Restaurant in Bondi Beach
A Bondi local's Modern Australian spot from chef Ian Oakes, working as a relaxed cafe by day and a candle-lit, produce-driven restaurant with a proper wine bar by night.
This is one of those neighbourhood restaurants Bondi locals quietly guard: a short, seasonal Modern Australian menu built around sustainable produce, cooked with real technique rather than beach-town shortcuts. The corner room is warm and unfussy — recycled timber, low light, a bar you can perch at with a glass of boutique local wine — and it flexes from a daytime coffee-and-plate to a considered dinner. A block back from the QT Bondi lobby, it's the kind of place we'd choose when we want the beach nearby but a grown-up meal that isn't fighting the crowds on Campbell Parade.
Look to the signatures: the pan-seared gnocchi with mushrooms, hazelnuts and blue cheese that's been on the menu since day one, the roast duck Oakes is known for, and the line-caught fish of the day; finish with the ricotta doughnuts or the honeycomb-and-white-chocolate parfait.
Warm, low-lit and unpretentious — recycled timber and copper, with a convivial wine bar up front.
Local tip: Bookings are sensible for dinner (they take reservations via Resy or email), but if you're solo or a two, the bar seats are the move — perch there for a glass of local wine and a couple of small plates without needing a table.
Worth knowing: Set back from the promenade on the Curlewis/Gould corner, so there's no ocean view — this is about the food and the room, not the water.
Hours, prices and menus change — always check the venue’s own site before you go. Spotted something out of date? We keep this directory current; details reflect our last check.
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
Gelato · Bondi Beach
The Bondi outpost of Sydney's most celebrated gelato maker, tucked into the Hall Street hub a short walk back from the sand.
Best for: A post-beach dessert walk on Hall Street
Modern Australian · Bondi Beach
The original bills, the Hall Street cafe where Bill Granger reinvented Sydney brunch, still turning out its ricotta hotcakes and creamy scrambled eggs a couple of minutes back from the sand.
Best for: A landmark Bondi brunch a short walk from the beach