JARRYDS Brunch & Bistro — Restaurant in Sea Point

Decided today to go down and try Jarryds as had previously been here on a number of occasions (Pre pandemic) when I had family living in the area

Was looking forward to a good experience as haven't been to the expanded space since they took over the old Italian restaurant that used to be here. Having previously had the magic which was a to die for and honestly the best coffee I have had previously. Low and behold I was to be disappointed....

Went on a Friday before lunch, no queues and the place was abuzz. So sat down with my partner, service was great from the host, we chose our table and looked over the menus.

Saw that there had been a significant price increase since out last visit, but thought maybe the price would match the quality... Spoiler it didn't. (Check photo of the bill at the end)

But onto the nuts a bolts of the experience, ordered the magic and my partner had the make your own juice. While we waited for our drinks order we looked over the food menu which I felt was about 10-15% more expensive than equivalent eateries and their meals, again I thought this must be down to the quality of ingredients used so was willing to try.....

I ordered the B.L.A.T and my partner ordered the Chicken Prego. Drinks arrived and the magic was alright, not what I had remembered but still an alright coffee with flavour and body. The juice my partner had we fresh squeezed and ok.

The food arrived, the B.L.A.T arrived in a plastic basket with branded greaseproof paper. The Prego arrived on a black ceramic plate with greaseproof paper.

As the B.L.A.T is sandwich it was accompanied with hand cut crisps (not potato chips) I tried these first and were crunchy but lacked some flavour so added some crushed salt. This helped add some flavour. Onto the first half of the sandwich, this I decided to each with my hands. This was not a good idea, mainly due to how oily it made my hands. None the less I continued. Flavour was very flat, bacon has some saltyness but not enough to compliment the avo which was bland and flavour less. The aioli seemed to be just an oily mayo, with a flat taste aswell. Normally aioli has some garlic, not this one.

I decided to try the second half with a knife and fork, not before opening it up and adding some cracked salt and pepper to try and lift the flavours of the previous experience above. This helped add some flavour but was still disappointed with the overall lack of any flavour. The process of eating it with a knife and fork was not ideal with the plastic basket and grease proof paper as the wetness of the sandwich broke this down and had to be mindful to not eat the paper. So best eaten... well oily hands or paper flavour?

My partner's chicken Prego came with potatoe chips that were fluffy and spiced (generic chips spice you can get anywhere 😞) The roll was soft and dry, not a traditional Portuguese roll used for a Prego. The chicken was average and a little thin, the Prego sauce itself was lacking any heat and was overwhelmed in garlic. Without the bland aioli it would have been a dry mouthful, but one had to balance the two to get any form of taste that wasn't garlic.

Overall, price and value far from worth it. Will be giving this a miss in future, which is rather sad as I had recommended this to a few friends...

I always love coming to Jarryd's for a brekkie/brunch, especially as a quick cute date with my partner. However, I was alone today and decided to go and sit there and work for a bit. As per usual, I was seated fairly quickly despite the small queue outside. They informed me that they would not be taking orders until 12pm, when the power comes back on. All good, no worries.

I take my laptop out and work for a bit. Eventually, power comes on, my order is taken and brought out timeously (I get a latte and the bacon and egg bun every time, the bacon is always so nice and crispy!). I work again for a bit after eating. I wasn't really being checked on, but that's okay, I had my earphones in, so totally understandable.

I was just confused when the waiter brought my bill without me having asked for it, especially considering I was planning on ordering another coffee. It made me feel like they were trying to get me to leave to have a higher table turnover, but I also don't want to be that person that makes a mountain out of a molehill. So I just paid and left.

I just wanted to point this out because as a former waitress myself, I wouldn't want my customers to feel like they're being rushed, even if they're single guests who only order a drink and a meal. I suggest maybe checking with guests if they want anything else before bringing their bill to them out of the blue. I love Jarryd's, I would hate for the feeling of being kicked out to ruin my next visit there.

Edit: Of course we went back, and of course Jarryd’s delivered. I switched it up a bit and got the Benedict with the fried chicken, and honestly, I think I’ve found a new favourite to replace the breakfast bun with! All in all a great experience service...

Food: 10/10 Atmosphere/vibe: 10/10 Friendliness: 10/10 Bathrooms: 6.25/10 Speed: 7/10

Now to the in-depth review.

When you arrive, you will most likely find a line outside, because Jarryds is very popular (note: you are not allowed to make reservations, so if you get there and it's full, you've got to wait).

It is worth the wait though, because when you get inside, you are greeted with a warm and hearty welcome by the staff. There is a feeling of care and warmth in the air as well as the smell of delicious food wafting from all sides.

When you are seated, you will find the seats to be quite comfortable and the music soft enough to talk to the people at your table, but loud enough to block the noise from other tables.

This time around, I found the staff to be quite busy, so the waiting time for a waiter was about 2-5 minutes. Not too long if you have time to relax, but it would feel slow if you are impatient.

Getting up to use the loo, the pathway leading to the bathrooms are clear enough, but you will most likely have to walk past a lot of people, because the restaurant seats a lot of guests.

The bathroom is clean and fresh when you walk inside, and you can see that it is taken care of. The tile colours are relaxing and make you feel tranquil. However, the toilets themselves are a bit worn, so I would recommend newer ones (if anyone is taking note lol). You will be able to take a lot of selfie-worthy photos in the mirrors.

Now, getting back to the food. Waiting time for the food is actually quite minimal, and the taste is devine (hence the 10/10 rating for the food 😍). I will definitely eat here again ❤️

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this in-depth review...