Eiffel Tower new restaurant
 

Has anyone eaten at the new Jules Verne restaurant run by Alain Ducasse which opened late 2007. Would appreciate comments on food,value, atmosphere, set menu vs a la carte. Thinking of booking for July 2008.

Don't think too long...every date I have tried for my trip in April, there are no times available.

Hint for using the forum -- When you don't get any/many answers, it is better to top your original thread instead of starting a new one.

(to find all your posts, click on your name)

You can book online. My recommendation would be to book, then think about it and watch for reviews. Book the earliest time so you can enjoy the daylight, sunset, twilight...

And, also wander by the day before and take a look at the posted menu, just to make sure there are appealing (to you) offerings.

We just returned from Paris a few days ago. We felt very fortunate that our hotel was able to make a reservation for us at Jules Verne.

While actually having dinner in the one-and-only Eiffel Tower is a special experience, without a doubt, our evening there was not as fabulous as we had anticipated. The meal, while very good, wasn't stunning or memorable. The service was pleasant but perfunctory at first, then became almost non-existent as the evening progressed. The view was wonderful, but the overall atmosphere of the restaurant seemed as cold as the battery-powered, blob-shaped "candle" on our table.

The bottle of wine we ordered was brought to our table already opened, which was surprising. The sommelier served us some wine and then took the bottle with him, returning infrequently to serve more. We finished our main courses before we could get his attention and request that the remaining wine be served. We asked for water refills repeatedly with no results until my husband made his irritation known to the waiter. Our daughter and son-in-law were with us - they don't drink wine and they sat with empty water glasses for much of the evening.

My husband's irritation with the waiter apparently didn't sit well with him because the atmosphere chilled even more. He asked where we were from, we told him Texas and he said, "Oh, George Bush..." - the way he said it was not friendly and made us feel uncomfortable. Also, we were not served the plate of small sweets after we had dessert and coffee that we observed being given to other tables around us. Our punishment for speaking up about the water and wine shortage, I guess. When you are spending a small fortune on a meal, you would not expect to have to such poor service.

By the way, the restroom at Jules Verne is very small and was a mess, with crumpled paper towels spilling out of the trash can and water puddles on the floor.

We asked the waiter to call a taxi for us. I don't know what taxi company Jules Verne uses, but we had the most frightening taxi ride of our lives on our way back to our hotel. At the first traffic light, the driver appeared to be falling asleep - his head nodded forward and he just sat there even when the light had changed. He then perked up and as we entered a busy intersection with multiple lanes of traffic in each direction, proceeded to drive directly into lanes of oncoming traffic. He swerved just in time, made a sharp u-turn and drove more normally for a while. We were shocked by what had just happened. We have had some exciting taxi rides in Paris, but have never felt our lives were at risk before. As our heart rates returned to normal, a Ferrari roared up the street in the next lane, and our taxi driver seemed to be drag-racing with it, speeding up between lights trying to keep pace with it. This was the scariest taxi ride any of us had ever experienced and we were very grateful to make it back to the hotel intact.

Sorry for this very long answer to your question. Others may have had a more positive experience at Jules Verne, but ours was less than stellar.

On the bright side, your post has all the makings of a Fodors classic.

RonZ, ????????

Thanks for your post, brioche. It sounds totally believable and detailed, and is just the sort of post I like to see rather than a vague "we went and it was awful" or "the waiter was rude". Your specifics make the post much more meaningful in my opinion.

Yes, thank you for posting, Brioche...

Too distressing to have less than a fabulous experience, in every way, at an allegedly "worth every penny for the experience" dining destination.

Before the "changeover", we visited Le Jules Verne three times over the years and were thrilled. But, the last time we had a reservation, we wandered by to peruse the current menu (which we always do now) and it just did not appeal. So, we cancelled our reservation (much to the delight of the couple standing next to us).

We had lunch at Jules Verne in June 2006, before the changing of the chefs.

The food was good, but certainly not incredible, and service was somewhere between reserved and snooty, but the atmosphere was incomparable. To me it was an absolute thrill to dine inside the Eiffel Tower. And lunch was only half of a small fortune.

Anna Roz

I've never dined at Jules Verne but we did dine at Altitude 95, down below. Had an absolute fantastic meal, great service, fabulous staff, lots of fun and a humdinger of a view to boot. I was not anticipating this to be very good and thought the food would be mediocre at best. But as it turns out our evening there was an absolute highlight for us all. It might just an option for you (certainly a cheaper one). :)

brioche,

Thanks for the post. It sure cooled my curiosity. It also reminded me of a couple of overpriced places in the 8th. Those stand-around do-nothing penguins are nauseating.

