Dining At: Ikaria Bondi, Sydney

Mar 22

Mar 22 Dining At: Ikaria Bondi, Sydney

Opened in early 2021, Ikaria is the project of husband and wife duo Joaquin Saez ( ex-general manager at Cho Cho San) and fashion photographer Emily Abay, who were inspired to bring something new to their community. After the pandemic lockdowns, they thought that if people couldn’t travel to Greece, then they should bring Greece to Sydney. They saw a space in the market where no one was offering good quality Greek food in Bondi Beach and thought it was the perfect spot to bring the taste of Euro summer to the community who were unable to travel. Inside its textured, white-washed walls, Ikaria serves Mediterranean meze alongside a creative cocktail menu and an extensive wine list.

The owners named the restaurant Ikaria after falling in love with the tiny Greek Island that celebrates the culture and community, as that’s exactly what they wanted to bring to Bondi Beach. And succeeded I must say!

The food (and cocktails) here are outstanding. The menu is simple (my favourite way), it features only a few items in each category, which makes it very easy to order. Bring your friends and order a little bit of everything .The dishes are designed to be shared, so during the evening you could taste almost everything. If you are visiting Ikaria as a couple, go for the tasting menu – the best way to enjoy the cuisine in this superb restaurant.

The menu consists of three main parts – Starters (little yummy nibbles like dips, oysters and olives), Entrees – bigger portions of beautiful share plates like Burrata, Calamari, Cauliflower with goats curd and, my absolute favourite (I think I could eat it every day), fried Saganaki cheese (must-try, ‘to die for’ dish – baked greek cheese served in a cast iron pot with a drizzle of honey and olive oil, comes out hot straight out of the oven). In the Mains section the absolute ‘show stoppers’ are Slow cooked lamb shoulder served with labne and Grilled prawns that melt in your mouth.

Stylish cocktails and Ikaria’s chatty barman from Mexico deserve a special mention. Barman’s cheeky personality is reflected in fun and creative cocktails. This blue baby with a cute bubble on top (on the photo below) is made at the table and is very instagrammable, not to mention tasty. We also loved Ikaria’s twist on Greek Margarita, our other favourite.