Coastal icon or urban rockstar?
Glittering Bondi and gritty Chippendale might seem like opposites yet both promise cool eateries, an always-on atmosphere and plenty of surprises.
Discover the two sides of Sydney
It’s home to one of the most iconic stretches of shoreline but there’s more to Bondi than the beach. The backpackers are absent for now but the seaside enclave is alive with locals and visitors enjoying its cafés, restaurants, bars and designer shops to a soundtrack of waves and the scent of salt water and sunscreen.
Breakfast abroad
With its name borrowed from the Hebrew word for “marketplace”, Shuk (shuk. com.au) stands out among Bondi’s many popular brunch destinations for its vibrant Israeli and Mediterraneaninspired dishes. Falafel, hummus, baba ganoush and an excellent shakshuka all make an appearance, as do favourites like avocado on toast and housemade granola.
Enjoy a frosty one
The fine-diner upstairs may garner the accolades but the more casual Icebergs Club Bistro (icebergs.com.au) below offers classic Aussie bistro fare (think burgers, parmies, pots of mussels) and beer on tap. Cool off after finishing your seafood platter with a few laps in the iconic Icebergs pool, named for swimmers who brave the water every morning, even in chilly conditions.
Walk on water
Tracing the sandstone cliffs that frame the coastline between two of Sydney’s best beaches, traversing the six-kilometre Bondi to Coogee Walk (bonditocoogeewalk. com) is a local rite of passage. Take in the ocean vistas, seasonal whale watching or the annual Sculpture by the Sea (sculpturebythesea.com) and refuel with a coffee at Sea Salt Clovelly (seasaltclovelly.com.au) on the beach.
Sample seaside fare
At Sean’s (seansbondi.com), seasonality is key to the everchanging menu, with many of the eatery’s ingredients sourced from chef Sean Moran’s farm in Bilpin, outside Sydney. Whether it’s hand-rolled chestnut gnocchi, fresh, fried and fermented vegetables or the signature roast chicken bathed in gravy, a meal here is both unassuming and unforgettable.