My wife and I visited Tour D'Argent in November. We enjoyed our pre-opera lunch there, but didn't feel like we got the full experience. And the experience we had was good but not great in some respects. In others, it was top notch. The best part of Tour D'Argent is the view from le tour (the tower) and ambiance in general. The view of the Seine and Notre Dame are incredible and truly instagram worthy. The service was also excellent. The Sommelier has a wine book thicker than most text books. I wanted to peruse it but wasn't given the option (nor did I ask). The sommelier was personable but it felt like a sales pitch at times. The food was at times excellent but a few dishes unremarkable. I would like to try their chef's tasting menu and their famous duck in the future. If it's as good as the price tag implies, I may have to update this review to 5 stars. read more

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Dining at Tour d'Argent is like stepping into a living museum of French gastronomy. Often cited as the oldest restaurant in Paris, with roots tracing back to the 16th century, it carries a legacy that few establishments anywhere in the world can match. The moment you enter, you feel that weight of history -- not as nostalgia, but as a tradition still very much alive. Ambience The dining room exudes old‑world grandeur: polished wood, gleaming silver, and panoramic views of the Seine and Notre‑Dame. It's elegant without being stiff, timeless without feeling dated. You don't just sit down to dinner here -- you take part in a ritual that has unfolded for centuries. Cuisine Tour d'Argent's legendary pressed duck remains the star of the show, served with its own numbered certificate, a tradition that has charmed diners for generations. Beyond this iconic dish, the menu showcases refined French gastronomy: seasonal ingredients, precise technique, and plates that balance richness with finesse. Every course feels like a nod to the restaurant's storied past while still embracing modern creativity. Wine The wine cellar is nothing short of mythical. With hundreds of thousands of bottles, it's one of the most extraordinary collections in Europe. The sommelier team guides you through it with warm expertise, making even the most rarefied vintages feel approachable. Service Service is formal in the best sense -- polished, attentive, and deeply knowledgeable. There's a sense of ceremony and pride in every interaction, yet the staff remain warm and human. It's hospitality shaped by centuries of refinement. Overall Tour d'Argent isn't just the oldest restaurant in Paris -- it's a place where history, cuisine, and atmosphere converge into an unforgettable experience. Come for the legacy, stay for the view, savor the food, and leave feeling like you've participated in a piece of Parisian heritage. read more

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This historic restaurant, still holding its Michelin star (although used to be 3 stars), is truly a must-visit when in Paris. From the moment you arrive until the final bite, everything about the experience feels special. The service is polished yet genuinely warm...attentive without any trace of snobbery, which is always appreciated. The dining room view is stunning, with the Seine glistening to the right and the Notre Dame to the left - an iconic Parisian backdrop whether by day or night. We came for lunch this time and shared the duck with blood sauce, beautifully prepared tableside for two, along with langoustine to start. For dessert, we had the Valtesse soufflé, also finished at the table--light, airy, and absolutely divine. Between the amuse-bouche, palate cleanser, petit fours, and the main dishes, it turned out to be quite a feast. We took our time, savoring every bite while basking in the sunlight streaming through the windows. We began with glasses of Cristal 2015--because really, where else but in France can you casually order your favorite Champagne by the glass? I also love the adorable post card they give you showing what number duck that you just had. They have served over 1.2 Million ducks since 1890!! With wine and the three-course menu for two, the total came to around USD 1,100, and I'd say it was worth every penny for the experience, the view, and the impeccable food. read more

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Let me add to the many other reviews agreeing that this place is worth the visit. Great attention and fun staff to make the experience even better. The view of Paris of course is fantastic and the food as you would expect. Definitely get the duck. read more

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What a spectacular restaurant. We dined on a Friday evening, arrived after sunset, which I wish we could have seen. We started with a drink in the downstairs bar. The bartender there was a delight. The restaurant is elevated several floors above the ground so the views of Paris are wonderful. And the food is quite good as well. They have prix fixe menus or you can order a la carte. We went a la carte. One of my dining partners and I had the pressed duck, their specialty for many decades. After dinner, they present you with a card which shows what number duck you received in the restaurant's long history. Our duck was like 1.2 million something. Really. Their wine selection is out of this world. All wines listed in an enormous book. We finished dinner with an offering of cheeses. You will not leave this place hungry! read more

Tour d'Argent - Wine list - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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Fabulous milestone birthday for the history books. Above and beyond service, highest quality of ingredients read more

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Yes, it is an extraordinarily expensive meal, but I have never experienced such a high level of service and care in any restaurant anywhere. The famous pressed duck lived up to its hype. I preferred the leg course as opposed to the breast with blood/cognac sauce. Both were very good, but the leg was superb. We were wooed to try the cheese cart -- I had a nice aged Comte and my husband had the runniest, stinkiest offering on the cart. We shared a black current soufflé for dessert, which was excellent. We shared a good bottle of claret, and left feeling entirely satisfied. Would we return? Probably not. Like I said, it is a very expensive restaurant, and we have many places we have yet to try in Paris. However, for a once in a lifetime experience, I can definitely recommend Tour D'Argent. A beautiful space, thoughtful service, delicious food -- what could be better? read more

