New First Great Western Pullman dining

[cambsy]

Am planning to try out the Pullman Dining on the 18.03 Pad-Penzance in a couple weeks or so, and would like to know what service is like, what the quality of food is like, and dishes that are recommended, also how long does service take and is it really up to fine dining standard, and how it compares to top restaurant food?

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Put it this way..get there early as I gather it fills up very quickly.Appreciate your feedback.

 

[RPI]

Thursday is by far the busiest day, i.e. if you have a first class ticket then ring customer services to reserve a place, otherwise turn up on the platform as soon as you know which platform its on! The fillet steak is superb.

 

[Techniquest]

I did the Pullman lunchtime run from Swansea regularly back in 2005,and it was always highly recommended.The evening run from Paddington to the West Country I only did once but highly recommended still.

The mixed grill and apple pie with custard,with a bottle of Overland Dry Australian Red was always my favourite.Always had amazing service too.

As for comparison to top restaurants,I don't know as I don't eat in such places

 

[bnm]

I'll echo RPI and say you should book a place if travelling on the 1803. First Class ticket holders can do this by phoning 08457 000125 before 15:15 on the day of travel. After 15:15 you can make a reservation in the First Class Lounge at Paddington.
If you are travelling Standard Class then it's luck of the draw. You may have to wait until after Reading to find out if there is space available to Standard Class customers.

The food and service are superb. The menu has recently been revamped by minor celebrity chef Mitch Tonks. There are three menus on a fortnightly rotation. I travelled on an up servive recently where I sampled the steak, with Chocolate Nemesis for dessert. My travelling companion had the smoked salmon as a starter.

Photos from my trip on the up Pullman, 1255 off Plymouth, 6th March 2013:

Introduction from Chef Mitch Tonks
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/PMmt_zps1d23b3e1.jpg

Pullman Reserve Smoked Salmon - oak smoked in Somerset, with cornichons, cream cheese & rye bread
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/PMst_zpse19ad154.jpg

Prime Somerset Reared Fillet Steak - with Café de Paris butter and a choice of mustards
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/PMmn_zps3c28ce01.jpg
Take care with the English mustard. It's strong - very strong!

Chocolate Nemesis - with Dorset clotted cream
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/PMds_zps7517b321.jpg

I'm travelling again on an up Pullman, the 1201 off Plymouth this time, tomorrow 20th March 2013. Menu 2 rotation and I'll be having the Dressed Crab for starter, followed by Lemon Sole, then Pecan Treacle Tart for dessert. I'll report back here, probably with more photos!

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/On-board/Pullman

There are rumours that a breakfast Pullman may be returning in the near future. Possibly the up Golden Hind - the 0505 from Penzance - with service from Plymouth. It follows that there would sensibly be a down lunchtime service off Paddington as a balancing move for the staff.

 

[Butts]

That meal pictured above certainly whets the appetite , especially compared to the current East Coast or Virgin offering.

Mind you at £50 head with Wine it should do

 

[bnm]

Mind you at £50 head with Wine it should do

Factor in the 1st Class travel if you're on a Standard Class ticket and the prices become a bit more palatable.

 

[Butts]

Factor in the 1st Class travel if you're on a Standard Class ticket and the prices become a bit more palatable.

Good point - if you padded your meal out with enough after dinner brandies, could you swing the whole journey in the Restaurant on a second class ticket?

 

[ainsworth74]

Good point - if you padded your meal out with enough after dinner brandies, could you swing the whole journey in the Restaurant on a second class ticket?

That would depend on two factors. Number one being if they're busy, if there is going to be another service then they're going to want you to move back to your seat fairly sharpish. Number two is if you've been a good customer. I'm informed that customers who were nice with the staff would often not be hurried back to standard. Passengers who were being obnoxious on the other hand...

 

[bnm]

That would depend on two factors. Number one being if they're busy, if there is going to be another service then they're going to want you to move back to your seat fairly sharpish. Number two is if you've been a good customer. I'm informed that customers who were nice with the staff would often not be hurried back to standard. Passengers who were being obnoxious on the other hand...

Indeed. Be nice and the Pullman staff will work around you and not look to kick you back to steerage.

Engage with the Pullman staff, be friendly, chatty and proffer a decent tip and then they are in no hurry to bump you back to Standard. Get sh*tfaced, be obnoxious and start singing 'Happy Birthday' loudly to no one in particular and you'll soon find yourself being asked to settle up and move back to Standard before you've even passed Westbury.*

And based on my experience yesterday on the 1201 ex Plymouth, if you approach the Pullman crew at Plymouth before the set comes in, introduce yourself and chat about your forthcoming three course meal, the senior steward will tell you to take a seat in Coach G (1st Class) until they are ready to receive you in the Restaurant coach. That's what happened yesterday despite the fact that I and my travelling companion were holding a combination of Standard Class split (NRCoC 19(c)) tickets....

