Le Jules Verne was the very first Michelin-starred restaurant I ever went to, and now, just days after it earned its second star, I returned to enjoy one of the most surprising, truly delicious fine dining meals I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy.
Of course, the experience doesn’t begin on the plate. Le Jules Verne is located in perhaps the most exceptional setting you can imagine: the second story of the Eiffel Tower. I spent many years when I was first working as a tour guide shepherding groups of (mostly American) clients around this viewing platform, so to take advantage of the restaurant’s private entrance and experience a far calmer Eiffel both offered a strange sense of nostalgia and can be categorized as an absolute glow-up.
The restaurant is made up of three small dining rooms located throughout the establishment, each of which, on this particular visit, were soaked with sunlight. There’s a full five- or seven-course tasting menu on offer, but the lunchtime prix fixe is a comparative steal at 160 euros, with a pair of choices each for appetizer, main, and dessert, as well as an optional 35-euro cheese course. (Spoiler alert: You will want the cheese.)
Even when you order “three” courses, in a Michelin-starred restaurant like this one, all the add-ons make it far more consequential. My three-hour marathon of a lunch began with this beautiful tartlet featuring what I believe was my first bite of asparagus of the season. The earthy pastry base (rye flour, perhaps?) was filled with an asparagus panna cotta glazed in sherry vinegar reduction and studded with a bit of welcome, aromatic black pepper. I was encouraged to eat it with my hands, which I happily did as I observed the other tables populated by a mix of tourists and locals, many of whom seemed to be celebrating special occasions.
The bread service from Kayser was accompanied by a pat of delicious salted butter served at just the right temperature. (Nothing worse than too-cold butter. Well. Maybe a few things. But things one does not think about on the Eiffel Tower.)
The second and third amuse-bouche were served as a pair: foie gras with roasted Cevennes onion emulsion, truffle, and croutons was lightly sweet, and despite its richness was one of the more moreish foie gras bites I’ve tried.
It was served alongside a second asparagus dish, this one pairing small lengths of the perfectly cooked vegetable with a smoked butter emulsion seasoned with seasonal spring garlic. I really enjoyed going back and forth between these, not just in an attempt to figure out which one was my favorite (the foie, by a hair), but also because the fresh, herbaceous notes of the asparagus counterbalanced the rich sweetness of the foie perfectly.
On the day of my visit, the weather was warm, and the other appetizer had buckwheat. I opted easily for crab, and I wasn’t disappointed. A half-sphere of airy Granny Smith apple foam hid a layer of crab salad seasoned with tarragon, offering earthiness to contrast with the one-two punch of sweetness from the aforementioned.
A rich cider soup served alongside was deeply savory, with the rich texture of a bisque. Here, too, a layer of crab meat was hiding beneath all of that foam.
My main was a langoustine served in a puddle of briny langoustine-parmesan emulsion and topped with truffle. I took my time easing every last morsel of meat out of the tail.
I sopped up what was left of the sauce with spoonfuls of parmesan risotto, a side dish which comparatively fell a bit flat, seeing as it was slightly underseasoned and topped with thin shards of parmesan that quickly went dry.
A small bit of langoustine claw broiled under a rich béchamel sauce was a two-bite bit of perfection. It’s worth noting that the mains all come in threes like this, with the protein served alongside a nostalgic, comfort food-inspired side and a small bite. (The ris de veau came with mashed potatoes and a little truffle-infused croquette.)
I usually eschew restaurant cheese courses, seeing as I always have excellent cheese at home. But here, the cheese course stands out. Instead of a cheese cart, Chef Anton opts to focus on just one cheese, which he revisits – with truffle – to make it shine. On this particular visit, Saint-Nectaire was baked with chicken jus and potato emulsion so that it became sticky and even richer than it would have been on its own.
It came with an equally rich truffle brioche that I could not finish but seriously considered sticking into my purse for later. (I didn’t, and I kind of regret it.)
The pre-dessert (oh yes) was a study in white, with an orb of coconut mousse playfully hiding a core of bright orange passionfruit sorbet. Garnished with shards of coconut meringue, it was fresh and light, the ideal palate cleanser before the real dessert…
… this absolutely gorgeous citrus baba drizzled tableside with a ginger-infused juice. The acidic citrus with its bitter undertones cut the richness of the buttery baba beautifully.
It came with a side of majoram and melissa-infused sorbet, topped with an herb-spiked tuile covering a demure dusting of crumble.
This little pastry with an almond biscuit base, a citrus compote, and a bit of citrus-spiked cream was my favorite part.
Two tiny mignardises rounded things off. This whiskey-infused baba had almost tiramisu vibes, with chocolatey notes and a touch of smoke.
And this little exotic fruit tartlet tasted like the very best slice of fresh mango piled into a shortbread base.
The exceptional, multilingual service and breathtaking views may well make this meal the best value fine dining meal you can find in Paris… and that’s saying something.
Le Jules Verne – La Tour Eiffel, 75005
looks like one winner after another!