Nanny’s
Heading down the Kingsland strip, you might mistake ‘Nanny’s Eatery Restaurant, Whiskey and Rum Bar’ merely as a place to head for a boozy night out. But no and uh uh – this Jamaican gem turned out to be a more than fabulous place to savour some seriously epic flavour sensations AND and have some fun while we were at it!
Greeted by JP, one of the owners, we immediately warmed to his dry yet very entertaining humour – this fun and edgy interaction was continued throughout our visit making for much laughter and a little education too. If you want to know about Nanny’s origins and the different food options, filled with a rich history, just ask. JP was happy to take us on a little journey into the history of his country and keep us very entertained while he did it!
Although we waited a while for the food and drinks to arrive, the atmosphere in the outside open area where we sat felt chilled and relaxing (totally recommend this spot when the sun is pouring in). We ordered a whole heap of sides to share alongside their signature jerk chicken, cooked just like their Gramma taught them back in her Jamaican kitchen. Their desire in creating the restaurant was to bring an authentic and deep-rooted soul food flavour from Kingston to Kingsland, mixed with Mexican infusion. And in our opinion they nailed it!
Shared Food
1/2 Jerk Chicken
Jalapeno poppers
Cauli bites
popcorn chicken
Mac ‘n’ cheese
Rice ’n’ peas
Slaw
Louise had a bit of everything. She said “I fully ate humble pie today upon the realisation that I had fully judged a book by its cover, having vowed to never step into an eatery that could be called a ‘rum and whiskey bar’ yet have such low grade signage. #graphicdesigner #opinion8ted. However, the service was brilliant, quick-witted, responsive and real. Food was delish IMHO – crisped to perfection, balanced, pretty on the plate and full of flavour. My personal faves were the smokey jerk chicken and the unsparing jalapeño poppers. I will be working this carb load off for the rest of the weekend but seriously, I found it worth every bite of beige brilliance ;)”
Mel had a bit of everything and drank Pete’s Natural Feijoa Lemonade. She said, “I was sold on the personality of this place the minute I walked in the door and had owner JP totally prank me over my online booking. Love a good prank! I loved the real, honest and funny as heck service! The food was pretty good too, a little on the ‘heavy’ side if you were looking for lots of ‘healthy’ options. But for food that was all about the different flavours it was good. My favourites were the rice ‘n’ peas which were beautifully flavoured with kidney beans, ‘not’ peas, and the cauli bites – the sweet, crispy coating on these babies were right up my alley! We didn’t get too hot on things, however if you love some serious spice, ask for it – I’m sure they will take much satisfaction in showing you how it’s done ;)”
Sam had a bit of everything. He said “It’s a neat little place, very basic but the food has some great flavours and it’s nice trying something different. Not the fastest service as the chicken takes a while to cook but worth the wait. Mac and cheese was my favourite.”
Sarah had a bit of everything. She said “I loved the story which inspired Nanny’s. The jerk chicken was good, I just wanted more flavour. Otherwise things were good but on the sweet side rather than hot with the sauces. Be ready for quite a heavy meal and a bit of a wait for your food to come out.”
