By Olivia Thiessen
Jeanne A is a charming little deli that also offers an in-house dining experience. The variety of things they had to offer over the counter made me very excited to try out their food, however it was a rather uneven affair that started and ended on a high note but certainly did not maintain this all the way through the meal. The menu is offered in English and French, we bravely took the French and then spent a great deal of time translating obscure words (so perhaps avoid this mistake unless you are blessed with great fluency). In terms of price you have the choice of two courses for a good value €23 and three for €27 which is would be even better if you want to go that far. But the reasonably priced food was counteracted by the lack of a house wine. Indeed if you intend to enjoy a glass or two, expect this to add at least an extra €12 to your bill. I chose to share (and thus sample!) the duck terrine with pistachios, and the crab starter, followed by the royal rabbit (+€2) and ended my meal with the mille-feuille. The starters were a delight. The crab was served in a little glass and was a very light, whipped affair, with hints of fresh citrus flavours and topped with a piece of grapefruit. Spread on a piece of bread, it went down very well. My friend, however, was not so much of a fan of the mousse type texture. The terrine, on the other hand, went down universally well. The strong taste of the duck was wonderfully well complimented by the pistachios. Then followed my main, the Lapin à Royale. I was not totally convinced by this. The flavours just did not work for me and I struggled to finish it. The accompanying potato dish, served in the form of a tower, was satisfactory but nothing especially exciting. The monkfish parcel my friend had was by far the better dish. Though simpler in flavours, it was much more tasty. I was informed that the token vegetarian dish, the vegetable tart, was also “satisfactory only”. The portions were generous so nobody besides myself wanted a dessert (and I only wanted that because I did not finish my main course) so I went for the pistachio mille-feuille which seemed to be the most interesting thing on the menu. It was indeed quite lovely and the pistachio was a nice edge to it (and made it a rather pretty colour). My verdict is that Jeanne A is just about OK, it is certainly not that expensive and they offer a children’s menu based on the height rather than the age of the child (€15). If you intend to go in a large group, make sure you book. Address: 42 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris Metro: M3, Parmentier Website: http://www.jeanne-a-comestibles.com/ Phone: 01 43 55 09 49 Hours: 10:00 to 22:30 daily
