JACKSONS ON GEORGE OPENS IN SYDNEY PLACE – FEATURING A PUBLIC BAR, BISTRO GEORGE AND ROOFTOP
Contemporary art, food, beverage and music are fused under one spectacular, architecturally designed roof at Jacksons on George, the first venue by new hospitality group DTL Entertainment Group Pty Ltd (DTLE), which opened September 2023.
A centrepiece of Lendlease’s buzzy new Sydney Place precinct, the multi-level venue offers a spread of experiences guided by DTLE Creative Director Maurice Terzini and General Manager Michael Broome, with Head Chef Steven Sinclair (former Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Northern Ireland’s The Old Schoolhouse Inn and the Potted Hen) leading the food menu across all three spaces.
“Immaculate attention to detail and ingredients from renowned local producers are the throughlines connecting the Public Bar, Bistro George and the Rooftop,” says Broome. “Steven has unleashed his wealth of experience on each menu, weaving together Jacksons’ signature style of European-influenced bistro dishes with classic Aussie fare across all three dining spaces.”
While Broome’s two decades of experience managing small and large-scale pubs and bars positions him perfectly to steer the complex operational requirements of a three-level venue, Terzini’s indelible creative mark and style filters throughout Jacksons on George.
“I can’t wait for Sydneysiders to visit Jacksons on George,” says Terzini. “Great food and drinks intersect with contemporary art and music across all three levels to create a vibrant, contemporary venue. Our goal was to create a destination that had broad appeal yet retained a firm identity and we’ve achieved that. I just want the doors open so we can make the most of this amazing weather with sunset drinks up at the Rooftop bar. I tip that as being a place to be this summer.”
Food // Bistro George
“The ethos at Bistro George is all about recognisable bistro classics, elegantly executed with quality ingredients,” says Sinclair. “Meanwhile, everything on the Public Bar and Rooftop menu is designed to be accessible and familiar. Think pub and bistro classics, elevated with the best produce and on-point service, regardless of what dish you order and where you dine.”
The Salmon Gravlax ($36) entrée, a distillation of the Bistro George philosophy, is one of the few dishes available across all levels. Cured with juniper and dill – and occasionally leftover fruits from the bar – it is dressed with horseradish cream, dill, cucumber and apple, and is Terzini’s tribute to a similar dish at Melbourne stalwart France-Soir.
Light and fresh Clams Casino ($26) is given the Jacksons on George treatment with the addition of pipis alongside guanciale and pangritata, while the Beef Tartare ($38) is cut through with peppery nasturtium and quail’s egg and served with potato crisps for a bit of crunch. Jacksons on George’s dedication to top-of-class New South Wales producers is on show in the Heritage Beetroot ($27), made with buffalo milk curd from Burraduc Buffalo Dairy in Mayers Flat and honey from Malfoy’s Gold in the Blue Mountains.
Great produce does the talking again in a series of flame-licked dishes from the woodfire. The Whole Yellow Belly Flounder (MP) is dialled up with a brown butter and lemon sauce and the Chris Bolton Coral Trout ($60) is doused in a limoncello beurre blanc. Coppertree Farms Retired Dairy Cow Eye Fillet 220g ($60) and Heritage Salt-Crusted Wagyu Ribeye 600g ($190) cater to larger hungers, while the Gin Rigatoni ($32) is Sinclair’s nod to the enduringly popular vodka rigatoni. A rich and creamy gin-infused pomodoro sauce gets a spike of heat from fermented chilli and gently coats rigatoni made with semolina from northern NSW. Sides lean classic: creamy Paris Mash ($16), Moonacres Leaves ($14) dressed in herbs and lemony dressing and a fresh Pea Salad ($15) with farro, celery, mint and salted ricotta. To finish, a crispy-topped Amaretto Cream Caramel ($24) and a Passionfruit Tart ($24) to refresh the palate or small bites of after-dinner mints and Italian candy.
Food // Public Bar and Rooftop
Both the Public Bar and Rooftop share similar menus, with pub classics taken to the next level and given contemporary updates. Sinclair’s Euro-Oz approach is perfectly synthesised in the Duck Sausage Roll ($15): cotechino, a slow- cooked Italian sausage, is reimagined here with Maremma free-range duck mixed with saltbush, which is wrapped in
buttery puff pastry, topped with wattleseed and sesame and baked fresh every morning. It’s served with smoked tomato relish and its price signals the venue’s aim to offer options across all price spectrums.
Another Aussie-influenced snack at the Public Bar and the Rooftop is the LP’s Grilled Sausage ($16) on white bread, amped up with a mustard-spiked house-made ketchup. More casual-dining winners come via golden buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken ($18) spiced with a dash of fermented chilli in the batter and the Moreton Bay Bug Bun ($27), which is a cut above a prawn sandwich, with lightly tempura-battered bug tails, crunchy shredded lettuce and a rich, smoky Vadouvan mayonnaise, piled on a buttered-up potato roll.
For mains, a fresh and crunchy Cos Salad ($18) is livened up with juicy corn-fed rotisserie chicken ($8 add-on) shredded and tossed in a zesty basil pesto, as well as a 65-degree egg and lemon aioli. Gin Rigatoni ($28) makes a reappearance and the classic pub schnitzel is upgraded in the form of the Spatchcock Cotoletta ($36), a crispy coat of panko breadcrumbs offset with buttery Paris mash and a rich Diane sauce. Free-range Rotisserie Chicken (quarter $15, half $30) is cooked over charcoal and served with lemon thyme stuffing and green peppercorn gravy, while two house burgers – the Cheeseburger ($26) and the Aussie ($26); stacked with beetroot and fried egg) – star dry-aged beef loaded onto Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls. Balance it all out with sides such as Shoestring Fries ($14) and the Moonacres Farm Leaves ($14). And to finish, banoffee pie comes in Sundae ($14) form, with banana ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauces, whipped cream and discs of caramel nougatine crisp.
