Verjus is an enthralling dining adventure from beginning to end. It was an exhilarating experience that left me perfectly happy to have dropped $150 on a meal… and look forward to doing it all over again. A bit of a travel splurge, but well worth it. From the moment I made my online reservation, Verjus set the tone for a perfect Paris dining experience. Verjus is a brilliant combination of casual elegance, delicious creative food that is executed to perfection, and an approach that considers every little detail from the dinnerware to the hospitable service. Verjus was one of my best experiences from a month-long Europe trip.

Verjus Bar a Vin

But let’s start at the beginning. Whenever I’m in Paris, I make a point to visit Verjus Bar a Vin – Verjus’ adorable downstairs wine bar. Set in a cozy cave-like space, Verjus Bar a Vin serves up delicious small plates and great wines by the glass from their changing chalkboard menu. Wine bars are one of my favorite ways to hang out in foodie Paris. A Bar a Vin typically takes little advance planning, and I can always rely on quality noshing and imbibing in some interesting wine spot. And Verjus Bar a Vin is one of my favorites for its stellar food and wine options, as well as its cozy cave-like setting and warm hospitality.

Verjus Bar a Vin – Courtesy: Hidden Kitchen

The Verjus Prix-Fixe Experience

Verjus has been on the forefront of a more modern approach to fine dining. It embraces a seasonal menu and has a precision to its cooking, but it is not remotely stuffy or intimidating. Long before American ex pats Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian opened Verjus, I had been aware of their previous Hidden Kitchen venture, which they ran out of their Paris home as sort of a private pop-up / communal dinner party. Hidden Kitchen had a reputation for inventive 12-course tasting menus that incorporated the best local products. These dinners were popular, and it was difficult to snag one of the dozen or so seats. Moving to Paris about 10 years ago after Perkins’ cooking gig in Seattle, the couple’s short-term immersion into Paris turned into a permanent stay, resulting in their own mini-restaurant empire and influencer status in Paris’ still-emerging modern food scene. So when they opened Verjus in 2011, I was an immediate patron of their cellar wine bar. Getting to restaurant Verjus though had been a little more elusive. It’s not usually my style to make dinner reservations months in advance, but on my recent visit to Paris I decided I would book a month ahead for Verjus to ensure a 10 p.m. table on a Monday night.

As I arrived at Verjus for my 10 pm seating, rue de Richelieu was already deserted and bathed in the city’s ubiquitous warm yellow street lighting. Given my first encounter with the restaurant’s online hospitality, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I entered Verjus that they were ready and waiting for me. I was warmly greeted by name and informed that they were prepared for my pescatarian menu preference. The dining room was probably only half filled.  I was seated at a small, elegant table in the center of the intimate modern dining room. The cozy room is composed of clean modern lines, yet is warm and intimate. A bright yellow light from the outside alley pours over the dining room through its wall of windows that peer onto the exterior of the Palais Royal. The Psych Furs played softly in the background, underscoring that this was no typical Paris fine dining experience.

Verjus seems to be labeled as modern American cuisine, yet that tag feels overly-constrained given the Paris context and influence. Verjus certainly departs from the regimented rules of French cuisine, and Perkins seems to take his inspiration from a wide range of genres and styles. American cuisine, after all, is a melting pot of flavors and concepts that come from worldwide influences. I would pose that Verjus is an interesting blend of modern American refined Bistro with decidedly Parisian overtones. For instance, the precise attention to detail and aesthetics at every turn, as well as Verjus’ focus on seasonal components and strong relationships with the best local food producers.

Reinforcing its reputation as an American style restaurant may be due to the buzz of inescapable English being spoken across the dining room. This is likely because Verjus is so popular with travelers who are willing to book weeks in advance, locking up those precious spaces. Verjus seems to understand its foodie clientele well and indulges them with detailed descriptions of each dish as it is delivered to the table. Each wine pairing is poured directly from the bottle, as they happily explain its origin and why it is paired with the dish. Verjus conceives every detail, down to its stunning minimalist pottery on which the meal is served – and which is designed by the Chef and made for Verjus by an artist in the Loire Valley. The service is personal and attentive without being cloying. 

