Unless you're an eastside local or you've made a visit to Comslie Reserve's tucked-away beach of late, you probably haven't paid much attention to the new Rivermakers precinct that's in development on the corner of Morningside's Lytton and Comslie roads. The riverside site is set to gain a new space called Heritage Quarter, too — giving the location a hefty revamp, but still keeping its existing old buildings. In one such structure — the 1920s-era the heritage-listed Commonwealth Acetate of Lime Factory, in fact — the precinct will welcome a new small-batch distillery. Bavay Distillery even takes its name from distiller and chemist August de Bavay, who was commissioned by the Queensland Government to design and build the factory more than a century ago. So yes, nodding to the past while giving the space a makeover is firmly on the menu. "Many distilleries today are focused on turning traditional distilling methods on its head, which has been great for reviving the local spirit industry," says co-founder Scott Yates. "However, at Bavay our focus is on honouring the origins of distilling and making spirits as they were 100 years ago." When it opens its doors in early December in the factory's original stillhouse — which helped whip up booze a century back — Bavay Distillery will both make and pour small-batch gins, vodkas, rums and whiskys. As well as serving spirits for all tastes, it'll host blending masterclasses to teach Brisbanites the tricks of the trade. And, it'll offer custom coopered miniature barrels so that you can age your own blends. The design and vibe will also nod backwards; think: Great Gatsby-era flourishes in the sprawling bar space, which'll fit up to 120 patrons. A copper top bar, greenery aplenty and drop lighting are key interior features, and guests won't miss the 500-litre copper pot still that's been dubbed Monica. Outside, there'll be alfresco seating. Something that definitely didn't exist 100 years ago: gin cocktail trees, a tiered option that'll be available to groups. Food-wise, Bavay will serve tapas-style bites — or patrons can check out fellow Heritage Quarter tenants, such as the already-open Low n Slow Meat Co and the soon-to-open Revel Brewing Co. Bavay Distillery is set to open at the Heritage Quarter precinct in the Rivermakers development, 500 Lytton Road, Morningside, sometime in early December — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it's announced.
Since the Mansfield Tavern closed for renovations at the end of 2024, locals have been hankering to get their hands on a cold pint. Fortunately, the time has arrived for the legendary suburban pub to relaunch, with this new chapter giving the 50-year-old venue more than just a fresh coat of paint. Instead, both long-time barflies and newcomers will discover a revamped feel, primed for family-friendly gatherings and brash nights in front of the big screen. First up, an expansive light-filled bistro has slotted into the transformed space, offering no-fuss pub fare that's bound to hit the spot. Think comfort food staples, fresh flavour-forward options and share plates, like the Mansfield smash burger, a classic chicken parmi, and a 180-gram pasture-fed eye fillet with garden salad and chips. Featuring floor-to-ceiling glass doors, this laidback space flows into a newly landscaped courtyard with a kids' play area. Running adjacent to the bistro, an openair beer garden has also received a significant spruce-up. Here, festoon lighting and relaxed seating combine to make this locale a go-to destination for visitors looking to relish the not-too-distant summer nights. This space leads directly into the new-look sports bar, where a top-to-bottom renovation makes catching your fave events that much more enticing. "The Sports Bar has had a complete refresh, with all the upgrades you can think of, from new furniture, pool tables, and a feature six-metre-wide LED screen wall for the ultimate viewing and more," says venue manager, Claire Maskill. The venue's upbeat entertainment space, The Arena, is also ready for its next era. With a storied history dating back to the 1970s, this space is now more equipped to host new and old live music legends. Over the years, the likes of Midnight Oil, INXS and Violent Soho have graced the stage. Plus, this dynamic space regularly comes to life with live comedians, kid-friendly entertainment and sports like Muay Thai. To help guests get acquainted with the updated Mansfield Tavern, the venue is presenting its Locals Welcome Weekend from Friday, June 27–Sunday, June 29. Along with live entertainment throughout the event, there's also mouthwatering barbecue cuisine, a meat raffle, live sports action and free kids' entertainment, including an animal farm. So, get down to Brisbane's southside to experience this reborn watering hole. The Mansfield Tavern is open daily from 10am–3.30pm at 181 Wecker Road, Mansfield. Head to the website for more information.
Since 2020, fans of cowboy-themed ice cream have had two options: lick your way through a classic ol' Bubble O'Bill on a stick as you've always done, saving the bubblegum nose for last (of course), or tuck into a Bubble O'Bill tub. That's all well, good and tasty, but frozen desserts can't keep a lasso over the fictional, confectionery-based Old West figure — because Bubble O'Bill Easter eggs are now a sweet treat that truly exists. Set to hit the shelves at Woolworths on Wednesday, March 16, the 160-gram chocolate eggs aren't shaped like their namesake, however. They're regular old egg-shaped, but with swirls of strawberry marbling, pieces of caramel and chewy berry pieces mixed into the Chocolatier Australia chocolate. Love the gumball part of Bubble O'Bills? Of course you do. And they're still included in the Easter egg version, with five found inside once you crack open all that chocolate. Turning a beloved Streets ice cream into an Easter egg isn't just the domain of Bubble O'Bill, either. Returning to both Woolies and Coles this year is the Golden Gaytime Easter egg, which sports the same toffee flavour as the frosty dessert and comes coated in Golden Gaytime crumbs. And, it's available now. Yes, Easter is still more than a month away — hitting on Sunday, April 17 in 2022 — but that just means you've got plenty of time to stock up, or to mark the occasion for weeks in advance. Being an adult means eating Bubble O'Bill and Golden Gaytime Easter eggs whenever you like. Find Bubble O'Bill Easter eggs at Woolworths stores from Wednesday, March 16, costing $10 each. Golden Gaytime Easter eggs are available at both Woolies and Coles now.
For some, the best thing about winter is the cosy indoor opportunities to escape the cold. Who can deny the almost spiritual joy of snuggling down next to a wood fire or cuddling up inside thick sandstone walls while the weather outside seems a world away? And if there's a glass or two of vino going, so much the better. If this sounds like a heavenly way to spend a winter's day — and you're ready for a seasonal switch from tannin' to tannins — put these five exquisite Tasmanian wineries at the top of your winter to-do list. We've tracked down a winery from nearly every corner of Tassie that'll warm the cockles of your heart — whether you're after biodynamic and sustainable practices, premium tastes in heritage buildings or a glass of red with the comfort eats of an Italian osteria. You are about to fall in love with a whole cool-climate wine culture — you'll never sip a pinot noir the same way again. [caption id="attachment_719342" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Crerar.[/caption] MOORE'S HILL — TAMAR VALLEY How many wineries come with their very own dog? Well, Moore's Hill does; the loveable Otto is a regular fixture by the fireplace in winter. Located in the lush Tamar Valley, a 40-minute drive from Launceston, you'll come upon this boutique vino-producing estate that happens to be Tasmania's first 100-percent solar-powered winery. The fireplace at the cellar door is always lit for the chilly season, so you can drop by any day from 10am–5pm for a cosy guided tasting of current release wines (which are free for groups smaller than ten, too). Moore's Hill also offers a wine and chocolate tasting, as well as a whisky tasting, should you need a little something extra to really warm the soul. [caption id="attachment_719279" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania and Nick Osborne.[/caption] POOLEY WINES — COAL RIVER VALLEY Make sure to add Pooley Wines to your winter getaway. It's a vineyard with pedigree — three generations of winemakers have brought forth this nectar, producing some of the finest pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling on the island. Located in the Coal River Valley, it's proudly the first fully accredited environmentally sustainable vineyard in Tasmania. The cellar door (open 10am–5pm daily) is snuggled within the thick sandstone walls of the stately 19th-century Belmont House on the Butcher's Hill estate. With a swag of awards to its name, particularly for its pinot noir and riesling, Pooley will ensure you're sipping premium drop after premium drop. STEFANO LUBIANA — DERWENT VALLEY Stefano Lubiana Wines is an exceptional winery, being Tasmania's first and only biodynamic vineyard. This family-run winery opens its cellar door to wine-lovers from 11am–4pm Wednesday to Sunday. Sample the six-taste offering — including the bright and delightful Primavera pinot noir or a biodynamic reserve merlot — at $5 per person, or sit down for a structured tasting of exclusive museum and flagship wines for $35. The vineyard also distils its own grappa brandy, which is the perfect nip for a nippy Tassie winter. And then there's Stefano Lubiana's on-site Italian eatery, Osteria, that blends rustic food tradition with fine dining. The menu is fresh and seasonal, with locally sourced ingredients. Stay for an expertly paired meal and wine to taste the terroir and the country produce all in one go. [caption id="attachment_719278" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pete Harmsen.[/caption] DEVIL'S CORNER — EAST COAST For some seriously cool architecture to match your cool-climate wines and the surrounding cool temps, you'll have to hit the east coast and check out Devil's Corner. En route to Freycinet National Park, Devil's Corner is a winery with a wild edge. Looking down to Moulting Lagoon and the Hazards mountain range, the vines are exposed to the elements, which creates a unique, intense flavour. In the winter, the cellar door opens daily from 10am–4pm from June to September and tastings are free for groups of up to seven (larger groups pay $5 per person). With regular music sessions and both a seafood restaurant and pizza cafe, this is a winery that can keep you toasty warm as you enjoy views over the wintry landscape. And in even more reasons to visit, Tassie's Festival of Voices will host a gig at the winery on Sunday, June 30. FROGMORE CREEK — COAL RIVER VALLEY If you don't want to stray far from Hobart but yearn for that country vineyard experience, Frogmore Creek offers the best of both worlds. After just a 20-minute drive from the CBD, you'll reach a vineyard prestigious enough to draw celebrity visitors such as Margot Robbie. Within the expansive homestead of blue-grey timber, you'll find an award-winning cellar door experience. What's more, from July 1, the barrel room here features an open fire on weekends (and the occasional weekday) all throughout winter. Open from 10am–5pm daily, the cellar door offers samples from the different wine series for you to sip around the fire. The featured offering focuses on boutique harvests, reserve wines or minimal intervention drops. Away from the roaring fire, Frogmore Creek has spectacular grounds. But if it's too chilly for exploring, you can appreciate the sweeping valley vistas from the cellar door and restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows. Top image: Moore's Hill by Chris Crerar.
So, you read one of 2023's huge literary sensations. And, you engaged with one of TikTok's biggest memes. What comes next? Diving into them both at All About Women. Notching up 12 years when its 2024 edition takes place, this Sydney Opera House event enlists impressive talents to dig into gender, justice and equality, including by exploring the hits, trends and issues of the 12 months prior. Accordingly, naming Yellowface author Rebecca F Kuang and Roman Empire scholar Mary Beard for next year's one-day festival couldn't make more sense. Kuang will be heading to Sydney to chat about her satirical novel, which dives into cancel culture, cultural appropriation and diversity in the world of publishing, and has been a must-read since arriving on shelves in May. As for Beard, she's coming to the Harbour City fresh off the release of her latest book The Emperor of Rome, and will explore misogyny, power, murder and gossip in the ancient world — and its relevance to now. So, how often will All About Women think about the Roman Empire? At Beard's session, plenty. [caption id="attachment_929572" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Packman[/caption] So far, Kuang and Beard are the first headliners on the 2024 event's program, with both getting talking in Australia for the first time. But they'll have company when the full lineup drops in January. All About Women brings together international and Australian artists, thinkers and storytellers to examine a broad variety of topics relevant to its main focus — so, to gender, justice and equality — via panels, conversations, workshops and performances. After expanding to two days in 2022 and then to three in 2023, Sydney Opera House's key feminist festival is running as a one-day event again in 2024. The date to mark in your diary: Sunday, March 10. Won't be in Sydney that day, because you'll be away or you live elsewhere? All About Women will also take place online again. "It will be such an honour to host both Rebecca F Kuang and Mary Beard on their first speaking tours in Australia. We look forward to announcing our fierce and fearless co-curators and the full lineup in the new year, and can't wait to welcome audiences back to the festival for its 12th year in March," said Sydney Opera House Head of Talks and Ideas Chip Rolley. 2024 marks the third year that the fest is enlisting a team of co-curators to put the program together. 2023's cohort gave audiences everyone from riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill to child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy. [caption id="attachment_837698" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] [caption id="attachment_844647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] [caption id="attachment_844646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] All About Women 2024 will take place on Sunday, March 10 at the Sydney Opera House, and also stream online. The full program will release on Tuesday, January 16, 2023 — check back here then for further details. Tickets for the just-announced first sessions go on sale at 9am on Thursday, December 7, with pre sales from 9am on Tuesday, December 5. Top image: Jacquie Manning.
