In Italy or France, it's quite common for people to have a local they visit several times a week. In Melbourne, that loyalty is a little less prominent due to the city's wealth of cuisines and food choices. But Napier Quarter is a neighbourhood eatery changing that for Fitzroy locals. Perched on the peaceful corner of Napier and Kerr Streets, it's a pleasant sanctuary for those not quite in the mood for the loud crowds that fill many of Johnston Street's eateries. It's a morning-to-night operation at Napier Quarter — waking up as an espresso bar and morphing into a wine bar as the day proceeds. What remains constant is the quality of produce used in the dishes. The chefs masterfully pair combinations that are pretty hard to resist. The menu is ever-changing, but breakfast usually involves an eggs-on-toast dish, maybe paired with anchovies or some form of cheese. Otherwise there are pastries from Loafer Bread to munch on. By noon, the bar food crawls out, including house-made pickles ($6), Mount Zero olives ($8), and charcuterie ($12 per 50 grams). Small and large dishes take over from there, which are both generous is size and flavour. You may find a house-made spelt spaghetti with, zucchini, ricotta, preserved lemon and mint ($23); this dish manages to be simple yet still abundant with flavour from the lemon and mint. The roasted snapper with green olive and lemon (market price) is another customer favourite — but again, not always available. Pair your main with a little veggie power or salad, maybe in the form of the overly substantial farro salad with pickled carrots, radish and black sesame ($16) and you'll be rolling out the door, shirt unbuttoned and all. Just know the menu is quite succinct, so come prepared to go along with the limited options and push your culinary boundaries. A chalkboard hosting the wine list hovers over diners, which is made up of wines strictly deriving from Italy, Spain, France and Australia. Allpress Coffee is available too, made with a La Marzocco. And just to top things off, the space is stunning. It's perfectly petite (about 140 square metres all up) and filled with dark timber furniture and hanging lights, making it the ideal, intimate place to dive into a conversation that may take up your entire afternoon or evening. Napier Quarter blends corner cafe with casual wine bar in a way that, in our opinion, isn't done often enough in Melbourne, and is well worth a visit if you live local or across town. Images: Brook James.
Warehouse parties are great. Secret Mexican holiday-inspired, neon-drenched, immersive warehouse experiences are even better. Curated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, Day of the Dead 3.1. promises to be one heck of a Burning Man-channeling spectacle you'll want to lock down tickets for — on sale this Saturday, August 15 at 12.30pm. And with the demand already high, this event is expected to sell out within hours, so your crew had better be ready. For hundreds of years, El Dia de los Muertos has been one of the biggest parties in Mexico honouring the dead. The 4000 year-old tradition's history can be traced back to Mexico's indigenous beliefs of the afterlife — that death is only the beginning. Now it's Australia's turn to delve into the underworld, as The Day of the Dead finds its way to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this spring, in secret locations within each city. Expect interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians — including one big ol' festival favourite headliner. The lineup will be released closer to the day, so stay tuned. Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticket holders just one week before the event, this is secret warehouse party business at it's best. Each city's locations are more closely guarded than an abuela's special mole sauce ingredient and will only be released one day before the party. Get ready to nab a ticket and start preparing your best Dia de los Muertos outfit. Day of the Dead will visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. Tickets are $75 and go on sale here on Saturday 15 August at 12.30pm and are expected to sell out super fast. Don't stall on this one, it'll be the death of you.
Historically, 'beautiful' is probably not the first word you'd pick to describe your local butcher shop. But then again, Victor Churchill isn't your average meat store. For Sydneysiders, the name is a familiar one, with the butcher's OG Woollahra site an eastern suburbs staple since opening in 2009. Anthony Bourdain famously once called it ' the most beautiful butcher in the world'. But these days it's Melbourne's turn, after the Victor Churchill stable expanded to include a southern flagship on Armadale's High Street. Opened in 2021 in a former bank, the Armadale store more than ' meats' your expectations of a butcher, boasting a specialty charcuterie counter, wine bar, grocery corner, retail booze offering and lunch counter, along with its premium curation of meat products. It's an undeniably dapper space, too, clad in warm timber, green marble floors and chic copper accents, with dry-ageing meat hung theatrically as if in a gallery. The brand is a family affair, founded and run by Anthony Puharich and his fourth-generation butcher father, Victor. And together they've built some serious pedigree, with their wholesale business Vic's Premium Quality Meat a longtime supplier of top Melbourne restaurants including Attica, Flower Drum and Grossi Florentino. Here at the Armadale outpost, Victor Churchill is continuing its legacy of serving top-quality protein sourced from leading Aussie producers. As with its sibling, the store also does away with the traditional physical butcher's counter, in an effort to make the shopping experience more inviting and personal. The aforementioned wine bar is an intimate, 12-seat space at the back of the venue, where you can settle in for a glass of vino, a cocktail and dinner. Here, a Josper charcoal-fuelled rotisserie, charcoal oven and basque grill guides a menu filled with top-notch meat, charcuterie and seafood. Think, steak tartare, prawn cocktail and lobster pulled fresh from the tank. Meanwhile, your picnicking endeavours are serviced by the bumper charcuterie counter, that is stocked with an ever-evolving selection of house-made patés, terrines and snags, plus savoury goodies whipped up by the house pastry chefs. While you're there, you can shop a considered retail curation of seasonal produce, pantry staples and wine. And you probably shouldn't leave without grabbing one of the signature lunchtime rolls, loaded with rotisserie chicken or hot roast beef. Images by Pete Dillon.
Sometimes it seems like all the vegan food is north of the river, but that's not strictly so. Sister of Soul has St Kilda and the bayside area covered with its all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner vegetarian and vegan menu. With dishes like polenta jenga, tofu tikka masala and a black bean burrito, this is a surefire way to get your vegan fill after a session at the beach. Just make sure you save room for its version of a jaffa cake with chocolate and orange marmalade. If you're swinging by Sister of Soul for breakfast, the halloumi burger with halloumi and mushrooms, roquette, onion jam and tomato relish is an inspired choice. For something lighter, try the blueberry and açai bowl with fresh fruit and chia seeds, nut clusters and flaked coconut. [caption id="attachment_710001" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
Anyone familiar with Neil Perry, the pony-tailed chef at the helm of Rockpool Dining Group, will know of his affection for Asian cuisine. It is a passion that has been successfully translated into his Spice Temple ventures first in Sydney and then Melbourne. With more than 50 dishes on the epic menu, Perry — together with executive chef Andy Evans — has pushed the fusion aspect of Chinese food without losing traditional flavours. The focus shifts away from Cantonese-style food and instead explores regional Chinese provinces including Sichuan, Yunnan and Jianxi. The extra spicy dishes are highlighted in red either as a warning to those intolerant of fiery mouthfuls of food or a beacon to those who love burning sensations. The dishes, to be shared, are monumentally large, even for two people. Divided between salads and cold cuts, hot entrees, noodles, dumplings, seafood (live from the tank and pre-prepared), poultry, pork, lamb, beef and veggies, Spice Temple's variety is impressive. "Tingling" and "hot and numbing" pop up frequently on the menu, an indication of the tongue-burning content within. Fish drowning in heaven facing chillies and Sichuan peppercorns sounds (and looks) like a dish made only for the brave. Tea smoked duck breast with pickled cabbage and Chinese mustard is a formidable fusion, old school yet unusual. For the next hit, the fried pork cutlet with pickled red onion is to die for, however it is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. The highlight is a beef fillet in fire water, a fancy way of saying wagyu beef strips in a chilli broth with peppercorn, which is volcanic in taste and appearance. To cool the fire, and a recommended necessity, steamed Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce and fried garlic are a great juxtaposition to the spice. For dessert, the mango mousse with condensed milk chantilly will soothe those scorched taste buds. If you're keen, there are two comprehensive banquet options or, if you're visiting during the day, an extensive yum cha lunch menu. Images: David Griffen
Part of the charm of the Melbourne's wildly successful Flour Market is its unpredictability. We're never quite sure when they're going to announce the next one and we're never certain we'll be able to get there before all the good stuff sells out. Of course, getting up early on a Sunday to queue for croissants is a little overrated — especially when it's electric blanket weather. So in what can only be good news for inner-city pastry fiends, Flour Market has announced they'll be doing a weekly pop-up inside Melbourne Central throughout June. Melbourne Central's level two link bridge above Lonsdale Street might not have as much vibe as Fitzroy Town Hall — but it will certainly have the all the doughy goods. For the five Thursdays in June, Flour Market will be setting up shop on the indoor bridge from 3-7pm. They'll be selling a selection of baked treats from a rotating selection of eight artisan Melbourne bakers each week. All the market regulars will make an appearance, including Shortstop, Tivoli Road, Pidapipo, Cobb Lane, Agathe Patisserie and more. And although the pop-up will technically be trading until 7pm, we recommend getting their early as these precious goods have a tendency to sell out.
