Eurostar Plus is becoming worse

[lokiavivson]

I have had this problem too and am glad to see it mentioned! The draw for me is the solo seat.

Does anyone know which carriages they convert to Premier first? That way, one could try to book a seat in a Plus coach that is less likely/not going to be reclassified.

(For what it's worth, sometimes I get a 'your seat has changed' email and my seat has really changed, which I assume is due to the change in class from Plus to Premier. But on other occasions I get a little slip out of the machine at St Pancras saying 'your seat has changed' and it hasn't.)

On an e320, Coach(es) 1 and/or 16 will be Premier.
On an e300, Coach(es) 7 and/or 12 will be Premier.
Sometimes it can be other coaches (e.g. Premier in Coaches 1 and 2 or 15 and 16 on an e320).

 

[Birkonian]

I'm waiting at Brussels. This is today's menu. Looks like I won't be eating. Why can't they offer a simple sandwich?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I will be travelling from London to Amsterdam soon

I'm waiting at Brussels. This is today's menu. Looks like I won't be eating. Why can't they offer a simple sandwich?

Yes I saw that, one of the reasons why I’m going Standard this time round.

 

[sh24]

I'm waiting at Brussels. This is today's menu. Looks like I won't be eating. Why can't they offer a simple sandwich?

By contrast, I really like their main course offer as it's tasty and imaginative. So much nicer than a boring, carb heavy sandwich. Difficult to please everyone.

 

[Trainbike46]

I'm waiting at Brussels. This is today's menu. Looks like I won't be eating. Why can't they offer a simple sandwich?

What's wrong with that?

If you have a dietary requirement, I would recommend selecting a meal on their website (which unfortunately has to be done more than 48h before departure). That's what I did, when I had a standard plus upgrade.

 

[MattSGB]

What's wrong with that?

If you have a dietary requirement, I would recommend selecting a meal on their website (which unfortunately has to be done more than 48h before departure). That's what I did, when I had a standard plus upgrade.

I find that the main course usually tastes quite good. Unfortunately it is served very cold and is the size of a typical starter. The "desert" tiny bar of green and blacks is an insult and has been on every recent trip that I made. Before that they used to have a real desert.

Be wary of declaring any requirement other than vegetarian. People with any more complicated requirement get a dish that meets all the other requirements - so meat free, lactose free, gluten free etc, all in one. I am told that the Panna cotta alergy-free desert is inedible - why attempt to make a lactose-free milk-based desert?

 

[Trainbike46]

Be wary of declaring any requirement other than vegetarian.

Necessary for those who are vegan, or have an allergy or intolerance though!

People with any more complicated requirement get a dish that meets all the other requirements - so meat free, lactose free, gluten free etc, all in one. I am told that the Panna cotta alergy-free desert is inedible - why attempt to make a lactose-free milk-based desert?

I have only experienced the gluten-free vegan breakfast, which certainly wasn't suitable for all allergies as it was nut based.

I enjoyed it, but I personally wouldn't pay more than about a fiver over standard class for plus.

 

[popeter45]

the anoying thing is you dont know what the other selection meal menus actually are
is a real lottery when i travel cause of my fish+shellfish alergy, such that even the smell of fish from everybody else eating it makes me feel ill from association

 

[williamn]

I'm waiting at Brussels. This is today's menu. Looks like I won't be eating. Why can't they offer a simple sandwich?

Sounds quite nice to me, notwithstanding the likely microscopic size.

 

[37201xoIM]

If you have a dietary requirement, I would recommend selecting a meal on their website (which unfortunately has to be done more than 48h before departure). That's what I did, when I had a standard plus upgrade.

I could try declaring my requirement than I might be hungry.

 

[williamn]

Today’s meagre offering. ‘Dessert’ is a single tiny cookie the size of my thumb. Luckily I brought some nice patisserie with me. A couple of others in my carriage have just brought their own lunch with them.

On this occasion Plus was only marginally more than standard, so worth it, but the service is a shadow of its former self.

 

[Birkonian]

Last week I ordered the chicken, which was the meal listed on the website. The staff member told me, quite sniffing, that it wasn't chicken abd I'd loked at the wrong menu.
The options were salmon salad or courgette and fennel salad, neither of which were even slightly attractive to me. I merely ate rhe bread roll and microscopic sized chocolate cookie.
Surely they could offer a sandwich, sausage roll etc. instead of endless salads?
The staff member did return later to apologise, saying that the menus on the website hadn't been updated.

