New Food For Summer

By Niall Roeder.

Jumping the gun is not a negative. You have to look ahead to see where you’re going and to not prepare is foolhardy. In this case it means looking towards the warmer months, because they aren’t really that far away. July is Sydney’s coldest month, that’s scientific fact and I read it… in a book. Just like spring brings growth and new beginnings in nature, the changing of the seasonal guard means new life in Bondi too. Food and drink life, that is. The culinary and cultural organism that is the beach bubble will each year shed a few unfortunate spaces and spawn fresh shops and eateries, eager to carve their own nook in the local landscape. It’s great for the general punter and for those not worried about a winter coat… or summer coat for that matter.

Let’s have a peek at a few of the newbies that look to be the goods…

Milky Lane

Yet another joint riding the burger wave, and are we complaining? Nope. The more places slapping meat between buns, the better. These guys are all about stacked burgers, monster thick shakes and cutting-edge cocktails – prepare to get messy and a little bit tipsy. With background hip-hop and a massive social media presence, I can’t see this place not doing well. Tip: try a CoNut, an ice cream cone made of donut that’s overflowing with ice cream, sauce and treats. Get in.

Macelleria

Peter Zaidan and his team of meatologists run Macelleria; a butcher, providore, steak and burger bar. They aren’t new as such, but they recently moved into a new venue triple the size of their old place and have since blown up on the local scene. Tip: Get stuck into a Bostino burger (Cape Grim Angus beef, pastrami, bacon, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard, tomato, lettuce and ketchup) and try and tell me that it’s not delicious.

Sadhana Kitchen

Sadhana Kitchen is a vegan eatery and they are obsessed with organic, plant-based wholefoods. Now, I realise for everyone that is drawn in by that very sentence, there is a fat chunk of kids that are equally repelled. To those I say – try this stuff, it actually tastes bloody good. Tip: You don’t have to do a cleanse or a raw vegan high tea, perhaps grab a hot chocolate or raw twix. Don’t mind if I do.

COFFEE Bondi Beach

COFFEE is a new little café on Curlewis Street that does an exceptional brew. They are the only place that roasts their own coffee in Bondi and they specialise in the procurement of single estate coffees. Basically everyone is a coffee snob these days and this place is a coffee snob utopia. Tip: Give the martini brew a go. When has anything martini ever been a bad idea?

Paradise Road Kitchen

Paradise Road Kitchen is Paradise Road Diner’s little sister. This awesome take away shop is across from North Bondi Surf Club and pays homage to the great Australian chicken shop. Their focus is on animals on the spit, which most will agree is a very, very good thing. Tip: Get into their rotisserie pork with crunchy AF crackling, fried rice and veg. Yep, ok!

Images: Paradise Road Kitchen