Paris Guest Post: Le Train Bleu

                                                Bottom photo of Big Ben Bar from Le Train Bleu.  
                                                             All others by Styleaspirations

Greetings!  This is Styleaspirations filling in as your guest writer.  I recently traveled to Paris and was asked by Traveler to write a post about my travels for The Gray Suit, quite an honor!  Since Traveler is particularly enamored with train travel, I knew that I must highlight one of my favorite spots in Paris, Le Train Bleu.

Le Train Bleu is a destination that delights all ages.  When I first read about this restaurant overlooking the Gare de Lyon train station, I thought it would be the perfect destination for my toddler son, who adores trains.  So I made a reservation "for my son," but the experience turned out to be one of My favorites. 

Le Train Bleu has an illustrious history as a dining favorite of Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, and Salvador Dali.  It was inaugurated in 1901 by Emile Loubet, the President of the French Republic.  The experience of a meal at Le Train Bleu certainly embodies the sort of grandeur that one would associate with these icons.

Walking into Le Train Bleu felt like being transported to a more gracious time.  The splendor of the space was replete with ornate gold architecture and a literal red carpet running down the restaurant aisle.  Waiters were dressed for the occasion in black tuxedos.  The ceilings were covered with 41 beautiful paintings depicting landscapes traversed by European trains.  We were comfortably seated in cranberry leather tufted chairs and banquettes.  The atmosphere would be entertaining enough with just these features, but we had the added bonus of a window seat overlooking the Gare de Lyon train station.  We excitedly watched the "fast trains" that transport passengers to destinations all over Europe arrive and depart and the passengers scurrying to and fro.

The cuisine was as exquisite as the space, with offerings ranging from escargot to beef steak tartare.  My son tried foie gras for the first time, served with a delectable red onion marmalade accompanied by black currants; he saw fit to pronounce it as "peanut butter and jelly!"  The mashed potatoes with fresh Tomme cheese were heavenly.  I had perhaps the best dessert of my entire trip in Paris at Le Train Bleu, a bourbon vanilla layer cake, also known in France as a Mille-feuille or Napoleon.  Creamy bourbon flavored vanilla cream was layered in between sheets of puff pastry dough.  The excellence of this dessert, however, was easily matched by the tangy lemon and lime tart with a most buttery crust.  The dessert section of Le Train Bleu's menu is titled "Indulgences."  Indeed!

One of the highlights of my trip to Le Train Bleu was the discovery of a hallway and lounge area for weary travelers, which I later learned is called "The Big Ben Bar."  Again, it seemed like this space appeared from another time.  A hallway with sumptuous leather chairs led to a room outfitted with more comfortable leather chairs and people quietly sipping coffee and cocktails, reading and presumably waiting for their departing trains to arrive at the station.  It was the sort of place where I could imagine Cary Grant and his confidantes passing time before boarding their trains.  If I hadn't wandered back through the hall of Le Train Bleu in search of the ladies' room, I may have never learned of this special room. 

If you're in Paris, I highly recommend a trip to Le Train Bleu.  Dining there isn't just a meal, but truly a treasured experience!  In the restaurant's own words, it is "A Veritable Initiation to Travel."  I'll be sharing more of my Paris travel discoveries on Styleaspirations.com, so please join me there!

What are some of your favorite discoveries made while traveling?