Railways and Brasseries in Paris

My little haven in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, apparently known as Little Jaffna (who knew? I discovered this last weekend in the film section of the Guardian) is also home to one of the main transport hubs in Paris, Europe, the world! In my cosy third floor walk up in the tenth, I can peer through the kitchen window and Train Spot! The Orient Express to Venice trundles past on Saturday mornings, although that particular train is somewhat of an anomaly. All the other trains go east, to Alsace, Strasbourg and the lovely riesling-growing wine regions of France. The white coloured trains with their red stripes take travellers to Germany and beyond (yes I googled it). This is why, if you wish to eat an excellent choucroute, you head to La Strasbourgerie near the Gare de l’Est. The brasseries around the Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord open from dawn ‘til late into the night and offer all manner of regional classics such as the aforementioned choucroute, jaret du porc and flammenkeuche - yes, there are German influences as well, given the proximity to the border.

Both these grand edifices, the Gare de Nord and the Gare de l’Est, are a whisper away from where I live. These stations, built by visionary urban and transport planners in 1849 and 1864, respectively, are cathedrals to movement. Designed to get Parisians and Francillians to work, and tourists from the rest of Europe on holiday, these massive hubs connect to the French metro and an extensive spider web of bus itinieries. Arriving in one of the six major train stations in Paris (Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare St Lazare, Montparnasse, Gare de Lyon, Gare d’Austerlitz), you will find several brasseries, bistros and cafes serving the specialties of the regions which each station services.

Now, you maybe forgiven for wondering why I’m carrying on about train stations in Paris: food! Food is such an important part of travel, it’s the key to a happy, successful trip. Who hasn’t brought back a bottle of ouzo from Greece or olive oil from Italy in the hope of reliving the travel experience? The French had it different, of course. The brasseries around the stations which serviced the various regions of France were not to entertain or entice tourists, their intent was to offer home comfort to workers from the regions. Gare de l’Est: choucroute, Gare de Lyon: pike quenelles, Gare de Montparnasse: crepes, Gare d’Austerlitz: aligot. And for those travelling to and from Normandy, briny oysters at Gare St Lazare.

Now, in 2025, station fare, like airport fare, doesn’t really have an authentic regional taste. Stations are full of the usual suspects, such as Ladurée, Paul, Brioche Dorée or Pret a Manger in all of the larger stations. I find the offerings at these places to be more than a little sad and certainly overpriced. Where has the authentic regional flavour gone, the regional identity of each station? Where are the authentic dishes that served as comfort for those missing their precious ‘pay’ or home? NB: so appalled was I by the miserable offering in stations that, as part of my former job at the embassy, I took much delight in preparing “train picnics” for guests of the ambassador. No Paul or Pret for our visitors! The feedback was great. People would look on enviously, wondering where those little boxes of deliciousness were sourced.

As with most things in France, if you scratch the surface you will probably find vestiges of deeply rooted tradition. Take, for example, the tracks which brought Bretons to Paris, which terminated at Montparnasse. Close to the station, what does one find but a street full of restaurants serving crepes. When I was first introduced to this part of Paris, we ended up at Creperie Josselin, probably the most famous of all the creperies in the street. Our waiter looked like she had arrived from Brittany when the station was built! But she was still very much on her game, so we ordered from her and proceeded to devour a ‘mixte’ ham and cheese crepe, washed down with a fresh, fruity cider.

Closer to home, Bouillion Chartier at Gare de l’Est and Terminus Nord at Gare du Nord, remain stalwart, determined to maintain the menus that made them the bustling brasseries that served homesick travellers from the provinces. I confess that much of my time in Paris has been spent avoiding these brasseries. Often the standard of cooking has taken a hit over the years and some have begun to trade solely on their former glory - I’m looking at you Boullion Chartier - but there are many which have maintained the good cooking of old. With this in mind, and because of the advice of a friend who spoke so fondly of welcoming and farewelling family and friends at Terminus Nord, I decided to give it a go.

It was a lovely dinner, reminding me why I enjoy food and travel and even the odd tradition! Opened in 1925, in the Art Deco and Belle Epoque style, the original dining room retains its charm and style, with a couple of modern touches (a discrete screen showing departure times - now there’s no excuse not to make your train). The waiters are all dressed in the traditional French brasserie style, long starched white aprons with black waistcoats buttoned tight. And they were charming.

We decided to take the daily menu. Sadly, the mussels were not available, so after a dozen lovely fresh oysters, I went with a true French classic, the steak tartare. My mate had the purée de pommes de terre with a jus (or, in English, sausage and mash). Brasseries are traditionally known for serving rather generous portions, the clientele of old perhaps being workers with ravenous appetites. I was reasonably hungry. However, even though my generous serving was beautifully seasoned and the yolk in the middle of the finely chopped beef was the perfect foil to cut the richness, I still didn’t manage to eat it all. The salad accompanying it was bitey from the dressing and before long we had managed to make our way through most of our hearty mains.

The daily menu also offered dessert and who could say no to a classic île flottante or crème brûlée. What arrived was a dessert generous enough for a family of five! My eyes popped at the sight of it. Our waiter made it clear that she expected me to eat it all but I disappointed her and only managed a few mouthfuls.

Not that it wasn’t a perfect île flottante - addictive candied almonds and a caramel sauce decorated the airy meringue that sat in a vanillery puddle of sauce anglaise. My friend eagerly cracked the sugary crust atop her brûlée and we both agreed that, as far as traditional brasseries went, this experience was a happy one.

That is the joy of both food and travel. At that moment, it was easy to understand those that came into the brasserie all those years ago, when train travel was still new, looking for the comfort and tastes of home after that long train ride. In that respect not so much has changed. We may be a little more time poor, and that quick sandwich at Monoprix might be a handy solution. But, sitting in that room, I was reminded that Paris and its food history is as rich as the meal that I had just been lucky enough to (almost) finish.

Recipe

Steak Tartare:

I prefer my steak tartare this way, but there are many, many variations. Take what you like from the below and add your own touch.

I prefer filet mignon but you could also use sirloin.

Ingredients:

150 g of meat per person, very finely chopped, or you can mince it if that is easier. NB: it’s easier to chop the meat if it is very slightly frozen - for about 30 mins or so.

Place the chopped beef in a bowl. Season with:

finely chopped capers

finely chopped cornishons

finely chopped parsley

finely chopped eschallot

Worcester sauce

Dijon mustard

lemon juice

one egg yolk (and another set aside to garnish the finished product)

salt and pepper

Mix well, check your seasoning to taste. On a serving plate, shape the beef into a round and, using the back of a spoon, make a small indent in the centre of the beef. Place the second egg yolk in the centre. Serve with slices of toasted baguette and a simple, crisp vinaigrette salad.

See you in a week or two,

Kath