On a warm summer’s evening, perched on the Bondi cliffside, the country’s most photographed sea pool below and an excellent cocktail in hand, one should be forgiven a selfie or two. This could be the most Instagrammable dining space in Sydney, but it’s still hard to turn your attention away from the food for long.

Executive chef Monty Koludrovic’s menu starts with a genius rendition of surf and turf. The sea urchin bruschetta is one of the most coveted dishes in Sydney (when they’re in season, of course). Soft urchin sunbake on chewy, super-thin toast and are completely blanketed in a snowstorm of finely grated foie gras. Creamy, soft, chewy; it’s an evocative hat tip to both the sea and the land.

There’s an overuse of salt (and under-use of crab, for the price) in the squid ink spaghetti with WA blue swimmer crab and fresh tomato when Koludrovic is not in the house. But all is redeemed in the primi department with a little cavatelli with Crystal Bay prawns and a spicy Amatriciana sauce, pangrattato offering a pleasing toasty crunch.

A beautiful bronzed set descends on this sunny, decidedly breath-catching room before the sun sets most days, so the room is always abuzz. Cool white walls offset splashes of aqua and sea green. Service is silver, and the waitstaff are spot on, balancing sophisticated and slightly effusive at once.

Sydneysiders have long enjoyed a love affair with this sparkling beachside institution, and long may it continue.

Must eat dish: The sea urchin bruschetta
Instagram: @icebergsdiningroomandbar