Jones the Grocer, CBD

One of our favourite Modern Australian restaurants in the CBD is by far Jones the Grocer, we were lucky to have been invited last year by Cav Con. More recently however we were invited again to try out their new menu (launched mid-march) just over a week ago which we were very excited about.

Jones the Grocer specialises in Australian produce and gourmet food products, because of this I feel like the restaurant is a very good representation of what ‘Australian cuisine’ is all about. We noticed that the newer menu is more casual and in a way more accessible to the wider public, there are a lot of new dishes but some of the best dishes such as the angel hair pasta were retained which was great to see.

On our last visit we actually bumped in to PlanMB so this time around we decided to dine together 🙂 Since there were four of us we were able to order a few starters to share which the menu was perfect for, the first shared starter was the Charcuterie board (above) which included products such as pickles, relishes, cured meats and cheese that are actually sold in the grocer section of the restaurant. The board included a mix to create an amazing starter but Miss K and I really enjoyed the prosciutto which was very good quality.

Last time we visited Jones the Grocer we shared the salt & pepper calamari which we enjoyed so much that we decided to order again. The best parts of this dish are the tender squid and yuzu mayo which was well balanced in taste and coupled perfectly with the thai herb salad on top.

No one at the table read the description for the arancini properly so we were all quite shocked to find that it was red inside. Despite the initial surprise we found that the arancini was actually quite delicious and a much healthier alternative to the cheese packed arancini we normally have. Burgers with beetroot are a uniquely Australian thing and I feel this just reinforces the focus on a Modern Australian menu.

Miss K and I were quite interested in the Pork Belly dish on the menu since we hadn’t this dish in such a long time, when the dish arrived there was a brief moment where the smell wafted across the table and both of us looked at each other knowing we would enjoy the dish 🙂 The pork crackling was perfectly cooked to a crispy state while the meat was left juicy and tender, both went very well with the fennel and walnut salad.

I decided on the classic steak with chips and bearnaise sauce for my main because I was a craving a good steak after going so long without it. I can’t honestly say it was the best steak I’ve ever had but it was quite nice overall, the meat was cooked medium just as I asked for while the bearnaise sauce was perfect.

Last time we visited we were struggling to eat dessert because we had so much food but this time around we had a light entree. Good thing for us because the creme brulee was quite a unique and amazing dessert, the bottom of it consisted mostly of stewed rhubarb which had a nice texture similar to the creme part.

Our other dessert was the ice cream sandwich with salted peanut caramel and milk parfait, I have to admit we were expecting a little more out of this dish and were a little underwhelmed terms of texture but despite that it had a nice taste. I personally think this dish would have been much better if the ice cream part was more cold and icy as it tasted relatively warm and the consistency was quite thick.

The drinks menu is extensive and includes a lot of unique drinks I haven’t been able to find anywhere else including fresh juices and cordial that are sold in the grocer section. Still water was shared between the four of us but Miss K and I decided to go with a refreshing watermelon juice and a Cider. The watermelon juice was a special drink for the day and was very refreshing especially when poured on ice. My cider on the other hand was amazing with a cold refreshing taste and strong apple aroma, I was always keen on trying Kirin Fuji Apple Cider but had never tracked down anywhere that had it available in Sydney until now.

The menu is quite reasonably priced with almost all items under $25 which is very reasonable especially for food made with such high quality local produce. Even if you’re not dining anyone is welcome to visit the grocer section and browse the products they have on sale including a number of gift hampers, the restaurant also does breakfast and there’s a small section out front for coffee and pastries.

While dining we noticed that they also hold regular masterclasses and cooking lessons, check out their website for more info on that as they seem to change quite regularly 🙂

Mr C and Miss K attended as guests of Jones the Grocer & Cav Con.
All views and opinions expressed are our own.