I’m one of those tourists who seeks the “non-touristy” when I travel, so I’ve resisted visiting the Eiffel Tower every time I’m in Paris. I’m glad it’s part of the city’s skyline, and I think it’s beautiful, but I’ve been content with viewing it from afar and exploring more of the hidden gems of Paris.
But this trip to Paris, I was going with a friend I hadn’t seen in years and wanted to do something special. I booked us a table at the one-star Michelin restaurant Madame Brasserie, located on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower — the two-star Michelin (and more expensive) restaurant Le Jules Verne is on the second. Finally, I would be inside the Iron Lady, not climbing but dining.
Madame Brasserie is an elegant dining experience with different menus to choose from for lunch and dinner. And the experience isn’t just about the food. We couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy the view of the city than over a three-course meal and champagne.
Is it all worth the cost? I share my honest opinion and everything you need to know before dining at Madame Brasserie. As for my opinion on the Eiffel Tower, I can’t believe I waited this long to step inside it.
Everything you need to know about Madame Brasserie
Since 2022, Chef Thierry Marx has been serving Parisian brasserie cuisine from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, replacing the former brasserie, 58 Tour Eiffel. With a restaurant that offers a creative twist on French cuisine and a cozy lounge that’s great for breakfast or cocktails, Madame Brasserie offers diners a different experience throughout the day.
Like the City of Light itself, the atmosphere changes with the season. While Chef Marx uses seasonal ingredients to create his menus, there’s one principle of French cuisine his food must always stick to: It must be “simple and gourmet.”
Making the reservation
Madame Brasserie is divided into two main parts: the lounge on the ground floor and the dining room just upstairs. Many people visit the lounge for a quick meal or late-night drinks, as it offers a casual, laid back atmosphere for friends to meet up. But the main event is the dining room upstairs.
When booking your ticket, you’ll first choose whether you want to go for Chef Marx’s brasserie lunch or refined dinner, then select the section of the restaurant — the Coeur Brasserie, Seine River Side, or Window Table — you want to sit in. This not only determines the view you’ll have (the shops on the first floor of the tower or the sprawling city), but also the menus available to order from.
Dining in the Coeur Brasserie is the cheapest, but the view of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower is not as spectacular as what you’ll see on the Seine River Side or at a Window Table. Plus, your only menu option in these sections is the Grande Dame.
So which menu should you choose? Here’s what you’ll get with each:
- Gustave with Drinks: This three-course menu is only available in the Coeur Brasserie, which is why it’s the most affordable. Each menu includes three dishes to choose from for a starter, main course, and dessert, as well as a glass of champagne and two glasses of wine. Still or sparkling water and coffee or tea are also included.
- Grande Dame: This tasting menu is available in every section of the restaurant and gives you a starter, first course, second course, dessert, and mignardises or bite-sized desserts, as well as a glass of champagne and three glasses of wine. Still or sparkling water and coffee or tea are also included.
You’ll need to pay ahead to reserve your table, but this also includes a chance to walk around and see the first floor of the Eiffel Tower.
How much does Madame Brasserie cost?
If you’re dining in the Coeur Brasserie, then the Gustave menu costs €129.60 per person, and the Grande Dame costs €186.60. Children eat for €46.60 with both menus. If you dine on the Seine River side, the Grande Dame menu costs €206.60 per person for both adults and children, and €261.60 if you’re sitting by a window.
Getting to Madame Brasserie
If you’re taking advantage of Paris’s public transportation system during your visit, you can get to the tower by
- Metro lines 6, 8, or 9
- RER line C
- Bus lines 42, 69, 72, 82, or 87
When you arrive, you’ll pick up your ascent ticket at the Eiffel Tower reception area and follow the signs for the elevator that takes you to Madame Brasserie. Plan to get in line 30 minutes before your reservation.
What to wear
For dinner, the restaurant asks that you avoid wearing sportswear, sneakers, or flip-flops. To give you a frame of reference, my friend wore a button-down shirt and slacks, while I wore jeans and a nice sweater.
Since we visited in March, we were bundled up. If you go in summer, assume that your attire should be appropriate for fine dining and not the beach.
