Jacob cut his teeth at London’s Moro and Boulevard in San Francisco, before moving on to open his own restaurant, Bocca di Lupo, on Archer Street in London’s Soho in late 2008. Showcasing the more obscure side of Italian cuisine, the Bocca di Lupo menu is a diverse tour of regional specialities. Awarded first place in Time Out’s ‘London’s Greatest Restaurants’ in 2009, Bocca is still one of the Soho restaurants London diners come back to again and again – hailed by many as the best Italian restaurant London has to offer.

Jacob went on to open Gelupo, a traditional gelateria, in 2010 – directly across the road from Bocca di Lupo. It serves the finest gelato in London using the freshest ingredients and traditional Italian recipes. Flavours vary from modern specials to pure Italian classics – and can be enjoyed alongside hot drinks or cocktails.

In April 2017 Jacob branched away from Italian cooking to open Plaquemine Lock, one of the first pubs in London serving Cajun and Creole food from Louisiana. That same year, the pub won a Bib Gourmand.

Jacob’s strength is in his meticulous attention to detail, and his firm but fair approach to all his businesses makes for happy staff and a good convivial atmosphere at each of his ventures. His restaurants present diners with a completely authentic menu, true to their Italian and Southern heritages respectively. He takes a holistic approach, and is respected in the wine world for his work as a list writer/buyer. He considers it imperative that every aspect of a restaurant – language, food, beverage, service, ambiance – must work in harmony.

Jacob is confident and clever, with an intimate knowledge of how to run restaurants. He isn’t a ‘get it right then roll them out’ restaurateur – Jacob taps into what is needed locally, while also adding meaningful texture to London’s overall food offering. This, and the success of the restaurants, is what has earned him enduring respect from his peers – both Londoners and the most famous Italian chefs alike.