Welcome to The Sidings, a unique destination brought to you by Carriages Restaurant. Nestled amidst serene landscapes, The Sidings combines a farm shop and café to offer an immersive experience for train enthusiasts and culinary connoisseurs alike. Our exquisite First Class carriage café, adorned with elegant art-deco elements, provides a one-of-a-kind dining experience from 10am – 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday, and 10am - 3pm on Sundays. Our carriage Farm Shop, open from 10am – 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday, and 10am - 4pm on Sundays, features fresh, seasonal, locally produced products, ensuring quality and sustainability.
You can book a table for inside the café, however walk ins are welcome. We are only dog friendly outside on a lead, unless they are a service dog. Smoking is not permitted on site.
For more information please visit: https://www.carriageshereford.co.uk/thesidings
Join us for a Festive Afternoon Tea on board our first class Carriage at The Sidings.
During your Afternoon Tea children will have the opportunity to write a letter to Father Christmas & receive a personalised letter in return.
✨ Selection of finger sandwiches:
Smoked salmon & Cream Cheese
Roast Turkey & Cranberry sauce
Salted Cucumber
✨ Chocolate Orange Battenburg
✨ The Sidings Express Shortbread
✨ Carrot Cake Slice
✨ Fruit Scone, Clotted Cream, Strawberry Jam/Nutella
✨ A choice of hot drink
Tiny Tea available for children under 12 years @ £12pp. Please include children in booking number and then add a note with amount of children who require Tiny Tea.
**24 hour Pre booking required for afternoon**
Menu
Brunch
The Sidings full breakfast – smoked bacon, Neil Powell sausage, black pudding, roasted tomato, mushroom, Peter Cooks toasted sourdough and choice of eggs£12.95
Vegan cinnamon French toast - apple compote, crumble, maple syrup and vegan cream (VG)£10.50
Shakshuka on toast – slow cooked spiced tomatoes, roasted red peppers on Peter Cooks sourdough topped with poached eggs and feta (V)£10.50
Pulled Herefordshire beef on toasted crumpets, pickled onions and a fried egg£12.00
Eggs royale – Severn and Wye smoked salmon, toasted English muffins, hollandaise sauce£11.50
Roasted squash with chilli, lime, coriander on Peter Cooks sourdough with tahini and toasted pumpkin seeds (VG)£10.50
Rosemary focaccia, filled with goats curd, tomato and red onion marmalade served with dressed leaves and vegetable crisps£10.50
Ploughman’s – McNeil’s smoked ham, Worcester Gold cheese, chutney, dressed leaves, fresh apple 10.75 (V) - Vegetarian | (VG) - Vegan Some dishes may be altered to cater for vegans, please ask your server. Fruit or£10.75
Selection of traditional cakes£4.50
Pastries / Tarts£4.95
Warm cheese or fruit scone served with butter and jam£2.50
Add clotted cream£1.50
What 89 people are saying
Overall ratings and reviews
Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant
4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
4.5Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.6Value
Noise • Energetic
Loved For
Herefordshire
Most Booked
Review summary
AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Sidings offers a "unique dining experience" in a beautifully restored railway carriage setting. With "excellent service" and "delicious food," this venue is perfect for brunch or lunch. The adjacent farm shop adds extra charm. While some find the menu limited, the overall atmosphere and attentive staff make it "highly recommendable."
89 Reviews
L
L
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Fabulous festive train with an interesting menu. The pulled beef was very good …. Afternoon tea looked great ….. maybe next time.
The gardens were well kept & the farm shop lovely - bought the local Cassis .
The restored carriages were a n authentic treat - it felt as if we were starting off on a wonderful journey….
Comfortable seats, original table lamps & just a brilliant way to spend a few hours. Thank you & Merry Christmas. Next stop ….2025!
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H
Hilary
Norfolk/Suffolk
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
Overall 4
Food 4
Service 5
Ambience 5
The staff are lovely, welcoming, attentive & pleasant.