It's ten years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Since then, a relatively unknown Gotye played in a basement, Chk Chk Chk ran across the Sydney College of the Arts rooftop, Lorde happened and Laneway became the very first Australian festival to migrate overseas. This year, the once quiet achiever of the Australian festival scene, Laneway Festival blows out the candles with one of its biggest (but not necessarily commercial) lineups yet. Kicking off in Singapore on Saturday, January 24 in The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay, Laneway will run through seven dates, including Sydney's Sydney College of the Arts on February 1 and Melbourne's Footscray Community Arts Centre and River's Edge on February 7, finishing up at its new home in Fremantle's Esplanade Reserve and West End on Sunday, February 8. But where did Laneway all start (in case you're in the dark)? What did The Avalanches and a dare have to do with it? How did they manage to survive the festival circuit in the face of common Australian festival crash-and-burnery? Let's take a little saunter through the alleyways, warehouse lots and overseas ventures of Laneway — the Australian festival who settled into the country's infrastructure from the smallest of veins. Where it all hatched. St. Jerome's Laneway Festival was born in 2005, when Danny Rogers helped Jerome Borazio book music for his Melbourne laneway bar, St. Jerome's. The every-Sunday 'Summer Series' was born (where The Presets and Architecture in Helsinki played small sets) and the two decided to expand the idea into a Saturday night residency for their mates, The Avalanches. Said Avalanches challenged Rogers and Borazio to make a big ol' birthday shindig for St. Jerome's bar, which would have to close the whole lane. "We said ‘Why not throw a first birthday party for the bar?’ We got excited and then thought ‘Well why don’t we try and close this Laneway down?" recounts Borazio on the Laneway site. "After a few drinks with The Avalanches one night we asked, ‘If we closed this lane down would you guys play? They said ‘You won’t be able to close this lane. So if you do, we’ll play.’ About 1400 showed up and watched Architecture In Helsinki, Art of Fighting, Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set, The Dears, Eskimo Joe, Gersey and Ground Components and those jokey dare-makers The Avalanches play the very first Laneway. Sydney's turn. Keeping the fire stoked in Melbourne, the Laneway crew decided to expand the concept to Sydney after a chance meeting with super promoter Michael Chugg. "I bumped into Michael Chugg at a health retreat and said to him, 'We have this festival in Melbourne. Check it out, see what you think. He called the next day and got us up to Sydney," says Jerome Borazio on the Laneway website. Thanks to Chugg and his team, Sydney got the green light. Snuggled amongst Circular Quay's Macquarie Square, Reiby Place and The Basement, Laneway saw a rainy but successful run in Sydney that year. Headliners Broken Social Scene were the squealworthy element of the time, alongside Art of Fighting, Augie March, Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set, Cut Copy, Dane Tucquet, Darren Hanlon, Decoder Ring, Faker, Gersey, Jens Lekman, Les Savy Fav, Mercy Arms, Mountains in the Sky, New Buffalo, Pivot, Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Pop Frenzy Sound Unit, The Posies, The Raveonettes, The Temper Trap, Wolf & Cub and Youth Group over the two cities. Brisbane joins the crew. With Melbourne and Sydney's Laneway chapters under control, Brisbane's first Laneway was held in '07 behind the city's beloved venue, The Zoo. The lineup saw the likes of The Walkmen, Yo La Tengo, Camera Obscura, Peter Bjorn and John, Snowman, Archie Bronson Outfit, Bumblebeez, Casino Twilight Dogs, Dan Kelly, Dappled Cities Fly, Expatriate, Fionn Regan, Gerling, Gersey, Ground Components, Holly Throsby, Love Is All, Macromantics, Midnight Juggernauts, My Disco, The BellRays, The Crayon Fields, The Shaky Hands, The Sleepy Jackson, The Temper Trap and Youth Group play in the teeny laneway out the back — as well as Sydney and Melbourne's laneway set-ups. The Laneway Empire was growing. Oh hey, Adelaide. Heading south-west, Laneway 2008 saw Feist, Gotye, Dan Deacon, The Presets, Stars, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Panics, The Vasco Era and Okkervil River all smooshed themselves into Fowler's Live, all up in the North Terrace. They were joined by Violent Soho, The Cool Kids, The Holidays, Via Tania, Batrider, Bridezilla, Devastations, Little Red, Rudley Interrupted and The Brunettes. Meanwhile, the Melbourne festival expanded — out of Caledonian Lane to Drewery Lane and Londsdale Street. The times were a-changin'. Perth, you're up. Heading to Western Australia for the first time, Laneway 2009 found a new, additional home in the Perth Cultural Centre. Beats were the dominant force this year, with Girl Talk, Stereolab, Buraka Som Sistema, Pivot (with the vowels intact) and Four Tet sharing the stage with Tame Impala, Architecture In Helsinki, Born Ruffians, Canyons, Cut Off Your Hands, Daedelus, El Guincho, Holly Throsby, Jay Reatard, John Steel Singers, Mountains In The Sky, No Age, Port O’Brien, Still Flyin, Tame Impala, Tim Fite, The Drones, The Hold Steady and The Temper Trap. The Laneway crew talk of 2009 as the year of visible expansion in Perth of course, but particularly in the other citie. According to the Laneway website, "a rapidly expanded site, shifting regulations, wild hype and high temperatures contributed to the Melbourne show very suddenly (and publicly) outgrowing itself. Overcrowding and long queues soured an otherwise strong musical showing. And while a realignment of stages in Adelaide was deemed a success by the growing crowds, Sydney’s Macquarie Park location also began showing signs of its limitations." Woah, things got a little turbo-charged in 2010. With one of its biggest lineups yet, Laneway expanded their venues in several cities. Melbourne moved from its hallowed home to the riverside Footscray Community Arts Centre, while Sydney farewelled Circular Quay for Rozelle’s historic Sydney College of the Arts. With Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, and The xx all making their Australian debut at Laneway (not too shabby), the venues were upsized to accommodate Bachelorette, Black Lips, Chris Knox and The Nothing, Cut Off Your Hands, Daniel Johnston, Dappled Cities, Dirty Three, Echo & the Bunnymen, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Hockey, Kid Sam, N.A.S.A., Midnight Juggernauts, Radioclit, Sarah Blasko, Street Chant, The 3Ds, The Middle East, The Naked and Famous, The Very Best, Warpaint, Whitley and Wild Beasts. But Laneway also made its first venture overseas, launching its first instalment in Auckland. According to Laneway, the crew teamed up with Chugg and New Zealand locals Ben Howe, Manolo Echave and Mark Kneebone to create the first Kiwi chapter of Laneway in Auckland's warehouse-dotted Britomart Quarter. And I mean, look at that bloody lineup, no wonder they had to find a bigger boat. Singapore, what's up. Held at Fort Canning Park, the first Singapore Laneway Festival was drenched in torrential rain — but that didn't douse the spirits of thousands of punters. Lineup-wise, goals were kicked yet again by the Laneway team: !!!, The Antlers, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Beach House, Bear in Heaven, Blonde Redhead, Cloud Control, Cut Copy, Deerhunter, Foals, Gotye, The Holidays, Holy Fuck, Jenny & Johnny, Les Savy Fav, Local Natives, Menomena, PVT, Rat Vs Possum, Stornoway, Two Door Cinema Club, Violent Soho, Warpaint, World's End Press and Yeasayer made their way to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Singapore and Auckland (who moved their camp from the Britomart Quarter to Aotea Square in 2011). Auckland finally bunkers down in Silo Park in the Wynard Quarter — its present home. This was a pretty big year for Laneway, steering the lineup toward top-of-the-alternative headliners: M83, SBTRKT live, John Talabot, Feist, Active Child and Jonti joined Anna Calvi, Austra, Bullion, Chairlift, Cults, The Drums, DZ Deathrays, EMA, Geoffrey O’Connor, Girls, Givers, Glasser, The Horrors, Husky, Laura Marling, Oneman, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Pajama Club, The Panics, Portugal. The Man, Toro y Moi, Total Control, Twin Shadow, Washed Out and Yuck. Detroit ahoy. Heading over to the US for their very first Detroit Laneway at Oakland University, the team capitalised on previously successful showcases as the likes of SXSW to bring in an American audience — making them the first Australian festival to migrate to the US. The likes of ADULT., AlunaGeorge, Beacon, Chet Faker, CHVRCHES, Deerhunter, The Dismemberment Plan, Flume, Frightened Rabbit, HAERTS, Heathered Pearls, Icona Pop, Matthew Dear, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Phosphorescent, Run the Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike), Savages, Shigeto, Sigur Ros, Solange, Warpaint, Washed Out and Youth Lagoon cranked out sets in Detroit — a huge undertaking for the Laneway crew. In Australalasia, the likes of alt-J, Flume, Jessie Ware, Chet Faker, Bat For Lashes, Divine Fits, El-P, Japandroids and Nicolas Jaar played alongside Alpine, Cloud Nothings, Henry Wagons & The Unwelcome Company, High Highs, Holy Other, Julia Holter, Kings of Convenience, MS MR, Nite Jewel, Of Monsters and Men, Perfume Genius, Poliça, Pond, Real Estate, Shlohmo, Snakadaktal, The Men, The Neighbourhood, The Rubens, Twerps and Yeasayer. A big ol' year. The year of our Lorde. Hitting #1 in the US, the NZ teenager cranked out memorable Pure Heroine sets at Laneway's most veering-toward-commercial year yet. The soon-to-be Grammy winner was joined by the likes of HAIM, Earl Sweatshirt, James Blake, King Krule, Warpaint, Run the Jewels (El-P & Killer Mike), Jaguar Ma and Vance Joy alongside Adalita, Autre Ne Veut, Cashmere Cat, Cass McCombs, CHVRCHES, Cloud Control, Danny Brown, Daughter, Dick Diver, Doprah, Drenge, Four Tet, Frightened Rabbit, GEMA, Ghost Wave, Jamie xx, Kirin J Callinan, Kurt Vile, Mount Kimbie, MT WARNING, Parquet Courts, PCP Eagles, Rackets, Savages, Scenic, The Growl, The Jezabels, The Observatory, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Vandetta, Watercolours, XXYYXX and Youth Lagoon. Epic. Here we are, ten years later and Laneway's making big moves to remain closer to the up-and-coming pulse than the superheadliners. As of this week, Laneway 2015 is upon us and the lineup is predictably kickass. Returning to the Australian touring circuit is UK on-repeat outfit Jungle, festival jaw-droppers Future Islands and Melbourne's lives-up-to-the-hype queen Courtney Barnett. Two of the biggest hypecards of the bunch, FKA Twigs and BANKS, will fight for the midnight hushed vocal crown. Then there's the ever-epic St. Vincent, punk-as-fuck UK band Eagulls, smooooooth king Flying Lotus, Harlem's top-of-the-game hip hop outfit Ratking and the triumphant returns of Rustie, Jon Hopkins, POND and crisp-as-blazes Caribou, alongside Andy Bull, Angel Olsen, Benjamin Booker, Caribou, Connan Mockasin, Dune Rats, Eves, Flight Facilities, Highasakite, Jesse Davidson, Jon Hopkins, Little Dragon, Mansionair, Perfect Pussy, Peter Bibby, Raury, Royal Blood, Seekae, Sohn, St Vincent and Vic Mensa. And last but not least, Mac DeMarco and his mum, Agnes. What a legend. Happy tenner, Laneway. Cheers to showing punters where the Good Music at, avoiding slapdash, off-brand superheadliners, keeping a finger on many overseas pulses and making onsite attention to detail a colossal priority. We're raising a plastic cup to another ten. Images: Laneway Festival - Simon Fergusson, Daniel Boud, Adrianna Polcyn, Alvin Ho, Nina Sandejas, Chris Schwegler, Annette Geneva, Yael Yaya Stempler.
Mark your calendar: if you like free ice cream, as everyone should, then you have a date with a Ben & Jerry's store in April. Each year, the dessert brand chooses one day per year to give everyone a treat without paying a cent. In 2024, that day is Tuesday, April 16. If there's one thing this chain loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. But, to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, on Free Cone Day it loves giving away free scoops just as much. The occasion is exactly what it sounds like: a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually since 1979 until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons — returning in 2023 for the first time since 2019, and now backing it up in 2024. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store (which is most stores) between 12–8pm. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening Australia-wide — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at both Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores and its Hoyts outlets. In Queensland, head to South Brisbane for starters — as well as Burleigh Heads, Mooloolaba, Noosa Heads and Hoyts Sunnybank.
UPDATE, AUGUST 13, 2020: After closing for a revamp, The Terrace will reopen on Thursday, August 20. Expect a new menu, as overseen by ex-Donna Chang chef Benny Lam. Bookings will be available to the public from Monday–Thursday, with walk-ins only (other than for Emporium Hotel guests) from Friday–Sunday. Already one of the most scenic spots in Brisbane's inner city, South Bank has added another attraction to its list: its first rooftop hangout accessible every day of the week. Located on the 21st floor of Grey Street's Emporium Hotel and open from breakfast onwards, The Terrace boasts an all-day dining menu, plus plenty of drinks. It also features luxe surroundings and one hell of a panoramic view over the river, South Bank and across to the CBD. Under the guidance of executive chef Chris Norman, the food menu takes care of all the usual daily meals, including brekkie, brunch, lunch, dinner, late-night snacks and everything in-between. The beverage list features classic and signature cocktails, as well as local and international wines and spirits. Of course, if you're taking the elevator up to sky-high surroundings, then you're just as interested in the decor and vantage. Design-wise, the look is unsurprisingly opulent — think light colours, walls filled with greenery, white backlit onyx floor tiles and a 13-metre bar made out of the same material. Date palms add to the tropical vibe, while floor-to-ceiling glass doors open out onto the balcony. And, to ensure that Brisbanites can make the most of The Terrace come rain or shine, the venue has two retractable roofs. A 23-metre infinity edge pool is also located on Emporium's top floor, however this is for guests only. But if you are treating yourself to an overnight stay, you'll be able to order something to eat and drink from The Terrace while you laze by the water. Those keen to drop by just for a beverage, bite and breathtaking vista are encouraged to book in advance.
I've lived within walking distance of Stones Corner for almost 15 years now, and sadly, I've watched the area slowly deteriorate. Its historic shopfronts have long been boarded up, retailers continue to pack up shop, and employment offices now seem to outnumber the stores that once culminated a thriving shopping precinct. Even after all these years, I've continued to walk the almost empty main strip in the hope that someone will rescue this neat little pocket of Brisbane from oblivion. Then a café named Lady Marmalade came along. Located in the old corner shop where Replay Records and CDs once kept me occupied on the weekends, Lady Marmalade is just the lodger Stones Corner has been lacking these past few years. Bare brick walls, odd ornaments and table numbers represented by rubber fruits with faces only add to the charm of the café's interesting fit-out. And as if there isn't enough to take in while you're waiting for your meal, the tables are covered with a mixture of famous art and front-page clippings from half-century old Brisbane newspapers. While the eccentric décor would undoubtedly be enough to draw in passers-by, the home-style menu and ever-changing cabinet of treats at the counter is surely enough to clinch the deal. My favourite, the haloumi sandwich – that's haloumi, roasted pumpkin, chilli and mint pesto, tomato and spinach on sourdough – is worth going back for again and again. Add a damn fine cup of coffee and some of the best baklava I've ever tasted and you've got something to tell your friends about.
Home to brews, bands and giant-sized board games since 2014, Ann Street's Woolly Mammoth Alehouse now has an in-house sibling venue: a tropical-themed watering hole called Ivory Tusk. The bar has taken over Woolly Mammoth's Mane Stage area and given it a Palm Springs-inspired revamp, complete with plenty of pastels. As well as transforming the Fortitude Valley's site's existing garden terrace into a tequila-focused party space, Ivory Tusk boasts three bar areas, all serving up cocktails on tap. Expect eight different concoctions made from fresh ingredients and botanicals — such as the Living Vanilla Loca, with rum, French vanilla syrup, citrus and spritz; and the Apricot Julep with bourbon, apricot brandy, lime, mint and sugar. Wine and craft brews are on the menu, too, plus ten types of tequila. And, you can nab either a cocktail tasting paddle or a tequila flight, each featuring four tipples. Food-wise, the venue champions Mexican cuisine, with the kitchen overseen by Executive Chef Graeme McKinnon (Covent Garden) and Head Chef Jack Thompson (The Line & Label, Port Lincoln). Think gazpacho tequila shooters, lamb barbacoa, chorizo sliders, black bean chilli and roast pork, as well as vegetarian, vegan-friendly and gluten-free options. With the site also doubling as an events space — and catering for between 20-1000 people — set menus are a feature. Visitors will also spy plenty of colour, new furnishings and a lighter, airier feel to suit the 'tropicali' vibe, thanks to renovations led by Luis Nheu of BSPN Architects. In the garden terrace, that means pendant lighting and a stencilled terrazzo floor. Back inside, Woolly Mammoth's band room has also been given a makeover. Ivory Tusk's entertainment lineup will span regular DJs, live bands and rockaoke — aka karaoke, but with a live band playing as you sing. And if you're fond of Woolly Mammoth in its current guise, its Mane Stage is still hanging around — just smaller, and on the site's upper level.
