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Also, being situated in the 5th arrondissement, the Tour d'Argent has wonderful views of Notre Dame Cathedral and the River Seine and is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner
with a fine glass of wine and has been the place of choice for many prestigious guests.
But do bear in mind that you always need to make a reservation at this Paris landmark and realistically you need a healthy
bank balance, not just for the cuisine such as their famous canard au sang, or pressed duck dish, but
especially for some of the fine wines, as there are so
many references, it is more like a novel and the wine list comes with its own stand!
There are not many restaurants in Paris
that could even try matching up to the wine cellars at the Tour d'Argent and they are said
to be one of the best in the world. And for some, they are lucky enough to have a
tour of these rambling cellars, which is usually when one has purchased an expensive vintage wine or have proven their
interest in the wine and its cellars.
Yet the cellars are a daunting place, with a maze of rooms where you could quite easily
get lost, and to enter you have to be escorted into the bowels of the restaurant by a
member of the staff, wearing white tie and tails, who ceremoniously rings a copper bell to
announce the visitor's arrival.
And with so many rare vintages, the temperature in the cellars is kept at a constant 54
degrees to preserve these, as the wines, brandies, champagnes
etc. are estimated to be worth around eight to ten million Euros!
Even though much of the wine was blundered when the Germans invaded, all of the treasures
were saved from the German occupation during the Second World War by Claude Terrail, the
son of Andre, who personally walled off part of the cellars on the night of 14th June
1940, so that these rare bottles would not be discovered.
There is a Chateau Siran from 1858, which is the oldest bottle of wine in their cellars
and next to it lies a prestigious vintage from 1865, although some very rare Burgundy wines have pride of place. But even older than
that there are the "fines" and brandies, like the fine Champagne, Logis de
Servolles from 1797 and next to that a cognac, Clos de Griffer, from 1788.
They also have a collection of Vin des Corsaires, which are the Pirates wines and were a
trophy from a defeated buccaneer, along with many other exceedingly rare bottles like a
fine Napoleon, making the wine cellars an experience like no other, and all of this is on
top of refined dining at this romantic and historic restaurant.
But you can also experience even more history of the
Tour d'Argent, by having a look round the little museum called the Tour d'Argent Musee de la Table, which is
on the ground floor and holds numerous different items on display, including vintage
bottles of wine and other memorabilia such as letters from famous past clientele and even
the menu from the dining room on the maiden voyage of the Normandie.
Address & Contact Details:
La Tour d'Argent
15-17, Quai de la Tournelle
75005
Paris
Ile de France
France
Telephone: 1 43 54 23 31
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