How to Make Pre-Batched Watermelon Margaritas for Your Next Summer Session

Elevate cocktail hour with this sophisticated food and drink pairing.

How to Make a Spicy Margarita (And What to Pair With It)

Elevate cocktail hour with this sophisticated food and drink pairing.

How to Make a Cartel Old Fashioned (And What to Pair With It)

Elevate cocktail hour with this sophisticated food and drink pairing.

What's Open for Eats and Drinks in Melbourne on New Year's Day

Hit one of these spots for a January 1 filled with good food and top-notch drinks.

A List of 24 Melbourne New Year's Eve Events in Case You Haven't Made Plans Yet

Whether you're after a cruisy rooftop party, fancy dinner or lavish cocktail soiree, Melbourne's got your last-minute New Year's Eve plans sorted.

Announcing Concrete Playground Melbourne's Best of 2021 Award Winners

The very best new Melbourne bars, restaurants, events, lockdown pivots and spaces of the year.

The Best Melbourne Lockdown Pivots of 2021

These takeaway options, food pop-ups and virtual music festivals gave Melbourne's 2021 lockdowns a much-needed silver lining.

The Best New Melbourne Bars of 2021

All the latest and greatest watering holes we welcomed to Melbourne's drinks scene this year.

Concrete Playground Awards: The Best of 2021 in Melbourne

Eight Cracking Aussie Wines to Stock Up on for All the Silly Season Festivities You Have Planned

From reasonably priced rieslings for backyard barbies to impressive biodynamic cabernets for the ideal dad gift.

Four Easy Gin Cocktails That'll Take You From Brunch to Nightcap

Whether you're after a brunch-time tipple, a breezy afternoon spritz or a sultry nightcap, these gin cocktails will elevate every cocktail hour.

Four Impressive Garnishes for Pre-Bottled Cocktails When You Want a Drink (But CBF Bartending)

Try these low-effort, high-reward garnishes to level up your next cocktail hour.

The Queen Vic Summer Night Market Will Return from January for a Huge Three-Month Comeback Edition

The ever-popular summer night market is back with a weekly Wednesday night serve of food stalls, live music, pop-up bars and shopping.

Six Melbourne Venues to Visit When All You Want to Do Is Sip a Spritz in the Sunshine

Spend your summer soaking in golden rays and sipping cocktails with your mates at these must-visit Melbourne bars.

These Four Wine Venues Have Been Dubbed Australia's Best by the 2021 Wineslinger Awards

Melbourne's Embla is the country's best wine-sipping spot for 2021, while Sydney’s P&V Merchants is the best new vino haunt.

These Four Australian Venues Have Been Named in the World's 50 Best Bars for 2021

Sydney's Maybe Sammy came in at number 22, with Cantina OK! and Re also earning a spot — plus Melbourne's Above Board.

Eat Among the Clouds at Melbourne's New Sky-High 5-Star Restaurant Strato

Highlights of the sky-high venue include a floating al fresco lounge, immersive lighting projects and a 5-star restaurant.

Melbourne Cocktail Haven Byrdi Has Scored a Ranking in The World's 50 Best Bars 51-100 List

The CBD bar was the only Aussie to make this year's extended list, with the top 50 set to be revealed next week.

Here's Which Aussie Distilleries Won Big at the 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards

Last night's awards ceremony saw plenty of love for Victorian-born spirits and a huge victory for South Australia's Never Never Distilling Co.

A Bluffer's Guide to Cognac

Is it brandy? Is it wine? Well, yes and no — cognac is somewhere in between. We take a closer look at one of the world’s most misunderstood spirits.

Six Simple Whisky Serves for Every Type of Event You'll Be Hosting This Summer

These easy-to-make tipples will impress no matter the occasion.

Six Personalised Gifts for the Person You Want to Go that Extra Mile for this Christmas

Show them you care with a gift that has their name on it — literally.

Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters Is the Glam New Bar From the Speakeasy Group

Roll in for fresh Aussie oysters served in a multitude of styles, matched with innovative cocktails packed full of complexity.