Breakups are usually associated with loss (and copious amounts of wine and Meg Ryan). But they can be profitable, too. And we’re not talking about ‘whatever-doesn’t-kill-you-makes-you-stronger’, new age, Facebook-meme kind of profit. We’re talking about cold, hard cash. Well, that’s the idea behind a brand new service called Never Liked It Anyway, anyway. Dubbed ‘eBay for breakups’, it’s a platform that lets you sell everything that reminds you of your ex – without feeling bad, guilty or ashamed about it. The range of products on sale is mind-boggling, maybe even slightly unsettling. There are wedding dresses, engagement rings, mink shawls and even a bracelet with a coin from 35 B.C — all relics of past love ready for new owners. Because, out of sight, out of mind, right? It’s tough to forget your ex when your home is littered with his/her gifts. And, why burn them on a bonfire when you can turn them into your next shopping spree or dinner out or (depending on your ex’s generosity levels) holiday? Rather than just being any old online shopping platform, Never Liked It Anyway sees its job as bringing relief to the broken-hearted. “We started [it] to make moving on easier. It’s a place to shed the stories and the stuff,” founder Bella Acton told The Atlantic. Not only can you buy and sell on the site, you can tell your story, read the site's highly useful blog for tips on moving on, and read other tales of heartbreak. The site isn't just about making cash money out of closing a chapter, it's about looking forward to the next. The nicest bit of the whole site? The 'Break-Up Services' section, where you can procure a a 'Bounce Back Stack' (50 cards of warm fuzzies and advice to help mend your broken heart) or a 'Bounce Back Box' filled to the brim with things meant to 'get you back to fabulous': lip gloss, nail polish and a whole host of treat yourself goodies. Via Refinery29. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
One of Australia's most redeeming qualities is its ability to give good afternoon sun. There's something about its familiar glow that almost demands casual drinks — whether it's cracking open a cold beer after a day out, heading to the pub after a long day of work, or deciding on a whim that your backyard is perfect for having friends over. When you have friends this summer, heed our advice and take it to the next level by implementing a killer theme. We've spoken to a few of our favourite chefs, musicians and artists, to get their insights on creating the perfect balmy afternoon. On this adventure we've spoken to Luke Lucas — uber talented, Sydney based typographer, creative director and co-creator of the now defunct Lifelounge magazine (may it rest in peace). Each issue of Lifelounge was themed, so we thought Luke was the perfect person to ask for some tips. Read these, and get creative the next time you have friends over. THEME COMES FIRST, IDEAS COME SECOND The first step in throwing a next-level summer party is choosing the theme. No exceptions. You'll probably have a million ideas, but they'll most likely be unrelated to each other. Having a theme is a great way to bring everything together in a cohesive format. You could be really into the idea of having a pinata in your backyard. Once you've decided that your party is going to be all about food, you can make it into the shape of a burger. "Coming up with the theme was the very first process we went through for each edition of the magazine," says Luke. "I think if you try to retrofit content to suit a theme then it can feel a little contrived or forced so for us the theme had to come first. For the most part curating content or designing within the bounds of a them gives you the ability to connect concepts and ideas that don't naturally go together but when presented within the theme are perfect partners. It can be lot of fun." IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, CHANCES ARE OTHERS WON'T EITHER Everything in Lifelounge made it in because it was something Luke liked — not what he thought other people would like. "We were mostly creating the magazine for ourselves," he says. "It was a way of expressing thoughts and ideas about things we were passionate about. There wasn't a great deal of thought put into how appealing it might be to others." When you're thinking of a party theme, make sure it's something you're into. Don't go for a double denim theme just because you know your friends will like it. Pick something your passionated about — that could be a 90s theme. You're much more likely to get people hyped up. "I think if you are passionate about something then the way you present that passion is naturally infectious," Luke says wisely. DON'T COPY YOUR FRIENDS Trying to one-up your mates with a better 90s party than they threw last year isn't going to work. You won't be able to do anything new, and everyone's costumes or activities will most likely be the same as last year. Instead, use last year's raging party for inspiration. If they did 90s, shy away from decades and try for something else – a clothing related double denim theme for example. As Luke says, "there needs to be enough of a point of difference between themes so we can create unique content and design treatments for each edition." WHERE TO GET YOUR INSPIRATION "We're influenced by everything we see, hear, touch and experience. Inspiration can come from any combination of those sources but for me it rarely presents itself if I'm searching too hard for it. Ideas present themselves when my mind is clear or I'm doing some kind of activity that involves little thought — like taking a shower or waiting in between sets in the surf." In the words of Mad Men's Don Draper, "think about it deeply, then forget it. An idea will jump up in your face." Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 — we're helping you make the most of them. Images: Luke Lucas.
D.O.C Espresso has sat on the same spot of Lygon Street for 20 years, playing a big part in Melbourne's contemporary Italian restaurant renaissance — which saw a more modern style of Italian dining take over the city. After so many years of business, the crew thought the space needed a little love, and so shut up shop for renovations back in August 2024. But the team didn't just redo the interiors during this break. The chefs also redesigned the menu and the owners renamed the venue D.O.C Osteria. It reopened later the same year, and a new fitout saw the space gain a little more glamour while still holding onto its semi-casual charm. Gold finishes, luxe red marble countertops and banquette seating were included. The weatherproof streetside dining area and courtyard out back also got a little revamp, and the team expanded the kitchen to help the chefs make more fresh pasta onsite. As it was with D.O.C Espresso, Osteria has a strong focus on pasta — keeping a few dishes from the previous menu while reworking others and creating a smattering of new creations. Regulars will be glad to see that the famed lasagne remains — as does the funghi pasta, but in a slightly different form. We will admit that we preferred the original version, but this porcini and portobello number is still worth ordering. The mixed seafood linguine, though, is an absolute banger. Packed with calamari, prawns, mussels and rockling, and dowsed in garlic and chilli, it is more or less a must-order. The small bites have also been given a heap of love, helping D.O.C become a great destination for sipping and snacking — either alone, on a date or with a few mates. Get around the trio of cicchetti, its succulent marbled Rangers Vallery black Angus skewer, and a moreish crochetta — a crumbed and deep-fried cube of bucatini pasta, guanciale (cured pork cheek), pecorino cheese and black pepper. The playful take on a classic panzanella salad is also a huge win, made with ox heart tomatoes, grilled focaccia, cucumber sauce and a balsamic crunch. There's a really good blend of simple comfort food and more elevated interpretations of classics — letting diners choose their own kind of Italian dining adventure.
One of the few elevators in Melbourne with its own security team, the entrance for Naked in the Sky is hot property no matter what the season. Over the summer months gaining entry is a crowning achievement, so get there early to maximise sunset time with minimal disappointment. The joy of being so high is such a natural pleasure. From the balcony of Naked in the Sky, fill your lungs with the clean air Fitzroy never thought it had and take in the lay of the land. It's a refreshing escape from all the sirens and exhaust fumes of Johnston Street, while still maintaining prime position to watch a night of Brunswick Street fun unfold. The top-floor bar is cleverly divided into an indoor dining space and an outdoor drinking area. The partly-sheltered balcony loops the rooftop, making it a revolving conveyor belt of Fitzroy's hip crowd, primed for people watching. The panoramic terrace ensures a visually pleasing view from any perch, whether it is the tower-studded skyline to the south, down to Clifton Hill to the north or east up to the Kew hills. The exposed brick facade, with lanterns strung up high between the gables, gives the air of a Spanish fiesta — perfect for both a troop of 20 or an intimate affair with a backdrop of city lights. A selection of Spanish and Australian boutique beers sit along the 15-metre bar, as well as those brewed exclusively for Naked consumption. True to its origins there is also an extensive selection of house-infused vodkas such as Naked Bitch Chilli & Cherry, the Opium & Rose or the Alpine Chocolate & Sugarcane. To compliment your drinks is a sumptuous menu that puts ground level bar food to shame. Try the crumbed eggplant with honey and blue cheese ($9) or the meatballs in a cherry and thyme sauce ($14). The dining area offers a selection of Basque-inspired peasant comfort food, although there is nothing peasant about dishes such as the pan seared quail with pancetta and mushrooms ($16). Much like distilling batches of clandestine vodka, it can get pretty hot up there in the sky, although — despite the name — getting naked is not encouraged. Best save that for later on in the night.
Dust off your deckchairs and shake out those summer-lovin' picnic rugs because the lineup for A Day on the Green's November/December instalment has just dropped and phwoar, it's pretty darn good. Playing dates at various luxe wineries around the country, alt-rock superstars Garbage will make their triumphant return to Australia, joined by local legends The Temper Trap, The Preatures, Adalita and Tash Sultana in a lineup that champions some seriously killer frontwomen. Picture Shirley Manson, Isabella Manfredi and Adalita on the same stage — fingers crossed for an all-in song. This is the first time Garbage has played in Australia since 2013, and is culminating with their latest release Strange Little Birds. Take a moment to revisit their 1995 hit 'Only Happy When It Rains', because Thursday. The Temper Trap will also be playing their first shows since releasing their third album Thick As Thieves, which has been garnering some widespread airtime both locally and internationally. Early Christmas present anyone? A DAY ON THE GREEN 2016 TOUR DATES: Sat Nov 26 — Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley Sun Nov 27 — Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale Tues Nov 29 — Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth (*Tash Sultana/Adalita not playing Perth) Sat Dec 3 — Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley Sun Dec 4 — Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton Tickets go on sale Monday, August 8 at 12pm, starting at $99.90 +BF from ticketmaster.com.
As if Melbourne's laneways weren't ace enough already, they're going green — well, four of them are anyway. Meyers Place, Katherine Place, Guildford Lane and Coromandel Place will be transformed into little sustainable metropolitan Gardens of Eden with new designs released by the City of Melbourne as part of their Green Your Laneway initiative last week. The City of Melbourne announced their plans to transform four laneway spots in the CBD back in October of last year, and opened up the nominations to Melburnians to help them choose which ones they would give the green treatment. With more than 200 laneways in the city centre, picking the spots was no easy feat. But after collating over 800 public nominations as well as advice from engineers, landscape architects and sustainability professionals, and taking environmental factors — such as the amount of sunlight the laneways receive and their exposure to wind — into account, the council has settled on the four laneways as the ones that would most benefit from the added greenery. The draft designs show the laneways filled with planter boxes, vertical gardens, climbing plants and trees. Among the proposed additions, there are plans to give Katherine Place a mini tree-lined boulevard and an ivy-covered archway, and Guilford Lane (which is largely residential) could score a community garden. All up, the City of Melbourne is investing $1.3 million in the project. "Melbourne's laneways are internationally renowned for their quirky and eclectic culture and feel," Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said. "We can add another layer to their attraction by enhancing the sustainability of our laneways and making them 'green' and therefore more efficient at cooling the city, intercepting and cleaning stormwater and improving air quality and ambience." If you'd like to check out the designs in more detail, they'll be on display in Meyers Place from November 3-14. There's also some pretty detailed info on their website. Plus, to further warm you to the idea, Meyers Place will also host gardening workshops and live music on Saturday, November 12 from 2pm. Green Your Laneway is on trial as one arm of the City's Love Your Laneway program. Meanwhile, the Urban Forest Strategy is striving to address climate change and reduce Melbourne's summer temperatures by four degrees Celsius. Green days ahead. By Lauren Vadnjal and Jasmine Crittenden.
