Overview
Bondi is no stranger to a multi-faceted all-day venue. The suburb's sunny demeanour, famous beach and vibrant nightlife mean that cafes, bar and restaurants can thrive serving up early-morning post-surf coffee, hearty lunches or late-night drinks — so why not create a venue that can do them all? The latest east Sydney spot to emerge as a culinary triple threat is Makaveli.
This pocket-sized Glenayr Avenue spot comes from Jacob Hill and Phill Cooke. The pair link up after both cutting their teeth at ever-expanding Sydney hospitality groups. Hill has been at the helm of Cali Press' eastern suburbs venues, while Cooke has been managing the Milpa Collective's Bondi outposts (Taqiza, Calita, Carbon).
Together, Cooke and Hill have created a sleek and inviting neighbourhood haunt. The interiors have been designed by Milpa collaborator Imogen Reed, with the team opting for a minimalist Italian-style fitout that hopes to place the emphasis on flavoursome bites, quality coffee and top-notch drinks.
Joining the duo and heading up the kitchen is Head Chef Jessica Young. The accomplished chef has mastered her craft in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe before hitting Sydney to lead Makaveli's food offerings.
Together, all three have created a menu inspired by Italian classics and popular modern Australian dishes. And yes, there's burrata and kingfish crudo.
At its core, the eats revolve around quick and easy breakfast options, plus tasty share plates at night. From 8am, you can score freshly baked slices of loaded focaccia topped with roasted zucchini and mozzarella, or ricotta, chilli, garlic and fennel broccolini.
The brekkie options and Will & Co coffee keeps rolling until midday, with other early-morning feeds including granola bowls and banana bread with strawberries and icing sugar.
Following the morning rush, Makaveli shuts its doors before emerging from hibernation at 5pm Wednesday–Sunday. The By Night menu traverses a range of bread and bite-sized options, as well as larger share plates, centred predominantly around vegetarian dishes done right.
Cooke also takes on the role of Head Bartender, whipping up elderflower spritzes and the menu's four unique negronis. As for the wine list, things have been kept simple with a couple of whites, a couple of reds, a couple of sparkling and a rosé from the team's favourite Australian producers.
Makaveli is now open at Shop 2/179 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach — operating 6am–midday Monday–Sunday and 5–11pm Wednesday–Sunday.