It’s been a very busy few months and while I’m eating out now more than ever, I haven’t had a lot of time to write. I also haven’t had anything exciting enough to write about, until now. I’ve finally had the chance to drop by Jacopo in Old Montreal to give it a try. I had no idea what to expect but I had a feeling I wouldn’t walk away disappointed.
We sat out on the street level terrasse that looks onto the bustling Square Jacques-Cartier. We’re in peak tourist season so people are going by at breakneck speeds. It’s a great place for people watching, if that’s your thing. Inside the restaurant, the decor is a hodgepodge of different styles, but all tied together with authentic yet elegant, Italian-inspired elements.
We started our meal off with some Aperol spritz, chilled white wine, truffle-infused honey drizzled over parmesan and a plate of fresh burrata, heirloom tomatoes, homemade prosciutto and crostini. You can’t get more Italian than that. There’s something very special about food like this, a packed terrasse and the summer sun setting in the distance. The Italian in me is getting carried away.
For our starters, we chose a couple of the restaurant’s greatest hits. We had the Panzanella, a plate of tomatoes (again, I know but they are worth it), focaccia croutons, onions and fresh basil as well as some calamari which is marinated in paprika, garlic, chili and lemon. It’s bursting with flavour, as you can imagine.
Our main courses consisted of two different pasta dishes. First we tried the orecchiette with rapini, sausage, white wine and chili flakes. I love how authentic Italian food doesn’t require a lot of ingredients to create great depth in flavour. This dish is great if you’re quite hungry. We also tried the squash ravioli with sage, butter and toasted almonds. Sage is an herb that I can’t get enough of. It was an outstanding dish.
Our overall experience at Jacopo was very pleasant. The service was good, the staff work well as a team and if they maintain the quality of the food we tried, I have a feeling that this restaurant will be around for a long time to come. Jacopo is open for lunch and dinner as well as brunch on the weekends.
For more, visit their website here.
Image credit: David Major-Lapierre
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