Paris, France — It’s back and even better than before, as if that could be possible. This has always been one of The Gourmet Gazette’s favorite spots in Paris for wining and dining, even way back when, when it was called the Totem. Tucked away in the Palais de Chaillot with the Musée de l’Homme, the national museum devoted to humankind and its anthropology and culture, it definitively debunks the myth of « you are paying for the view. » This restaurant (lunch, pre-dinner, dinner, cocktails) has one of the finest views in Paris directly facing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero esplanade. But it has something more, great food, welcoming service, a fine wine list and good value. And given that this year is the 100th anniversary of the death of Gustave Eiffel, it also offers a great historical pilgrimage. One of the trio of owners, Coco Coupérie Eiffel, is a great granddaughter of the great civil engineer known the world over for his eponymous tower. She works alongside partners Christophe Bonnat and Jean Moueix. The hallmarks of the house: excellence, the French art of living and keen hospitality. 

The Café de l’Homme re-opened last April 25th with an updated look, but since the view never changes here, it still has that same unique feel to it, and the cuisine revolves around seasonal, carefully-sourced fare with the dining experience embracing French savoir-faire. The interior was conceived by the tandem of interior designers Gilles & Boissier and reflects the Art Deco style typical of the 1930s, so characteristic of the Palais de Chaillot where greenery, too, has a prominent place and not just on the incredible terrace overlooking the Seine and the tower itself. 

The house’s cuisine reflects the good earth and nature.  The executive chef Fadi Frem works with finely sourced produce and products and creates thoroughly savory dishes with unique spices and seasonal flowers and herbs. Signature dishes include the line-caught hake with its delicate flavor from the fishing boats of the Basque town of Saint- Jean-de-Luz served in his Basque-inspired sauce. The veal chop in a simmering sauce that revolves around caramelized English ginger jam and Xeres vinegar also offers a marvelous main course with the veal coming from Qualiviande, a cooperative of 13 French livestock farmers. This is excellent served with the unctuous house pureed potatoes. There is also a hard to find Vol-au-Vent, puff pastry filled generously with farmhouse chicken from the Landes region of France in a creamy sauce.  Another find is the tuna belly to share. But the appetizers are diverse and delicious, too, like the warm green asparagus or the memorable vitello tonnato and deliciously prepared langoustine straight out of the Atlantic. 

Pastry chef Thomas Gabriel serves up masterfully orchestrated desserts including a hot chocolate soufflé made with dark chocolate from Uganda sourced from the chocolate manufacture Duplanteur in Grasse which plants its own cacao trees and works with local farmers in sustainable development mode. Three decorative wine cellars filled with the finest of  champagnes and wines, including six Pétrus vintages, as well as good value wines, adorn the restaurant offering a close-up look into the restaurant’s fine wine finds. But other local specialties await including wines produced in Versailles and Bonneval source water from a natural artesian source well of millennia in Savoie. 

The Café de l’Homme is open seven days a week serving lunch from noon until 2:15, followed by a gourmet afternoon and before dinner until 6:30pm, dinner from 6:45pm until 11:30pm and the lounge is on until 2am. You can also privatize the Café de l’Homme for that special event. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. 17 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris. Tel: +33 (0)1 44 05 30 15. https://www.cafedelhomme.com/en/