"The reason why foie gras is not just paté is because it tastes special"

"Never expect that you'd be dining in a 5-star restaurant on any First class cabin"

First Class Service Face-Off
Words by The Editor

Renfe Ave Clase Club
(Barcelona-Cordoba)
I don't want to be an anorak but when you pay £180 for a SINGLE train journey, I think we can afford to be a bit critical. I was served an average lunch, which menu created by Michein-star chef Jordi Cruz. The speed was impressive at 300 km/h (186 mph). So I travelled a distance of around 940km in 5 hours, including a cabin cleaning break in between. There are several film and radio channels.

Food: Never expect that you'd be dining in a 5-star restaurant on any First class cabin. It's OK. Slightly more than a dry sandwich (see photo). The Spanish wines selection are decent.

Service: 6/10 for speed. Queue for ticket is horrendous so please book online in advance. Not many multi-lingual stewards. Complimentary newspapers but only Spanish titles. www.renfe.es/ave

Eurostar First Class (London-Paris)
The reason why foie gras is not just paté is because it tastes special. We were greeted by friendly multi-lingual stewards who served us champagne shortly after departure. And then some more. That did made our 1hr 15mins journey really fun and short.

Food: No claim of top chef but the menu was marvellous. Food are also 100% organic and sustainable. All packagings are recyclable.

Service: 9/10 for service. Booking online is easy. Complimentary fashion magazines, business newspapers and decent café serving good food. The café cabin sways a bit but if you're having fun, who cares. www.eurostar.com