A new season, a new chapter at Newcastle’s Jana Restaurant & Bar

Jana Restaurant & Bar is ushering in a bold new era this spring, pairing a produce-driven Italian menu with fresh culinary talent and renewed energy at the heart of Newcastle’s dining scene. Alongside a vibrant new seasonal menu celebrating premium seafood, peak-season produce and house-made Italian pasta, Jana is welcoming new talent to the kitchen and dining room, under the leadership of Executive Chef, Carmine Mari and Food and Beverage Manager, Anais Moore. The addition of Sous Chef, Nicholas Smith, Junior Sous Chef, Prakash Shrestha and Restaurant Manager, David William-Pearce mark a renewed focus on the warm, generous Italian hospitality and elevated dining experience Jana is known for.

Under Mari’s direction, Jana’s spring menu embraces freshness, vibrancy and a lighter approach to dining, while retaining the depth of flavour guests have come to love. Drawing inspiration from his Italian roots and the abundance of the Hunter region, the menu showcases premium seafood, seasonal produce, citrus and fresh herbs, allowing each ingredient to take centre stage. “Spring allows us to work with incredible produce at its peak,” says Carmine Mari. “When ingredients are harvested at the right time, they speak for themselves. Our role as chefs is to respect them, enhance them and create dishes that feel both vibrant and comforting.” Designed for sharing and lingering over, the menu opens with Sydney Rock oysters dressed with pomegranate Champagne mignonette, Merimbula bluefin tuna cigars paired with kimchi, and zucchini flowers filled with ricotta and finished with garlic honey. Larger entrées such as Spencer Gulf kingfish crudo with green mango and chilli, Fremantle octopus with nduja and romesco, and the classic vitello tonnato showcase Jana’s balance of Italian tradition and contemporary creativity.

At the heart of the menu is Jana’s house-made pasta, inspired by the changing seasons. Guests can savour Scialatielli alla Nerano, a southern Italian classic celebrating zucchini and aged cheeses, alongside pumpkin and ricotta agnolotti with burnt butter and sage, Fraser Island spanner crab tagliolini with garlic, chilli and brandy, and pappardelle with slow-cooked duck ragù, porcini mushrooms and Tuscan pecorino.

Italian cuisine remains the restaurant’s guiding influence, not through complexity, but through simplicity. “Italian food is about generosity, family and bringing people together,” says Mari. “Some of the most memorable dishes contain only a handful of ingredients. When those ingredients are exceptional and treated with care, that’s where the magic happens.” Supporting this next chapter is a team whose experience spans the world’s most respected dining destinations. Sous Chef Nicholas Smith joins Jana after being awarded the prestigious Brett Graham Scholarship in 2023, which saw him undertake placements at three Michelin starred restaurant The Ledbury and one Michelin-starred The Harwood Arms in London. Junior Sous Chef Prakash Shrestha brings extensive international fine-dining experience. Most recently Sous Chef at the two-hatted EXP. Restaurant, Shrestha has also worked under Michelin-starred chef Gary Rhodes in Dubai. Both share Jana’s commitment to seasonality, craftsmanship and ingredient-first cooking.

Leading the guest experience, Restaurant Manager David Pearce draws on more than two decades of hospitality experience across Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. His career includes roles within Michelin-starred restaurants and award-winning wine programs. Pearce is focused on creating the warm, intuitive hospitality that encourages guests to settle in, savour the moment and stay a little longer.

-ENDS-