Easily one of the best restaurants in the world, and definitely one of the oldest in Paris (1582). Food service and ambience are dream-like perfection. Just before the Olympics our hotel concierge pulled strings and got a reservation. 5 star ambience: it doesn't get much better than what seems like a Belle Epoque townhouse with walls of windows facing great views: Notre Dame et al. Inside, the hushed very classy ambience works well with the amazing food. 5 star food: even something simple like broiled chicken comes with lots of bells and whistles, is astoundingly good, and is worth every penny. You get some of the world's best food for premium prices, and the food is amazing. 5 star service: our waiter was about as close to perfect as I've ever seen. In fact the whole team was a quietly choreographed ballet. They even seem to have hand signals from across the room. In short, if the world were ending, I'd want my last meal to be HERE read more

Tour d'Argent - French Near Me - Paris, 75

once in a lifetime experience. We really enjoyed it. You waiting in the downstairs area, which you believe is the restaurant and then you're actually taking Awet to the upstairs the beautiful view of the river. I highly recommend it. read more

Impeccable. Absolutely positively impeccable. I love history and I love historic places. The feeling you get dining in a place from the 1500's is beyond reproach. What a special spot right on the Seine and not too far from Notre Dame. Simply exquisite. I feel grateful places like this exist in the world along with stellar service. read more

ne gaspillez pas votre argent! I was genuinely looking forward to our evening at La Tour d'Argent, but our experience was overshadowed by how poorly the staff handled a reservation issue--and how unwilling they were to make it right. Due to an illness in our group, I rescheduled our reservation by speaking directly with the manager, Martin. He warned that failure to show would result in a charge of approximately €400 per person, so we were careful to confirm everything via text. I appreciated the clarity and followed through. When we arrived, however, the hostess could not find our reservation. Rather than offer assistance or even a courteous apology, she walked away and returned to bluntly state, "Sorry, we don't have it." I showed her the confirmation text and called Martin. He insisted his system showed a cancellation and claimed it "must have been you," despite the fact that we had communicated and confirmed directly. He could offer no explanation--and no help. What stood out most wasn't just the mix-up, but the complete lack of hospitality: no attempt to resolve the issue, not even a gesture as simple as offering a seat or a drink while they looked into it. We were dismissed and left standing. For a restaurant of this caliber, with its history and legacy, I expected grace and professionalism. I've had remarkable dining experiences in Paris--at Ducasse, Savoy, Apicius, to name a few--but have never been treated with such indifference. La Tour d'Argent may have an iconic view and storied past, but hospitality must be felt in the present. Unfortunately, on this night, it simply wasn't. read more

Another Michelin star restaurant in my tasting menu marathon. This time at the long established 1 star Tour ď Argent. Highlights of the restaurant are the gracious greetings, beautiful decor (sans chairs, the dining chairs are not aesthetically appealing), but they were at least comfortable which is incredibly important when embarking on a tasting menu. And the portions are generous. My recommendation, though, after having the tasting menu would be to order A La Carte. Unless you're really into the fine dining classics of French cuisine. The cadence of the dishes is a little too slow for my liking. I don't like a lot of downtime between dishes, and if you're doing a tasting menu, this downtime can be grueling. The recommendations would be Langostines Royal for starters, the blue lobster for main and for dessert get either or both the Crepes Madamoiselle and the Soufflé. (The Crepes will are prepared tableside with the traditional theater involved in making Crepes Suzzette. The dining room is beautiful and dramatic at the same time being located on the top floor. There is also a rooftop bar with dining options. But it's open only during the spring and summer months. We went with the 6 dish tasting menu, which was €440 per person without wine pairing, and took three and half hours to complete. I don't know if it was because it was winter and because this restaurant is on the top floor, but the dining room was much too cold. We saw several other guests were asking for blankets halfway through our meal. Highlights, beautiful dining room. Incredible wine list. Perhaps the most impressive wine list in all of Paris. Great signature cocktails. This place seems to be an institution amongst Parisians and much beloved by the locals as many people were either in jealous or in awe when we mentioned that we had reservations for dinner there. The not so highpoints. Sadly, there is no small token of appreciation given to you at the end of the evening. The staff, seemed a little too young and inexperienced. Although courteous, they lack the polish that other top establishments have. The dining room was extremely cold. read more

