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Ravesi's
Review
Ravesi's
has firmly established itself as the place to eat,
play and stay. Located at Bondi Beach, Ravesi's offers
the best in location, service and style. Their new
bar, Drift, is as good as any found in Australia and
is already building an international reputation. You
haven't experienced Sydney until you have experienced
Ravesi's - Greg Tingle, Media Man Australia.
Location
Ravesi's
on bondi beach is exactly what the the name suggests-
directly opposite stunning bondi beach, offering unbeatable
views in a stylish setting. Not only are we steps
away from the the sand and surf but only 20 minutes
from the city........location, location, location!
ravesi's on bondi beach
118 Campbell Pde
bondi beach 2026
australia
PH: (02) 9365 4422
FAX: (02) 9365 1481
History
A
Bondi Icon Is Born
Ravesi's
Corner, a Bondi icon, was built by the Ravesi brothers
in 1914 after migrating from Italy. Throughout the
first half of the century the building consisted of
eight flats on the upper floors and a variety of shops
on the ground level.
One
of the shops operated as a traditional Italian coffee
shop and for many years the Ravesi's brothers could
be seen in their customary white aprons serving coffee
to Bondi regulars or standing out the front watching
the passing parade.
As
the years went by, age and the harsh beachfront conditions
took their toll. The buildings' condition deteriorated
and eventually the family decided the upkeep was too
much and they decided to sell the building.
In
1986 the current owners purchased the building. At
the time the structure was in very poor condition.
A complete upgrade followed. The façade was
retained due to its heritage value. The interior of
the building was completely redone over two years
to incorporate a large restaurant (located on the
1st floor), 16 hotel rooms (now 12) and suites, a
hotel reception area and 5 shops (on the ground floor).
In
2001 the restaurant was closed and another major refurbishment
commenced. This included creating two new bar areas;
one where the corner retail outlet existed and the
other in the lower ground floor storage area. In May
2002, the refurbishment was completed, the licence
granted and the bars opened. They have been an overwhelming
success.
Soon
after, the refurbishment of the hotel suites began
making Ravesi's the only boutique hotel in Bondi.
Conceived by designer and artist Dane van Bree the
guestrooms have been individually decorated to make
each distinct and unique.
Now
home to Sydney's hottest new bar, Drift, Ravesi's
again sets the benchmark for Bondi. Opening Friday
30 November, 2007; the bar presents an important addition
to the premium end of Sydney's hospitality offerings;
and provides a new high-end home for Bondi's A-List
locals and Sydneysiders, looking for their next luxury
experience. The lounge bar also marks the latest commitment
by Ravesi's General Manager Troy Graham to the reinvigoration
of this stunning and unique heritage location.
Synonymous
with Bondi's glamorous coastal lifestyle; Ravesi's
excellent Australian cuisine, boutique accommodation
and fashionable bars are a familiar and favoured destination
for chic locals and luxury loving visitors. Committed
to presenting the best of Bondi to local and international
guests, Ravesi's continues to set new standards of
excellence on Australia's most famous beach. (Credit:
Ravesi's).
News
Drift,
at Ravesi's, by Kelsey Munro - 29th January 2008
(Credit:
The Sydney Morning Herald)
Attention
intrepid social anthropologists: this slinky beachside
venue is a study in clique culture.
One
day a study will be done to determine the connection
between beachside bars and the way-above-average incidence
of blonde women in white jeans. Or it should be. There
are further corollaries to be explored around gold
shoes, spray tans and mini-skirts, too. To the intrepid
future social anthropologist who signs up for this
crucial work, I propose you start at Drift, the slinky
new upstairs bar at Campbell Parade mainstay Ravesi's.
There you will find a mother lode of case studies.
That,
I'm sure, is what most of the late 20s-to-fortysomething
men are doing here, in their own uniform of close-fitting
T-shirts, shorn heads and expensive jeans. Braving
three sets of door people - we have to get a stamp
from one - we take a seat on the suede banquette at
the rear, since the balcony is full. It's a Sunday
night but Drift's DJ is pumping out loud, funky dance
music. The place is full of dressed-up people who
don't have to be at the office first thing in the
morning, judging by their convivial mood. The waitresses
are cool - not exactly unfriendly but looking fabulous,
dressed like hot secretaries in pencil skirts and
pretty vintage-looking blouses.
The
room is glam: dark carpet and mirrored walls, a dramatic
bar at one end with high shelves of bottles, artfully
lit. A large white sculptural chandelier resembling
coral hangs above the DJ's booth. Small candles flicker
on each small table. The glass-lined balcony must
have some furniture on it but I can't tell for the
crowd.
Unfortunately,
our position inside restricts the perving potential.
And that, it seems, is Drift's lifeblood: the meat
market. Because going on the Peach Smash Royale, the
Dark + Stormy Night in Bondi and the Anejo Highball
we try, it certainly isn't the cocktails. All three
are virtually devoid of fresh fruit, save a token
slice of lime, and have a stultifying, cordial-ish
sweetness. They're disappointing, although not shy
on booze - as you'd hope at $18 a pop.
The
food brightens us up a bit. From the Raw Spoon Bar
we try the wagyu carpaccio with wasabi mayonnaise
and wakame ($16): all four bites are mouth-watering
and we wish there were more. For something more substantial
we try a tasty and fresh scallop and sliced potato
pizza ($20) with rosemary and bacon. My companion
is still hungry so we add the antipasto ($16), which
is uninspired: reheated flatbread, a few slices of
salami and some cold marinated vegies on a glass plate.
I
confess I feel slightly conflicted about unisex toilets.
One side of me thinks we should tear down this outdated
bastion of segregation, we're all grown-ups etc. My
other side thinks, OMG, boys in the toilets? No way!
Drift has unisex toilets. And taps that require some
sort of instruction manual or perhaps an engineering
degree to operate. OK, so I figure out the taps eventually,
after waiting for two highly polished girls to finish
redoing their eye make-up. Meanwhile, a woman in a
white dress and fluffy beret and a guy in a pink shirt
head into the same cubicle behind me, taking the whole
unisex issue to another level. I'm sure they are just
trying to conserve water - perhaps that's something
my anthropologist can look into. In short, go for
the unparalleled people-watching and perhaps stick
to a beer.
Website
Ravesi's
Drift
Kashif
Amjad (Slimtel) and Greg Tingle (Media Man Australia)
Profiles
Bondi
Beach
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