Old Lille. The Ernest, Jacques & Fils cellar is moving to also become a bar-restaurant

Since its opening in February 2022, the cave Ernest, Jacques & Fils is the great delight of lovers of good “jaja” from Old Lille. The founders, Denis Danjou and Clément Richevaux, however wanted to diversify their offering. Since June 21, 2024, we have found bottles of spirits a few meters further, still rEU of Butchers, but in a much more spacious room. Now we also find beautiful bottles of winewhich can be consumed on site, as well as an offer of cocktailsof the plates to share or not, a lunch formula and even a brunch !

The Ripaille restaurant closes after 7 years on rue des Bouchers

As is often the case, good ideas come late at night. “We were talking with Sandrine and Will, the owners of the Ripaille restaurant. Even if it was a hit, they wanted a change,” says Denis, manager of the Ernest, Jacques & Fils cellar that he created with Clément, chef of Chez Brigitte and Ch’tite Brigitte.

The opportunity to expand was too good. Especially since the founders had had the idea for a while of diversifying the offering, in particular by putting the talents of the chef and his teams to work.

The move therefore took place in mid-June: the cellar previously located at 15 rue des Bouchers is now located at number 4 of the same street. The old premises will soon become the Ch’tite grocery store, specializing in aperitif products.

More space = more bottles

In the new premises, you will find everything that has made the Ernest, Jacques & Fils cellar successful since its beginnings: nearly 200 alcohol references, from classics to rarer and vintage bottles, and Denis’s tailor-made advice to help you leave with the right bottle.

From now on, spirits will also rub shoulders with local beers and bottles of wine. It is even possible to consume the latter on site, for a corkage fee of €5. There are, in fact, around twenty places inside and around fifteen on the terrace.

Another new feature is a range of cocktails developed with Jean-Philippe Niggli, formerly of Joker and Dandy, who now works at Carbone, three Lille bars specialising in mixology and whose reputation is well established.

Plates to devour on site and a brunch

The latest but not least new feature is the entire catering offer designed to accompany the drinks. It takes the form of small plates, to be enjoyed throughout the day. “We were inspired by Parisian broths for the menu: we have egg mayo, leek vinaigrette, rillettes,” lists Denis. There are also plates of cold meats or cheeses, as well as tapas and spreads.

A lunch menu has also been set up with a choice between two starters, two main courses and two desserts. Expect to pay €15 for the main course alone, €18 for two courses and €20 for the starter + main course + dessert menu with, for example, a gazpacho of old tomatoes, a bruschetta of candied tomatoes, ham and Serrano and a chocolate fondant. The options will of course vary with the seasons.

Finally, every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., time for an English breakfast brunch, with baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, bacon, roasted tomatoes…

Practical information: Ernest, Jacques & Fils, 4 rue des Bouchers, Vieux-Lille. Open 7 days a week. From 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, from 11 a.m. to midnight from Wednesday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. More information on the store’s Instagram account.

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