Jules Verne and Il Carpaccio, two Parisian restaurants to (re)discover

Reading time: 7 mins

The Jules Verne

It’s not at all a restaurant for tourists (50% French) who roam the well-kept gardens encircling the 125-meter-wide tower, whose starred restaurant is always full for both services – a well-deserved success. The brewery of 1^er floor, completely renovated and now called Madame Brasserie, reopened its doors on June 6 with chef Thierry Marx at the helm, of the two-starred restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, Sur Mesure, in the I^er district of Paris.

The Eiffel Tower is unique and the panorama it offers over the capital is dazzling at all times. We cannot forget the view of Paris, which we admire from the top of the Jules Verne salons, through the metal beams of the tower. Lunch is a dream in broad daylight, dinner magical.

The Champ-de-Mars room, at Le Jules Verne restaurant, offers a sublime view of Paris. | Marie-Line Sina

The tower offers you an admirable motionless journey over the roofs of Paris, an incredible observation post rich in discoveries and machinery. The private elevator takes you to the top in seconds, what a moment!

Meal time (lunch or dinner) is an exception in life: nothing is trivial in this Parisian tower, so criticized at its birth in 1889. Facing you, the Montparnasse Tower, in the heart of the Parisian panorama, imposes its presence by its surprising size. What are you looking at? Your neighbourhood? Your borough? Historic sites, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the contours of the capital, green areas? Everyone shapes their vision according to their tastes, their culture, their desires…

The Quai Branly room at Le Jules Verne restaurant, at 2^e floor of the Eiffel Tower. | Marie-Line Sina

The current managers of the tower with two restaurants could have contented themselves with restoring it in good and due form, without bringing it charm, comfort and elegance. They aimed for the best. We can clearly see this in the attitude and emotion of visitors captivated by the secrets and behind the scenes of the Eiffel Tower.

In this regard, the midday or evening meal is a must, and not just for foodies. The tower benefits from the advice, ideas and dishes of the great chef of the Pré Catelan, Frédéric Anton (three stars justified), who comes every day to check the ordering of menus and dishes.

Chef Frédéric Anton comes every day to check the ordering of menus and dishes. | Marie-Line Sina

The Jules Verne has only one star, which is poorly rated. The refined preparations of Frédéric Anton, who offers extraordinary culinary journeys, would justify two stars. See the beautiful gourmet recital:

The five-course lunch menu (135 euros)

• Ravioli with fresh herbs, sheep cheese, garlic cream.
• Bar in thin strips with vanilla, peas and mint.
• Naturally cooked cod, Kalamata olive powder, fried capers, full-bodied bouillabaisse broth.

Naturally cooked cod, Kalamata olive powder, fried capers and full-bodied bouillabaisse broth from Le Jules Verne restaurant. | Frederic Anton / The Jules Verne

• Pan-fried beef with pepper sauce, “big fries”.
• Baba soaked in aged rum, light cold-infused cream, cascara (plant) sorbet.
• Strawberry, crispy meringue, zephyr with elderberry flavor, fine rhubarb tartlet.

The five-course dinner tasting menu (245 euros) or seven courses (255 euros)

• Crab, frozen broth, caviar, zéphyr with tangy apple juice.

Crab, frozen broth, zephyr with tangy apple juice. | Frederic Anton / The Jules Verne

• The bar (also on the menu at 135 euros).
• Langoustine prepared in ravioli, parmesan cream, fine beetroot jelly.

Langoustine ravioli, fine beetroot jelly, parmesan cream. | Frederic Anton / The Jules Verne

• Cod.
• Roasted poultry, morels in cream, wild garlic.
• The strawberry, crispy meringue.
• Chocolate, hot soufflé, ice cream with cocoa nibs, crispy gavotte, a treat from childhood.

5, avenue Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris. At 2^e floor of the Eiffel Tower. Access at the corner of avenue Charles-Floquet and Octave-Gréard, then by private elevator from the restaurant entrance to the south pillar of the Eiffel Tower. Everything is arrowed. No closure. Tel.: 01 45 55 61 44. Reservation by email: [email protected]

Il Carpaccio

The restaurant of the Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris hotel is reopening its doors, in partnership with the three-star establishment Da Vittorio, in Brusaporto near Milan, an international emblem of Italian gourmet cuisine.

Six months after the reopening of Il Carpaccio and the arrival of the chef couple Alessandra Del Favero and Olivier Piras, the 2022 Michelin guide crowned the Italian restaurant with one star.

