Kennedy Street has a new addition to its already ample lineup of dining and drinking destinations with the opening of The Kennedy Room on Friday night in the space previously occupied by Santa Lucia.

Well known hospitality operator and former B Bar owner Dimitri Eliopoulos opened his new establishment without any fanfare on Friday night, managing to pique the interest of enough passers-by to drag in a reasonable crowd on an otherwise quiet and cold September night. “ We just opened the doors at around 4pm without any announcements or advertising. Pretty much everyone here is a result of walk-by traffic, ” Dimitri said.

Though The Kennedy Room is billing itself as a restaurant and offering an interesting looking menu to those looking for a full sit-down dining experience, it has a definite bar feel. On Friday night, a DJ was spinning some nice tunes while patrons enjoyed a drink, either at the bar or in the lounge section. There’s a range of tap beers, including some boutique choices like 1664, and some tasty tapas such as pork belly, spice dusted calamari and sushi.

Décor is somewhere between urban and rustic, with high ceilings of exposed timber, a red brick feature wall, and industrial looking drop lights, and Dimitri promises there will also be an outdoor section opening at the rear in the near future. A promising start has us interested in seeing how it develops as the warmer months kick in.

The Kennedy Room is located at 25 Kennedy Street Kingston.
Phone: 02 6162 2318