Jacaranda Court — Best Restaurant with a Casino Hall
“You will always find the dining room quieter than the card room,” the founder used to tell new guests, and it still holds true. You are shown first to the front room for dinner, a short seasonal menu served under the original sash windows, and only afterwards to the card room behind it, where five tables of bridge, five hundred and euchre run beneath a lower, warmer light. Nothing you play here is online, there is no wagering and no cash prize at any table, and you will not find a poker machine anywhere on the property — every hand is dealt in person, at this address, by a house dealer. You may book a table for dinner and a seat at the felt as two separate bookings, one for the evening's meal and one for its cards.
A retired schoolmaster's quiet idea
“I wanted somewhere I could ask a friend to dinner and to cards without sending two invitations,” the founder is said to have told the local paper when Jacaranda Court first opened its doors.
He had taught for thirty years at a school nearby before he took over the building on Bong Bong Street, fitted a small kitchen into the front room, and put five card tables into the room behind it.
- The Founder
- A retired schoolmaster who opened the house in his sixties
- The Front Room
- Once his study, now the dining room you are shown to first
- The Back Room
- Fitted with five tables not long after the house opened
A short, seasonal table
You will find the dining room menu changes with the Southern Highlands seasons, kept short so each dish can be done properly rather than at length.
There is no bar in either room; you are offered tea, coffee, lemonade or cold water throughout the evening instead.
You are asked to book dinner separately from a seat at the felt, as the kitchen keeps earlier hours than the card room does.
- Robertson Potato Soup
- A smooth soup made with potatoes from the district
- Southern Highlands Lamb
- Roasted shoulder with seasonal highland vegetables
- Chestnut Tart
- Made with chestnuts grown in the hills around Bowral
How the card room runs across a typical month
| Dates | Dining Room | Card Room |
|---|---|---|
| 1st–7th | Full seasonal menu each evening | Bridge and five hundred running nightly |
| 8th–14th | A shorter midweek menu | Euchre added most evenings |
| 15th–21st | Full menu resumes | All five tables usually open |
| 22nd–28th | Later sittings on weekends | Crib table quieter, well suited to newcomers |
| 29th–31st | Menu depends on the season | House dealer confirmed by phone |
| Every month | Closed Sunday and Monday | Closed Sunday and Monday |
Before you book
Do I need to book both the dining room and the card room?
No, you may book either separately; many guests come only for one.
What happens to my chips at the end of the evening?
You return them at the card room door, where they are counted back in — they were never worth cash.
Am I able to simply watch a table?
Yes, you are welcome to stand near a table, though you will usually be invited to join within a hand or two.
Is there an online version of any of your games?
No, nothing at Jacaranda Court is played online — every hand is dealt in person in the card room.
Both rooms, as you'll find them
Casino Hall: “Five Tables, Evenly Spaced”
You will find five tables in the card room, each set well apart beneath the original ceiling the founder kept when he converted the building.
Bridge and five hundred hold two of the busier tables most evenings, euchre and crib fill the others, and a house dealer works the room once it fills after eight.
You are dealt chips at the door to the card room, and they mark points only — no hand played here is settled in cash, then or later.
- Bridge
- The table nearest the fireplace, usually the first to fill
- Five Hundred & Euchre
- Two further tables, running most evenings you visit
- Crib
- A quieter table, well suited to a shorter visit
Getting to Jacaranda Court
305 Bong Bong Street, Bowral NSW 2576
+61 2 4861 5273 · enquiries@jacarandacourt.com
The room opens Tuesday to Saturday, six in the evening until one the following morning.
What is asked of you as a guest
- You must be eighteen or over to be seated at either the dining room or the card room, and ID may be asked for.
- You may book dinner and a seat at the felt separately, and neither booking includes the other by default.
- You are given chips at the card room door; they mark points only and carry no value once you leave.
- You will not find a poker machine anywhere on the property, and no cash bet is taken at any table.
- You are asked to keep your phone on silent in both rooms, and to take calls out onto the street.
- You are welcome to arrive as a walk-in for the card room, though dinner is best booked a day ahead.
What you should know before you book
The founder kept a short list of house notes by the door; four of them still apply, word for word, to every guest today.
You may book either room, or both
Telephone the house to arrange a table for dinner, a seat at the felt, or both as separate bookings — the front desk will confirm your evening either way.