Café in Bondi Road
A long-running, organic-leaning neighbourhood coffee house on the Bondi Road stretch, known for local-supplier sourcing and a solid run of gluten-free options.
Formerly Merekat.
This is a locals' café rather than a beach-tourist stop, and we'd choose it when we want a proper wholefoods breakfast a few blocks back from the sand without campbell-parade prices. The kitchen leans into organic and local sourcing — grass-fed meat from a named butcher, house-made cakes — and it's quietly one of the better spots on Bondi Road for anyone eating gluten-free. Service can be hit-or-miss, so come for the food and coffee rather than polish.
Standard brunch plates and cooked breakfasts built on organic and local produce, a flat white, and the gluten-free cakes from the counter (the lemon polenta cake is a recurring favourite in reviews).
Relaxed, unpretentious, slightly quirky neighbourhood café.
Local tip: If you're eating gluten-free, this is one of the more reliable Bondi Road choices — but it's a walk-in local café, so treat it as a weekday coffee-and-breakfast stop rather than a weekend brunch destination.
Worth knowing: Reviews are genuinely mixed on service and wait times, and there's no beach view — it's a Bondi Road café, not a beachfront one.
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 Spotted something out of date?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.
bakery · Bondi Road
A tiny weekend-only micro-bakery on Bondi Road built around soft, cold-fermented cinnamon scrolls and viral cold drinks, with queues to match the hype.
Best for: A weekend treat run for scroll-and-coffee lovers who don't mind a queue
Italian · Bondi Road
Merivale's buzzy, share-style Italian tucked into the back of The Royal on Bondi Road, built around a wood-fired oven and a leafy, olive-tree-lined courtyard.
Best for: Long, shared Italian lunches and lively group dinners off the beach
Mexican · Bondi Road
A hacienda-inspired Mexican restaurant on Bondi Road where the whole kitchen orbits a woodfire grill, turning out charcoal-kissed tacos, share plates and wagyu steaks.
Best for: Woodfire Mexican for a lively group dinner or a date night