My 50th birthday dinner ;)

Either the brasserie or the formal dining room in the Eiffel Tower:

http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/uk/eiffel-tower-restaurants/58-tour-eiffel/dinner-in-paris-eiffel-tower-from-april-2015.html

http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com/en/dinner

Note they are both contemporary style cuisine,
and for a good table you have to reserve about a year ago.

We celebrated our birthdays with dinner at La Ciel de Paris on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse Tower. Good food and a nice view of the Eiffel Tower. It is a little on the pricey side, but I think good value. They have different priced fixed price menus. You can check their website for more information. Happy birthday -- Paris is a great place to celebrate.

It's very expensive, but Le Grand Vefour is the most memorable place I have eaten anywhere... beautiful historic decor. Excellent food and service, in the Palais Royale. Recommend going there for lunch.

Last month we walked past Le Grand Vefour (see BG's post) and somewhere I read it's where Napoleon and his wife would often eat (lunch, I think it said); and that the restaurant has carefully "preserved the atmosphere" of that time.

Another idea for selecting a restaurant is to consult the Michelin Guide Red section, a limited version of which is available online--they have been rating Paris restaurants for over a hundred years. This occasion may not be the time when you want to select a particularly touristy restaurant.

I 'd go with an authentic atmospheric Parisien brasserie - less stuffy than some formal restaurants and perfect for a celebration. A selection ...
http://www.vaudevilleparis.com/en/
http://uk.fermettemarbeuf.com/
http://www.terminusnord.com/en/
http://www.julienparis.com/en/
http://www.brasserieflo-paris.com/en/

Le Train Bleu is an unforgettable "event" resto in Gare de Lyon. It's large, sumptuously over-decorated, and very efficient at serving up traditional French cooking. Tourists love it but businessmen still fall in after riding a TGV train from the south. Basic price is 67 euro for the set menu; cheaper and smaller at lunch; a premium menu is also available as well as a la carte. Consider the very large cheese tray too. That money will buy more interesting cuisine elsewhere but not in such a knock-out belle-epoque setting. http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php To see the details of the menu, click on the stylized UK flag.

Riverboat dinner cruise on Bateau le Calife. The food was really good (they cook onboard) and the couple next to us got engaged. The waiters were very attentive and accomodating. The Captain timed the cruise to go past the Eiffel Tower at 10pm right when the lights go on as opposed to the other cruises that start near the tower. The boat is smaller and more quaint thatn most of the river boats and we really enjoyed it. Make sure to be seated on the upper decks and not down by the bar. If you book a little early it won't be a problem. It would be a special meal for sure.

Seems that most people think you need to spend a lot or visit a fancy restaurant to have a memorable meal. I would think the exact opposite...some small mom & pop type place, sit outside, nice bottle of cold wine. Now THAT would be memorable to me (and I also turned 50 in paris).

We have used two one chef intimate places for special meals e.g. my husband's 65th including Le Cordonnerie near the Tuilleries and Cottage Marcadet near the Lamarck Caulaincourt metro. These are cozy places with good food.

for places with stunning interiors: Les Ombres (fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower as well as the Seine) book well in advance; Le Train Bleu for its spectacular ceiling okay food; Bofinger for its beautiful room. There are also the classic brasseries on Blvd Montparnassed like La Coupole.

And for an old fashioned French meal like beouf bourguignon, their specialty, try Chez Dumonet, Josephine and finish the meal with a wonderful grande marnier soufflet.

Thanks for all the great info! I'd rather do something authentically "French " or Parisian with great food and ambiance but not overly touristy.

Then try doing the reverse tripadvisor method -- go through the Michelin Guide recommendations and check for corroborating reviews in English on TripAdvisor, and if you find many then eliminate that restaurant from consideration.
Not to press on a sore point, but I do that with 'schone' and 'wunderbar' -- if there are a lot of those then the place probably isn't for me.

Now I am craving creme brulee, profiteroles au chocolat and tarte au citron. I wish I had been in Paris to celebrate my 50th last December. Lucky girl. Very jealous. Bon apetit.