Ballarat restaurant Catfish Thai to make way for rustic Mr Jones

Ballarat's hatted restaurant, Catfish Thai, will close on June 30, reopening under the same owners a few weeks later as "refined rustic" Mr Jones.

After almost five years running Catfish Thai, Damien and Danielle Jones felt it was time for a change. "We weren't getting out of it what we were putting in," says Damien Jones.

The decision did not come easily, but the new direction will give the team a chance to explore local produce instead of making regular trips to the Melbourne markets in search of Thai ingredients. "You can't grow pineapples in Ballarat."

Damien Jones, who worked at Melbourne fine diner Brown's and London's Bibendum in the 1990s before cooking with Thai master David Thompson, is looking forward to returning to his classical roots.

Jones will revisit old recipes and trial new ideas to create a shared-plate set menu, which will change daily based on what's in season locally and what they feel like cooking.

"I'm excited about the freedom and challenge that Mr Jones' menu will allow."

Design firm Russell & George, who created the bold red-and-black Catfish Thai interior in 2013, will give the double-fronted Main Street interior a fresh look before Mr Jones opens in July.

Mr Jones will open for lunch on Friday and Saturday and banquet-style dining from Thursday to Saturday from mid-July.