Shop and Wine Bar

Walk by the unmissable black-and-white mural on Bondi’s Curlewis Street and you’ll probably spot the same customers that have been coming since day one. That’s pretty impressive considering the teeny cafe and wine bar opened in 2004.

Lucy and Mike Haskas worked the floor for most of that time before they bought out the original owners in 2016. There’s no break between the breakfast, lunch and dinner services; the cafe is open from 6am to 10pm most days a week (a real Sydney rarity).

The menu changes with the seasons, as does the aforementioned mural by local artist Brett Chan. Most of the food components are made from scratch, including the mayonnaise, dressings, relishes and pickles. If not made from scratch, it’s sourced locally.

Regulars return for the salads and sandwiches. Especially the Japanese Chop Chop: pickled cabbage, nori, toasted sesame and avocado. And the BLT: smoked bacon, pickles, tomato and cheddar served on thick-cut, fluffy slices from a local Greek baker.

Chan also custom-designed the takeaway coffee cups. These are poured with a smooth and sweet blend from Gabriel Coffee, capped and passed out in rapid succession. Come evening there’s a small selection of cocktails, beers, wines and a cider. The wine list is predominantly natural, preservative free and organic with bottles from the Hunter Valley to Mendoza.