I did promise some more pictures of the scran. I'll embed them in the next day or two.

Also the rumour about additional Pullmans now seems pretty much certain from the May timetable change. Staff diagrams are being worked on at the moment and the HST sets used already have the full kitchen, being currently Travelling Chef services. The up will be the Golden Hind, 0505 off Penzance with two breakfast sittings - one from Plymouth and one from Taunton. The down will be the Royal Duchy, 1206 off Paddington, offering the same menu as the current Pullmans.

I will stress however that this info has only come from the current Pullman team. There has been no official corroboration from FGW. Watch this space...

Going back the OP's original query. Chatting to the Pullman team yesterday I was told that the down services off Paddington at 1803 and 1903 will almost always have space for Standard Class ticket holders on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesdays and Fridays are less likely but possible. Thursday is the one day in the week that you may be out of luck if you aren't a First Class ticket holder.

Finally, I'll just say, if you want these excellent full service restaurants to continue then there is but one simple mantra: Use it or lose it.


*Yes, I witnessed exactly that happen a few weeks ago on an up Pullman.

 

[reb0118]

Factor in the 1st Class travel if you're on a Standard Class ticket and the prices become a bit more palatable.

Good point - if you padded your meal out with enough after dinner brandies, could you swing the whole journey in the Restaurant on a second class ticket?

During GNER days we managed to pad out our breakfast from Berwick to Doncaster before being asked to return to standard. To be fair I think they wanted to start getting ready for the luncheon servings.

Funny thing was we were only travelling to York!

 

[pitdiver]

Many years ago I did a similar thing on an early 0830 service to Glasgow. I was travelling on a company paid standard class ticket then remembered that the restaurant car was first class. So off I trot to the said car and sat down and ordered a full English. By the time I had finished I think half the journey had been completed.

 

[38Cto15E]

It would be great if the 1206 Paddington to Penzance went back to Pullman service, it would be difficult to pad out First with a Standard ticket much past Exeter though.

The staff like to be pretty much cleared up by then, also the new TM boards at Exeter so I guess a ticket check between Exeter and Plymouth.

 

[mr williams]

Still begs the question of why, if restaurant cars are so popular and well used, have so many been withdrawn over the years. Somwhere around 2000/01 time I went down to Cornwall for a few days and there was even a restaurant on a Sunday lunchtime Paddington to Penzance via Temple Meads. There were two sittings, both full, and the lamb was delicious!

Every single restaurant on the South Wales route and to/from Temple Meads has been withdrawn (my 1994 timetable shows no fewer that 27 restaurant cars on a weekday!!). There isn't even a Travelling Chef on the peak trains from Temple Meads to Paddington in the morning.

 

[455driver]

Still begs the question of why, if restaurant cars are so popular and well used, have so many been withdrawn over the years.

Too much effort for the accountants.

The restaurants are very popular (as are the travelling chef) and I hope they have sorted out the menu, they dropped the most popular option (due to low passenger demand :roll and some of the new offerings take ages to cook.

 

[JB1601]

Out of interest how does it work if you're a standard class passenger on a busy train, you go to the restaurant car for a meal and then return to standard class - surely someone would have pinched your seat by that point? Or do you have to find another seat on your return? Even with a reservation would it not look like you've done a no-show?

 

[TEW]

Too much effort for the accountants.

The restaurants are very popular (as are the travelling chef) and I hope they have sorted out the menu, they dropped the most popular option (due to low passenger demand :roll and some of the new offerings take ages to cook.

When the other restaurants were withdrawn it was said that something like 80% of the profits were made on the two evening peak services from London, the 1803 and 1903, and those are the two that were retained.

 

[bnm]

Out of interest how does it work if you're a standard class passenger on a busy train, you go to the restaurant car for a meal and then return to standard class - surely someone would have pinched your seat by that point? Or do you have to find another seat on your return? Even with a reservation would it not look like you've done a no-show?

The up services are never full and standing in normal day-to-day operation. In the down direction, by the time you've completed your meal it is very likely that the passenger numbers would have thinned out and there will be seats available.

 

[gogogoadam]

Look forward to trying Pullman Dining!

I absolutely LOVE travelling chef, but I think it could be promoted better. Most people queuing up at the buffet don't really know it is there.

