It's impossible to visit Paris without making a detour to the Eiffel Tower. Starred restaurant, highly visible or well-hidden bistros, on land or on water, here is our selection of restaurants around (and even inside!) the Iron Lady.
LessVery close to the Champ-de-Mars is Kwen Liew and Ryunosuke Naito's 18-seat restaurant. He's Japanese and has trained in some of the most prestigious kitchens in Paris (Taillevent, Meurice), she is Malaysian and has trained across Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore, the South of France, and Paris. Working perfectly in tandem, they compose market cuisine with intense flavors, offering a delicious facelift to the French tradition.
Change (and quality) in continuity: Bertrand Bluy has managed to preserve the spirit of the place, in the style of a luxury neo-brasserie, and its philosophy, made famous by Christian Constant. In the kitchen, Alain Solivérès and Jimmy Tsaramanana celebrate the South-West with great technical mastery and high-quality products. Remember to book, as the tables are always full here.
We'd be remiss not to open this list with the only restaurant located inside the Eiffel Tower. Head up 125m in a private elevator to this second floor dining room and enjoy a cod with fried garlic and fresh coriander, or a fillet of lamb in its liquorice-flavored jus. Try to book your meal well in advance and take a table near the bay windows: the view of Paris, through the metal beams of the tower, is quite simply unforgettable.
A stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, this gourmet bistro has more than one trick up its sleeve to win the hearts of the public. Japanese chef Satoshi Horiuchi lets the market and products dictate the menu every day—think crispy veal head, oyster vinaigrette; quasi roast veal, polenta cake; Baba au rhum, spiced syrup, and and light cream. It's all beautiful work.
Contemplative gastronomy—this is the promise of Alain Ducasse with his electric boat restaurant, moored just in front of the Eiffel Tower, which offers its customers an ecological and silent gastronomic cruise on the Seine. See the monuments of Paris while discovering a kitchen of fine craftsmanship, smoothly led by a brigade worthy of the greatest restaurants in the city.