Decadence Par Excellence At Avila Cocktail Bar and Crêperie

By Dining Dave Instagram @diningdave on October 15, 2015 in Food

Was Bondi missing a French crêperie? One clever person thought so, and thanks to him we have an excellent new place to sit, drink, relax and eat like a prince in Versailles.

Opened last December by former Venezuela resident Alejandro Jara, Avila is at the tip of the Hall Street dining district, about 25 metres from its intersection with Glenayr Street. The bar is quaintly small, so at night it may be a bit hard to find, but once inside you won’t want to leave.

Based on the concept of ‘French crêperie with a Bondi soul’, the interior features a whole wall of distressed mirrors, sun-bleached wood panelling, dim-lit candles, short stools, marble tabletops and old French lamps. The back area is the cosy part, and on the Wednesday evening I popped in canoodling couples were out in force. Boys, remember this.

With Alejandro’s guidance, my companion and I began with two of their seven listed house cocktails (it is a cocktail bar, after all): an Avila Old Fashioned (No.4) with cardamon-infused Rhum J.M. X.O Martinique, Tio Pepe, vanilla and aromatic bitters; and a Julia (No.2) with fresh passionfruit and homemade vanilla syrup, Wyborova vodka mixed with Licor 43, pressed lemon and a champagne shoot on the side.. They didn’t just hit the spot; they run it right over.

Feeling relaxed, we dug into some tapas (not French per se, but Avila is like a potpourri) including sizzling chorizo slices, charred haloumi, and green olive and vined capers on ice.

Not surprisingly Avila’s speciality is its crepes, and you should know that Camille, a real crepe maker from Brittany, is in front of the cooking plate creating them for you. For mains we had four of the savoury crepes (way more than necessary) including the spinach, Swiss cheese, ham, mushroom and béchamel number and the free range egg, pancetta, Swiss cheese, aioli and soft cherry tomato combination. Hot, fresh and made just for us, these crepes simply delicious. Four delivered, four downed.

The crepe-ageddon did not end there though, as we continued to indulge in memorable treats made from decadent ingredients including Nutella, candied hazelnuts, ice cream, mixed berries, Grand Mariner liqueur, Chantilly cream, salted caramel, cinnamon and apples.

Though we didn’t want to leave, our full bellies told us it was time to go, but I know that we’ll be back for more.

With a cosy yet understated interior, magnificent crepes, fabulous cocktails and Alejandro’s welcoming nature, Avila is both the sweet and savoury shot Bondi needed.

Avila Crepes

Address | Shop 2, 177 Glenayr Ave, Bondi Beach
Phone | 0422 449 239
Website | www.avilacrepes.com.au
Email | info@avilacrepes.com.au
Open | Tue to Fri 5pm-11:00pm;
Sat 8am to 11pm; Sun 8am to 10pm
Prices | Crepes $12 – $23; Tapas $11 – $25; Cocktails $15 – $18
Seats | 20
Cards | All major cards
Licensed | Yes