The Pullman Restaurant brings you the Orient Express in the heart of the west of Ireland.
The year may be 2019 but you will swear you’re in the 1930s when you step into the Pullman Restaurant in Galway. It’s a true hidden gem. Two fully restored carriages from the original Orient Express; full of history, luxury and a sense of mystery.
Read more: Undiscovered Ireland - 8 new off-the-beaten-track spots you can’t miss
The Pullman Restaurant at Glenlo Abbey in Galway.
These cars are known as Leona and Linda. They are beautifully restored to their original glory, back when celebrities like Sir Laurence Olivier; politicians, including Winston Churchill and the rich, all rode the rails between Paris and Istanbul in luxury and style.
You can sit on the same seats, eat in the same booths and enjoy the comfort, the food and the antiques all around you, while a soundtrack of music from the period mixed with the sound of the rails clacking along the tracks, lulls you back in time.
Inside the Pullman Restaurant
And those serving you are happy to share the history along the way. Leona was part of the original train and was left in a rail yard for more than 20 years when the Orient Express became no more. She was resurrected to become the film set of the original Agatha Christy story of "Murder on the Orient Express," later turned into a restaurant and ended up at the historic Glenlo Abbey in Galway City.
Linda, built in the 1950s, was paired with her there in the 1990s and together they serve as many as 67 diners a night.
Read more: Looking for great to eat in Dublin? Download this 2019 color-coded spreadsheet
Elegance in every detail
Set on tracks below the Abby and the house, and out of view unless you know they are there, these days they set the stage for one of Galway’s unique dining experiences. The gourmet menu at the Pullman Restaurant offers magnificent meals from locally sourced produce, seafood and spirit suppliers. So the eating part of this adventure is as fabulous as the surroundings and the stories served up with the meal.
Traveling to Ireland in 2019: Are you hoping or planning to travel to Ireland this year? Join with other travelers, adventurers and lovers of Ireland in our dedicated travel group, where you can find top tips, great recommendations, and air out any of your concerns and questions.
* You can hear the sounds onboard the Pullman Restaurant in Episode 28 of Erin’s Isle. You can learn more about the Orient Express here and you can find Glenlo Abbey here.
What do you think is the most unique restaurant in Ireland? Let us know in the comments section, below.
This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.
Comments