The Jones Family Project has joined the close knit East London community – and its mix of relaxed bar and intimate dining room means we will welcome it with open arms
It was rather apt that I ventured to The Jones Family Project a couple of days after my companion for the night announced he is expecting a new addition to his family. The name points to the close group of friends behind the restaurant and also for its welcoming appeal – and proved to be the ideal place for us to raise a glass or two.
As befits a venue on Great Eastern Street, there’s a cool vibe over the two floors, with the relaxed upstairs bar area great for an aperitif ahead of your meal. Heading downstairs to the intimate dining room, there is an open kitchen to watch over Executive Chef Cristiano Caputo and his team. We weren’t quite ready to eat, so the extensive drinks list proved to be the best kind of starter – and given the celebratory mood, we both plumped for a sweet aperol spritz that was far too easy to drink.
We shared the spiced crispy squid to start, having seen the size of the main courses being brought out to diners around us. We loved the combination of the zesty lime mayonnaise alongside the chilli mango sauce that added zip to the crunchy squid. A focal point of the menu is their selection from the Josper Oven and we both opted for meaty choices. Richard’s 350g rib eye steak was an impressive slab of meat, and I struggled to eat my chuck burger topped with slow cooked oxtail thanks to its size. Resorting to cutting it into quarters, the chuck burger was delightfully soft and the entire burger was a thing of beauty. Feeling an urge to have something healthy, we both enjoyed the seasonal green vegetables with chilli, sesame, honey and soy dressing.
We’ve heard that The Jones Family Project’s chocolate brownie is one of the best going, but we simply couldn’t manage dessert – although the drinks continued to flow. We will certainly be keeping up with the Joneses this summer and beyond.
Words: Mark Kebble
78 Great Eastern StreetEC2A 3JL; 020 7739 1740; jonesfamilyproject.co.uk
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