On my last night back in Sydney, my good friends Lorin and Stu took me to Bondi - my childhood stomping ground!
We walked along the promenade of the beach as the sun set, watching energetics doing boot camp with one of the best backdrops you could ask for while you sweat your heart out. We happily chatted about how Bondi is underrated as the best city-beach in the world. The air was cool and the smell of salt was in the air while we hunted for the North Bondi Italian, happy that we were heading for dinner rather than a fartlek workout. Turns out that the restaurant is blatantly easy to find - just head north along the beach - when the path turns east: stop. Don't listen to your iPhone - it's distracted by the beautiful ocean and powder-white sand. Simple.
It wasn't until we arrived at the restaurant that I decided to review it. Based on the name alone, this place could have been anywhere. It wasn't until we arrived that I realised we were in for a treat. Stu asked me how I classify 'fine dining' so I made up the qualification of "mains above $30?" on the spot. On face value, the North Bondi Italian is deliberately casual due to it's iconic beach-side location, but it's special none-the-less.
It was a tuesday night and we didn't have a reservation. The skies were looking like they might weep, and the head waiter explained that he needed to keep a few tables free in case he needed to pull in some of his outdoor diners. He quickly got us a perch in the bar area, and by the time we had our drinks and cracked open a few peanuts, our table was ready. Candid and seamless service.
I have since heard that on other days it's much harder to get a table.
The atmosphere is open, with a combination of beach and Italian style. They do it well - Campari bottles line the bar, lots of dark woods, huge netted lamp shades that give a fishermans vibe while making you feel like you're sitting under a full moon, while the waitstaff are dressed in mod beach style with white cotton t-shirts, dunlop volley style shoes, tight denim shorts and oversized denim aprons. Somehow they all got hit with the good looking stick too. Whomever is hiring here knows their remit.
Upon sitting down I got admittedly a little worried. Any place with a whole section for offal on the menu is typically not vegetarian friendly. It's a large, placemat style menu with plenty of mouthwatering options, but I admit I did need to hunt for the vegetarian option. Most Italian places are easy for veggies, but the chef here obviously has a soft spot for trotters from his childhood. I found a pasta and a salad and I was happy!
We started with an amazing home made ricotta, served with lemon and mint. The ricotta was soft and subtle, and the addition of the mint was incredibly satisfying. We also had a large bowl of odd olives - some green and meaty and others black and pea like - all tasty!
My pasta arrived al dente - very nice, with an egg on top. The flavour was lovely, but not enough for me to remember beyond being al dete with an egg. . . It was nice and very satisfying, but a week later it's non-descript. The bean salad on the side had more unique flavours to speak of. Borlotti beans, celery, carrot, onion, and balsamic - fresh and so unique in it's simplicity.
Desert was the crowning glory. Unfortunately we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes by this stage! We were still happy due to wonderful service (was she Dutch?) and beautiful food, so we jovially swatted away, but 1 week later I'm still recovering! North Bondi Italian is lovely, but they'll need to do something about those mosies.
For desert we had an apple pie and a chocolate pudding - the chocolate was worth a special mention due to the creamy texture, and crunchy bubbles on top. Stu forced me to finish it off and I happily obliged. It was compact, uncomplicated and balanced - not so rich that I left feeling heavy.
The service was attentive, unique, hipster-cool but personal. Our waitress was listening to us with a genuine attentiveness that made me relax completely into her service. Each server continued the vibe seamlessly, as if to say "were a cool bunch but not exclusive - come have fun with us, enjoy some good food". It's cool how good service can make you feel a part of something. Even the waiter creating boobs down his shirt behind the bar felt strangely in place - just eat and have a laugh and love life. Note how often I'm mentioning 'cool' - how else to describe this place by the beach?
I left satisfied. Despite a meager 1 veggie option, I loved the experience of North Bondi Italian Food. They're doing something with design and concept that I haven't seen before - we've all seen Italian, and all seen Australian Beach - but together the idea is completely unique and I feel like they pull it off.
