With Ella Funt and Club 82, Lounes Mazouz has turned East Fourth Street into a hotbed of haute cuisine and after-hours hijinks.
BY PETER DAVIS/PORTRAITS BY LANDON NORDEMAN
Behind every hot spot is a larger-than-life personality. Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were the lifeblood of Studio 54. Glenn Bernbaum presided over Mortimer’s like his own social fiefdom. Nell Campbell’s eponymous supper club and Elaine Kaufman’s no-frills eatery, Elaine’s, on Second Avenue were extensions of both women’s vivacious personas. Amy Sacco ran Bungalow 8 like her personal salon, holding court nightly with movie stars, street artists, socialites, and the occasional billionaire CEO willing to brave a trip to way, way West Chelsea after midnight.
Manhattan nightlife has always been the best on the planet. And now it has a new reigning class.
Enter Lounes Mazouz, the entrepreneur behind Ella Funt, the neo-French bistro in the East Village that has become a magnet for the coolest characters in New York. Mazouz, who was raised between Paris and London (with a three-year stint in Bali) opened Ella Funt in the former Club 82 space on East Fourth Street. A little nightlife history: originally run by the Genovese crime family and the Costello crime syndicate, Club 82’s tagline was “Who’s No Lady.” The subterranean venue staged elaborate Broadway-style performances by both male and female impersonators to a well-heeled, mostly heterosexual crowd. Errol Flynn played the piano there and Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor were all habitués. When mob boss Vito Genovese was on the lam abroad, his wife, Anna, was Club 82’s hostess. Later, the club was briefly a rock venue, with shows by the New York Dolls and Television. Mazouz loves the decadent, stylishly seedy histoire of the storied space. He took the name from a portly drag queen and Club 82 star called Ella Funt, a favorite of Salvador Dalí who used to sketch Funt on tablecloths. “Ella Funt was a knockout entertainer,” Mazouz tells me with a wide grin. “I imagined her as someone who enjoyed indulging in food, making the name a perfect fit for the restaurant.”
With enviably cool style—Saville Row-style suits worn with the laid-back vibe of a surfer—Mazouz is the perfect man to rule over a burgeoning nightlife empire. He recently modeled for Berluti and has been photographed for L’Uomo Vogue. And Mazouz literally grew up in the world of hot spots. His father, Mourad Mazouz, is the founder of London’s Momo and Sketch, the legendary restaurant which just earned another Michelin star. Little Lounes would do his homework, eat great food, and even sleep at his dad’s restaurants. “My dad taught me invaluable lessons,” he says. “He’s an incredibly creative restaurateur with a remarkable attention to detail. His genuine passion for creating memorable experiences left a lasting impression on me. What stood out most was his warmth and charisma—he truly cared about every guest who walked through the door.” To say the younger Mazouz, who says hello to everyone who walks into Ella Funt, is like his father is an understatement.
“With enviably cool style—Saville Row-style suits worn with the laid-back vibe of a surfer—Mazouz is the perfect man to rule over a burgeoning nightlife empire.”
It’s 8 PM on a rainy Tuesday and Ella Funt is packed. At the tiled bar, curving like a slinky serpent through the front room, a clutch of Japanese girls in Comme des Garçons huddle around the viewfinder of a Leica camera. A couple that looks more UES than LES, in matching green Hunter rain boots, sip glasses of red wine. A man in a corduroy jacket cradles a glass of whisky in one palm and The New Yorker in the other. The walls are puzzle-boarded with art, featuring works by Miriam Cahn, Inka Essenhigh, and Stephen Lack. Slanted shelves are stocked with curio (clay masks, a disco ball) and weird objects befitting a global nomad. The lighting is flatteringly dim, and a trance-y dance beat sets a sexy mood. The rooms were done by interior designer Annabel Karim Kassar and it feels like you’re in a friend’s eclectically hip West Village or maybe Marais apartment. Mazouz, decked in a double-breasted suit, no tie, and a charmingly enormous smile, is your host. “I want to bring life to the walls,” Mazouz says. His eyes dart around the room and widen with childlike excitement as he speaks—the enthusiasm is infectious. He’s the type of guy you want to be BFFs with five minutes after meeting. “I was inspired by Paris Bar, one of my favorite spots, in Berlin. I acquired pieces from artist friends, galleries, and the collection has grown organically. I add, rearrange, and even sell pieces to keep the walls dynamic and evolving.” In the main room, a moody mural featuring a bull and a man in a coat and tie with an axe by Marcus Jahmal commands the main wall. Mazouz adds that the idea for Jahmal’s piece came from a floor-to-ceiling mural at the now-closed Palio on West 51st Street by neo-expressionist painter Sandro Chia.
The menu at Ella Funt changes seasonally to ensure the freshest ingredients. I feasted on cured tuna with Jimmy Nardello peppers; a succulently decadent Berkshire pork collar with corn and spring onion; and a perfectly prepared Wagyu steak with eggplants, potato, and lemon. “We’re working with Jorge Luis Pabón, who previously served as the executive chef at Estela,” Mazouz explains as I shovel food into my mouth. “The menu has evolved into modern French infused with Jorge’s personal background and experiences.” I ask Mazouz what his favorite dishes are. “There are too many to choose from—but I do have a soft spot for the duck breast, dry aged for two weeks at Ella Funt.”
After dessert (a heavenly panna cotta with honey soba cha), Mazouz leads me downstairs for a sneak peek at what will become the grand rebirth of Club 82. (Fun fact: Ella Funt’s gold-tiled bathroom, replete with a gleaming gold toilet, has a window overlooking the stairwell to Club 82). Mazouz walks around what will soon be a stage. A cloud of construction dust poufs into the air with each step. There will be lots of performances, parties, a long glamorous bar. Mazouz wants his Club 82 to bring New York nightlife back to its golden age—the kind of place that modern-day Dalís will draw on tablecloths and Errol Flynn would love to jump on stage and pound out a punk tune on the piano.
