Jeune et Jolie

Bonjour and welcome to Jeune et Jolie, Carlsbad’s “Young and Beautiful” One-Michelin Star-rated French restaurant.  And their One-Michelin-Star rating gives them status, bragging rights, and a need to make reservations in advance. This French culinary experience is a must-visit if you’ve never had a tasting menu.

This beautiful place is known for its 4-course menu, where guests make their own selections. They also offer a “Le Menu du Bar” for walk-in guests, featuring à la carte plates in their lounge area. 

The surface area is a little tight for their 2-tops, but the tables are spaced nicely for a conversation.  

Though the food is interesting and delicious, the staff is absolutely phenomenal. They really make the experience above and beyond what you’re served. 

The first order of business was to order a bottle of wine, so our waiter sent over the Sommelier, a wine steward or expert. Unfortunately, Jeune et Jolie didn’t offer our favorite grape, so he recommended a Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s own Napa Valley. After it was uncorked and poured, it wasn’t one we would’ve chosen. The Sommelier (and waiter) did offer to swap it for another bottle, which, in hindsight, we probably should have. 

They do offer a corkage charge if you prefer to bring your own bottle, but make sure it is a fantastic bottle, as their corkage fee is not cheap.

Overall, we had a great night. So when your California vacation calls for upscale French cuisine, visit Jeune et Jolie.

Vibe 

A night at Jeune is definitely a fine dining experience that doesn’t require a dress code, which is fantastic! Jeune et Jolie is a great place to take a date if you want to impress, and it's an excellent choice for pampering and a five-star dining experience.

SoCal’s weather offers up so many gorgeous days and nights year-round that you will want to make a reservation for their quaint garden patio. 

Jeune et Jolie: Menu & Drinks

My guest and I were all in for the 4-course menu and agreed to add the wine pairing. We wanted the full experience, and love learning about wines.

Being all-in for a fabulous night of tasting and pairing, we started with a selection from their Raw Bar Menu. This menu offers a variety of seafood such as oysters, prawns, scallops, and caviar, among others. We opted for the Plateau de Fruits de Mer, which contained oysters, prawns, bay scallops, and mussels. Everything was very fresh and delicious.

My guest and I agreed that we would each order a different dish for each of our four courses.  In this way, we could share and sample more dishes. It is definitely the way to go if you want to maximize your options.

Below is what we chose: 

• UN: We chose the Crabe (snow crab, verjus, kohlrabi, and basil) and Poireau (leek, buttermilk, wintergreens, and black truffle). The other option was Tartare (veal).
• DEUX: Our second course was the Champignon (chanterelle mushroom tart, date, buckwheat, and goat’s milk) and the Cuisses de Grenouilles (frog legs, black garlic, and cipollini onion nasturtium). 
• TROIS: Our third-course choices were Gnudi (ricotta dumpling, chestnut, black trumpet mushroom, celery, and orange) and Caille (Wolfe ranch quail, fig, sunchoke, and black truffle).
• QUATRE: Our fourth course was dessert, and we opted for the Miel (honey, apple, date, almond, and orange blossom) and the Pomelo (coconut, oro blanco, and lemongrass).