Foodie tries out the Eiffel Tower’s two-Michelin star restaurant to find out if it’s a tourist trap. Here’s his verdict on his £1,160 meal… which ranges from ‘delicious’ to ‘disturbing’

As far as restaurant locations go, few restaurants can match that of Le Jules Verne: it is located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.

Moreover, it has been awarded two Michelin stars.

So on paper, this is the definition of a bucket list restaurant.

But unlike the Michelin inspector who described lunch there as ‘an exceptional experience’, some reviewers have criticized the restaurant for being ‘a tourist trap‘ and one claims the restaurant has ‘over-reliance on location’.

On Tripadvisor, more than 230 of 995 reviewers rated it average or lower.

Foodie Alexander Varga, co-owner of one Michelin-starred restaurant ’42’ in Esztergom, Hungary, was keen to discover for himself what it’s like to eat at Le Jules Verne and filmed a fascinating YouTube video of his 1,400 Euro (£1,160) /$1,470) experience there.

As part of his ‘mission to find inspiration in gastronomy’, he visits other Michelin-starred restaurants (he’s ticked off more than 80 three-star restaurants so far) and makes compelling videos of his experiences there.

They are uploaded to his YouTube channel ‘Alexander The Guest’, with his Jules Verne video having over 545,000 views to date.

Foodie Alexander Varga filmed a fascinating YouTube video of his €1,400 experience at Le Jules Verne, a two-Michelin star restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower

The video begins with the climb to the location, where the view, unsurprisingly, knocks Alexander off his feet. Above is the ‘delicious’ starter, a tart of smoked eggplant caviar and roasted tomato

Alexander is largely impressed with the restaurant, but some aspects of his meal leave him disappointed.

He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘It’s a unique experience, but not from a good food perspective.’

The video begins with the climb to the location, where the view, unsurprisingly, knocks Alexander off his feet.

In the video he notes: ‘That view. Paris lies beneath us like a work of art.’

Then comes the starter: a tart of smoked eggplant caviar and roasted tomatoes. “Great flavors, but the texture was a bit watery,” says Alexander.

However, the bread is ‘superb’ and passes the ‘crunch test’. And it goes ‘perfectly’ with the ‘delicious’ amuse: Spanish cold tomato soup and cherry tomatoes preserved with a sabayon (light sauce) of smoked butter and wild garlic oil.

Next – lobster with a light vanilla foam, along with a cup of crab soup and caviar on the side.

Alexander praises the ‘intense flavors’.

Above – the ‘excellent’ bread, which Alexander reveals in the video ‘passes the crunch test’

The appetizer: Spanish cold tomato soup (left) and cherry tomatoes pickled with a sabayon (light sauce) of smoked butter and wild garlic oil (right)

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The second course is a galette with Comte cheese and girolle mushrooms, served with tortellini filled with mushrooms and hazelnut.

The galette is the ‘clear winner’, with the tortellini merely described as ‘okay’.

Langoustine is served in two ways – a signature dish – follows.

Alexander is served a langoustine tail, roasted with an emulsion of Parmesan cheese and langoustine ravioli.

‘Intense flavors’: Lobster with a light foam of vanilla, together with a cup of crab soup and caviar on the side

‘Winner’: The second course is a galette with Comte cheese and girolle mushrooms

Langoustine served two ways ‘doesn’t deliver’. The tail (left) was ‘delicious’, but the ravioli (right) ‘had a disturbing ammonia-like smell’

The candied lamb. This is the dish that disappointed Alexander the most

After the disappointing lamb, Alexander is offered veal sweetbreads (above). “Nice save,” he concludes

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work,” says Alexander, who reveals that the “ravioli had a strange, almost ammonia-like smell.” He adds: ‘The smell was disturbing and I didn’t finish it.’

The tail, however, ‘was delicious’.

The main course? Candied lamb in pomme boulangère (baker’s potatoes) with caramelized onion and covered with a stew with peas and lamb juice.

Alexander’s thoughts? ‘In terms of presentation, in my opinion this is not a main course with two Michelin stars.’

He tells MailOnline separately: ‘This disappointed me the most. I had higher expectations for the main course.’

Alexander shares his feedback with the waiting staff and is offered veal sweetbreads in compensation.

“Nice rescue,” he says.

The dessert consists of warm chocolate soufflé in a bowl and a piece of cold cocoa ice cream. “I like the concept,” says Alexander

Alexander says the restaurant ‘may not meet the two-star standard’ if you draw a curtain around it and block the view

The dessert consists of hot and cold chocolate: hot chocolate soufflé in a bowl and a piece of cold cocoa ice cream.

“I like the concept,” says Alexander.

The verdict? Alexander understands that the restaurant faces logistical challenges because it is located on the second floor of the tower – kitchen space and storage are limited – but says: “If you were to draw a black curtain around the restaurant and block the view, you would I have to say that it might be so. not up to the two star standard even though the service was exceptional.’

MailOnline Travel asked Le Jules Verne if it would comment on the video, but there was no response.

For more fascinating foodie videos from Alexander, visit www.youtube.com/@alexandertheguest and follow him on Instagram www.instagram.com/alexandertheguest and on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@alexandertheguest. Follow his restaurant on Instagram at www.instagram.com/42restaurant.

For more information about Le Jules Verne, visit www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/en/jules-verne-restaurant.html.