 

[sh24]

Last week I ordered the chicken, which was the meal listed on the website. The staff member told me, quite sniffing, that it wasn't chicken abd I'd loked at the wrong menu.
The options were salmon salad or courgette and fennel salad, neither of which were even slightly attractive to me. I merely ate rhe bread roll and microscopic sized chocolate cookie.
Surely they could offer a sandwich, sausage roll etc. instead of endless salads?
The staff member did return later to apologise, saying that the menus on the website hadn't been updated.

It's personal taste, but I would take either of those menu options over a sandwich or sausage roll. Tastier and healthier!

 

[styles]

Today’s meagre offering. ‘Dessert’ is a single tiny cookie the size of my thumb. Luckily I brought some nice patisserie with me. A couple of others in my carriage have just brought their own lunch with them.

On this occasion Plus was only marginally more than standard, so worth it, but the service is a shadow of its former self.

Looks pretty nice to me?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

It's personal taste, but I would take either of those menu options over a sandwich or sausage roll. Tastier and healthier!

Ditto. I've had the salmon and it's great.

 

[jon81uk]

Today’s meagre offering. ‘Dessert’ is a single tiny cookie the size of my thumb. Luckily I brought some nice patisserie with me. A couple of others in my carriage have just brought their own lunch with them.

On this occasion Plus was only marginally more than standard, so worth it, but the service is a shadow of its former self.

Its not even a cookie, just a chocolate truffle with cookie bits inside https://montybojangles.com/products/cookie-moon

A chocolate truffle is an after dinner snack, not a dessert!

 

[Bletchleyite]

That looks nice. What is it, some sort of rice pudding? I assume it isn't the main course given that it has strawberries on it?

I do think there should be a sandwich option though, some people don't really go for that sort of posh stuff. Or at least a Ploughman's or similar. I guess they are trying to look posh while sticking to cold meals and low cost.

 

[jon81uk]

That looks nice. What is it, some sort of rice pudding? I assume it isn't the main course given that it has strawberries on it?

I do think there should be a sandwich option though, some people don't really go for that sort of posh stuff. Or at least a Ploughman's or similar. I guess they are trying to look posh while sticking to cold meals and low cost.

It is a salad, it is the main dish "Balsamic English strawberry, goat's cheese and pecan salad bowl, mustard and celery pearl barley, rocket" from https://cdn.sanity.io/files/1wyn2xo2/cms-production/1ab52380260ad83493a7f1dc36607c16a9fe9222.pdf

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is a salad, it is the main dish "Balsamic English strawberry, goat's cheese and pecan salad bowl, mustard and celery pearl barley, rocket" from https://cdn.sanity.io/files/1wyn2xo2/cms-production/1ab52380260ad83493a7f1dc36607c16a9fe9222.pdf

That's a slightly weird combination but I can see it tasting nice. I wish they'd use rice instead of pearl barley though, the taste is very similar but with the latter you exclude coeliacs.

 

[Starmill]

Here's a photo taken today of a Club Europe meal from British Airways catered from London Heathrow. It's very similar to what Eurostar Plus used to be like. The portions are only slightly larger, but the dessert on Eurostar is far poorer. The savoury elements look very comparable. Wine was offered also.

Prices at the lower and middle levels in Club Europe are similar to Eurostar Plus, but Club Europe usually goes much higher in proportion. This is the same pattern as Euro Traveller and Eurostar Standard. Journey times are very similar, so it depends on whether central London or London Heathrow is more or less convenient for you to get to and from. Personal space is much better on Eurostar in both classes, but Club Europe comes with a lounge, Eurostar Plus doesn't.

tl;dr the Eurostar meal is comparable if an improved dessert is offered, but this no longer seems to be the case.

 

[williamn]

Here's a photo taken today of a Club Europe meal from British Airways catered from London Heathrow. It's very similar to what Eurostar Plus used to be like. The portions are only slightly larger, but the dessert on Eurostar is far poorer. The savoury elements look very comparable. Wine was offered also.

Prices at the lower and middle levels in Club Europe are similar to Eurostar Plus, but Club Europe usually goes much higher in proportion. This is the same pattern as Euro Traveller and Eurostar Standard. Journey times are very similar, so it depends on whether central London or London Heathrow is more or less convenient for you to get to and from. Personal space is much better on Eurostar in both classes, but Club Europe comes with a lounge, Eurostar Plus doesn't.

tl;dr the Eurostar meal is comparable if an improved dessert is offered, but this no longer seems to be the case.

What’s in the bowl? Second dessert?

