Under Henry III, opposite the wine port and just past the Porte Saint-Bernard, a certain Rourteau opened an elegant inn that welcomed the King’s lords. The adjacent Château de la Tournelle, built of silvery Champagne stone, gave its name to the establishment, which became known as the Hostellerie de la Tour d’Argent.

Already used in some Italian homes, the fork made its appearance in France at the Tour d’Argent. In order not to stain the immaculate strawberry that fashion imposed on the necks of gentlemen, Henri IV inaugurated this utensil at a dinner that caused quite a stir in Paris. From then on, the Tour d’Argent became the place to be, and Henri IV regularly came there to enjoy “La Poule d’Afrique ou l’Anguille des Bois” and “thick slices of heron pâté”.

It was this same Henry IV who granted the Tour d’Argent the honour of bearing arms, and until the reign of Louis XIV the coat of arms “Cuisinier – Oyer – traiteur” could be seen above the hostelry door. The restaurant’s arms were: “Argent a plate covered with Sable between three wreaths of ivy and Vert”, while those of the hostelry were “a Tower Argent embattled on a field of Gules”.

From the time of Cardinal de Richelieu to the French Revolution, La Tour d’Argent remained the place for fine dinners. Legend has it that the Duke of Richelieu, the Cardinal’s nephew, hosted a dinner for forty people over a menu consisting entirely of beef prepared in thirty different ways! It was at the end of this meal that coffee cups first appeared. Excellent chocolate was also served at the Tour d’Argent. In a letter written in 1671, Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter that she enjoyed her chocolate every day on the Quai de la Tournelle.

With the revolutionary turmoil behind him, Lecoq, the imperial chef, rebuilt the Tour d’Argent restaurant. The restaurant once again became a venue for famous gourmets such as the Duc de Morny and the Countess Le Hon, the Lady of the Camellias and Lord Seymour.

It was in 1867, at the time of the Paris Universal Exhibition, that the Café Anglais reached its apogee. Just imagine! Alexander II, Tsar of all the Russias, the Tsarevitch and future Alexander III, William I, King of Prussia and future Emperor, as well as Prince Otto von Bismarck gathered at the same table. For these exceptional guests, Chef Dugléré will be preparing an exceptional menu comprising five starters, six main courses and four desserts.

For nearly seventy years, La Tour d’Argent has been supplied of its precious ducks by Burgaud in Chalans, Vendée, recognised as a “quality artisan producer” by the Collège Culinaire de France.

In 1911, on the eve of the First World War, André Terrail bought the Tour d’Argent. By marrying the daughter of Claudius Burdel, then owner of the Café Anglais, he brought together the gastronomic heritage of Frédéric and that of the no less illustrious Adolphe Dugléré, chef at the Café Anglais, no less than the most popular Parisian establishment of the Second Empire.

Before 1936, the Tour d’Argent restaurant, then on the ground floor, was covered in wood panelling. A sumptuous wrought-iron gate marked the new entrance, moved from 15 quai de la Tournelle to 17, at the corner of quai de la Tournelle and rue du Cardinal Lemoine.

You can imagine the architectural prodigies that had to be deployed to build the now-famous grand hall on steel blocks, the weight of which the main building would not have been able to support. At first, it was an open terrace, which was then covered with tarpaulins, and then with huge bay windows. Little by little, the Tower took on the unique structure it has retained ever since: the second dining room was opened up, the kitchens moved to the sixth floor, a slightly larger lift was installed, and the Tour d’Argent, with its breathtaking view of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral and its islands, was born!

In 1947, André Terrail handed over the reins of the Tour d’Argent to his son, Claude. Under his leadership, the Tour d’Argent opened a second restaurant in Tokyo, celebrated its 400th anniversary, and underwent a number of changes to maintain its position at the very highest level of world gastronomy. A visionary entrepreneur and leader of men, history will remember him as a great Maître de Maison whose favourite maxim was: “There is nothing more serious than pleasure”. His son, André, who took over at his father’s death in 2006, continues the history of this great household.

The Tour d’Argent is not a museum but a theatre – Claude Terrail understood this perfectly – and for André Terrail, the challenge is to pass on the family heritage with an eye to the future. In 2022, buoyed by his initial successes and surrounded by a team of enthusiasts, André Terrail dared to take the boldest gamble since the 1936 renovation by his grandfather of the same name, who took the restaurant up to the 6th floor. At the end of a titanic worksite lasting more than a year and led by architect Franklin Azzi, La Tour d’Argent reopens its doors in August 2023 to unveil a revamped restaurant as well as completely new, tailor-made spaces. These immersive experiences, from the ground floor to the roof of the Tower, have been thought out down to the last detail by André Terrail, captain of the ship, who is thus brilliantly ushering La Tour d’Argent into a new century where the excellence, generosity and modernity of the House shine together in the Parisian sky.