Ducasse sur Seine. Paris from the water, until the Eiffel Tower sparkles

I have known Paris for more than forty years. These days I go about every three months, and we have stayed at the same hotel on Rue de l’Université for years. I have spent many beautiful evenings in this city. But once in your life you must experience an evening at Ducasse sur Seine.

Ducasse sur Seine is the floating restaurant of Alain Ducasse, one of the truly great chefs of France. An elegant electric boat that glides almost silently along the Seine while a multi-course menu is served on board. I have taken the evening cruise with the Nuit étoilée menu twice, and each time I found the view wonderful. The journey begins in daylight and ends at night, when the Eiffel Tower sparkles. I love this night cruise.

A private jetty, another world

Ducasse sur Seine has its own jetty at Port Debilly, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower. It is not the jetty of the Bateaux-Mouches, and you feel that from the very first moment. You are welcomed, accompanied, and as you step on board you step into another world. The boat is glazed all around, so you have a wonderful view from every seat of everything passing by outside.

On our summer cruise there was one more spectacle on top: the Patrouille de France flew right over the boat, trailing smoke in blue, white and red. You cannot book something like that, but it suits an evening on which everything feels a little grander.

The Nuit étoilée menu

On board you are served a menu with the beautiful name Nuit étoilée, starry night. The kitchen works at the level you expect from the house of Ducasse: French, precise, with the finest produce. We had, among other courses, Saumon Label Rouge and a buckwheat cookpot, and to finish a dessert called Paris tout chocolat, which delivers exactly what its name promises.

My favourite moment between courses: stepping outside to the railing and letting the wind blow around your nose. Inside, candlelight and the soft clink of glasses; outside, the city slowly drifting past. Then back in for the next course. It is exactly this back and forth that makes the evening so special.

Paris from the water

Seeing Paris from the water is a very special experience. The cruise takes you around the Île de la Cité and back again. You discover restaurants and buildings you never noticed from the riverbank. More than once I asked myself: Have I seen this before? Have I been here? And yet I have known this city for decades. From the water, everything simply looks different.

This is also how I discovered the restaurant Bonnie, right at the top, on the roof of the SO/ Paris hotel. More about that later on this blog.

The night belongs to the Eiffel Tower

By the time you head back, night has fallen, and now you see why I love the night cruise so much. The Eiffel Tower stands golden above the river, and on the hour it begins to sparkle. Watching this from the boat, glass in hand, is a sight you will never forget.

To give you a feeling for this return journey, I have brought along a short video: passing under the Passerelle Debilly, the Eiffel Tower golden behind it, candles burning on the tables.

If you go

Ducasse sur Seine departs from its own jetty at Port Debilly, in the 16th arrondissement opposite the Eiffel Tower; the nearest metro station is Trocadéro. When we booked, boarding was at 8 pm and the boat cast off punctually at 8.30 pm. You can reserve via ducasse-seine.com, ideally well in advance for the evening cruise.

One piece of advice from my own experience: do not go in winter. In summer the cruise still begins in daylight, and for me the moments outside at the railing are an essential part of it. I can recommend this little escape to anyone coming to Paris. Once in your life, you simply have to do it.

If you enjoyed this piece, these might also be of interest: Ti Breizh, galettes and Breton joie de vivre in Hamburg and par ici, my piece of France in Eimsbüttel.

Diesen Beitrag auf Deutsch lesen: Ducasse sur Seine. Paris vom Wasser aus, bis der Eiffelturm funkelt

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Trixi Gronau has run her Concept Store in Hamburg with its own print atelier since 1995. In the nineties a regular at Susanne Otto (then the only Chanel address in Hamburg, Milchstraße), at Boutique Amica run by Ina Gärtner, and at Chippis Bazar run by Mary Burose. Invited to vernissages at Galerie Levy (Pop Art and Surrealism, Hamburg-Pöseldorf).

Warmly, from Hamburg

Trixi