Classic hits — Local Paddo

“The village in the village has gone, replaced by a resort town,” bemoans a fellow long-time Bondi resident. It's enough to make me feel like mere set dressing for tourist selfies, if there were any about.

But it's hardly news. Since the advent of sea bathing, Bondi has juggled the opportunity to make a buck from visitors drawn to the beach while also servicing the less seasonal needs of locals. No prizes for guessing which market a $450 pair of board shorts in a Gould St boutique is aimed at.

As the suburb has become more affluent, soaring rents and a focus on 'aspirational consumerism' have chased out many of the modest, family run businesses that added an individual and folksy character to the community.

We fondly recall the two Hungarian sisters, survivors of the Nazi concentration camps, who ran a little lingerie shop on Hall St specialising in lacy underwear “to make you feel sexy, dahlink”.

After a friend gave birth, the sisters insisted she wear foundation garments to give the impression of a shapely figure while her body recovered. Bracing advice, but probably more entertaining than the 'customer experience' of our various monochromatic fashion outlets.

The sisters have long gone, as have many others, including the Vietnamese baker whose award-winning King Wally pies were essential for footy afternoons in front of the telly.

More recently departed is UMU in Gould St, originally known as the Earth Food Store, which began trading 28 years ago with organic fruit and vegetables. The brainchild of Caroline Attwooll and Jonathan Cohen, it became a neighbourhood hub and evolved to include groceries and a welcoming cafe that a visiting Nigella Lawson said was her favourite place to eat breakfast in Sydney. The landlord lined up a new tenant and UMU had to vacate at short notice.

Nostalgia for 'old Bondi' often relates to small businesses set up by European immigrants in the aftermath of World War II. The Gelato Bar, opened on Campbell Pde by the Hungarian Berger family in 1958, was a particular favourite.

For more than 50 years it served espresso coffee, schnitzel, goulash and rib-sticking bean soup, as well as cakes and strudels. Winter is simply not the same without bowls of its restorative chicken soup.

The Austro-Hungarian tradition lives on at the Wellington Cake Shop, a family business on Bondi Rd since the late 1970s (see A ripple in time, page 18). My favourite among the many sugar hits is the Linzer slice, but the shop is renowned for its kugelhupf, regarded as the best in Sydney.

“Pop it in the oven for a while before you eat it and it's even more delicious,” suggests a woman waiting in line. It's a special occasion cake but “it’s great anytime” offers another customer. It's like shopping in the village again.

Down Bondi Rd near the corner of Denham St, The House of Chocolates has offered handmade chocolates and excellent milkshakes since 1965. It has always been open until 10pm every night, convenient for any stoner's attack of the munchies.

Bondi local Astrid Edlinger bought the business more than a decade ago and operates it true to the original. She says she knows the secrets of a superior milkshake, “but we don't sell so many these days because few people in Bondi eat dairy”.

Along the beachfront, Gelbison Pizzeria Ristorante is an enduring choice on the corner of Lamrock Ave. It's a home-style Italian eatery, family run since the 1980s, and its signature mussels in a spicy tomato broth sells out most evenings.

The oldest business on the strip would be Bondi Surf Seafoods, the trusty fish and chip shop. The Cypriot Dimitrios family has been running it on Campbell Pde for 52 years, according to one of the sons behind the counter.

The fish is always fresh, they can suggest how to cook it if you don't want one of many in-store options and they make everyone feel welcome, with a discreet extra nod for locals. They can even deep-fry Mars bars if you're game.

And then there's Sean's restaurant. When chef Sean Moran brought his kitchen garden ethos and seasonal simplicity to the north end of Campbell Pde in 1993, he and partner Michael 'Manoo' Robertson introduced a destination venue for casual fine dining. Sean's roasted chicken dish has long been a favourite.

For those who want a reminder of the neighbourhood's working-class heritage, the Bondi Golf & Diggers Club on the hill at North Bondi offers basic hearty meals and drinks at pub prices, an eclectic vintage décor and a view across the bay. The only dress code seems to be that you remove your beanie.

But I prefer a twilight beer at the rebuilt Icebergs Club — licensed since 1960 — where a full moon rising from the water reliably dazzles and you can usually spot a couple of intrepid surfers chasing a last wave in the dark, like tiny thrashing specks in a heaving sea. That's timeless Bondi.