Le Train Bleu Restaurant in Paris
Inside Gare de Lyon in Paris, you will find the most beautiful dining experience, ‘Le Train Bleu’. We saw this magnificent restaurant on a television travel show and it just had to be included in our 2015 itinerary. I was so excited when I was able to confirm our reservation online.
Gare de Lyon, Paris, France
Inside Gare de Lyon
Eager not to miss the 12 noon reservation, we arrived with plenty of time to spare and felt like royalty from the moment we entered the door.
Entrance of Le Train Bleu inside Gare de Lyon
WOW. It’s impossible not to be completely entranced by the opulent Belle Epoch interior. Ornately decorated paintings of the many towns and areas of France adorn the walls and ceiling. Beautifully crafted seating emulates first class train travel from a bygone era.
Interior of Le Train Bleu restaurant
Seating in the restaurant
Beautiful paintings adorn the walls and ceiling
Ornate details on the ceiling
We were shown to our table and introduced to both our waiter and wine waiter. Starting with une coupe de champagne, and then more, we perused the menu.
Chris perusing the menu
Our meal was a gastronomic experience of delicate and sumptuous flavours, including their iconic rum baba, accompanied by delicious wines and all beautifully presented.
The meal was not cheap but this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and well worth every euro. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. There are also lounge areas and a bar where you can choose lighter food options at other times during the day.
C’est moi about to enjoy the iconic rum baba
One of the lounge areas
A little bit of history:
Built in 1900 and opened in 1901, the restaurant was unveiled by the French president of the time, Emile Loubet. It was first known as the station buffet. In 1963, it became ‘Le Train Bleu’, named after the luxury train Calais-Mediterranée Express, colloquially known as the Blue Train or Le Train Bleu in French. It operated from 1886 to 2003, between Calais and the French Riviera, and was particularly popular with the rich and famous in the decades before WW2. It has been featured in a number of movies including ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday’.
