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Jacques Cagna -One of the most popular traditional French restaurants in Paris, the Jacques Cagna serves some of the most exquisite French delicacies such as veal in lime and ginger with buttery potato and ground tomato. The ambience is exemplary and the service is excellent.

Tourists must remember that French traditional restaurants often draw a crowd, especially at weekends, owing to which they must reserve a table well in advance.

There are numerous different types of restaurants in Paris and places that you could choose to eat out at, and many of the restaurants have lots of history and nostalgia, so we thought it would be an idea to focus on one in particular, called the Tour d'Argent.

This is actually the oldest restaurant in Paris and is known throughout the world for its traditional French cuisine and was first opened as an inn back in 1582, with the idea of catering for the aristocrats of the time.

By the early 1600's it had become so popular that even duels were fought to get a table and savour the delicacies on offer! Numerous dignitaries and royalty came to eat at the Tour d'Argent including King Louis XIV and the Duke of Morny, who resided at the mansion which is now home to the haute cuisine restaurant called the Taillevent.

But it was in the 19th century that the Tour d'Argent became even more famous when the owner, Frederic Delair created the ritual of the "Canard au Sang", which is a complex dish known as pressed duck or bloody duck that uses a special solid silver press and it was shortly after devising this now famous recipe, he declared that every duck should bear a number. For instance, number 328 was served to King Edward VII in 1890.

Andre Terrail purchased the Tour d'Argent in 1910, but the tradition of the numbered duck continued and duck number 40,312 was served to King Alfonso XIII in 1914. Number 112,151 was served to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1929 and duck number 938,451 was served to President Mikhail Gorbachev in 2001.

The Tour d'Argent celebrated its one millionth duck in 2003 and even today this tradition still continues where you are presented with a card showing what number duck you had for your meal, but this is just one of the reasons why this restaurant has become such a landmark and famous throughout the world.

Now when you enter the Tour d'Argent you will immediately see displays in their small museum of items such as a menu from the maiden voyage of the Normandie through to a table set as it was in the 1800's. This is where you would usually be served aperitifs, yet the restaurant dining room is actually positioned on the sixth floor, which was added in 1936, and is accessed via a lift.

And because of its location with the fabulous views of Notre Dame Cathedral and the boats cruising the River Seine or looking at the shimmering lights of the city and the Eiffel Tower in the distance of an evening, becomes another reason why this Paris restaurant is so popular.

The sommeliers are very knowledgeable and can recommend wines to pair excellently with your cuisine, yet prices can become quite high, with some vintage wines costing thousands of Euros!! paris restaurant