Bistro Bondi

Overview

Bondi has scored a smart neighbourhood bistro that feels equal parts Parisian boîte and breezy seaside local. Designed for everything from post-beach spritzes to dimly-lit date nights, Bistro Bondi is the first full-service restaurant from the Appetizing Trade Group (Lox In a Box), bringing continental classics to an elegantly laidback corner of Warners Avenue.

Bistro Bondi is brought to life by an all-star team of front- and back-of-house talent drawn from some of Sydney's most celebrated venues. At the helm are Executive Chef Isabelle Caulfield (Poly, Ester) and Head Chef Dan Andersen (Shell House). Together, they've built a menu that leans into Euro comfort with playful twists — think pâté with mustard fruit and bagel crisps, latkes topped with anchovy and comté, steak frites au poivre and charred prawns luxuriating in café de paris butter, best mopped up with fresh Baker Bleu baguette. Desserts follow a similar theme, with selections like chocolate mousse with warm churros, rhubarb crêpes and Campari granita with Mapo sorbet.

Complementing the menu is a 70-bottle wine list curated by Jaymie Wallace (Love Tilly Divine, Lo-Fi, Melbourne's Embla), which balances local and European drops. At the bar, Tim Ham (Nour) shakes up both classic cocktails and summer-ready signatures like the Bondi Blue, an electric-blue riff on a piña colada topped with watermelon granita and a cocktail umbrella.

Running the floor are Eden Elan (former General Manager of the Love Tilly Group) and Isaias Sirur (Pino's Vino e Cucina al Mare), who bring natural warmth and intuition, as well as an understated polish, that ties the whole experience together.

Designed in warm tones and awash with soft light, Bistro Bondi channels old-world charm while retaining a distinctly local feel. "We wanted to bring something familiar yet elevated to Bondi, somewhere you could walk in straight from the beach or book for a special occasion," says Founder, Candy Berger. "It's European in flavour, but it still feels like home."