First night in Paris a casual dinner would be great but where?

Our last visit, in 2010, we pretty much wandered in to any restaurant that looked inviting. We never had a bad meal, and never encountered any rude waiters (a myth about French waiters). Don't know about getting a view of the E.T., but there are lots of nice restaurants in the Latin Quarter. Lots of nice restaurants all over Paris, for that matter... but you want casual after an overnight flight? How about finding a market and putting together a light picnic dinner that you can eat right at the base of the E.T.? My wife and I plan on doing this more on our upcoming visit, rather than relying on restaurants for every meal. Enjoy your dinner.

me again... just an afterthought: last trip, I spent countless hours poring over restaurant reviews, tearing my hair out, looking for the "right" restaurants, coming up with a list of well-reviewed places. We went to ONE place off my list, "La Marine", on the Quai de Valmy. Had a lovely meal. Lovely neighborhood. Went again our last night. Every other restaurant we ate in we just picked at random. If it looks like a dive, don't go in. Diners laughing, pouring wine, sharing stories, waiters bustling... "Table for two, please?" again, enjoy.

Hi Sue, there are a couple of places I'd recommend in that area. Try the outdoor cafe at the Quai Branley Museum (37 Quai Branley). I found it by accident and was thrilled with the view of the Eiffel Tower. There is also a restaurant there called Les Ombres if you're looking for a bigger meal.

Also in that area is Cafe Le Dome (47 Avenue de la Bourdonnais) that is right on the edge of the park and has a view of the ET. There's another cafe across the street from there (can't remember the name) that doesn't have a view but the food and service was good.

Have a great time in Paris!

This restaurant is great: http://www.yelp.com/biz/au-p%C3%A8re-louis-paris-2

Great wine bar upstairs full of locals and downstairs a quaint kitchen and dining area. I went twice my week in Paris- best meal was crispy duck with a marmalade sauce and frites. I also enjoyed snails and french onion soup. Fantastic meal!

Although not a view of the Eiffel Tower, La Terrasse du 7eme has an amazing view of the Ecole Militare from the second floor. The food is excellent also, and don't skip the chocolate lava cake. My favorite restaurant in Paris is just up the street at Cafe le Bosquet. They have the most amazing escargot.