Music festivals aren’t usually the most pet-friendly of places. Or at least they haven't been until now. Bounding into Burnley Park in Richmond this Sunday, the excellently-named Dogapalooza is Melbourne's first ever music festival designed to be 100 percent pooch-inclusive. Presented by Oscar's Law, One Little Indian and Artemis Pet Food, Dogapalooza is a festival for both dogs and the people who love them. There'll be ethical food options, including vegan barbecue, as well as stalls selling boutique dog products and Dogapalooza merchandise. The event is BYO beer, wine and pre-mixed spirits — sorry, no hard stuff. The music lineup will feature local acts such as Tash Sultana, Monique Brumby, Harrison Storm, Amistat and DJ double act Cocoa Noire. In a perfect world, they'd also have managed to get Bow Wow Wow on board... but we guess you can't have everything. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMICD3aMZpw Great song. Whatever happened to those guys, anyway? Meanwhile, the best thing about Dogapalooza is that all proceeds from ticket sales are getting donated to local animal rescue groups, including Stafford Rescue Victoria, Paws Of Love, Melbourne Animal Rescue, German Shepherd Rescue Victoria, Puppy Tales Rescue, and Kayas Mission. Frankly, if that doesn't get your tail wagging, then we don't know what will. Now the bad news: tickets to Dogapalooza are already completely sold-out. Sorry guys. Turns out people really, really like puppies.
The next time you're pulling your hair out waiting for a delayed train at Flinders Street Station, take a couple of deep breaths and then make your way down to The Arbory. Nestled between the railway line and the river, Melbourne's longest eatery and bar has been open for business since February, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as one of the tastiest cheeseburgers in town. But it's actually their latest beverage option that has really grabbed our attention. We're talking about nitro espresso martinis. On tap. The caffeinated cocktail is made with vodka, kahlua, sugar and organic Arabica espresso cold drip from South Yarra outfit Little Drippa. "It's very similar in many aspects to a classic espresso martini," says Arbory venue manager Tom Byrne. "When it comes out of the keg it's got a similar creaminess to it, but it's a darker colour and the foam that's created is almost stout-like. It's one of those things that you've just got to try." In addition to their boozy espresso dispenser, a second tap at the Arbory will pour a gin-based beverage made with Lillet Blanc, mint, basil, lemon verbena and soda water. Byrne likens it to their version of a mojito, "in the fact that you just want to drink it all day." "We've seen a few [cocktails on tap] around, but they're always pretty boring," said Byrne. "It's usually a Pimm's and soda...something very generic and standard that they just pump out. We were hoping to do something with a bit more skill and complexity. Really I just wanted to see if we could do it, and we've been thrilled with the results." The Arbory's new cocktails will be available from Saturday September 12, just in time for commuters to take advantage of the improving weather. And yeah, we can definitely see ourselves substituting the espresso martini for our regular morning coffee as we exit the station on our way to work. Although come to think of it, a double dose of vodka and kahlua probably won't lead to the most productive day at the office. The Arbory is located on Flinders Walk, Melbourne, behind Flinders Street Station. Image credit: Simon Shiff.
From the owners of Melbourne's most beloved Greek restaurant, Stalactites, Hella Good is the takeaway souvlaki joint of your dreams. With three locations across Melbourne that are always busy, we can only hope they keep expanding — as it really is hella good. The menu is as long as your arm, so we can't go through it all, but the reason you've clicked on this is because of souvlaki, so let's start there. Rolled in warm pita bread and stuffed full of lettuce, onion, tomato and homemade tzatziki sauce, the souvlakis make the perfect lunch or dinner. Options include the Kotter with marinated boneless chicken, fresh from the spit; the Terry with a veggie and feta fritter, tomato, onion and cucumber; the Harvey with boneless chicken and marinated lamb (our pick); the Arnie, with just lamb; and finally its vegan option with a veggie fritter and homemade hummus. They're all amazing and if you're not vegetarian you will still love the veggie options. Elsewhere on the menu are mains, including snack packs with chicken and lamb gyros, hope chips and pita bread, as well as naked souvlakis with both meats, topped with lettuce, carrot, cucumber, tomato, onion, feta, olives and homemade tzatziki. Hungry yet? Snacks and sides include spanakopitas with baked spinach, feta and herbs in a crispy pastry, and the fritters or hot chips on their own. If you're after something sweet to cap off your Greek odyssey, try the baklava finger pack with walnuts and honey or the rice pudding which is dusted off with cinnamon. Hella Good also offers a catering service, slinging truckloads of souvlakis at offices and parties across the city.
UPDATE, February 5, 2021: Thor: Ragnarok is available to stream via Disney+, iTunes and Amazon Video. How many clues did you need before you knew that this one was going to be different? The choice of director alone ought to have gotten you most of the way there. New Zealand's Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) doesn't do conventional. Then there was the trailer: a neon-infused, synth-rock-pumping Flash Gordon throwback that favoured humour over action. As it happens, so does the film – and it's a delight from the first frame to the last. Thor: Ragnarok is the third picture to focus on the eponymous God of Thunder, and the 17th in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe. Led by Australia's Chris Hemsworth, it also stars Cate Blanchett as the Goddess of Death, Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief and Jeff Goldblum as the Oh My God He's Just Fabulous. Mark Ruffalo also returns as The Hulk, having not been seen since The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Rounding out the cast are franchise regulars Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins in small but affecting roles. With Waititi at the helm, Ragnarok has a distinctly casual, cheeky and irreverent feel compared to Marvel's previous offerings, as well as a noticeable 80s aesthetic in both its style and soundtrack. It's a genuine breath of fresh air in a franchise within a franchise, and something that the MCU sorely needed. Waititi is obviously known for his sense of humour, yet what truly distinguishes him as a filmmaker is a pronounced absence of cynicism. No matter the theme or story (Wilderpeople dealt with some tragic issues amidst all the chaos), the overwhelming sensation upon leaving a Waititi movie is optimism. For Marvel, whose movies have grown darker as they hurtle towards the up and coming Infinity War, the contrast is as noticeable as it is necessary. Like a Roger Moore Bond film, Ragnarok still has its action and moments of gravity, but above all else it's fun. You can see it in the performances. Hemsworth's obvious comedic abilities – which were also on display in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot – are given ample room to breathe in Ragnarok right from the opening scene. A significant portion of the film's dialogue was reportedly improvised, resulting in a free-flowing and naturalistic feel that also serves to accentuate the fractious relationships between the various lead characters – most notably Thor, Loki and Hulk. Then there's franchise newcomer Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Most recently seen in HBO's Westworld, Thompson proves a genuine scene stealer, which is no small accomplishment given hers is an almost exclusively human performance in a movie jam-packed with special effects and CGI-characters. Through Valkyrie we see Marvel's ability to create lethal, confident, independent, wise-cracking female heroes who are every bit as capable (if not more-so) than their male counterparts. There are shortcomings, of course. For all its strengths, Ragnarok is not a perfect film. Blanchett and Elba are both seriously under-utilised, Hopkins comes face to face with some bewilderingly bad special effects, and Karl Urban's character has a clunky pro-gun schtick that feels entirely out of place with the rest of the film. The humour is refreshing, but comedy is not every actor's greatest strength, and at times Ragnarok feels too heavily skewed towards laughs when instead the scene calls for something a little meatier. Still, what Waititi and his team have crafted here is a remarkable reimagining of the MCU, one that is at once respectful of its place in the world, but still self-aware enough to never take itself too seriously. It's a big movie that somehow still feels small and intimate, and a near-perfect example of a blockbuster done right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg
The legendary, controversial, performance artist who does 'nothing' is finally returning to Australia after a 17-year absence. The subject of two major projects at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), and an already semi-announced residency at Pier 2/3 with Kaldor Public Art Projects, Marina Abramovic is heading our way this June. Beloved and equally criticised, 67-year-old Abramovic has been invited by both MONA's David Walsh and John Kaldor to create a two experiences for the public — a retrospective solo exhibition at MONA called Private Archaeology, beginning June 13 and running to October 5, followed on June 24 (through July 5) by Kaldor Projects’ Marina Abramovic: In Residence, with a series of exercises from the Abramovic Method happening over twelve days at Pier 2/3 from June 24 to July 5. On the one hand, the MONA show Private Archaeology will be a major exhibition showing her early foundational work with German artist and Abramovic's former lover and collaborative partner Ulay, as well as more recent work. The exhibition intends to anchor the artist's current work in a historic context, featuring those pivotal solo works that brashly explored the artist's physical and mental limits. With Abramovic the main curator of the show, the works are 98 percent confirmed according to Walsh — who apparently wants to be as surprised as the audience when the exhibition opens. "Christ died on the Cross for our sins. So the New Testament tells us. Hopefully, I’ll do something worthy of his sacrifice one day. I’ve got real potential when it comes to sin," says Walsh. "Marina Abramovic seems to operate for all us. Her sins, her excesses, her minimalist, egocentric actions define the boundaries of what it is to be human. I would do the stuff she does if I had the balls. And the brains. And the desperation to understand. I’d rather be represented by a sinner than a saint." On the other, Kaldor Projects’ Marina Abramovic: In Residence, will see the artist present for twelve days of classic Abramovic 'performances' (although she doesn't like to call them that). Leading on from the Serpentine Galleries exhibition 512 Hours, the artist's Sydney project will focus on audience participation with intense works like Counting the rice and her famous 'gaze' work — a play on her work The Artist is Present performed in New York's Museum of Modern Art, where you're asked to sit face-to-face with a stranger for a certain period (apparently Kaldor's still in contact with the stranger he sat opposite at the Serpentine). Abramovic will work with collaborator Lynsey Peisinger to create a series of spaces for exhibition visitors that invoke certain physical and psychological states. "In Sydney, for Marina Abramovic: In Residence, I will be like a conductor in the exhibition space, but it will be the public who take the physical and emotional journey," says Ambramovic. "We constantly like to be entertained, to get things from outside. We never take time to get in touch with ourselves... our inner self. My function in this new kind of performance situation is to show you, through the Abramovic Method, what you can do for yourself." There will also be artist residencies offered to 12 lucky Australian artists for the twelve day exhibition, all of whom will have mentoring from Abramovic herself. Best bit for the public? It's all free. This is a big time pull for Australia, with two of the country's leading private arts patrons, Walsh and Kaldor, both separately approaching Abramovic, and both landing a 'yes'. Kaldor approached Abramovic following her successful involvement in Kaldor Project's applauded group exhibition 13 Rooms at Pier 2/3 — the work, Luminosity, which saw a naked artist wall-mounted on a bicycle seat for long periods of time (and didn't star Abramovic herself). Walsh approached the artist after meeting her over five years ago in Amsterdam. But this isn't the first time Abramovic has been to Australia; before presenting Gold found by the artists with Ulay at the 1979 Biennale of Sydney, the artist spent a cheeky five months with an Aboriginal community in central Australia in the '80s (and raised a baby kangaroo and cuddled this sheep). Private Archaeology opens at MONA on June 13 and runs through October 5. Kaldor Public Art Projects’ Marina Abramovi?: In Residence at Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay opens June 24 and runs through July 5.
