Paris - where to have our 50th Anniversary Dinner
 

We will be in Paris June 6th through the 13th. This is our second time in Paris. Our 50th Wedding Anniversary in on the 7th. We are looking for suggestions for a romantic restaurant for dinner that won't totally break the bank but will still be memorable. We were thinking of the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower - I have heard that the food is much improved with the new chef. I also know that many restaurants are closed on Sundays so any help would be appreciated

You are refering to the Jules Verne, now operated by Alain Ducasse. Undoubtedly, one of the most expensive in Paris. (The other restaurant, Altitude 95, is not anniversary worthy)There are of course zillions of others which serve first class fare. You might look at La Tour d'Argent, a storied restaurant with a sensational view of Notre Dame and the islands. Same price range, though.

Have a great time visiting Paris.

Happy almost 50th! DH and I ate at less expensive place there 6 years ago for 25th and it was fine then. I'm at the library's computer so don't have my notes handy about the day of the week or its name. Jules Verne is the money-cruncher but they might have a fixed price dinner.

Other posters will no doubt have better info and other suggestions before I get back home to double check.

Perrudin, near Sorbonne, was another excellent one. Again, I'll send particulars later.

Anywhere you da*n well please after 50 years of marriage.

I see that hmmm and I were writing at the same time. I gotta say that eating dinner in the Eiffel Tower is the noteworthy part, not spending the price of a plane ticket is quite worthy also! The food was fine at Altitude 95. Was it the best meal ever? No but we sure enjoyed it.
Just to get other posters even more aghast, we ate there as part of a Citirama Paris Lights tour. Everyone else went to Moulin Rouge but we couldn't stay awake that long...

Thank you all - I will be booking the Jules Verne - hmmm you are right - after 50 years, we deserve it.

Someone suggested to me 'Les Ombres' atop the Branly Museum... wonderful views of the Eiffel Tower thru their glass domed ceiling. And not *QUITE* as expensive as Jules Verne!

I think in June I'd go to La Grande Cascade in the Bois de Boulogne. You might be able to eat outside and I've read some very good things about the food lately. I don't know how expensive Jules Verne is, but anyway, just to throw somethin else out there. I have been considering going on my next trip.

http://www.grandecascade.com/

Here's a review on the Hungry for Paris blog:

http://hungryforparis.squarespace.co...e-cascade.html

Have you checked out the menu at :
http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/

Looks good to me!!!!

As for Jules Vernes, a close friend of mine took her three siblings there for lunch, Dec 2007, and it was a little over US1200.00 for lunch, and a bottle of champagne. Happy Travels!

Lord, where does one draw the line between expensive and absurd!

Here's another recommendation for La Grande Cascadea and Les Ombres (but only if the weather is favorable and you can get a table on the terrace - the restaurant tends to be very noisy).

If you do go to Le Jules Verne, book the earliest time (which gives you a better chance of a window table), so you'll arrive in the daylight and enjoy the dusk, twilight (when the light is most beautiful), sunset, then dark when the lights are turned on all over - just magical! Tell your waiter that you'd like to go for a stroll after dinner and have dessert/coffee/after dinner drinks in the cocktail lounge (where the views are the very best). After dinner, you can stroll the observation deck (in my opinion the best level for views and photos), then enjoy the views from the cocktail lounge with your dessert/coffee, along with the piano player.

This is one of those times where you'll be remembering the experience rather than the cost.

The "special" Valentine's Day [fixed price] menu with drinks at the Jules Verne was 540 euros. Per person.

Nevertheless, the poster is free to spend his money as he sees fit, and for a 50th anniversary dinner, that may be suitable. Doubtless there are less expensive selections available.

Enjoy your trip.

TDudette- My friend said that it was worth it for the experience for her and her siblings and to just see the big smiles on their faces.

She travels a lot, internationally for vacation, but her siblings had never been to Europe and they don't have the means to travel like she does. So, she paid for the entire, 10-day, trip for them as a gift of love from her. She knew it was going to cost a bundle, but had budgeted it. She's not a wealthy person, but has worked very hard and budgeted/invested/pinched and saved her money very well and over decades. So, for her this was the "BIG" splurge. As for me, no, I'd never spend that much for food/experience. I'm fine with my 12.50 Euro meals in Paris. But, I splurge on other things, that she'd absolutely never splurge on...like handbags. To each his own. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Many congratulations!!!! That is certainly a milestone. If you are willing to spend the money and have a truly amazing experience - Le Grand Vefour would top my list.

