Great expectations

Until recent times Coogee has lay dormant; sandwiched between Bondi’s buzz and grungy Maroubra, unable to create an identity of its own. All but a couple of fetid hostels and handful of dodgy takeaway shops existed in the beachside suburb. That’s until Merivale kingpin Justin Hemmes snapped up the iconic Coogee Pavilion in 2014.

A casual eatery went in on the ground floor, followed by a rooftop