Glory Days Bondi — Restaurant in Sydney

Really truly atrocious. Consistently waiting 15-20 minutes for coffee to arrive if you’re seated. There’s a sign at the front that says “please wait to be seated” and front of house seems to forget that’s their policy, because often you’re standing 5 minutes before they notice you, then they gesture vaguely and annoyedly at tables for you to sit at. They force you to order through a QR core on the table (that is, zero actual service) then the roulette wheel on wait time starts.

Wait staff is extremely mediocre, they’ve found backpackers that they can pay minimum wage and give the minimum amount of training, recently one spilled about a quarter of my coffee in bringing it over then giggled about how it was filled near the top of the cup (yes) before leaving the sloshed excess on the saucer to drip every time I took a sip.

Today’s final insult was ordering a takeaway batch brew at the window takeaway counter (poorly optimised for the bevy of people around) - takeaway as I was in a hurry to get somewhere - and waiting 20 minutes before checking in and being told that they didn’t have any batch brew coffee left today. When were they planning to tell me? (I overheard the one team member say to the other yes I put it through, apparently there is zero process at this place.) It would’ve taken less time than that to brew a new batch from scratch.

View is amazing obviously, this review is about the cafe itself, because it’s wasting the view, they should take the license away and give it to literally anyone else. Tempting to go given the location, but honestly I’d...

Glory Days sits right on the edge of the action and nails that easy Bondi rhythm. You wander up from the sand, salt still on your skin, and the first thing you notice is the smell of coffee and toasted bread rolling out to the promenade. Ordering is quick, staff are switched on, and the line moves faster than it looks. Seating spills onto the terrace with a clear sweep of the bay, but it is just as nice to carry your cup to the seawall and watch the sets roll through.

The menu keeps things simple and fresh. My morning go to has been a bacon and egg roll with a chutney that tastes like actual tomatoes, not sugar, and a flat white that lands smooth and balanced. Friends rated the granola bowl and a brekkie wrap stacked with soft scrambled eggs and greens. Later in the day there are light salads and tidy burgers that hold together without dripping everywhere, plus cold press juices that actually taste of fruit rather than ice. Portions are honest, the produce tastes cared for, and everything arrives hot or chilled exactly as it should.

What seals it is the attitude. Staff stay upbeat even when the post swim crowd surges, offer extra napkins without being asked, and remember small requests on a second round. Prices sit a touch higher than back from the beach but feel fair for the location and quality. Aim for early morning if you want the calm version, bring sunnies for the glare off the water, and plan a slow wander along the path after breakfast. It is an easy place to start a Bondi day and even easier to...

So I guess let’s start from the beginning. I have just been made aware that the bar inside Bondi Pavilion is run by the cafe downstairs. Apart from having no signs on how much anything they have cost. They also fail to display a sign saying no cash.

I asked one of the bar managers why they refused to take my legal form of currency. And the simple answer in a very not polite way was that there is room for error if they took cash. It appears that they must only hire staff members that can’t count. Or maybe they have the beta software for there point of sales machine. From my knowledge the square or abacus system both have a function where you can press a pretty picture of the money been handed to you then you can make it show you the change to give 😅 anyway apart from not been able to make a purchase I was also spoken to in a very patronising way. Not so fun.

I feel sorry for any audience member that has to deal with the manager that is on. Happy to say they will probably not see my business there again. Even if it is super convenient. Display a sign. And maybe use technology to its full potential rather then making a poor excuse as to why your so dumb you can’t use basic...