I frequent a lot of bars that get good buzz. But sometimes I like to try a wild card in hopes I’ll find an undiscovered treasure. I hadn’t heard anything drinks-wise about the Wagon Bleu. In fact, I hadn’t heard anything about it at all. But, when I stumbled across it online, two things drew me to it: 1. It’s partially housed in a restored train car from the Orient Express circa 1925. 2. It boasts the ‘longest happy hour in Paris’!

It turns out that the romantic train car portion is tucked away in the back of the establishment for dinner only. So Matt, Vio, Mel and I settled into the pretty standard cafe/bar front area where Hall & Oates music sets the mood. So, the closest we got to experiencing train-themed drinking was feeling the rumble through the floor of trains passing by on the tracks situated just below the bar/restaurant.

The drinks menu features 11 uninspired “classics” that put me in broken-record mode ["caipis, mojitos, cosmos, sex on the beach, etc., etc.] as well as 5 “specials” that are mojito riffs with a lone Long Island ice tea to break up the monotony. Each section features a mystery drink with the Crazy Wagon, which is whatever the barman feels like, and L’Omerta with its claims that “you’ll never know” what’s in it – and with a name like that might just be a subtle nod to the Corsican slant to their menu. Cocktails range from 8 to 9.50 Euros and they also feature a selection of rhum and vodka arrange at 4 Euros a shot or for the bargain price of 35 Euros for 10.

7 rue Boursault, 75017

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