This spring, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia will host an extensive retrospective by renowned South African photographer David Goldblatt, as part of the Sydney International Series. Running from October 19 until March 2019, David Goldblatt: Photographs 1948–2018 will dive deep into the life and work of one of recent history's most legendary photographers, covering a career of more than sixty years. Goldblatt is best known for his portrayal of South Africa's tumultuous history, especially surrounding apartheid. As the photographer's first major retrospective in the southern hemisphere, the exhibition will feature Goldblatt's most famous photo series, along with early vintage prints, never-before-seen footage from his personal collection and a new feature-length documentary. As MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE explained, "visitors will discover an extraordinary artist whose documentary eye has not strayed from the complexities of his country of birth, but resonates with other global histories (including Australia's own) through narratives of race and racism, and industry and the land." The Sydney-exclusive exhibition is the first major retrospective of Goldblatt's work in the southern hemisphere. The exhibition was also the Goldblatt's final project before his death earlier this year. Images: David Goldblatt, A plot-holder, his wife and their eldest son at lunch, Wheatlands, Randfontein. September 1962 (3_4907), 1962. Image courtesy the artist and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg © the artist; David Goldblatt, Shop assistant, Orlando West, 1972. Image courtesy Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg and Cape Town © The David Goldblatt Legacy Trust.
Lost Paradise is back for the fourth year in a row, after selling out its past three incarnations. Returning to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1, the event will host 76 local and international artists, including local electronic goalkickers RÜFÜS, Sweden's Little Dragon, Aussie folk favourites Matt Corby and Meg Mac, Sydney lads DMAs, dynamic Melburnian duo Client Liaison and more. There'll be two new stages this year, My Mum's Disco, where, in between retro beats and '80s kitsch, you'll be playing bingo and banging out karaoke, and K-Sub Beach Club, to be run by Kraken, a collective dedicated to all things Victorian. Main stage Arcadia will host what's been designated as 'indie', while techno and dance will settle into the Lost Disco stage. Meanwhile, the Paradise Club will take care of late night shape-throwers with DJs and surprise guests. If you've blissed your way through previous New Year's Eves at Lost Paradise's Shambala Fields, you'll be glad to know they're making a return, with their cornucopia of yoga classes, dance workshops and meditations. Teachers on the schedule include Ana Forrest, Jose Calarco, Mark Whitwell, Simon Borg Olivier, Nicole Walsh and Mark Breadner. In between dancing and getting mindful, you can fuel up in Lost Village, where a herd of food trucks will be dishing out all sorts of tasty morsels. Look out for Eat Art Truck's hot smoked pulled pork buns, Agape's organic goodies, The Dosa Deli's handmade samosas, Maverick Wings' crispy chicken and kimchi coleslaw, Harvest Life as Tsuru's poke bowls and Cuba Cantina's street food from Havana. Here's what you're in for this year: LOST PARADISE 2017 LINEUP: RÜFÜS Little Dragon Matt Corby Meg Mac DMA's Client Liason Cut Copy San Cisco Tourist Stephen Bodzin Cigarettes After Sex Patrick Topping Jon Hopkins (DJ Set) Jackmaster FKJ Middle Kids Âme (Live) Skeggs Palms Trax Apparat Nadia Rose Sampa The Great Koi Child Mall Grab Dean Lewis B.Traits Roland Tings My Nu Leng Cut Snake Human Movement Billy Davis & The Good Lords CC:Disco GL Tiny Little Houses Alex The Astronaut Nyxen Sloan Peterson Mammals The Ruminators Motorik Vibe Council Robongia Krankbrother Thunderfox Gypsys of Pangea Uncle Ru Ariane Ben Nott Brohn Dibby Dibby Soundsystem DJ Gonz Elijah Something Foreigndub Inner West Reggae Disco Machine Kali and more... Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website. Image: Dave Anderson and Boaz Nothham.
QVM's regular night markets have always been hugely popular, but this year's have really gone off. The Hawker 88 Night Market had its best year yet, and the Winter Night Market saw well over 290,000 people visit across its 13-week run. Melburnians can't get enough of these food- and culture-filled evenings. And the Queen Vic Market is capitalising on this during its break between the winter and summer iterations, enlisting Albert Lim (Hawker 88 Night Market) to run a two-day festival that heroes food from across Southeast Asia. On Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, a huge selection of traders will descend on the Queen Vic Market to smash out all kinds of hawker-style eats. You'll find everything from Malaysian nasi lemak and Filipino charcoal skewers to Burmese noodles and Vietnamese banh mi. Desserts from many other Asian franchises that populate the streets of Southeast Asia will also be on the cards, including Korean bingsu and Chinese mooncakes. As usual, there'll be plenty of live entertainment both on stages and roaming around the market, plus booze stalls will also be set up on both days. If this is anything like Lim's hugely popular Hawker 88 Night Market events, it's sure to get a bit rowdy.
Mainstream arts and culture events can be good fun, but the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival is all about showcasing artists who play within, well, the fringes. You won't find your usual ballad-belting musicals or classic comedy gigs here. Instead, you'll be treated to boundary-pushing experiences in the performing arts, music, dance and cabaret spaces. But it won't all be entirely random, as the 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival — running from Tuesday, October 1–Sunday, October 20 — is focusing most of its events around the theme of 'Eat Your Art Out'. Artists will be playing with the relationship between art and food at venues across the city, through over 470 different events. Some of these have been curated by the festival's team and others are more or less random. There is an open access component to the Melbourne Fringe Festival, which means that anyone can sign up and put on a show during the three-week program. [caption id="attachment_969684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cooked at Fed Square[/caption] So, what can you expect this year? Firstly, you'll find the COOKED event series at Federation Square, which is centred around a pop-up hot plate stage. The amphitheatre will become a dual dining and performance space, with visitors encouraged to grill free food on the working barbecues as a diverse range of artists and chefs perform all kinds of shows around them. It kicks off on Tuesday, October 1, with the free event Seasoning the Grill. For this one, First Nations artists light up the public barbecue for an evening of smoke, dance, DJs, art and great eats. Traditional and contemporary practices of food and art come together for this one-off performance. As this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival is all about food and art, it makes so much sense for Queen Vic Market to be involved as well. [caption id="attachment_969690" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Huxleys[/caption] Most notably, it will host the Fringe Flavours Night Market, which sees a stack of Fringe artists take over the weekly night market. This will run beyond the main festival dates, from Wednesday, September 18–Wednesday, October 16, and is an absolute must for foodies. The market will host a stacked lineup of food and drink vendors, have a pop-up stage for all kinds of shows, and give way for roving performers to surprise diners every Wednesday. It's taking the beloved night market to all-new heights. [caption id="attachment_969691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TOMATO[/caption] The Festival Hub at Trades Hall is also returning for 2024, hosting over 100 large and small events throughout the historic building. Most notably, this is where you'll see Finucane & Smith's Global Smash Club, an ode to 20 years of the international smash-hit Burlesque Hour from Melbourne Fringe mainstay Moira Finucane. You'll then find Pony Cam, the team behind Rising's popular show Burnout Paradise, premiering its new work FEAST at Substation. Here, performers reimagine the idea of dinner and a show, by combining it all into one big food-filled party. This one will be fairly interactive, so only go if you're willing to have a little fun with the audience participation elements. There's also the Pulse program, which includes Flames Danced in Their Hair But Did Not Burn Them and Body of Knowledge — both exploring ideas of consent and gender. [caption id="attachment_969688" align="alignnone" width="1920"] FEAST[/caption] This year's Fringe Focus Taiwan program boasts two contemporary dance works that focus on bodily exploration. There's TOMATO, a playful work of sex, lust, and a box of tomatoes, and Girl's Notes, which sees a dancer and a live pianist take inspiration from a 1990s book that instructs women on how to behave. We could go on and on with this epic Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024 lineup, but we'll leave that for you to explore via the festival's website. There are so many ways to Fringe, but we love to check out a few big highlights and then also go to a handful of smaller shows we know nothing about. This annual festival is all about challenging yourself and trying new things. If you've missed it in the past, don't let it happen again. [caption id="attachment_969685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] COOKED at Fed Square[/caption] Top Image: FEAST.
