Jana Restaurant & Bar

One to book, with or without the stay.

The QT Newcastle doesn’t have revolving doors, but the kitchen might as well. The restaurant has cycled through four executive chefs in its three-and-a-half year run, the latest being Carmine Mari, formerly of Jana’s sister venue Pascale Bar & Grill in Melbourne.

Mari’s debut menu goes big on Italian flavour, with the breakout star being a mortadella lasagne: a tidy, stratified slab of pasta sheets and cured meat, baked first, then pan-fried to crisp up the edges. The cotoletta is another crowd-pleaser: the Frenched and breaded pork cutlet is brined with Mediterranean herbs so the seasoning runs right through.

For dessert, a flaming rum baba delivers the kind of theatrics you’d expect from this quirky, design-forward hotel. The cake is on the heavier side, but it’s swiftly rescued by spoonfuls of soft cream, not-too-sweet berries and toffee-nut crunch. Mari has already settled in. Here’s hoping he stays put.

Good to know: Weekly specials like bottomless steak frites on Mondays and Pasta Thursdays give locals a reason to swing by too.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

Last visited: 2025

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More:

• Newcastle
• Jana
• Sydney
• Contemporary
• Accepts bookings
• Separate bar
• Good for solo diners
• Good for business lunch
• Good for groups
• Accommodation
• Licensed
• Restaurant
• Reviews
• Good Food Guide