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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
Event
Profiles
Jaime
Wright Charity Birthday Bash With The Butterfly
Foundation
Greg
Tingle (Media Man Australia director) and Jaime
Wright
Credit: Patricia Feijoo
Rayna
Elliot (Sassy Models), Greg
Tingle (Media Man Australia) and Jamie
Wright
Kashif
Amjad (Slimtel) and Greg Tingle (Media Man
Australia)
Credit: Patricia Feijoo
Profiles
Bondi
Beach
Accommodation
Clubs and Bars
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