The Best Dining Experiences on Rails

Train food used to be something you just put up with. They’d serve just about anything, like a plain sandwich and cold tea. You would be given a napkin that was more paper than napkin. Well, that version of train travel is gone now, at least on these routes. Today, a handful of trains around the world serve food so good that people book the journey just to eat.

Most trips are about where you end up. However, these trains flip that idea on its head. The food, the scenery, and the whole experience of sitting down to a proper meal are just as important. So, while the world moves past your window, you can still savor the taste of fine dining.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Nothing else quite looks or feels like this one. The moment you step into the dining car, the white linen, dark wood, and crystal glasses pull you straight back into the 1920s.

Guests who travel in Orient Express First Class get to experience the finest chefs. These are professionals who collect fresh lobster and lamb at stops along the way, then cook them the same evening. Most people dress up for dinner, and honestly, once you are sitting there, you completely understand why.

South Africa’s Blue Train

This train moves slowly, and that is actually a good thing. It gives you time to look out at the South African landscape and still finish your wine before the next course arrives. Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet sit alongside bottles from the Cape Winelands. First-time guests often say it feels less like a train service and more like eating at a friend’s house.

The Seven Stars in Kyushu, Japan

The menu changes with the seasons and draws entirely from what Kyushu is producing at that time of year. Local chefs board the train at certain stops and cook for guests themselves. The kaiseki courses look almost too beautiful to eat. Just outside the window, forests and volcanoes will fill your view.

The Royal Scotsman Through the Highlands

What you will get from a train ride like this is serenity. The Scottish landscape is so beautiful. Combine that with the menu, and it’s like being in paradise. Scotland does best when it comes to good food. On your train ride, you'll enjoy fresh salmon, fat scallops, and single malts. You can check out the Lenush Edit; it covers slow luxury travel really well. It is worth reading before you plan anything.

The Glacier Express, Switzerland

Lunch here is not meant to be a quick affair. The Excellence Class spreads a five-course meal across several hours as the train climbs through the Alps. Also, the wine glasses are designed to stay level on the steep sections. So while you enjoy their meals, you can soak in the view of the snow, ravines, and open sky that fill the windows.

None of these trips is really about getting somewhere. Instead, they are about slowing down, eating well, and letting the view do the rest. Some journeys are worth taking just for the ride itself, and these five are the best.