A table at this all-black restaurant on the second level of the Tour Eiffel, 400 feet removed from the gritty reality of Parisian life, is one of the hardest to snag in Paris. At its best, Alain Reix's cooking justifies a wait of two months or more for dinner (lunch is more accessible), but lately his food has been a deflating experience. The wisest approach, then, is to go for the EUR51 lunch menu and to expect good but not exquisite food, such as pigeon fricassee or squid with duck liver, an intriguing meeting of land and sea. There's always the exceptional view -- the highlight of any meal here has to be the ride up the restaurant's private elevator. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. Métro: Bir-Hakeim.