Le Train Bleu...

"It wasn't until I arrived in Paris that I realized I was starving for grandeur."

"On a frosty January evening in 1975, I lugged my much loathed tweed-sided American Tourister suitcase up the staircase leading to Le Train Bleu after reading in Let's Go Europe that it overlooked the main hall of the station (Gare de Lyon) and was one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world.  I couldn't afford to eat there; but, the guidebook tipped me off that I could at least afford a coffee."

"Coming through the doors, I was stunned by a vision of the nineteenth-century opulence that had made Paris the envy of the world.  Waiters in black tie and fitted black waistcoats, most of them with mustaches, raced through the room bearing trays overhead..."

"My coffee came and when I noticed a tiny chocolate wrapped in gold foil on the edge of the saucer, my heart melted.  So this was Paris, a place where a pauper could become a prince for a few francs.  When I dug into my pocket for a cigarette, I was startled by sulfur and looked up to find that the bartender with the pencil mustache and finely oiled streaks of hair stretched over his bald dome was waiting to light my smoke.  'C'est magnifique, Le Train Bleu, n'est ce pas?'  he said with a grin."

Today as I was looking at several new books that I had set aside, I came across this description of the restaurant Le Train Bleu, written by Alexander Lobrano in his book, Hungry for Paris, The Ultimate Guide to the City's 102 Best Restaurants.  I really fell hard for the sentence, "a place where a pauper could become a prince for a few francs."  Who doesn't want to feel like a prince (or a princess) on occasion?  And, I could totally relate to the sheer grandeur of the restaurant.

I hope you enjoyed this little journey into Le Train Bleu as much as I did.  This past June I was staying very near to Gare de Lyon, if only I had known...I could have walked over for a cup of coffee...

Bisous,

Henri

All photos courtesy of Google Images