The Story Behind The Restaurant In Ratatouille
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4 weeks ago
It's Remy the rat’s real-life digs
Ever wondered if Gusteau’s restaurant in Pixar’s Ratatouille is actually real? Well, turns out the Parisian establishment that inspired it has a fascinating history.
Is The Ratatouille Restaurant Real? (& Can You Visit?)
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There’s nothing quite like Pixar’s Ratatouille. It isn’t just a film – it’s an enduring (and beloved) tale of ambition, imagination and kindred spirits. It’s not just an animation, either; it brilliantly captures a chef’s (ahem, rat’s) genius, not to mention the distinct magic of restaurants. All of this means it’s a film that will make you hungry – and it’ll likely also make you want to snap up a booking at your nearest French restaurant.
Can You Visit The Restaurant In Ratatouille?
The short answer is yes. While Gusteau’s itself isn’t a real eatery, there’s one restaurant in particular that inspired it: La Tour d’Argent in Paris. Like Gusteau’s, La Tour d’Argent stands on the banks of the River Seine, overlooking Notre-Dame and the Ile Saint-Louis, and serves up outstanding French fare. Ratatouille’s director, Brad Bird, apparently spent hours perfecting drawings of the restaurant’s dining room to use as inspiration onscreen; both the lamps and the cheese trolley in Gusteau’s were, in fact, replicated from those in La Tour d’Argent.
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Aside from its cinematographic significance, however, La Tour d’Argent has an impressive legacy all of its own. It relaunched in August 2023 after a 15-month refurbishment, but the date of its actual opening is contested; the building itself is believed to date back as far as 1582. The restaurant has welcomed a string of famous guests including Queen Elizabeth II, Theodore Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dali, Queen Elizabeth II, and King Henry VI, who allegedly ate heron pâté there.
The venue is also known for housing a staggering 300,000 different wines in its cellar – with some bottles valued at €25,000.
Does It Serve Ratatouille?
Unfortunately, you won’t actually find ratatouille on the menu at La Tour D’Argent, but there’s one dish that’s sure to catch your eye: canard au sang, which translates to ‘bloody duck’. As the restaurant’s signature creation, it consists of seared duck, which is filleted at your table and served with a rich sauce consisting of cognac, port and juices from the crushed duck carcass.
Tour d’Argent has long been one of the most upmarket restaurants in Paris, with impressive culinary credentials. It currently has one Michelin star (though back in the day, it held the prestigious accolade of three).
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find starters of langoustines with basil and flamed avocado, spider crab bisque, and foie gras with truffle confit, ahead of mains including line-caught sea bass, free-range beef from Aubrac with pasta, marrow and chives, and saddle of lamb with anchovies. For pudding, there’s a signature ‘Precious Black Chocolate’ dish made with roasted peanut milk, sharing crepes for the table. There’s also a five-course tasting menu on offer (costing a whopping €390pp) featuring seasonal dishes: right now it includes blue lobster, duckling needles with arugula, and a traditional Charpini dessert.
The renovation also saw the launch of a new rooftop bar, which serves cocktails with a view: highlights include the Sunset, made with Woodford Reserve, vermouth and cold brew, and the Lipstick, a vodka tipple mixed with Lillet blanc and hibiscus.
Where Is It?
The restaurant is located in the 5th arrondissement (Latin Quarter) of Paris. Find it at 19 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris, France.
How To Visit
If you fancy dining at La Tour d’Argent, table reservations are required and can be made at tourdargent.com.