Chefs Alessandra Del Favero and Oliver Piras are in the kitchens of Il Carpaccio restaurant. | Romeo Balancourt

“We are extremely happy and proud of this Michelin star shining for Il Carpaccio! This prestigious award reflects the tireless work of our teams in the kitchen and in the dining room, and the excellence that is at the heart of our priorities every day within our palace.”says Christophe Thomas, general manager of the Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris.

At the heart of the hotel, a pearly corridor adorned with thousands of shells leads to your table. The room looks like a veritable winter garden, entirely surrounded by spring-coloured windows.

The dining room of Il Carpaccio looks like a veritable winter garden. | Romeo Balancourt

The chefs offer modern Italian cuisine, light, worked with transalpine products of exceptional quality. They officiate both in the kitchen and in the dining room, where they delight their guests. The ingenious duo offers a gastronomic experience from starter to dessert, helped by the talented pastry chef Quentin Lechat, who signs the menu of Italian pastries.

At the Il Carpaccio restaurant, an assortment of desserts by pastry chef Quentin Lechat. | Romeo Balancourt

“Our cuisine is from there, it wants to be pure in its expression, revolves around transalpine products of exceptional quality and aims for a light modernity. Our difference? It is to welcome customers like at home. We can’t wait to come to the dining room to present our dishes and finish them in front of the customers, like the famous paccheri alla Vittorio, made by the minute, accompanied by a three-tomato sauce and fresh parmesan!”explains Oliver Piras, a pasta artist.

At the Il Carpaccio restaurant, paccheri alla Vittorio are prepared to order. | Beatrice Pilotto

In addition to this not-to-be-missed legendary recipe, Alessandra Del Favero and Olivier Piras like to carve the sublime veal chop in an elephant’s ear style in front of the guests, or deliver the amberjack tartare al verde style. Also on the menu, a vitello tonnato lightened in sauce and cream, but with a touch of modernity. A delight.

At Il Carpaccio restaurant, amberjack tartare al verde. | Romeo Balancourt

On the wine side, Clément Emery, director of mixology and sommellerie, has brought together the most beautiful terroirs of the Italian peninsula with prestigious estates.

The terrace of the restaurant Il Carpaccio. | Romeo Balancourt

A couple in the kitchen and in life

Oliver Piras has had various experiences across Europe: at Celler de Can Roca in Spain, at Noma in Copenhagen, with chef Alberico Penati in Brussels and with three-star chef Joël Robuchon in London.

After graduating from a famous Italian cooking school, Alessandra Del Favero decided to deepen her culinary knowledge at her family’s hotel in San Vito di Cadore, in the Dolomites. It is in the three-star restaurant Da Vittorio that they meet. Their common passion brings them together, love is there.

Lunch menu: 55 euros. Chefs’ menu inspired by the market and seasonality, in five courses: 125 euros.

Lunch and dinner menu

Starters

• The scallop crudo, mussel ragout alla puttanesca (32 euros).
• The beet tartare, candied shallot, Milanese risotto tiles (20 euros).
• Our version of vitello tonnato (32 euros).
• Fassona beef carpaccio, Caesar sauce, crispy amaranth and truffle (35 euros).

Carpaccio truffled with Fassona beef from Il Carpaccio restaurant. | Romeo Balancourt

• Glazed red mullet with raspberries, datterino tomato cream, Neapolitan-style cooked escarole (30 euros).

Pasta and risotto

• Dill risotto, pistachio sabayon and prawns from Mazara del Vallo (40 euros).

Dill risotto, pistachio sabayon and prawns. | Romeo Balancourt

• Paccheri alla Vittorio (34 euros).
• The linguine, Colonnata bacon cream, langoustine and artichoke tartare (40 euros).
• The truffle tagliolini (48 euros).
• Milanese-style osso buco tortelli with pecorino cream (30 euros).

Fish and meat

• The turbot, puntarelle, clam cream (52 ​​euros).
• The “panzanella” bar, watercress emulsion (48 euros).
• Sole, crushed potatoes and sweet potatoes, bay leaf and almonds (48 euros).
• The rack of lamb, lemon and chard leaves (55 euros).
• “Elephant’s ear” Milanese style, datterino tomatoes and baked potatoes (140 euros, for two people minimum).

L’elephant orecchia Da Vittorio. | Beatrice Pilotto

• Guinea fowl, carrots, juniper (45 euros).

Desserts (all at 22 euros)

• Rococo, sponge cake, lemon and ricotta cream, Italian meringue.
• Tiramisu.
• Chocolate and candied lemon ravioli.
• Piedmont hazelnuts and tonka.
• Pineapple carpaccio, pistachio ice cream from Bronte.
• Brioche, vanilla cream and orange granita.

37, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris. Tel.: 01 42 99 88 12. Average à la carte price: 108 euros. Closed on sunday and monday. Car park.