Sydney Eat Street: Beachside dining with style on Bondi Rd
Half the fun of getting to Bondi Beach is the journey along Bondi Rd with an array of eats on this foodie trail enough to tempt any and all tastebuds.
Eat Street
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CARBÓN
Tacos, tacos, tacos. Come Saturday and Sunday afternoon, every table in this casually chic Mexican restaurant looks to have at least one platter loaded with a selection of these palm-sized soft tortillas (along with a pitcher of margaritas as part of their popular bottomless lunch).
They’re a meal unto themselves but they’re also a delicious way of introducing you to the fabulous flavours of the Mexican coastal town of Tulum.
From barramundi to pulled pork, each of the eight different varieties showcases the traditional use of chillies with some not even close to being hot and spicy.
“The 10 different types of chillies we use are not for heat but for flavour,” Carbón’s executive chef Juan Carlos Negrete says.
“Not all Mexican food needs to be super hot.”
As an example, he explains how the guajillo chilli has a tart taste with a slight hint of plum. There is also an element of smokiness to it, which is ideal for a menu that is focused around their use of a traditional wood-fire grilling technique.
Carlos is also quite passionate about using sustainable products, ideally ones that are locally sourced.
“I like to be able to tell the story behind everything we use,” he says.
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As would be expected, their cocktail list is filled with tequila-based drinks which can make for a lively evening or just a great afternoon sitting outside watching the people head down to the suburb’s famous beaches.
— 288 Bondi Rd; carbonmexican.com.au
PEPPE’S
Listed on the huge chalkboard menu at the back of the restaurant are a few entrees, a couple of desserts and the rest are handful of main-sized dishes such as walnut and mushroom bolognese, spaghetti with pepperoncino, and a selection of their signature pasta, gnocchi.
“It’s quite a concise menu but it changes every day,” explains Peppe’s head chef Joel Bennetts.
One thing that is sure to never leave the menu is the popular gnocchi funghi – a combination of mushrooms prepared in a cauliflower puree. It’s decadent, delicious and, oh by the way, it’s vegan.
“Nowhere on the menu does it say we’re a vegan restaurant,” Joel says and if wasn’t for him pointing this out, you’d be none the wiser.
He’s even found a way to make a divine tiramisu with a cashew-based cream that’ll give any traditional mascarpone version a serious run for its money.
Like any good Italian restaurant, you’ll definitely leave feeling full but with Joel’s take on the classics, it’s light enough for that stroll down to the beach.
— 261 Bondi Rd; peppelovesgnocchi.com.au
FRANÇOISE ARTISAN BAKER
It’s a vibrant new food scene along Bondi Rd but for pastry chef François Galan, there’s a lot to be said for the stalwarts of the area.
“This particular shop on Bondi Rd has been a French patisserie for over 40 years so when the opportunity came to take over the business I jumped at the chance to continue this long tradition of having a piece of France here on Bondi Rd,” François says.
Like any good bakery, here you’ll find classic buttery croissants and baguettes as well as fruit tarts and speciality cakes.
In true Aussie fashion, François notes “our pies and sausages rolls are a hit with the beach crowd after a swim or surf”.
Hailing from a long line of pastry chefs in his native France, he completed his training and went on to work in Paris and London before coming to Australia more than 30 years ago.
Though he’s focused more on savoury baked goods in that time, for the past three years, he’s returned to the family trade of French artisan pastries and desserts.
— 91 Bondi Rd; francoisartisanbaker.com
SEFA KITCHEN
The culinary neighbourhoods of the inner west seemed like an ideal location for Sefa Kitchen’s owner, Utku Ayhan, to open a Mediterranean restaurant but a trip to the beach had a way of changing his mind.
“I was riding my motorbike to Bondi one day, noticed the shop, walked in and could easily imagine how it could work there instead,” Utku says.
“South village of Bondi has this charm being so close to the beach but just far enough that it still feels like a village, with small eclectic and creative businesses.”
Utku notes that his success has much to do with the discerning tastes of the local community.
“They appreciate new food trends but also understand quality and can distinguish between genuine and fads.” he says.
And because of that, he feels that businesses have upped their game to make Bondi Rd a true dining destination.
— 292 Bondi Rd; sefakitchen.com.au
THE CORNER HOUSE
Summer is just around the corner and before you turn toward the beach be sure to make a stop at The Corner House for some rustic Italian fare and cocktails upstairs on their expansive balcony.
Whether you’re after a slow-cooked roast or the more casual wood-fire pizza, you’ll find your niche as the space divvies up smoothly between the restaurant and casual dining sections.
“Bondi Road has a rich and unique history and although it’s only a stone’s throw away from the beach it almost feels like it’s in another world,” owner Ben Siderowitz says.
“I really wanted to contribute to the growing food and drink scene in Bondi Road and be a trailblazer for what I like to call ‘fine casual’ dining.”
— 281 Bondi Rd; thecornerhouse.com.au
BENNETT ST DAIRY
Nope, there’s no milk producing cows grazing out back, rather, as owner James Meeks explains “growing up in New Zealand the ‘Dairy’ (corner store) was the hub of most suburban areas, each one being owner operated with its own character”.
Opening up on Bondi Rd, James and chef Cliff Baskin set out to do the same, and four years on, have indeed made Bennett St Dairy a local favourite.
Pop in for a quick coffee or spend some time over a breakfast of baked eggs in tomato-based sauce or a stacked juicy hamburger.
A must-try is their cookie pizza, a plate-sized chocolate chip cookie served in slices (pre-ordered for next day pick-up).
— 73 Bondi Rd; bennettstdairy.com
KRINSKYS KOSHER SUPERMARKET
A veteran on the Bondi Rd food scene, Krinskys is Sydney’s largest kosher supermarket.
For those not quite familiar with the concept, it’s food and drinks, including alcohol, that are permissible by Jewish law, but for the layman, they’re a great place for vegan and vegetarians to stock the fridge.
For more than 25 years, they’ve played a part of both the Bondi and Jewish community by supporting ventures such as Friendship Bakery (an initiative in which young adults with disabilities get together Thursday morning to bake and deliver Challah, a plaited loaf of unleavened bread used to celebrate the Sabbath) by stocking their bread.
— 173-175 Bondi Rd; krinskyskosher.com
TOTTI’S
Quenching the thirst of Bondi locals for more than 100 years, The Royal has been a favourite for those after a tipple and with last year’s addition of Totti’s, you can enjoy that with some yummy Italian fare.
The menu, developed by chefs Mike Eggert and Khan Danis ranges from fresh housemade pasta, wood-fired flat bread and share plates to spiffed-up pub grub including s schnitzel and fish & chips.
Grab a seat in the outdoor courtyard for a friendly catch-up or family affair.
— 283 Bondi Rd, Bondi; merivale.com/tottis
THE TIN PIN BAKERY
From the local crowd queuing for coffee to the locally produced honey and free-range eggs, this place is community favourite.
They tout themselves as an organic bakery specialising in sourdough & hand moulded breads as well as pastries, salads and baguettes but judging by the busy chatter, it’s more of a neighbourhood hangout that just happens to brew espresso and serve healthy and delicious food.
— 296 Bondi Rd; facebook.com/TinPinBakery