Le Train Bleu

November 4, 2025

We made our reservation for this restaurant 3 months before leaving Australia to go on our trip to Europe. Going to this restaurant was our special treat and we were looking forward to it. The location was surprising – it is upstairs, inside a very large railway station. The ceiling and ambience were stunning. We ate roast lamb for mains and it was carved at our table and served with roasted garlic and gravy and potatoes dauphinoise. It was delicious. The servings were large and there was enough potato for at least 4 people. For dessert I had the pistachio souffle with cherry sorbet and my friend had the petit fours. We both enjoyed our meals immensely. The service was great and even though the waiter did not know what a lemon, lime and bitters was, he asked me to tell him how to make it and he made it for me – he did a good job too. We really enjoyed our dinner here & would recommend it.

October 30, 2025

It's a stunning restaurant and a must do at least once. So beautiful. I've had much better food at my local french restaurant in Florida.. The leg of lamb was tough, the potatoes au gratin were boring, and the pineapple tart, not great. But the experience was worth it. I had a beautiful glass of Chablis that cost 27.00. That was not the price on the menu. The singing maitre'd was a lovely surprise. We ladies really enjoyed ourselves and it was a treat to experience this beautiful, historic restaurant.

October 12, 2025

Category: Fine Dining. Originally opened in 1901 as the Buffet de Gare in the Gare de Lyon train station, this stunning Beaux Arts-ish restaurant was designed to complement the Paris Universal Exposition. Everything you might imagine Turn of the Century (19th to 20th) Paris to be like is encapsulated in this opulent dining salon. The only thing missing is accordion music, but there’s something better (read on). Grand ornate archways soar to higher, wider archways, which lead the eye to the ceiling’s multiple gold cartouche. The lower arches frame hallways linking one dining room to the next. The wider archways and cartouche frame 41 murals depicting life in the Belle Epoque. The huge multi-globe chandeliers illuminate the rooms with hundreds of points of light, which were impressive during our lunchtime visit and are surely even more so at night. Our large-enough-for-four white tableclothed table had a leather banquette for Sarah on one side and a chair for me on the other. Most cool were the brass coat and hat racks above the banquettes and the brass luggage racks, which reminded me of similar racks above the seats on vintage railroads we have ridden. Excellent and expert service was provided by an army of tuxedoed waiters during an extremely busy lunch service. We ordered the beef tartare, which was prepared tableside for our pleasure. Excellent and generous. I ordered the Skate Wing Grenobloise (Aile de Raie), which was prepared as a pave, which I found disappointing for two reasons: 1. the menu didn’t warn that it was not the classic preparation and 2. the classic preparation would have been better (see my YouTube lesson on making this classic dish). I suggest either preparing it classically and maybe even tableside, or changing the menu to specify the pave preparation. Despite my disappointment, I give the food five stars because all of the food on the nearby tables looked great, including the roast leg of lamb (Gigot d’Agneau), which was carved at the next table from a trolley. We didn’t order dessert but I recommend the tableside Crepe Suzette or the incredible cheese selection, which we enjoyed vicariously as they were prepared and served very nearby. We ordered an excellent Chinon (Cab Franc) by the glass and we were happy to see a sufficient number of economically priced bottles (we don’t like to spend much money on restaurant wine), from which we would have chosen if we had not just completed about 15 hours of air travel. And by the way, if you bring kids, don’t expect a typical U.S. kids menu. French kids or French-kid Wannabes can choose between skate wing, seared scallops, or beef tartare, in child-sized portions of course. I love it. Everything about this experience was exceptional but one highlight stood out: shortly after our wine was delivered a tall tuxedoed server walked into the center of the dining room, rang a little bell, welcomed everyone, then belted out a beautiful a capella rendition of La Vie en Rose in a booming voice. Some people sang along. Everyone applauded. We’ll be back. YouTube’s Chef’s Apprentice

September 5, 2025

This restaurant is located inside a large train station. The interior has a unique style that's great for photos, although it does feel a bit dated. The menu actually offers a wide variety of choices. The food is delicious, and the service is very fast, making it perfect for those who need to catch a train. The prices are a bit higher than restaurants in the city center, which is understandable given the location and the lack of other good non-fast food options nearby. If you're looking for a proper meal with plenty of variety while in a hurry, this is a solid choice.

September 29, 2025

There really is nothing like it. Located at the Gare de Lyon train station this turn of the century restaurant is first class. Service is impeccable, cuisine is outstanding no matter what you choose. And the atmosphere is both electric as well as culturally traditional. The ceiling and walls are ornate with painted murals. Reminded me of Florence or Rome. This high class eatery is bustling with activity and people coming and going. Thus it tends to be noisy but honestly you dont care because its all part of the experience. As far as dishes are concerned the roast lamb, beef bourguignon, duck pate, and desserts are done to perfection. Crepe suzette is prepared flambe style tableside, the roast lamb is carved tableside as well. Just too much to mention here but if you are in Paris this is a must stop even if it's for lunch.