Lunch or Dinner in Eiffel Tower?
 

My husband and I would like to do a lunch or dinner at Altitude 95 or Le Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower. Is it worth it? Do they allow you to just order drinks, appetizers, and desert? Or would they look down on that?? Thank you!

I doubt they'd look kindly on not ordering a meal.

I agree with StCirg. We had dinner at Jules Verne in April as our last night in Paris. We enjoyed the evening very much. The view was beautiful and the food was very good. A wine was suggested to us that was excellent. If you're going to try this restaurant, just consider it a special experience and go for it.

The view at the Jules Verne, while nice, excludes most of Paris, so you wouldn't want to go just for the view, anyway. The view at Altitude 95 is excellent if you are near the windows, but you aren't likely to be if you just drop in without a reservation (which is possible, although sometimes the restaurant is fully booked).

Yes, they will mega look down on you , this is not a neighborhood steakhouse where you go for drinks and appies,, LOL This is a restaurant , not a cafe or bistro , or brasserie ,, places you could get away with something like that..

I suggest you try going to Alitude 95 for the set lunch menu if you want the experience without the whopping price.

Both restaurants have websites you can check out.

Anthony I was puzzled by your comment about the view. I remember having a wide view of the city when I ate there a few years ago..

Unless you're on top of the tower, I'm sure people are going to look down on you!

Jules Verne is not at the top of the tower. Nevertheless, I do not understand Anthony's statement that the view excludes most of the city, as I remember having a wide panoramic view of Paris when we ate at Jules Verne.

That statement makes NO sense. JV has a wonderful view of Paris. We haven't been since it reopened (since that JUST happened), but lunch is nice since you can really see Paris, and it will be a lot more affordable, if that is in question.

We also had a great view of Paris from Jules Verne. Not sure what he is talking about??? We went for lunch, as that was expensive enough. I would not just order appetizers and desert here.
dave

I understand that Altitude 95 is under new management. We ate there twice in the last few years and we went for the view, not for the food, which was OK but nothing to write home about. If anyone's been there recently, I'd like to know if the food is any better.

The view from the restaurant at Le Jules Vernes is toward Trocadero/Palais de Chaillot and Arc de Triomphe. Depending on your table, you may be able to see Sacre Coeur in the distance. So, AnthonyGA is quite correct.

However, the view from the cocktail lounge is on the other side with views to Place de la Concorde, Pont Alexandre III, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, the Pantheon, etc.

We've always booked the earliest reservation time, so you arrive in the daylight and dine as the sun sets. After dinner, we'd go outdoors (on the second level) and take a walk around at dusk until the lights are turned on all over - just magical! Then, we have our desserts and after dinner drinks in the cocktail lounge, where there was a wonderful piano player. At some point, Chef Alain Reix would come out of the kitchen, visit with guests, pose for photos, sign menus.

We haven't visited since Alain Ducasse took over, so things may be very different.

I was always amazed that people would finish dinner and head for the elevator bypassing the wonderful cocktail lounge. (You could not go up for cocktails only.)

But, we would enjoy drinks and the piano player as late as possible before taking the elevator back down and strolling "home".

Altitude 95 faces the same direction. If you walk around that level, most of the best landmarks are blocked by trees/buildings.

I think the views are best from the second level - and better for photo ops, and you don't have to deal with the elevator crowds to/from the very top.

A huge advantage of Le Jules Verne is the private elevator.

It doesn't have the cachet of the Eiffel Tower, but the best view of the city is from cieldeparis.com

Not my experience, djkbooks. We ate lunch there a couple of years ago, and had drinks in that lovely lounge. Stayed a sinfully long time, sipping our brandy. I wanted to come back in the evening for drinks, and was told the lounge was reserved for dinner guests -- no drop-ins.

Hopefully, things have changed, as I would love to revisit the lounge.

:-)

I think that is exactly what Donna is saying--you can stay after dinner (or lunch)but you can't just come up for drinks.
I still disagree on "a limited view of Paris". I saw all I wanted to see about as far as I could see.

My apologies, djkbooks. Old eyes did not see the "not".

:-(

Thank you, nukesafe - not necessary. I've done my share of misreadings...

They would not appreciate someone taking a table for the evening for just an entrée and dessert. They would prefer clients who came for the food, services, views, wines and the whole ambiance of the place.

Better to go to a bistro or café for a lighter meal, less expensive.

A close friend took her three sisters there for lunch in Dec and the bill came to a little over US$1200. which included a bottle of champagne. As she was telling me about it, she was getting her AmExp statement to make sure she was telling me the right amount.
They had a buffet-style lunch if I remember correctly. Personally, I'll stick to my neighborhood, inexpensive places and take the money and buy a new Vuitton bag. Smiles. Happy Travels!

If you have reservations to Altitude 95, do you pay for the lift ticket first them go up in the regular elevator or is there certain elevator to take???