Coogee Pavilion is a restaurant near the famous Coogee Beach. The place caters to a “hip” crowd. When we visited there, the bar and tables were filled with people drinking and dining, while a DJ was spinning some good house music.
The restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes from healthy fare to comfort food. After a long day at the beach, this is a go-to place for a refresher or a bite. There was a waiting list for a table when we arrived, but after walking around looking for a spot by the bar, we found a sofa and table near the DJ and ordered a chicken burger, pizza, and salad.
After we ate, we made our way to the rooftop bar; we paid a small cover charge. Once we were upstairs, there was house music playing, people mingling, and a long queue by the bar. We ended up hanging out for a few hours people watching, drinking and eating some snacks.
If you’re looking for a spot with some of the cities’ “cool kids,” this is a place to be; it reminded us of summer rooftop parties in New York City.
Bondi Icebergs POOL is well known by many from Instagram posts. It has become an international landmark, where people like ME sought out the place to get that picture-worthy shot of Bondi’s famous pool with the backdrop of the ocean.
The club is open to the public all year round with a small entrance fee (Adult $7/Kid $5) or a yearly membership fee for locals living within five kilometers from the establishment.
The club has two pools (one main and a kiddie), with a sauna located on the same level. The restaurant is on the upper level which has an indoor and outdoor seating area with floor to ceiling glass windows that gives guests a panoramic view of the ocean, Bondi Beach, and the pool.
While I wasn’t in a search to find this place, we happened upon it as we were doing the famous Coogee to Bondi walk. The club is located on Notts Avenue, which is one of the streets that is part of the coastal trail. We decided to take a break from our walk to grab a drink and some appetizers.
The place seemed a bit posh for me, with most of the patrons well dressed except for the people lounging poolside. We were in our activewear, looking like sweaty pigs. Nevertheless, we were welcomed with a big smile.
We ordered cocktails, oysters, salad, and a chicken sandwich which were acceptably good. However, I wouldn’t brag about the food. The chicken sandwich was something I would get from McDonald's. We asked the waiter if we could modify the chicken sandwich and not have the sauce. He said “yes,” but then “the manager,” stated that isn’t possible. They cannot modify any of their dishes. One of my friends was allergic to the sauce, so he suggested another dish. The oyster was great, the cocktail was yummy, but the salad and chicken sandwich were NO-NOs! If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite, save your money and go somewhere else.
This place is excellent for the view but, overall, the manager was rude, and the food was not up to par!
The Bucket List is located right on the world-famous Bondi Beach. The place has indoor and outdoor beachfront seating. The inside decor is flavorful with vibrant colors. They have a variety of sitting areas such as high top tables with bar stools; lounge chairs and tables; dining and picnic tables; and more.
The vegetarian and gluten friendly menu has a large selection of food and specialty cocktails. The establishment serves burgers, tacos, salad, and seafood.
We started our night with dinner and drinks. By the end of the night, the place transformed into a bar scene with people drinking and mingling. This place was a bit less posh compared to Coogee Pavilion. There were a lot of hip young people, but the atmosphere was more laidback.
Hotel Bondi is a boutique hotel located in Bondi, steps away from the famous beach. The hotel was built in 1919 but has been renovated with up-to-date decor. The establishment has nightly entertainment, so after Bucket List, we decided to head over to the hotel since two of our friends were staying there.
We walked into a crowded beer garden, and the inside was like a club, complete with dance music playing and people dancing and prancing around. The girls were all nicely put together while the men were in white shorts and polo shirts.
The music was great! The drinks were awesome! The ambiance was even better!
Baccomatto Osteria is a cute little Italian joint located in Surry Hills. If you were walking by you would probably miss this place because it looks like a little shop tucked away between two residential buildings.
After having no luck elsewhere finding available seating on New Year’s Eve night, we came across this Italian place. They didn’t have any tables available but had seats by the bar. The drink menu had an excellent selection of Italian refreshments (beers, cocktails, wines, sparkling, aperitif, digestivi and grappe), but not many other types of alcohol.
My friend and I ordered a few plates to share, and the food was terrific! I grew up with a lot of Italians, worked in Italian restaurants, and visited Italy. I have to say the flavors of each dish were on point. We ordered the Caprese Salad, a pasta dish (special of the day), and Wagyu Hanger Steak. The portions were not too big or small; they were just right!
If you’re looking for some delicious Italian food surrounded by great ambiance, this is the spot to go.
