When my brother told me that he would like to take his girlfriend to a romantic, old-fashioned Parisian restaurant during their visit chez nous, I shortlisted a few options for him. But as soon as he saw the photos of Le Train Bleu, he responded without hesitation “this is it, please make a reservation for us, and I would like you and your husband to join us”. It was a beautiful summer evening. We had some Canard-Duchêne champagne at home before walking to the restaurant. All this was a surprise gift for the girlfriend, so by the time we arrived at the Gare de Lyon railway station, she was very puzzled. “Are you taking me to the Côte d’Azur”, she asked. We smiled, walked into the railway station (where the tracks are) and took the main stairs to the restaurant, following a sign Le Train Bleu. Once inside, all of us stopped breathing for a few seconds. The beauty of the paintings and the interior design was stunning.  Extraordinary. We had a table next to the train tracks (I had specifically asked for this). Our waiter came and was extremely friendly, offering a leaflet of the restaurant’s history (available in English). We learned that we were now maybe, just maybe, using the same table as so many famous people who have been regulars to Le Train Bleu: Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, etc. We ordered the Menu Réjane, which for the price of 56€ per person includes a half a bottle of wine. Since we were four, we ordered one bottle of white Gaillac Château Adélaïde and one bottle of red Côtes de Bourg Laroche Joubert. Bravo for both wines! For the starters we had Gazpacho-chilled cod with lime, ovencrisp Poilâne bread and Hand-chopped beefheart tomatoes, Welsh onions and Leccino olives, Burrata and jellied basil.

Both starters impressed us by the stylish presentation, and we found that the ingredients married very well. My husband loves beefheart tomatoes, so it was his paradise!

For the main course, my brother had Baked Scottish salmon, spinach shoots, coconut emulsion and red curry, and appreciated very much the curry-salmon mixture. The rest of us had Farmhouse chicken Tournedos Rossini, vin jauce sauce, artichoke purée, and we were delighted to find out that our dish contained a large chunk of foie gras… delicious!For the dessert, my brother’s girlfriend had a “red-berry” tiramisu,I chose a mixed cheese plate, and my brother and my husband chose the famous Traditional rum baba. Now, I am going to be a bit mysterious, because all I can say is that Rum Baba at Le Train Bleu is not only a dessert, but also an experience…. This is the only dish that I am not going to show you, but when you go to Le Train Bleu, you will realize why! (but if you are really curious, contact me by Pearlspotting’s Facebook page and I will tell you)

Our night was fantastic, the service impeccable, food delicious, and I sincerely recommend Le Train Bleu for any occasion you may have in life. Truly.

LE TRAIN BLEU: Gare de Lyon, 75012 PARIS. Tel. +33-(0)1-43 43 09 06 (http://www.le-train-bleu.com)