--- title: "Eiffel Tower Dinner: Options, Views and Reservations" date: 2026-09-21 canonical: https://tickettowereiffel.com/eiffel-tower-restaurants/eiffel-tower-dinner/ --- **An Eiffel Tower dinner** can mean three different things: a table inside the tower, a table with the tower in view or a dinner cruise that passes it. They cost different amounts and give you different views, so the first choice is the format, not the restaurant. Here is my read: for a special night, dinner in the tower is the one I would book, and for a group or a moving view I would take the river. This guide compares the three in a decision table, explains what the in-tower dinner includes and shows how to reserve. It is part of my wider pillar on [Eiffel Tower restaurants](/eiffel-tower-restaurants/), and if you want to see every ticket type next to the dinner, the [Eiffel Tower tickets](/) homepage lists them all. ## What are the Eiffel Tower dinner options? You can eat inside the tower at the first floor brasserie or the second level gastronomic restaurant, at a restaurant with the tower in view outside, or on a Seine dinner cruise that passes it. I sort them by how close you are to the tower and how much you pay. Inside the tower gives the most atmosphere. Beside it gives the most choice of price. On the river gives the most movement. Which one wins depends on the evening you want, and the table below is how I would decide. ## How do the dinner options compare? Dinner in the tower is the most special, dinner beside it is the most flexible and a dinner cruise is the most scenic. The tower dinner in our listing starts from EUR 130 per person, while the others vary by venue. | | In the tower | Beside the tower | Dinner cruise | |---|---|---|---| | View | From the first floor | Of the tower from outside | Moving, along the river | | Price | From EUR 130 per person in our listing | Varies by restaurant | Varies by operator | | Includes tower access | Lift to the first floor | No | No | | Booking | Bundled ticket or the restaurant | The restaurant | The cruise operator | | Best for | Couples, a special night | Flexible budgets | Groups, a first night | | My take | My pick for a special night | Best for choice | Best for scenery | I would read the table as a set of trade-offs. You pay more for the setting inside the tower, you gain choice by eating beside it and you gain movement on the river. For most readers I would pick the tower dinner, because the bundled price is easy to compare and the lift line is included. ## Can you have dinner inside the Eiffel Tower? Yes. There is a brasserie on the first floor, a gastronomic restaurant on the second level and a champagne bar at the summit. The most accessible dinner is on the first floor. Our listing covers the first floor brasserie, named Madame Brasserie, and its three-course Gustave Menu. You can read the full breakdown in my guide to [Madame Brasserie at the Eiffel Tower](/eiffel-tower-restaurants/madame-brasserie-eiffel-tower/). The gastronomic table is a bigger step, and I explain it in the guide to the [Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower](/eiffel-tower-restaurants/jules-verne-eiffel-tower/). ## What does the in-tower dinner include? The dinner ticket includes a three-course meal, a glass of Champagne, two glasses of wine or a beer or soft drink instead, filtered water, coffee or tea and a lift ticket to the first floor. It does not include souvenir photos or lift tickets to the second floor or the summit. I would keep that in mind if the summit view is part of your plan, because you would need a separate ticket for it. In my view the bundle is honest and clear, and the only surprise would be assuming it gets you higher than the first floor. ## How much does an Eiffel Tower dinner cost? The in-tower dinner in our listing starts from EUR 130 per person. Prices vary by date and seating, so check the live figure. Dinner beside the tower and on a cruise vary by venue and operator. I would budget for the drinks and the trip home as well. The in-tower bundle includes drinks, which makes it easier to compare than a restaurant where wine is extra. If you want a quick number for a couple, double the per-person price and check the checkout figure before you commit. Ticket-only prices for the tower are on my pillar for [Eiffel Tower ticket prices](/eiffel-tower-ticket-price/). ## Which seating should you choose? Choose 6:30 PM for sunset and 9:00 PM for the city lights. Both are offered in our listing. My pick is 6:30 PM in summer and 9:00 PM in winter. In summer the early seating keeps the sky bright and the view changing across the meal. In winter it is dark by the early seating anyway, so the later table adds a slower, more romantic pace. Either way, arrive early, because the priority lift line still follows security. ## How do you make Eiffel Tower dinner reservations? Book online for a fixed seating, keep your voucher on your phone and tell the restaurant about allergies when you book. Check the confirmation for the entrance and timing notes. Here is what I would do, in order: 1. Pick your date first and check the seatings. 