Chameleon Restaurant

Vintage tables, original flooring, vermillion bar… Despite feeling like everything is a little off limits, chef Nicolas Verdera’s (ex-Le Meurine) Chameleon surprises guests at every service with an impeccable lunch menu for 23 bucks. That day, we lunched on the cobblestoned terrace: delectable wild sardines grilled on the plancha with a tomato jam; incredible free-range pork belly satay paired with roasted vegetables; a cloud-like fontainebleau with rhubarb, verbena and strawberries and a speculoos crumble. The restaurant fills right up again at night, with guests eager to dig into the €35 menu. It might include something like rabbit porchetta stuffed with chorizo and savory; roasted monkfish with green asparagus from Le Poitou and a churned butter infused with mussels; citrus slices with an Earl Grey chocolate ganache and toasted almonds. A beautiful feast that’s even better with a very fresh Corsican rosé from the Domaine Mosconi (€18 a pitcher), an elegant Pic-Saint-Loup from Le Mas de l’Oncle (€7 a glass) or a superb organic Vallon from the Domaine Milan (€40 a bottle). Set menus €18-23 (lunch), menu-carte €38 (dinner). // C.LeH.