Jacopo — Restaurant in Montreal

GOOD UPSCALE RESTAURANT IN THE HEART OF OLD MONTREAL!

We visited here one evening in early August 2022 and had a very good experience. We initially had reservations for 6:15, but we were in the area and available about an hour earlier than expected. They took it in stride. The hostess happily arranged for us to get a very nice table on the very desirable exterior terrace. It was perfect seating! Our server was prompt and friendly and knew what she was doing. We were there for just over two hours and enjoyed excellent service the whole time, even though the place was busy.

We enjoyed two truly delicious cocktails to start. The "Oceana" (Aperol, blue curacao, peaflower syrup, lemoncoco, carbonated water & spraking wine) and the "Bella Vita" (Jose Cuervo Silver, Campari, grapefruit, sparkling wine & dehydrated fruits). They looked good and tasted even better. Generous splashes of liquor and fine preparation all around. Well done!

We started off our meal with the Panzanella salad and some grilled calamari. They also brought us complimentary fresh bread with oil and vinegar dip. For our mains, we had the "Pasta Margherita" (stuffed pasta with ricotta and black truffle served with fried pork, leak & light cream sauce) and the "Agnello alla Scottadito" (grilled lamb chops, juniper berry and herb marinade, served with seasonal vegetables and truffle polenta). The presentation was pleasant, the portions were reasonable and every bite was tasty. We enjoyed a nice chilled bottle of Pinot Blanco with dinner and it was on point.

At the end, we had no room for dessert. We were full and content.

Our server was astute enough to realize that we were going to a show after dinner (Cirque du Soleil, which is nearby) and made sure we were finished in time without any rush. Very professional service.

Not inexpensive, to be sure, but worth the money. There was value to it. We got what we paid for and were happy with the experience. It was elegant, delicious, romantic, convenient and satisfying.

A winner! We...

I came to Jacopo with my family on a Friday night in which the restaurant was understandably very busy. After going to the front counter, the receptionist told us it would be a 15 minute wait. After 20 minutes we were seated outside, without asking our preference of venue, in a musty corner, littered with bugs which spontaneously fell over our table, and spiders inches from our face. The waiter then came over, haphazardly filling our glasses a quarter of the way up with bacteria ridden tap water (there had been a water main leak and tap water advisory) and spilling a puddle of water on the table, which the waiter left me to clean up without apologizing. Our appetizer came after thirty minutes despite others who had just come in getting theirs at the same time, and after an excruciating hour long wait, our entrees finally showed up. The whole time we were left clueless on the progress of the food, and when we asked, the waiter said, “it’s coming” (no duh). The food was decent, however not worthy of the hour and a half long wait, and the rigatoni con pesto tasted more like rigatoni drowned in a cheese sauce, with hardly any taste of the fresh, delicious herbs that define pesto. The bruschetta we got tasted great, and as aforementioned the food was decent, but the service was inattentive and lazy. Perhaps the crazy long wait was due to the ample amount of people, but a heads up on the progress of the food never came, and thus left us dumbfounded for what felt like forever. For a meal that cost us 190$ it was extremely disappointing, but perhaps Jacopo just had an off day, and I would have had a better experience on...

We were a group of 8 on a Sat night in March during the Happening Gourmand event (which is why we chose it). Apparently, the restaurant allocates only 2 hours for the reservation. The waiter didn't come take our order quickly, we had no drinks or wine, just the appetizer that was on the HG menu. The gnocchi I ordered was chewy and not pleasant at all (I ought to have sent it back and asked for a different dish). The orecchiette ordered by two of our groupwas so spicy with hot peppers they couldn't finish - and one of them is Italian, from Italy. I don't recall any of the grouo praising the quality of their food. After we had finished and the plates cleared, the waiter appeared to declare that we had 10 mins to vacate the table for the next reservation. Those of us (4) whose special menu included dessert had not received any, nor had we been asked if we wanted coffee or dessert, and we hadn't received our bills. When I asked the waiter what about the dessert included in my meal, he said I would have to take it to go! (Pannacotta, really? How?) Then he seemed to realize his mistake and showed up with the desserts. It was clear that we were to eat fast and get out (still no bill). I complained about the bum's rush we were getting, and was told that we'd been advised of the time restriction upon arrival. That may be, but it's up to the server to take the orders in a timely fashion, not 30 mins late, and then start pushing the customers out the door. We hadn't caused any delay or were holding up the table after service. With the barely acceptable food and that kind of service, I couldn't recommend this...