Bondi’s Best Acai Bowls

words by james phillips

If you’ve never heard of Acai you were either born yesterday or you still don’t have Instagram. Acai berries are the Amazonian superfruit that boast a million and one health benefits from helping you lose weight to boosting your immune system and everything in between… even reversing ageing!

While fads come and go as quickly in food as they do in fashion, with its gigantic dose of goodness in health and taste, it’s no wonder that this brilliant little berry has stuck around to carve out a spot in almost every café around.

The Brazilians have been devouring acai berries by the tonne for decades, using them in smoothies, bowls, ice creams and even savoury sauces and spreads. Whilst for our South American friends, Acai has long been a daily staple that costs about as much as a coffee, for us Aussies the acai bowl is a luxurious treat that isn’t really complete without a mandatory photo shoot to be posted on Instagram.

Now I’ve got my very own Brazilian beauty and as such, I’ve seen my fair share of acai, both in Rio and Sydney. There’s a lot of Acai around but not too much that come close to the taste of Brazil… lucky for you though, the best of the best in Sydney is right here in Bondi:

Acai Brothers
Since opening their Superfood bar on Glenyr Avenue three years ago, these guys have become the unrivalled Acai Bowl Specialists of Bondi Beach. Sam and Ben, two best mates that share a passion for health and fitness, have dominated the Sydney Acai scene and they’ve developed a loyal following amongst Bondi’s health-food-loving elite. The boy’s serve up smoothies, juices, raw treats, coffee and big acai bowls that are the closest to the Brazilian legacy you’ll find.
As if you needed any more convincing, the Brothers are offering 20% off their entire Winter Menu for the rest of June.

Vida Surf Store
Born and raised in Brazil, the crew from Vida have stamped their Brazilian flavour on the streets of Bondi in a big way. They opened their first store right on the doorstep of QT Bondi in what was the real-estate version of a shoebox and it didn’t take long before there were more people queuing up for a Vida Acai Bowl than the Bondi bus on a hot summer day. They’ve since overtaken the store next door and serve up a full brekky and lunch menu with a badass Brazilian twist. Make sure you try their Acai tapioca once you’ve slurped down the smoothie and polished off the bowl.

Bondi Wholefoods
Hidden in the quiet end of Hastings Parade, Bondi Wholefoods is the spiritual home of many Yoga-loving, only-organic-eating Bondi locals. Their acai bowls are blended with orange juice for a different flavour and of course topped with gluten free millet macadamia muesli, organic coconut flakes and organic fruits. This bowl has it all with an exquisite presentation to top it off – you can’t miss it.