Prequel: I read about Jacopo opening a few weeks back and having loved Thibaut Sombardier’s two previous restos, Mensae and Sellae, knew that even if he just “planned” the menu, it could be very good. What I didn’t anticipate is having a “bait and switch” pulled on us.
6.7 but, Jacopo, 5, rue du Vernet in the 8th, no reservations “first come, first served”, (Metro: Georges V), open 7/7 was an obvious choice for today, open Sundays with an interesting menu designed by a great Top Chef. I was way early so I ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir, which while overchilled, was almost room temperature when my guests showed up. However,
For firsts, my two friends ordered tartares of salmon which I saw them ask for salt for and then pour salt and pepper on to no avail. I tried a bite - tasteless, good product but blah. But I ignored that, after all, one dish off, so what? Because my huge artichoke with vinaigrette was splendid.
Having gone through the bottle of Pinot Noir, we all agreed to have another. A bottle arrived, opened, and was poured without anyone noticing it was not the same. That's our fault, maybe.
Then the three of us all ordered the meats cooked on a spit: D’s entrecôte was fine and his frites pretty good, my three lamb chops were cooked almost blue as ordered but R’s quaisi de veau was “overcooked, dry and well done.”
For dessert we shared a baba, which was ok.
Our bill, ah our bill. It arrived, D did the math, we all paid our fair share, but on the bus going home I looked at it more closely. Wow, the second bottle was 8€ more than the first. In my field, Medicine, if one upcodes, the fines start at $10,000 an incident. Unfortunately in food service, you have to suck it up.
However, taking the cheating into account, a bill for a couple with a bottle of wine should be 107.66€ here.
Go? Unfortunately, despite the pretty good products, uneven cooking and inept but nice service, the “bait and switch” left a bad taste in my mouth. Db’s= 80.7
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