Dinner at Le Jules Verne Restaurant

Months before we went to Paris, my husband had an exquisitely romantic notion and made reservations for us at Le Jules Verne, the fine-dining restaurant located on the second tier of the Eiffel Tower.  This just also happens to be the very place where Tom Cruse proposed to Katie Holmes.

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m no TomKatophile.  I was just has horrified as anyone else watching that crazy couch-jumping romantic debacle unfold, wondering how such an unfortunate Tom Cruise crush could happen to my sweet little Dawson’s Creek girlie.  For a short time I even put up this picture on my laptop to remind me every day to pray for her.

But now I know for a fact that all my prayers were in vain, because poor Katie Holmes never stood a chance.

Courtesy of Luxury Travel Review

Le Jules Verne must certainly be one of the most, if not THE most romantic restaurant in the world.  No girl could possibly resist any man who took her there.  I know I couldn’t.  Not that I tried.  I was more than happy to fall under my husband’s own well-spun romantic spell as we arrived at the Eiffel Tower a few minutes before our 7pm reservations and entered through this doorway on the right.

We were met under this awning by two semi-mafioso-looking men in tuxedos who carefully checked their list for our names and then escorted us to the Steampunked private elevator loading area where we nervously stood waiting with several other excited patrons for the elevator to come for us (I’m imagining that the elevator was the one that waited for Tom and Kat.).

Elevator to Le Jules Verne

The ride up the elevator to the restaurant was breath-taking.

The elevator travels up inside one of the legs of the tower.  One moment you are glimpsing a panoramic view of Paris and the next you are plunged into darkness.  Suddenly the elevator doors opened into a narrow hallway where a lovely French girl, standing behind a tall desk, took over and elegantly escorted us to our table.

Every table in this restaurant has a spectacular view of Paris down below and ours was no exception.

Oh my.  Paris at your feet before you as twilight falls upon it.  So romantic.  So beautiful.  If there is one place to go to feel like one groovy woman then this place has got to be IT.  I knew immediately, for people like us, that this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  And to think that just a few short years ago I could never have imagined a fantasy trip like this for the two of us.

We ordered the price fixe menu with wine pairing which means that a sommelier chooses the wines for you that will go with each of your courses.  Dinner starts with most of your wine glasses laid out on the table (only the dessert wine or cognac glasses are held until the end).

We were very excited.  We’ve only enjoyed a meal with wine pairings once before about three years ago in Napa Valley, at Le Toque. That was also wonderful meal, each wine so perfectly matched to the course that we thought then we’d died and gone to heaven.  Actually, I really count that Napa trip as the turning point in our lives.  Taking that trip to Napa was among the first decisions I made about being happy with the life I have.  That was a good decision and going to Paris was an even better one.

We anticipated the marvelous culinary adventure that now lay before us knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we would likely never have an opportunity to enjoy again.

As night fell and the renowned lights of Paris came alive at our feet, we enjoyed a truly magical dinner.   I really don’t remember how many courses there were altogether, but the meal took an entire 4.5 hours from the breaking of the most exquisite bread to the final licking of the delectable chocolate from our lips.  We finally rolled out of there at 11:30pm with every one of our five senses completely sated in every possible way.  It was hedonism at its very best.  I hope you enjoy these pictures we took as our evening progressed.  Please click on this soundtrack and sit back and enjoy a moment of joie de vivre.  (I do apologize that some of the food pictures are a little fuzzy.  It might have been from the wine pairing.)

Twilight in Paris

First Appetizer

Appetizers and Wine Pairing

Another Appetizer

Cruise ships leave their ports on the Seine

Fish Course

Vegetable course

Cruise Ships on the Seine

Main Course

Arc de Triomph at Night

Cheese Course

First dessert.  Best apples I’ve ever eaten

The City of Lights

Chocolate Dessert

The End to a Perfect Night

In the morning we were certain: Paris truly is for Lovers