Situated overlooking the stunning Bondi Beach, one of the world’s most iconic beaches, The Bucket List is a fabulous place to come, whether you are looking for casual dining treat or a relaxed lunchtime snack.
Having just walked from Bronte to Bondi my friend and I were pretty peckish and stumbled across The Bucket List and as it was a beautiful sunny Winter’s day we thought we might as well enjoy the sunshine and sit outside.
Although fairly pricey, The Bucket List is a good place to stop for a casual snack and bite to eat which is exactly what we decided to do.
There is plenty of seating to choose from both inside and outside, with umbrellas providing some welcome shade. However, the majority of patrons at the Bucket List had the same idea as us and that was to sit outside and take in the gorgeous views of Bondi beach and the beautiful blue sea and take in some sunshine! Luckily, it wasn’t too busy when we arrived with still a fair amount of seating to take advantage of.
The Bucket List is a casual restaurant and bar and to order your drinks and food you need to head inside to the long bar. As I wasn’t that hungry and on a budget I decided to try out the Bucket List’s Fish Taco for $8.50 which came with pineapple, onion, cabbage, jalapeno herb crema all in a soft taco, whilst my friend opted for the Hand Cut Sweet Potato Wedges which she had spotted someone else eating and these were served with tahini yoghurt, za’atar and shallots.
There are plenty of drinks to order including soft drinks, wine, beer, cider, cocktails and spirits, but on this occasion I went for my classic favourite Lemon, Lime & Bitters – a refreshing drink just what I needed!
The menu is well arranged with options under the categories of Garden, On a Roll, Ocean, Land, Sides and Sweets. The Pork Crackling Burger sounded extremely tempting and cost $23 which also came with a side of chips, whilst there were plenty of fish options to choose from if you were more hungry including Bucket List’s Fish and Prawn Pie, Fish’n’Chips and even Grilled Freemantle Octopus. If you prefer meat then you could tuck into the Bucket List’s Crispy Fried Chicken, Slow Cooked Mirrool Creek Lamb Ribs or even the Grilled 350g Rib Eye Steak. Some of these options did reach the $38 mark.
Children are also well taken care of with a Kids Menu and plenty of crayons and drawings to colour in, whilst there are also plenty of options for Vegetarian and Gluten Free diners.
Once we had ordered at the bar, we took our number and sat outside on a bench with our drinks watching the world go by. Impressively our food came out extremely quickly, probably because the sweet potato fries were made in a batch, whilst I was treated to two fish tacos rather than the expected one. The Fish Tacos were a good size with one piece of fish inside which was perfectly balanced by the freshness and juiciness of the pineapple, the crunch of the onion and cabbage and the hint of chilli and heat from the jalapeno herb crema. In a way I was glad that I had been given two tacos as this dish was simply too good, but if you wasn’t very hungry then one taco would have been sufficient. For those slightly more hungry then you could have paired this with the wedges or a side of chips or salad.
The sweet potato wedges were also a decent portion size and well-seasoned and balanced with the tahini yoghurt.
Overall, the Bucket List is a great place to come for a catch up with friends, but I would guess that it would get busier later in the day, so it’s best to secure a seat earlier especially if you want to sit outside. There is plenty of comfy seating outside and there are plenty of areas to book out if you have a special function.
If you’re looking for a no frills casual restaurant in a picturesque setting then you should try out the Bucket List the next time you’re in Bondi, but keep an eye on the prices as it can get a bit pricey!