It’s a grand old station Bristol Temple Meads, even if Brunel’s original station (until recently known as the Passenger Shed, now simply called Brunel’s Old Station) no longer has trains passing through it but rather people attending exhibitions, conferences and work Christmas parties.

Even if much of the new station is functional, it still has many striking parts to it, not least the main facade. Inside, to the left of the ticket barriers, is another striking building, now the cafe and bar Bonaparte’s. I am guessing that it used to be a first class waiting room (does anybody know if this is true?). Now it is open to everybody and is a pleasant enough place to wait for your train to pull in, so long as you can get through the huge double-width door, surely the widest front door in Bristol.

Inside, the clock above this door is stopped at 6.56, i.e. 1856, the year the station was opened. Just make sure that you’re not looking at this clock to catch your train.

Food is served from 7am to 8pm. There are cans of Carling and Strongbow to take away, while draught beers include Worthington, Grolsch and Coors Light.

There is also a WHSmith concessions stand selling magazines and newspapers for passengers who have missed the shop on the other side of the barriers. Personally, I like to read books on trains. Nobody ever says they read The Times from July 28, 2010 in its entirity.

For a place to sit down inside a train station, Bonaparte’s is far from bad. But like much of its surroundings, it is functional rather than anything special.

Boanaparte’s, Bristol Temple Meads. 0117 925 5378.