Florescence Is the New Homegrown Gin Crafted on Plants from the Royal Botanic Gardens

Made in collaboration with award-winning distillery Anther, it features botanicals like alpine pepper, violet kunzea and finger lime.

Moon Dog Brewing Is Kicking Off Summer by Giving Away a Heap of Free Fizzer Alcoholic Seltzers

Bring your vessel to Moon Dog's breweries to nab a free drink — or head to a number of other spots around the city, Sydney and Adelaide for a free schooner.

Boatbuilders Yard and Moon Dog Brewing Are Hosting a Weekly Summer 90s RnB Party

Yes, a Smirnoff Ice or Passion Pop is promised for every guest on arrival.

Connie's Pizzeria Is Getting Its Own Dedicated Space Directly Above Heartbreaker

Hold onto your parmesan shaker, people — because Connie's new home will feature a rooftop deck along with its signature NYC pizzas.

The Arbory Bar and Arbory Afloat Team Are Opening a New Four-Storey CBD Eatery

The crowning jewel of the venue is a European garden party-themed rooftop, featuring 360-degree views of the city.

Four Pillars and Go-To Skincare Have Joined Forces to Create New Limited-Edition 'Go-To Gin'

For those nights where you need to slap on a face mask, pour a G&T and put your phone on 'Do Not Disturb'.

Bar Bambi Is AC/DC Lane's New Late-Night Italian Lounge Bar and Diner

Roll in for carbonara toasties, negronis by the carafe and a diverse entertainment lineup — with a cheeky 5am close on Saturdays.

Farmer's Daughters Has Taken Out the Annual Melbourne Award for Hospitality in 2021

Alejandro Saravia's three-level restaurant and bar has been recognised for its commitment to sustainability and championing local Gippsland produce.

The Queen Victoria Market's Food Truck Stop Will Return for Another Summer Season

Across three Wednesdays this December, catch a globe-trotting lineup of food truck eats alongside an all-Victorian drinks menu.

Fable Is Melbourne's Highest Rooftop Bar and the City's Newest Drinking Destination

14 storeys up, this new Mediterranean-inspired beauty is pairing panoramic city views with clever cocktails.

Boop Is a Melbourne-Born Dating App Offering Food and Drink Discounts for Your Next Date Night

You can use it to browse and match with new dates, or simply to plan a date night with your current squeeze — and it's free.

CBD Rooftop Bar Good Heavens Is Undergoing a Hefty Expansion That'll Triple Its Size

The venue's owners are taking over the space next door — and also opening their new Americana-style bar Springrock downstairs.

This Christmas Tinnie Tree Is Stacked with Craft Beers to Make Your Festive Season Extra Merry

Forget regular Christmas trees — this brew-filled version makes a very jolly (and boozy) centrepiece.

Internet Kings The Inspired Unemployed Have Launched Their Own Beer Just in Time for Summer

Better Beer is a zero-carb, zero-sugar lager that Ford jokes is "healthier than broccoli".

Chris Lucas and Never Never Distilling Have Created an Exclusive New Oyster Shell-Based Gin

This new sip is a big, fresh expression of the Aussie coastline — crafted using oyster shells from Kangaroo Island as well as a host of seaside botanicals.

The Bellarine Peninsula's Portarlington Grand Hotel Will Reopen This Summer After a Multimillion-Dollar Makeover

The historic site will feature 18 boutique hotel rooms and four revamped hospitality spaces, including a new bistro, beer garden and picnic lawn.

Every New Melbourne Bar and Restaurant Opening to Look Forward to

From coastal pubs to inner-city Italian joints, these are the soon-to-launch spots that deserve a place on your to-do list.

The Minds Behind Famed Sydney Restaurant Nomad Are Opening a Flinders Lane Outpost Next Month

Surry Hills' Mediterranean favourite will make its first Melbourne home in the former Ezard space from November 15.

Hotel Collingwood Is the New Northside Pub Launching in the Former Robbie Burns Site This Week

This pub favourite has scored an impressive refresh, now boasting a bright new look, a subtly elevated pub grub offering and a drinks list full of locals.