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Our first visit there (not the last time when I reviewed the restaurant) for a decade ago for our milestone birthday. We just hit another milestone so we really wanted to eat here again, but booked our trip very last minute. I emailed the restaurant and asked the concierge at the Park Hyatt to call for us to no avail. The day before, I just checked online and times freed up so I was super excited to book the table. New chef, and truthfully, the cuisine felt refreshed in a good way. They still had the giant portion of the foie, but had a very tasty three preparation of langoustines which I loved. The Marco Polo duckling preparation was very good, but the green pepper sauce didn't quite have the richness and punch that I remembered and was craving. It was too subtle for the gaminess of the duck. By the time the second dish came out of the sautéed parts of duck, I was stuffed. Dessert was fun...we had the black currant soufflé which was huge. Also, had the pear tarte which was good but not great. The chocolate dessert which they comped us, was the best. I knocked a star off for ambiance. They allowed a couple in with a toddler, which I was super annoyed with because we also had a toddler on our first visit and left him at home. When he was old enough to eat properly at a fine dining restaurant using cutlery on his own and having proper table manners was when we allowed him to join us at Tour D'Argent. That kid was so annoying, but it's the parents that I fault...they had no business being that selfish in affecting the experience of the other diners. Either get a babysitter at the hotel or wait until your kid is old enough to sit quietly without crying and screaming. This isn't a family diner...it's a Michelin star restaurant. I feel like the restaurant placed money ahead of their guests and patrons. They should have turned them away since I do remember reading that there was an age minimum somewhere on their website. Clearly they don't enforce it, although I did notice the manager eyeing the table in annoyance when that kid started fussing. I found the younger wait staff to be more energetic and fun...they made the experience for us. read more

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When my wife and I ate at La Tour d'Argent almost 28 years ago, I didn't know anything about the restaurant and didn't try its famous pressed duck. After almost 28 years of regret, my wife and I finally returned to La Tour d'Argent, this time with our daughter, to finally try it. After we arrived at the restaurant, we took a tiny elevator up to the dining room in the tower. When we walked into the dining room, it was even more beautiful than I had remembered. The glass domed ceiling impressive and Paris IS, after all, The City of Lights; the nighttime view out of the windows is spectacular. We were seated at a table next to a window overlooking the Seine, Pont de la Tournelle and Île Saint-Louis. I think that it was one of the best tables in the house. We started dinner with a glass of La Tour d'Argent's house rosé champagne. Santé! The pressed duck is served only for two. I had pre-ordered it when I made our reservation and planned to share it with our daughter, while my wife ordered a more traditionally prepared duck. My daughter also ordered the langoustine appetizer and I ordered the mystery egg appetizer. The food service started with a trio of amuse-bouches. I'm not entirely sure what they were; the first was a cheese-filled ball of pastry topped with more cheese, the second was a tiny tart filled with acorn squash purée and nuts, and the third was a mystery cube on a cracker. My wife does not have a taste for cheese, but even she enjoyed the cheese ball. After our bouches had been amused, I was presented with THE BIG BOOK OF WINE, which is the biggest and heaviest wine list that I have ever hefted. Fortunately, I had remembered to bring my reading glasses with me and after 10 minutes of trying to pick a bottle of French burgundy, an American sommelier appeared at my side to rescue me. I told her that we liked pinot noirs and wanted a duck-friendly bottle of burgundy in the €250 range. She suggested a bottle of the 2002 Claude Dugat Chevrey-Chambertin, which was perfect. After I was relieved of the BIG BOOK and it was returned to its trolley, we were all introduced to our duck. La Tour d'Argent began counting the ducks it serves in the 1890s. Ours was number 1,175,561. A couple of waiters came by to dismember and skin it, then slice the breast, before returning it to the kitchen for its final preparation. Although I was slightly disappointed to miss the actual pressing of the duck carcass, I think that modern western sensibilities require it to be done in the kitchen. After our duck departed, the next food course of duck consommé with a duck dumpling was served. The presentation felt almost Chinese to me, but the flavors were purely duck. Next, my daughter was presented with her langoustine appetizer and I with my mystery egg appetizer. We had enjoyed some simply prepared langoustines on a cold seafood platter at lunch and she declared the langoustine appetizer to be much tastier and richer. My mystery egg was a sphere served in a purée of green vegetables. I guess that the mystery was how the heck they got a perfectly soft boiled egg into the center of the sphere. When I cut into it with a spoon, the liquid golden yellow yolk ran into the bright green puree. It was delicious and fun. When the main courses were served, my wife received her more traditionally prepared duck breast, while my daughter and I received the first pressed duck course of duck breast in blood sauce. The breast was extremely rare and sliced very thinp. The sauce was made from the bloody juices that had been pressed from the carcass of the duck. Although the presentation was quite plain, the breast was tender, and the sauce was richly flavored with an unexpected hint of sweetness. After we polished off the breast, the second pressed duck course of crispy thigh with accompaniments was brought out. The thigh was the best bite of food that I enjoyed during our week of gorging on food in Paris. Yum! For dessert, our daughter chose the Crêpes Mademoiselle for the table. It was prepared tableside by a waiter with quite a bit of flair. It had been years since I had seen anything flambéed in a restaurant and the fireball was epic. After dessert, we were treated to a trio of sweets, which were a couple of cookies and an intensely flavored fruit jelly. My wife, daughter and I enjoyed many terrific meals during our trip to Paris, but our meal at La Tour d'Argent was my favorite. I won't permit another 28 years to pass before we return. In fact, I'm already planning to dine there again next year. 2022 cannot come soon enough. read more

