Golden hour
Bondi faces east, so the magic here is the light on the water rather than a sunset over the sea — these are the rooftops, terraces and west-facing perches where we'd time a drink for golden hour.
Our top pick right now is Icebergs Dining Room and Bar — milestone celebrations and long lunches with a view. Below are 12 places we rate for this, ranked on the food and how well they suit a visit. Prices shown are a rough guide ($–$$$$); always check the venue’s own site for current hours and menus.
Italian · Bondi Beach
The hatted, ocean-front Italian fine-diner perched above the Bondi Icebergs pool, serving hand-rolled pasta and seasonal seafood with the best beach view in Sydney.
Best for: Milestone celebrations and long lunches with a view
Spanish · Campbell Parade
An iconic 1914 beachfront hotel on Campbell Parade whose light-filled level-one dining room now houses Alzado, a coastal-Spanish seafood diner, above a classic public bar and late-night club space.
Best for: A long, view-soaked afternoon that turns into a night out
Spanish · Campbell Parade
A Spanish coastal seafood diner upstairs at Hotel Ravesis, trading share plates, sherry and oyster martinis against a wraparound balcony view of the Bondi surf.
Best for: Long boozy lunches and sunset dinners with a view
Seafood · North Bondi
A Matt Moran seafood restaurant perched at the quiet north end of Bondi Beach, with arguably the best sand-and-ocean outlook of any dining room on the beach.
Best for: Long beachfront lunches, oysters and cocktails with a view
Modern Australian · North Bondi
A member-and-guest RSL club perched above the northern end of Bondi Beach, serving affordable modern-Australian bistro food with some of the best ocean views in the area.
Best for: Affordable ocean-view lunch or early dinner with kids or a group
Contemporary Australian · Bondi Beach
A multi-venue beachfront complex inside Bondi Pavilion, pairing an all-day contemporary-coastal Beach Bar with Etheus, a smarter Greek dining room, both looking straight out over the sand.
Best for: Beachfront lunch, sunset drinks, or a Greek dinner with a view
Bar · Bondi Beach
The ocean-facing, walk-in bar terrace inside the restored Bondi Pavilion, pouring cocktails and an all-day coastal menu straight above the sand.
Best for: Sunset drinks and grazing straight off the beach
Mexican · Bondi Junction
A colourful, cacti-filled rooftop Mexican restaurant and bar atop The Eastern in Bondi Junction, big on tacos, mezcal cocktails and an 80-strong tequila list.
Best for: Rooftop margaritas and shared Mexican plates with a group
pub-food · Bondi Beach
A sprawling two-storey Bondi institution — "the Beachy" — where a busy pub bistro, beer garden, pizza kitchen and late-night band room all live under one roof.
Best for: Casual group dinners that roll into drinks and live music
Modern Australian · Campbell Parade
An all-day café, bar and Modern Australian restaurant on Campbell Parade that runs from sunrise coffee straight through to late-night cocktails opposite the beach.
Best for: Casual all-day eating and sunset drinks across from the sand
Cafe · Campbell Parade
A long-running, family-owned beachfront cafe on Campbell Parade serving all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch with some of the most direct sweeping views straight across Bondi Beach.
Best for: Beachfront all-day brunch with a view
Mexican · Campbell Parade
A first-floor Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant and cocktail bar on Campbell Parade with a balcony looking straight out over Bondi Beach.
Best for: Sunset margaritas and share plates with a beach view