French chef Alain Ducasse is said to be bidding for the concession to the restaurant on the second floor of Paris’s Eiffel Tower. The Jules Verne, a Michelin single-star restaurant, has occupied the restaurant site for 25 years. It is run by Elior, a Parisian company, which specialises in museum catering outlets Ducasse is the only chef to hold three Michelin stars in three different countries, for his restaurants in Paris, New York and Monaco. He has allied himself with a bid by Sodexho, the global catering giant. The tower’s management company SETE, which is controlled by the city council, refuses to give details of the number of bidders or the sums involved. The Times 04/11/06 page 34