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From the ambiance to the service to the food this restaurant is truly exceptional. There is a 22-person waitstaff that attends to your every need with flare and precision. The food is stunning, creative, and delicious. And the view!! Must stop for anyone in Paris looking to spend an absolute pleasure of an afternoon/evening at a Michelin starred restaurant! read more

Magnificent Restaurant. Ambience five star plus. They serve you as if you are royalty. The specialty is the world, famous press duck. Need I see more. A must for any food lover. read more

We took our daughter here for her 12th birthday. It's absolutely glorious - the very best of everything - duck, osetra caviar, foie gras, langoustines, crepes flambéed table side and all with a view of Notre Dame and the Seine. The lobby is a piece of history with handwritten notes from past guests like JFK and Emperor Hirohito among dozens of other Presidents, kings and emperors who have dined there over the centuries. Jacket required for the men! (We watched someone be turned away at the door) read more

I had made reservations at this restaurant and received a confirmation. in addition restaurant placed a deposit in the case that I don't show up. When I got to the restaurant hostess could not find my reservation. once I showed her email confirmation she said that I am not reserved at this place but at their rotisserie next door which is a crap whole. in addition hostess was so rude that she should not interact with people. At the end of the day I am happy that I didn't contribute to this restaurant with my money. STAY AWAY read more

The food was wonderful and the service was fabulous. Everyone was friendly and helpful, especially the sommelier, who provided my husband with a variety of non-alcoholic drinks which were superb. The atmosphere, food, and service all combine to make this restaurant one of the best dining experiences. read more

BEST RESTAURANT EVER! If you go to Paris, you must visit here for the experience. First of all, it's a great view. You are on the upper floor so you can see Notre Dame. They are also very English-friendly. You are greeted immediately once you enter the place and they do take ALL types of credit cards including AmEx if you were worry. Service is good, they remind me of French service. Once they serve you, they leave you alone and you need to beckon them over for other items. However, service is quick. Once you are done with your dish, they will clean up and serve the next one in a short period of time. I actually think the price is a decent for lunch time. I was amazed by my slab of salmon for my salmon appetizer, it was delicious and beautifully plated! Also, you MUST GET THE DUCK if you come here. It's good too! I love all the flavors on all the dishes, it's yummy! You even get a postcard at the end with your duck's serial number, so fancy! I love it. There's a lot of complimentary items in between the dishes so it was very decent. I love it. We took all the time in the world to sit there and enjoy our food, no one rushed us. Note: They do charge 12 euros for water. I guess we weren't expecting that. It's 12 euros for each large bottle you consume. No wonder the waitress gave us a funny look when we asked for more water. read more

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World class traditional French restaurant. Indeed lives up to all my expectations. tremendous wine list..

This is one of those restaurants living off of its reputation. The fact that they lost their Michelin stars and had to fight to try to get them back makes a lot of sense after you go here. There are far better Michelin dining experiences in Paris. One of the biggest turn offs is that they have an American girl working as there's Som. As if that wasn't bad enough, she's actually dressed in men's clothes wearing a tux with tails. Pass. read more

I notice that the "outstanding" reviews of this restaurant that pop up go back a number of years, one more than 13 years ago. They deserve a response. Right before Covid, I took my daughter to Paris for an eating excursion. We hit a Bib Gourmand, a one-star, and a three-star (Arpege), all of which were memorable and very, very friendly to us as Americans. Lest my daughter leave Paris thinking everyone was very friendly and delicious, I booked a table at Tour d'Argent, where her mother and I had shared a (perfectly lovely, if hauty) meal on our honeymoon a quarter century earlier. That was when they'd lost one star, and afterwards, another one. I sent a lovely letter to the restaurant describing this special occasion and asked if we might be able to get a little closer to those beautiful windows looking over Notre Dame. We arrived to indifference, were seated at absolutely the furthest table from the view, where we sat for a half hour awaiting service. We were dressed to the nines, yet there were people in the dining room in prime spots dressed in jeans and dingy shirts. In the meantime, a very vocal fight opened up in the kitchen, with plates and pots being thrown, and while I don't recognize French cursing, there was surely plenty. No one acknowledged it or seemed to do anything about it. Finally the menu appeared with next-to-no bored commentary, and we picked a pretty expensive degustation menu. I asked politely if a wine pairing might be available for the multiple courses, and the server appeared incredulously that I would ask, walked away, and then five minutes later returned with the giant encyclopedia of the restaurant's wine list, and plopped it unceremoniously on the table. I returned the graciousness by finding a village white that I recognized (and was about a hundred bucks), so that probably pissed them off further. I cannot for the life of me understand what we did or said to offend the staff so badly, other than my speaking in American (my daughter, who had seven years of French classes behind her, tried valiently to save me). I regret that I never complained, for fear of an eruption, as we saw egregious, arrogant service all around us and I feared I'd be thrown out. The food was indifferent, nothing special or memorable, and the bill was as expensive as I expected it. It is undoubtedly a beautiful restaurant, filled with history (though dubious, as the restaurant proclaims it the city's oldest, but that doesn't square with historians), and I took perverse pride in showing my daughter how Paris REALLY treats Americans ... not all of the time, but much of the time. Claude Terrail must roll over in his grave. I apologize a little bit for this as I don't doubt that there are haves, and have-nots at this landmark restaurant. I'm just describing the experience of a have-not. So much for being a gracious guest, graciously informing management of a special occasion, and uncomplainingly doing some damage to the AmEx platinum card. Unless you're somebody special, they don't care. We'll see how long their one-star rating will hold up. read more

