 |
FRANCE. SSP has reopened its iconic railway station restaurant, Le Train Bleu at Paris Gare de Lyon, following a major restoration.
The project, in partnership with Gares & Connexions and design agency Duthilleul, involved restoration of stucco work and gilding, the cleaning of historic frescos and paintings, renovation of the flooring, an upgrade of the cloakrooms and the introduction of updated furniture and crockery.
The restoration is said to combine Belle Epoque elegance with the original Mediterranean themes of the restaurant, preserving all elements of the restaurant’s history. The completion of the project was celebrated on 12 September at a special re-opening ceremony.
A modern new logo designed by Duthilleul was inspired by an insignia on the building’s traditional brass radiators and reflects the restaurant’s high-end positioning. New crockery, commissioned from Villeroy & Boch, features the logo gilded in fine gold, complemented with blue highlights and staff livery is a modern twist on traditional brassiere style, again themed in blue and gold.
A new menu has been developed by head chef Jean-Pierre Hocquet, Eric Léautey (consultant and trainer at culinary school Lenôtre), and Christophe Adam, former pastry chef at Fauchon and founder of pioneering high street brands Adam’s and Éclair de génie. It features Train Bleu favourites including roast leg of lamb carved and served from the trolley, and the restaurant’s renowned Rum Baba.
New dishes include calves sweetbreads roasted with onions and celery and finished with lemon confit, fresh coriander, and truffle purée; turbot poached in shellfish court bouillon, haricot bean purée, and Romanesco broccoli; sliced poppy-seed meringue, tangy Granny Smith apple, and passion fruit sorbet; and lemon and yuzu citrus creams with almond dacquoise biscuit.
Le Train Bleu was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. In 1963, the station buffet was renamed Le Train Bleu in honour of the legendary Paris-Ventimiglia train which transported Paris’ fashionable to the French Riviera.
More than €4m was invested to restore the site to its original state. The project took two and half months to complete and involved 30 different craftsmen and 150 trades.
