Jules Verne has been the Eiffel Tower's premiere gourmet restaurant for over 23-years serving the more-moneyed camera and fanny-packing tourists that flock to the landmark. But in an effort to revive the properties luster to everyday Parisians, the property embarked on a full-fledged revamp by designer Patrick Jouin (Benkirai, Plaza Athenee Bar) and Michelin-chef Alain Ducasse. The restaurant is located 410-feet in the air on the second level of the Eiffel Tower, one of the world's preeminent architectural wonders. The result is a mesmerizing culinary icon accessed through a private elevator insulated with classic French tunes by Edith Piaf and Carla Bruni. A small bar area overlooks a main dining room with dark ceilings and intimate lighting inspired by the Louvre, or at least the man who lit the Mona Lisa. The decor is pure Jouin with minimalist office-style chairs in tan leather at practical tabletops overlooking one of the best panoramas in Paris.
The Food
It’s one of Ducasse’s more approachable restaurants in price and panache, perhaps a prerequisite for opening in such a public location. With 16 Michelin stars and 20 restaurants around the world under his direction, Ducasse is the master of sexy French cuisine even if he’s no longer easily found in the kitchen. Today his restaurants are operated by star chefs in their own right, as is the case with Jules Verne’s Pascal Feraud. Under Feraud’s direction the kitchen serves-up an array of seafood and caviar starters as well as small salads and soup terrines. Entrées include elegant dishes like seared beef lathered in duck foie gras under a rich port sauce and delicate roasted imperial langoustines topped with black truffles that leaves diners begging for more.
Last Word
Open for lunch or dinner, reservations are mandatory and dress code is enforced during summer months.