Gym classes in Melbourne — what a gamble. You’ll fork over your hard-earned cash for a big chain membership, only to be sorely disappointed with their ‘yoga’ offering. Or even worse, you’ll learn the subtle art that is making every excuse to miss class week after week, because burpies and aggressive Body Attack ladies. But imagine if you could handpick your own gym program from Melbourne's best, most novel and most fun classes, without committing to one gym? Bodypass is a new Australian all-encompassing gym pass that launched in Sydney last month – and has just become available in Melbourne – that lets you attend unlimited gym classes at the city’s best studios with one $99-per-month membership. Similar to the US program Classpass, you can book yourself into thousands of indoor and outdoor activities like hip hop dance, spin, yoga, pilates, strength training, martial arts, Barre, HIIT, belly dancing and more at some of Australia’s best fitness studios — all with one card, and no long-term commitment (you can cancel anytime without charge). Exercise scientist Georgia van Tiel and yoga teacher and health food cook Carla McMillan created the program with a aim of breaking the whole ‘gym culture’ stigma associated with fitness and take exercise back to being an accessible, dare we say it, fun part of life. “When some people think of fitness and exercise, they immediately conjure a vision of the ‘dread-mill’ or hitting the gym which can be perceived as boring, repetitive and simply, not very fun,” says Van Tiel. Local Bodypass partners include Blue Sky Fitness, Body Sharp, Chunky Move Dance Company, Fitstrong, Ihana Yoga, Melbourne Salsa, Metafit, Results in Motion, Princess Park Boot Camp and Zumba United, to name but a few. You can only visit the same studio up to three times per monthly cycle, but otherwise, go nuts. For more info, visit www.bodypass.com
In August of last year, something amazing happened in Tasmania. Tasmania is like that distant cousin you never paid much attention to, but then, when you hit your mid-twenties, you take a second and realise that, hey, they're actually pretty cool. Yep, that's Tassie. While you might not have appreciated your 1999 family holiday to Hobart, now they've got that whole rugged landscape, quality art and bar scene thing going on and, all of a sudden, everyone's totally into it. And to blow your mind that little bit more, the island state did something really, really awesome. They passed in-principle support for marriage equality in the Parliament of Tasmania and, in turn, skyrocketed itself up the ladder of people everywhere to become Australia's coolest state. Both houses passed theoretical support for same-sex marriage (the Lower House passed the motion seventeen months ago) with a vote of 8-5 — which is big deal as Tasmania has traditionally had a pretty conservative government. Tasmania's display of support further erodes the notion that the (super exxy) plebiscite was never a good idea (may the marriage equality plebiscite rest in peace and never, ever rise again as a zombie). Each state has a varied history on support of same-sex marriage, but let's just remember that in March of this year, an Essential Media poll found that 64 percent of respondents agreed that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Ultimately, it's up to the Federal Parliament to make the call — not the states. The Coalition have proposed a potential plebiscite on the issue, which would have cost Aussie taxpayers anywhere between $158 million and half a billion, was smacked down in the Senate. However, if all states show their support for same-sex marriage, it could have a lot of influence on what happens at a Federal level. Tassie's shown their support, but where's the mainland at on the issue? In partnership with SKYY Vodka, which showed its support for marriage equality throughout March by donating $1.00 from every product purchased in Australia to just.equal, we take a look at where everyone's sitting at the moment. [caption id="attachment_584233" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Parliament of NSW[/caption] NSW In June of 2015, the NSW Parliament passed a conscience vote (unanimously, mind you), calling on the Federal Government to pass the Marriage Equality Bill 2015, showing their support of the issue. In 2013, they nearly passed a bill to legalise same-sex marriage but it fell through at 21 votes no to 19 votes yes. Close, but no cigar. And in 2014 they finally abolished the gay panic defence (pretty late to the game though). The state is generally moving in the right direction and seems to support same-sex marriage, but hasn't been able to coax the Federal Government to do the same. VICTORIA Victoria has just has passed the Relationships Amendments Act 2016 (which came into effect on October 1 2016) that allows immediate recognition of domestic partnerships, de facto relationships and international same-sex marriages and acknowledges civil unions on death certifications (hooray, now you can be yourself in the afterlife too!). While Victoria's government has been generally more liberal than other states, they haven't made huge headway on the marriage equality issue — but they've made a lot of noise about it. According to Australian Marriage Equality, 73 percent of the Victorian House of Reps support gay marriage and 50 percent of the Senate too. Since September 1 2016, Victoria has allowed same sex adoption as well, thanks to the Adoption Amendment Act 2015, a bill that was several years in the making. The Victorian Government introduced a bill in February of 2016 that aimed to crack down on 'gay conversion' therapist. Why on earth, in this state, gay conversion therapists are rampant enough to require a crack down, we'll never know. But from February 1 2017, a new commission has been set up to execute permanent bans on health providers peddling 'gay conversion'. QUEENSLAND In Queensland same-sex activity was considered illegal until 1990, which is disturbingly recent. Further to that, Queensland laws don't allow convictions to be expunged, meaning there are people alive today with a criminal record for being gay (come the heck on, Queensland). But the state has traditionally been incredibly politically conservative, and that's reflected in their stance on gay marriage. One little win of note, however, is the recent abolition of the gay panic defence on March 21 2017. About goddamn time. It only took a petition with 289,000 signatures and the support of Stephen Fry. So, heads up to the terrible people of the world – an 'unwanted sexual advance' from someone of the same sex as you is no longer grounds for self-defence murder. ACT Canberra is the dark horse in the running competition for Australia's best state. The capital briefly passed a marriage equality bill in December of 2013, but it was quickly returned to the earth by the High Court, who deemed it inconsistent with the Federal Marriage Act and hence unconstitutional (boo hiss boo). Since then, they've been pretty quiet on the gay marriage front. WESTERN AUSTRALIA In September of 2015, Western Australia (like NSW) passed a conscience vote calling for the Federal Government to pass the Marriage Amendment Bill 2015, which would grant full marriage rights to same-sex partners. The Feds didn't pass it, but snaps for Western Australia. The recent Labor victory in Western Australia s also a positive sign for the progression of LGTBQI rights. As the incoming party ran on a platform that promised to fully fund the Safe School program, expunge criminal records of consensual homosexual acts, and potentially legislating for civil unions. Let's hope they make good on their promises. NORTHERN TERRITORY Although the NT came to the party on legalising homosexuality pretty early, unfortunately they're pretty backwards when it comes to recognising same-sex marriage. Unlike all other Australian states, the NT government doesn't offer relationship registration or domestic partnerships to same-sex folk, but classifies them as 'de facto unions'. This grants them some of the same financial benefits as married couples but is not equal in any sense of the word. No snaps for the NT. Particularly since in November of 2016 they banned same-sex couples from adopting, while the rest of Australia legalised it. Absolute baloney, NT. SOUTH AUSTRALIA For a southern state with such a banging music scene, South Australia is pretty backwards on gay marriage and gay rights in general. They've shut down several attempts in parliament to consider same-sex civil unions and, despite support from some members of parliament, they still don't even recognise overseas same-sex marriages. And SA is the only to retain the gay panic defence within common-law. Very sad. However, they've made some strides recently. The Relationship Register bill was passed, meaning gay couples can register their relationship all official like (although, let's note that ABS don't count these registered relationships as marriages when totting up the number, boooo). And the bill also allows same-sex couples access to altruistic surrogacy and IVF treatment for the gals. And they've amended their adoption laws to allow adoption for same-sex couples, which went into effect on February 17 of this year. Better. Still not good. But definitely better. So some states are doing well to put pressure on the Federal Government to change same-sex marriage laws, but it's in no way unanimous yet. Ultimately, it's up to the Federal Government to decide if they introduce a marriage equality bill into the House of Reps like every other piece of legislation. If you want to make some noise on the issue, you can go visit just.equal to find out how to best take action. Show some SKYY Vodka support for marriage equality by taking a selfie and tagging it with #CheerstoEquality and #AusPol. Top image: Azhar J via Flickr.
Southbank's busy bar scene just got a little more crowded. Opening this week in the Southgate precinct, Waterslide Bar has put together a first-class selection of boozy beverages. Just don’t get your hopes up: despite the name, they don't actually have a waterslide. Or at least they haven't for about 100 years. As it happens, the name Waterslide is actually a hat-tip to Melbourne's early twentieth century history. Long before Southgate and Crown Casino, the south of the Yarra was home to an outdoor amusement park, complete with toboggan rides, a Japanese teahouse and a yes, a waterslide. Unfortunately the park only lasted a few years — turns out Melbourne's winter weather wasn't any better back in the day. Lack of aquatic fun times notwithstanding, Waterslide Bar does look pretty promising. Bar manager Tim Wastell (previously of The Blue Diamond in the CBD, The Saint in St Kilda and Rockpool Bar in Perth) has teamed up with Fred Siggins (Black Pearl in Fitzroy) on a historically themed cocktail menu. The Grace Kelly (gin, fresh pressed pear juice, Earl Grey, honey, cinnamon syrup and dehydrated apple) pays tribute to Hollywood's quintessential leading lady, while The Cure (vodka, blueberry, balsamic syrup and ginger) promises to relieve all common afflictions "including dolefulness, scurvy and turgidity." The food menu, while not quite as well-stocked, still offers plenty of great choices, including twice-cooked pork belly skewers with plum sauce, mini soft shell crab po'boys with zucchini pickles, and Mediterranean style pickled and marinated octopus with feta. Waterslide Bar can be found in Shop MR3 Mid Level East End in the Southgate Centre, Southbank. They're open 4pm – 2am, seven days a week.
The Albion Hotel is what you'd call a true 'risen from the ashes' story. Two years ago, the historic South Melbourne pub took quite the beating, burning to the ground just ten days before it was due to reopen. Now, its team of owners — which includes ex-Collingwood AFL player Dane Swan and former rugby league players Danny Williams and Robbie Kearns — have brought the venue back to life, this week opening to the public at last. We're told to expect an entirely different offering to any of the pub's many previous incarnations, as it returns to its original name of The Albion. This time around, expect a mammoth three-level space, crowned with one of Melbourne's biggest rooftop bars. Up here, find yourself quaffing gin cocktails and tap beers, matched to sweeping views of the city skyline. One floor below lies a plush lounge bar, decked out with leather booths and brass accents, while a modern front bar takes over the ground level. It's an all-encompassing venue that's been designed to cruise easily from daytime to the after-dark hours, with a state-of-the-art sound system and a nifty 5am weekend licence pegging it as a favourite for late-night dance floor sessions. Meanwhile, the brand new kitchen is plating up a menu that celebrates both local produce and global flavours, featuring the likes of soft shell crab bao, cider-braised pork belly and a seared nori tuna. This isn't the only old pub to reopen — Melbourne University's Prince Alfred is getting a new lease on life too. The Albion is now open Wednesday through Sunday at 172, York Street South Melbourne. For more information, keep checking back here and at thealbion.bar.
