Jacobs Chop House has been closed for the last few days for a bit of a revamp, including a name change. It’s now known as Jacobs Brasserie and the team behind the Jacobs empire had this to say:

“Although we loved “Jacobs Chop House” and it had a good following, we feel that ‘Jacobs Brasserie’ better represents our offering. The rebranding also presented an opportunity for a minor revamp.”

True to it’s French name there’s also a new menu. Of particular interest to me is the sauteed mushrooms with a Parmesan, cream and thyme sauce and the French onion soup, both from the starter selection. I love mushrooms (after all, I am a “fun guy to be around” – sorry!) and a good French onion soup can be a thing of beauty, even a meal unto itself.

I’m strangely tempted by the charred cauliflower salad – a meat free dish that I’d normally skip right over in a menu reading but smokey cauliflower with spiced chickpeas and a mint yoghurt dressing is tempting enough to tempt a diehard carnivore like me!  That’s not the only vegetarian dish that sounds good, there’s tartiflette, gnocchi baked with roast pumpkin and spinach, and a baby leek and grain mustard risotto. Odd that a place previously known for celebrating meat should be luring me back with veggies!

Meatwise, there’s burgers, the ubiquitous confit duck (is this the new pulled pork?!) and a slow braised cottage pie. And of course, steaks. Minute, Bavette, sirloin, ribeye or fillet they all come from award winning butcher Aubrey Allen and are dry aged for a minimum of 21 days. You get a choice of an accompanying side and a sauce for between 12 and 22 quid depending on which cut you choose. Personally I’d go for the Bavette, chips and a Cafe de Paris butter. Or perhaps sirloin, gratin potatoes and a cognac and peppercorn… With that cauliflower salad to share!