The famed Jules Verne restaurant and other Eiffel Tower food venues will soon change hands, unless Alain Ducasse, the chef whose company has held the contract for ten years scores a win in court.
SETE, the company that operates the tower under special contracts with the city, has awarded a new 10-year contract to two young chefs who each own other Michelin-starred restaurants. Ducasse, who owns a number of restaurants in Paris and around the world, holds 21 stars, now the most with the recent death of Joel Robuchon.
The newcomers, Fredric Anton of three-star Le Pre Catalan and Thierry Marx of two-star Sur Mesure, are due to take over in October. SETE says they were chosen because they offered “a strong leap in terms of quality” with dining options that cater to all budgets. Dinner at the present restaurant runs about $200 per person, with lower prices in the brasserie and snack counters.
Ducasse’s lawyers argue that not only is he the most-starred chef, but also that there was bias in the selection, since the consulting company that SETE hired to guide its choices has in the past done consulting work for the company representing Anton and Marx. A decision is expected by the end of August.
Above: French Pres. Macron and U.S. Pres. Trump at Jules Verne, 2017
