Ask most people what they remember from a trip abroad and the answer is usually something they ate. Nicola Coughlan, the Irish actress known for Bridgerton and Derry Girls, clearly feels the same way. Trainline partnered with her to share the destinations and dishes she would add to her own European itinerary.[1]
This isn’t a lifelong list from a professional critic. It comes from a rail booking app’s recent food campaign, plus a few interviews where she talks about how she eats on the road. Her named picks lean toward bread, pasta, pizza and pints. Here’s what she has actually said, and where the surrounding Europe-wide ranking adds useful context.
Brown Soda Bread in Galway
Coughlan’s first must-eat dish is close to home. She points to Moran’s Oyster Cottage in Galway for brown soda bread.[2] Galway is also her birthplace, so the recommendation carries some hometown loyalty. Wikipedia lists her as born in Galway in 1987.[3]
She said she felt proud to see Ireland near the top of Trainline’s list. She added that anyone who has tried the bread in Galway wouldn’t be surprised.[1] Galway made the index too. Trainline’s ranking singles it out, along with Lyon, as a culinary favourite that rewards travellers who venture beyond the biggest cities.[4]
A Pint of Stout in Dublin
Dublin is the other Irish stop on her itinerary. Among her favourite grain stops, she names Kehoe’s in Dublin.[2] That fits with the index, which treats beer as a grain-based tradition alongside bread and pasta.
The index credits Dublin with stout as its signature item. The city scored 90.5 on the 100-point scale.[5] Coughlan said she’d happily plan a trip around both Galway’s bread and Dublin’s stout, and that the train makes the hop between food stops simple.[1] Ireland’s two main cities are easy to pair on one itinerary.
Grilled Focaccia with Parmesan Butter at Nina, London
Her other must-eat dish is focaccia with parmesan butter at Nina Marylebone in London.[2] She went into more detail with EatingWell. The butter comes on the side, with good olive oil poured over, and the focaccia is grilled.[6]
She admits it’s a hard dish to stop eating. It’s a starter, and she has to remind herself not to fill up before the main course.[6] She called it her current hyper fixation.[6] She even joked that London counts as travel, since she’s technically a foreigner there.
Lagana and the Salt Beef Beigel in London
London gets a second mention in her list. Her favourite grain stops include Lagana in Shoreditch.[2] The materials don’t say what she orders there, so it’s best to treat it as a general recommendation.
The index adds another London classic. London scored 92 and is represented by the salt beef beigel.[5] That puts it fifth, behind four cities in Italy and Spain. If you’re building a food day in the capital, a beigel and a grilled focaccia make a decent pairing of old and new.
Tortellini en Brodo in Bologna
Coughlan didn’t name a Bologna restaurant, so this one comes from the index she helped promote. Bologna took the top spot in Trainline’s Grain Train guide.[4] It scored 98 for tortellini en brodo.[5]
The ranking leans on history as well as flavour. Trainline describes Bologna’s tortellini en brodo as centuries old.[2] The index compared 37 destinations across 11 countries and weighted rail access, food culture, history and overall appeal equally.[2] That makes Bologna a sensible anchor for a rail-based Italian trip.
Neapolitan Pizza and Cacio e Pepe in Italy
Italy takes more than one slot. Naples ranks third with Neapolitan pizza.[4] Rome comes fourth with cacio e pepe, scoring 93.5.[5]
These two cities are easy to link by train. The Rome to Naples high-speed line runs about 205 km, with a journey time of roughly an hour.[7] Remember that these rankings come from a company promoting rail travel. They’re a handy guide rather than an objective verdict.
Croquetas in San Sebastián and Paella in Barcelona
Spain is the index’s other big performer. San Sebastián came second, thanks to deep-fried croquetas that exemplify Basque food traditions.[4] It scored 96.5.[5]
Barcelona also made the top ten. Dublin, Barcelona and Manchester complete the list.[4] Trainline suggests eating paella in Barcelona, then taking the train to San Sebastián for croquetas.[2] Manchester’s entry, the barm cake,[2] is a reminder that the list isn’t only about the Mediterranean.
How Coughlan Eats While Travelling
Her habits are as useful as her dish picks. She asks friends for recommendations and saves three or four places to try ahead of time.[8] She says she posts to her Instagram close friends to ask for tips.[6]
A few smaller quirks round out her approach. She always carries a giant refillable water bottle.[8] On trains, she usually picks up salt-and-vinegar crisps from the trolley.[8] She orders a decaf iced latte everywhere, but switches to a cappuccino in Paris so she doesn’t annoy the locals.[6] She also tries to eat seasonally.
