Aside from today's fire at the top of Le Tour Eiffel, dining there has always had some fascination. Any recommendations? Aren't there restaurants on the second and third levels? What's the price range and is the food great or just passable?

Or, can you suggest any great restaurant, not in the tower itself, that has good food, a great view of the tower, and moderate prices? It will be our last night in France after touring in other areas and we want to finish it off with a memorable scene and dining experience.

We ate at Altitude 95, the cheaper restaurant on the French first (English second) level and enjoyed it. I thought the food was good, but not superb. I found the prix fixe menu not a particularly good deal, for if you ordered the most expensive entree, main course and dessert, it came to about the same price (€50). Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was 113, I think. We did love the view and thought it was a pretty special night. I just thought it was pretty keen to be eating in the Eiffel Tower!

Many Fodorites would recommend Le Jules Verne, one floor up, very gourmet and very expensive.

Here's the tower's website: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/pratique/resto/ You can't reserve on the website--you have to call.

Here's another recent Fodor thread on the subject.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34412603

We had a great night at Altitude 95 with the fixed price menu, food was so so wine was OK(plenty of it !! but the two ladies from Equador who shared our table were a scream !! The description of the cooking methods for Guniea Pigs had me rolling on the floor laughing and even the taciturn maitre de was smiling, a great night and very memorable...and anyone else who was there sorry about the noise !!

If the meal at Altitude 95 was 113E for 2 you can have lunch at Jules Verne for just a few dollars more and have a dining experience. Dinner is indeed tres cher but lunch is wonderful. Reservations as soon as you decide to go!!

We just celebrated my daughter's birthday at Altitude 95 and the meal was very nice and they gave us a great table so let them know if you are celebrating anything. Fax is the best way to make reservations and they are prompt in replying. Meals run about 50 euros a person. A really wonderful experience and my daughter says we will never top that birthday celebration.
It was cool to be in the restaurant when the tower started twinkling.

The Jules verne is also nice, but about 100 euros a person.