When Good Chef Bad Chef and Richo's Bar Snacks chef Adrian Richardson, ex-Cha Cha Char restaurateur Chris Higgins and lawyer Liam McMahon teamed up on BŌS, a 120-seater restaurant that adores meat so much that it has its own 'Cleaver Club', it promised Brisbane more than just a meal. The Queen Street spot opened in late 2022, with a sibling bar always in the works as well. Now, just as spring approaches in the River City, cocktail spot The Aviary Terrace Bar is pouring. Like BŌS, you'll find this watering hole opposite Customs House, in Otto Ristorante's old Dexus Tower digs — but making the most of an 800-square-metre al fresco space. Before, after or instead of a hearty lunch or dinner, Brisbanites can hit up The Aviary Terrace Bar for drinks and bites, with the doors open from Thursday, August 24. The venue will sling sips three days a week to begin with, from Thursday–Saturday, with Sunday trading due to kick in sometime late in September. To get there, patrons are advised to either take the lift from the complex's Queen Street entrance, or use the escalator from Adelaide Street. Either way, a sunny openair hangout with Brisbane River, Story Bridge and city views awaits. Higgins has dubbed the two ventures "a new dining and cocktail destination", "a hub for everything from corporate lunches and dinners through to celebratory events and social catchups" and "a must-visit precinct for Brisbane's birds of play to spread their wings". The decor matches the relaxed mood he's aiming for, including a colour palette heroing salmon and deep green tones, plus seven booths to get cosy in. Patrons will also find a curated range of tipples, including cocktails, craft beer, wine and champagne — complete with bottle service to the bar's booths — and light snacks. The libations span options with bird-themed names, such as the Ibis (vodka, blanc vermouth, manzanilla, olive brine and tonic water), the White Heron (agave, rum, coconut water, lime juice, pink grapefruit juice and fresh mint) and the Green Catbird (gin, lemon juice, basil liqueur and basil leaves). And among the bites: wagyu beef croquettes, oysters, prawn and bug rolls, eggplant crisps, Korean fried chicken, garlic prawn toasties, pork dumplings and cheeseburger spring rolls. Also, in the coming months, parties will pop up to make the most of the enviable location. If you're keen on pairing a trip here with a stint at BŌS as well, the latter clearly goes heavy on steak — it takes its name from the Latin word for beef, after all — with steak tartare, six cuts from the grill, and three giant 1.2–2.23-kilogram options to share all on offer. That said, diners can also choose from oysters, prawn cocktails, chargrilled Fremantle octopus, Tasmanian rock lobster, pork rib eye and duck breast with black garlic as part of BŌS' embrace of different types of proteins. Find The Aviary Terrace Bar on level four, 480 Queen Street, Brisbane — open 3pm–12am Thursday–Friday and 12pm–12am Saturday, with Sunday trading coming in late September.
Zach Cregger knows how to keep audiences guessing. The films that viewers think they're sitting down to see when he's behind the lens as a solo director aren't the movies that end up unfurling across the screen — in the most-thrilling way possible. Perhaps that element of surprise is fitting, given that Cregger's career has also enjoyed its own big twist. Before he wrote and directed 2022's Barbarian and now 2025's Weapons, he started out as an actor, debuting in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Next, he helped form comic troupe Whitest Kids U' Know, which took its sketches to TV for five seasons. Comedy flicks College, Miss March and The Civil War on Drugs, the latter two of which he co-helmed and co-penned with fellow WKUK founder Trevor Moore, are also on his resume, as are Love & Air Sex and Date and Switch. Ahead of making two of the 2020s' best horror movies so far, Cregger also featured in sitcoms Friends with Benefits, Guys with Kids, About a Boy and Wrecked. He doesn't necessarily agree that Weapons fits that surprise setup, however. "Is that true? I don't know," Cregger tells Concrete Playground. "Definitely, I understand that for Barbarian, but I think I take issue with that for Weapons. I think Weapons is a relatively consistent movie. It's just we don't know what the answer is, but it never really seems to change to me." He continues: "to me, it does seem like it maintains a tone throughout. We just don't know where it's going to go". The mastermind behind the enthralling Josh Brolin (Outer Range)- and Julia Garner (Fantastic Four: The First Steps)-starring film — which deserves to be one of this year's most-talked about trips to the cinema — notes that Weapons "doesn't radically shift genres or anything like that, does it?". He's spot on. But even audiences that've seen the movie's trailers, obsessed over them thanks to their Barbarian affection and know the opening premise won't predict where this wild horror ride takes its story. "Well, it's a mystery. That should be the case," says Cregger, smiling. Sending viewers on an unexpected trip is exactly his aim as a filmmaker. In both Weapons' sneak peek and the film itself, a child's voice sets the scene. "This is a true story," it starts with, although this is a fictional tale. Those youthful tones and that five-word phrase are where Cregger himself began writing — and also with the idea of a kid telling a campfire story. Initially, he too didn't know where the narrative would then venture. The rundown from that voice, as told with unnerving calm: "so this one Wednesday is like a normal day for the whole school, but the day was different. Every other class had all their kids, but Mrs Gandy's room was totally empty. And do you know why? Because the night before at 2.17 in the morning, every kid woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs and into the dark — and they never came back". In her second horror flick of 2025 after Wolf Man, Garner plays Justine, the Maybrook Elementary teacher mentioned. When 17 children in her class disappear, blame comes her way — both fast and furiously. Brolin portrays Archer Gaff, the angry father of one of the missing kids, who is desperate for answers, quick to embrace the catharsis of pointing fingers wherever he can and also a constant presence at the local police station, because he's adamant that not enough is being done on the investigation. From there, Weapons' cast also spans Alden Ehrenreich (Ironheart) as Paul, one of the small town's cops, who has a link to Justine; Benedict Wong (Bad Genius) as Marcus, the school principal; Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives) as Alex, the only child in the class in question who doesn't run out into the night; and Austin Abrams (Wolfs) as the looking-for-a-fix James. Each one, like Justine and Archer, earns their own chapter. As he did in Barbarian, Cregger demonstrates a strong, engaging and devilishly clever command of Weapons' disquieting tone from its first moment till its last, including through its imagery. He's astute and smart about interrogating humanity's suspicious nature as well — of anyone we can hold responsible for our misfortune, or who doesn't meet our societal standards; of strangers; of anyone who calls us out — as he also was in his debut horror movie. He's also sharp and probing about weaponising mistrust. That digging also shines through in his ensemble's excellent array of performances. And, while he's made another picture dripping with unease, that rattles nerves and unsettles — a mood that bubbles up immediately and simmers constantly from there — he also splashes in moments of humour. There's an element of the Lynchian to Weapons, too, as it takes its can't-look-away journey. We also spoke with Cregger about a number of these aspects of the movie — and chatted with him about the film's inspiration, following the death of Moore, but not just adding another grief- and trauma-fuelled entry to the horror genre. If you've spotted that Barbarian began with strangers discovering something distressing in someone else's house, while Weapons commences with 17 children fleeing their own homes, we also talked with him about that swerve, alongside scaling up from one film to the next. On Whether Veering From Sinister Events Happening in Other People's Houses in Barbarian to 17 Children Leaving Their Own Homes in Weapons was a Purposeful Move "No. No, I try not to do anything purposefully when I'm writing, honestly. It's just for me, writing is a process of discovery, and I try and be as careless as possible. And so no, I certainly don't think about what I did before or anything like that when I'm writing." On the Inspiration for Weapons, After the Writing Process Started with the First Sentence Heard in the Film and with a Child Telling Audiences a Story "Well, I was dealing with grief. A very, very dear friend of mine died. And so I was feeling the absence of someone dear to me. And so the idea of writing about a community that is reckoning with the absence of something precious felt easy for me to access. And I was able to of funnel a lot of the emotion into these characters and let them just speak authentically. And so that's where it comes in. By the way, that was not like a conscious thought — like 'oh, I miss my friend, and so I'll [do this]'. It's just that's what subconsciously wanted to come out. And so my whole job as a writer, honestly, is to try to just turn my brain off as much as I can and become an antenna to my subconscious, and let it out and try to stay out of the way. And so this is the story that came out." On Loss, Grief and Mortality Being Common in Horror — But Using Them as a Starting Point Instead "It's so boring. Genuinely — it's like I'm so tired of horror movies as a metaphor for trauma and grief. It's just like 'can we turn the page already and make a horror movie that's just fun?', you know? And hopefully, that's what Weapons is supposed to be. It's just a fun rollercoaster ride. I do not have anything new to say about grief and trauma, and I don't pretend to. That's just the jumping off point." On Making Horror Films That Are Also Mysteries — and If Taking Audiences on a Ride and Keeping Them Guessing Is Important to Cregger "I don't know. It's not if it's important to me or not. It's about — I write only for an audience of one: for me. So I'm writing, my process is 'can I entertain myself?'. Because I am so ADD, and I'm so bored all the time. Especially when I'm watching movies, I'm so frequently bored. It's hard for me to finish any movie, mostly, because I just bail. So I want to write something that's going to hold my attention. And so I never — that's why I like to write not knowing where it's going to go and what's going to happen, and I try and keep myself engaged. So that, to me, is my only kind of barometer. I think I sounded a little asshole-ish when I just said that, but I don't mean to be throwing shade on other movies." On Whether Cregger Is Particularly Interested in the Weaponisation of Suspicion and Mistrust — Especially If Someone Else Can Be Blamed for Our Misfortunes "I suppose so. That's definitely human nature, right? We other-ise so easily. And I'm sure I've been on both sides of that many, many times in my life — and it's fertile ground for conflict, misreading other people and all of the all of the sabre-rattling that we see in modern culture, especially in America. It seems like all we do is just get worked up about other people that we don't understand, so I think that's very accessible as a writer." On What Inspires Cregger's Haunting, Lingering Horror Imagery "I have no idea what inspires it. I wish I had a good answer for that because I'd be able to do it more often, but I don't know. It's a case-by-case thing. It's a circumstantial thing. I have to think of something in the moment for what the character is facing. So I don't have any catalogue of creepy shit that I'm able to access — I just kind of, as the scene requires, try to do my best to think of what would be the scariest thing there. There's the people sitting on the couch not moving, which I think it's just bizarre that they would hear the sound — then who sits on their couch in the living room with the lights off? It's just — something's wrong. So that felt fun. The kids running with their arms out — it just feels like anytime you can just do something simple that implies there's a screw loose, that's fun to do. You want to create the maximum disconnect with the least amount of effort. But yeah, I don't know — I wish understood where those things can come from better, because I think I'd be a better writer." On Layering Humour Into a Film That Is Expertly Disquieting From Start to Finish "I think the lesson I learned in Weapons is that there are a few jokes I wrote in there that I thought were really funny. I wrote them in. And they didn't work. When I let the characters have their authentic reaction to bizarre situations, sometimes the humour just naturally appears. And that's what I try to encourage. But I've learned on this never to try to be clever and write a joke, because they're all on the cutting room floor and nobody liked them. So I guess that's my only kind of philosophy, is 'let it come from a real place. Don't try and be funny'. For me, by the way — that's just for me." On Working with a Cast That Includes Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong and More "I feel like a kid on Christmas every day. Watching these people who are so extremely good at what they do, leaning into making this story — I can't believe how lucky I am. Honestly, once I cast them, I really don't have a whole lot of credit to take. I kind of stand back and let them just do their thing. I just try to make sure that we're all making the same movie. They're so talented, they can go anywhere, and my job is to just make sure that we all have the same parameters. But yeah, I have had an amazing stroke of luck with everyone in this movie. They're all great." On Scaling Up From Barbarian to Weapons "Well, you never feel like you're on easy street. And I think if the budget was $200 million for this movie, I still would have felt the pinch. Because 'the lizard will grow to the size of its cave' is that an expression someone said to me once that I really like — where you just never feel like you have enough time and enough money to make it the way it wants to be made. And I think that's just filmmaking. I don't think that's unique to me. So, as fun as it was to be able to take a bigger swing and shoot bigger setpieces and have more stars in the movie — and all of that's great — you're still panicked that you're not going to get the shot before the sun goes down. That's just inevitable. And I don't mean to complain. I felt the bigger scale, don't get me wrong. But you still always feel like your back is against the wall." Weapons screens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
Another convenient trip from Brisbane is Moreton Island, just north of Stradbroke. The Tangalooma Wrecks campground is a short walk or drive (via 4WD) from the ferry landing and, as the name suggests, is within view of a series of shipwrecks. The difference between these and most others along Australia's east coast is they were deliberately sunk to create a break wall. Happily, they make for excellent snorkelling and diving, too. Moreton Island National Park is home to miles of pristine beaches, rocky headlands, creeks, lagoons and wildflowers. Facilities consist of cold showers, hybrid toilets and untreated running water. Book in advance. Image: Tourism and Events Queensland
When International Women's Day rolls around, the Regatta's underground speakeasy The Walrus Club celebrates the occasion in the best way it can: with an all-female bar takeover. But in 2022, the weather has other plans. So, the Toowong spot is throwing in a second takeover and shifting its Women in Walrus event to Friday's Riverside. Head by the other waterside spot from 5pm on Sunday, March 6 to find a talented crew of ladies mixing up the best beverages they can — featuring gin heavily. If you need something else to say cheers to, there'll also be a Four Pillars-sponsored cocktail showdown (hence the big gin focus), plus live music. Entry is free, you'll pay for whatever you drink and eat as the afternoon and evening roll by, and Friday's usual food menu will be on offer. While women will be in the spotlight, anyone can attend and mark the occasion. And, reservations aren't necessary.