Took my wife to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary. This is the best restaurant in the World, we had the corner table overlooking Notre Dame, everything was exquisite, from the brioche and butter, to the pate/foies gras, duck, wine, and champagne. There is a reason Tour d'Argent will live forever, certainly in our hearts and minds. Must go!!! read more

Best dining experience we had in France! 5 stars top to bottom. Located with an incredible view of the iconic flying buttress on the eastern side of the Notre Dame de Paris, this river-front restaurant claims to have been founded in 1582, making it the oldest restaurant in the culinary capital of the world. Everyone from King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, and King Henry IV to JFK and Charlie Chaplin have dined here for the incredible view of Notre Dame and to taste their locally farmed duck dishes. Skeptics dispute some of Tour d'Argent's history because much of it has not been properly documented, but its reputation as a high quality restaurant has been maintained for centuries, undisputed. The restaurant is still in the same, old world that it was during the 18th century. Gold plated everything with ancient artwork on every wall. The actual restaurant is on the 4th floor, but they own the building so they will normally seat you in the first floor "waiting room" while they prepare your table. It's a real quiet, serine place and it's nice to have a few minutes to take in the glamour of the restaurant before being around all of the other patrons. There is a chair in this room encased in glass preserving what belonged to King Louis XV's mistress. He later made her a Duchess and was rewarded this royal chair. This is the kind of stuff just sitting around in this room so take the time to read every plaque. After only a few minutes, a young gentleman walks you through a hallway that has history hanging on both walls. You'll see ancient menus of the past and letters from foreign dignitaries thanking the chef for their meal before taking you up a golden elevator to the 4th floor. As the elevator doors open, there are several people all waiting and in position to greet you as you are walked to your table. Everything from the ceiling to the carpet looks and feels worthy of the Palace of Versailles, which makes sense considering the French royal family dined here often. Every item of silver is part of its history. The forks, plates, glasses and even the water cups all scream vintage. Talia and I ordered the 6 course tasting menu and asked the sommelier to recommend 4 glasses of wine each to us... ..let me take a second to talk about their wine list. They have over 500,000 bottles of wine. Yes, that's not a typo - they have over 500,000 bottles listed in a 400 page book that they actually put on the table for you to browse before making your selection. INTERESTING TIP: they don't advertise it anywhere, but if you ask the concierge on the way out if you can get a tour of their wine cellar, they often times will say yes! It's buried underground and is under 24/7 surveillance. We were taken to it and told to put on fur vests (that they have conveniently waiting for you) as we walk through the wine collection estimated at a value of roughly $25,000,000. It's dark, cold, and gloomy down there, but super cool and as interesting to tour as some of the archeological sites throughout Paris. This wine cellar is historic. Anyway, back to the food. Both appetizers were incredible with the highlight being the shrimp sitting in cream topped with a frozen celery type salad. The contrast of the hot shrimp and the cold celery was really cool and unique. Several courses included freshly shaved truffles and the main entrée was their duck. The french love their duck, but it took me a while to warm up to it. The duck at Tour d'Argent was the best we've ever had. Cooked perfectly with a red center and crispy outside, it was their 1,155,934th duck they've served from their local farm on the Atlantic coast since they begun starting to keep record in 1890. For each duck they serve, they give their guests a certificate with the duck's number on it. Animal activists protesting duck-genocide might want to stay away, but I thought it was super cool. Finally, the cheese selection here was as robust as we've ever seen it. Kick off dessert with the waiter's or waitress's assistance to pick out the right cheese for you and you'll be in business. Tour d'Argent was the last dinner on our trip and somehow blew everything else away. The service was incredible and much faster than most of the french restaurants in Paris. Highly recommended if you are ok with paying top dollar for delicious french cuisine wrapped in rich history. read more

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What a let down! Stuffy, old fashioned, past it's prime! Looks like they haven't spent a dime on the place since the 1950s. Like the Jules Verne it has the views but little else going for it. Waiters were pretentious and the service was painfully slow. I thought OK the food will be well worth the wait.... wrong! The food was mediocre, served lukewarm and was not of a quality one would expect from such a legendary restaurant. We left disappointed, hungry and about €980 lighter! That was two of us and two bottles of wine. Once again the moral of the story here is to avoid the restaurants in central Paris and venture out to the neighborhoods where local people live and eat! I've had better meals in some very humble bistros for under €50 than I have in these overrated, overpriced dumps that only stay in business because uneducated tourists don't know any better! read more

