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Note: Blueys Market used to be under the name Bondi Harvest. Same owners, same menu. They just decided to relocate Bondi Harvest into a more spacious area in Culver City, offering a much wider menu. Bondi Harvest’s new address is 8820 Washington Blvd ste. 101, Culver City, CA 90232.
Just when you thought you had discovered your perfect brunch spot (Grub), LA surprises you with another one.
If you live in LA, you’ll know that the Aussie wave is everywhere. From actors (Margot Robbie), to fitness studios (Training Mate), to restaurants (Paramount Coffee on Fairfax, Bronzed Aussie in Downtown) to nightclubs like the famous EP &LP rooftop on La Cienega, Australians are making big strides diversifying the LA scene.
The name Bondi Harvest comes from Australia’s most popular beach, Bondi beach. This place is known as one of the top surf destinations in the world, and it’s home to the famous Icebergs Club pool, which is a massive sea salt swimming pool that sits right on the shore.
This area of Sydney is also known for its eclectic nightlife and strong brunch culture with superb little cafes on every corner. The owners of Blueys Kitchen, Mark Alston and Guy Turland, replicated the same beachy, laid-back, rustic surf vibe with healthy seasonal recipes from Bondi Beach.
Although I’ve never been to Australia, a quick search on Google of Bondi Beach cafes, or Bondi Beach restaurants, will show you a plethora of fresh, healthy food photos that showcase Bondi Beach’s culinary culture: pokes, smoothies, salads and super appetizing avocado toasts that will make your mouth water.
Just like my previous post about Grub Café, this place couldn’t be located in a more random place: a freeway exit (Centinela Avenue) in Santa Monica that you wouldn’t ever need to take unless you live there or something. Blueys Kitchen sits on a stretch of Olympic Blvd, only 3 blocks off the I-10, among the numerous production studio warehouses like Netflix or Tastemade.
Upon entering this white wooden shack that recreates a beach house, you will be instantly immersed in the beachy atmosphere, with its distressed wood walls, surfboards, succulents and kitschy art. It will be easy to forget you’re not right by the beach, but rather in an industrial area of Santa Monica.
There’s an outdoor seating area in the alley next to the café, which is beautifully decorated with pillows and blankets if you so choose to bundle yourself up!!
Menu:
Indecisive level up a 1000%
After I scoured Yelp reviews, I realized that the squash pancakes and the acai bowls were the most popular.
I wasn’t really hungry, so I just had one of their yummy salad bowls they had at the takeout counter: Farro, turmeric quinoa and chickpeas with heirloom tomatoes and arugula. I paired it with home cured salmon (you can add any protein). My beverage of choice was a green tea Matcha latte. It was good, but not as good as Urth Cafe’s Japanese Green tea Latte (I’m very picky about my green tea). One of the things Blueys Kitchen pride themselves on is their wide selection of beverages and lattes. They even do latte art, which should be enough to convince you that they take their coffee very seriously here.
Someone next to us ordered the Bondi burger…. It looked delicious!!
The papaya bowl also looked super appetizing. I was very indecisive as to what to order. My friend had already been there and you could tell everyone who walked in was a regular. With this being said, the cashier kindly encouraged me to keep coming back and try more of their menu items, and after this amazing experience, I sure will!!
Pancakes
Other things:
💖They close at 4pm. It also gets extremely busy at lunch time. We ordered at noon and by the time we got out, there was a line coming out the door!
💖Parking is veeery limited. You will see parking signs for production companies around the area. If this is a drag, you can easily park outside but be prepared to pay a meter (except weekends).
💖Although the outdoor area has plenty of seating available, indoor seating is very limited.
It’s a shame this beautiful beach house inspired café is not closer to the beach to really top off the beach vibe. However, considering how busy and touristy Santa Monica is, entering this place would be a tedious task with all the tourists and locals who just want to grab a quick bite and couldn’t care less about Aussie food culture. As mentioned above, the place is small. If Blueys Kitchen were located in Santa Monica State Beach, it would lose its charm and filled to the brim with tourists. Only foodies and Aussies know of this amazing secret hidden gem! Let’s keep it that way!
The address is 1814 Berkeley St, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Have you been to this place? Or have you been to Australia?
