NYCReview
Jones Wood Foundry
Included In
We decided that an update on our old Jones Wood Foundry review was in order, not because this place has changed much since we originally wrote it up in 2011, but because we’ve come to appreciate it even more.
Our initial reaction upon discovering this cool British pub and restaurant was to be pleasantly surprised that something like this could exist on the Upper East Side and not just be another ridiculous dive called The Fox and The Hound or Queen Mary’s Banger House. You know the type of place - the Union Jack on the wall and Guinness on tap and some guy who is hammered at 2pm pretending to give a sh*t about soccer. Jones Wood Foundry is far better and far more authentic than that. The food here is excellent. And their drunk guys really do care about soccer.
But what we’ve come to realize over time is that the beauty of Jones Wood Foundry is not simply in the fact that this a better British pub than most in this city. What makes it unique is that this is also an excellent utility restaurant for just about every need an Upper East Side resident might have. Looking to watch Premiere League at 10am? You can do it here. Need a spot to bring your buddy from Chicago who loves to hang out and eat well but hates trendy places? This is your spot. Looking for brunch outside on a nice summer afternoon? The small patio at Jones Wood Foundry is almost always available. You can even hold a big group event here if you want to, assuming everyone can get down with the fact that there’s no liquor behind the bar. Your aunt probably needs to lay off the vodka martinis anyway.
For us, we find Jones Wood Foundry most useful for some daytime eating. We hit it frequently for brunch after a run in Central Park, or anytime we want to get food on a Saturday afternoon and not deal with people who go to brunch. Dinner is good, too, especially if you’re having the Meyers of Keswick Bangers & Mash with a Woodland Mushroom Salad on the side. Pair that up with a Taddy Porter or a pint of cask ale, and you’ll be doing the British pub thing the way it was meant to be done. Just don’t let anyone know that you call it soccer.