For almost 30 years, December 21 Down Under has been known as Gravy Day. The reason: Paul Kelly's 'How to Make Gravy', which released in 1996. The best way to mark the occasion, of course, has always included making gravy and listening to the song. But in 2024, there'll be another way to celebrate: watching the movie adapted from Kelly's tune. News that the flick was coming initially dropped in 2022, with musician Meg Washington and writer/director Nick Waterman announcing that they'd locked in the rights to make the song into a film. Then, Australian streaming platform Binge revealed that it's behind the movie, marking its first-ever original feature — and that it'd hit this year. Now, the movie version of How to Make Gravy has a release date, arriving on streaming on Sunday, December 1. How to Make Gravy, the film, also now boasts a trailer. So, if you've been wondering how a tune becomes a movie, here's a glimpse. The Royal Hotel co-stars Daniel Henshall (RFDS) and Hugo Weaving (Slow Horses) feature as Joe and Noel. The first hails from the song — he's the prisoner who writes to his brother Dan to kick things off — while Noel is a new addition. Also starring: Brenton Thwaites (Titans) as Dan, Kate Mulvany (The Clearing) as Joe's sister Stella and Damon Herriman (now that he's no longer playing Charles Manson in both Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as her husband Roger. French actor Agathe Rousselle from Titane, who is making her first English-language film, also features as Joe's wife Rita. And yes, there's a Frank and a Dolly, aka Joe's twin daughters (newcomer Rose Statham and Christmas on the Farm's Izzy Westlake) — and an Angus, Joe's son (Jonah Wren Phillips, Sweet Tooth). Still on names from the music, Eloise Rothfield (Boy Swallows Universe) is Dan's daughter Mary, while Eugene Gilfedder (Babyteeth) and Kym Gyngell (The Artful Dodger) are brothers Gary and Murray. Kieran Darcy-Smith (Mr Inbetween) is also among the cast as new character Red — and with Washington one of the picture's driving forces, Adam Briggs, Brendan Maclean, Dallas Woods, Patience Hodgson and Zaachariaha Fielding are among the musicians with cameo roles. There's no word yet if Kelly pops up as the film tells of Joe's family's preparations to spend their first Christmas without him. Check out the trailer for How to Make Gravy below — and, because you've likely now got it stuck in your head, the music video for the song as well: How to Make Gravy will stream via Binge from Sunday, December 1, 2024. Images: Jasin Boland.
What's better than a brand-new live music venue that gifts Brisbanites another place to head to gigs? A space that also gives a heritage-listed site a hefty refresh and opens it up to the city. That's the kind of alchemy that's just taken place on Annerley Road, with The Princess Theatre — which happens to be Queensland's oldest-standing theatre — officially reopening on Thursday, October 28 after quite the makeover. For years, The Princess Theatre has been the kind of place that Brisbanites took notice of whenever they drove past, but probably hadn't ever been inside. Sat just around the corner from the Mater Hospital, the 133-year-old spot stands out; however, for the past couple of decades, it's been owned and run by a church. That changed early in 2021, when The Tivoli owners Steve Sleswick and Dave Sleswick joined forces with local businessman Steve Wilson to snap up the building — and quickly announced their new places for the venue. After a few pandemic delays, it's now time for Brisbane to see the results of that revamp — and to start heading by for gigs. As they did with The Tiv back in 2016, the Sleswick brothers have helped preserve and revamp The Princess, aiming to turn it into Woolloongabba's new music and arts hub. The results are luxe, inviting and eye-catching, all while adding a new must-visit spot to the inner east just a stone's throw away from the CBD, South Bank and the Gabba. Outside, the white facade remains. Inside, the building now boasts a state-of-the-art auditorium that can cater to a 920-person standing crowd, or seat 520 — enabling it to host concerts, shows and everything in-between. Plus, there's also four different bars, a public cafe and private event spaces, giving Brissie residents several reasons to drop in. Fables Bar and Cafe already opened at the beginning of October, serving up coffee by day and cocktails at night, as well as breakfast and brunch options (think: avo on toast, and ham and cheese croissants), sandwiches, and cheese and charcuterie plates. The venue's outdoor space, Clarence Courtyard, has also been welcoming in punters already. Revamped courtesy of architecture firm JDA — who also helped revitalise the Elizabeth Picture Theatre — alongside interior designer Sophie Hart and builder Herron Coorey, Princess Theatre's renovation includes a rehearsal room, co-working creative office and workshop space, too. And, visual theatre company Dead Puppet Society will now call it home, using it as its base and a workshop and gallery space. As for what you can expect to check out at the venue over the coming months, the lineup includes everything from gigs by Regurgitator, The Murlocs, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Custard Tropical Fuck Storm to Dead Puppet Society production The Wider Earth. Find The Princess Theatre at 8 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba. For further details about upcoming shows, head to the venue's website.
RAISE Rooftop is taking Brisbane's cafe game to new heights. The New York-style cafe and event space is perched on the top floor of 157 Ann Street, removed from the hustle and bustle of the CBD. The new spot provides a laidback energy for people to chill out with a coffee and a pastry to break up the busy days. Sweet treats are provided by I Heart Brownies, which happen to all be gluten-free, and pastries come from Banette. RAISE Rooftop then transforms into a lively event space come evening. With 180-degree skyline views, the flexible space can play host to corporate functions, workshops, networking events, celebrations and private parties. The co-founders of the new venue, Laura Campion and Alex Afflick, say they set out to create a space that combines a New York rooftop atmosphere with the warmth of a local hang-out to bring the community together. They "saw the potential to create a really unique experience up here with all this beautiful sky, fresh air and a blank canvas to work with…Whether it's coffee in the sunshine, a networking opportunity, or a private rooftop celebration, RAISE is here for it." Images: Nelson Zambrano.
Hankering for a fresh cup of caffeinated goodness, but just don't know whether you feel like an espresso or a flat white? We've all been there and agonised over that, and Kelvin Grove's latest coffee stop knows this. And, it has come up with a solution. Meet Earth & Steam Coffee Co. and their potentially life-changing tasting board, aka Brisbane's first foray into coffee flights. You'll get a taste of both of the above hot beverages, plus an accompanying cold-pressed on ice. Yep, it's a caffeine fiend's dream, whether you just can't choose the brew that suits your mood, or want to sample a range of styles. A full array of specialty coffees are also available at the Earth & Steam's Brissie offshoot from their Helensvale Northquarter store, should you decide that just one drink will do — as are a selection of teas for those who prefer steeped leaves to roasted beans. Add a range of healthy brekkie and lunch bites, and that's your weekday daytime meals and breaks covered if you're an inner-northerner of just happen to be in the vicinity.
When it comes to The Diary of a Teenage Girl, it appears it's all there in the name. The film does indeed rifle through the innermost thoughts of a youth on the cusp of womanhood. It also charts a coming-of-age journey. Boys are involved, as well as acts of rebellion, plus arguments with those in positions of authority. So far, so standard, but thankfully there's more to this amusing adolescent awakening. Actually, the stirring that is central to the movie happens both on screen and off. In the story, San Francisco-based 15-year-old Minnie Goetze (Bel Powley) follows her urges into an affair with the two-decades-older Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård), who also happens to be the boyfriend of her mother (Kristen Wiig). In charting her escapades, the film offers a frank and funny exploration of the teenage female experience, and clearly enjoys doing so. Life lessons are learned in both situations. It's not that Minnie's issues, as told to a tape recorder that doubles as her audio diary beginning on the day she first has sex, chart drastically new territory. Struggling with lust, love and the onset of maturity has been covered before, just rarely with such a judgment-free embrace of the awkward reality of the age group in focus, or with a no-holds-barred portrayal of teenage girlhood at its centre. The way in which first-time writer/director Marielle Heller presents the tale, adapting Phoebe Gloeckner's semi-autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, and overlaying spirited narration over upbeat antics before letting less glowing aspects of Minnie's life seep into both, certainly gives The Diary of a Teenage Girl a distinctive yet authentic glow. Using a '70s soundtrack to mirror its period setting, as well as working in animated interludes that mimic the lead character's dreams of becoming a cartoonist, similarly assist. Ample credit must also go to the exuberant Powley, who doesn't just make what could've been a conventional role credible, candid and complex — she makes it her own. Her version of Minnie strives and stumbles in a fashion both painfully and poignantly relatable to anyone who has been there and done that (been a teenage girl, that is). Her interpretation of the character ensures the contradictions of youth are completely understandable, be they fearlessness and fragility, optimism and uncertainty, or stubbornness and sincerity. That's she's the film's driving force and shining star is considerable feat, particularly for an actor otherwise only known for stealing the show in British princess-themed comedy A Royal Night Out earlier this year, and more so given the cast she's working with. Wiig playing dramatic and Skarsgård skirting the edge of creepiness are both great, as is Christopher Meloni in a brief appearance as Minnie's former stepfather, but the movie can only belong to one person. Yes, The Diary of a Teenage Girl lives up to its title, and that's something to celebrate.
Overwater dining, meals and sips with a waterside view, taking dinner and drinks up a few levels: around Brisbane, none of these are new experiences. That said, grabbing a bite or a beverage at a restaurant that's not only perched over the water — ten metres above the Brisbane River, in fact — but is also part of one of the city's bridges is something that the Queensland capital has never seen before. Meet Stilts, which is now open on the Kangaroo Point Bridge. The modern-Australian eatery is not just Brisbane's first-ever restaurant on a bridge, but also Queensland's first of its kind — even if it's the second that hospitality company Tassis Group has launched with ties to the River city's newest river crossing. Mulga Bill's Kitchen & Bar, which is sat at the foot of the structure on the Alice Street side, opened before it. Where that venue is a casual all-day diner, Stilts is all about an elevated experience (including literally) in unique surroundings. "Stilts is more than just a restaurant — it's a destination in itself, where guests can experience firsthand the things that make our city so unique. I wanted to create a place where every last detail celebrated the spirit of our community, from the people, culture and lifestyle to our access to some absolutely incredible produce," said Tassis Group's Michael Tassis. "Not only is it raised to capture the stunning views, it's designed to share with loved ones, create memories, and to enjoy the best produce and talent Queensland has to offer." If the 100-seater restaurant's design looks familiar, that's because it takes inspiration from a Sunshine State staple: Queenslander homes. Of course, most such structures around Brisbane don't boast a 180-degree vantage peering out over the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs and Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, including through floor-to-ceiling windows. Also key elements of Stilts: an alfresco balcony, a casual bar area and an indoor dining room that allows ample light in, as well as a 12-person private dining room. Under Head Chef Dan Hernandez (formerly of fellow Tassis venture Fosh, and also ex-Restaurant Dan Arnold and Agnes), the Queensland-focused menu starts with beef tartare in cannelloni shells and potato pavé, serves up caviar three ways — in blinis and beef tartlets among them — and then spans everything from Australian wagyu dumplings and Moreton Bay bug linguine to pistachio gelato and yuzu curd. If you're keen on a surf-and-turf option, Stilts' version features 28-day aged sirloin and swordfish steak, and will set you back $135. Diners can also treat themselves to angus and wagyu steaks from the grill, charcoal or miso-yuzo glazed lobster, and a wagyu tasting experience with three cuts of meat. For those feeling spoiled for choice, three different banquets will make your picks for you, ranging from $155–240 in price — the latter with the three caviar options. Drinks-wise, more than 180 drops are on the wine list, alongside beer, spirits and non-boozy sips. As well as Mulga Bill's, Stilts joins Tassis Group's growing lineup of Brisbane restaurants; see also: Opa Bar + Mezze, Yamas Greek + Drink, Massimo Restaurant and Bar, Longwang, Fatcow on James St, Fosh Portside, Rich & Rare, Pompette and Dark Shepherd. Find Stilts Dining at 147E Alice Street, Brisbane CBD, on the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge — open from 11am–9.30am Sunday–Thursday and 11am–10pm Friday–Saturday. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Allo Creative / Markus Ravik / Brisbane City Council.
If you've ever walked down Edward Street from the Queen Street Mall to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, or vice versa, then you've walked past the site of the River City's next exciting opening. But, no matter how many times you've passed by, we're guessing that you wouldn't have ever picked that you'd be able to tuck into a modern-Asian meal where Longwang is setting up shop, let alone hit up a rooftop bar or cocktail lounge there. No one tends to look at a void between two commercial towers and think "great place for an eatery", but Michael Tassis from hospitality company Tassis Group did. So, what was once a gap beside 144 Edward Street is about to become home to his Brisbane newcomer, effective Friday, April 26. While it only measures three metres wide, the two-and-a-half-storey spot stretches back 30 metres and can welcome in up to 175 guests for functions. How does a restaurant, even one as slender as this, take over a former alleyway? Thanks to custom-built digs, with Clui Design helping out. While there's a formal dining room, as well as the sky-high bar and venue for cocktails, being flexible is key — including in its function spaces. The idea is that patrons will have a different experience onsite each time that they stop by. One constant is the culinary guidance of Executive Chef and partner Jason Margaritis (ex- sAme sAme and Donna Chang in Brisbane, and Spice Temple Melbourne and Sydney). His contemporary take on Asian cuisine, inspired by more than 15 years working with the style, heroes seafood, plus a mix of traditional flavours with modern techniques. Think: a live seafood tank with local mud crabs and Tasmanian rock lobsters, whole fried baby barramundi paired with dry red curry snake beans and bug tail kung pao. Dishes that don't involve the ocean's finest will include braised lamb shoulder Massaman curry, as well as pork belly wok-tossed with sichuan pepper, black bean and chilli. Or, opt for a half chicken from the charcoal grill, as coated in tamarind-heavy satay sauce. "The opportunity to develop a menu from the ground up was an exciting feat. I've drawn from my love of Chinese and east Asian cuisines to create a temple of tastiness that encapsulates the best elements of Asian-style banquet dining," said Margaritis. Taking care of the wine list to match is Tassis Group Beverage Director and sommelier Ron Almera, who is curating a mix of old- and new-world wines — all specifically to go perfectly with Asian flavours. And as for the cocktails, you'll be able to ask for them to be mixed up to suit your tastebuds whether you're hitting the rooftop or the lounge. While the "long" part of the restaurant's moniker might sound apt given the site's narrow dimensions, the name actually hails from Chinese mythology. Also known as the Dragon King or Dragon God, Longwang commands the seas, so the title reflects the menu's focus. The venue joins the Tassis portfolio alongside Yamas Greek + Drink and Rich & Rare in West End, Opa Bar + Mezze and Massimo Restaurant on Eagle Street in the CBD, and Fosh Bar & Restaurant at Portside Wharf in Hamilton. Fatcow is on its way to James Street in Fortitude Valley this year, too, while Kangaroo Point's new green bridge will welcome Tassis' Stilts and Mulga Bill's. Longwang opens at 144 Edward Street, Brisbane on Friday, April 26, operating from 11am–late daily. Head to the restaurant's website for further details. Images: Markus Ravik.