If I remember correctly I think Eurostar Plus used to offer a hot meal and a starter if sone description too. Service also felt like it lasted the entire journey rather than the current set up which is to serve food immediately on departure and then disappear.

 

[RT4038]

What’s in the bowl? Second dessert?

If I remember correctly I think Eurostar Plus used to offer a hot meal and a starter if sone description too. Service also felt like it lasted the entire journey rather than the current set up which is to serve food immediately on departure and then disappear.

If you want to do a bit of work on the journey, the current set up is much better.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

On the whole, people aren't travelling to eat. There are land-based restaurants for that!

But it would be great if Eurostar could find a way to keep the seats in 'Plus' clean, especially the beige coloured ones which do seem to show the various stains that build up in service to perfection! Especially as, once the catering in 'Plus' is axed (presumably this must be the plan?), the differentiators will end up being space, calm (a bit...) and cleanliness...

 

[jon81uk]

If I remember correctly I think Eurostar Plus used to offer a hot meal and a starter if sone description too. Service also felt like it lasted the entire journey rather than the current set up which is to serve food immediately on departure and then disappear.

I think the full hot meal has been for the Eurostar premium business class for a long time, a quick search shows it changed from "Leisure Select" to Standard Premier in 2010 and that's when they removed hot meals. So been the "light meal" for at least fifteen years, the recent issue now its plus, is the full cake type dessert is now just a single chocolate truffle so its gone from a light meal to a snack really.

 

[williamn]

On the whole, people aren't travelling to eat. There are land-based restaurants for that!

But it would be great if Eurostar could find a way to keep the seats in 'Plus' clean, especially the beige coloured ones which do seem to show the various stains that build up in service to perfection! Especially as, once the catering in 'Plus' is axed (presumably this must be the plan?), the differentiators will end up being space, calm (a bit...) and cleanliness...

I think the meal is a big part of the ‘sell’ to Plus. Look at LNER and Avanti first class and the vast majority of people are eating the food offering.

If you want to do a bit of work on the journey, the current set up is much better.

If you want to work you can always decline food/ service? I suspect a lot of Plus travellers are leisure ones. Eurostars non existent wifi makes any meaningful online work impossible anyway.

I’d imagine the food will eventually be axed, though it’ll be interesting to see what Virgin and possibly others offer in the future.

 

[brooklynbound]

My Standard Premier desert last week was described as a "sweet treat". It was a piece of horribly sweet milk chocolate.

 

[jon81uk]

I think the meal is a big part of the ‘sell’ to Plus. Look at LNER and Avanti first class and the vast majority of people are eating the food offering.

Although Avanti also added Standard premium with the larger seats but no catering. This is similar to what Eurostar did back in 2010 when they first made changes from Leisure Select down to Standard Premier, they differentiated from business class (now premier) with a hot meal and full drink service comparted to standard premier (now plus) with a small cold meal and basic wine.
Eurostar are continuing to shrink the catering by removing dessert from plus but the seat is still the same as the premier one, similar to Avanti having premium with the seat and no catering or first with the same seat but food and drink offered.

 

[riceuten]

I suspect eventually the catering in Standard Plus will disappear eventually, perhaps being replaced by a £5/€5 voucher for the buffet car. In all the years the internet has existed, there have been (justified) complaints that catering on planes and trains has diminished in size and value - it's low hanging fruit for the beancounters obsessed with the bottom line.

Soon to come - charges for specific seat reservations and seat changes. More stringent Luggage size restrictions. Charges for Wifi.

 

[STINT47]

Many years ago this was the tray that was presented to me in Leisure Select. They then came round with two hot meal options,and a plate was placed in the centre of the tray, , had the chicken.

They also sometimes served champaign as you boarded and came round with a wet towel after the meal.

Eurostar is not what it used to be.

 

[Starmill]

I suspect eventually the catering in Standard Plus will disappear eventually, perhaps being replaced by a £5/€5 voucher for the buffet car. In all the years the internet has existed, there have been (justified) complaints that catering on planes and trains has diminished in size and value - it's low hanging fruit for the beancounters obsessed with the bottom line.

Soon to come - charges for specific seat reservations and seat changes. More stringent Luggage size restrictions. Charges for Wifi.

Charges for WiFi have been slowly but surely being abandoned for years now. It's a shame really because it generally means the WiFi is unusable because it's so slow.

 

[rvdborgt]

Charges for WiFi have been slowly but surely being abandoned for years now. It's a shame really because it generally means the WiFi is unusable because it's so slow.

I'm not sure what the problem is though. The wifi on the continental routes is quite usable.