The Jules Verne restaurant in Paris has to have one of the greatest locations in the world. It can be found halfway up the Eiffel Tower with views of the city to die for. Those who have yet to visit can see it in the film “A View to a Kill” with Roger Moore. It featured there, although the décor has been updated since then.
It is owned and run by Alain Ducasse, who has more Michelin stars than just about anyone else in the world. So, this location, and this pedigree set our hopes high for our experience at the Jules Verne.
You are first greeted by a liveried lift operator at the base of the lift, and are then escorted to the restaurant. From there, the restaurant staff take over and escort you to the table. If you’re lucky, like us, you’ll have a window table which affords stunning views of the city.
The service is exquisite, and for French, very friendly. The waiter was courteous and greeted us with a smile, the sommelier listened to us and produced a very acceptable white wine based on our conversation.
This restaurant more than any other, you’re not just paying for the meal, you’re paying for the experience, and pay you will. It isn’t cheap, but this is a once in a lifetime experience. I would imagine this restaurant has featured on many people’s “eat here before you die list.”
Our entrees consisted of lobster and foie gras. The lobster was poached Brittany lobster with a celeriac remoulade and shaved wild apple. I have to say it was one of the finest lobsters I think I have ever tasted. It was sublime, and was set off beautifully by that apple.
The foie gras was escalope of duck cooked in cocotte and served with baby spinach leaves. Again, it was easy to see why this was a Michelin starred restaurant. It was light, fluffy and tasted beautiful. We have rarely smiled so much when confronted with a starter.
Our main course consisted of turbot and chicken. The fish was pan-seared with crayfish and mushrooms and was a real mixture of flavours. It worked really well. The fish was cooked perfectly and fell off the bone. It was set of nicely by the crayfish, and the mushroom “a la riche” added an earthy tone that grounded the whole meal.
The chicken was a stuffed, roasted Bresse chicken served with seasonal vegetables. It was interesting to see a Sunday dinner type meal, Michelin style. It really hit the mark. The chicken was juicy, the meat bright white and the vegetables were right on the money. They were just on that perfect balance between crunchy and undercooked.
The meal so far had left us anticipating dessert. We weren’t to be disappointed as our Tower bolt, and coconut and coffee soufflé arrived in style. The Tower bolt contained dark chocolate praline and hazelnut ice cream. It was a delight, sweet, but not too sweet. Every mouthful sets your taste buds on fire.
The coconut and coffee soufflé had a rum granite and a coconut sorbet to keep it toned down a bit. There was certainly a lot going on, but the sorbet held it all together nicely. Coconut and coffee isn’t something I would immediately think of putting together when designing a dessert, but it worked.
Service was very efficient, but we were unhurried. We were even offered a pause between main and dessert, which was a nice touch.
We had a beautiful bottle of white wine, selected by the sommelier. We were so overwhelmed by the Jules Verne experience that we forgot what we were drinking. Whatever it was, it complemented the meal perfectly.
The Bill: £223 per head