The Howard Smith Wharves precinct just keeps expanding, with Goodtimes Gelateria the latest addition to the riverside spot. It's a natural location for Brisbane's newest sweet treat haven — hanging out by bodies of water and licking frosty desserts have always gone hand-in-hand, after all. Scooping up the good stuff seven days a week, Goodtimes features 22 different flavours, all overseen by HSW Executive Pastry Chef Rhian Shellshear, whose resumé includes stints at Gelato Messina and Adriano Zumbo's patisseries. Twelve gelato flavours sit in the cabinet on a permanent basis, alongside six sorbets and four rotating flavours. All the classics are covered, such as vanilla, chocolate and salted caramel; however, it's the more inventive varieties that might particularly tempt your tastebuds. You'll find options like baked apple pie, brown butter and caramelised popcorn, and mandarin sorbet. Goodtimes' icy treats are all made from premium ingredients, including French chocolate, Maleny dairy products and local fruit from Queensland farmers. Find Goodtimes' pastel-hued ice creamery underneath The Fantauzzo Hotel, slinging its desserts from 11am–11pm.
The great drive-thru trend of 2020 and 2021, when everything from lasagne and wine to mac 'n' cheese, dagwood dogs, Ekka showbags and strawberry sundae-inspired beers were available without getting out of your car, is behind us. But not having to leave your vehicle to nab whatever your tastebuds are hankering for was never just an early-pandemic trend. So, cue a handy way to pick up ramen in a hurry right now: Ramen Danbo's new Pimpama drive-thru. Sitting halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the chain's sixth southeast Queensland location is only convenient if you'll be in the vicinity; however, if that applies, it's mighty practical. Ramen to go doesn't get much easier than this, with the brand calling its new store Australia's first drive-thru ramen joint. The Pimpama location on Pimpama Jacobs Well Road does dine-in, takeaway and pick-up orders as normal, should you not be in such a rush or be keen on stepping inside. On the menu either way: eight types of ramen, from Ramen Danbo's classic to its miso tonkotsu (and shoyu and vegetarian as well), all of which can be customised with spice, extra pork slices and other toppings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ramen Danbo Australia (@ramendanboau) If you're now craving ramen but won't be anywhere near Pimpama anytime soon, Ramen Danbo's drive-thru-free existing stores are located at Sunnybank Hills, South Brisbane and the Brisbane CBD in Brissie, as well as at Southport and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. The brand began in Japan in 2000, before making the leap to Australia. Next time that you're in North America, you'll also find offshoots in Vancouver, Seattle and New York. [caption id="attachment_776492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ramen Danbo Sunnybank Hills[/caption] Find Ramen Danbo's drive-thru at Shop 3, 62–68 Pimpama Jacobs Well Road, Pimpama — open from 11am–10pm daily. Head to the chain's website for further details. Images: Andrew HZ / Karen Boshoff.
When you have a favourite bar, brewery or eatery, or a beloved joint that offers a great combination of the three, scoring a second place to enjoy its beverages or bites is always welcome news. Slipstream Brewing Company has delivered just that. A beer-pouring — and -making — go-to on Brisbane's southside for the past seven years, it has now opened another location. Meet Slipstream Brewing Social House. Brisbanites will need to head out of town for a sip here, so add checking out the brewery's latest venture to your next trip to the Sunshine Coast. Since Wednesday, October 16, 2024, you'll find Slipstream Brewing Social House in Birtinya, in the local Stockland Shopping Centre, sprawling across a 300-person greenery-filled space with 40 taps, plus both steak and seafood on the food menu — and featuring indoor and outdoor seating, combining al fresco dining with cosy booths. If the word that comes to mind is "hangout", that's by design on co-owners Deale and Elisa Stanley-Hunt's parts. Brisbane's Slipstream Brewing brewpub in Yeerongpilly, which has been open on Wilkie Street since 2017, has the same vibe. The two sibling venues both take cues from America's west coast across their food menus, as Slipstream's beers do as well. On the brews front, the brand has also created a new North Coast pilsner that you can knock back exclusively at Social House. For something other than beer, cocktails, independent spirits, boutique wines and non-boozy choices — coffee among them — are on offer. The culinary options under Head Chef Jarick Quesada include new dishes and highlights from Yeerongpilly across a range of plates to share, grilled eats, burgers, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Think: southern fried chicken tenders with pickled vegetables, popcorn cauliflower, salmon tostadas, crumbed mushroom burgers, rib fillet steak sandwiches, 450-gram pork tomahawks with wagyu fat potatoes, fish tacos made with beer-battered barramundi and chocolate stout brownies. Unsurprisingly, Mooloolaba prawn are also on the menu — served barbecued with 'njuda butter, white wine, napoli sauce, parsley, preserved lemon and toasted ciabatta. Entertainment-wise, Social House is also set to host live music, Oktoberfest shindigs, pinball competitions, weekly trivia nights and more.
Chef Brooke Nazzari from Cooking 101 shares a recipe for warm beer and bacon cheese dip, blended with James Squire Hop Thief 7 American-style pale ale. This smoky, gently beer flavoured dip is heavenly. Filled with three cheeses, fried free range bacon pieces, zesty mustard, smoky paprika and a decent splash of Hop Thief 7 American-style pale ale, it has all the winning ingredients for the perfect warm dip. I serve it with corn chips and veggie sticks, but warm crusty bread would be just as delicious. Ingredients 200gm free range bacon (diced into small pieces) 250g cream cheese ½ cup parmesan ½ cup shredded mozzarella 1tbs wholegrain mustard 1tsp ground dried paprika ½ cup James Squire Hop Thief American Pale Ale 2 x spring onion (diced finely) Salt and pepper to taste Method 1) Gently fry off the bacon pieces until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and put it on some paper towel to absorb the fat while it cools. 2) Meanwhile, in a food processor blitz the cream cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, mustard, paprika and beer until it's all well combined. Stir in the spring onion, ¾ of the bacon, salt and pepper, making sure it's all mixed through well. 3) Spoon the mixture into an oven proof ramekin/dish, top with the remaining bacon and bake for 20-25mins in a moderate oven, until it's warmed through and deliciously gooey. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Brutus is small, focused and deliberately understated. The compact aperitivo bar is designed for early evenings, pre-dinner drinks and nights that unfold without a plan. Although it sits directly across from its culinary cousin Julius Pizzeria, its focus is narrower and more contemplative: sip first, snack second. Inside, there's a tiny bar with just a handful of seats, while outside a couple of communal tables catch the Brisbane breeze and the steady hum of the precinct. The space may be limited, but intention isn't, encouraging shorter menus, sharper decisions and longer conversations. Behind the bar you'll find a considered list. Italian and Australian wines anchor the selection, and are joined by spritzes, classic aperitivi and seasonal cocktails, from expert takes on the Negroni and Americano to signatures that balance bitter, citrus and herbaceous notes. Beers and light non-alcoholic options round out the list. Food comes in the form of spuntini, the Italian small snacks designed to accompany a drink rather than dominate it. At Brutus, that means bowls of toasted nuts or salted crisps, olives and grissini. Expect combinations like fennel salami with balsamic onions and fontina, burrata paired with marinated artichokes and semi-dried tomatoes, and simple cheese plates served with chutney, cornichons and crisp pane carasau. Service is warm, casual and quietly knowledgeable, matching the bar's elegant minimalism. Whether you're popping in for a spritz before dinner, lingering at the bar as the sun dips over Fish Lane, or making a slow night of it with friends, Bar Brutus feels like a European hideaway refined for Brisbane's pace. It's a bar that doesn't ask much of you, other than to slow down, order well and enjoy the rhythm of Fish Lane as it passes by.
Scared of zombies? Think they're just prowling around The Walking Dead on TV and Resident Evil's never-say-die cinema sequels? If that's you, we recommend steering clear of Brisbane Powerhouse between October 18 and 29. On the other hand, if you're eager to face the undead, rush on down — and prepare to run around the historic venue once you're there. At Containment, getting up close and personal with people who used to be alive is the name of the live, interactive game, which thrusts audience members into an apocalyptic scenario and makes them part of the action. Across 90 minutes, the folks at Directors of the Extraordinary will take over all four levels of the New Farm site in their infected, shuffling, brain-munching guise, asking teams of two-to-six members to weather a contagion. Every move you make will have a bearing on the outcome as you try to escape the infected zone. If it sounds like the perfect October activity to you — it is the month of Halloween, after all — then book yourself and your pals in for a session. Tickets cost $65, which is a small price to pay to face zombies and survive. Pretending you're in whichever undead flick happens to be your fave (28 Days Later..., Night of the Living Dead, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead — take your pick) is an added bonus. Image: Samantha Turk.
First came the return of the Kirra Beach Hotel, pouring drinks again after three years out of action while the surfside pub was rebuilt as an all-new 1300-square-metre watering hole with a sunny beer garden. Then arrived Kirra Beach House, with multiple spaces to eat and drink — and cabanas for both — on the beachfront. Now, for everyone heading to the Gold Coast to take advantage of the two venues, or just in general, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments is up and running. Out-of-town visitors and staycationers alike have a new spot to stay at Kirra Point, the precinct that's reshaping this part of southeast Queensland's coast. If you're keen to slumber for at least two nights — with longer trips welcome, too — this sleek new accommodation boasts one-, two- and three-bedroom options, all in a prime location. Killer views from each apartment overlooking the beach are a huge highlight. So are expansive balconies that are designed for hanging out outside as much as in, whether you're going solo, or you're with your partner, mates or travelling as a family. No one usually books a holiday apartment with more room than they need — and with prices starting at $395 per night, that'll prove the case here — but whichever size abode you pick, you'll still be peering at the water. Beach vistas are part of every apartment, so you won't miss out on making the most of the scenic surroundings. Fancy taking a splash, too? That's where the block's elevated pool deck comes in, also with stunning views. As you swim in the 25-metre heated pool or kick back on the poolside lounges, you'll have an uninterrupted vantage of the beach. The communal al fresco area also includes barbecue facilities and an outdoor shower. Back inside, expect a contemporary aesthetic; sizeable bedrooms, with the main featuring a king-sized bed; a full kitchen with European appliances and a Nespresso coffee machine; a 65-inch television with a Chromecast; internet access; and a full laundry. Plus, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments has its own air-conditioned gym, and hires out beach carts, umbrellas and bikes for exploring the area. Need a charcuterie platter or picnic hamper to make your stay even better? They can be delivered. If you're new to Kirra, you'll be venturing 70 minutes from Brisbane, 30 minutes from Broadbeach and 45 minutes from Byron Bay. And if this is the first that you're hearing about the Kirra Point precinct, it's all about giving folks the beach life whether they're dropping by for a sip and a meal, residing onsite or temporarily calling it their home away from home. Find Kirra Point Holiday Apartments at 4 Miles Street, Kirra, Queensland — head to the apartments' website for bookings and further details. Images: Elise Hassey.
The title doesn't lie: when Fleishman Is in Trouble begins, its namesake is indeed struggling. He's also perfectly cast. If you're going to get an actor to play an anxious and unravelling recently divorced man in his forties who's trying to navigate the new status quo that is sharing custody of his kids, having a high-powered ex, and being initiated into the world of dating apps and casual hookups, Jesse Eisenberg is the person to recruit. If his Zombieland character lived happily ever after until he didn't, or his Vivarium character was trapped into a different type of domestic maze, this page-to-screen series would be the end result. That's just Fleishman Is in Trouble's first stroke of genius casting, however, with the Disney+ miniseries supremely smart and astute in choosing its on-screen talent. Arriving at the end of 2022 to become one of that year's best new shows, the eight-part drama has Eisenberg play Toby, a well-regarded hepatologist who is passionate about helping people through medicine. But for over a decade until the summer of 2016, when Fleishman Is in Trouble is set, he's been made to feel inferior about this work. As copious flashbacks illustrate, he's the odd one out among the Upper East Side crowd his theatre talent agent wife — now former — Rachel (Claire Danes, The Essex Serpent) favours because being in the healing business hasn't made him rich enough. She sported the same attitude as well, until she dropped their kids Hannah (Meara Mahoney Gross, Don't Look Up) and Solly (Maxim Swinton, Raymond & Ray) off at Toby's place in the middle of the night without warning, said she was going to a yoga retreat and stopped answering his calls. [caption id="attachment_887795" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Linda Kallerus, FX[/caption] Written to sound like a profile — something that journalist, author and screenwriter Taffy Brodesser-Akner knows well, and has the awards to prove it — Fleishman Is in Trouble chronicles Toby's present woes while reflecting upon his past. It's a messy and relatable story, regardless of whether you've ever suddenly become a full-time single dad working a high-stakes job you're devoted to in a cashed-up world you resent. Fleishman Is in Trouble is a mystery, too, as Toby, his friends and the show's viewers ponder the central question: what's happened to Rachel? That query hangs in almost every word that Eisenberg speaks, but it's also shaped by Toby's perspective. He wants to know where his ex has disappeared to and why she has upended his life, but he's far less interested in how the breakdown of their marriage has affected her, if she's in trouble and how that has contributed to his current dilemma. As narrated by the ever-shrewd Lizzy Caplan (Eisenberg's Now You See Me 2 co-star) as Toby's old college pal-turned-writer and now stay-at-home-mum Libby — one of two old friends, alongside Adam Brody as Seth (no, not The OC character) — Fleishman Is in Trouble dives into the minutiae that makes Toby's new existence such a swirling sea of uncertainty. It's detailed. It's specific. The directing team, which includes Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Battle of the Sexes) behind the lens of three episodes, Alice Wu (The Half of It) helming one, and Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (Things Heard & Seen) doing the honours on four, is never short on visual ways to reinforce how Toby's life has been flipped upside down. But at the same time, while honing in on the Fleishman family's situation and troubles, the series also ensures all that detail paints a universal portrait. [caption id="attachment_887796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Linda Kallerus, FX[/caption] This is a show about discovering that more of your time is gone than you'd realised, and that your youthful hopes have faded and your looming future has receded. It's a series about the push and pull of being an adult, too — from dating, marriage, divorce and parenting to studying, the nine-to-five grind and that fabled work-life balance — that bears down on us all. It's a drama about the cumulative effect of our daily reality, plus the demands and expectations that come with it, whether or not we've started to feel the ebbs, flows and pressure. Everything from class inequality and constant social hustling to the roles that women are forced to play around men earns the show's attention in the process, as layered through a miniseries that's evocatively shot — and, again, meticulously cast. Brodesser-Akner and the Fleishman Is in Trouble team — which also includes Michael Goldbach (On Becoming a God in Central Florida) penning one episode to her seven — have an extra tool at their disposal: capitalising upon the baggage viewers bring to their stars. Why does Eisenberg seem such an apt choice from the get-go? Because he could've wandered off the set of countless other projects and into this one, slipping into Toby's shoes like he's always been wearing them. His casting acts as shorthand, signalling what to anticipate if you've ever seen him frayed and fraught on-screen. (The waxing lyrical about social media, as surrounding an actor who was Oscar-nominated for The Social Network, is as comic as it's meant to be.) [caption id="attachment_887793" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matthias Clamer, FX[/caption] With Homeland her best-known role of the past decade-plus, Danes' involvement has the same impact from the outset; when Toby describes or remembers Rachel, offering up an image of a woman who is driven, determined, career- rather than motherhood-focused and desperate to succeed at all costs, it feels like an instant fit. His recollection bakes in those traits even in their romance's earliest days, just softer and waiting to solidify. Again, why is this the case? Why is it so easy to accept that Rachel is this clearly defined, and that Toby's take is accurate? Fleishman Is in Trouble wants that question to linger, because how willingly its audience jumps onboard with Toby's perspectives on himself, Rachel and their relationship is as much its focus, and as important, as Rachel's whereabouts. Watching Fleishman Is in Trouble evolve, getting sharper and deeper the more its viewpoint spreads and expands, is one of this exceptional series' many rewards. Watching Eisenberg and Danes unpack the type of personality traits they've frequently portrayed on-screen, the people who boast them, and the stereotypes, judgements, sympathies and hostilities they spark, is both thrilling and mesmerising — and while Eisenberg is excellent, Danes is phenomenal, especially as the show spends more time with Rachel and her struggles. Her masterful casting and the performance that follows cuts to the heart of Fleishman Is in Trouble's commentary on how women are treated if they focus on their professions or don't, or on motherhood or not, or make any move expected of them or rally against those dictated confines. And the fact that My So-Called Life alum Danes, Freaks and Geeks' Caplan and The OC's Brody are so tied to such seminal teen shows from several decades back? Well I guess this is growing up, Fleishman Is in Trouble posits. Check out the trailer for Fleishman Is in Trouble below: Fleishman Is in Trouble streams via Disney+. Top image: JoJo Wilden, FX.
