Overview
Ah the good ol' days, when we were slingin' $20,000 cocktails, answering our giant boxy phones and talking Business, impressing hot young things with velvet booths and our knowledge of Robert Palmer and Huey Lewis and the News's back catalogue. Weren't them the times? Good news for Patrick Batemans and Gordon Gekkos pining to burn a few G's, there's a brand new Sydney bar set to open in the CBD — with a five figure cocktail garnished with its own pearl necklace. Really.
Dripping in diamonds and shoulder pads, Bondy's is the '80s-inspired brainchild of Daimon Downey (one half of Sneaky Sound System), Tim Holmes a Court (co-Pelicano owner with Downey) and Catalina's Kate McMahon (the same power trio who recently opened The Lemon Tree in Australia Square). But it's not the legwarmed realms of Flashdance, Xanadu or Footloose fuelling the fire for Bondy's, the bar sounds more like a fusion of suited-up, overtly-wealthy dude scenes — like Wall Street meets American Psycho... in Australia. It's totally a theme.
Cashed-up extravagance is the Bondy's way; according to the team the bar is "a stellar tribute to the overwhelming excess and unashamed ostentatious lifestyle of the 1980s." The trio behind Bondy's have stated they took inspiration from an unlikely bar-theme trigger: Alan Bond. Yep, Alan Bond. Nothing says 'patron saint' like one of Australia's wealthiest dudes.
Decor-wise, the more ostentatious, the better at Bondy's. Think birds of paradise with gold elevators and extra-pointy martini glasses, velvet booths with 1980s Penfolds Grange and casually unlimited Cristal. Go-to Aussie '80s enthusiast and prolific artist Ken Done has even offered up five of his own works from the vault for the walls. Onya Ken.
But you came for the $20K cocktail didn't you? Didn't we all? Write out that cheque while we explain. Bondy's is really and truly serving up a mystery beverage you won't want to find requested in your round — sitting at $20,000, the cocktail comes with its own pearl necklace and will probably win you some questionably loyal friends.
But you don't have to throw back a considerable portion of your salary to drink at Bondy's though; the bar has its own house beer, Bondy's Larger (a creation from Carlton and United Breweries). Plus, the bar will be the only joint in Australia to serve Fosters on tap. LOL. Fosters. That guy.
Food-wise, the Australian '80s horse's doovers hit the mark, taking you straight back to those birthday BBQs only remembered after watching Muriel's Wedding or even The Castle: chilled King Prawn cocktails with Thousand Island dressing, cocktail frankfurters, Vienetta fingers (Vienetta!) and the classic Devils on Horseback (dates stuffed with almonds, wrapped in bacon). You'll likely find a few ol' Women's Weekly cookbooks out the back, and we're keeping fingers crossed for devon and tomato sauce sangers down the track.
Bondy's will open from Friday, October 31. You'll find it at Level 1, 16 Philip Lane, Sydney, open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm til late, 3pm til late on Fridays. Be sure to suit up.
Image credit: Christopher Pearce/Getty Images.