It seems readers love sniffing out decent cafes and restaurants on their travels. In this roundup they pick (nibble and scoff) some of their favourites from around the UK and Europe. And if you think they’ve missed a gem, add it to this (almost) moveable feast in the comments below.
Białowieża, Poland, by Tomasz Ronda
You should check our Restauracja Carska (in Białowieża), in the far east of Poland, by the border with Belarus, and one of the most beautiful national parks in Europe. The restaurant is in an old railway station built in 1903 for Tsar Nicholas II.
• carska.pl
Glenfinnan, Scotland, by Vernon
You completely forgot to put in the number one station restaurant: Glenfinnan Station Museum Dining Car in Lochaber, near the end of the West Highland Line. It’s after one of Scotland’s most beautiful viaducts, which stretches over the long narrow expanse of Loch Shiel.
• glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk
Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland, by Irefuteitthus
For those prepared to travel to the very end of the line, I’d recommend the Waterside Seafood Restaurant in Kyle of Lochalsh, in the north-west of Scotland.
• watersideseafoodrestaurant.co.uk
Kutno, Poland, by StellaBK
By far the best dining experience I’ve ever encountered at a railway station is the milk bar at Kutno station on the Berlin-Warsaw mainline in central Poland (Kutno is typically the stop before Warsaw Central). You could get anything from a cup of tea to a complete meal: pork cutlet, potatoes, pickles, and the food was cheap, fast and tasty.
Agen, France, by Coach Taylor
I’d recommend La Grand Brasserie at Agen station if anyone is heading down to south-west France. Really excellent food, packed full of locals, plus the excitement of TGV trains sliding past the window for the nerds among us.
• Facebook.com/LGBagen
Brno, Czech Republic, and Helsinki Lynn Bradshaw
What about Brno station restaurant? Lovely decor and silver service the last time I was there. Or, Helsinki station restaurant and its early-20th century decor.
Basel, Switzerland, by malgreen
The brasserie in Basel is not only a nice comfortable bar and restaurant but offers a wonderful art installation by Dieter Roth and son Björn, together with Dominik Steiger and André Thomkins, and maybe one or two others. Good food, great art. Oommph added: I’d not disagree with that, it is Basel SBB [station] I think (not the other one, Bad).
• sbb.ch
Pickering, England, by oddball99
Something different: Pickering station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Basic food, cheap, well presented and lots of it. Friendly staff (I think they may be volunteers) and steam engines to boot. Great experience although not a mainline station. Fantastic day out and, if you want, a steam train to Whitby and back.
• nymr.co.uk
Spean Bridge, Scotland, by SubscriberXYZ
For station restaurants, I recommend the one at Spean Bridge in the Highlands. But not if you’re waiting for a train, because it would spoil your appetite for the experience of haggis and neeps as you cross Rannoch Moor in the gloaming on the sleeper (just try and forget that in the morning you’ll be waking up in London Euston).
• oldstationrestaurant.co.uk
Auvergne, France, by anorak
Gare de Saint-Germain-des-Fossés, in the Auvergne. An hour between trains and one of the best omelettes I’ve ever eaten, in the grandest of surroundings.