Ever wondered what it would be like to walk among the clouds? Well, in Tropical North Queensland, you can find out. Named after the First Nations Peoples and Traditional Custodians of this beautiful area, the Mamu Tropical Skywalk allows visitors to take immersive rainforest experiences to new heights — and it's only a 90-minute drive southwest of Cairns. [caption id="attachment_842259" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] The elevated walkway winds through a lush canopy, capturing soaring views of World Heritage-listed rainforest and the South Johnstone River from a 37-metre-high observation tower. Want to explore the rainforest at a slightly less elevated level? There are plenty of other comfortable walking tracks you can explore that are also stroller and wheelchair accessible. Images: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
As the force behind Cake Wines, Glen Cassidy has been shaping Sydney's epicurean side for six years now — and enjoying partaking in it as well. The brand is known for getting involved with the city's cultural events, while the man himself is full of tips and praise for Sydney's dining and drinking scene — particularly Redfern, the evolving inner-city suburb where Cake Wines opened its own cellar door in 2016. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Sydney, we've called in Glen, whose favourite spots range from the restaurant that's home to Gourmet Traveller's 2018 Chef of the Year to the joint slinging his favourite burgers in town. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in central Sydney — Hyde Park and Quay Grand Sydney Harbour (there's also two more at Sydney Airport and Sydney Olympic Park) — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you rest and digest in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Glen's top Sydney food hot spots in his own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. ESTER The team at Ester in Chippendale are big supporters of interesting wines — mostly natural, I think. The food is simple, but with what seems like a few very personal twists by the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Chef of the Year, Mat Lindsay. These guys have got the "local undiscovered but always full" vibe totally dialled. I love going there and sitting at the bar, with a couple of share plates and a few vinos. I've had some memorable afternoons there with Cake staff over the years. HUBERT Best in the game? Probably. The wine list, the menu, the atmos — CBD restaurant Hubert is a reimagining of classic dining, but without the stiffness that often accompanies food and wine this good. Hats off to the team (the Swillhouse Group, also behind Sydney establishments Shady Pines Saloon and the Baxter Inn) who have created this special place, and to the crew who work there. They deliver killer service and vibe, week in, week out. CAKE WINES CELLAR DOOR Yep, ok, I'm biased, but our Cellar Door in Redfern captures everything we love about food, wine and culture in this city. We have all our wines, different cultural programming each week, a solid selection of simple pizzas and charcuterie — all in a beautiful space down on Eveleigh Street. Vibes are always high at the Cellar Door as Redfern continues to evolve, and we're super proud to be part of it. ACME What's not to like? Acme in Rushcutters Bay boasts simple but creative cooking, a banging wine list, great staff and just an all-round vibe. Their creative approach to Italian food means you'll see dishes like cold spaghetti with okra, sesame and ponzu, and pig's head macaroni with egg yolk. We recently had a staff night out there for the launch of Ochota Barrels' new wines and the food was beautifully matched. No wonder they've just been awarded one hat by the Good Food Guide. REDFERN CONTINENTAL AND GDR Legends of the game. Redfern Continental presents a near-perfect example of casual dining, with a hidden gem of a night spot out the back. A complement to the pan-European offering in front, Gunther's Dining Room (aka GDR) is loosely East Germany themed, with curywurst and traditional German hotdogs on the bar menu. Factor in a killer wine list with selections from all around the world, and you've got it made here. $1 Oysters on Sundays in the bar are a must. This place is a regular haunt for Cellar Door staff. Redfern on the come up! SUPERIOR BURGER I grew up near this joint, so I am fond of the crew that is making such a positive contribution to the rapidly changing region that is Western Sydney. In a city overrun with burgers, I can hand on heart say these guys are the best I've tasted by far. The love, skill, energy and drive Jovi [chef Jovan Curic, formerly of Pub Life Kitchen] and the crew have for creating the best-tasting burgers comes out in spades. Get in your car and head to Wakeley — you will not regret it. HANOI QUAN Hanoi Quan offers a truly authentic northern Vietnamese experience. It's been at this spot in Marrickville since forever and gives nothing away from the outside. Had it not been introduced to me by the one and only DJ Arno, I wouldn't know about it, and I can honestly say my life would not be the same had I not tried their signature combination pho and grilled pork vermicelli. BART JR A new kid on the block in Redfern, Bart Jr is a cosy little joint that is quickly becoming my go-to. They have a great wine list (I drank a bottle of Piss Christ there only last week!), plus a fresh and simple menu that changes weekly. Do yourself a favour and stop by today. George, Anne [George Woodyard and Anne Cooper from Scout's Honour and Morris] and the crew have brought something special to the area for sure. DA ORAZIO PIZZA + PORCHETTA Food + wine + music = vibe. It's a hard combo to nail but full respect to Maurice [Terzini, the restaurateur who is also behind Icebergs] and the crew who balance this beautifully (shouts to Picnic on the bookings!). The Napoli-style pizza is made from dough that's left to rise for 48 hours before heading to the woodfire stove, while a whole Berkshire pig hits the spit roast every day (explaining the titular pizza and porchetta). Bondi needs more joints like this. FATIMA'S LEBANESE RESTAURANT Ok, this is the straight-up best "late night on the way home and don't want to get something gross" spot around. We are talking next-level Lebanese food. When it comes to takeaway, kebabs are as legit as they come, served by a proper maestro who has been there since as long as I can remember. Get the lot with chilli sauce, hummus, tabbouleh and salad. Fatima's will make sure you arrive home in one piece. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
Most lunchtimes, Semi-Semi is hard to miss thanks to the line of West End workers ordering gourmet sandwiches and tea. Those with more time on their hands can be spotted seated with a smile and a spoon, digging into a bright stack bingsu, served here in a wide range of flavours. First documented in the 14th century CE, the fluffy Korean-style shaved ice dessert was traditionally served with sweet red bean (pat-bingsu) or fresh fruit. After American candy arrived in Korea during the Korean War, bingsu evolved, and is now just as commonly topped with ingredients like ice cream, flavoured syrups, condensed milk and more — a tradition Semi-Semi continues by combining classic and modern flavours. Those who eat with their eyes best prepare for a feast. Shaped like a snow-capped green hill, Forest is a matcha-based bingsu with pearls and red beans served on the side. Coconut, cocoa and earl grey also feature in their own creations, with add-ons including rainbow jelly, lychee popping balls and even granola. The never-boring sandwich menu starts at $14 with options for every appetite, from lighter meat-free stacks to heartier toasties with fillings like spicy pulled beef and cheesy truffle mushroom. Practice caution with the monthly specials — don't get too attached to limited-time items like a chicken katsu curry, only to find it gone the next month. That's a pain only two bowls of bingsu can cure. Images: Supplied.
Returning to the Tyagarah Tea Farm over the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest is set to gumboot-stomp its well-worn spot in the Australian festival game as one of the tightest productions on the calendar. This year's lineup has generated more buzz than usual, landing one of the most awaited Australian returns of the last year — Kendrick Lamar. Alongside the multi-Grammy-winning artist and The Blacker the Berry maestro comes Bluesfest's usual, eclectic, heavily star-studded lineup. 'The Voice' is coming. Not the Delta kind, the only kind. Living legend and eternal 'Sexbomb' Tom Jones sits at the top of the bill, alongside The National, D'Angelo, Modest Mouse, City and Colour, Eagles Of Death Metal, UB40, Haitus Kaiyote, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and more. Things are going to get real Byron when The Wailers perform all four of Bob Marley's albums Exodus, Survival, Uprising and Legend in their entirety. Memories will be flooding (along with Bluesfest, if it rains again) with the appearance of Jackson Browne, alongside the The Decemberists. Returning Bluesfester Steve Earle is back with The Dukes, and we'll be front and centre for The 'Original' Blues Brothers Band. Add to this some of the best festival food in the game? You've got yourself a humdinger of a muddy, muddy weekend. BLUESFEST 2016 LINEUP: In alphabetical order... Allen Stone Archie Roach Ash Grunwald Backsliders Blackberry Smoke Blind Boy Paxton Chain City And Colour Cold War Kids Con Brio Digging Roots Dustin Thomas D'Angelo And The Vanguard Eagles Of Death Metal East Journey Elle King Emdee Emma Donovan & The Putbacks Eugene Hideaway Bridges Fantastic Negrito Frazey Ford Grace Potter Graham Nash Harts Hiatus Kaiyote Houndmouth Hussy Hicks Irish Mythen Janiva Magness Jason Isbell Jeff Martin (The Tea Party) Joe Bonamassa – Bluesfest exclusive Kaleo Kamasi Washington Kendrick Lamar Kim Churchill Lord Huron Lucky Peterson Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real Marshall Okell Melissa Etheridge Mike Love Modest Mouse Mojo Juju Nahko and Medicine For The People Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Pierce Brothers Playing For Change Band Raw Earth. Rhiannon Giddens Richard Clapton Russell Morris Sahara Beck Shakey Graves Songhoy Blues St. Paul & The Broken Bones Steve Earle and The Dukes Steve Smyth Sturgill Simpson Tedeschi Trucks Band Tex Perkins & The Ape The Blind Boys Of Alabama The Bros. Landreth The Cat Empire The Decemberists The Mastersons The Mick Fleetwood Band The National – Bluesfest exclusive The Selecter The Wailers The Word The "Original" Blues Brothers Band Tom Jones Tweedy UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey Virtue – Bluesfest exclusive Vintage Trouble Wards Xpress + more Bluesfest runs Thursday, March 24 – Monday, March 28 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets from Byron Bay Bluesfest. Image: Andy Fraser.
Brisbane's riverside dining and drinking scene just reclaimed a beloved favourite: the reopening Riverbar + Kitchen. For the past ten years, the Eagle Street spot has been an easy go-to for drinks by the water, and with a view of the Story Bridge. Out of action since late-February due to the city's floods, the Solotel and Matt Moran co-owned venue has now started welcoming patrons back in. Since Wednesday, October 19, Riverbar + Kitchen is back doing what it always has: serving up bites to each and beverages by the old brown snake. It took eight months to get the venue up and running again after it was fully submerged during the flooding — with just the tops of its yellow-and-white striped umbrellas sticking out of the water — but now the bar is back with a Miami Beach shack look and a new menu. Still nestled into Riparian Plaza's promenade level, where it first opened a decade ago, the new-look Riverbar + Kitchen now sports bright hues and white-washed wooden features, but one thing has definitely remained the same: those brollies. Menu-wise, the new all-day menu includes eggs benedict, house pasties, buttermilk pancakes and honey-roasted granola for breakfast; then seared pejo barramundi, cheeseburgers and chargrilled cauliflower for lunch and dinner. The latter selection also covers beet cured salmons, tuna carpaccio and a range of pizzas, plus a flourless chocolate cake. That culinary range heroes locally sourced seafood, plus plenty of fresh local produce in general. As for the refreshed drinks list, it features sips by the glass and jug. Brunch service — booze including the 'Wham Bam Jam' (Bombay Bramble Gin, strawberry jam, rose and a shiraz float). As for those tipples to share, that's where 'Cherry Pie' (Sailor Jerry, cherry heering, cranberry, orgeat, lime and soda) comes in.
Looking for holiday accommodation with a little more oomph? Ever considered staying on a raft? With a sauna? In the town of Joensuu in eastern Finland, a bunch of mates have put their considerable DIY skills to good use. They've built a lake-worthy, multi-level raft with a sauna, named 'Saunalautta'. And next time you're in the mood for a floating holiday, you're welcome to rent it. This vessel is the ultimate year-round destination. Come winter (which, in Finland, means -20 degree temperatures), hang out in the sauna. Up to 15 people can warm up in there at once. Come summer, sprawl out on the upper deck. There's even a few hammocks, so you can get comfy with a book, and a viewing booth, affording 360 degree views. Not interested in lying around? Spend your break perfecting your 2 1/2 front flip from the dedicated, 5.7-metre high diving tower. Wondering how this Huckleberry Finn-esque contraption stays afloat? It's built on top of a series of recycled plastic drums. And what about going somewhere? A small outboard motor gets you moving. Both seasons, there's bunk space for five passengers to stay the night, a barbecue, a hot shower, a refrigerator and a sound system: basically everything you need to turn pirate for life. Hire isn't as expensive as you might think, starting at $410 a day. Head over here for more info, after you check out a few more snappies: Via Inhabitat.