Grab your diary. Call your mates. Reserve your horse. Secret Garden has just announced its 2017 dates. And we're happy to tell you that Australia's beloved, grassroots, made-for-mates-by-mates festival will be taking place over 48 hours, across Friday 24 and Saturday 25 February. You have less time, however, to scrape your cash together. Ticket sales kick off at 9am on Thursday, September 29. If you're a regular gardener, you'll know that they sell out pretty damn quickly, so don't dilly dally. Good news is, though, that, were you at the festival in 2014, 2015 or 2016, you're in for a sweet surprise in the form of pre-sales. To find out exactly what that involves and when it'll be occurring, keep a close eye on your inbox. As usual, we won't know anything about the lineup or festival program until tickets are sold out. But, we can tell you that, as always, Secret Garden will bring you an immersive experience, a long way out of the city, within a magical natural setting transformed into a wonderland. You'll find yourself wandering through a forest maze, getting lost in massive installations, discovering unexpected pop-up performances and coming across tucked-away parties in custom-made rave caves. Maybe. All we know for sure? As always, you're invited to wear your craziest, most dressed up fancy dress. Start planning. Secret Garden will run over Friday 24 and Saturday 25 February. Tickets on sale 9am Thursday, September 29. More details on the festival's (insanely awesome) website. Images: Tim Da Rin, Zakarij Kaczmarek.
Summer may be over, but the sweltering weather is set to keep on rolling in. In any case, any time's a good time to pick up a spoon and dig into a hearty (and perhaps healthy) breakfast bowl. So swap the bacon and thick toast for a bright, light bowl of goodness. Perhaps it's filled with acai, or a Snickers smoothie or chia pudding — whatever your choice of pre-noon poison, these seasonal bowls are always a good, satisfying breakfast open. And they are really pretty. So here are Melbourne's most delicious (and best looking) breakfast bowls. LYCHEE AND PASSIONFRUIT CHAI PUDDING AT MAMMOTH Getting tired of smashed avo? One of the most hyped cafes to open in 2015 features a delightfully creative brunch menu with absolutely none of your traditional lazy morning brunches. Not suitable for patrons averse to change, Armadale's Mammoth dishes out a grilled lychee and passionfruit chia pudding with macadamia, hemp seed crumble and blood orange ($14). [caption id="attachment_562055" align="alignnone" width="1280"] laurafordnutrition via Instagram[/caption] ACAI BOWL AT MONK BODHI DHARMA Gluten free, dairy free and splendidly guilt free, Monk Bodhi Dharma's acai bowl is topped with banana, berries, coconut yoghurt and their Dresden granola. The lack of element don't make Monk Bodhi Dharma's acai bowl any less delicious. And it's just as well — foodies with sensitive tummies are known to eat this breakfast more often than not. [caption id="attachment_562057" align="alignnone" width="1280"] thatfooodie via Instagram[/caption] PASSIONFRUIT PANNACOTTA AT TWO BIRDS ONE STONE Is it a mousse? Is it a custard? Nope — it's a pannacotta. The warm, homely ambience of Two Birds One Stone is created by stained glass tiling and more than a few low-hanging lights, making it the perfect place to enjoy a wonderfully wobbly brunch. Topped with edible flowers, fresh passionfruit, nutty granola and saffron-scented pineapple, this is stuff is delicious ($13). The pannacotta is made with passionfruit and yoghurt, making it the healthy alternative for bright 'n' early sweet tooths. HOUSE-MADE COCONUT YOGHURT AT THE KETTLE BLACK One of Melbourne's best looking cafes also boasts the most photogenic yoghurt ever. With a goodie bowl filled with house-made coconut yoghurt and topped with gluten-free grains, nuts, seeds, chunky fruit and those edible flower petals ($14), this bowl is crammed full of ingredients with absolutely no post-brunch guilt. None. Nada. FIVE GRAIN CACAO PORRIDGE AT BARRY It's a borderline dessert sneakily masquerading as breakfast, but we're certainly not complaining. Barry's five grain cacao porridge with coconut labne, strawberries, goji berries and pistachios ($15) is one sweet — and very healthy — way to start the day. Featuring exposed, industrial-styled ceilings and concrete floors, Barry's cacao porridge is as Instagram-worthy as the cafe's interior. We guarantee you won't regret your choice at Barry – after all, when have they ever led you wrong? [caption id="attachment_562064" align="alignnone" width="1280"] eatmelbs via Instagram[/caption] ACAI BOWL AT LITTLE BIG SUGAR SALT One of Melbourne's favourite cheeky cafes, Little Big Sugar Salt, throws down some of this city's best breakfast bowls. But don't be fooled — this is no ordinary bowl of nuts and grains. Boasting house-made, gluten free, lightly spiced granola paired with creamy coconut yoghurt, pomegranate and a generous serve of fresh fruit ($17), Little Big Sugar Salt's acai bowl is made for summer. PALEO BREKKIE BOWL AT STREET ORGANICS If house-made kombucha, rich nut milks and seasonal, organic produce is part of your non-negotiable weekly grocery shop, Malvern's Street Organics is the mother load. Shelves filled with pantry staples, fresh fruits and a range of organic, biodynamic products are available everyday. Nestled in an alley-like seating area, you can enjoy a well-earned paleo brekkie bowl, post-shopping spree. With frozen banana, blueberries, cashew and almond cream, coconut yoghurt, chia seeds and goji berries ($12), it's packed with enough goodness to keep you going all weekend. [caption id="attachment_562060" align="alignnone" width="1280"] biancabeebs via Instagram[/caption] SNICKERS SMOOTHIE BOWL AT TREI CAFE Glen Waverley might not be Melbourne's biggest food hub, but Trei Cafe's opening on Blackburn Road has got has foodies running southeast. Boasting a clean eating menu options and playful pastel features, order yourself a Snickers smoothie bowl and prepare for the healthiest bowl of chocolate ever. Made with almond mylk, cacao, NuZest protein, peanut butter, banana, rice malt syrup and salted peanuts ($10.50), it's almost certainly the best (and nuttiest) start to the day. BIRCHER MUSELI WITH MACERATED STRAWBERRIES AT MR MISTER From dilapidated brickwork to low-hanging vines, Mr Mister's interior was designed with the intent of blending the cafe's indoor and outdoor spaces. Among their menu of cold drinks, juices and nut milks, you'll find their velvet smooth Bircher with macerated strawberries, vanilla, pomegranate and toasted pistachios ($13). One of Windsor's best low-key brunch spots, Mr Mister is the ideal spot for a big of brekkie bowl action. BLUEBERRY AND RICOTTA HOTCAKE AT TOP PADDOCK One of Melbourne's favourite cafés serves up one of the best breakfast cakes in the city. Their giant blueberry and ricotta hotcake comes with fresh berries, organic maple, seeds and double cream ($19.50). They're fluffy, and the perfect excuse to succumb to sugar cravings this early in the day. And before you ask, yes, it's served in a bowl. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Barbecuing in Australia no longer dabbles in the carefree realms of cheap snags and piddly steaks. It's 2015 and American-style barbecue reigns in this tender, tender age of pulled pork, slow-cooked brisket and ribs, ribs, ribs. Barbecuing is now serious business, so serious that entire dedicated festivals are popping up, like the wonderfully-named Meatstock. But there is one that comes approved from the folks of Kansas, given the tick of approval by the beating heart of American barbecue itself: The Yaks is coming. Following the success of The Yaks Melbourne Barbecue Festival at the Queen Victoria Market last year, the crew are bringing the festival back for another round — and this time they're doing a Sydney instalment. The Yaks Barbecue Festival will descend upon The Domain in Sydney on January 30 and Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on February 6. Barbecue lovers will find themselves panicked for choice at this juicy festival, with food stalls from some of Australia’s finest pitmasters, barbecue cooking demonstrations by local and international barbecue experts, equipment exhibitors, live entertainment and DJs. Plus, venues around Sydney and Melbourne will host barbecue dinners and classes. But while you're ploughing into a pork rib, there's serious competition afoot. Competitive barbecuing isn't for rookies, this is serious shit. Watch amateur barbecue teams from around Australia battle it out in in the Southern Hemisphere’s first American-style cook-off sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society — the real deal. The best performing Australian team at each of The Yaks Barbecue Festival cook-offs will be invited to represent Australia at internationally renowned barbecue contests in the United States. We're talking the American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational. Plus, they'll be in the draw for the prestigious KCBS-run Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue. That's no average lamb chop. If you reckon you're a pretty damn good barbecuer, check out the website (Sydney or Melbourne) and think about entering a team. Otherwise, bib up and get your tickets here. THE YAKS BARBECUE FESTIVALS 2016 SYDNEY — Saturday, January 30 (The Domain) MELBOURNE — Saturday, February 6 (Flemington Racecourse)
If your idea of high tea is all white table cloths, frilly pink serviettes and pretty cakes with extravagant icing, then Yugen Tea Bar is here to challenge you. Located in a dimly lit, dark and metallic space in South Yarra, Yugen is just about as far from a traditional high tea experience you're likely to find. The team here includes culinary director Stephen Nairn, head tea sommelier Thibaut Chuzeville and pastry chef John Demetrios, so you know you're in good hands. Its afternoon high tea offering comes in two courses, the first being savoury and the second being sweet. Savoury options might include puffed forbidden rice with shaved wagyu; parmesan gougere with chives and kombu; spring roll tarts with bonito cream; wagyu pastrami with dill pickles; yellowfin tuna with mayonnaise and avocado with goats chevre. When it comes to sweets, the serving includes a vanilla slice, a matcha and yuzu macaron, a passionfruit bubble tea tart, carrot cake, an orange profiterole, and, of course — fresh scones with cream and jam. Yugen boasts a crew of tea sommeliers who'll guide you through the tea options with skill and knowledge. Highlights include the Yugen Dark, which is a blend of Shou Peur and black tea with hints of chocolate and is best enjoyed with milk. Elsewhere, the roasted Japanese Hojicha green tea is low in caffeine and has hints of nuts and biscuits. The high tea options can come with either a flute of champagne or sparkling or a non-alcoholic option. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find a la carte sandwiches such as the pastrami sandwich with wagyu pastrami and sauerkraut, a yellowfin tuna sandwich with mayonnaise and chives and an egg salad sandwich with seeded mustard. A la carte sweets are available, too, as well as gin cocktails and whiskies. But if you're after more booze and bigger bites, be sure to head downstairs to Yugen Dining — home to incredible cocktails and some of the best Japanese food in Melbourne. Images: Sean McDonald