What we ate at Madame Brasserie
And now, the main course! My friend and I reserved a seat in the Coeur Brasserie and selected the Gustave dinner menu. While we weren’t next to a window, the panoramic view of the radiant city makes you feel like you’ve entered the core of Paris.
With the Gustave menu, we had our choice of a starter, main dish, and dessert, plus two glasses of wine. Our meal also came with a glass of Champagne Devaux. Keep in mind that the dishes change with the seasons, so your menu might look a little different from ours.
Looking at past menus, the pâté-en-croûte seems to always make an appearance, though it may be served with different garnishes and sides.
A pâté-en-croûte is simply a meat-based pâté wrapped in a flaky golden pastry, and at Madame Brasserie they serve one from Maison Vérot, a charcuterie in Paris that is known for this dish. It was delicious and generously portioned, but, honestly, a bit big for me to have been able to eat on my own and still have room for my main course.
We also shared the shellfish Bavarian cream, which was like nothing we ever tasted before. The cream was a velvety bed for the crab (lots of crab!) laced through it, creating an airy consistency that was fresh and light. But what brought this dish to life was the mild sweet-spicy flavor of the paprika and fennel on top.
We continued with choosing one meat and one seafood dish for our main course. I chose the old-fashioned veal chuck with crispy Camargue rice and spring carrots, and my friend ordered the sea bass fillet with Dubarry cream of cauliflower soup, Grenobloise caper, lemon-butter sauce and baby spinach.
The veal chuck was butter-tender and came with a jus on top that enhanced the meat flavor. Apart from the lardons (fatty bacon) and shallots that were browned to ultimate sweetness, I could have done without the other sides. The carrots didn’t bring anything to the dish besides a daily serving of vegetables, and the Camargue rice that was shaped into a little cake wasn’t crispy like I expected it to be; since the rice cake was browned, I thought there would be some crunch. Eaten with the veal and drowned in the jus, it tasted fine, but the texture wasn’t my favorite.
We both loved the sea bass, especially the Dubarry cream of cauliflower soup plated underneath. The soup is a French classic, typically made with a whole head of cauliflower, cream, and aromatics. Simple. And that simplicity paired well with the delicate fish and lemony, salty sauce that Chef Marx poured on top.
Since I had meat for my starter and main dish, I drank a red wine with each, but white and rosé were also available.
And because Madame Brasserie is a nice place, we also had warm bread rolls with good French butter and a bottle of sparkling water.
Dessert wasn’t a highlight for us — we would have preferred going for gelato instead. I had the Bourdaloue shortbread tartlet with pear and lime, which wasn’t very flavorful and had a tougher crust.
My friend tried the winter leaf dessert with meringue and chocolate mousse, but the chocolate was too rich for either of us to finish. If you really love chocolate, this dessert might be for you.
All the staff were very friendly and attentive, refilling our water glasses for us when they were running low and making sure we understood the menu. There was even a photographer circling the restaurant, so you could commemorate the evening with a photo that you had the option to pay for at the end.
While we had dinner at Madame Brasserie, the restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch. Visit their website to check out their different menus.
Madame Brasserie vs. Jules Verne
Madame Brasserie and Le Jules Verne offer different dining experiences. I’d say that despite the price and ceremony of eating a three-course meal, dining at Madame Brasserie is pretty casual and low-key. But at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Jules Verne, it’s all sophisticated and gourmet dining.
Le Jules Verne is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, giving you a breathtaking view of the city. The focus of chef Frédéric Anton is really to deliver an elegant dining experience that the menu is priced to match. Madame Brasserie is the more budget-friendly (and family-friendly) restaurant.
Is Madame Brasserie in the Eiffel Tower worth it?
While my friend and I enjoyed our meal (we definitely talked about the crab Bavarian cream for days after), it wasn’t the highlight of our trip to Paris, a city that’s filled with great food.
Given the higher price tag, I’d say that Madame Brasserie is worth a visit if you happen to be in Paris celebrating a special occasion and want to make it a big event. We both agreed that the setting, the views, and the service made it an unforgettable night for two friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while.
