We booked for Jane’s happy hour ahead of our dinner elsewhere and tried the kangaroo tartare and sourdough along our cocktails. The dishes were really great, cocktails were okay. However, we were so rushed by the staff right from the beginning! 15 mins in, they asked 2-3 times if we wanted to order again and said the table is booked for later so we should hurry if so. We stayed around 45 mins and got interrupted way too many times. The staff were welcoming in the beginning but it felt they wanted to get the happy hour customers out fast. Our experience would surely be different if we came in for a dinner but I doubt we will do that after this sour visit.

Jane Surry Hills is one of those places that quietly does everything right. The food was thoughtful, beautifully executed, and genuinely satisfying without trying too hard. Every dish felt balanced and comforting, yet still interesting (the green ant sorbet)! The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and the service made the experience even betterz It’s the kind of place where you feel looked after without being rushed. I left feeling full, happy, and already thinking about coming back. A really solid spot in Surry Hills on par with their sister restaurant (Arthur) that delivers exactly what you hope for and more.

We had an absolutely delicious meal at Jane, we opted to go with more of the small dishes so we could try more of the menu. Standout dishes were the pickled mussels with sweetcorn and saffron chilli oil, and the spanner crab with brioche toast. Every dish we had was lovely and so flavourful. I love that this is a local spot as well.

(4.5 stars) As we make our way through to our table through Jane’s happy hour crowd, we’re recommended the flatbread ($14), “but only if you’re on statins”. Stuffed with spinach, leek and Cheddar, it sounds temptingly rich. We had our hearts set on the set menu ($95/head), or I would have taken this advice. We’re also reliably informed that to enjoy the good value happy hour, you either need to arrive when they open at 5pm, or book ahead. A diminutive but elegant, citrusy sub-zero martini ($25) and the lifted lime and jalapeño in a spicy marg ($24) both incline me toward rebooking. Wine—by which I mean Chardonnay—pretty much starts at hundred bucks. Coming in just shy of that (not inconsiderable) entry point, the 2024 Clarence House Focus Chardonnay ($96) is a quality drop. It’s lemony against pickled mussels, sweetcorn and saffron chilli oil, and kefir buttered bread, baked down the road at sister restaurant, Arthur. Stracciatella crowned with compressed watermelon cubes, balanced habanero, and mint eats like a pleasurable peek into the summer stretching ahead. Kingfish dotted with date and broad beans is a masterpiece, down to the delicately handled citrus dressing. The unusual accompaniments refresh the palate to taste every note of the silky, pale fish. Our wine bloody loves this dish; the kangaroo tartare that follows it, not so much. Regardless, I enjoy scooping half our Coat of Arms bound in bush tomato chutney onto just-the-right-amount of house-made crackers. Owner/chef Tristan Rosier ensures set menu diners leave full (without add-ons) and not starved for vegetables. There’s a clever Brussels sprouts salad, where charred brassicas intertwine with rocket and golden raisins. The potato pave is golden layered perfection juxtaposed with tangy whey and cured yolk. Salted quandong is quirky against slightly chewy duck breast. It doesn’t reach the benchmark set by Ennui, but few do. Dessert however, is a triumph: creamy jersey milk panna cotta nestles under frosty beetroot granita spiked with tangy rhubarb and tart rainforest plum: wow.

Such a good and cozy spot. We absolutely loved Oscar, our British waiter, he made the whole experience even better. We went for the set menu and everything was on point: the kingfish and the mussels were fantastic, and the kangaroo tartare was super unique and surprisingly good. The real plot twist was the dessert: jersey milk panna cotta with beetroot, Davidson plum and rhubarb. Honestly one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. That sweet-and-salty mix was insane, you just can’t stop eating it. Beautiful experience overall. We’d 100% go back.