The tower is equally magnificent in the cold light of day.
My Sister gifted us a voucher for a meal for two in 58 Eiffel Tower, the restaurant on the first "floor" (that large platform atop the 'legs' of the tower.)
It was a great present, not least because it was the kind of thing we may never have actually splurged on for ourselves. So we got ourselves dolled up and headed out for an evening of getting up close and personal with this gigantic mechano set!
You can pay extra to have a seat at the window, which is exactly what my generous sister did. This was the view from our seat, overlooking the seine and the Trocadero.
The meal is a set dinner and you get to choose from four or five options for starter, main course and desert as you sip on the glass of champers that's included.
You also get two glasses of wine per person - your choice of red or white. The white was a sauvignon blanc which I actually liked. The red was a Bordeaux and My Husband chose that. There didn't seem to be a choice other than that and we were happy with their selection. More discerning wine buffs might have an issue here.
The menu had what I would describe as "safe" options. The food was fresh and cooked to perfection. The portions were small but satisfying. There were two sittings an evening 6.30pm and a later one at 9pm. Possibly because everyone was seated at the same time, there was a sense of mass catering. Everything was nice but nothing spectacular when compared to the meal we'd had almost a year ago in Singapore at the top of the Marina Bay Sands, in the restaurant called (ironically) Ce La Vi.
But really, we weren't there solely for the food, and the staff were nice, giving my husband a lovely fruit salad for desert when he couldn't find a menu option without cream.
After dinner we took in the views, climbing up the stairs (even though the lift ticket was included in the price) to the second "floor" which, as My Husband kept pointing out, was more than one floor in a conventional building up.
We arrived there just in time to see the moon pop out from behind cloud.
Hidden...
And there it is!
Despite the chilly night the views were amazing! Above on the left, you can see the big wheel at Place de la Concorde (where Marie Antoinette lost her head) and the Pantheon on the right.
Below, that's the Pantheon to the left and the building with the blue lights at the top Mountparnasse Tower.
The Seine, with Sacre Coeur on the horizon just right of center.
The top of the Eiffel Tower was closed. I'm not sure if it was because it was night time or if it is closed right now.
The most magical moment was when the lights all sparkled in the on-the-hour light show!
Back inside for a warm up and a nosy through the shops. The Parisians love their Eiffel Tower and their macaroons so this was a double whammy of their amour!
A great evening out - thanks to My Sister. Next time we go up the Eiffel tower hopefully she'll be with us.
Byddi Lee
