The holiday season ushered in a new wave of pop-up restaurants in Paris (Bonjour, Nobu!), and chief among those is the new lounge on the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower. (The restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel is currently closed while the floor is redeveloped.) Open until March, the new lounge spot is an affordable alternative to Le Jules Verne, the gastronomic restaurant by Alain Ducasse on the tower’s top floor.
Entirely glassed-in, the pop-up lounge has a back-lit cocktail bar and a terrace with gorgeous views over the Champ de Mars. Lunch menu from €31.90, including your Eiffel Tower elevator ticket. The three-course dinner menu-- including a glass of Champagne, 1/3 bottle of wine, mineral water, coffee and elevator ticket-- is priced at €85.50 Reservations are essential.
A big perk: Diners have priority access to the elevator to ascend the Eiffel Tower. Translation: No waiting in the big line that usually snakes around the ticket booth at the base of the tower. For more information and reservations, visit www.restaurants-toureiffel.com.