MARTA GONZÁLEZ-HONTORIA
Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024-00:05
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It is the restaurant that inspired the movie
Ratatouille
, without a doubt, one of the most famous in the city of Light, with views of the Seine and the Notre Dame cathedral, which this year will gradually be stripped of its scaffolding, and with a long , very long story. Born in 1582, La Tour d'Argent is known for being
the oldest restaurant in Paris
. Its reputation has attracted a long list of famous diners, including Queen Elizabeth II, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, as well as Charlie Chaplin,
Salvador Dalí, Marilyn Monroe, Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie.
They say that it was here that King Henry III discovered what a fork was and popularized its use throughout France. What is not legend is his winery, with more than
300,000 bottles of wine
. Not even its Michelin star. And it is also true that after 15 months of renovation it has just reopened its doors with its sights set on the Olympic Games and a new stage that will propel it into the 21st century. He needed it. La Tour d'Argent had not been touched since 1936, when the dining room was raised from the street to the sixth floor.
The facade of the famous Parisian restaurant.MATTHIEU SALVAING
the famous pressed duck
Whoever knew him will have to return.
André Terrail
, who belongs to the third generation of the family that owns the establishment, has entrusted the project to architect
Franklin Azzi,
responsible for the rehabilitation of numerous historic buildings in France. "No less than 17 companies and
hundreds of artisans
from all sectors
have been mobilized ," those responsible for it highlight.
In addition to an open kitchen, the gastronomic restaurant (lunches from 150 euros and dinners from 350) has huge windows overlooking the river where the Olympic athletes will compete for the first time.
The new kitchen open to the dining room. MATTHIEU SALVAING
Some things haven't changed. His signature dish is still the
pressed duck,
cooked in its own blood and cut in front of the customers. It is a recipe by
Frédéric Delair,
owner of the establishment from the mid-19th century until 1911. Part of the ritual is that certificate with the number of each duck dish served that has been given to diners since 1890. It has already surpassed the record for million. Another icon of La Tour d'Argent is
the bible , the
8 kilo
book
that contains all those 300,000 wine references from the winery and which can be consulted at Le Bar des Maillets d'Argent. Inspired by an English polo club with wooden panels, comfortable green armchairs and a tin bar, the bar pays tribute to Claude Terrail, father of André Terrail and one of the renovated spaces that will gain greater prominence in 2024. Open all hours of the day, it's the perfect place to grab a
croissant
and
café au lait
in the morning or a cocktail (or two) together mid-afternoon.
Tables with views of La Tour d'Argent.MATTHIEU SALVAING
Waking up in front of Notre Dame
There is also a
very green roof terrace
full of plants and bushes that was previously inaccessible and which has been transformed into a fantastic terrace open to the public between 6:30 in the afternoon until midnight. And one more surprise on the fifth floor:
L'Appartement
, a
suite
for two
with an enviable panoramic view of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This Parisian
pied-à-terre
, with sauna included, can be booked for 8,900 euros per night.
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