Tour d'Argent is one of, if not the oldest restaurant (1582) in Paris, and without any doubt one of the finest. Yes, it's pricey and you really ought to dress for it as it offers one of the most memorable experiences you'll find. Though it claims to have been frequented by King Henry IV, I couldn't find any documentation of that claim or some of their other claims to fame, but even though it doesn't have much of a Michelin Guide rating, it has since 1986, been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award. Regardless of all of that crap, if you want to dine in Paris at a restaurant that signifies the epitome of what dining in Paris is all about, Tour d'Argent is a must. Now allow me to digress and give my fellow Americans a few tips about enjoying Paris. The first rule (sort of a when in Rome do as the Romans do) is to dress properly. Your tourist like Mickey Mouse souvenir T-shirt, sneakers and shorts won't make it in Paris. If you dress well, meaning for men, an Italian Kiton or Brioni (your waiter will know the differences) jacket and tie, there will always be a front table for you and you will receive proper treatment at any restaurant or café. If you don't, but often only if you're lucky, you'll be sent to the third floor or seated toward the rear next to the wash room which is their way of letting you know that you count for nothing in Paris. It's all a matter of style, something one might relate to any American valet parking experience where the Rolls Royce or Ferrari is yellow line parked out front with the Chevys or the Buicks ending up in the out of the way rear parking spaces. As a further tip, if like me, you can't afford a new Kiton or Brioni, do what I do and shop a used one on eBay. No one will know the difference and you'll save a lot of big bucks in the process. Then, don't forget to show off a bit by fashionably leaving the first button of your four button sleeve open, appropriately unbuttoned. That being said, Tour d'Argent (literal translation meaning "Tower of Silver" or as some may say, "Tower of Money") offers a majestic city views of the Seine and Notre Dame along with an atmosphere of outstanding elegance. In keeping with its signature premier dish of note, I ordered their pressed duck (canard à la presse) along with one of their better wines. My wine came first, but was first approved by their resident sommelier, then ceremoniously table decanted with a candlelight backing to carefully check for any grape skin residue or other impurity. The wine I selected from their reserve, possibly largest in Paris containing approximately 450,000 bottles, was a grand vin Château Latour which couldn't have been better but not so surprisingly at a price that, if you're not prepared, might just well knock your socks off. However, since this was my big splurge, I went for it. My pressed duck arrived at my table in exquisite presentation along with a card stating the serial number of the bird and indicating the duck was raised on the restaurants farm. All pressed duck served are serial numbered with some having been recorded. It's my understanding that U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dined on duck #203,728 and actress Marlene Dietrich on duck #203,728. Though my experiences of dining on pressed duck are limited, I must say it proved to be the best I've ever had, totally robust, exceedingly sound in flavor and having an overall texture unparalleled with any of my previous experiences. Though one of the more pricey meals I've ever had, the food and overall dining experience offered by Tour d'Argent is, in my book, well worth it. read more

Tour d'Argent - Key ring and kitchen towel souvenirs from their restaurant shop. - French Near Me - Paris, 75