For Catalina Fuentes, junior sous chef at Manly's Papi Chulo, getting a career in cooking off the ground comes down to three things: passion, practice and perseverance. At age 22, Catalina has already reached one of the more senior positions in an established professional kitchen, so, is somewhat of an authority when it comes to kick-starting this particular career. Catalina graduated from William Blue College of Hospitality Management, and has also already nabbed the nationwide Nestle Golden Chef's Hat Award, the longest running culinary competition in Australia. "I've never thought I could compete," she says. "So, when I won, it was pretty rewarding." Unrelenting enthusiasts in exactly what makes a kitchen tick, we met up with Catalina to get a few tips on how young cooks can become good chefs. DIVE IN AND MAKE AN ACTUAL GAME PLAN Every culinary dream has to start somewhere, so it's important to nail down that passion for food, and figure out a game plan. For Catalina, following her occupational instincts meant relocating from her native Colombia after high school. "One of my best friends, we both really liked baking, and I really liked doing desserts when I was in high school, so I just thought… I want to be a pastry chef, and I want to study cooking." She enrolled at William Blue at Torrens University, where she studied Culinary Management. The course, while teaching the basics needed to get into the kitchen, also teaches students how to run a kitchen — one of the benefits of the course, Catalina says. "I'll be able to manage my own business in the future." So how does one know if cooking is the right direction for them? What passion already has to be there? "It should be something fun," Catalina says, "it should be something tasty, and it something that you should enjoy and makes you happy." STICK TO YOUR APPRENTICESHIP (HOT TIP: IT WILL BE HARD) Getting into the food business is one thing, but learning the craft and becoming an established chef is a completely different beast. Most newbies take the usual route, through apprenticeship schemes, and for Catalina, it meant half a year on the job after completing her studies. "I had to do it for six months, just as a commis chef," she says. "But for me, it was really good. I was lucky, because the places I worked, everyone was really nice to me — I worked with good chefs." It's not for everyone, however, with the long hours causing a huge number of aspiring chefs to drop out. "It actually shows you how the industry is," Catalina says, "Cooking is pretty tough." The payoff, though, is worthwhile in the end for those who want it badly enough. Once you're in the game, it's essential to keep cracking on, despite how difficult it can become — the big guns did. "If you really like cooking, and that's what you want to do, you will stick to the apprenticeship." REPETITION (AND INCESSANT CHOPPING) WILL MAKE YOU A MASTER Just like with any trade, repetition of an exercise creates a neural shortcut that allows that exercise to be completed to a high standard with minimal conscious brain effort. The same rules apply to cooking, and they apply to everyone. "When I first started, I was really bad with chopping skills," Catalina says, but spending her early days doing the same thing over and over, ad infinitum, helped her to improve. "Even if you're in a job where you're just chopping stuff everyday, you'll see that it's helpful, because at the end, you'll get so much better at it." For Catalina, the practice doesn't seem like such a burden. "Cooking for me is not only a job. It's not something that I wake up and go, 'I don't want to go to work.' It's something that makes me happy." Hot tip? Follow the old 'do what you love and love what you do' mantra and hitting snooze on that alarm will be a thing of the past. ABSORB KNOWLEDGE, THEN CRAFT YOUR OWN SIGNATURE STYLE It might seem intimidating to add your own flavour to the long, long tradition of cooking, but experimentation in the kitchen is just as much part of keeping the drive alive as practice or perseverance. Expose yourself to new foods, new techniques, and especially, new people. "Through cooking, you can learn so much about other people," Catalina says. "Everyone cooks differently and it just shows something about them." Not only is cooking about getting the little things right, it's also about experimenting, and improving. "You have to keep going places, trying and travelling." It's also essential to push yourself, professionally. It's easy to get lulled into the same old same old, so getting amongst new techniques, new styles, and new cuisines in the kitchen is important, too. For Catalina, that might involve a leap into fine dining in the future. "Everything is precise and perfect," she says, "and I think I need to learn some of that." So if you think you might want to dabble professionally in the culinary arts, take advice from someone who has run that gauntlet. "Don't give up," Catalina says. "Keep going, keep practising, keep inspired, keep going out and trying food." Go out and try food? You're really twisting my arm, here. Images: Kimberley Low. William Blue at Torrens University offers courses in Culinary Management, Event Management, Tourism and Hospitality. Find out more about the diverse career options in hospitality, and kick-start your career via the website.
Vegan maestro Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) and Euro-focused Ian Curley (The European, Kirk's Wine Bar) might seem like an unlikely chef pairing, but they're working magic together at the helm of all-day plant-based bar and eatery, Lona Misa — the colourful 90-seat venue that's made a home within Ovolo South Yarra hotel. Here, the two celebrated chefs have crafted an entirely vegan and vegetarian menu that's designed to shake up your preconceptions of plant-based dining. Vibrant and unapologetic, with plenty of Latin influences, it's serving up a share-friendly lineup that bears both the marks of Martinez's signature rebellious stylings and touches of Curley's fine dining flair. Every dish is vegan, with some offering the option to add cheese. By day, you might find yourself tucking into the likes of a vegan take on baccala (salt cod) fritters, oyster mushroom ceviche, and a classic smash patty burger served with Chilean lime salt chips. As evening approaches, the space embraces more of a wine bar vibe, complemented by snacks like the padron pepper and manchego croquettes, warm cheese dip topped with crispy faux chorizo, and traditional Spanish potato omelette served with aoli. Larger plates might include a Brazilian seafood stew, eggplant with queso fresco and, from the Josper grill, a fire-roasted whole peri peri cauliflower. Lona Misa's drinks offering also heroes the local and the seasonal. Expect a solid spread of Spanish, Argentinian and Aussie wines by the glass, alongside bold plant-based cocktails — like the Rumba Caliente crafted on jalapeno mezcal and smoked watermelon — and some satisfyingly crafty booze-free concoctions. Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
The Immigration Museum is celebrating all things hot and spicy at Chilli Fest, as part of their summer/autumn program focusing on food from across the globe, North South Feast West. From central America to the heart of Asia, chilli has brought a loving tear to many an eye and severe burn to the tongue. If you can’t get enough of the hot stuff, this mini-festival is for you. The courtyard at the Immigration Museum will be taken over by Burn City Smokers for the barbecue of your spicy dreams. They'll also be serving up chilli cocktails for the adventurous drinker and Cornutopia will be providing the goods for our vegan and vego friends. For those keen to recreate the cocktails, Fred Siggins will be hosting a cocktail making workshop for an additional cost. Hot sauce documentary Sriracha will be screening throughout the day for the once endangered condiment, and for those looking to set their mouth on fire, there will be a hot sauce tasting competition. Things are going to get intense. If you can’t stand the heat, you can cool off with some My Two Mums Ice Cream or a crisp beverage from the courtyard bar. On top of the fiery frivolities, Cash Savage and the Last Drinks will perform, and there'll be DJ sets by PBS’s Miss Goldie and DJ Sensi. You could say that’s one hot night out on the town. You could.
You don't really need an excuse to head down to a Melbourne dumpling joint — filling the table with steam-filled bamboo containers — but if you ever did need a reason to get on the dumpling train, Hawker Hall's three-day $1 dumpling special is it. From Wednesday, September 25–Friday, September 27, this Chapel Street haunt is selling a stack of its signature dumplings for just $1 a pop during its lunchtime service (12.30–3.30pm). This includes its crispy prawn and pork wontons with sriracha mayo; shiitake mushroom dumplings with ginger soy; prawn and chive har gao with spiced caramel soy; wagyu beef dumplings with chilli crunch; and pan-fried chicken dumplings with crispy green chilli oil. Either score these during your lunch break on Wednesday or Thursday, or head down on the Friday public holiday for a long and cheap dumpling-filled feed.
The Sydney-born social enterprise Welcome Merchant has been supporting small businesses run by refugees and asylum seekers in Australia for over four years now. The wonderful organisation has provided people in need with a platform and space to sell their goods while also teaching them a heap of business skills. And in the leadup to Christmas this year, the team is taking over Melbourne CBD's Section 8 on Saturday, December 14, with a heap of market stalls. Aheda's Kitchen and Sebastian Pasinetti from OKO Cafe will both be pumping out a range of dishes in the beer garden throughout the afternoon, while Rick Fean plays a mix of hip hop, Afro-pop and electronica tunes. When it comes to shopping, you'll find sustainably made, African-inspired clothing and accessories from RJ Dradi the Label; kids' toys and books from Small Fires Play; and plenty of clothing from Juan Du. This pop-up market brings together entrepreneurs from a diverse range of cultures, who'll be selling all kinds of unique goods. Who knows, you might just find your next go-to beauty brand or local artist on Tattersalls Lane. Get down from 12–5pm to support these local businesses, grab some drinks from Section 8's bar and groove to some live tunes. A good time for a good cause.
How does a three-course Japanese BBQ showdown with an Americana twist sound? Local barbecue food truck legends, SmokeyBoiz, are teaming up with The B.East in Brunswick East for 'Banzai BBQ' on July 8. It's a no-holds-barred afternoon of delicious meat, drinks specials, live music and good times. If you've ever tried a Smokeyboiz' pork belly bite, braised in Dr. Pepper, smoked, then slathered in candied jalapeno barbecue sauce, you'll know these boys don't mess around. And that's before you throw in The B.East's New Orleans-inspired cocktail menu. Tickets start at $70, and that gets you three courses: Tonkatsu pork croquettes, a succulent smoked beef brisket and a cheeky flambé dessert. It's a mash-up of Japanese and American-style southern BBQ, with a double scoop of kitsch thrown in. There'll be cocktail specials running throughout the day, too. Doors open at 12pm. Book your tickets and form an orderly queue. Images: supplied.