The swanky South Bank restaurant continues providing Brisbanites with the opulent fine-diner experience that gastronomes have been flocking to ever since opening its doors in 2012. The ornate, old world-style look and feel is still in place, but the space undertook a bit of a post-covid revision, including a new colour scheme that goes heavy on deep mahogany, tobacco and teal. The consistent guarantee for diners at Bacchus is expert service from a talented floor team and a strong focus on responsibly sourced, seasonally focused Australian produce from the kitchen. Think: champagne lobster with chardonnay sauce, an exceptional roast duck (from Grimaud Farms) served with parsnip and Davidson plum, and a selection of steaks sourced from Queensland's finest beef producers. [caption id="attachment_853697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Woning[/caption] Then, there's the impressive wine list that features more than 600 selections from around the world, as well as an impressive cheese trolley. What's not to love about all that? Also part of the revitalised Bacchus: an 11-course degustation — including a vegan option — with or without matched wines. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Brisbane
Art has prevailed in the battle to fill a Melbourne rooftop with naked people. In the latest development surrounding Spencer Tunick's newest work, the New York artist has been given permission to hold a nude photoshoot on top of the Prahran Woolworths car park — just over a week after the store said no. It was announced in May that Tunick would be returning to Australia in July to stage another of his famed mass nude photos, all as part of Chapel Street Precinct's Provocaré Festival of the Arts. Seventeen years after assembling 4500 naked volunteers for a snap near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival, the polarising artist plans to amass another contingent of naked (and pretty brave) folk for a work titled Return of the Nude While Tunick has photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, snapped the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK, his initial attempt to craft his latest piece against a Melbourne skyline backdrop was knocked back by Woolworths. A petition spearheaded by the Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA), the festival's host organisation, in response —and due to community pressure, the store has decided to let the shoot go ahead. A spokesperson for the supermarket giant advised, "in further discussions with the festival organisers they indicated a willingness to be flexible with dates and times to ensure the shoot could happen without inconveniencing our customers during busy weekend trading. As a result, we're now able to accommodate the request to temporarily clear the rooftop for Spencer Tunick's group shot on a Monday morning during a traditionally slow trading period." The shoot will take place on Monday, July 9, with Tunick given an hour to complete his vision. And if you'd like to participate — anyone over the age of 18 can git their kit off and get involved — there's still time to register. Participants each get a print of the photograph and, we're sure, a big boost of body confidence. Provocaré will take place across the Chapel Street Precinct from July 5–15, with Return of the Nude being shot over one hour on July 9.
Sometimes, it's nice to forgo the gastropubs and microbreweries for a good old-fashioned pub — that's when The Caxton Hotel steps in. Located a stone's throw from Suncorp Stadium, 50 meters to be exact, this unapologetically unrefined pub proves we don't need to mess with the classics. It's open late, seven days a week, and just three minutes from the Brisbane CBD. This Brissie stalwart has been owned and operated by the Farquhar family for more than two decades and boasts three bars, a restaurant, nightclub, cafe and bottle shop as well as ample outdoor space. Oh, and a hefty lot of accolades. The Caxton Hotel is a multifaceted venue with a lot on offer, from poker nights to karaoke sessions. The kitchen has a stellar reputation among locals and produces quality fare showcasing Queensland's irrefutably fresh seafood. The menu here punches above its weight, with an oyster bar featuring natural, kilpatrick and bloody mary shooters, as well as starters such as tempura coconut prawns, Szechuan pepper calamari and a platter for two with arancini, duck spring rolls and sourdough. The classics are here in force with its chicken parmigiana a standout as well as its black lip mussels in a spiced tomato broth. If you're feeling brave after witnessing a tough game of footy, then tackle the 'Caxton Kilo' and conquer either the 1kg parmi or the 1kg rump steak with beer battered fries and a garden salad.
We don't have to tell you that coffee is big in this town. We'd be hard pressed to find a person who doesn't rely on a series of coffee hits to get them through the day in caffeine-fuelled increments. But as we all know, coffee is more than a drug; it is a gift to be cherished and relished. Brisbane folk are spoilt for choice when it comes to beans, blends, brewing techniques and devices, whether you prefer cold press, Aeropress, Chemex, Kalita Wave or otherwise. Fear not, espresso lover — you haven't stumbled into Pourover Central. Variety is the name of the game. However you like your cup, there is something for you on this list. More precisely, there is something for you at any single establishment on this list. JOSIE NORTH, TOOWONG If you're serious about your caffeinated beverages and you live in Brisbane's inner west, then you need to add this new Toowong spot to your morning hit list. Given that owner Matt Roggenkamp will be familiar to anyone who's frequented Kenmore roasters The Single Guys, the eatery's brew-centric focus is hardly surprising. You'll find coffee from Sydney's Reuben Hills and Melbourne's Seven Seeds and Small Batch on Josie's maiden menu, and no doubt smell their heavenly aromas wafting down the streets as well. Brissie blends may also pop up over time. 51 Sherwood Road, Toowong. JOHN MILLS HIMSELF, CBD If there is anything to learn in your journey towards coffee connoisseurship, it is that a brew bar's coffee cred is directly proportionate to how difficult it is to find. To wit, John Mills Himself is nigh on impossible to stumble upon. The search is worth the effort, just be on the lookout for the A-frame signs. 40 Charlotte Street, Brisbane. THE TILLER COFFEE, ALDERLEY If you're not a regular of The Tiller, it's because you don't live anywhere near Newmarket train station. If you did, you'd be there every morning. Staff (who are lovely) operate out of a storage container, serving up cups of liquid gold. The smooth and rounded house blend, Three Mile Scrub, is a definite crowd-pleaser. 81 Mina Parade, Alderley. PABLO & RUSTY'S, CBD At Pablo & Rusty's first Brisbane store, the Sydney-based roaster is committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure its black, caffeinated liquids really are the best they can be. And that means more than offering a stellar range of beans and blends — though you'll find those on the menu, including a single origin offering that rotates weekly, and comes as a double shot, batch-brewed or nitrogen-infused and chilled. 200 Mary Street, Brisbane. DANDELION & DRIFTWOOD, HENDRA At Dandelion and Driftwood, coffees are delivered to your table with a small card detailing the origin, grower and the growing altitude of the beans. It's difficult to choose a favourite between the toasty Dandelion blend, and the heavier Driftwood with its molasses notes. If you have the time and the inclination, take a seat at the very impressive looking brew bar for a more dedicated coffee experience. Shop 1, 45 Gerler Road, Hendra. STRAUSS, CBD Coffee, whether espresso or filter, is a serious business at Strauss. Another hidey-hole to make this list, the chic-looking place doubles as a bar for an adoring CBD crowd. The ever growing drinks list is impressive, as is the selection of masterclasses to which the cafe plays host. Their coffee remains their trump card though. 189 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. LTD ESPRESSO, FORTITUDE VALLEY This Brunswick Street favourite has quite the reputation for churning out cups of quality coffee and not much else, aside from a piece of toast and the odd pastry. That's okay though, the limited non-coffee options keep the focus where it belongs. Be sure to grab a bottle of their cold press on your way out. 362 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley. By Sophia Edwards with Sarah Ward.
Melbourne may have known it had a world-class cocktail spot in Fitzroy’s Black Pearl and now the proof is in, with big-ticket New Yorker, Please Don’t Tell, choosing the Brunswick Street bar as the location for its first-time, Australian pop-up. Please Don’t Tell is perhaps New York’s most famous modern speakeasy — to locate it, you head through the back of an unassuming East Village hot dog joint on St Marks Place, enter a phone booth and buzz your way through — that is, if you’re lucky enough to score a coveted table. Helmed by founder, Jim Meehan, and managed by US World Class Bartender for 2013, Jeff Bell, the bar has been impressing NYC and the world with its exceptional cocktails, for over 8 years. Now, teaming up with World Class, they’ve connected with the boys from The Black Pearl and descended on Brunswick Street for this weekend, ready to show us Melburnians what they’ve got. The pop-up may be 17,000 kilometres away from the real deal, but Bell and Meehan have done their darnedest to make it feel as though you’re stepping into their beloved Please Don’t Tell home. You’ll find the same logoed leather menus, matching banquettes and bar stools, and the odd taxidermy creation gracing the walls. They’ve even teamed up with Chris Terlikar from Bluebonnet BBQ to emulate the New York bar’s hot dog offerings (from its Crif Dogs neighbour), with the popular Spicy Redneck — a bacon-wrapped house dog, topped with slaw, chilli and jalapenos — making a welcome appearance. As for those world-famous cocktail creations, expect to find a menu that honours the originals, with a bit of well-balanced, local flavour thrown in for good measure. The zingy Nichol Buck blends Tanqueray No.10 with Manzanilla sherry, lemon, honey and ginger beer, while the aptly named Australia Libre features our very own Bundaberg rum. “About 60 percent of the menu is New York stuff, then we added some drinks made on Bundaberg,” confirms Bell. “We also had to tweak a few recipes, because some of our ingredients aren’t available here. My suitcase was already 35 kilos… I couldn’t pack much more!” Running three sessions a night, from the August 6-9, tickets to the Please Don’t Tell pop-up sold out astonishingly fast, which, as Bell explains, is exciting in more ways than one. “Australia’s a mysterious place because it’s so far away, but people know there’s a serious food scene here. It’s on the list of places that people talk about. Because of that, you know the people here are going to be well educated on how to eat and drink, so it’s exciting to be here. It’s a really good fit for us.” And while a reciprocal visit may not be in the works just yet, Bell has little doubt about its potential. “The Black Pearl is one of the most famous Australian bars in the USA. If it came to New York, that’d be a big deal for people there,” he enthuses. “I’d love to be involved in facilitating that, it would be very cool.” The sold-out PDT Black Pearl pop-up runs over August 6-9.
Clare Valley, only a few hours drive from Adelaide, is the gourmet food bowl of Australia. The regions brown, loamy soil produces world-famous drops of Shiraz and even more famous drops of Riesling, not to mention their bonkers local produce. During Gourmet Weekend, Clare Valley comes alive with hundreds of events at local cellar doors, wineries and restaurants that run the gamut from five course sit-downs to Mexican food truck parties with live music. The region has accommodation to suits all budgets, from a family friendly caravan park to kitted out cabins for groups who want to party on a winery all weekend.
It's time to dig the gumboots out of the back of your closet — Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year. In 2023, Splendour celebrates its 21st year. Maybe your 21st birthday was the best night of your life. Or, perhaps you're still planning for the 21st to end all 21sts. Either way, Splendour's big two-one is serving up a massive lineup to celebrate. Lizzo, Flume, Mumford & Sons and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead the 2023 edition — the latter of which were slated to headline 2022's Splendour in the Grass lineup, but cancelled in the leadup. Flume's set is an Australian exclusive, celebrating ten years since his self-titled album and coming after his recent Australian tour in late 2022. Mumford & Sons are also doing an Aussie-exclusive gig, after last heading our way in 2019. Music lovers hitting Byron Bay can look forward to Hilltop Hoods, Sam Fender, J Balvin, Slowthai, Little Simz, Idles and Tove Lo as well, plus Arlo Parks, Ball Park Music, 100 Gecs doing another Aussie exclusive, Pnau and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — and more. Plus, there's been some late additions to the lineup. Powerhouse Russian punk group Pussy Riot recently joined both the music and Forum programs. Danny Brown, Ocean Alley and Thelma Plum were all added, too, to replace Lewis Capaldi, Slowthai and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Single-day, multi-day and camping tickets are all still available if you want to plan a last-minute trip up to Byron Bay. [caption id="attachment_891057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudia Ciapocha[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2023 LINEUP Lizzo Flume (Australian exclusive: ten years of Flume) Mumford & Sons (Australian exclusive) Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hilltop Hoods J Balvin Danny Brown (Australian Exclusive) Sam Fender Idles Little Simz Tove Lo 100 Gecs (Australian exclusive) Arlo Parks Ocean Alley Ball Park Music Iann Dior King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 070 Shake Thelma Plum Pussy Riot Pnau Ruel Loyle Carner Benee Marlon Williams Hooligan Hefs Peach PRC Palace Dune Rats Tkay Maidza Noah Cyrus Skegss Sudan Archives Cub Sport Meg Mac X Club. Claire Rosinkranz Jack River The Smith Street Band Lastlings Jeremy Zucker Young Franco Sly Withers MAY-A The Vanns Telenova Vallis Alps Jamesjamesjames Kaycyy RVG Teenage Dads Balming Tiger Automatic Harvey Sutherland Gali Del Water Gap Royel Otis Shag Rock Big Wett Mia Wray Memphis LK Gold Fang Milku Sumner Forest Claudette Full Flower Moon Band William Crighton Hellcat Speedracer Triple J Unearthed Winners Mix Up DJs: Tseba Crybaby Latifa Tee Foura Caucasianopportunities Luen Mowgli DJ Macaroni Crescendoll Top image: Stephen Booth.
