First Look: Jewels of Thought Is Much More Than a Record Store

Step inside Jewels of Thought, a space awash with dreamy beats and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and you’re met with a quandary. Is this a record store pouring great drinks, or a cafe and wine bar spinning great music?

In truth, it’s both.    

Like a perfectly curated playlist, the new east end venture from DJ and musician Anthony Wendt – who releases music as Oisima – effortlessly pulls off what similar businesses struggle to create: a space that marries retail and hospitality in a way that feels complementary and welcoming.

The concept is partially inspired by Melbourne venues Northside Records and High Note. Wendt says he’s stocking more than 2000 new and preloved records, with new crates arriving from overseas dealers each week. Spanning genres like Balearic, psychedelia, and reggae, along with jazz and soul, the collection aims to evoke “nostalgia, surprise and wonder”.

The space will also host artist appearances, album launches, listening parties, live gigs, and “tiny desk” concerts (inspired by the NPR series).

Wendt describes Jewels of Thought as somewhere music can be “celebrated, heard and discussed” without relying on alcohol.

Booze does feature on the menu, but it’s not the focus. The wine list offers SA-made darlings like Jauma, The Other Right, Lucy Margaux, BK Wines and Scintilla Wines. Small batch beers are also on offer until late. 

For the coffee service – which runs until close – Wendt and his wife and co-owner Linh Tieu, have foregone a traditional espresso setup in favour of brewing to order on an Australian Swiss designed Nucleus Paragon pour-over stand, renowned for producing complex, aromatic filter coffee. “I’ve been importing coffee from all over the world … and telling roasters, ‘Give me the weirdest shit you’ve got,’” Wendt says. As with the records, the aim is celebrating the unique.

On the food front, there are madeleines and canelés from Sanshi as well as cruffins and pastries from Fold. Tieu’s mum has also been on the tools and is serving a range of homemade Vietnamese treats. She kicked things off with mung bean mooncakes and a savoury pork and pâté pastry. 

Wendt is hoping to fill a hole in the local bar scene, particularly for wine-lovers missing Loc and music fans who are mourning Hellbound’s move to the suburbs.

Wendt sees Jewels of Thought not as a departure from his creative life as a full-time musician, but as an extension of it. “The thing I love about music is letting people into a world you create,” he says. “That’s exactly what this is.”

Jewels of Thought

15 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide

04 3075 5788

Hours:

Mon to Wed 10am– 6pm

Thu to Sat 10am– 8pm

Sun 10am– 6pm

jewelsofthoughtrecordings.com

@jewelsofthoughtrecords

Reporting by Tim Watts.