This was published 9 years ago
Six of the best: European railway station restaurants
The only problem at these top spots may be remembering you have a train to catch, writes Anthony Dennis.
SEARCYS ST PANCRAS GRAND, LONDON
From the tables inside this elegant upscale chain restaurant you can watch sleek Eurostar trains arriving from and departing for the Continent at St Pancras Grand, London, its massive vaulted glass ceiling suspended by a series of huge duck-egg blue arched girders. Opposite the 150-seat Parisian-style restaurant, which serves a range of classic British and Continental fish and meat dishes with contemporary touches, is the trackside Searcys Champagne Bar. It's separately located on the so-called Grand Terrace of the 19th-century St Pancras, reopened in 2007 after a nearly $1.9 billion restoration. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains range from $15 to $58. Prix fixe menus available. See www.searcys.co.uk.
TERMINUS NORD BRASSERIE, PARIS
The dazzling Le Train Bleu Restaurant.Credit: MATTES Ren / hemis.fr
Despite undergoing a multimillion-dollar upgrade due for completion in the northern summer, Paris' Eurostar terminal will always wither in comparison with St Pancras. And Gare du Nord's best restaurant is not inside the station but directly across the rue from it. Terminus Nord, which dates to 1925, stares straight back at the station's vast stone facade and forecourt in full view of its endless surge of domestic and international passengers. Inside this jaunty restaurant, distinguished by good service and surprisingly good traditional French fare, art nouveau and art deco influences compete to create a perfect ambience either before or after a train journey. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains range from $33 to $63. Prix fixe menus available. See www.terminusnord.com/en/.
GRAND CAFE RESTAURANT 1ST KLAS, AMSTERDAM
Once a pair of gorgeous first-class timber-clad waiting rooms on busy platform 2B, Grand Cafe Restaurant 1st Klas remains nearly as much a fixture at Amsterdam's elaborate main antique railway station as the myriad trains themselves. The cuisine, served under soaring ceilings and dark timber-clad panelled walls, is not really the point. It's the impossibly nostalgic decor and atmosphere which connive to create an experience worth building into your travel schedule. Don't miss Elvis, Grand Cafe Restaurant 1st Klas' long-standing resident cockatoo whose home occupies one end of the bar. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. See www.restaurant1eklas.nl.
LE TRAIN BLEU, PARIS
The quintessential European railway station brasserie, the Belle Epoque Le Train Bleu graces an upper floor of one end of Gare de Lyon. Gildings, carvings, mouldings, chandeliers and frescoes adorn the walls with more than two dozen French artists having worked on the florid interior over the years. Even if you can't quite afford to eat in the rather pricey main dining room, serving classical Continental fare such as roast leg of French lamb, served in slices with gratin Dauphinois or scallops à la plancha with Sault spelt and cep mushroom risotto with chestnut shavings, you can take an aperitif at one of two salons at the other end of the restaurant. Mains range from $53 to $70. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Prix fixe menus available. See www.le-train-bleu.com.
LE ROYAL CAFE, ANTWERP
Antwerp's landmark late 19th-century Grand Central Station, adjacent to the Belgian city's famed diamond district, is considered Europe's most beautiful railway building. Inside a cavernous marble-clad room with a giant ornate gilded 24-hour clock at one end (meaning there's no excuse for missing your train), there's an eclectic menu of affordable though uninspiring pan-Euro classics. There are far better restaurants in Antwerp but it's hard to imagine a more superior space. t Mains range from $26 to $36. Prix fixe menus available. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. See www.brasserieroyal.be.
RESTAURANT LAZARE, PARIS
One of the six grand railway terminals of Paris, Gare Saint-Lazare is home to the eponymous restaurant of Eric Frechon, one of France's most celebrated Michelin-starred chefs. Restaurant Lazare, which opened following a major renovation of the station, is more or less the contemporary equivalent of Le Train Bleu. Black, white and grey tiled floors are complemented by a central copper-topped bar around which is the congenial light-filled dining room. Choose from a variety of brasserie classics or make it easier for yourself, and your pocket, by opting for one of the prix fixe menus. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mains range from $29 to $59. Prix fixe menus available. See www.lazare-paris.fr.
Anthony Dennis visited all of the restaurants at his own expense. He travelled in Europe as a guest of Railbookers Australia (railbookers.com) and Qantas (qantas.com).
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