the Central Bar<\/strong>, at Glasgow Central Station. The Refreshment Room will be recognised by film enthusiasts as the chance encounter, meeting place  – in the 1945 David Lean film \u201cBrief Encounter\u201d that starred Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson.<\/p>\n

\"Picture
Carnforth Station refreshment rooms – setting for the film \u201cBrief Encounter\u201d.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nCarnforth offers a real step back-in-time and adjoins the heritage visitor centre in the station – well worth a visit.<\/p>\n

The Central Bar, in Glasgow, is located on the top floor of an Edwardian-era former booking office and train information building that now serves as a retail island in the main concourse (including Boots and M&S).  Carnforth offers a real step back-in-time and adjoins the heritage visitor centre in the station – well worth a visit.  The Central Bar, in Glasgow, is located on the top floor.  It provides a useful vantage point to observe the tide of commuters ebbing and flowing as they arrive and depart.<\/p>\n

\"Picture<\/a>
Glasgow Central’s stylish Central Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These are just four examples of coffee shops and bars with varying degrees of charm or character. I would be interested to know if anyone has any gems that they would like to share.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Railway stations vary greatly in functionality, aesthestics, and appeal; such characteristics can be exaggerated on a cold, wind-swept day and even more so, when you arrive either too early to catch a train, or the train is delayed.  If you’re like me, the first objective will be to find a decent coffee bar\/cafe\/bar (whatever your persuasion!) and pass the … Continue reading “Railway Station Coffee Shops and Bars with Character”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[25,24,26,12,27],"class_list":["post-84","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-railways","tag-bar","tag-cafe","tag-heritage","tag-railway-station","tag-trains"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p348Ii-1m","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":332,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/10\/liverpool-edge-hill-station-making-railway-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":0},"title":"Liverpool Edge Hill Station making Railway History","author":"David George","date":"22\/10\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Railways, as we understand them, have been around for the best part of two centuries. The world's first \u201cmodern\u201d railway system was engineered by George Stephenson and used flange wheeled, self-propelled [steam] trains operating on nowadays traditional railway tracks. The railway connected the industrial cities of Liverpool and Manchester and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Engineering"","block_context":{"text":"Engineering","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/engineering\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"0-8-0 hauled freight train from Wapping Goods station","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/crown_str_mdelamar7-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":373,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/06\/la-petite-ceinture-de-paris\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":1},"title":"La Petite Ceinture de Paris","author":"David George","date":"24\/06\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In October 2013, the BBC presented a feature on walking the line of the Paris Petite Ceinture (\u201cLittle Belt\u201d), a historical but now defunct railway route skirting the edge of the city centre.\u00a0 The feature, on its News Magazine Web site, was titled \u201cThe wild abandoned railway in the centre\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Railways"","block_context":{"text":"Railways","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/railways\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/petite_peinture.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/petite_peinture.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/petite_peinture.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/petite_peinture.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":241,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/01\/live-sbb-trains-map-swiss-railway-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":2},"title":"Live SBB Trains Map – Swiss Railway System","author":"David George","date":"24\/01\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The Swiss Railway (SBB) system is one of the most intensive in the world and it used to be possible to view a\u00a0real-time Live Trains Map of the SBB, complete with train identification and train search functionality? \u00a0Unfortunately, as you will by now have found, it longer seems to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Computing"","block_context":{"text":"Computing","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/computing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Swiss Live Trains map","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swiss-live-trains-map-1024x664.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swiss-live-trains-map-1024x664.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/swiss-live-trains-map-1024x664.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/01\/webtrain-savvy-invitation\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":3},"title":"A WebTrain Savvy Invitation","author":"David George","date":"11\/01\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome - I extend an invitation to you to join in the WebTrain Savvy railway blog: a new place to talk about what is important to people - in the world of the Web\u00a0and the world of Trains (especially anything remotely train related).\u00a0 The blog also forms part of my\u00a0\"TheWebTrain\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":227,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2013\/02\/the-worlds-fastest-railway-locomotive\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":4},"title":"The World’s fastest Railway Locomotive","author":"David George","date":"01\/02\/2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Railway history has demonstrated the corporate fascination with speed and the development of high-speed networks across Europe, including the proposed HS2 addition to HS1 in Britain, illustrate a prevailing theme. One interesting question - which is the world's fastest railway locomotive? Some will consider the general subject of trains and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Railways"","block_context":{"text":"Railways","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/railways\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vmax357","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/cropped-cropped-Vmax357_1216_050-521-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":416,"url":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/2015\/10\/hs2-george-osborne-urges-china-to-pitch-for-11-8bn-contracts-bbc-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":84,"position":5},"title":"HS2 rail line, China and \u00a311.8bn contracts","author":"David George","date":"16\/10\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"24 September, 2015:\u00a0 BBC News reported on George Osborne\u2019s recent visit to China, where\u00a0 he urged Chinese firms to pitch for \u00a311.8bn in construction contracts for the UK's proposed HS2 rail line. \u00a0On the same day, The Guardian reported that Osborne intends to invite competition for bids at an event\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Engineering"","block_context":{"text":"Engineering","link":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/category\/engineering\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hi speed train","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/hispeedtrain.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/hispeedtrain.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/hispeedtrain.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/hispeedtrain.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":67,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions\/501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewebtrain.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}