After walking around all over Sydney, I was famished and was craving a burger. My friend and I started researching burger places, and Bar Luca showed up as one of the top three spots. It was about a 20-minute walk--score! When we arrived, the place was packed with people and a queue for a table. There were a few empty seats at the communal table, so we ended up taking them.
After we took a look at the menu, we each ordered the classic burger with a few toppings. Both burgers were juicy, delicious, and the perfect size! However, I wasn’t too pleased with the burger options on the menu.
I would think a place that came up on my internet search as one of the best burger joints in Sydney would have more choices of burgers. Instead, they had a basic burger and a wide selection of add-ons for an additional cost.
Bar Luca has other dishes; and because I checked out other tables, I can say they looked great!
This is your go-to place for comfort food! But don’t expect a lot of options for burgers.
One morning, we went to a cute eatery called Bellagio Cafe, which is located on Bronte Road in Waverly, to have some brekky. As soon as we walked in, we fell in love with the decor. The dining area had wrapped around windows with a view of two streets. The window seats were adorned with decorative pillows and cushions, which makes it a great place to lounge out with a book! The cafe has an outdoor patio for dining, but it was a gloomy day, so we opted to sit inside.
We ordered the avocado smash with poached eggs and coffee. The avo smash was made to perfection--you could tell in the presentation. I was excited to eat it, and as my assumptions were right as it hit the spot!
Bellagio Cafe serves breakfast and lunch. They have a wide selection of dishes as well as juices, smoothies, and wine.
Everyone that has visited Sydney told me that I must eat seafood at Sydney Fish Market. At first, I thought of the famous fish market in Tokyo. Although some areas at Sydney Fish Market sell fish, it is more of a place that serves ready-to-eat seafood.
There were a bunch of food stalls with an outdoor seating area. We went to a couple of the stalls, and most of them were buffet style where we could make choices and add everything up at the cashier counter.
The only issue we had with the fish market was that it closes daily at 4 p.m. They don’t kick you out at that time, but many of the vendors start to close up shop, so that customers can order food up until 4 p.m.
My friend and I went back to the market again. The prices were reasonable, and the seafood was super fresh. It was a great place to get my seafood fix!
EITHER OR is a sleek, minimalist cafe on the busy King Street in Newtown. After walking around, we happened to come across this place. We took a peek inside, and it was the perfect little spot for some afternoon refreshments.
The food and drink menu looked dope! They have a wide variety of dishes for every person’s palate. If you’re not too hungry, but in need of a refreshment, the cafe has a variety of drinks ranging from coconut water, cold-pressed juices, and smoothies, to a small selection of alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, we had already eaten not too long ago, so we ordered an iced matcha latte, cafe latte, and tea.
Since I love to stalk other people’s tables, I noticed the food looked delicious. If you’re looking for a place to take a break from busy Newtown without the lively restaurant/pub vibe, this is your spot!
The Gantry Restaurant, Autograph Collection, at Pier One Sydney Harbour, was another place that we happened to come across while on our all-day trek around the city. A 10-minute walk from Circular Quay, the hotel is located alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Gantry Restaurant is situated toward the back of the hotel on the main floor. This place is a gem for its location, giving restaurant patrons a magnificent waterfront view of the fantastic Sydney Bay.
We took a seat by the bar and ordered some oysters and a tuna dish. The food was superb! The place was pretty empty for mid-afternoon, which we did not mind. We had the whole bar to ourselves.
If you’re looking for a more chilled, laidback spot with a panoramic view of the bay, the Pier One Wharf is only steps away. It is accessible from the hotel. This place is a cool spot to go with friends after work for drinks. For the meat lovers, the Kerrigan food shack (located on the pier) serves some great dishes. Also, they have a few options for the pescatarians.
As we walked along the beachfront promenade, Bavarian Bier Cafe appealed to us because it was packed with people. We wanted a place to grab drinks, some food, and mingle. We had to make our way through the bar crowd to get to some available seats in the back.
Instantly, we made new friends by sharing our communal table with them.
The Bavarian is a pub, a great place to go after being on the beach all day or to catch a big game. This is a laidback, fun bar to go. They have a wide selection of German beers and drinks. We ordered the chicken schnitzel, and it was terrific!
All the places mentioned above are in different parts of Sydney. There are so many cool spots to chill, drink, and eat. If you happen to be roaming around town, check them out!
Commentaires