We’re not going to beat around the bush here. We visited Jones & Sons a few weeks ago, and we loved it. One of those dinner where you have to share everything because you don’t want the other person to miss out on all the exciting flavours and interesting combinations. If you’re plotting your next dinner out, make sure Jones & Sons is on your restaurant list. We’re now Jones & Sons coverts, and we’re pretty sure you will be too. Here’s the 411:

Jones & Sons: The Vibe 

Rocking up to Jones & Sons, we thought we were on our way to an NCP Car Park. Thankfully, we discovered a vast dining space. Much to the dismay of other diners, we kept proclaiming how ‘very East London this restaurant was’. The restaurant is huge; there’s the main restaurant with an open kitchen, a cocktail bar, and a private space for entertaining. The decor is an exciting mix of industrial chic with minimal touches –  lights have been sourced from a marine salvage specialist in Exeter, the floor has been covered in a hand poured concrete/resin mix floor, and there’s wooden chairs that wouldn’t look out of place at your grandma’s house. It’s effortlessly cool. The kind of features that restaurants try so hard to mimic, but fail. The open plan kitchen gives a theatrical presence to the restaurant, and the cocktail bar is the ideal place to grab a post-work drink whilst nibbling on a few small plates.

The restaurant is surprisingly unpretentious for the area; the kind of place you can turn up in your Nikes, like us, having been caught in the rain, and a grab a quick late night dinner, or spend hours with a big group of friends, digging into seasonal delights over heady cocktails. A restaurant for all occasions, we say. And it really is – their bottomless brunch has earned themselves quite the reputation – eat and drink as much as you can for £37 for two hours. Brunchin’ ell.

Jones & Sons: The Food 

The dinner menu is a steal at twenty quid for two courses, and twenty three quid for three courses. Nowadays £15 sets you back a meal and drink at Nando’s, boasting pithy chicken, and chips that have never seen the fryer. Don’t hate us – Nando’s will never be good. Anyway, we digress. £20 for two, well-rounded, delicious dishes is a bargain if we ever heard one. The menu features British classics, with modern twists. Think steak and ale pie, scallops and fish dishes aplenty. Jones & Sons really nails the textures of dishes; a little crunch of nuts here, crispy kale there, a dollop of sauce there.

Where to begin. Where to begin. Well the burrata is a good place to start – a good burrata dish is easy to find, an exciting barrata dish, however, is a tough ask. Jones & Son’s cheese number was the latter – the medley of ingredients were exciting – thick and creamy burrata served with burnt tomato, basil and black olives, was absolutely divine. The saltiness of the black olives, and the freshness of the basil really came together. And the warmed sourdough was the perfect mopping tool.

The raw kale salad on paper sounded a bit of a wash out, but we were proven wrong. Big time. The kale, crisp and with a wonderul lemon flavour, was topped with hazelnuts, sour cream and pickled wild mushrooms. Again, this dish nods to the incredible textures; the flakey kale, the crispy hazelnuts, and the rich sour cream. We couldn’t believe how full of flavour, zingy and tasty this kale salad was. Truly, a must-try.

Now, we know we harped on earlier about the £20 quid deal – if you spend an extra fiver, you can upgrade to the steak dish for main. And we would seriously recommend you ordering the rib eye. What you’re presented with is a plate of pure, meaty brilliance. The kitchen really let the meat do the talking – with no over-seasoning, just the steak cooked over charcoal. It’s simple, but insanely good. The side of creamed celeriac and mash potato tasted like puréed heaven. So silky. So smooth. The perfect accompaniment to the rich, intense beef.

For veggies, try the baked truffle polenta. Truffle runs the risk of stealing every dish, and what you’re left with is a mouthful of truffle, and not much else. However, the baked truffle polenta was earthy, and deliciously pungent. The sweetness of the artichoke and the wilted spinach balanced the dish nicely. Again, the crunchy topping of the veg crisps went down a storm.

Dessert? All you need to know about is the chocolate souffle. Order this puffed little beauty and thank us later. Each dish at Jones & Sons is an absolute winner; full of flavour, skill and just a touch of intrigue that keeps you on your toes. We love.

Jones & Sons: The Verdict 

There’s not much else to say that hasn’t been covered. The vibe is great, but the food is even better. A place that no doubt we’ll be visiting time and time again.

For more information, visit the website here. 3 Gillett St, London N16 8JH