Bahnrestaurant

English translation: Buffet

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Bahnrestaurant
English translation:Buffet
Entered by: Gareth McMillan

20:56 Apr 26, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Tourism & Travel
German term or phrase: Bahnrestaurant
Can anyone think of a term for this in English that's not a clunky as "railway restaurant" or "station restaurant?" Is there a better, sharper English equivalent?
AbuTomek
Below
Explanation:
In the 19th century in UK, the railways were booming- trains were allowed to travel at speeds of over 20 miles an hour, not break down and arrive on time at the correct destination with your luggage and nerves still intact.

During this period most larger station buildings incorporated fairly high class hotels- many of which still exist and are of historical architectural significance. They were almost alway (and many still are) simply called "The Station Hotel" regardless of which town they were in.
To have called these "Inns" would have been downgrading.

At the station platform itself were very often quick-refreshment rooms which were called Buffets. This is not a modern word, but dates back to 1869 in the context of UK railway history.

On the train itself, dependant on the length of the longer journey, there would be a restaurant "car" (carraige) or a buffet "car", where they used to offer real food and drink.

Nowadays, in the interests of economics, you can buy a sandwich from a trolley. This system is designed to constipate the passengers so that there is no danger of the toilets becoming overloaded during breakdowns or delays while the signalling system is being sorted out.

I rest my case.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs 49 mins (2004-04-27 07:46:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please excuse the prolific spelling/grammatic errors.
Selected response from:

Gareth McMillan
Local time: 16:37
Grading comment
Thanks these were helpful comments!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3Station buffet
jerrie
4 +2Below
Gareth McMillan
3 +1Station restaurant
Neil Gouw
3 +1Railway Inn
Norbert Hermann
3 +1Refreshment facilities
Textklick
3railroad station restaurant
Trudy Peters
3railway tavern
CMJ_Trans (X)


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Station restaurant


Explanation:
I don't think it's that clunky though
but if you prefer something else: station cafeteria

Neil Gouw
Netherlands
Local time: 16:37
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  vafo: I like cafeteria
1 hr
  -> thanks!
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Railway Inn


Explanation:
less clunky?

Norbert Hermann
Local time: 15:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 63

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingrid Blank: I like that
1 hr

neutral  Gareth McMillan: An Inn is an establishment where one can stay overnight- which is exactly what is needed if you're waiting for a train in UK.
8 hrs
  -> Hi Gareth, If it is from a 19th Century Baedecker it could well have been an Inn - and these days there are many Inns where one couldn't or wouldn't stay overnight. btw: I like your comment about waiting for a train in the UK.
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Station buffet


Explanation:
That's a few syllables shorter...and here's a menu ;-))


    Reference: http://www.kesr.org.uk/catering/buffet_menu.htm
jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 31

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: nice solution.
3 mins
  -> Thanks

agree  Gareth McMillan: That's exactly what they used to call them in UK before British Rail went "modern". Only exception- coventry.
48 mins
  -> Thanks ;-))))

agree  Sabina La Habana Reyes: I've also read this term in some text or book dealing with the 19th century
54 mins
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
railroad station restaurant


Explanation:
Many railroad stations have very nice restaurants that are not just cafeterias or buffets.


Restaurants < Arkansas Delta Byways promotes tourism Great River ...
... Restaurant. Terry's Café, Paragould, Fast Food. The Railroad Station
Restaurant, Paragould, Fine Dining. The Rib Shack, Paragould, Fast Food. ...
www.deltabyways.com/ restaurants/search.asp?page=3&city_name=Paragould - 7k - Cached - Similar pages

Upcoming Events
... be an exciting destination also. As a stopover, we feature dinner
at the B & O Railroad Station Restaurant. After this nice meal ...
themysterytrain.com/motorcoach.htm - 101k -


Trudy Peters
United States
Local time: 11:37
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
railway tavern


Explanation:
if you want something different!

That said, it could even be ON the train as in "dining car"

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 16:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 42
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Below


Explanation:
In the 19th century in UK, the railways were booming- trains were allowed to travel at speeds of over 20 miles an hour, not break down and arrive on time at the correct destination with your luggage and nerves still intact.

During this period most larger station buildings incorporated fairly high class hotels- many of which still exist and are of historical architectural significance. They were almost alway (and many still are) simply called "The Station Hotel" regardless of which town they were in.
To have called these "Inns" would have been downgrading.

At the station platform itself were very often quick-refreshment rooms which were called Buffets. This is not a modern word, but dates back to 1869 in the context of UK railway history.

On the train itself, dependant on the length of the longer journey, there would be a restaurant "car" (carraige) or a buffet "car", where they used to offer real food and drink.

Nowadays, in the interests of economics, you can buy a sandwich from a trolley. This system is designed to constipate the passengers so that there is no danger of the toilets becoming overloaded during breakdowns or delays while the signalling system is being sorted out.

I rest my case.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs 49 mins (2004-04-27 07:46:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Please excuse the prolific spelling/grammatic errors.

Gareth McMillan
Local time: 16:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks these were helpful comments!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  CMJ_Trans (X): but whose fault is it? You get the government you vote for....
3 mins
  -> Regardless of who you vote for- you get the government you don't want.

agree  jerrie: A veritable mine of information (particularly re: sandwich objectives). Thanks for a few moments of nostalgic musing for all things BR ;-))
19 mins
  -> Buffet stools to you too.
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Refreshment facilities


Explanation:
I always thought this sounded nice and old-fashioned and it would cover anything from a grotty sandwich stall to the much-missed Great Western Hotel.

I looked in my 1914 Bradshaw's Continental Guide but no spontaneous ideas from there about facilities offered by foreigners.


Textklick
Local time: 15:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 23

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gareth McMillan: Try round the back of the station hotels for "other" facilities on offer.
11 hrs
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