The Corner House

From the street, this looks just like a restaurant, but take the stairs to level one and you’ll discover cocktails, snacks and good times. Even – or perhaps especially on – say, a Tuesday night. Bondi, it seems, doesn’t have an off-switch. While the cocktail list has remained fairly unchanged for a few years, the drinks are well constructed and the list is divided for maximum ease – first round, second round and third round, taking tipple enthusiasts from aperitif to something appropriate to finish the night. You could begin with a refreshing This Drink Is a Riot in London (gin, elderflower liqueur, Campari, apple and cucumber juice) and end with a Nouveau Riche (whisky, cherry-citrus shrubb, spiced sugar syrup, lemon and a single malt rinse). The wine list follows suit, with handy instructions like ‘safe’ wines, ‘crowd pleasing reds’ and ‘whites for the adventurous’. Opt for a Domäne Wachau gruner veltliner or if you’ve got a group to impress, the 2011 Clonakilla Hilltops shiraz. If you want to extend that goodwill even further, order a pizza from the wood-fire ovens downstairs, something simple like the Rita & Marg – tomato, provolone, torn buffalo mozzarella, basil and olive oil. Grab a spot on the leather lounges that line the back wall, or if you’re a filthy smoker there’s a couple balconies to choose from, and make this house yours for the evening.

 Time Out Awards

2012People’s Choice Award

View this year's Time Out Bar Award winners