Why just visit the Eiffel Tower when you can dine at the Eiffel Tower? The Alain Ducasse restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel, located on the "First Level" of the Eiffel Tower lets you savor not just the taste of palatial views at panoramic heights, but also the Parisian version of a lunchtime "pique-nique" or at dinnertime, contemporary "French Brasserie" fare.
The restaurant floats suspended in this legendary skyline at 58 meters above the ground - hence the name, 58 Tour Eiffel. When it was refurbished in 2009 it was at the hands of Patrick Jouin, the design maverick-genius behind Paris's Velib' - the public use bicycles - and the Parisian Sanisettes - the public toilets that are clean and found throughout the city, as well as the Jules Verne restaurant, the Other Restaurant at the Eiffel Tower. His design motif for the restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel...the Eiffel Tower, of course!
Every detail from the color schemes of red iron ocher contrasting with deep chocolate browns to the shapes of the glasses to the ornamental and decorative motifs on doors and menus and kitchen tiles...everything is taken from, and inspired by, the Eiffel Tower. Collaborators on the restaurant's design are Chef and restauranteur Alain Ducasse himself and also Pierre Tachon.
Lunch will run you 17.50 Euro to 22.50 Euro and gives you a choice of appetizer and main course or appetizer, main course, dessert. Choices include creamy, chilled, green pea soup; seared salmon; Chocolate/nuts Crousti Eiffel. The midday picnic concept is that you are given a picnic basket with your cold items when you arrive at the restaurant and are seated, then your server brings you your hot plate items and drinks.
By 5:30 p.m. the music changes to lounge as the lights dim and the restaurant transforms into a chic and seductive Parisian Brasserie. You may want to ask to be seated on the second floor of the 58 Tour Eiffel, and, if you can, overlooking the Trocadero for that world-famous view. Dinner menu includes choices of the Menu Opera at 65 Euro and at 80 Euro, the difference mainly being whether wine is served with your meal. If you do order a' la carte, you have additional choices that include lobster salad, seared scallops or sauteed veal chop and then a selection of French cheeses for dessert which is really something I wouldn't dream of passing up.
There's a special elevator for restaurant diners and you can buy your ticket online if you prefer. You can also buy your tickets at the Kiosk marked "Restaurant" next to the ATM machines. If you are eating at Jules Verne, you don't even have to buy elevator tickets.
Whenever you are lucky enough to find yourself at the Eiffel Tower, why wouldn't you eat there, too?!
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