It's a slight case of style over substance, but everyone leaves this neighbourhood hangout with a smile
If you've ever listened to Bondi FM radio you'll know that it's local, relaxed and beachy. The same can be said of Bondi FM Café and Bar, which is the site from which the station now broadcasts. As you walk in from Curlewis Street (follow the yellow paint thongs) you'll pass the glass booth where a DJ is live on air. Pretty nifty, and the coolest thing about Bondi FM is the venue itself; they could serve burned toast and old wine in polystyrene cups and we'd would still return.
There aren't many places where you can legally get drunk in a deck chair. Or on a couch, a cushion on the floor, or in the teepee pitched in the backyard. The yard is shared with neighbouring Roy's Tapas but the two venues blend like cabernet and merlot, and everyone seems to get along fine – everyone being local hipsters packing a surfboard, a dog, or a vintage designer handbag from Bondi Markets.
There's a house-party vibe in the backyard and clearly everyone loves being here, caring not a jot that they're severely limited when it comes to beer and spirits (no whisky, for instance). It's fair to say the drinks menu adheres to the dress code on nearby Bondi Beach by covering just the bare essentials. Cocktails ($15) are either too large or too strong, but what they lack in delicacy they make up in value, with big jugs of Pimms and Sangria available for $25. The only other downside to Bondi FM is that it closes at 11pm (10pm on Sundays), although this does provide a good excuse to visit during the day when you can skip the crowded beach and chill out on their lawn instead. Sarah Theeboom
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