Massive Nights At Bondi Massive

By Rhys Kane on March 22, 2011 in Food

Bondi Massive opened a couple of years ago at the bottom of Bondi Road just where it turns into Campbell Parade, a small café beneath Noah’s Backpackers that has built a reputation for great fresh food and fabulous coffee. From this humble yet thriving café they have finally taken the leap from what was essentially a sandwich kiosk to a more serious evening affair. They still offer the same beach café vibe during the day, but as early evening approaches it transforms into a small, cool restaurant/bar.

Although the venue is called Bondi Massive, it’s anything but, following the trend of fitting a full-blown restaurant into an incredibly small space. The front windows open up, so on warmer evenings you can enjoy the outside buzz of passers-by, and if you arch your neck enough you can catch a glimpse of the beach.

Inside is a perfectly formed and intimate cubbyhole with polished wood and comfy black leather stools, and a view through to a small neighbouring kitchen housing a couple of well-presented chefs.

The chefs’ immaculate appearance is matched by the food they put out and the quality of the dishes on the tasty little tapas menu certainly make up for what it may lack in depth.

To begin with, the cured ocean trout was spot-on. The curing process hadn’t taken over the flavour of the fish, and the classic garnish of baby capers, shallots, dill and olive oil was tasty yet controlled enough in portion to ensure that the trout wasn’t swimming in it. The wild mushroom arancini balls that followed were plain and simple, but scrumptious as hell, with some crispy basil and delicious stretchy mozzarella in the middle, and the king prawns wallowing joyously in butter and a generous amount of garlic were fresh and bursting with flavour. Unfortunately I had to fight with my dining companion for my half – one of the occasional pitfalls that comes with shared plates of food.

Thankfully the tapas plates were generous and well priced with many around the $10 mark. A few dishes also fall around the $20 mark but they sound equally exquisite, namely the kingfish and the wagyu rump. There are also olives, nuts, antipasti, and cured meats available on the menu. It’s some of the best tapas I’ve tried in the area, which says a lot given that Bondi seems to have more tapas restaurants than Spain.

Bondi Massive has a reasonable wine list on offer too, with six whites and six reds, plus a solid list of classic cocktails for under $15. The namesake ‘Massive’, a vodka and Chambord caprioska, is well worth a taste. I also enjoyed their Aussie beer ‘endeavour’ which was strangely more expensive than the imported alternative but definitely worth it.

There are numerous small touches that make ‘The Massive’ nights stand out – hand-written menus and coasters, funky music, friendly service and fantastic food among them. It’s only a small space but they can definitely compete with the big boys for quality and value. It’s a much-loved venue with a strong following and I’m sure they will be a ‘massive’ success in the evenings.

Bondi Massive
Address: Shop 2A, 2-8 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
Phone: (02) 9365 5738
Head Chef: Val Shauer
Seats: 24
Open: Mon-Sat 6.30am-Midnight; Sun 6.30am-10.00pm
Price: Plates from $8 to $22
Cards: All cards accepted
Licensed/BYO: Fully licensed