I’ll admit it. When someone says “Bondi Junction”, late-night cocktails and hidden underground restaurants aren’t usually the first things that come to mind.
But that might be about to change.
Opening beneath Oxford Street this month, The Hideaway is a multi-million-dollar underground restaurant, cocktail bar and live music venue that feels more Lower Manhattan than Eastern Suburbs.
Hidden beneath the streets of Bondi Junction, the new venue is designed to capture the energy of New York’s after-dark dining scene. Think dimly lit cocktail bars, exceptional food, live music and the kind of place where you pop in for a quick drink and somehow find yourself still there hours later.
And honestly? Bondi Junction has been crying out for something like this.
For years, locals wanting a sophisticated late-night experience have often headed into the CBD, Surry Hills or Double Bay. The Hideaway aims to change that, creating a destination in its own right right in the heart of Bondi Junction.
Fresh from a major transformation, the subterranean space has been designed to evolve throughout the evening. Early diners settle in for dinner, cocktails begin flowing as the night progresses, and live music gradually lifts the energy of the room.
At the helm is Chef James Tai, formerly of Sydney’s acclaimed two-hatted Automata Restaurant, working alongside RJ Lines to deliver a menu built around premium produce, quality meats and generous sharing plates.
Some of the standout dishes include:
• Dry-aged pork chop crumbed in its own crackling and cooked in clarified butter
• Buttermilk fried chicken with pickled kohlrabi and Oscietra caviar
• Dry-aged beef burger with smoked beef-fat onion
• Banana split with fried banana fritters and buttermilk ice cream
For those wanting to elevate the experience further, there’s also a dedicated caviar offering complete with Champagne, vodka, gin and a signature Caviar Martini pairing experience.
The drinks list feels equally considered.
Cocktails showcase classic techniques with modern twists, including the venue’s signature Hideaway Martini featuring Papa Salt Gin, Grey Goose Vodka, Italicus, Lillet Blanc and pickled onion.
Meanwhile, a carefully curated wine cellar showcases Australian and New Zealand producers alongside international favourites.
What I love most about The Hideaway is the sense of discovery.
Accessed via a dual-entry staircase, guests descend below street level into a venue designed to feel like an escape from the outside world. It’s layered, atmospheric and deliberately immersive.
As Bondi Junction continues its transformation into one of Sydney’s most exciting lifestyle precincts, The Hideaway feels like a natural next step. A place where dinner becomes drinks, drinks become live music, and one cocktail somehow turns into an entire evening.
And honestly, Sydney could always use more places like that.
The Details
📍 The Hideaway
195 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction
🕒 Opening Hours
Tuesday: 5:30pm–9:30pm
Wednesday: 12pm–9:30pm
Thursday: 12pm–10pm
Friday & Saturday: 12pm–Midnight
Sunday: 12pm–9:30pm
Monday: Closed
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