Hotel Bondi
178 Campbell Parade
Bondi Beach, Sydney
Hotel Bondi is such a beautiful hotel. We were there in the evening and the hotel looked majestic with it's gleaming lights. It is heritage listed - being built in 1920. There are lots of different hubs within and they can cater for up to a massive 450! It's newly renovated and it certainly looks and feels spectacular.
The theme is "beach-like" but there is also an air of elegant nostalgia. There is something about Hotel Bondi, with it's prime position facing the unmistakable and famous Bondi Beach. Facing out towards the ocean and the lights either side the coastline - totally mesmerising.
Hotel Bondi has 33 rooms where you can stay and really soak up the ambience and the location. The room we visited had a lovely old world charm but with modern facilities. The renovations really are amazing and Hotel Bondi is a great place to eat and to stay in.
We both had a Merlot - such a good drop and Mlady's wine of choice. We liked it so much we both had a second glass.
The menu is varied so there's something for everyone. You place your order at the bar, receive a buzzer, then you pick up your meal from the counter.
Being fans of Arancini - we started we this. They were made with tomato and mozzarella and had a nice soft outside crispness. They held together well and came with a lovely tasting dipping sauce. Love those sauces.
Next we had Salt and pepper calamari with chilli aioli. Soft and not rubber band like, the calamari was cooked perfectly. It had a delicate salt and pepper taste with a great aioli - chilli. We loved this. We squeezed the lemon over the calamari and oh how good was this. This dish ticked all the boxes.
We also had an amazing salad - Pumpkin, beetroot and quinoa - with Bulgarian feta, walnuts, baby cos, honey and wholegrain mustard dressing. Vibrant colours and mouth-watering with the yummy beetroot, pumpkin and quinoa the first thing we noticed when this salad arrived. So many great combinations. The honey and wholegrain mustard dressing completed this dish. Mlady loves her salads and even Sir commented that this had a good combination of flavours and textures. It had a good crunch - with the different textures - of the baby cos and the walnuts. There was a lot going on in this salad which we both thoroughly enjoyed.
The pan-fried Tassie salmon fillet was next. It came with cauliflower cream, watercress, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes and radish salad. Love a good salmon with crispy skin and this had just that - lovely. The salmon was not over cooked and tasted so good. Again, good combinations of colour and textures and flavours. Mlady loves her seafood especially salmon - and she thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
Sir, being a huge meat fan, loved the pulled pork burger. It had been slow cooked and was served on a bun with Asian slaw and sweet ginger mayo. It also came with a serving of delish fat chips. Oh this was good, really good. Even Mlady commented on how delicious this was. The pulled pork was so tender and so tasty. The hint of the sweet ginger mayo - oh yum. The ginger was not at all overpowering - just a lovely hint coming through - lovely. And of course mandatory chips that come with burgers - these too were good. Crisp outside and nice and soft inside.
The food here is good. There is something for everyone. The dishes are attractively presented and the combinations of flavours and textures are delicious.
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Hotel Bondi. Thank you to Ralph for taking care and chatting with us on the night and for taking the time from his busy schedule to showing us around. Special thanks to Martine Almodovar from Maloney Hotel Corporation for arranging this visit.