The Verjus Tasting Menu

The menu is composed of a series of small plates, with no a la carte option. The 68 euro prix fixe menu is conceived as 4 appetizer plates, 4 main dishes, and 1 dessert – with an optional 8 euro cheese plate and an outstanding wine-pairing for an additional 55 euro. I went for the full experience. The meal was deliberately composed to be a feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds. Full disclosure though – I was so enthralled with my meal that during the entire experience, I was torn between immersing in it and documenting it and hence missed photographing a couple of courses. 

Appetizer 1 – Cauliflower Broth, Hay, Turmeric: The first appetizer arrived in a small pottery bowl filled with Cauliflower Broth with overtones of Hay and Turmeric, topped creatively with a semolina cracker sculpture with cauliflower floret. Very Zen feeling – no silverware, just drinking directly from the small cup.

Appetizer 2 – Pumpkin, Ricotta, Cracker, Sage:  The next appetizer bite was not only beautiful, it was delicious. Sort of a petite savory cannoli of semolina cracker filled with a ricotta pumpkin puree. The pumpkin flavor was clear, but subtle …and the cannoli shell had a fantastic crunch. Appetizer 3 – Cracker, Fig Jam, Borage: The scrumptious square Semolina crisp composed of Fig Jam and Borage herb was set against the frame of its beautiful, over-sized pottery bowl frame, part art – part tasty, crunchy bite.

Appetizer 4 – Basque Blue Cheese: Rather than the main menu’s foie gras, I received a beautiful small wedge of Basque Blue Sheep’s Milk Cheese that was soft and creamy and deliciously salty. Appetizer Wine Pairing – Coupe de Champagne, Bereche et Fils, Brut Reserve, NV: The appetizer course was served with a Champagne that featured all three grape varietals (Meunier, Pinot Noir & Chardonnay) from the Champagne region, so the wine had a bit of weight and a little color. I can take or leave Champagne, but this was one of the best I’ve ever tried.  

Bread & Butter:  The main course officially commenced with the delivery of the Sourdough Bread, made with year-old yeast starter. Both bread and butter are housemade. The Butter topped with crunchy Molten Sea Salt was out of this world. This is the dangerous part of the meal, as it would be easy to fill up on that addictive combo.

Dinner Course 1 – Pampol Beans, Local Greens & Herbs, Pumpkin: The first of the main dishes was comprised of Hummus made from Pampol Beans – a white bean from Bordeaux – and topped with Local Greens, Pumpkin Vinaigrette, Pickled Vegetables, and spicy Candied Pumpkin Seeds. This dish was both rustic and refined. The punch of cayenne in the hummus gave a pleasant mouth tingle. This dish is particularly representative of Verjus’ approach to layering its dishes in well-thought out complex layers of spicy, sweet, sour, and textures like creamy against crunchy.  Wine Pairing – Mas Foulaquier, Pic Saint Loup, L’Oisseau Blanc, 2014: A delicious white wine from the Languedoc region in the southwest France.

Dinner Course 2 – Salmon, Beetroot, Buttermilk, Horseradish: A small piece of perfectly poached salmon with three types of beetroot accompanied by flavors of Buttermilk and Horseradish. This dish was clean and simple, yet one of the best salmon dishes I’ve ever had. Wine Course – Francois Chidaine, Montlouis, Clos de Breuil, 2014:  The spicy Cab Franc from the Loire was fantastic.

