In Short: Parida Bondi brings quality cafe fare right to the beachfront. Super friendly service with an array of juices and coffee complete the cafe experience. If you are burger lover, the Wagyu will deliver, and those with a sweet tooth, the Belgian waffle is a winner!
Few places possess the magnetism that Bondi Beach does. I recall last year when we visited Bondi Hall on a cool, dreary day with a biting sea-breeze there was a still an exciting vibe. Luckily on our visit to Parida Bondi, we were presented with a picture-perfect spring day, with many frolicking in the still icy winter waves. Bondi Beach, up until just a few years ago, was either feast or famine on the food front. Superstar dining institutions like Sean’s Panorama and Bondi Icebergs are world renowned for their amazing and evolving menu.
Beyond that, Bondi Beach largely catered to the tourist dollar, and that middle ground of great cafes that dot the Sydney landscape, well, they just didn’t thrive near the beach. That has changed remarkably with mighty fine coffee and outstanding cafes taking hold. One of those places is Parida Bondi. It commands a spot that would be the envy of any restaurant or cafe, and is just stone’s throw from the beach.
Settling in Parida, there is a warm, welcoming ambiance. There are columns of emerald with blonde wood frames. Cane chairs are deep and comfortable or you can opt for the cushioned booths. For people watchers like myself, you can also perch yourself up on the bar counter-style seating, or for those wanting to be even closer to the beach, there’s outdoor seating.
Now, if you’re long time reader, you would expecting to hear of a flat white or a new coffee discovery but surprise surprise, on our visit, we sampled a pair of the juices on Parida’s menu. Watermelon was Mavis’s choice and it was refreshing with that hit of watermelon as the dominant flavour, with bursts of apple and lemon. A combination that I wouldn’t have thought of, but it works so well to really refresh with the apple and lemon countering and complementing the sweetness of the watermelon.
Continuing with the refreshing themed juices was the Bondi. It had the similar pink hues of the watermelon but different flavour profile. While there is lemon and apple once more, the dominant flavour though is pineapple. To boost the vitality levels is ginger that contrasts the cooling nature of the juices. Hints of carrot sweetness come through for an all over enticing drink. Healthy, refreshing and tasty to boot!
Parida’s menu during the day is split into an all-day breakfast menu and a lunch menu that kicks in at 11:30am. Taking advantage of the all-day brekkie, I chose Parida’s benedict. It’s a beautiful plate of two eggs, bacon, avocado and feta smash, potato rosti, and a silky hollandaise sauce. It was almost a shame to cut into the perfectly plated food, but I said almost! The eggs just oozed over the rosti and bacon. Combined with the hollandaise sauce, it was deliciously rich and divine. Bacon is the perfect partner to the eggs, and the rosti is soft and light. Best benedict on the beach? It’s at Parida!
From a classic benedict, Mavis kept it classic as well with the Wagyu beef burger. Burger aficionados will be excited to hear that the patty was chunky and was perfectly grilled; a caramelised outer with a pink centre. Elevating the goodness was Parida’s own blend of secret sauce, melted cheddar cheese, crispy onion, spinach leaves, and slices of fresh tomato, sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. It’s so epic, a wooden pick had to be used to keep the burger together! The use of fresh spinach leaves and tomato slices helped to cut through the beefy richness of the wagyu. The melted cheese also helped to bind the flavours together. For me, the X-Factor was the secret sauce, which was a mix of sweet and tangy flavours, perfect for any burger or grilled meat dishes. If only they bottled and sold it, I would happily buy some. Maybe, I will just keep coming back Parida for my wagyu burger fix with their special sauce.
While every dish was immaculately presented, Belgian waffles goes for the wow factor! Belgium waffles are not to be confused with traditional waffles as they are more crispy and crunchy on the outside, and a cake-like centre that’s fluffy. At Parida they are a decadent treat. Drizzle, or just pour all of that decadent Belgian chocolate on top, mix in the vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, and top off that spoonful with fairy floss, and you will reach that special sweet treat nirvana! Children and young at heart from 9 to 99 would love this creation at Parida.
Like the refreshing sea breeze that gently wafted in, it was refreshing to see a cafe that prides itself on delivering an exciting cafe experience. From coffees, to stunning plates to food, to attentive and friendly service, there’s nothing to fault. Come in your Sunday best or waltz up from the beach, either way, you walk out totally satisfied when you visit Parida Bondi, we certainly did!
*Coco & Vine dined as guests of Parida Bondi. However, all opinions and photos are our own.
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