The Old Railway Station

Well what can I say - this is my 2nd review of the Old Railway Station and 2nd time of staying - we stayed last year in February 2024 as it was my girlfriends birthday, and she loved it, however the dining car at the time was not open - fast forward a year, and I booked another overnight stay in the carriage for her birthday, and a meal in the dining car this time. First off, as always you cannot fault the service, the staff and the friendliness of the people working around the hotel, it's always good to chat to the people working there, and have a laugh it's great, the carriage was how we remember it inside, although outside they are looking a little tired, so I hope they address this, but again inside cant fault anything - I did ask my girlfriend if its deliberate that when you turn the light on in the bathroom, the fan makes a noise like a train moving, classic love that ! (PS if its not intentional its still good...) Then got ready for our experience in the dining car, OMG - it was well worth the wait for over a year, the ambience, the dining carriage, everything about it was exceptional, the food was literally out of this world - my girlfriend is a vegetarian and opted for the Beetroot roast, and after tasting it, I am still wondering how the chef can make Beetroot taste like pulled pork it was amazing, and how the hell did Cauliflower ever become sexy (and I hate cauliflower !) I am a pescatarian, and wanted the cod, however it was wrapped in Parma Ham which I do not eat, so the lovely owner had a word with the chef, and voila out it came wrapped in salmon, and it was amazing - I literally cannot tell you how good it was, my girlfriend who is very fussy when it comes to food was struck by how good the good was to the point that she said that is prob one of the best meals she has had ! - round of applause I think. It really was worth the wait, the service was amazing (love the way they life the lids on the meal at the same time) and just the setting, amazing - My girlfriend and I love this place, the station and the accomodation. Just some gentle love and attention and maintenance on the outside of the carriages, but keep being you - "unique" - love it and thank you.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, although I have to say that the evening meal was not 'fine dining', the Beef Wellington (which we paid a premium for) was like a shop-bought meal. It was dry and not rare as proposed. The service was superb, however. The accommodation was different, being the primary motivation for folk to book, it was fun to stay in a carriage although the windows were condensated so you couldn't really tell where you were, coupled with having privacy blinds of course. The bathroom was with Bath and Shower, although the Shower door fell off in the morning, which I had to report to reception. The highlight was the 'Waiting Room' where we ate Breakfast; an open fire greeted us along with juices, cereal and superb Full English. Once again, the service was first class. When we add up the cost of the accommodation combined with a £240 food and wine bill, it's a costly experience. Must also mention the 'Badger' Pub, a 2 min stroll, very nice pub with great staff and a friendly atmosphere, menu looked very good too!

Delightful afternoon tea, beautiful log fire, top up of tea/coffee/milk if needed. All very fresh. Great setting. Will return in the spring or summer. Great to see the carriage revamped from Selsey, looked lovely, wished we could have had a look inside!

We stayed here overnight last week to celebrate my husband's birthday and had a wonderful time. The room was spacious, beautifully decorated and furnished and very comfortable, and ambling down the platform to the dining carriage for a delicious meal was a wonderful way to spend the evening. Would highly recommend.

We ended a three day stay here at The Old Railway station with a fantastic meal in their newly renovated dining car, Princess Ena. The carriage has been restored sympathetically and to a very high standard, and are the perfect surroundings to accompany Chef Jacob's fabulous cooking. We've eaten here before and just as the first time, the standard of food absolutely blew us away, it is definitely fine dining without the high price tag. Everything was delicious and so well presented, it would rival any Michelin star restaurant. The staff are all wonderful and the whole experience has been a labour of love that is evident in the attention to detail and all the little touches. They have a January special at the moment which makes it even better value.

My husband and I had a truly wonderful stay at The Old Railway Station on 19th December 2024, staying in Flora 2 and enjoying the festive menu in the Princess Ena dining car that evening. On arrival, we received a warm welcome at Reception and were shown through to our room, with the lounge/breakfast area in the Old Station House and the dining car both being pointed out to us. The accommodation and decor in Flora 2 was lovely. The space had been used well, with a King size bed, lots of room in the seating area and a very nice, modern bathroom with both bath and shower cubicle. We were able to relax in the comfy chairs and have a cup of tea, before enjoying a very nice shower prior to our evening meal. We did wander across to the Station House to sit by the fire, enjoying a Pullman beer and the lovely Christmas tree and decorations. The meal in Princess Ena was superb - excellent flavours, nice twists on a festive theme and beautifully presented. The service in the dining car was also superb, definitely befitting the service one would expect with a Pullman coach and we very much enjoyed the whole experience. In addition to the food and the service, we very much admired the hard work that had gone into the restoration of the Princess Ena - she is such a beautiful carriage, with amazing woodwork. After our pleasant evening and sleep, we wandered down to the Station House for our breakfast the following morning, which was a traditional Full English and was nicely cooked and very tasty. We were well looked after, with offers of more tea and toast if we wanted. Sadly, come 11 o'clock, we had to check out and say goodbye, but we have very happy memories of this stay and have already booked to stay again in June 2025.