BTW DH and I are celebrating our 25th this year, and we are also going to Paris. A total of 12 days in France, 5 in Paris.

Guenmai, To each his own indeed! Sorry, but a rip is a rip.

The "menu" at Jules Verne for lunch is €85, and at dinner €200. We paid that much for dinner at The Herb Farm in Seattle, and the view there was surely not as nice as from the Tower.

:-)

TDudette-I agree. It's hard to comprehend such a large amount of money for dining. But, then again its hard for my friend to comprehend how much I spend on handbags. Happy Travels!

My parents never got to celebrate their 50th anniversary. My mom would easily pay ten times the previously mentioned large amount of money if she can have one more meal with my dad.

€200 is better than €540 but that's before wine so even that per person gets close to ripville IMHO. Memories? Sure, but come ON!

As someone smarter than I said, "you only rent your meal". Guenmai, your handbag will remain with you much longer than dinner!

To each his own!

To each her own indeed. I don't care about handbags at all; I'd rather spend my money on a great meal, a great experience. Remember there are people who criticize those of us who like to travel. We could be spending money on houses, newer cars, etc., things that "last."

The 85E menu at La Grande Cascade is for lunch only, I believe.

Leely2-So true. Yes, there ARE those who criticize those of us who travel and think we're wasting our money. I tell them that folks should spend their hard earned money on whatever makes them happy and/or fulfilled.

Some folks thought I was "wacko" when I took off to Europe, at 17, on my first 2-month trip. I'm early 50s now and have been going strong, 1-2 times a year, solo, overseas vacations ever since and have hit all of the continents. It didn't seem "wacko" to me or other friends who traveled the same way and we didn't mind spending the money on travel. Plus, I was raised in a family that always said that there's more going on in the world than what's going on in one's backyard, so go out and explore. And I'm female.

Last year I saw one of those folks who thought I was "wacko" back in the day, and now he really wishes he had had my "wacko" travel lifestyle and my way of looking at things as his life has been quite ho-hum since high school graduation as he basically never lived out of the box. Happy Travels!

I am in Paris for a month. I always go to the formerly l'Obelisque in the Hotel Crillon. It is now just l'Obe. I was there today. It was excellent. Everything about it is excellent..especially on Sundays and Mondays..those are the days when they can expect their long time guests..they call them their nice people!

I have enjoyed many meals there. I always email the hotel complimenting them, too. I also recive complimentary champagne, as we did today a pink and a white..Taittinger, of course. Menu prices are 28 and 23 euros!

I bet that if you emailed them for a reservation and mentioned celebrating an anniversry, that you would probably be receiving some free champagne.

I'm sure you would enjoy the restaurant and the Crillon experience.

Enjoy...

Joan

tusconcoors, we booked Jules Verne for our anniversary celebration, ONLY 27 years, but we're going for the gold too.

I booked our reservation on-line a couple of weeks ago for May 30, but after reading djkbooks comments above thought I'd see about moving the time to earlier slot. Unfortunately, now only lunch reservations are available that day.

I know you said you would be booking JV so if you haven't already done so may want to do it NOW.

T4TX - each table is booked for only one party per evening, so you should have no problem changing the time with a phone call - or just arrive at opening time.

Thank you djkbooks I wondered about that since we ate at Lucas Carton years ago and I remembered my husband calling to say we'd be late and being told so what----in a nice way....

I think I will call and we'll go earlier than originally planned. Again, thanks. Fodor folks are so helpful!

Sorry I didn't thank you all sooner - JV was booked in April but we have been traveling and I haven't had a chance to thank you all for sharing. And thank you DJKBooks for the suggestion about sunset and strolling on the deck and the cocktail lounge. We are planning to do just that. We leave tomorrow for NYC, then onto London, to finish our celebration in Paris.

If your schedule permits it, you might want to squeeze in a lunch at CielDeParis.com on the 56th floor of the <I>Tour Montparnasse</i>. Best view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - from about the height of halfway between Jules Verne and the top.

The 35&euro; <I>Menu des Gourmands</i> is a real bargain.

Looking forward to hearing about your wonderful anniversary celebration!