Paris Insights - The Restaurant Review

La Jacobine

posted November 11, 2024

59-61, rue Saint-André des Arts

75006 Paris

Phone: 01.46.34.15.95

Metro Station: Odéon (Lines 4 and 10)

Type of cuisine: French

Days & hours of operation: Tues to Fri noon - 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Sat to Sun noon - 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Credit card: Visa, Mastercard

We have passed by this popular restaurant many times and noted that it is always full of customers, most of whom seem to be tourists.  Our curiosity piqued, we did a little research and learned that it gets good ratings for its cuisine.  We also learned that the best way to get a reservation is to stop by the restaurant an hour before it opens and make a reservation for a date two days in advance.  On a recent Wednesday, I made a special effort to go to the restaurant around 11:00 a.m. to make a reservation for two for lunch the following Saturday.

Showing up at noon on Saturday, we saw that there was already a crowd in front of the restaurant.  When the manager opened the door, the people entered, but most of them were turned away.  We, however, were invited to take a seat in the near-empty restaurant.  I chose a window table for two, which, in my mind, was the best seat in the house.  There, we were able to observe the activity in the dining room as well as watch the throngs of tourists stumbling along the cobblestone walkway outside.

The dining room is tiny.  However, because of the location of our table, we did not feel too confined.  We had an excellent view of three ribald paintings, each of which depicted two lovers dressed in the style of the Revolutionary era.  The painting in the center, depicting a young woman descending from a balcony into the arms of her paramour, would make a demure person blush.

The menu
The restaurant offers a three-course menu for 36€.  Choices for the menu are selected from the carte.  Supplemental prices apply to some dishes. 

The carte lists eleven starters ranging in price from 11€ to 15€, nine main courses from 20€ to 25€, and twelve desserts (including a cheese plate) from 9€ to 10€.

There is also a salad menu listing five different salads ranging in price from 17€ to 19€.

The starter
For the starter, I ordered Soupe à l’oignon, one of my favorite French dishes.  The waiter brought me a piping-hot crockpot containing onion soup in which floated melted cheese, slices of thick-cut baguette, and sliced white onion.  The broth was thick with a beefy, salty flavor.  I quite enjoyed it.

My partner selected Millefeuille de foie gras, a four-layered affair consisting alternatively of two layers of foie gras and two layers of spice bread and fig compote.  The millefeuille was served atop mixed salad greens surrounded by cherry tomato halves, slices of baby cucumber, and small dollops of balsamic vinegar.  She enjoyed the millefeuille but would have preferred it without the salad, which, she said, detracted from the flavor of the foie gras and spice bread.

The main course
For the main course, I wanted to order Coq au vin, an item that one rarely finds on any restaurant menu in Paris.  The waiter, however, dissuaded me from ordering this item, so I selected Estouffade de bœuf.  The tomato-based beef stew was served in a wide, shallow ceramic ramekin.  About two-thirds of the ramekin contained tender beef stew in a thick, rather salty, gravy.  I thought that the stew had been oversalted, but I enjoyed its flavor nonetheless.  Next to the stew were carrots, baby potatoes, string beans, and button mushrooms cooked firm to the bite.  I finished the stew but could not finish the generous portion of vegetables.  I asked the waiter to prepare the unfinished portion for take-out.

My partner opted for Tajine de canard.  Served in a ramekin similar to the one in which my stew was served, the confit duck leg was covered with toasted slivered almonds and accompanied by a mound of white rice, baked eggplant, and stewed dates in a light gravy.  She declared that she enjoyed this meal and was particularly pleased with the confit duck.  It was such a generous portion that she asked the waiter to prepare for take-out what she could not finish.

The bread
Fresh, warm, thin-sliced baguette was served alongside in a small metal container.

The beverage
For the beverage accompaniment, I ordered a glass of Côtes-de-Gascogne Domaine du Mage “Tête de Cuvée.”  It was a light red wine as I had requested but I did not think that it exhibited much character.

My partner opted for a Côtes-du-Lot “La Treille du Roy,” a deep red-purple wine with a subtle nose of red and black fruits.  She declared that it went well with her meal.

The dessert
My choice for dessert was the Tarte citron, a generous slice of lemon meringue pie.  I delighted in its sweet-and-sour lemon curd, its shortbread crust, and its baked meringue topping.  It was an exceptionally good dessert!

My partner sprang for a Cheesecake au Carambar.  She was served a huge wedge of cheesecake which appeared to have a crumbly texture but was smooth on the tongue.  She appreciated the density and the flavor of this dessert, which was enhanced by caramel.  Though her plate was beautifully decorated with leaf-like patterns of crême anglaise and dollops of red fruit coulis, she found these to be completely superfluous regarding the flavor of the cake.

The bill
The bill for two, including two glasses of wine and two three-course menus, came to 88€.

The service
The service was friendly and efficient.  I was pleased that both waiters addressed me by my last name.  This is the first time I remember any waiter doing that.

The ambience
The restaurant has two tiny dining rooms.  The walls are comprised of wide, exposed wooden beams between which the spaces are painted maize.  Tall, wide windows admit natural light and reduce the sensation of being in a small space.

When we first sat down, rhythm and blues played over the sound system.  However, the music was quickly drowned out by the loud conversation of other diners as they arrived. 

The menu is in French and English.  The waiter speaks English.

The waiter told us that the restaurant can accommodate a diner who arrives in a wheelchair.  However, access to the WC, down a treacherous, narrow spiral staircase, would be impossible.

Travelers to Paris who savor traditional French fare and who want to explore the ancient cobblestone street called Cour du Commerce-Saint-André, will enjoy coming to this historic area of the city to dine.