David Jones has relaunched its Elizabeth Street food hall as Eat at DJ’s, an eight-venue dining precinct on the Lower Ground floor of the Sydney CBD flagship.
The precinct is run by Create Catering, a hospitality operator with a background in luxury retail environments, and spans everything from handmade pasta to functional smoothies. It is built around eight distinct eateries, each with its own identity and menu focus, pitched at city workers, shoppers and visitors looking for something beyond a food court grab-and-go.
David Jones Buying Manager Amesbury Hagan says the doors reopening has been a long time coming. “We’re excited to welcome guests back to a revitalised David Jones Food Hall, where diverse flavours and fresh delights come together once again.”
Premium doesn’t mean predictable
For Create Catering founder and managing director Anthony Whitehouse, the offer is a statement of intent. “The Food Hall represents everything we believe in, that premium dining doesn’t have to mean predictable. We’ve built eight eateries that each have their own identity, their own story and their own reason to come back for more.”
Retro Roast is the most knowing of the bunch, a direct callback to the David Jones food halls of the 1970s. Crispy skin roast pork with seasonal vegetables and gravy leads the menu alongside a brisket gravy roll, and platters of brisket, roast pork and spit roast chicken with a choice of vegetables and gravy.
Pan Divino City is the CBD offshoot of the Surry Hills Italian, dialled back for lunch rather than a long sit-down. Head Chef Adam Bryce is working with handmade pasta and Italian classics, gnocchi with smoked short rib ragu, fresh crudo, and house-baked focaccia.
“With Pan Divino City, we intend to bring our Italian hideaway in Surry Hills to the heart of the city, bringing with it the warm, personable level of service that has been loved by our locals since we opened, making you feel as if you have been invited to dine in our home, not just another restaurant,” says Bryce.
“The menu will feature some of our classic dishes alongside new items to help turn your lunch break into something much more.”
Wok Bar is doing live wok cooking, dumplings, noodles, laksa, prawn nasi goreng, prawn laksa, the kind of thing that moves fast and hits hard. Next to it,
Good Bagel has house-made bagels going in every direction, smoked salmon if that is the vibe, brisket poppy seed if it is not, or a French toast bagel with whipped wild blueberry cream cheese if the day calls for it, with iced matcha variations on the drinks menu.
Pizzeria is doing slices and whole pizzas, the kind of thing New Yorkers have been eating standing up on the street for decades, for very good reason: It’s fast, zero fuss, and it travels.
Celebration Cake Bar is taking on the special occasions with sculptural cakes, strawberry Belgian chocolate pots, and matcha Oreo cheesecake.
Cool Press Juice Bar is the functional nutrition corner, smoothies and broths that can be built out with collagen, spirulina or adaptogens depending on what the body needs that day. The Alchemy Smoothies range covers Pretty in Pink, Muscle Nectar, The Pro Metabolic Shake and Matcha Marine.
Whitehouse says the relaunch reflects something shifting in how people think about eating while they shop. “It’s no longer just about convenience, it’s about quality, variety and experience.
“With the David Jones Food Hall, we’ve created a destination that brings together different cuisines, formats and dining moments, from quick lunches through to more considered meals, all under one roof.”
The revitalised food hall at David Jones Elizabeth Street is now open.
Source: Electric Collective
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