Of all the Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, Le Jules Verne is one of the most unique and picturesque. Le Jules Verne is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, 125 meters above the city streets. The restaurant offers unobstructed sweeping views of the city, and famous sites like Notre Dame, Montmartre, and the Musse d’Orsay. In order to access Le Jules Verne, you will ride in a private elevator up to the restaurant, where you will be led to your table. The interior is very modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing you to see the view from wherever you sit.
Frédéric Anton is the head chef at Le Jules Verne and holds three Michelin stars. Anton is a master of Gastronomic french cuisine, focusing on the intricate details of every dish. Like the chefs, the waitresses and hostesses at Le Jules Verne are very attentive and focused. Every time your water glass isn’t full, they will come over and top it off. In addition, if you ever need to visit the restroom, you will be escorted by the designated staff.
As you get settled in, the staff will bring the menu, detailing the 5 or 7-course menu. The menu changes seasonally, and you can also request alternative tasting menus based on your dietary preferences. We decided to go for the 5-course menu, which was plenty of food. Promptly after we put in our order, the waiters brought the amuse bouche, which was a roasted chestnut tart. The chestnut was very creamy, and salty. It contrasted nicely with the sweet sugary sauce that was poured over the chestnut. The crust was also very elegant and added a flaky texture that complimented the creamy and smoothness of the tart. This was a great start to the meal and readied our tastebuds for the first course.
After finishing the amuse-bouche, the waiters swiftly removed our plates and brought the first course, which was crab with tarragon, grapefruit, and creamy burrata. The crab was cooked perfectly and was very juicy. The burrata on top of the crab had a citrusy and earthy taste from the grapefruit and tarragon, and paired very well with the crab. This dish was especially interesting because the crab was hot, and the tarragon and burrata were cold. This made the dish very refreshing, but still gave you a warm comforting feeling every time you bit into the crab.
The second course was scallops two ways. The hot scallops were cooked very simply, with aromatics and spices like chives and lemon. This dish was very warming and comforting, and the scallops were cooked perfectly, with just the right balance of tenderness and chewiness. The second way was scallops with lemon, sea urchin, and caviar. This dish was served cold, and very fresh. The acidity of the lemon and the saltiness of the caviar was a great combo and helped give the sea urchin an ocean-like taste. The scallops were so fresh and delicious, and the flavors of the other ingredients brought out the flavor of the scallops. This was truly one of my favorite scallop dishes I have ever had!
After devouring both scallop dishes we moved on to the third course, which was simply cooked cod. The cod was plated with Kalamata olive powder, capers, and a bouillabaisse, which is a fish soup. The cod was plated beautifully and was super fresh and tender. The olive powder and capers added some acidity, and the bouillabaisse added lots of salty, and ocean-like flavor, which complemented the very simple cod. This was a very balanced dish, that wasn’t too overpowering, and tasted very good.
For the fourth course we were served, steak with black truffles, and polenta, topped with parmesan and black truffle topping. The course was plated beautifully, and there was a very generous portion of black truffles on top. The steak was extremely tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. This paired very well with the subtle earthiness of the truffles on top. The polenta was perfectly seasoned, which went nicely with the parmesan. This dish was very filling, and a very nice way to end the savory portion of the meal.
The final course served was the dessert course, consisting of a chocolate soufflé with cacao nib ice cream and a crispy gavotte. The soufflé was very rich and had a deep chocolate flavor. The warmth of the soufflé contrasted with the cold ice cream, which created the perfect balance. The cacao nibs in the ice cream made it less sweet and overpowering, allowing the soufflé flavors to shine through. The crispy gavotte was great to nibble on between bites of soufflé because it provided a contrasting texture. After finishing this final course, we were completely satisfied and stuffed. Le Jules Verne is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, and should be on your bucket list.
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