Pullman Dining Car First Great Western

This is Britain’s best kept secret. Great grub and wine made even better by the fantastic service from Diane, Marc and Vicki. Magic.

This time last year I enjoyed lunch on the Golden Hind which is Great Western Railway 's flagship inter-city train service between London and Plymouth, and I didn 't think that the experience of tucking into a four-course meal with wine whilst the verdant countryside of Somerset and Devon whizzed past the picture window at 100mph could be improved upon in any way. Earlier this evening I was travelling by rail from Portsmouth to Swansea via Reading. In spite of the fact that GWR 's journey planner made no reference whatsoever to a Pullman Restaurant on the Red Dragon train from Paddington to Carmarthen, and the station announcements at Reading made no mention of one either, there were indeed catering facilities tucked away in the rearmost First Class carriage of this ten-coach Hitachi InterCity Express train. The Pullman Dining crew welcomed me on board with open arms, carrying my heavy holdall and stowing it away between the seat backs, before finding me a table for one and taking my dinner order. Which was pretty good considering that I was travelling on a Railcard-discounted Standard APEX ticket! I opted for the Ham Hock Terrine (GBP 6:00) as the Starter, Chicken Breast with Sage Stuffing (GBP 27:50) as the Main Course, Chocolate Torte with Black Cherries in Kirsch (GBP 6:00) as the Desert and a tasty GBP 6:00 Welsh Cheeseboard with Pear Chutney (plus a glass of Port for a very reasonable GBP 5:50) for Afters. Chilled mineral water and hot coffee were complimentary and unlimited. I cannot fault the attentive service offered by Vikki, my Waitress, whilst the Chicken Breast on a bed of Braised Artichoke was cooked to perfection by a Chef working under pressure in a cramped galley. It 's such a shame that nine of the eighteen seats in the Restaurant Car remained empty throughout the near three hour journey to Swansea/Abertawe. The half-bottle of Claret which went so well with three out of my four courses was a snip at GBP 15 whilst the only thing missing from a wine list which would not have disgraced the dining room of a top London Gentleman 's Club was either a fine Sauternes or an elegant Barsac to go with my Chocolate Torte. Pullman Dining (along with the Night Riviera Sleeper train) is one of the two jewels in Great Western Railway 's increasingly tarnished crown and it 's a shame that it 's not offered on other services, such as the Cathedrals Express from London to Worcester and Hereford via Oxford. Although I hesitate to give out what should be confidential information, for anyone travelling on a Standard (Class) ticket, it 's a ridiculously cheap way of getting a First Class upgrade at peak travel times on journeys between south Devon/South Wales and London!

As ever, a fantastic experience from Diane and Marc. How are they always just so... wonderful?! The food is lovely and oh my goodness the steak!? *chefs kiss* But honestly, with the level of service we get from Diane and Marc. The food isn't even the reason we use the Pullman Service. Even after not taking the train for months and months you feel like you're meeting old friends the moment you step into the carriage! Top Tier!

What a fabulous hidden gem … found completely by accident … staff are extremely friendly and can’t do enough for you … the food is fantastic quality and excellent value for money … I can’t praise this service highly enough … thank you so much

This has long been on my bucket list and it didn't disappoint in any major way. The staff were absolutely outstanding and the reaction to the tip we left told me that many passengers don't bother to tip! I was a wee bit disappointed at the disposable tablecloth but the meal was excellent, as was the wine. A wonderful way to watch the world go by, took me back to my childhood when serious dining was available on most mainline routes.