After 16 months of renovation, the Tour d’Argent has reopened its doors with three new features in addition to its gourmet restaurant: a ground-floor bar, a rooftop and an apartment for overnight stays. All of which adds to the buzz surrounding a Parisian institution founded in the 16th century!
To “bring it into the 21st century”, while drawing on the restaurant’s “rich heritage” and “preserving the landmarks for which it is famous”. This was architect Franklin Azzi’s brief for the new Tour d’Argent…
After almost a year and a half of transformations, Paris’ oldest and perhaps most famous gastronomic restaurant is once again shining in the firmament of taste buds!
One star and an exceptional panorama
On the sixth floor, regulars can find the gastronomic restaurant in a revamped form. They can still enjoy the delights concocted by chef Yannick Franques and the breathtaking view over the Seine and Notre-Dame. In 1936, when it was last renovated, the restaurant moved up from the cow floor to the sixth floor, offering guests an exceptional panorama. And while it now boasts just one Michelin star (down from three in 1933, two in 1996 and one since 2006), it remains the setting for an exceptional dining experience.
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With the inauguration of three new spaces in the building, at 15-17, quai de la Tournelle, in the fifth arrondissement, the establishment also aims to attract new lovers of the art of refined living. On the ground floor, you’ll find the Bar des Maillets d’Argent, and at the top of the building, the Toit de la Tour, for a drink at the top.
At Les Maillets d’Argent, you can enjoy an Art Deco-style coffee for breakfast, or later in the day or evening, a cocktail resurrecting an old-fashioned spirit such as Byrrh or a classy cognac.
To treat yourself to the new roof top and its breathtaking view, you’d better have deep pockets: the Maillets d’argent cocktails are available in a “royal” version, and glasses of champagne are also available…
An hotel for friends
Last but not least, tourists will no longer have to worry about catching a cab when they come out of their agape or after sipping several cocktails or coupes. L’Appartement will welcome them “as friends” to spend the night on the fifth floor.
The evolution of its offer should serve as a veritable rejuvenation cure for the culinary institution, enabling it to broaden its customer base…
Founded in 1582, the Tour d’Argent has always attracted a prestigious clientele.
Its name is inspired by the impression given by the silver reflections in the setting sun of the tower of the Château de la Tournelle, which has since disappeared.
First fork test
Hostellerie or wine merchant? The brand’s original activity is uncertain. But its DNA of quality for the taste buds, still relevant today, is already there. And it quickly attracted the elite, starting with the crowned heads. Appreciated by Henri III, the Tour d’Argent welcomed Henri IV for a memorable evening, when the fork, imported from Tuscany, was tested for the first time in France!
Louis XIV and his court would also have liked to visit, for a change from the Versailles setting… As for Cardinal de Richelieu, he loved goose with prunes!
The centuries that followed would not alter the excellence of the restoration.
Duck with blood and personalities
In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the Tour d’Argent, famous for its blood duck, welcomed a host of celebrities from the worlds of politics (Winston Churchill, John Kennedy and…Vladimir Putin), cinema (Charlie Chaplin, Rita Hayworth, Maryline Monroe, John Wayne…) and high society (Queen Elizabeth II, Emperor Hirohito…).
Since 1911, the restaurant has belonged to the Terrail family. After André, it was his son, Claude, and then his grandson, also named André, who have been at the helm since 2006. And he perpetuates the motto of the place, which no doubt explains its longevity: “there’s nothing more serious than pleasure”!
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Read also > THE ACCOR GROUP SOON TO BE THE MANAGING TENANT OF MAXIM’S RESTAURANT?
Featured photo: © Akihiko Hirama/ La Tour d’Argent