Dinner Course 3 – Polenta, Cepes, Spelt, Apple, Onion: I adored this course that substituted Polenta for Foie Gras with Mushroom Cepes, Arugula, topped with Crispy Onion. The aroma was earthy and amazing with some of the richest, creamiest polenta. Salty, crunchy, sweet, salty – crispy shallots scattered with highlights of Parmesan. Wine Course – Bobinet, Saumur-Champigny, Ruben 2014:  Another Loire Valley offering that paired brilliantly with the Polenta-Mushroom components.

Dinner Course 4 – Braised Red Cabbage, Beer, Caraway, Quince:  This was probably my very favorite dish of the night that I just didn’t want to end. A charred Cabbage, sans Duck of main menu, braised for 1 1/2 hours with highlights of bitterness and a deep, deep unctuous flavor. It was rich in an earthy, umami way with a slight sweetness. Its Cherry Quince Jam is cooked on the stove with sherry, lemon water, caraway seed, and a Brew Dog craft beer IPA from Scotland. Freaking fantastic. Wine Course – Clusel-Roch, Cote-Rotie, 2012: Smoky Syrah that went perfectly with the deep flavors of the Cabbage.

Cheese Course – Ossau-Iraty, Green Tomato Jam, Piment d’Esplette: The cheese course, offered for an additional 8 euro, was definitely worthwhile. Even though the tasting plates are small, it is still tough to add in one more course. But I needed to have the full Verjus experience. The accompanying Green Tomato Jam sealed the deal. Thin slivers of Ossau-Iraty from southwest France in Basque country were piled on the small plate. The dry sheep’s milk cheese was salty and earthy. Wine Pairing – Domaine Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape:  The cheese course came with a bonus wine pairing of a southern Rhone red.

Dessert Course – Pine Nut Ice Cream, Grape, Ricotta, Honey:  This dessert showcased Verjus’ approach to complex delicious flavors. The Grape Olive Oil Cake might have been the most sweet, moist cake ever – but it was also salty in a really good way. Topped with a Pine Nut Ice Cream that was creamy and full of pure pine nut flavor. The juxtaposed Ricotta so flat and dry that it balanced perfectly against the dessert’s sweetness. And to pull it all together in quintessential Verjus style – a sprinkling of spicy cracked Black Pepper. Wine Course – Zind-Humbrecht, Clos St urban, Rangen, 2006:  A dry-sweet Riesling dessert wine ended the wine course.

Verjus finishes the meal with housemade Salted Butter Caramels, underscoring that they are all about the little details.

The Verjus Verdict

Verjus’ style is complex and conceptual, yet simple and casual at the same time. It is a refined dining experience, yet completely unpretentious. The dishes are creative and impeccably executed, designed for both actual and visual consumption. Each dish seems to be thought out to grab your senses at every turn, covering a spectrum of flavors and textures. Writing this post has allowed me to relive this wonderful experience. If I had any regrets about the dinner, it was that I wished that service would have been a little slower so that I could have lingered over the experience. Although service was not rushed, and I finished up around midnight. But Verjus is the kind of experience that you don’t want to end. 

A few closing tips…

1. Verjus’ website advises to reserve at least a month in advance – and you can book as early as 3 months in advance. The restaurant is only open Monday – Friday, but conveniently has a late seating option. 
2. When you make your online reservation, you are invited to explain any dietary restrictions. How refreshing that I didn’t have to even ask – they offered.
3. If you can’t get a table at Verjus, or you aren’t quite ready to make the financial commitment, do check out Verjus Bar a Vin or their more-casual sister restaurant Ellsworth just down the street, which has the same sensibility of food, service, and ambience.
4. Finding Verjus can be challenging for a first-timer: The restaurant and wine bar have separate entrances. The restaurant is on rue de Richelieu and sits just off the street inside a charming passage. The wine bar entrance can seem a bit hidden, and can be accessed by either continuing past Verjus’ front restaurant door through the passage and down the back steps with a little U-turn…or entering off of rue de Montpensier on the Palais Royal side street. While the two establishments have different addresses, the wine bar is actually just downstairs from the restaurant.