If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly train-themed restaurant in Nowon, Seoul, South Korea, Express Nowon by Mirage is one of the most unique places to try.
After finishing the miniature exhibitions at Nowon Train Village’s Swiss Hall and Italian Hall, it was still a little early for lunch, so I headed to this train-themed restaurant that’s well known as one of Seoul’s more unusual dining spots. Express Nowon by MirageI decided to stop in for a meal!
This restaurant is inside Nowon Train Village, and it’s built inside a real remodeled train car. I’d read so many reviews saying the weekend wait can get really long, so I wondered if weekdays might be the same. But when I arrived around 11:30 a.m., there were plenty of open seats.
On weekends, you can apparently join the waitlist on Catch Table, go see the exhibition, and come back to eat. Honestly, I loved the European-style train concept itself, but the food wasn’t so outstanding that I’d want to wait a long time for it, so I probably would’ve felt a little underwhelmed after a big queue.
Basic Info
Address: 608 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (closed Mondays)
Break time: 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Use the Hwarangdae Railway Park parking lot
The parking lot is shared by the restaurant, café, exhibition hall, and the rest of Nowon Train Village. You get 2 hours free by default, and if you use the restaurant or café, you can get an extra 2 hours free.
Train Restaurant
The bright blue train is easy to spot even from a distance, so it’s not hard to find. It’s about a 3-minute walk from the exhibition hall. Since the restaurant is inside an actual remodeled train, it feels much more polished and immersive than I expected—not cheap or gimmicky at all.
If there’s a wait, there’s a separate line marked out next to the steam locomotive. There’s basically no shade there, though, so definitely bring a sun umbrella or hat if you’re visiting on a hot day.
Inside the Train Restaurant
The interior was nicer than I expected too. The chandeliers are glamorous, and the curtains, furniture, and little decorative details all feel thoughtfully done. Nothing about it looked flimsy or half-finished, which I really appreciated.
Since it’s a train dining car, the tables are lined up in a long row. Most of them are by the windows, which makes the space feel open, and overall the atmosphere is really lovely.
If you want pretty photos, definitely dress the part. I showed up, as usual, in super casual clothes, and I honestly felt like I was ruining the aesthetic a little.
My 14-month-old daughter kept looking around because she found everything so fascinating. They also have a high chair available, and even that was a wooden chair that matched the concept nicely.
They provide kids’ tableware too, and the baby plate is shaped like a train. They really committed to the theme here.
Menu and How to Order
Ordering is done by scanning the QR code at your table, then checking the menu, placing your order, and paying on your phone. When I scanned it, it linked to Toss Order, but even if you don’t normally use Toss, you can still order and pay without any problem.
There wasn’t a separate printed menu, so I took screenshots instead.
Most dishes are in the 10,000 won range, so the prices felt pretty reasonable. These days, even independent brunch cafés often charge around 20,000 won for pasta.
Anyway, I went alone with my baby, and since she’s still not eating this kind of grown-up food yet, I just ordered one pork cutlet.
Old-School Korean Pork Cutlet Review
I’d read a few reviews beforehand, and a lot of people said the food was just okay, so I didn’t go in with huge expectations. I figured the old-school Korean pork cutlet—donkatsu served with brown gravy—would be the safest choice since that style tends to be fairly consistent wherever you go.
It comes out already covered in sauce by default, but they said they could serve the sauce on the side if I wanted. I just had it the standard way.
Maybe because I kept my expectations low, but it was actually better than I expected. The breading was nicely fried, and the sauce tasted like that familiar classic 경양식-style sauce you get anywhere—comforting and exactly what you’d expect.
It also came with a small salad and pickles, so overall it made for a satisfying meal. The meat was tender too, without any tough bits.
I didn’t try the other dishes, so I can’t say how they compare, but if flavor is your top priority, the old-school Korean pork cutlet might be the safest order here.
Thankfully, my daughter sat quietly next to me, munching on her snacks and stealing a few bites of plain rice from me while she waited.
Since payment is done in advance, once you finish eating, you can just head out without having to flag anyone down. I’m always trying to show my baby new things, and this definitely counted as a successful mini Europe-style train experience without leaving Seoul.
Train View Café
After lunch, I also stopped by Train View Café right across from the restaurant. If you visit Nowon Train Village, this seems to be part of the standard course for a lot of people.
It looked like there was seating on the second floor too, but I only used the first floor, so I can’t say what upstairs is like.
The café also has miniature trains displayed at the entrance, and I was told they’re not just static models—they actually run when powered on.
The reason Train View Café is so popular is that a miniature train delivers your drinks right to your table. On weekends, it’s so popular that people even join the waitlist on Catch Table here too, especially families with kids.
Train tracks run all along the windows, and on the first floor, all the seats are window-side tables, so there actually aren’t that many tables in total.
One tip: if you want to see the train more often, grab a table closer to the ordering counter. That’s where the train starts and returns, so you get to watch it moving more often as it heads out for deliveries to the farther tables.
There are two delivery trains like this. But when I was there, only the steam locomotive was on duty.
One thing to know: takeaway cups can’t be delivered by train. The train delivery is only for drinks you’re having in the café. Desserts and bread items also aren’t delivered, so you have to pick those up at the counter yourself.
The café menu was more varied than I expected, and the prices were affordable too, so it’s an easy stop after visiting the exhibition hall or restaurant.
An Americano is 3,500 won, a café latte is 4,000 won, and a yogurt shake is around 6,500 won, which is honestly a great deal. Nowon residents can also get 10% off.
They roast their own coffee beans in-house, so you can also buy drip bag coffee to take home.
The dessert selection was better than I expected too. It’s not in the photo, but I took home a brownie cookie, and it was surprisingly high quality and delicious. I’d absolutely buy it again next time.
Watching the train bring over the drinks was so fun. Kids love it, of course, but honestly all the adults were waiting with their phones out the moment the train started moving. Even if you’re not visiting with children, this is still a fun café experience worth trying once.
The coffee was good too!
Nowon Train Village feels like more than just a quick exhibition stop. Since you can get up to 4 hours of free parking when you use the café or restaurant, it makes a great half-day outing in Seoul: see the exhibits, have a meal, then wrap it up with coffee and dessert.
