Feature image: Michael Waterhouse
One of Henley Beach’s most recognisable restaurant spaces is about to undergo its biggest transformation since opening, with Adelaide hospitality operator Chahoud Group preparing to unveil an entirely new venue at the former HNLY site.
The beachfront restaurant is being stripped back and completely redesigned ahead of its reopening as Jasmine’s, a modern Mediterranean and Italian dining destination expected to open in early September.
The group behind the project operates a string of well-known hospitality venues including Da Vinci Ristorane, Byblos, The Pancake Kitchen, Pellegrini Café and Cafe Palazzo, with more than 20 hospitality brands and venues across Australia.
The new venue is aiming to offer far more than pasta and wine.
Expect house-made pasta, premium seafood, wood-fired pizzas, an open-fire kitchen, tableside dessert trolleys and flaming brandy service, alongside an extensive wine list and signature cocktails.
For operator Manoel Eskanian, the attraction to the site was immediate.
“Henley Beach is one of Adelaide’s most beautiful coastal destinations, yet we felt there was room for a new dining experience that combined premium food with a sophisticated atmosphere,” he said.
The restaurant takes its name from the jasmine flower, a symbol closely associated with the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
“It symbolises beauty, elegance, warmth and unforgettable fragrance, qualities we wanted our restaurant to embody,” Manoel said.
The menu will blend Italian cooking with broader Mediterranean influences. Signature dishes will include house-made Wagyu beef and ox cheek ragù, roast chicken moghrabieh, premium seafood and seasonal handmade pasta, with an executive chef bringing international experience from kitchens in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
The fit out is also “undergoing a complete transformation,” Manoel said.
“We’re preserving the incredible location and its connection to Henley Beach, but the interiors are being entirely redesigned to create a fresh identity that reflects the Jasmine’s vision” – think statement chandeliers, fireplaces, natural textures and an open kitchen putting the cooking on show.
Trading is planned until 10pm during the week and midnight on weekends, with the atmosphere designed to shift throughout the evening from relaxed beachfront dining to a livelier after-dark experience centred around cocktails, music and dessert theatre.
“We want to bring something fresh and exciting to Henley Beach,” Manoel says.
“Whether it’s a casual lunch by the beach, a romantic dinner, a celebration with friends or simply enjoying a great glass of wine, we hope Jasmine’s becomes a place that people return to time and time again.”
HNLY first opened in late 2021, becoming known for its Mediterranean seafood offering, expansive balconies overlooking Henley Square and upstairs dining room created from two former apartments.
Following a winter closure, the site announced it had entered a “period of transition”. Jasmine’s is now preparing to write the venue’s next chapter when doors open in early September.
Jasmine’s
Where: 253A Seaview Rd, Henley Beach
When: Opening set for early September
To find out more, click here.
