Le Train Bleu, One of the Most Beautiful Brasseries in Paris

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A symbol of pride

Designed by the renowned architect Marius Toudoire, Le Train Bleu was inaugurated in 1901. Its opening marked the occasion of the World Exposition and was initially called by the unromantic yet simply apt name “the station buffet”. The restaurant was renamed Le Train Bleu in 1963. Its name is a tribute to a prestigious train line called “Paris-Vintimille” that ran along the French Riviera in the 1860s. Today, it is still one of the most beautiful brasseries in Paris. The beauty of Le Train Bleu lies in its walls and ceilings that are decorated with stunning paintings and frescoes. Portraying 41 European landscapes capturing the essence of the South of France, these frescoes and paintings are works of the prominent artists of the time – François Flameng, Henri Gervex, Gaston Casimir Saint-Pierre, and many others.

Step into another era

Finding the restaurant at Gare de Lyon is a bit tricky. One automatically expects this gorgeous restaurant to be blatantly flaunted by the magnificent Parisian train station. In reality, it is not so. You have to enter the Gare de Lyon, make your way through the harried crowd of travelers until you find an unassuming set of stairs with the sign stating ‘Le Train Bleu’. You walk up the gray broad steps listening to the clamour of the station when suddenly the magnificence of the restaurant bursts upon you. It will at once make your head spin and you will crane your neck to take in all the surrounding opulence. You are still likely to be in a daze when a waiter in a crisp white apron appears with the menu. The refined presentation (even by French standards) will again make you feel as if you’ve been transported to another era – an era of glamour, wealth, and decadence.

Useful information of Le Train Bleu

Le Train Bleu (“The Blue Train”) is a restaurant located in the hall of the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris, France. It was designated a Monument Historique in 1972.