Here's what is great about Tour d"Argent. The wine list is mind-blowing. If you are a wine fanatic, this alone is worth the visit. And the view of the Seine and Notre Dame is fantastic. Now...the food. My dinner companion that night and I have eaten all over the world. We are not food snobs - we enjoy fine dining, bistro food, street grub, pub food - anything that is well prepared and tasty. There is no better way for me to describe the food at Tour D'Argent than this: it was awful. We KNEW going in that the restaurant was known to serve subpar food. This is no secret, other reviews notwithstanding. But we weren't prepared for just how terrible it would actually be. It's not one mistake, the entire concept of the dinner was abysmal. We ordered the tasting menu. It was built around duck - a house speciality. The first course arrived, described as some sort of duck mousse with oyster. Upon the first taste, we knew we were in trouble. I can't even describe this dish - it was aesthetically encouraging, but in the mouth it was foamy dirt, accompanied by tasteless green gelatin. My immediate though was that Gordon Ramsey needs to head into the kitchen and scream "DID YOU TASTE THIS" at the chef. Gross. Both our plates went back with only a few bites taken - any bites after the first taste was consumed out of the embarrassment to be returning the very first course uneaten. Allow me to back up a bit - before the first course arrived, a plate of Amuse Bouche was placed on the table, with three pairs of bite sized amuse. It was quickly described as a chocolate something, a something something, and a thing-that-has-liquid-will-squirt-eat-in-one-bite something. We were perplexed a bit - is this another table's dessert? I mean, it was literally a chocolate, by appearance. So it sat there. But finally, after the first course fiasco, my companion tried his amuse. He gave me an odd look. "No, it's good" he proclaimed. I popped mine in my mouth, and he grinned, as I suffered something...really, really bad. Oh heck, the dinner had already devolved into a game of "I dare you to taste that". And rise to the dare we did. The second amuse was unmemorable. The third - the liquid pop - was repulsive. I would have spit it out if it wasn't such a big bolus of goo in my mouth. I swallowed it, wincing. The night progressed with proclamations such as "CUMIN!" as we bit into something that was caked with overpowering gobs of...cumin. And "Just scrape that off, maybe the meat is edible." Actual quote. I'll spare you the details of the subsequent courses. We finished none of them. Some went back with one or two bites taken. We literally lamented that there was yet another course (duck leg) after suffering the gross, sickly sweet hoisin-style goo that ruined the duck breast course prior. We wanted it to end. The cheese course was fine. To Americans on their first trip to France the selection might even seem outstanding, but I live in France. It was above acceptable, but nothing to write home about. The dessert even sucked - and I'm a sugar addict. I'll eat just about anything calling itself a pie or a cake - but...meh. A few footnotes: the sommelier was useless. We are wine-knowledgeable - my companion is in the trade and somewhat of an expert. He was open to input and turned to the sommelier for suggestions on certain vintages. The guy literally responded with "They're all good". We're talking about back vintages of Armand Rousseau. Coche Dury. Domaine Leroy. That's the wrong answer. The kid pouring our wine was way over-pouring. He half-filled our big balloon glasses - that is not how I want my Meursault. Also, on our second bottle he dumped the red dregs into my companion's glass. Really? At a renowned wine restaurant in Paris? Unconscionable. The chef was actually paraded table-to-table at one point towards the end of our meal. My companion, who is not confrontational and is unerringly polite, smiled and praise the chef, while kicking me under the table. I kept my mouth shut and just half-glared at the guy. The bill as presented, was wrong (over) by about €500. We might not have caught it if we were in a hurry, but I pointed out the tab as seeming a bit high, and yes, we were overcharged for one bottle by half a thousand euros. Check your bills. Finally, on the way down the elevator, we were asked by a young staffer how we enjoyed our experience. "Lovely view! Fantastic wine!" we replied. He hesitated, then slowly...purposefully...knowingly asked "...and the food?" He understood by our silence, the confirmation of what he seemed to already know. Shhhhh..... read more

The view from this restaurant is just amazing. It overlooks the Notre Dame and the Seine. A four hundred year old restaurant cannot look any better... The food is just wonderful. Each course starting with the appetizer to the dessert was prepared and presented nicely. The duck I ordered was very good and also came with a unique, serialized certificate. My duck didn't have a name but it had a number. It probably had a name too but that was not on the card. Based on the small piece of the duck I ate, I named it "Delicious". The wine list is long and extensive. The book is as thick as my calculus textbook! The service was the best I have ever experienced. I have yet to experience this kind of service so it was very nice to feel "served". The owner stops by and greets you prior to your meal. Your napkin is replaced every time you leave the table. Someone pushes your chair in for you every time you sit down. Utensils are promptly replaced after each course. And best of all, I was given a new piece of bread without even asking for it! My bread was refilled a total of only 4 times... only. I was given a choice between white or dark bread. The bread was fresh but not hot and tasted very good with the butter that was served along with it. I could have done better but with the many dishes ahead, I decided to turn my bread gorging down a notch. I wonder why Michelin took 2 stars away from this restaurant? Maybe the food went downhill from how it use to be but I've been to other 1-star restaurants and the service is far from what La Tour d' Argent offers. All in all, a wonderful experience. read more

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You will go for the food, stay for the view and return for the exceptional service. The service was unexpectedly warm and friendly. I secured our reservation by email and made several adjustments after - from the number in our party to the time of day- and they were persistently nice about it. We then arrived late for our seating (long story) and they still gave us one of the best seats in the house with a ridiculous view of Notre Dame. The service alone made our dining experience special. As expected, our meal was delicious. The prices are reasonable for Paris. A truly 5 Star experience. Bravo! read more

Tour d'Argent - Crisp and delicious tomato and mackerel appetizer. - French Near Me - Paris, 75

We were here during this past Christmas and I must say this was a three hour dining experience with views of the seine and notre dame! It was expensive but well worth it! We got the Grand Menu Tour D'Argent. All seven dishes that came our way was wonderful. Even if you don't go with the Grand Menu, the duck is a must try. It was moist and delicious! When you get the duck they give you a post card with a serial number on it indicating the number of ducks they've served over the years. Hey you're in Paris, it's well worth the splurge! read more

My husband, son and I made reservations months in advance to celebrate a milestone birthday at this famous restaurant. We immediately received an email asking for a credit card reserve of €200 per person. We were called at least 3 times to reconfirm that we were coming, including a call on the day before. We traveled to Paris from our home in Switzerland and dressed in our finest for the long-anticipated meal. Our reservation was for 19:00. Exactly one hour before we were due to arrive for dinner, we received a call saying that there was a problem in the kitchen and the restaurant would not be able to open that evening. The next time we came for dinner the restaurant would give us a free bottle of champagne. No alternate arrangements or dates were offered. We were left hanging on a Saturday evening at 18:00 with an important birthday to celebrate and nowhere to go. The management of this restaurant doesn't seem to care about its customers. read more

