Les Ombres: a great restaurant with an epic view of the Eiffel Tower

Dining with a view of the Eiffel Tower

For years I thought about how terrific it would be to dine up on the Eiffel Tower.  The Jules Verne Restaurant is located on the second floor and offers sweeping views over Paris.  However, the more time I spent in Paris, the more I realised I wanted to be dining with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

I was therefore delighted when I found Les Ombres, a restaurant located on the rooftop terrace of the Musée du quai Branly.  It’s one of those places that you would really only ever know about if you visited the museum or had someone recommend it to you.

I had booked this restaurant before I had left Australia as it can be difficult to secure a table for dinner.  It was easy to do online, and I received a confirmation immediately.

The night we had dinner here, I was pumped, having just completed a cooking class where I learned how to make authentic puff pastry.  To dine out at such a fine establishment was going to be the icing on the cake.

The restaurant is as artistic as the food

We arrived at Les Ombres, a glass encased restaurant, covered with metallic beams that liken it to the nearby Eiffel Tower.  The term Les Ombres means “the shadows” a nod to the dark light that reaches over the terrace each afternoon.

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor (al fresco) dining.  Sitting outdoors is restricted to the warmer months, when the terrace is overflowing with good fun, food and wine.  Irrespective of whether you are indoors or out, the Eiffel Tower can be seen from every table.

Silver service and a special view

Our Maitre’d guided us to our table, right in the centre, with a clear view of the Eiffel Tower.  My preference would definitely be to dine at night where you get to see the Eiffel Tower in all of it’s bright, shiny glory.

The illumination makes it special, but in the evening a beautiful light and laser show that  occurs on the hour, every hour,  turns it into a shimmering spectacle.  We counted three light shows whilst we were there.  Clearly we weren’t in a hurry to leave!

As you take your seat and try to take as much of your surroundings in (or just pinch yourself that you are actually sitting here), the Sommelier will come over to your table and discuss their wine list, recommending something to start off your meal.

As much as I love French wines and champagnes, I couldn’t wait to explore the menu.  Les Hombres strays away from the traditional French cooking, creating more contemporary pieces (and works of art).

An entree of salmon carpaccio was a revelation to us, seeing this is not usually something we would order.

My main of poached chicken, grapes, spanish onion and pea puree was a taste sensation.

And my husband’s main of pork belly….well, I haven’t met too many people who wouldn’t be happy to eat pork belly. Vegetarians and vegans excluded of course.

The French do dessert better than anyone else I know and ours were no exception.  I think the photos below say it all.

Fine dining for a special occasion

Les Ombres is a fine dining experience, perfect for that special occasion.  There are prix-fixe menus as well as a la carte.  Whilst the range is lessened if you choose the fixed price menu, the quality of the food is not compromised.  It does however make it a little lighter on your wallet.

After dinner, we stepped outside onto the terrace to admire the Eiffel Tower and appreciate just how close we felt to it.  Everything about this restaurant makes for a perfect dining experience, and I will gladly return.

In  my opinion, it’s definitely better to be dining with a view of the Eiffel Tower, than to be dining in it.

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