Nikki To
AT A GLANCE
Playa, Shop 3, 11-13 Hall St, Bondi, NSW, lucyfolk.com
Bills, 61-67 Hall St, Bondi, NSW, bills.com.au
Bondi Farmers’ Markets, Saturdays 10am-4pm, Bondi Beach Public School, Campbell Pde, Bondi, NSW, bondimarkets.com.au
Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, 75-79 Hall St, Bondi, NSW, daorazio.com
Earth Food Store, 81a Gould St, Bondi, NSW, earthfoodstore.com.au
The Health Emporium, 263-265 Bondi Rd, Bondi, NSW, healthemporium.com.au
Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, 1 Notts Ave, Bondi, NSW, idrb.com
North Bondi RSL, 118-120 Ramsgate Ave, North Bondi, NSW, northbondirsl.com.au
Orchard Street Elixir Bar, 2 Brighton Bvd, Bondi, NSW, orchardstreet.com.au
Sean’s Panorama, 270 Campbell Pde, Bondi, NSW, seanspanaroma.co
Australian jewellery and accessories designer Lucy Folk has a big appetite for food, travel and design. To celebrate the opening her first flagship store this summer, Playa, on Hall Street in Bondi Beach, we talk to Folk about her favourite local haunts in 2026, and exactly where we’ll find her as the summer weather kicks in.
Playa, Lucy Folk’s new Bondi store.
LUCY FOLK ON DINING OUT IN BONDI
Where do you head for coffee in Bondi, Lucy?
I don’t drink coffee, but I do however like a turmeric latte or an elixir from Orchard Street. I also frequent The Health Emporium on Bondi Road quite often as they do a killer Gut Healing smoothie with spinach and chia.
Orchard Street, Bondi.
What about for brunch?
For brunch on a Saturday you can find me at the Bondi Farmers’ Market for a bibimbap with chicken, lots of veggies and an egg sunny-side up.
Where do you go for a breakfast meeting?
Bills on Hall Street is equally as good for a breakfast meeting as a recovery session after a heavy night out.
What’s your favourite lunch spot?
Sean’s Panaroma is the best for a long lunch. The bread is to die for. I usually get the fish and always make it a three-course meal.
And when dinner rolls around?
For a casual dinner I love Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta. I can’t go past the buffalo mozzarella salad, the octopus, the lamb skewers or the broccolini. Even better when it’s all washed down with a Campari and soda.
As for a dinner with the ultimate view? You can’t beat an early sitting at Icebergs. I’m a total sucker for the crudo, gamberetti, pea salad, a piece of fish – just a seafood extravaganza really! They make a mean sugar-free Margarita, too.
Orchard Street, Bondi.
W**hat about for something sweet?
** I’d opt for something raw or organic (which always sounds like it should be healthier but definitely isn’t). I really like the sweet treats at Earth Food Store on Gould Street. The carrot cake is my favourite.
Do you have an old-school Bondi favourite?
Without a doubt that would be Friday nights at the North Bondi RSL for the meat raffle.
Friends are visiting Bondi for the first time. What’s the first stop?
I’d take them to my new shop, Playa, and then straight to Icebergs for a cocktail.
What’s your favourite little slice of Bondi?
Rock hopping down at the beach.
Lucy Folk.
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LUCY FOLK ON BONDI STYLE**
What’s your Bondi uniform?
You’ll usually fine me in shorts and a T-shirt with sunnies and a hat – and I’m always in white.
Who are your favourite local designers and creatives?
Photographers Pierre Toussaint and Bart Celestino, artist and former Sneaky Sound System member Daimon Downey, and Maurice Terzini and the Ten Pieces team.
What would we find in your beach bag?
Sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, headphones, magazines, my wallet, Capi water, activated nuts, a cap and a sarong.
And what about in your picnic basket?
Definitely cured meats, lots of cheese, fresh figs, crudités, a couple of bottles of rosé and some Iggy’s bread. That usually does the trick!
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
Not leaving Australia.
What can’t we leave Bondi without experiencing?
My new store, Playa.
Jewels by Lucy Folk.
Why the decision to open a store in Bondi?
We had been on the hunt for quite some time for our first Sydney store and it just felt right – I can walk to the store from my apartment and it’s a new fresh concept for the brand. There’s a gap in the market in Bondi for a store like this; it’s a one-stop beach shop with a European slant. Along with my jewels, sunnies and bags, you’ll find Santa Maria Novella sunscreen, towels from Morocco, hats from Paris and Venezuela, travel guides, chic resort wear, swimwear and of course we have a few other tricks up our sleeve.
What can we expect from the shop’s design?
Tamsin Johnson designed the store with a lot of strict instructions from me. Think Barragán pink walls, a custom wet-look epoxy blue floor, a custom travertine feature table by Fred Ganim, linen draped screens and more. It’s hard to describe the design as it’s quite unique – you’ll just have to come and see it.
Accessories at Playa by Lucy Folk.