The most expensive meal I have ever had! The building and it's art and furniture a beautiful and deep in history and tradition. The view was breathtaking. The wine list was amazing. I had prawns for and appetizer in a raspberry coulis amazing! My filet of beef was also out of this world. read more

Tour d'Argent - Elegance - French Near Me - Paris, 75

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The ultimate dining experience! One of the oldest restaurants in Paris with stunning views of the Norte Dame, classic formal service in a beautiful dining room. So old-fashioned only the men get the menu with prices. It's very expensive so prix-fixe menu is the way to go. They are renowned for their duck which they have been numbering since 1890. We had duck #1,162,459. In addition, there was a choice of quenelle or white asparagus to start. And for dessert, a choice of banana fressinette or yogurt "sundae". In between each course, there was an amuse bouche and palate cleansers as well as petit fours at the end. Delicious from start to finish, a truly memorable dining experience! read more

Beautiful restaurant. Wonderful service. My husband and I dined for lunch. The white asparagus was an absolute standout! My husband thoroughly enjoyed his duck. We will absolutely return- especially for the cheese cart and wine list. read more

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The ultimate fine dining experience. Marvelous view, elegant décor, outstanding service, and amazingly delicious food. Everything from start to finish was perfection. Yes, expensive, but a must if you are ever in Paris. The only drawback to the whole experience was that the food looked so beautiful I felt reluctant to eat it! read more

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This is really, truly a once in a lifetime dinning experience for most people. For sure it is for us. We eat out a lot and have gone to plenty of upscale restaurants and nothing even comes close to this experience. I wrestled with giving it 5 stars here but the OVERALL experience pushes it into that category. I searched diligently online for the menu with prices so I would know what to expect. No dice. It's like a secret. Even when there my wife's menu didn't include prices. I guessed high based on other expensive meals we've had....and shot too low! When I first saw the prices I was shocked and I'll tell all here because I think it's important to know what you're in for. Our bill came to 590 Euros ($680.00) That's for 2 entrees, 1 salad and a bottle of wine. We also got a complimentary amuse bosche, a small appetizer and complimentary deserts. Plus fresh bread with the meal. The salad was 88 euros ($101.00) The restaurant has possibly the largest wine list in the world. It's shocking how big it is and fortunately had a summary page up front of featured wines (probably wines that are discontinued?) we ordered one of those and one of the cheaper bottles we saw...it was $125 Euros ($144.00) I had the famous duck and my wife had the lobster. The portions aren't big. Having said this, the charm here is the amazing location right above the Seine and Notre Dame, the incredibly attentive and friendly service that literally dotes on you and treats you like royalty throughout the meal. We honestly felt like economy class passengers because we didn't want to spend another $100 for a second salad or $50 for a desert...yet we were consistently treated like we were special guests. The folks at the table next to us had everything plus 2 bottles of wine and 4 deserts. I'm guessing their bill had to have come close to $3000. It was indeed an unforgettable experience. read more

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Excellent place with wonderful ambience. Definitely should go if you are in Paris! You won't regret! read more

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While an institution like the Tour D'Argent probably surpassed the need for anything like 'hype' at least a century ago, if there's any left to be lived up to, I can promise you that it more than delivers. Dined here for lunch, and enjoyed course after course while looking out over the Seine from the Pont de la Tournelle up toward Notre Dame (one of the best views in Paris). The chef does an excellent job of playing the hits -- pressed duck, prawns, skate wing -- while detouring into fresher territory as well. That said, the hits are hits for a reason; they haven't been serving the pressed duck for the past few centuries without it being truly worthy of its headliner status, after all. The wine list is comprehensive and of course overpriced, but I won't begrudge them that. Asking the sommelier for recommendations isn't a bad idea if you find a catalogue-sized wine list intimidating (it really is five inches thick). Regarding dress code, for lunch it was obviously more relaxed. However, wearing anything less than a blazer for gentlemen or a dress for ladies in a setting like this does seem a bit like playing Bach on a Les Paul. It'll stand out, sure, but not for the right reasons. The service is five star, though we experienced a twenty-minute lull in attention toward the end of the meal that wouldn't necessarily have stood out had I not just spent every moment of a two-hour meal being waited on hand and foot. read more

First, this restaurant was on the upper end of our price range. We do not splurge like this often, and in this case chose to have lunch. From the reviews, my expectations were unsettled, but that was quite unfounded. We do not speak French beyond salutations. Staff could not have been friendlier or more accommodating. When I made the reservation, I asked for a table by the window. OMG! They put us in a corner with such a spectacular view! Every member of staff was cordial and helpful. They always started in French, but were courteous when explaining in English. This was, by far, the most attentive staff I have ever encountered. There are all the right moments, and we loved all the little extras they give you along the way. Expensive? Yes, certainly, but they operate on a level few restaurants achieve. As you would expect, the food was delicious. For mains, my wife had skate and I had duck and we were both very pleased. We make put this on our normal rotation when we are in Paris. Loved it! read more