Ellsworth

Overlooking rue de Montpensier, there’s a narrow and dimly-lit restaurant with a faux neo-tavern feel (white marble bistro tables, smoky tiles, wooden benches, candlestick lamps), whose American members, Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian (owners of the two Verjus) play to a full house every day with their expressive €30 lunch menu. On the playbill the day we went: two plump salty mussels from Groix screaming for joy in a seafaring broth; followed by perfect fried chicken with multi-colored pickles and a buttermilk dressing; before a finale of malt ice cream and chocolate sorbet with coffee espuma and crumbled vanilla cookies. At night, Ellsworth is never short on ideas, and switches into luxury tapas mode: salad of celtuce, peaches and buttermilk (€12); Albacore tuna, juniper, black pepper and cucumbers (€14)… And to play off all that? Quality wines: a brilliant Chignin from André Berlioz (€6.50 a glass), a red Saumur-Champigny from Sébastien Bobinet (€6), a Cheverny Pinoir noir from the Domaine des Huards (€37 a bottle)…. Set menus €24-30 (weekday lunch), à la carte €36-63. // A.A.