Description:

The latest article by our correspondent Filly di Somma takes a look at one of the most famous restaurants in Paris, Le Train Bleu.

The restaurant is situated inside the train station Gare de Lyon on the first floor in front of the railway tracks. It is a famous place to eat for Parisians, in particular those who live at Bercy or Bastille, but also for tourists. The restaurant is usually indicated in all Paris travel books as one of the most elegant (but not cheap) restaurants in Paris.

Access is very easy and there are several parking places in case you go there by car. However, I suggest you to go there by  metro, it is very simple. "Le Train Bleu" is the right place for business meals (lunch, dinners) or for family and romantic meals.

I was there many years ago and I really enjoyed everything about the restaurant : the food and the atmosphere. The name of this wonderful place literally means the Blue Train (we are in a train station!). It was during the Universal Exhibition in 1900 that the restaurant was built and the original name was "Le Buffet de la Gare de Lyon". The actual name "Le Train Bleu" has been given in 1963. The walls are adorned with 41 paintings which show the landscapes that the train has crossed, but in addition to that there is a lot of elegance in everything you see : the lights, the chandeliers, the floor and the way they set the tables.

Since the beginning the restaurant has been very famous and frequented by famous people such as Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Dali and Jean Gabin. The director Luc Besson also helped with its popularity by filming a scene for his famous film Nikita in the restaurant.

If you don’t have a reservation in advance, you are going to find it difficult to eat there, even if the place has 500 seats. It is always very crowded. The atmosphere of the train station, la Gare de Lyon, where the restaurant is located, is really amazing!!! Outside the train station you can notice "la belle Epoque" style and inside, where the restaurant is located, it’s 1900 style : big rooms, sculptures, paintings…these last ones are amazing and it’s the first thing that you notice as soon as you get inside. It’s really a museum and you have an optimistic and happy sensation when you see all this artistic beauty.

But what you can eat at "Le Train Bleu"? First of all it is traditional French cuisine with the menu changing twice a year. I remember some specialities, le foie gras de canard and le saumon fumé for example,  but the season is respected and if you go in winter time or in summer time of course you’ll find different food according to the season. If you are going there on Sunday morning, the Sunday Brunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm is very good. At the buffet you can find pastries, bread, milk, hot drinks, orange juice etc, etc. There  is a starter served at the table with smoked salmon, eggs, cheese, ham, salad, then a hot meal served at the buffet. For dessert there are a range of cakes. The price is 40 euros for adults and 20 euros for kids under 12 years old. Well worth a visit whilst you are staying in Paris.

Contact Details and Access

Le Train Bleu

Gare de Lyon 1st floor

Place Louis Armand

75012 Paris

Website

Phone: +33 (0)1 43 43 09 06     

Fax : +33 (0)1 43 43 97 96

E-mail : reservation.trainbleu@ssp.fr

This article was written by Filly di Somma, who was born in Naples, but now lives in Rome and is a frequent traveller to Paris. She is a graduate in foreign languages, with a specialisation in Marketing and Management of Tourism and Project Management. She speaks English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. Find out more about Filly on the About Us page of Guide2Paris.