Drinks
Bar Manager Sam Kirk (ex-Montreal’s The Coldroom and El Pequeño, Kensington Street Social) has taken the lead on the cocktail menu, which features a small handful of cocktails created in collaboration with Re–’s Matt Whiley. Like the venue itself, the cocktail list on each level has its own identity, each with a nod to Australiana and made with top-shelf produce. At the ground-floor Public Bar, it’s all about retro pub classics, elevated: the Dark and Stormy ($22) stars Bundaberg rum, and is made complex and modern with a kick of tart citrus and a few dashes of angostura bitters alongside the ginger beer, while the Japanese Slipper ($22) is a modern take on the ’80s classic, which was invented in Melbourne and features honeydew and rockmelon mixed with Cointreau and a smack of fresh lemon.
Like the food at Bistro George, its cocktail list leans Italian with local twists. Here, a Negroni ($23) is remixed with pandan and blanco tequila making the perfect start or end to a meal and the Bellini ($26) is reimagined with the seasons. Meanwhile, the 250-strong wine list, developed by Head Sommelier Anais Pierre who joins the team from Manta in Woolloomooloo, leads you from classic European drops to exciting new Australian upstarts.
Design
The interiors of Jacksons on George, designed by Richards Stanisich in collaboration with DTLE, herald a new era of Australian hospitality to the Sydney CBD. The once grungy late-night pub which opened in 1986 and closed in 2018 has been reborn, with the new incarnation of Jacksons on George taking inspiration from its rich history and the surrounding urban landscape. The result is a revitalised multi-level experience that re-interprets memories from the past to create a journey of culinary excellence and cultural exploration that will leave a lasting impression.
Richards Stanisich approached the brief with the vision of a quintessential Australian pub’s DNA and deconstructed this idea into a contemporary interpretation of a multi-level hospitality venue. Inspired by the fundamental core of what a ‘pub’ is, the new chapter of Jacksons on George is raw, contemporary and considered, and enriched with Richards Stanisich’s signature craft of refinement.
The Public Bar on the ground floor boasts expansive street frontage, welcoming guests into an understated yet elegant space, thoughtful in its design. A 6.4m long bar, constructed in a mixed palette of warm timber and earthy stone, takes pride of place in the centre of the venue while up to 120 guests can be seated both inside and out.
Bistro George, nestled into the second level, displays a more sophisticated and opulent approach compared to the traditional dining spaces of pubs. Drawing from the richness of a grand Italo-Australian dining room, Bistro George features vibrant tones of burgundy and olive, warm timbers and bronze wall-to-wall carpet – a contrast to the minimalism of the level below. The buzz of the city seeps into the Bistro courtesy of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass windows, bringing even more energy to the space. While the restaurant can accommodate up to 120 diners, a private dining space for up to 30 guests is tucked into the back corner of Bistro George, offering a more intimate opportunity for gatherings and celebrations.
On the third level sits Jackson on George’s crown jewel, the urban Rooftop bar. A striking architectural veil adorns the sun- drenched rooftop, the space providing captivating views of Sydney’s towering cityscape and the perfect vantage point to observe the buzz of the city over a cocktail – an experience unlike any other on George Street. High and low tables are dotted throughout the 200-person capacity space while an awning provides a reprieve from the sunshine when required.
The Jacksons on George art collection features commissioned artwork by hand-selected local artists. These experience- defining artworks are showcased throughout the venue and inject a sense of playfulness, colour and culture into the spaces. Award-winning Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey (Archibald Prize finalist 2020 and 2023 and 2018 winner of the Sir John Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales) has created a 1.8 x 1.5 metre artwork in her signature style, which champions kungka kunpu (strong women) while weaving in references to pop culture and Anangu culture and traditions.
A glance upwards from the bottom of the stairwell will reward you with a burst of colour thanks to an artwork entitled ‘The Star We Live By’ from world-renowned creative Marty Baptist. Connecting the stairs between the first two levels of the venue, the mural celebrates the significance of the sun as a symbol of life, vitality and enlightenment, reminding audiences of the sun’s central role in sustaining our existence while bringing vibrancy and grandeur to the cement tilt slab wall canvas.
“This creative collaboration marks an exciting new chapter of hospitality for the CBD, fusing the worlds of hospitality, architecture, design and art which we hope delivers an experience that is unique to this city,” says Kirsten Stanisich, Director of Richards Stanisich. “Jacksons on George is a love letter to Sydney, presenting a design inspired by the characters, stories and memories from its past while looking towards the future of the vibrant city scene.”
The fingerprints of DTLE Chairman Steve Bannigan and CEO Paul Ford are found throughout the venue. Their entrepreneurial backgrounds and deep understanding of growing and building businesses form a solid bedrock from which Jacksons on George will flourish.
Jacksons on George is open seven days a week with bookings taken for the Bistro Monday – Saturday and walk-ins welcomed for the Public Bar and Rooftop daily.
Jacksons on George, 176 George Street, Sydney
Instagram: @jacksons_on_george | Facebook: @jacksonsongeorge