Italy is teeming with tourist attractions and delicious food – so it's hard for any one Italian city to stand out from the pack. But if you ask the residents of Florence (Firenze, to the locals), they are unanimous – the jewel in the Italian crown is the city they call home. Florence is one of the most visited cities in Europe — often a stopover between visiting Rome and Venice — and there's a whole other world behind the famous galleries and churches you'll inevitably visit first. Here's where you should spend your time in Florence to ensure an unforgettable experience. If you've been thinking about booking that European holiday, do it now. Swapping your Australian winter for a European summer is a great way to make your 2017 something to look forward to. In partnership with Topdeck, here is the first instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode three: Florence. [caption id="attachment_592962" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Ciao Down Bella.[/caption] VISIT THE SECRET BAKERY AT MIDNIGHT Have you ever walked past shop after shop selling pastries and sweet delicacies and wondered where they were made? Well, here's your answer. The Secret Bakery bakes pastries through the night which are bought by cafes and sold on. The bakery isn't meant to sell direct to the public, but they do anyway. You can find it on Via delle Brache, it's about 100m up on the corner of the first street on your left. It's unmarked and unsigned but there is a big frosted glass window and a white van is usually parked out the front. Go there about 1am (when the city is really coming to life) and knock on the window (you might need to do it a few times — be brave). You can buy delicious chocolate croissants and whatever else they're making that night — just ask them what they have. Each pastry costs only one Euro. EAT TRADITIONALLY AMONG THE TOURIST TRAPS Florence is renowned for its cuisine, but like any other Italian city it has its fair share of overpriced and underwhelming restaurants designed to get tourists to spend their hard-earned Euros. Separating the wheat from the chaff is the hard part – luckily, we have done the leg work for you. Try Trattoria Cesarino or Trattoria Osteria Da Que' Ganzi to get a taste of authentic Florentine cuisine at extremely reasonable prices - the free limoncello and biscotti at the end of the meal make it even sweeter. For Florentine steak – a must have – Francesco Vini is one of the city's best. PICNIC IN THE BOBOLI GARDENS The Boboli Gardens lie behind the Pitti Palace in the Oltrano, south of the river. There is an entrance fee to the gardens (although there is an often-unguarded side entrance to the Gardens at the back of Museum of Natural History, don't tell anyone we told you) but once inside, you'll soon agree they are worth the price of admission. Think of them as a medieval botanical gardens, built on an enormous scale to satisfy the whims of a succession of Renaissance rulers. Grab some fresh bread, olive oil and meats from a market and head to the high ground – you'll find grassy lawns aplenty where you can picnic with a fantastic view back over the city. INDULGE IN APERITIVO AT SOUL KITCHEN Aperitivo is a Florentine staple, and a great concept for any traveller on a budget. It involves going to select bars and buying a drink, whereupon that drink then gives you access to a buffet dinner FOR FREE. This idea may or may not have directly contributed to the Italian economy's downturn but it is an absolute goldmine for everyone else. There are plenty of bars which offer aperitivo but Soul Kitchen, on Via de' Benci, is one of the city's best – the food is fresh, the drinks inexpensive and generous and the vibe trendy. Get there any time from 7pm onwards and eat (and drink) to your heart's content. PEOPLE WATCH IN PIAZZA SANTO SPIRITO Piazza Santo Spirito is a typical Italian square and is almost a Florence micro-city in itself – beautiful cobblestones spanning the gap between palatial Renaissance buildings, flanked by a church on one side and a row of restaurants on the other. At night the Piazza comes to life, but not with tourists – the late-night crowd is almost exclusively comprised of locals and students. Gusta Pizza sits in one corner and is the city's best pizzeria – eat it on the stone steps of the church – and Osteria Santo Spirito, a local favourite, sits in the other. There is even an antique market held there on the second Sunday of every month. EAT (MAYBE) THE WORLD'S BEST SANDWICH A big call, but one which in this case is possibly justified. All'Antico Vinaio on Via dei Neri is a Florentine institution and you can expect to find long queues as lunch hour approaches. That the Italians, who view lining up for food as the closest thing to madness, will happily do so just for a sandwich should tell you all you need to know about how good they are. The premise is basic – tell them what meat you would like and they will make the rest with filling and condiments to complement the meat. WATCH THE SUNSET FROM PIAZZA MICHELANGELO The best view of the city is from Piazza Michelangelo, a short but steep walk from the city centre. During the day you will find it teeming with tourists and street vendors but, as the sun slowly fades from the sky, the Piazza really comes to life. The Piazza looks west over the city so the view of the sunset from there is unparalleled – grab yourself a bottle of red wine, some glasses and head on up to enjoy the show. You'll often find a busker up there to serenade the people seated on the steps. Romance, beauty and wine – a quintessentially Italian combination. EAT AN ITALIAN LUNCH AT TRATTORIA MARIO Trattoria Mario, near Mercato Centrale on Via Rosina, is your stop for an authentic Florentine lunch without the tourist prices. It is a hive of noise, shouting waiters and laughing chefs – exactly the way the Italians like it. The food is inexpensive and deliciously simple, as if it had been plated up by your Nonna on a Sunday night. There is no set menu as it changes every day, but the beef stew or the pasta ragu are ever-present. Fridays is fish day, where the meat on the menu is replaced by an all-seafood fare. You'll be in and out so quickly you might wonder if it was all a dream. And your tastebuds would agree. WALK THROUGH THE OLTRANO AND SAN MINIATO The central area of Florence is the most heavily congested as it has the majority of tourist attractions. For that reason, the Oltrarno is much quieter but no less worthy of your time. Its narrow streets are filled with artisans' studios, antiques stores, bars, and small restaurants full of locals who are seemingly unaware of the tourist wave overcrowding their cousins north of the river. However, at the same time it features plenty of historic sights, not least the art-filled Palazzo Pitti and the church of San Miniato al Monte. A leisurely stroll through this area can help you uncover the 'real' Florence. EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH VIA DEI NERI The street that houses All'Antico Vinaio also contains the city's finest gelataria (the imaginatively-named Gelataria dei Neri) and it's most famous salumeria (the only slightly more-imaginatively named La Prosciutteria). Both are extremely delicious and no trip to Florence would be complete without a visit to them both. In particular, La Prosciutteria is not to be missed — it's not for the faint-hearted or vegetarian but, for lovers of meat, cheese and wine, it should not be missed. DAY TRIP TO THE TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region, which is famous for its gorgeous countryside — why not take the chance to explore it while you're there? Within easy reach of Florence are many small Tuscan towns and wineries, though most day trippers will make for the hill-town of San Gimignano or to Siena (Florence's younger sibling). Some lesser-traversed sights are no less worthy — the towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano are both beautiful and famous for their wine, whilst Fiesole (a short 20 minute bus ride from Florence) has vibrant markets and a spectacular view back over Florence. A day trip is nice way to finish off a stay in Florence, as well as something to brag about — not many people make it past the tourist traps. Visit Europe (including Florence) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999. Images: Ayrton-Eldridge.
When it comes to embracing fitness and a healthy, holistic lifestyle, Brisbane has its finger on the pulse. From CrossFit studios and HIIT centres to bespoke boxing clubs, outdoor fitness groups, bootcamps and riverside running, there's no denying what a fit bunch we are. But with mounting pressure to find time for yourself and prioritise balance amid long work hours, studies and endless social commitments, sometimes you just need to slow things down. Enter the ancient practice of yoga. It might be centuries old, but when it comes to modern-day yoga practice, studios all over are adapting their classes to suit today's world. Whatever your inner yogi prefers — hot, slow, stretchy or spiritual — our guide to Brisbane's best yoga studios has you covered. RELAX & UNWIND STRETCH YOGA Stretch Yoga is great for beginners and takes the various levels of practice — Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa and Power Vinyasa — and re-labels them according to the level of difficulty. Start with Stretch Foundations to grapple the basic poses and move up toward Strong Stretch, promoting strength, endurance, balance, coordination and focus. Plus, with the sheer number of classes they have on their timetable, there is no excuse not to give it a go. Level 1/132 Albert Street, Brisbane RAW POWER YOGA Whether you're looking for slow stretches or fast flowing movement, Raw Power Yoga located at Breakfast Creek Wharf in Bowen Hills has a class to suit. With wooden floorboards and exposed beams on the ceiling, it's a minimalist, earthy setting for your practice. They also offer 45-minute Raw Lunch sessions for those who want to escape their desk and disconnect by embracing the power of breath. Breakfast Creek Wharf, Suite 8/194 Breakfast Creek Road, Newstead TENERIFFE YOGA Teneriffe Yoga fuses health, wellbeing and athleticism to create their out-of-the-box yoga experience. With the studio located in an open warehouse, they combine trance-style beats with their yoga method, resulting in a pulsing, energetic atmosphere that focuses on improving the spine and alignment. Don't be mistaken; there is still plenty of meditation and traditional poses — just recreated in a modern format with great tunes. 3/85 Commercial Road, Newstead SPIRITUALITY & HEALING YOGA IN DAILY LIFE The Yoga in Daily Life studio offers eight levels of practice to awaken the chakras. Set in a large "barn-like space" on Doggett Street in Teneriffe, the environment feels authentic and raw. From basic postures and breathing techniques to practicing self-awareness and exercising yoga philosophies in daily life, you'll find a complete and holistic spiritual yoga experience for beginners to advanced. 46 Doggett Street, Newstead INNABLISS InnaBliss is all about the Vinyasa style of yoga. Adapting the flowing movements to accommodate different people with differing needs, their classes are all about strengthening the body and mind while practicing modern-day alignment principles with intent. With pregnancy yoga courses, classes designed for mums and bubs and even a kids' yoga class, the InnaBliss studios in Bulimba, Camp Hill and Wynnum cater for everyone. 1/57-59 Oxford Street, Bulimba SWEAT IT OUT HARLOW HOT PILATES & YOGA Stepping into the 30-33 degree heated studio at Harlow to practice power yoga and core strengthening Pilates is, surprisingly, not all about how much you can 'sweat it out'. Adopting a day spa mentality, the Harlow experience is about awakening the senses with essential oils and diffusers to promote complete relaxation. Working through flowing movements in the infrared heat monitored studio is said to improve your endurance and metabolism and detoxify the body. 4/5 Byres Street, Newstead ZEN HOT YOGA Like Harlow, Zen also use Far Infrared technology to heat the room. In fact, it was the first studio in Australia to adopt it. Their Far Infrared Yoga classes are good for releasing endorphins (leaving you happy and energised) and sweating out toxins. It's like being out in the sun and fresh air without the damaging UV. Zen's flowing hot yoga-style classes in their beautiful Japanese designed studio help calm the mind and free stress that's built up in the body. Shop 1/641 Sherwood Road, Sherwood FUSION HOT YOGA Focusing on the Vinyasa style of yoga (continuous flowing movements and sequences), Fusion Hot Yoga combines meditation and intention setting with movements that push you physically and mentally. Poses are adapted for varying levels of experience, meaning you don't have to be intermediate to participate and the instructors will vary their approach to the class depending on their own personal yoga journey. With the studio staying warm at around 32 degrees, it's an energising way to start the day — and keeps you toasty warm in winter. 40 Wharf Street, Kangaroo Point BIKRAM YOGA NORTH BRISBANE Twenty-six postures, 90 minutes, 40 degrees. Yes, you read correctly, 40 degrees. Unlike 'hot yoga', Bikram is not a fast flowing sequence and instead focuses on holding postures for longer and concentrating on breathing into each deep stretch — so the body works at a different intensity. The owners and instructors at Bikram Yoga North Brisbane are committed to delivering a challenging full-body workout to all who attend and promote the practice of willpower, focus and determination. 1131 Sandgate Rd, Nundah SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT FLIGHT SKOOL Looking for something entirely different altogether? Flight Skool's Antigravity Yoga in West End can cater for just that. Mixing flowing yoga movements with circus-style hammock swing stunts, each class is energising, challenging and a whole lot of fun. The best part? Each class ends with a few minutes of meditation where the lights are dimmed and you find yourself completely cocooned inside your hammock. 12 Bailey Street, West End
In what's shaping up to be a booming year for long-awaited Brisbane sites finally coming to fruition, James Street's The Calile is set to open its doors in September. When it does, New Farm won't just gain a shiny new seven-storey 178-room hotel complete with a huge pool and adjacent cabanas — it'll also welcome a slate of fresh food and beverage options, including on-site eateries and a boutique dining precinct. With The Calile complex itself, Brisbane will become home to its first Hellenika Greek restaurant, with the Gold Coast favourite finally expanding up north. Set to launch in tandem with the hotel, it'll nestle into a 600-square-metre space on the pool deck level, offering access both internally and through James Street. As well as serving up an array of huge banquets, seafood and overflowing spanakopita, among other dishes, patrons can expect a greenery-filled patio and cabana dining after hours. Next door — well, in the area between The Calile and the existing Pottery Barn on Wandoo Street — Ada Lane will become New Farm's new bar and eatery-filled micro-precinct. Five yet-to-be-revealed establishments will fill the laneway from late 2018, with the site decked out in white brick, natural stone and plenty of greenery. Ada Lane will lead into the hotel's street-level retail zone, which will feature 12 fashion and design outfits such as Dion Lee, Bassike, Venroy, Bec & Bridge and Dutch Love Stories. The Calile, Hellenika and Ada Lane are set to open on James, Doggett and Wandoo streets, Fortitude Valley from September 2018. For more information, keep an eye on the hotel's website.
Contemporary fusion cuisine is not only often tasty, but a reasonable extension of Australia's diverse gastronomic history. Even dishes thought idiosyncratic to a particular country are rarely free of intercultural influence. All that said and done, sometimes it is nice to sit down to a meal that resists modern interference. Traditional dishes are not necessarily always improved by radical reinventions or reimaginings – something to which Brisbane's Hosokawa can attest. Not lavishly or even traditionally decorated, it is not for the décor that locals flock to this small Hamilton Japanese restaurant. Not exactly a sake bar, Hosokawa offers only a few local and Japanese beers, some wines and a modest selection of sake and umeshu. But, there are plenty of authentic izakaya-style dishes to accompany them: teriyaki, chirashi and karaage to name a few. The nasu dengaku is a real standout - half an eggplant grilled with sesame and miso sauce - sweet and crisp on top, with velvety molten eggplant inside. The portion sizes are surprisingly generous, given the prices, and the standard accompaniments of rice, white miso soup, and assorted pickles are readily available. Though these options do not disappoint, they are not the main drawcard. The sashimi and sushi are without fault – simple, expertly handled and lovingly presented. The nori is crisp, the rice well seasoned, and the seafood is fresh and expertly sliced. In a country where Japanese food is often associated with either sushi chains or omakases, Hosokawa offers a very welcome alternative.
Been hankering for one of Pizza Emporium's four-cheese slices since their Stafford store closed its doors in May? So have we. Thankfully, those cravings will soon fulfilled, but in a different suburb. Yep, you'd better start heading to West End to get your pizza fix. Opening in the Glass Factory on Vulture Street on September 9, the new Pizza Emporium will feature all the topping combinations regulars know and love, just in a new setting. And if you're not already acquainted with the former northside mainstay, perusing a few items from their West End menu should get your stomach grumbling. A pesto and goat's cheese starter pizza, Aussie concoction with bacon and egg, prosciutto and fig combo (depending on the season) or 'prawn fiesta' offering, anyone? The new eatery will also boast a liquor license, which means pairing your pizza with a cheeky beverage will now be an option — as well as the perfect way to celebrate having a slice in the store's fresh digs. And if you were wondering what had happened to their previously announced Ashgrove shop, which was rumoured to open in June, here's your answer. A new Pizza Emporium is good news, regardless of where it's located. Find Pizza Emporium at The Glass Factory, 1/57 Vulture Street, West End from September 9. For more information, visit their website and Facebook page.
