Le bling-bling

Whenever we go to Paris, we end up in the Gare de Lyon. Normally we go and have coffee and croissants in the cafe on the concourse, below Le Train Bleu. I only recently realised that Le Train Bleu itself, apart from being a restaurant, also has a bar, so you can go and enjoy the decor without paying for a meal. Not that the bar is exactly a bargain ... the cheapest glass of wine is nearly 9 euros (::cough:: you could have a whole bottle for that around here). We shared a plate of tapas and had a glass of wine each, and were a teeny bit tempted by the fact that they now do a takeaway meal tray for a mere 35 euros, that you can order until half an hour before your train leaves.

We ate there once, years and years ago, before catching a night train. I've heard it said that the food isn't good enough to justify the price, but it really is a feast for the eyes, and there were plenty of people enjoying it.