Sparrow Cafe & Bar

While there are more cafes in Bondi than you could shake a hipster’s trust fund at, finding a café that’s quiet yet comfortable, small yet big enough to offer a full menu, and picky enough to have great coffee but not too sno. I mean, discerning to make you feel like you’re not in the secret society is tough. Finding all of the above in one spot and tacking on free wifi? Now that’s rarer than finding porn in a Quaker’s parlour. I mean, findable, but rare.
Sparrow seems to have it all (minus the porn) and tops it off with a comfortable vibe that’s more granny’s living room than North Bondi hangout, although to be fair, those two things are probably more closely linked than I give them credit.
Definitely bookmark this one if you’re looking for a local hangout off the beaten path. Thank me after your first sip of tourist-​free coffee and your instant obsession with your new favourite secret spot in Bondi.

Stumbling across Sparrow Café in the little pinched one-​way section of Gould Street was like finding a crisp new pineapple in the gutter during a long and lonely walk of shame home from the house of a girl whose name you can’t remember and the music you made together was pretty abysmal anyway.
(NOTE FOR INTERNATIONALS & TASMANIANS: pineapple = Australian $ 50 note)
Run by a wonderful Gaul with the dusky-​eyed charm of a circus ringleader and the frankness of a Mormon, there is quite literally nothing about this place I can fault. The worn-​in comfiness of the Victorian-​era couches. The stunning coffee. The toasted sandwiches. The fresh muffins still in their baking tray placed tantalisingly on the counter. The organic eggs with fresh pesto (such pesto, oh my). The fast, free wi-​fi. The relaxed, breezy, at-​home feel of the place. The barefoot, tousle-​haired, sundressed locals that pop in for a chat and order a coffee as an afterthought.
Really, this place is the perfect storm, that once-​in-​a-​lifetime find you never want anybody else to find out about because that would ruin the pla-​… oh. Oh no. I fear I’ve just done something terrible. ..

this is one of Bondi best kept secrets, it’s so chilled out here good music and very friendly service, the coffee is terrific! great place to come n do ur emails n stuff as there’s free wifi. recommend getting Anything with eggs as there organic and delish!

I guarantee (don’t hold me to it) you’ll never see so many board games in a bar, or café. Sparrow is affected by the most appropriate type of personality disorder, it’s a great café during the day, serving some of the best coffee in Bondi, with a great range of pastries, cakes, and other nibbles, and a small but cute happy bar at night.
As they say, good food great coffee, turns a day conversation into a night, so why not have some wine and beer to top off a summery afternoon.
You’ll feel at home (if you remember living with your grandparents) with warn 1980’s lounges, eclectic sofa’s with torn upholstery perfectly contrasting the modern broken brick walls. The vibe is local, and very intimate, small chairs with coffee crates outside match perfectly with the empty wooden frames — turning your attention not to the images, but to the texture and history of the individually chosen frames.
Topped with live music on Sunday nights (call in advance to check) this is a very relaxing Bondi watering hole, away from the hustle and bustle of the vulturous strip.