Verjus’ little sister is never empty at lunchtime thanks to its opulent €30 prix-fixe menu. Inside this long, luminous space, expect marble tables and real silverware – yet the overall ambiance is more hoodies than sweaters tied around your shoulders, as you dig into the always-fashionable, crispy yet tender fried chicken with buttermilk dipping sauce and pickles. The day we went, there was also: tender burrata caressed by chanterelles and ñora chilies; the vinegary freshness of mussels en escabèche with morel mushrooms and saffron aioli; and, faithfully at its post, the famous malt ice cream and chocolate sorbet, made even more divine by a coffee espuma. At night, Ellsworth enriches its menu with a seductive series of luxury tapas: beef cheek, shiitake and spring onion pâté en croûte; sole in a seaweed-infused butter sauce with roasted fennel, Roscoff onions; blue Breton lobster with potatoes, peas, borlotti beans and reblochon cheese… // G.M. and J.G.
FEELING THIRSTY? There’s a thoughtful selection of natural wines from France and afar: a white Saumur from Les Gruches (€8 a glass), a sunny red Côtes du Marmandais from the Domaine de la Croix (€33 a bottle)…
PRICE: Prix-fixe menus €24-30 (weekday lunch), à la carte €44-66.