However, my usual travels are from BTM to PAD on a weekday morning so I can't take advantage! Once, however, I think there was a diverted train so there was a travelling chef on board, it certainly made my day, the toastie with bacon, cheese and tomato was a great hangover cure!

Adam

 

[bnm]

gogogoadam, you could always try travelling from, or via, Bristol Parkway in the morning if you want to sample more Travelling Chef fare.

Walk-up tickets from Bristol Temple Meads to Swindon and beyond are valid via Bristol Parkway. You can also get Advance Purchase fares via a change at Bristol Parkway heading east.

Eastbound weekday AM services with a Travelling Chef depart Bristol Parkway at 0731, 0801, 0831 and 0901.

 

[CC 72100]

It would be great if the 1206 Paddington to Penzance went back to Pullman service, it would be difficult to pad out First with a Standard ticket much past Exeter though.

Would be worth a try though - the 12:06 always seems to be rammed in my experience! (and that's from Exeter onwards!) If I'm going into Cornwall, I always do the Plymouth XC HST about 20 minutes before, then hope to sneak into a quiet bit of coach A at Plymouth when the Penzance arrives.

 

[Butts]

I wonder if First would have introduced Pullman Dining Cars on the WCML had they suceeded Virgin.

That would have given East Coast a run for their money

 

[bnm]

It would be great if the 1206 Paddington to Penzance went back to Pullman service

It has now been confirmed that FGW will be re-introducing two additional Pullman services from May 20th 2013. Barry Doe has confirmed this not unexpected news in the latest edition (719) of RAIL magazine. Whilst I was aware of this news some weeks ago, I'd been asked by Pullman staff to only comment on it as rumour, because the situation may have changed.

The two additional Pullman services will be the 0505 Golden Hind from Penzance to London Paddington with two breakfast sittings, one from Plymouth and one from Taunton. In the down direction there will be a lunchtime service serving the current menu on the 1206 Royal Duchy. One sitting for those boarding at either Paddington or Reading.

 

[Captain Chaos]

The 1206 is great news as I have always wanted to try the Pullman but it always involved either travelling down at the crack of dawn to catch it or taking an evening one from Reading, hoping there's room and possibly have to catch the sleeper back! The midday one mean I can just get a train from Newbury, pick it up at Reading and hopefully enjoy (space permitting of course!) Gives me time to spend at the other end and catch a train home too. Perfect!

 

[Be3G]

I caught the 1206 when I travelled down to Cornwall last year – would have been great to have had the opportunity to dine in the restaurant; always wanted to try it.

 

[paul1609]

Would be worth a try though - the 12:06 always seems to be rammed in my experience! (and that's from Exeter onwards!) If I'm going into Cornwall, I always do the Plymouth XC HST about 20 minutes before, then hope to sneak into a quiet bit of coach A at Plymouth when the Penzance arrives.

As a fairly regular traveller to Plymouth over the years its always seemed to me that there are not enough through trains to West of Plymouth, they always seem wedged. On the other hand some of the Plymouth terminators are very sparsely populated, around lunchtime you can get a coach to yourself until Newton Abbott.
I cant help but feel with the hourly XC service it would be better if some of the Plymouth services were turned back at Exeter prehaps with a DMU connection to Plymouth and the Stock used to extend some of the others to say Truro.

 

[455driver]

Where do the extra units come from?

If they turn aHST round at Exeter instead of Plymouth what path will it use to no back North as it will be ready to drop into the path of the HST that set off from Plymouth an hour earlier.
Just have a look at a timetable and work out which stock will form which services.

 

[TEW]

As a fairly regular traveller to Plymouth over the years its always seemed to me that there are not enough through trains to West of Plymouth, they always seem wedged. On the other hand some of the Plymouth terminators are very sparsely populated, around lunchtime you can get a coach to yourself until Newton Abbott.
I cant help but feel with the hourly XC service it would be better if some of the Plymouth services were turned back at Exeter prehaps with a DMU connection to Plymouth and the Stock used to extend some of the others to say Truro.

The problem is that the down HSTs don't generally connect with the local services through to Penzance, whereas the up HSTs starting at Plymouth do connect out of services from Penzance. But on the other hand if you catch the 1353 or 1557 services from Plymouth, the two which do not have London connection, you'd probably be glad there is no London connection because they're busy enough anyway, having good connections from Cross Country services.

 

[38Cto15E]

Splendid news bnm, Have to start saving up now

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There is a 2-page article (pp.44/45) in the April 2013 issue of Modern Railways on this subject, with a print showing the current menu card.