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What do you think of train food on Thayls???

What do you think of train food on Thayls???

Old Jul 13th, 2006, 10:03 PM
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mesia
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What do you think of train food on Thayls???

Have you eaten anything from Thayls menu? What do you think of their food? What did you try? I've got to catch the train around dinner time and wondering if I should just bring my own.
 
Old Jul 13th, 2006, 11:42 PM
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I had a ham and cheese sandwich and coffee. It wasn't too bad. Not actually had a meal as such.
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Old Jul 14th, 2006, 02:12 AM
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Thalys pages at http://www.thalys.com/be/en/travel-g...mfort-1-travel says this about Catering offered in Comfort 1:-

Depending on the time of day, the on-board staff can serve you directly at your seat on the route between Brussels <> Amsterdam and Brussels <> Cologne and depending on the time of day, the on-board staff will serve you:
breakfast: a choice of drinks, croissants and yoghurt
a light meal: a choice of drinks, mixed salad and bread
a snack: a choice of drinks, a sandwich or sweet or savoury snacks.

The site http://www.seat61.com/Netherlands.htm, then What is Thalys like, shows just refreshments, and not dining cars. The same is true of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable.

I judge that so long as you have a good delicatessen in the city you leave from you can eat better by bringing a meal, a knife, a mug and a drink on to the train with you.

Ben Haines, London
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Old Jul 14th, 2006, 02:38 AM
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I've eaten on the Thalys perhaps over 100 times (have lost count). The food sold in the bar car is basic snack stuff that you could just as easily pick up before you board and usually for less (sandwiches, chocolate bars, little cans of Pringles, etc.). But if you do want to buy something on board, it will take the edge of your hunger, not much more than that. Most people down in that car are drinking, not eating.

If you are talking about the meal served at your seat in first class, it's not bad. No substitute for a meal in a French or Belgian restaurant, but perfectly ok. I do like their breakfasts and their coffee is better than I'd expected. Even if you don't like the main course for the lunch and dinners, you usually get cheese and bread, some fruit and something sweet, so you won't starve.
When you say "around dinner" what time do you mean? If your train arrives in Paris or one of the Belgian stops around 8:30 pm, that's still early enough to enjoy a nice dinner at a restaurant in town (giving yourself 30 minutes to disembark, get to your hotel, freshen up a bit and head out).
Where are you heading and what is your arrival time?
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Old Jul 14th, 2006, 12:44 PM
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BTilke: I'll be heading back to Brussels on a 7pm train and won't arrive till around 9:30pm. I'll be taking 2nd class.

I was concern about not finding a place to eat in central Brussels later in the evening if there wasn't something that I liked or filled my appetite on the train. It looks like I'll be going with Ben's advice on having a quick simple meal then bringing food on board with me in case.
 
Old Jul 14th, 2006, 01:34 PM
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If you are near the Grand'Place, you will definitely be able to get something to eat at one of the dozens of restaurants in the warren of small streets surrounding it. Most of the food offered will be fairly basic, but still decent and not expensive.
For example, the Taverne du Passage in the Galerie de la Reine (one of the glass covered galleries off the Grand' Place) keeps its kitchen open til midnight.
http://www.tavernedupassage.com/
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Old Jul 14th, 2006, 01:51 PM
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THANKS! Glad to know that my assumption was wrong about places being closed. Will look for Taverne du Passage.
 
Old Jul 16th, 2006, 12:29 AM
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The Grande Place is five minutes walk from Brussels Central statiuo9n. I am afraid the Thalys trains do not stop there, but you can leave Thalys at Midi station and take the next local train in ten minutes to Brussels Central. You would leave your bags in a locker there, and stroll down to dinner.

Please do not try to drink tap water as waiters refuse it.

Ben Haines
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Old Jul 16th, 2006, 02:28 PM
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Our Croque Monsieurs were tasty at the time we had them. However when one is hungry everything tastes good. Along with the fact that by that time we were at top speeds heading to Paris. It's the walking back to the seat that is the tricky part.
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Old Jul 16th, 2006, 06:40 PM
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its comparable to airplane food
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Old Jul 17th, 2006, 03:27 AM
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I think Thalys food is inedible morsels. Very over-priced on top of it. Then again, I love Eurostar breakfast (1st class) when the stewards ask the obligatory "red or white?" question at 8:30 in the MORNING...

If concerned about starving or train delay, there are good take-out places at Gare du Nord, at RER concourse. Also 9:30-10:00pm is definitely NOT late for dinner in Brussels.
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