Liverpool Street Station may well be revamped pending confirmation this year. The new plans aim to make the busiest station in the UK more sustainable, including accessibility, preserving the Victorian railway sheds and creating a green landmark for the City (rooftop garden, net zero designs and so on).

All this could be good news for local businesses that are quieter on the weekend, as the city buzz softens when the commuters go home for the weekend. Once such is South Place Hotel. Snuck between the back of Liverpool Street Station and Moorgate’s massive M&S (useful if you forget your pyjamas), it’s a glamorous hotel with a lot to offer, part of D&D London, from the Conran-designed interiors, art-filled public spaces to the top-floor Secret Garden and Michelin-starred restaurant. 

I don’t have the patience - or the budget - for multi-course menus, preferring a standard one or two courses in a less formal setting. The hotel’s ground floor 3SP brasserie space is an appealing space to eat, whether it’s packed out on a weekday night or quieter (for now) for a weekend lunch. A wall of windows floods the space with light while richly-coloured modern art and banquette seating keeps it cosy in an upbeat, arty way. The old-school tunes suit the venue and the down to earth staff add to the relaxed atmosphere. 

Anyone who has seen the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp will know the famous spaghetti scene, where two dogs - Lady and Tramp - romantically share the same strand of spaghetti, culminating in a kiss - appreciate the romance of a humble bowl of pasta (for sheer cuteness, Google it). Perhaps that’s why the Valentine’s menu with sharing dishes includes a creamy spaghetti with cream, chives, chili and mussels, £32. I tried it out at the weekend and the pasta was freshly homemade. My sister, Maria, was with me but due to dietary restrictions she couldn’t share so I ate it all myself. She chose grilled skin-on butternut squash dotted with feta cubes and toasted pumpkin seeds, then crispy-skinned hake on a bed of potato purée, (buttery, of course) with luscious-looking Tenderstem broccoli.

The other main sharing dish is a plate of côte de boeuf steak (a large rib of beef) with charred edges and thinly sliced for sharing, £88. You could try sharing a piece along the lines of the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene, although it might get a bit messy. It came with two silky sauces - peppercorn and bernaise - hot, salty (a little too salty) French fries and buttery mash sprinkled with chives. Sharing starters also include lobster confit, £60, and chestnut mushroom gnocchi, £24; A heart of two halves dessert involving chocolate, rhubarb and orange mousse, £16.

Sated, we walked to Shoreditch for a look around the expensive candle shops and boutiques before getting the train back from Liverpool Street. Hopefully the new-look station will bring more diners to SP3’s doors.

Enjoy 20% off the Valentine’s Day menu at SP3 at South Place Hotel, available until 14-17 February 2024. Quote Love20 on booking online. The Naughty or Nice package is available from 10–18 February 2024, £80 per night on top of room rate; choose Naughty (includes Champagne and intimate toys) or Nice (includes Champagne and rose petals).