Neighbourhood Bondi

In 2019, Brendan Darcy and Ben Campbell took over Neighbourhood. A few things have been changed and refreshed at the Curlewis Street bar.

The theme has been extended into tiki-lite territory. The influence is subtle, but unmistakable: it’s there in the pineapple logo, the kitschy party shirts worn by the staff, the carved wooden mugs garnished with orchids, and in the flaming (literally) watermelon punch.

The refreshed cocktail list champions the tropics with plenty of rum, citrus and pineapple. There are 14 cocktails in total, drawn from the classical repertoire and updated with native ingredients and a sustainable ethos. For instance, there’s the Ausmopolitan, a localised version of a Cosmopolitan, made with native riberry and lemon myrtle instead of cranberries.

All the syrups, shrubs and liqueurs are made in-house, including the “hipster orgeat”, a syrup usually made from almonds but in this case utilising the kitchen’s discarded avocado pips. It’s one of the key ingredients in the Bondi-Tai, Neighbourhood’s homage to the Mai Tai.

On the food front, many of the most popular items remain. But now the burgers and fried chicken are joined by lighter options such as poke bowls and watermelon burrata salad.