Yes, it's quite a dining room and, as you can see, every table enjoys a good view.
What can you tell us about Ducasse sur Seine?
With even the most rudimentary knowledge of French, you'll be able to deduce that this is "Ducasse on the Seine". Alain Ducasse may no longer have his restaurant up the Eiffel Tower so instead, he's parked a state of the art boat on the river right beside it. It's high-end dining while gliding down the Seine, so you can see some of France's top attractions over the course of a very fancy lunch or dinner.
Where can I catch the boat?
Head towards the river from the Eiffel Tower and cross Pont d'lena - he's parked just below that. It's an all-electric barge that gives an extremely smooth and quiet ride as a result.
What route does the boat take?
The boat heads east - so you'll be able to get some great views of the Eiffel Tower in both directions, as well as passing Musee D'Orsay, The Louvre, through the famous Pont Des Artes and passing around the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame before heading back. The lunchtime journey took about two hours - but we think the evening dinner takes a little longer. The waiters are more than happy to point out the local sights, and you'll get a handy booklet to help you spot things too.
And how is the boat laid out?
The main floor downstairs is the restaurant - it really does look like an upmarket restaurant that just happens to be floating on the river. There's also a small bar upstairs and - weather permitting - you can get out on deck too. There wasn't much time for the latter on our trip, but we think the evening journey may give you more time.
And what's the food like?
Dinner is a set menu, book-in-advance deal. At lunch, there's a basic three-course option (€100) and you can pair that with wine (€150) or have four courses with wine (€250). At dinner, it's a four-course menu (€150) or five courses (€190) and more wine pairing options. So there's a bit of an outlay - but you're adding in the price of a very pleasant trip down the river in extremely plush circumstances too.
Here's what the two of us opted for on our four-course lunch:
Because, yes - you HAVE to start with canapes.
Guinea fowl, duck foie gras and cabbage layers
Broccoli veloute, black truffle and ewe's curd
So pretty - crab with radishes and grapefruit.
Confit veal, baby carrots, lemon and parsley
Seared scallops with chicory and cooking jus
Pineapple, coconut and green cardomom
Paris chocolate delight, crispy praline - a signature Ducasse dish - and yes, it uses his own chocolate, of course.
And drink?
Most of the cruise options have an all French wine pairing included. So our four course lunch kicked off with a glass of Ducasse's own Champagne followed by Chablis, a Morey-Saint-Denis and finishing witwh a glass of Barsac.
Overall
If you're after a trip down the Seine in the best environment possible, with a top class dinner thrown in for good measure, this is hard to beat - and even if you're even just heading to Paris for the day it's a cracking way to spend a couple of hours.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Ducasse Sur Seine. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
More about Ducasse Sur Seine
Where is it? Port Debilly, 75116 Paris, France
How to book: Via their website
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @Ducassesurseine.
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