A laminar jet flow confined by a conical wall and an impinging plate was investigated. The Navier-Stokes equations were numerically solved by a finite difference technique and the results compared with laser Doppler anemometry data, the latter also covering the transition and turbulent flow regimes. Transition was found to start in the impingement region at a jet Reynolds number of around 1,600. The investigation concentrated on assessing the effects of nozzle-to-plate distance (always less than one nozzle diameter), jet Reynolds number, and nozzle outlet conditions. The shape of the velocity profile at the nozzle outlet determines the entire cell flow field, whereas nozzle-to-plate distance affects the flow in the expansion region. Under certain flow and geometric conditions a recirculation zone appears in the expansion region, in the vicinity of the plate.