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I’m not much for standard restaurant “reviews”. I think dining is a personal experience and while one person might find a dish excellent, it might not be to another person’s liking. Some folks like loud, hip places, and I’m more inclined to hit the classics. Another thing is that when I go out, I don’t always tote my camera or want to have to remember and recount every single thing I ate, or recall every vintage I sipped during the evening.

What I like to do is to point you in the direction of places that I think you might like here in Paris.

Jadis

So I don’t have any photos of the dinner I had at Jadis*. I didn’t take a picture of the crunchy caviar-like lentilles de Puy dotted with chewy bulots and smoked bacon that I started with, nor the main course of fish I had (which the waiter described as “like rascasse”, although I don’t recall the exact name…see? I told you…) which came in a thin wasabi-based butter sauce, which was good, but the kitchen was a bit too timid with the wasabi.

dorade

Because I’m not a fan of the multiple wandering fork-style of dining, I had to watch in envy as my dining companions split a whole roasted lamb shoulder that was braised, then crisped, which came to the table on a mountain of perfect white beans in a polished copper roasting pan. Which, at that point, made me realize that lugging my camera might not of been such a bad idea. And that maybe I should revise my policy about wandering forks.

praline filled pastry at Jadis

Desserts were lovely. Although the dead-ripe cheeses looked fantastic, two of us couldn’t resist the lemon meringue tartlets, each of us diving into an individual masterpiece topped with toasty meringue, obviously burnished the moment before serving. The two friends across the table, one a food writer and the other a co-owner of one of my favorite restaurants in America, split a giant galette de rois that was baked to order, hence the waiter’s admonition that it’d take twenty minutes. Considering the crowd I was dining with, waiting for a freshly-baked dessert wasn’t a problem.

A few years back, I got wind of a food magazine in the states that was preparing a Paris issue. I queried the editor, hoping to do an article about the ice cream or chocolate shops here, and she kindly wrote back saying they were putting the issue on hold since Paris was too-expensive.

glasses at jadis

While at the time, the exchange rate was less-than-favorable, I pointed out there were loads of restaurants in Paris that offered three-course meals in the €30-€32 per person range, tax and tip included (like this one), which I think is quite a deal. (One needs to heed les supplements, those +€6 that appear after certain menu items, that can drive the price up. However with things like game are in season, I’m happy to pay a premium.)

A meal at a restaurant of Jadis’ quality, in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, would cost at least $100 per person—not including tax or tip. And here we were, marveling at these gorgeous plates of food that kept coming to our table, supplemented by a carafe of chilly white Sauvignon blanc, impressed that such great food could be produced by a chef-owner that’s only 26 years old.

restaurant Jadis

Guillaume Delage worked in some of the best kitchens in France, including Pierre Gagnaire, so he’s got great credentials. He’s put together a generous, personal restaurant, admittedly in the middle of nowhere, but definitely worth the jaunt.

Jadis
208, rue de la Croix-Nivert (15th)
Tél: 01 45 57 73 20
(Map)

UPDATE: As of 2/09, there are now two fixed-price menus, which cost €45 and €65. At lunch, there is fixed-price menu for about €30.

*The photos were taken and added to this post from a subsequent visit. And because the menu changes daily, might not correspond to what’s described or what’s available each day.

Related Links

France Dining and Travel (Archives)

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Hungry for Paris by Alexander Lobrano

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Favorite Paris Dining Guides

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17 comments

    • Kim

    So, all those warning at the beginning about the type of restaurant pieces you do and nothing that says, “Warning, don’t read on an empty stomach.” I need to wake someone to make me some pancakes now.

    • lauren

    a baked-to-order galette des rois? sounds delicious. thanks for the recommendation!

    • krysalia

    everything seems delicious, but the “the crunchy caviar-like lentilles de Puy dotted with chewy bulots and smoked bacon” :)

    baked to order galette des rois, instead… ♥

    • Laura Kirschbaum

    David, I really like your style (generally, but especially with respect to the restaurant reviews). I often find it hard to get through an entire traditional review (I get a little bored of reading about each detail of the meal), but you always seem to give a great sense of the restaurant, without ruining the surprise. You’ve whet my appetite for this place, and I will certainly be making the trek next time I’m in Paris!

    • David

    Laura: Thanks! But I think it takes a special talent to write “traditional” restaurant reviews, so stay clear of them and leave it to the experts for those kinds of write-ups. I’m anxious to go back to Jadis, especially after I posted this!

    • michaela

    i’m planning a trip in the fall and will certainly take any recommendations you’re willing to share!

    • Murasaki Shikibu

    I studied all your entries relevant to eating out in Paris before I went there and I wasn’t sorry! I’ve recommended browsing your site to other people going to Paris as well, and they were all very happy with what they found. :)

    • materfamilias

    My first entry of the year in my “Paris file” — thanks for a yummy review! Hope we make it there this June.

    • barbara

    I think restaurant reviewing is a really difficult thing to do. I can’t concentrate on the surrounds, menu, food and wine after the first glass of wine, which is why I rarely write about restaurants. I like how you have reviewed Jardis.

    • Loreto

    Wow! This sounds great! I’m especially drawn to the lentils since I’m on this lentil craze at the moment. But I think you really should consider your wandering fork policy since (and this is entirely in my opinion) that way you get to try a whole lot more. Any way would have loved your comments on the “whole roasted lamb shoulder that was braised, then crisped”. I have a pork tender loin in the oven and leg of lamb in the freezer so I need ideas for the lamb.

    • parisbreakfast

    lemon meringue tartlets….
    OH YUM
    Did I miss the price?
    I’m assuming this is in the 30eruo range…

    • David

    Hi Carol: The price was €32, although I don’t always include prices since they can change. And I remember from the old days of toting guidebooks, when you’re expecting a €22 meal, and the price has jumped to €38, it’s kind of a rude surprise!

    • carmen

    why no wandering forks?
    i must say it was a surprise when i first landed in a chinese restaurant in the states and no one shared their entree. a very bizarre tradition for someone from singapore, where wandering forks, chopsticks, spoons and sometimes fingers are welcome, nay, celebrated!

    • David

    Carmen: For me, when food comes to me plated up, that means that the cooks/chef spent the time composing a plate, balancing various elements. And if I have a piece of steak in my mouth, no, I don’t want a bite of fish, thanks. And if I’m eating something I really enjoy, does my plate really need to leave its place in front of me, and make the rounds of the table?

    That said, I always eat Chinese food shared-style. That’s the way I’ve always had it in America, too, but was surprised when I came to France and found that everyone ordered their own platter, and didn’t expect to share. In that case, when the food is served family-style, sharing is good!

    • Armelle

    Thank you SO much for the tip. I happen to live in the middle of that nowhere, about 3 mn from Jadis which I would never have discovered without you. I took a bunch of visiting US friends as well as picky Parisian friends there for dinner in July. Everyone loved it, though it’s hard to resist to La carte which is a tad more expensive than the reasonable menu.
    Oh and we do practice wandering forks in our group of friends and I can personally assure you every plate on the table tasted as good as it looked.
    The chef came round to say hi, he looks incredibly young…

    • Padron

    Jadis looks like a fanastic place to eat. I am mapping out my visit to Paris this year, and I think Jadis makes the cut. I love your unique review!
    -Sylvia

    • Padron

    Jadis looks like a fanastic place to eat. I am mapping out my visit to Paris this year, and I think Jadis makes the cut. I love your unique review!
    -Sylvia

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