Jules Verne: Paris' most high profile restaurants has reopend after a 10-month refurb. Photo / Supplied
Set on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, Le Jules Verne might be Paris' most high profile restaurant.
Situated 125 metres in the famous French structure, the gourmet restaurant
Some might recognise it as the setting from the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill. While Roger Moore or Grace Jones are nowhere to be seen, the views over Paris are certainly to die for.
The interiors have left the mid-80s far behind, in a redesign by Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d'Amman.
Since closing for these renovations in September last year, few people have had a chance to see the interiors up close.
Amman says his goal for the redesign was "infusing this gourmet restaurant whose name resonates throughout the world, the timeless elegance through the contemporary French decorative arts".
Chef Frédéric Anton says he is passionate about the returning the restaurant to a gastronomic destination for the capital, and not just because it is in the country's most famous landmark.
The golden rule of rooftop restaurants is that food, in general, is lackluster; relying on the scenic backdrop to wow diners, instead of the food.
As the Le Jules Verne opens it has a chance to be the exception to this rule.
Taking over from previous celebrity chef Alain Ducasse, Anton has a chance to breathe new life into the diner in the sky.
"I want Le Jules Verne to become a gastronomic destination before being considered a tourist destination," he said at the launch.
The Meilleur Ouvrier de France and recipient of the Légion d'honneur sees the refurbishment as a chance to start anew.
"We started afresh. It's our spirit here," Anton told reporters.
Those wishing to taste Anton's menu should take a deep breath. The price of the weekend menu is almost as steep as the famous tower that houses it, with set menus starting from €105 to €230.
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