Overview
The combination brewery and bar is a staple in Sydney's Inner West with the area sporting dozens of quality venues brewing their own craft beers on-site. While you can find a wide array of these beer-loving haunts scattered around Newtown and Marrickville streets — from quaint independent operations to expansive King Street spots — they're much less common in Sydney's east.
Curly Lewis is looking to change this and pioneer a new wave of brewpubs in the eastern suburbs, opening a 120-seat Campbell Parade venue that will be bringing freshly brewed craft beers and top-notch eats to Bondi.
"We felt there was a gap in the market for beer-lovers in the eastern suburbs. You have to go to the inner west or northern beaches for a brewery experience," Curly Lewis co-founder Oli dos Remedios said.
Easing into things, the bar will begin by producing two highly drinkable signature beers — the Curly Lewis Clean Cut Larger and the Bondi Hazy Ale. Two taps at the bar will be dedicated to these in-house beverages, while the rest will showcase a rotating selection of wildcard beers sourced from breweries near and far.
Head Brewer Scotty Morgan says: "The brief for the beer was simple. We are brewing a stone's throw from the beach – our core beers needed a clean and easy drinking approachability, made for those baking hot beach days. We are confident that our range of beer will appeal to the average Aussie classic beer drinker through to an avid craft beer lover."
As with all good bars, there's also a bank of spirits behind the bar ready to whip you classic cocktails and a wine list featuring local Australian drops with some funky skin-contact varieties on offer.
In the kitchen, the co-owners of nearby Frank's Deli, Sammy Jukubiak and Ben Kelly have pulled together a menu that draws from modern Australian favourites and European classics. There are meatballs, croquettes and deli plates to start, Reuben sandwiches for your main, and basque cheesecake to finish it all off.
Once you get a taste for the Curly Lewis brews, you can also find them at local venues and bottleshops including Bondi Beach Cellars, Beach Road Hotel, Neighbourhood, Salty's and Bondi Liquor Co.
Curly Lewis is located at 102-106 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach. It's open 11am–11pm Tuesday–Saturday and 11am–10pm Sunday.