Beach Road Hotel Review

Review By Jules Shiells

Beach Road Hotel in Bondi aims to satisfy many tastes. To catch a game, head to the sports bar; if you happen to be a muso, then pick one of live gig nights upstairs; for food, choose one of the restaurants; or if you just want to have a Sunday afternoon drink, then relax in the beer garden.

Beach Road is set back a few blocks from the world famous Bondi Beach. It's a large yellow building that is pretty hard to miss. Most evenings it will be packed with surfers, trendies, musos and Brazilian hotties. If you want to look at beautiful people but don't fancy the vibe of Ivy, then Beach Road may be the place to go.

The dress code is relaxed, many people choose casual as their particular style choice. However, as is found in many beach suburbs near Sydney, while guys tend to dress like they have just stepped off the beach, women look more like they have stepped off the style pages of a magazine. Ladies, if you want to compete, then you may want to show some skin.

If dressing up doesn't blow your hair back, then maybe the choice of music will. Wednesday and Thursday nights are generally Indie, with acts such as Hungry Kids of Hungary and Miami Horror showing up to crowd-please. Friday night is hip hop night, displaying the talents of Thundamentals, Illy and Horrorshow. Sunday night has more of a South American theme, where you can shake that ass to the sounds of some latin rhythms. Chances are, if you listen to triple j then you will probably find something here you like. But best of all: most gigs are free.

The main sports bar shows most of the major games, and the atmosphere is generally nothing to be sniffed at. Neither are the bar tenders. To look at them you may think they have been chosen for their physical attributes, but generally they turn out to be quite friendly and adept at doing their job.

The beer bar out the back is a good place to enjoy a cold one on a hot day. It's normally fairly busy, so it can be standing room only. It's the perfect place to eek out those last few hours of the weekend before the grim reality of Monday sets in.

One restaurant upstairs and one downstairs mean you never have to travel far for snacks. A range of good value and good taste food is available. As long as you don't expect Michelin star quality, then you'll probably be satisfied with what you get.

All in all, Beach Road will make most people happy. It's an easy-going place that doesn't see much trouble. The drinks and food are reasonable, the atmosphere is unpretentious, the music is free, and there are some very beautiful people to look at. If you want a relaxed beach bar in the Eastern Suburbs that isn't crawling with backpackers, then Beach Road is the place to go. Just remember; if you want to pick up a trendy, then you will want to dress to impress.

A 2nd Look @ The Beach Road Hotel

By Nastasia Camapanella

Bondi is full of huge hotels, but there's one that stands out from the rest. The Beach Road Hotel is known for cheap meals and live music. The place maintains a healthy dose of reality in the snobby eastern suburbs.

The decor is simple. Wooden tables, a stool here, a leather booth there. It's certainly not the most impressive aspect of the joint. This place has so much more going for it.

The food for example, is fabulous. Of course, they've got your usual pub meals like fish and chips, steaks and pies, but they've all been given fancy twists. I have nothing but praise for the chef's culinary skills. The prawn spring rolls [$15] are fat and juicy thanks to a sweet chilli jam sauce. The arancini [$8], are perfect rice balls with a smoky, cheesy flavor good enough to set the roof on fire. My friend loves the lamb pie topped with mash [$18]. Get this; the mash isn't made out of spuds. Instead, peas have been smashed to make a very cool accompaniment. The real winner for me is the baked chicken schnitzel [$18]. It's smothered in tomato relish so thick and fresh. Plus don't forget the herb and parmesan batter which adds a perfectly crusty effect.

The drinks are pretty average. They've got four beers on tap. There is a nice wine list starting at $6 a glass too. Highlight for me though, is the spiders made by the boys behind the bar. I'm taken right back to my childhood with a creaming soda and ice cream concoction.

When you're done in the bistro, take your pick of things to do. Watch sport on the huge TV, catch a local band or head over to the section known as "The Camera Club". This refers to the space within the hotel reserved for a fabulous new arty concept. The initiative was kicked off earlier this year and gives young photographers a chance to meet, mingle and booze up with other snappers. Oh, the space also holds quarterly exhibitions powered by the idea "six degrees of separation". This element brings a quirky, grungy feel to the place and is definitely what makes the establishment stand out from the rest. This part of the hotel even has another bar and a cute little pizzeria, with a weekly gathering called "Camera Culture", soon to come. From swap meets to guest talks and photo comps, there is going to be paps all over the joint!