This is very helpful to my recent search and investigation into a good valentines dinner.

Hi Stormbird: I didn't understand the reference to "down below" about Altitude 95. I thought JVerne was at street level; am I wrong in this? I was considering JVerne for lunch BEFORE reading these posts, but will now drop that plan. So could you please expound on Alt. 95?
Thanks!

Hi LB,
Well, the Altitude 95 restaurant is on the 1st floor at an altitude of 95 metres above sea level. The Le Jules Verne restaurant is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.

Altitude 95 is a cheaper alternative to the Jules Verne. Like I said we had dinner there and just had a wonderful time. Jules Verne was always out of our budget.

A very interesting review. We have never been to the Jules Verne but I understand that the reason for not having real candles on the tables is the potential fire hazard - the Eiffel Tower would not be a great place to be in a fire - no elevators going, with crowds decending those outside stairs in the dark.

Hi B,

Thanks for your post.

>The bottle of wine we ordered was brought to our table already opened, which was surprising. The sommelier served us some wine and then took the bottle with him,...

What? What? What?

I think that I will stick with Taillevent and Les Ombres for a while.

((I))

Thank you so much everyone, this has certainly given me something to think about and weigh up...really disappointed ... also believe from another article that the restaurant closes by 9.30 pm.. we wouldnt want to be there before 8pm, so that in addition to the other negative comments, seems to settle it. Would appreciate suggestions of where in Paris to celebrate my daughter's 21st for a memorable meal/view/experience instead.. we would like to dress up and celebrate in style! Is Les Ombres suitable, or would Le Train Bleu be better or ??? where else? Enjoy

Here'a an article about it, although not actually a review - http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/...cle3370246.ece

Brioche, that was very enlightening review. I would have been hoppin mad too! That taxi ride was the ultimate topper to bad experience!!!

Hi S,

>to celebrate my daughter's 21st for a memorable meal/view/experience instead.. we would like to dress up and celebrate in style! Is Les Ombres suitable, or would Le Train Bleu be better or ??? where else? Enjoy

I would pick Les Ombres for the view of the Eiffel Tower.

I would choose Taillevent for the dining experience.

I think that Train Bleu, although a very interesting room, would be less suitable.

((I))
For our upcoming visit we have res at Les Ombres for a dinner and Taillevent for a lunch.

Brioche - Please forgive us but when I read your post aloud to my DH I could hardly get the words out I was laughing so much! Your taxi ride was exactly what you would experience here in Africa. Nothing, but nothing, can prepare you for a ride down any street in our city! I laughed so much the tears ran down my cheeks just thinking of the expression on your faces - oh dear!
As for the service at JV- Phrrrrrrt! Disgusting. They can keep it - Paris has so much more to offer in way the of excellent service and good value.

I was wondering if it would be worth it to take our family there in Decmember - as a "once" in a life time type thing - dining at the Eiffel Tower... perhaps we shall try the alternative Altitude 95.

Would like to revive the original question that Suedee posted 4 weeks ago about any other current reviews about the new Jules Verne restaurant, now run by Alain Ducasse. I too am interested in hearing your impressions of the food, value, atmosphere, quality of service, set menu vs. a la carte. Thinking of booking a special night out for my husband and myself and our 21 y/o daughter in June. Besides Brioche's answer, most of the recent replies have been about Altitude 95!

Thanks to those who have dined there recently and willing to provide additional feedback: we are hoping that the new restaurant is ironing out some of their earlier "growing pains" of being a new establishment by now or by the time we are there this summer.

I had lunch there with friends last June, and have lunched there perhaps five other times in the past. It was more expensive then it used to be, but the service and food were excellent. I still love the experience of being right IN the Eiffel Tower. The atmosphere is quite elegant and the views are wonderful.

I have never been to Altitude 95, but from what I can see from the second level, the hoards are larger and the dress (and perhaps the atmosphere) is more casual.

Thanks to all, ongoing comments still appreciated. Caroline_edinburgh, that article was worth reading and more encouraging. Ira,thanks for your suggestions re Les Ombres. You have obviously eaten there before. Was the food memorable/good? Apart from the view of the Eiffel Tower does the actual restaurant have atmosphere, etc? When are you booked to eat there? Your report would be appreciated if its before we go at end of June.Will probably make a booking there, tho will still hope some more positive views on Jules Verne will eventuate as they "iron out" their initial problems as terryr said. Ongoing comments from people who have eaten at the NEW Jules Verne would still be appreciated. May book there as well and follow comments over next few months.

dawnnoelm--We had a nice dinner at Altitude 95 last summer. We had also been a few years before. Anyway, it was a very nice evening. The food was very good, much better than it was on our other trip, and much better than what you would expect at such a venue. Both times we requested, and had tables by the window looking out to the Trocadero. This summer we celebrated my mothers birthday there and she was thrilled with it. I would not hesitate to go back, and actually when we return in a year we probably will.