Address: 118 Ramsgate Ave, off Campbell Prd, North Bondi
Phone: (02) 9300 4400
Website: http://www.idrb.com/northbondi/
We walked along the promenade of the beach as the sun set, watching energetics doing boot camp with one of the best backdrops you could ask for while you sweat your heart out. We happily chatted about how Bondi is underrated as the best city-beach in the world. The air was cool and the smell of salt was in the air while we hunted for the North Bondi Italian, happy that we were heading for dinner rather than a fartlek workout. Turns out that the restaurant is blatantly easy to find - just head north along the beach - when the path turns east: stop. Don't listen to your iPhone - it's distracted by the beautiful ocean and powder-white sand. Simple.
It wasn't until we arrived at the restaurant that I decided to review it. Based on the name alone, this place could have been anywhere. It wasn't until we arrived that I realised we were in for a treat. Stu asked me how I classify 'fine dining' so I made up the qualification of "mains above $30?" on the spot. On face value, the North Bondi Italian is deliberately casual due to it's iconic beach-side location, but it's special none-the-less.
It was a tuesday night and we didn't have a reservation. The skies were looking like they might weep, and the head waiter explained that he needed to keep a few tables free in case he needed to pull in some of his outdoor diners. He quickly got us a perch in the bar area, and by the time we had our drinks and cracked open a few peanuts, our table was ready. Candid and seamless service.
I have since heard that on other days it's much harder to get a table.
The atmosphere is open, with a combination of beach and Italian style. They do it well - Campari bottles line the bar, lots of dark woods, huge netted lamp shades that give a fishermans vibe while making you feel like you're sitting under a full moon, while the waitstaff are dressed in mod beach style with white cotton t-shirts, dunlop volley style shoes, tight denim shorts and oversized denim aprons. Somehow they all got hit with the good looking stick too. Whomever is hiring here knows their remit.
Upon sitting down I got admittedly a little worried. Any place with a whole section for offal on the menu is typically not vegetarian friendly. It's a large, placemat style menu with plenty of mouthwatering options, but I admit I did need to hunt for the vegetarian option. Most Italian places are easy for veggies, but the chef here obviously has a soft spot for trotters from his childhood. I found a pasta and a salad and I was happy!
We started with an amazing home made ricotta, served with lemon and mint. The ricotta was soft and subtle, and the addition of the mint was incredibly satisfying. We also had a large bowl of odd olives - some green and meaty and others black and pea like - all tasty!
My pasta arrived al dente - very nice, with an egg on top. The flavour was lovely, but not enough for me to remember beyond being al dete with an egg. . . It was nice and very satisfying, but a week later it's non-descript. The bean salad on the side had more unique flavours to speak of. Borlotti beans, celery, carrot, onion, and balsamic - fresh and so unique in it's simplicity.
Desert was the crowning glory. Unfortunately we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes by this stage! We were still happy due to wonderful service (was she Dutch?) and beautiful food, so we jovially swatted away, but 1 week later I'm still recovering! North Bondi Italian is lovely, but they'll need to do something about those mosies.
For desert we had an apple pie and a chocolate pudding - the chocolate was worth a special mention due to the creamy texture, and crunchy bubbles on top. Stu forced me to finish it off and I happily obliged. It was compact, uncomplicated and balanced - not so rich that I left feeling heavy.
The service was attentive, unique, hipster-cool but personal. Our waitress was listening to us with a genuine attentiveness that made me relax completely into her service. Each server continued the vibe seamlessly, as if to say "were a cool bunch but not exclusive - come have fun with us, enjoy some good food". It's cool how good service can make you feel a part of something. Even the waiter creating boobs down his shirt behind the bar felt strangely in place - just eat and have a laugh and love life. Note how often I'm mentioning 'cool' - how else to describe this place by the beach?
I left satisfied. Despite a meager 1 veggie option, I loved the experience of North Bondi Italian Food. They're doing something with design and concept that I haven't seen before - we've all seen Italian, and all seen Australian Beach - but together the idea is completely unique and I feel like they pull it off.
Address: 118 Ramsgate Ave, off Campbell Prd, North Bondi
Phone: (02) 9300 4400
Website: http://www.idrb.com/northbondi/
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