2. Choose 6:30 PM or 9:00 PM. 3. Book early, because tables at the tower fill quickly. 4. Add dietary needs at booking. 5. Save the voucher and the address on your phone. The dinner listing is the fastest way to book the in-tower option: the [Eiffel Tower dinner tickets](/tours/eiffel-tower-dinner-tickets/) give the seatings and the current price. ## What is dinner beside the Eiffel Tower like? Restaurants around the park and across the river give you a view of the tower from outside. Prices and menus vary, and some hotels have terraces that face it. I would choose this option if you want a lower cost or a specific cuisine. You do not get the lift or the height, but you do get more choice of price and you can walk to the tower afterward. My page on [restaurants with an Eiffel Tower view](/eiffel-tower-restaurants/restaurants-with-eiffel-tower-view/) sorts venues by view type, and I would confirm hours and menus yourself before you rely on any of them. ![Comparison map with generic labels: Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, Seine, Trocadero, First Floor Brasserie, River Cruise Dock](/images/blog/paris-eiffel-tower-dinner-2.webp) ## What about a dinner cruise? A dinner cruise takes you along the Seine past the major monuments while you eat. It is a moving view and it works well for groups. My take is that a cruise is the better choice for a first evening or a larger group, because the scenery is the entertainment. For a quiet conversation I would stay on land. The full comparison is in my guide to the [Paris dinner cruise with Eiffel Tower views](/eiffel-tower-at-night/paris-dinner-cruise-eiffel-tower/). Our own cruise listings without food are cheaper, such as the [Seine cruise from the tower](/tours/eiffel-tower-seine-cruise-tickets/) from EUR 18 per person, which has no meal or drinks. ## Are there Eiffel Tower lunch tickets? Our dinner listing covers evening seatings only. Lunch is a separate question, so check the restaurant or the official site for lunch times and menus. I would not assume a lunch bundle exists. If you want a daytime plan, I would book a timed tower ticket and choose a nearby restaurant for lunch, which keeps the schedule flexible. ## What about the champagne bar? The champagne bar is a drink at the summit and not a dinner. In our listings, a glass there is a separate purchase on the day. I would use it as a short add-on to a summit visit, not as a replacement for a meal. My guide to the [Eiffel Tower champagne bar](/eiffel-tower-restaurants/eiffel-tower-champagne-bar/) covers what to expect and how it fits with summit tickets. ## Who should book which dinner? Couples marking a special night should choose the tower dinner. Groups and first-night visitors should choose the cruise. Budget travellers should eat beside the tower. My picks: - **Proposal or anniversary:** dinner in the tower, at the 9:00 PM seating. - **Group or first night:** a river dinner cruise. - **Budget:** a tower ticket and a restaurant nearby. - **Families with young children:** none of the sit-down options, and a snack instead. ## What are the drawbacks? The in-tower dinner only reaches the first floor, it costs much more than a standard ticket and the menu is set. If you want the summit, book that separately. I would rather tell you now than have you find out at checkout. The listing itself calls it a splurge that makes sense for a special night. If the summit is your goal, the [elevator ticket with summit access](/tours/eiffel-tower-elevator-summit-tickets/) from EUR 79 per person is the better spend, and you can eat somewhere nearby. ## My recommendation Book the first floor dinner if you want a special evening inside the tower, choose the seating by season and tell the restaurant about allergies early. Take a river dinner cruise if you want scenery and a group, and eat beside the tower if you want the lowest cost. Prices vary by date, so check the live price before you pay. For the rules on hours and closures, the [official Eiffel Tower website](https://www.toureiffel.paris/en) is the source I would trust. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you have dinner in the Eiffel Tower? Yes. There is a brasserie on the first floor and a gastronomic restaurant on the second level. The most accessible dinner is the first floor menu. ### How much does dinner cost? Our listing starts from EUR 130 per person, with drinks and a lift ticket to the first floor included. Prices vary by date and seating. ### What time is dinner? Seatings are at 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM in our listing. ### Do I need to reserve? Yes. Book ahead, because tables at the tower fill quickly, especially on weekends and in summer. ### Does the dinner ticket include the summit? No. It covers the first floor only.