The only small gripe I have is with my Roasted squash dish. It contained rather a lot of raw red peppers which is not mentioned on the menu. It is an ingredient I don’t much like but not a huge problem. There was also something strange in the mixture which I first thought were strips of plastic but we. We decided after a little debate it was the fibrous outside of either garlic or onion. Quite unpleasant & disconcerting!! Maybe peel it next time? The portion was also much too large. However it was a great pre- Christmas experience & we will come again. Maybe I’ll choose something else next time!!
Happy Christmas 🎄
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D
Diane
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
We went for brunch… with our son and partner. It was an innovative concept eating in a railway carriage. The food was top notch, the staff were lovely and we had a great time! Will be back.
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C
Charlotte
Herefordshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
I ordered the festive afternoon tea.
It was absolutely amazing and delicious.
Lovely choice of cakes/sandwiches
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G
Gemma
Herefordshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
We had a great time. Lovely staff and a very good menu.
Christmas decorations added to the atmosphere.
Thank you, looking forward to our next visit.
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M
Mark
Birmingham
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 15 December 2024
Overall 4
Food 3
Service 4
Ambience 4
What a great surprise to see two carriages and the landscaping around them in the middle of an industrial estate. They have done a fantastic job and having tea in a railway carriage was very authentic and a good experience.
The SidingsResponded on 16 December 2024
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're delighted that you found our hidden gem to be as exciting as we think it is! It's great to hear that the authentic tea experience in a railway carriage added to your visit. We hope to see you again for another memorable experience!
Best regards,
The Team at The Sidings
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S
Sheena
Herefordshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 13 December 2024
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Excellent Festive afternoon tea,tasty sandwiches,warm scone with generous cream and jam,mince pie with the thinest buttery crisp pastry and deeply filled,best I've ever had.Moist carrot cake ,Queen of tarts christmas sponge with cream and fresh red currants and The Express Shortbread just melted away, delightful ,and the Orange and chocolate battenburge had a great orange flavour .A much tea as you could drink and helpful attentive staff.Sidings carriagesPleasently decorated for christmas and good ,not to loud choice of music playing.Well worth a visit at any time.
The SidingsResponded on 16 December 2024
Wow, thank you for such a detailed and wonderful review! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear you enjoyed our Festive Afternoon Tea – especially that mince pie! It’s fantastic to know that our staff made your experience even more enjoyable. We’ll also pass along your feedback about the music and decorations. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and we hope to welcome you back soon for another delightful experience!
Best regards,
The Team at The Sidings
1 person found this helpful
H
Heidi
Herefordshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 13 December 2024
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
The Sidings is a unique cosy restaurant railway carriage. It has been impeccably restored, probably to near original standard.
The staff were lovely, food was good standard. Seating inside is 'cosy' and if I'm being picky, a tad difficult to get in and out of the seats.
However, it just made the morning more memorable.
A great little place to visit 😊
The SidingsResponded on 16 December 2024
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the unique charm of The Sidings and found our food and staff to your liking. We appreciate your feedback on the seating, and we'll definitely take that into consideration for future improvements. We're happy that your visit was memorable, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Best regards,
The Team at The Sidings
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J
Jan
Herefordshire
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 11 December 2024
Overall 4
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 3
You’ve got to sort the heating out, not coming again until you do!
The SidingsResponded on 13 December 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry that the issue with the heating impacted your experience, and we completely understand your frustration.
Our unique train carriage setting does come with its own set of challenges, and the cold air from the vents is something we’re actively working to address. While we’ve already made some adjustments to block the vents, we know there’s still work to do to ensure the space is comfortable for all our guests.
We’re committed to resolving this issue and would love the chance to welcome you back once it’s sorted. Thank you again for your feedback—it’s invaluable as we continue to improve.
Best regards,
The Team at The Sidings
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P
Philippa
Herefordshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 11 December 2024
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Impromptu breakfast. Wonderful food and the staff were very friendly and professional.
The SidingsResponded on 13 December 2024
Thank you for your lovely review! We're thrilled to hear that your impromptu breakfast was such a positive experience. Our team takes pride in providing delicious food and warm, professional service, so your kind words mean a lot. We hope to welcome you back again soon—whether it's for another spontaneous visit or a planned one!
Best regards,
The Team at The Sidings
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FAQs
The Sidings is rated 4.6 stars by 89 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.
