Brasserie St Jacques, St James's

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar, after lengthy summer sojourns out of London, celebrate their reappearance with a review of St Jacques Brasserie, a remarkable little piece of France in the middle of St James’s.

MrO: It’s good to be back in London.
MrV: Not really, although it does signal some pleasantly cool weather on the way. Can’t bear sunshine. Hate hot weather.
MrO: Yes, it must be uncomfortable for you.
MrV: Is that some sort of comment about my weight? It’s got nothing to do with that. It’s because in London one has to wear a suit wherever one goes and it’s damnably uncomfortable when the sun is shining – or when the humidity level rises, come to that.
MrO: I didn’t mean to offend – unlike you, most of the time.
MrV: Well let’s get on with reviewing this place. It is far from perfect. The service, for one thing, is very patchy. Occasionally they forget to be polite and are either brusque or even impertinent.
MrO: There is some truth in what you say, but I think it is all done with a basic warmth and enjoyment. The people who work there seem to like it, and that has to be a good sign.
MrV: Perhaps. There is a jolly atmosphere, to be sure, but there’s also a lack of attention to detail. There were quite a few crumbs on the floor under the table next to us and nobody swept them up after the occupants left.
MrO: But that was at 2.30 in the afternoon. They were presumably waiting for the restaurant to empty before clearing up properly. Anyway, it’s a brasserie very much on the Parisian model and a few crumbs on the floor of such a place in Paris would hardly excite attention. Much more importantly, I think the food is very good.
MrV: I did enjoy mine. Three bits of bone with the marrow roasted in them – quite delicious. My wife won’t touch bone marrow – nor will most people in this country, but they forget that bone marrow was the brain food which propelled humans to the top of the evolutionary tree. That’s why vegetarians are so thick...
MrO: The snails were excellent, plenty of garlicky butter and good crusty bread to soak it up. What about your main course?
MrV: Hand-cut steak tartare is what this place is quite famous for, and rightly so, although I’ve also had the trio of pork – pig’s cheeks, blood sausage and pork belly – and can recommend that, too.
MrO: My onglet de boeuf was as good as I’ve had anywhere and the crepe suzette to follow was beautifully done at the table.
MrV: Very impressive, no doubt. I had no complaints about my raspberry compote. And I couldn’t really complain about the prices, either. Our starters were less than a tenner each and the main courses less £20, which is a rare thing in St James’s.
MrO: The red Coudoulet didn’t seem unreasonable at £55 a bottle. I’d go again.
MrV: I certainly shall. Perhaps next time I’ll bring them a dustpan and brush in lieu of a tip.

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar consumed three courses each plus one glass of Chablis, one vodka and tonic, one bottle of Rhone, four glasses of a house red from the Languedoc and two cups of coffee, ayt a total cost of £199.80.

Brasserie St Jacques
33 St James’s Street
London SW1 1HD
Tel: +44 207 839 1007

brasseriestjacques@btconnect.com
http://www.brasseriestjacques.co.uk