Sudee - we have a reservation for dinner at Jules Verne for 4/27/08 so I'll post when we get back and let you know what we thought. I think the suggesion on making reservations and then cancelling if you change your mind is a good one.

I think I will try to do this - we will be in Paris for 10 nights - I really want to make the most of our time there.

I would agree that the best idea is to reserve, then keep checking for reviews.

Also, it's a good idea to wander by and take a look at the current menu the day before (you have to confirm your reservation, anyway, and you can do this at the same time) just to make sure you find it appealing.

Hi S,

> Ira,thanks for your suggestions re Les Ombres. You have obviously eaten there before. Was the food memorable/good?

I don't mean to imply that we had been to Les Ombres. It only opened in June, 2006.

They have gotten good reviews.

Here's their website www.lesombres-restaurant.com/

We are going because my Lady Wife would like to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up and blinking.

If you want a memorable dining experience, I suggest Taillevent.

http://www.taillevent.com/

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

Based on Ira and others suggestions, we had dinner at Les Ombres at the beginning of this month. It was my mother's birthday so we wanted to go somewhere special.

The service was wonderful and the food was good too. Have I had better food elsewhere - sure - but the food plus the service and the view made this memorable.

There was a mix of people there - everything from a casual couple wearing jeans to slightly more dressy attempts.

The atmosphere to me was romantic - very dimly lit so you could clearly see the Eiffel. I did notice they seemed to have an outdoor area that i'm assuming they use in better weather which would be nice.

With liquor for 4 and the exchange rate, figure $600.

Hi S,

My Lady Wife says that I should mention www.laperouse.fr

She felt that it was a very romantic, and very good resto.

You could also ask for a small private dining room, if you wish.

See my trip report for details: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34676645

((I))

ttt...sending out to recent travelers who have dined at Jules Verne...please give us your opinion, thank you!

I personally haven't eaten there, but one of my very close friends ate there over Christmas vacation. She took her three sisters to Europe (Paris/Rome) for a week and wanted them to have some very special experiences/memories. She said the experience was great for her and for them. She travels the world a lot...for vacation...so has experienced a lot. She has also been to Paris before. It was her siblings first overseas trip.
Now, as for the bill...well...that's another story. As I was talking to her, on the phone, a couple of months ago, and she was telling me about it, she pulled out her AmExp bill, so that she could quote me the correct total. For the buffet for 4 people with drinks...and the total was $1200.-ish. She remembered The buffet being 100Euros each. Plus, they had champagne and some other drinks.
I'm glad they had a great expereince. As for me, I'll stick to my neighborhood restaurant of nearly 25 years...plat du jour...13 Euros. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Suedee,
I made reservations for Les Jules Verne for 6/7/08 a few days ago, but i was actually trying to make them for one day before and it was already booked ( at least for lunch). So, I would say as it's been already suggested, to make reservations now and cancel later if you decide to go elsewhere.

Thanks to all for the info and input; based on reviews on this site: www.thisisthelife.com/en/julesverne-paris.htm we decided we would go prepared not to get upset if the service is bad and just relax and enjoy what should be superb food and a great view, so we have taken the plunge and booked! I booked the day bookings opened for that date. Will post a report when get back in August.

Guenmai, are you saying that Jules Verne is now a buffet? Or was that for lunch? Or was it simply an option instead of ordering from the menu?
One thing that throws me is the idea of people getting up and down and carrying plates to and from a buffet, hardly seems worthy of a $1200 for four expenditure to me -- I don't care WHAT'S on the buffet.

NeoPatrick-I don't know if it's only a buffet or not. She said they had a buffet meal. I can't ask her about it right now since I just got an e-mail yesterday, after me returning from out of state, and she and a close friend of ours are off to Spain today. I'll try to ask her whenever she gets back. Happy Travels!

Well, I did it. We'll be in Paris from 5 through 10 May and I just booked the Jules Verne for lunch on my wife's birthday.

Questions:

Are jacket and tie required for lunch?

Is there an English menu?

May we order wine by the glass with lunch?

TIA,
CB

Guenmai I like the way you think. Give me a little bistro where the food is good and the wine is cheap every time. $1200 for a buffet is more than nuts!