$$$$ • Mediterranean • Bondi Beach
I loved the service, the ambiance, the food and the wine at **Ikaria**. Our wait staff were attentive, helpful, kind, friendly and skilled at their jobs. We weren't ravenously hungry, so chose two entrees (calamari and a fried cheese dish), a vegetarian main (mushrooms), carrots with pistachios and a cabbage/apple salad. That was a perfect amount, and every dish was a flavour sensation - beautifully presented and unusually delicious (unusual in the sense that the flavours were unlike other Greek food I've had before). The alcohol we chose to go with the meal was good too - a glass of red wine that was on the list of specials was particularly smooth, and my husband said the greek beer was good too.
**Ikaria**'s ambiance is delightful, although the moody lighting makes it a tad difficult to read the menu (people were looking at it with their phones). The restroom facilities are very clean, stylish and attractive. The bar area is gorgeous.
We didn't take advantage of the cocktails list, which is extensive and looks pretty fancy. While we where there, someone had a blue cocktail which it looked like the barman was injecting with a big white bubble. When the bubble burst, the cocktail was smoking. Quite impressive!
My only criticism is that the room is quite noisy and needs insulation. Once there is a critical number of diners (I think there were about 20 when we left), we had to shout to make each other heard.
**Ikaria** is NOT cheap and cheerful. The ambiance, waiters, decor and food are all a cut above, and that is reflected in the prices, which are not super-low. However, for the experience and the quality of the establishment, it's definitely worth it. I took off one star only because of the noise levels.
