My mother likes to visit Paris twice a year. (Why wouldn’t you, when your daughter lives here?) But despite looking forward to these visits every year, they also force me to wrack my brains for places to eat.
My mother loves the sort of restaurant that used to be plentiful, in Paris. The kind of place with a beautiful dining room and black-jacketed waiters appearing as though summoned by a spell to refill your water glass before they disappear without a trace. But she also likes an à la carte menu of French classics like steak au poivre with house-made French fries or sole meunière. And unfortunately, spots marrying both have become endangered species, in the capital.
Most of the Parisian restaurants with the fine dining allure my mother loves have adopted a prix fixe menu. Many of the places doing the very best steak au poivre, meanwhile, have one harried server magnificently getting everything done but with little of the theater, pomp, and circumstance so beloved by those who love the old-world charm of classic Parisian dining.
And then there’s le Train Bleu.
Le Train Bleu is a restaurant within a train station – Gare de Lyon, to be precise. And while I’m not sure I’d typically find that to be a selling point for a dining experience, most train stations boasting nothing better nor worse than a Prêt à Manger, Le Train Bleu is special.
This majestic restaurant was founded in 1900, at the time of the World’s Fair. Marius Toudoire, the architect who designed the station’s beautiful clocktower, spearheaded the project to craft a luxurious, modern, mythical dining room – and he succeeded. President Emile Loubet inaugurated the restaurant then known as Le Buffet de la Gare in 1901, and in 1963, it changed its name in homage to the Paris-Ventimiglia line along the Côte d’Azur. In 1972, the dining rooms were classed as historic monuments, and today, thanks to Chef Michel Rostang, it serves an à la carte menu of modernized French classics.
This beautiful plate of salmon (36) was a work of art worthy of the historic room. Generous chunks of salmon gravlax were married with beetroot hummus and green apple slices, with little shards of activated charcoal tuile providing a lovely counterpoint to all that color. The tender salmon was perfectly seasoned so that the rich fattiness of the fish shone through.
The leek-vinaigrette (29) was comparatively underwhelming. While the leeks themselves were lovely and sweet, and the aigrelette sauce lining the plate offered a nice acidity compounded with a generous, herbaceous note, the pile of purée in the middle tasted of very little, dominating the plate and the palate. And while I liked the idea of the Parmesan crumble, it ultimately fell flat.
I adore the theater of a tableside main, and I considered ordering the steak tartare for the pure pleasure of watching the waiter unite egg, seasoning, and beef in a bowl before molding it and plating it before my very eyes. Ultimately, given the chilly temperatures outside, I opted instead for the chartreuse de boeuf (40), and it did not disappoint.
That beautiful Savoy cabbage leaf encased tender braised beef, which was perfectly paired with the wine-laced sauce surrounding the centerpiece. A delicate mix of seasonal vegetables lent color and sweetness to this autumnal dish, which married all the comfort food appeal of beef bourguignon with a far less rustic approach to plating.
We did get a bit of tableside service thanks to my mother, who opted for the house specialty: roasted leg of lamb (47), which was wheeled right to us and carved before our very eyes. The plate was finished with roasted garlic cloves…
…and came with a cassolette of rich, creamy gratin dauphinois she was happy to share.
We were positively stuffed by this point, but we decided we couldn’t shun the classic crêpes suzette (18). The spectacle of the flambage alone made ordering these worth it, but we were also pleased to scoop up every caramelized, Grand Marnier-infused morsel.
Given its illustrious past and beautiful dining room, Le Train Bleu could easily sacrifice quality. Instead, it delivers a delicious, creative, artistic meal… with a price tag worthy of its historic lineage. My suggestion? Go for a special occasion lunch, and luxuriate in the gorgeous room, reaping the benefits of your investment.
I know at least one person who was thrilled to.
Le Train Bleu – Gare de Lyon, 75012