You can now dine on the original Orient-Express
The world most luxurious long-distance train – which discontinued its Paris–Istanbul service in 1977 – has been brought back to life, and is resurrecting the glory days of the golden era of train travel.
The Orient-Express has once again swung open its carriage doors to Mahogany walls inlaid with lalique designs, delicate brass luggage racks, and dinner tables set with fine porcelain for a five course meal and a five-star experience.
The historic Pullman railway carriages will roll into Cannes, Bordeaux, and Paris's Gare de l'Est station, as part of an exclusive pop-up restaurant overseen by Michelin three-star chef Yannick Alléno. Just 38 diners will be privy to each three-hour culinary extravaganza, and only 63 dinners will be served in total.
Yannick Alléno, widely viewed as one of the finest chefs cooking in France today, has designed the menus alongside avant-garde pastry chef Yann Couvreur—known in industry circles as “the prodigy of Parisian pâtisserie.”
The three hour ride will pay homage to “the art of travel”. Alléno tells Condé Nast Traveler “The Orient-Express has always been a reflection of the French gastronomy of its time, so we’re adhering to this philosophy in offering a daring, modern cuisine, in which research figures prominently.”
Have you ever dreamt about dining on the orient express? Let us know in the comments below.
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