dee

I will be in Paris in early August for four days. I will be staying at the Hotel Splendid etiole. has any one been there? comments? Location (good , bad)? Any special advice? When people say they have splurged for dinner what price are we talking about for a really wonderful restaurant for two. is it worth eating in the eiffel tower? Any other good restaurants with wonderful views? Thanks

patty

dee,honey-try the text search box first.there is soooo much info there about paris and everything included.then we can get down to some specifics.thanks.

elaine

Dee<BR>"really wonderful" is of course a matter of opinion, but you can dine well at a charming bistro for the US equivalent of about $50 pp, a highly-rated more formal place for $80-120 pp, and one of the very top for upwards of $200-$300 pp. One of the factors in each range is the wine, and whether you share "foodie" standards or not.<BR>Some of the very top-rated places are more of a "bargain" for lunch.<BR><BR>I personally wouldn't like staying out near the Etoile because I prefer a more central location that allows me to walk to many of my destinations, but you certainly from the Etoile can get good metro connections to other areas in Paris.<BR><BR>Here's a small selection of restaurants with views<BR>Toupary, fifth floor, La Samaritaine department store, 2 quai du Louvre, right bank. Closed Sunday. Reserve in advance for lunch, they get a business crowd which dresses accordingly. Food is good. La Samaritaine in warm seasons also has a ninth-floor caf&eacute;/snack bar on a terrace with a wonderful view.<BR><BR>La Tour d’Argent, 15 quai de la Tournelle, left bank. A very famous and old restaurant. Quite expensive, though lunch may be considered comparatively more affordable. I haven't been there for a while, but thought the food was excellent. Breathtaking view of Notre Dame, day or evening. Dressy.<BR><BR>Le Jules Verne, 2nd level, Eiffel Tower. phone 1 45 55 20 04, fax 1 47 05 29 41. Reserve months in advance. Dressy and very very expensive. Food is good, though not at the top rung according to most critics, but it is a memorable setting. Mostly visitors. Most people who go enjoy it once, even if they don't go back. Reserve months in advance.<BR><BR>Altitude, 1st level, Eiffel Tower. Food not nearly as good as the Jules Verne, but prices are much less.<BR>Telephone 1 45 55 20 04. Reserve weeks in advance.<BR><BR>Le Ciel de Paris, in the Montparnasse Tower, 33 Avenue du Maine, in the 15th. Has spectacular view of all of Paris including the Eiffel Tower. Food said to be so-so. Prices more moderate, especially for lunch.<BR><BR>Le Totem, 17 place du Trocadero. Wonderful close-up view of the Eiffel Tower, especially at night. Casual, trendy setting. tel 1 47 27 28 29. I ate there about 2 years ago; food mediocre and over-priced I thought for such a casual place, yet not horribly expensive, at the time about US $40pp.<BR><BR>La Terrasse, the rooftop resturant of the Terrasse Hotel, overlooking Montmartre Cemetery. Said to be“Delightful” in summer, view sweeps from Pantheon to the Eiffel Tower. Reserve for the “Panoramique”, not the hotel’s ground floor restaurant.<BR><BR>I have a file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me.<BR>

jarhead

elaine, if you have more budget type stuff on your file then i would appreciate it if you could email it to me. I will be there for 2 1/2 days in sept. there will be 4 of us.<BR><BR>ta

Christina

There is actually a restaurant in the 16th (or more than one) that have good views of the Eiffel Tower, and those might be more convenient for you (and maybe nicer to look at it than be in it, plus Jules Verne is super expensive, you know). there's a good one down on the quai, seafood.....let's see, here are a few<BR><BR>Le Totem, place du Trocadero in the 16th arr., spectacular view of Eiffel Tower, outside terrace open in summer, rel. cheap (ie maybe US$25-40 pp) Here's a URL with comments on it amid other interesting reviews<BR>http://www.boheme.com/journal/rest.html<BR><BR>Port Alma, 10 av de NY, 16th arr (Alma metro), seafood, also good view across to the Eiffel Tower, mod. price, here is a review by Patricia Wells:<BR>http://www.patriciawells.com/reviews/iht/2000/1512.htm<BR><BR>I would prefer dining in one of those than in the Eiffel Tower.