Sport in Melbourne is definitely one of those culturally ingrained things that is AVBD (a very big deal), and chances are you have a team you find yourself getting invested in particularly over a few beers at the pub. Whether you're a casual follower or a professional who weeps regularly and loudly over your chosen ones' performance, sometimes your lounge room just doesn't make the cut – and neither does that tray of frozen chips you popped in the oven. Help yourself and your team out by picking a good venue to watch the game. We've teamed up with the Hahn Brewers and created a list with some of our picks – settle back with some good pub grub, a pint of something heartening, and the ability to yell at the screen without worrying about your neighbours. THE EMPRESS The Empress in the north of Fitzroy rocks a quieter vibe than its counterparts on Brunswick Street, so head here for a pint and a game of AFL. Food-wise it's upmarket pub food and a lot of choice for veggie or vegan fare, so you can settle in for the night in their cozy beer garden with the footy and a very very tasty chicken parma. THE LOMOND The Lomond is one of those pubs that isn't the swishest kid on the block, but will give you a solid case of the warm and fuzzies thanks to beers-a-plenty on tap and an open fire inside. If you're lucky it'll be live Irish music night (classic). There's always a game or two on at The Lomond – and a punter or five betting on it. Top it all off with glass of Hahn and a pulled pork burger and you'll be tottering off home to bed once the fourth quarter is over. THE GREAT NORTHERN The Great Northern holds fairly true its name, in that it's both in Melbourne's north and pretty great. A huge beer garden out the back and ten HD screens littered throughout the venue means you'll probably end up watching sport whether you're planning on it or not. The Northern is the "unofficial home of Freo", so be prepared to be defending yourself if you don't go for the Dockers. Also, the pub also shows most of the other sports you may follow so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to AFL. THE IMPERIAL A big space in the CBD can be hard to find, but kickin' it at the very top of Bourke Street is The Imperial, the third oldest pub in Melbourne. An accommodating hotspot for Premier League followers, you can also head here for the rugby or the cricket or the tennis or even the golf – basically, pick a sport, any sport and head to the Imperial. It's the home of the Liverpool FC supporters in Melbourne, so expect a sea of loud red fans. Other pluses? A huge rooftop bar with great city views, and a new menu with plenty of good food to line your belly. LONDON TAVERN If you're looking for a bar situated near the G, have a gander at the London Tavern; it's been there since 1921 and is somewhat of a footy icon in the area. Watch the match there of a weekend night, and/or enter the hefty meat raffle every Thursday. If you don't make too much of a ruckus yourself perhaps you'll be able to hear the live MCG action from your seat. THE COLLEGE LAWN HOTEL Head southside to the back streets of Prahran for a pub that sticks to what it knows, and does it well – friendly vibes and lazy Sunday afternoons in the sun. At College Lawn, rabid rugby fans are in the house on the weekend, but don't feel left out if that isn't sport of choice; the College Lawn has scores of screens, so we've no doubt you'll find something you dig on at least one. There's also a bottle shop on-site, and $6 pints from 5pm-7pm on Fridays. THE CORNER HOTEL While The Corner is through and through one hell of a music venue, it boasts other non-gig-related attractions. There's a good trivia on every Wednesday, for a start, and despite their ample rooftop beer garden being closed for reno's at the moment there's an American food-truck operating downstairs. More importantly though, it has big screens, a great atmosphere and is right in the heart of the action. Pick this as a place to set up shop on grand final day CHARLES DICKENS The Charles Dickens is one of those old-fashioned British pubs which is actually endlessly charming and makes you feel like you've stepped back in time a few decades. You should probably listen to Brit logic and have a pie (you always deserve a pie) here to go along with a game. There are four screens showing rugby, Premier League or AFL. If your team wins and you want late kick-ons, the Dickens does takeaway beer too. TURF BAR If it's American footy or baseball you're after, Turf Bar might be the pick for you. Their schedule packs in a bit of everything and the facilities are good: big screens with volume loud enough to hear the match, and private screening booths if you so desire. Friday nights offer $6 pints and bar snacks early on in the night. THE LEVESON It's chicken parmatastic over here at The Leveson, one of North Melbourne's nicer pubs, and the menu is as good as the happy hours are generous. The Leveson is a popular place to be on Grand Final day (or Superbowl morning), and as well as sport on the telly there's live music on Fridays. A good steak menu and an open fire will warm the cockles of your heart, and a solid Grand Final day party (featuring an espresso martini bar) should put this high up on your list this year. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and settle down with a drink this weekend.
We seriously hope you manage to sneak in a holiday in 2017, because boutique hotel curator Mr & Mrs Smith has compiled the votes from over 25,000 of its luxury-loving users and decided on the world's best accommodation options. These sensational hotels are not only in our most famous cities, but also in areas of remote paradise across the world. In partnership with Mr & Mrs Smith, here are 12 truly incredible, highly individual accommodation options. You'll find treehouses, old relics-turned-hotels and two boutique hotels on Aussie turf (oi, oi, oi!). BEST SMITH HOTEL: HALCYON HOUSE, AUSTRALIA Australia's very own Halcyon House has taken out the top spot in the awards, ushering visitors in with its coastal charm. Luxuriously sited on New South Wales' Cabarita Beach, the hotel opened in 2015 and has already made a name for itself simply by having rooms with stunning decor. Each is decked out in vibrant patterns, often featuring flashes of blue to honour the ocean. Restored vintage bicycles are available to hire, or guests can enjoy a calm afternoon playing croquet, unwinding on candy-striped day beds by the pool, or heading to the hotel's acclaimed restaurant and bar, Paper Daisy, for some "Australian coastal cooking". COOLEST CREATIVE HUB: FOGO ISLAND INN, CANADA Spectacularly perched on a cliff edge (we wouldn't expect anything less from a hotel in Canada), Fogo Island Inn is turning heads. If a wood-fired sauna, rooftop hot tub, art gallery and pastries delivered to your door every morning sounds enticing, then this inn is for you. Managing to pull off grandeur while exercising sustainability, there are rainwater catchment systems and renewable solar and wood-burning energy sources embedded in the inn. The 29 suites are classically and calmingly minimalistic, consisting of white walls, floors and bathrooms that are livened with colourful homewares and furniture made by local designers. BEST DRESSED HOTEL: PALAZZO MARGHERITA, ITALY Dense with soul, grace and opulence, Palazzo Margherita sits in the Italian town of Bernalda, at the arch of Italy's foot. It's fit for a king, and coincidentally restored by film royalty. Director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola, sought to refurbish what was a decaying 19th century relic and turn it into a hotel. All nine suites in the palazzo are individually characterised, some with peachy walls and gold framing, others looking onto roof murals reminiscent of Catholic churches. Guests have the option to unwind at the warmly hued family bar, or the cinecitta bar where the walls are lined with glossy photos of Italian celebrities. For explorers, this accommodation could not be more perfectly placed. The Basilicata region is flush with ruins, including those of Metaponto and Policoro, as well as the cave dwellings of Matera. The deserted town of Craco is within reach, too. WORLD'S SEXIEST BEDROOM: KEEMALA, THAILAND You may find it hard to put your phone down and resist the urge to post on Instagram seventeen times a day at Keemala. It's Avatar meets a five-star resort. The pool villas, harnessed in generous, luscious rainforest, may send your followers into an envious spiral. Rooms are encased in woven wood cocoons and beds are gloriously draped with lavish curtains that you can close and shut off from the world. The resort offers an hourly shuttle to Kamala beach, a spa and fitness centre holding yoga and Muay Thai boxing classes, as well as tai chi on the beach. The pool bar whips up innovative cocktails such as a lemongrass-infused Tom Yum cocktail and bittersweet Martinis paired with raw cacao. Intimate dining options can also be arranged, in the resort's plentiful gardens, or on a rocky outcrop. BEST DATE-NIGHT BAR: THE LONDON EDITION, ENGLAND Behind a neoclassical, royal exterior lies the splendour of The London Edition. It's part of the larger group of boutique 'Edition' hotels headed by the Marriott International, which are also opening locations in Abu Dhabi, Reykjavik and Barcelona. At the masterfully designed London Edition though, guests are welcomed by an extravagant lobby made up of ceiling motifs and classic green velour couches, while the rooms mix old and new to create an aesthetically wonderful atmosphere. The rooms are made of entirely timber walls, with refreshingly white bathrooms to contrast. Visitors often flock to the hotel's dining room, Berners Tavern, which is superbly and absolutely packed with 19th Century gilt-framed paintings. Serving high-end comfort food, the tavern is not only popular among guests, but those outside of The London Edition, too. BEST GOURMET GETAWAY: THE OLD CLARE HOTEL, AUSTRALIA The Old Clare occupies the previous headquarters of the old Carlton & United Breweries in Chippendale. It's made up of 62 rooms, which still have their heritage ceilings and panelling. Modern in some places and retro in others, the hotel exudes personality in every crevice. The Old Clare also plays the proud host to two of Sydney's coolest dining institutions — Kensington Street Social, which has a menu that gives a contemporary tip of the to British cuisine, and the refined and brilliantly designed Automata. Both are gloriously sophisticated in their own right. Head to the other end of the hotel (the top) and you'll find a rooftop pool that coolly overlooks Chippendale. MOST SPOILING SPA: AMANEMU, JAPAN You may fall over looking at the entrance pavilion at Amanemu — it's a beautiful, Japanese building enhanced by stunning backdrop of Ago Bay. Fortunately, this spa hotel is built around natural hot springs that are incorporated into treatments and the suites themselves. The rooms are perfectly geometric, drawing on Japanese minimalism to calm patrons even further. Blonde timber is lit by generous rays of sunshine that arrive through the many windows of each room every morning. Step outside and you're treated to an incredible scene of trees and the hotel's spa terrace. If you seek healing and a pure escape, put Amanemu on your list. POOL WITH A VIEW: GRAND HOTEL TREMEZZO, ITALY This place is the epitome of la dolce vita. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo is one of the monstrosities gracing Italy's even grander Lake Como. The exterior of the hotel features what we call 'lakeception' — a pool situated on an actual lake. Behind that you'll find guests rejuvenating on sun lounges shielded by white umbrellas, before trickling back through the hotel, through regal red painted walls and embellished columns. Rooms are furnished with gold, paint-framed mirrors and plush furniture resembling that of Italian royalty. Imaginably, the rooms host ridiculous window views of Lake Como's emerald waters and the mesmerisingly large mountains that protect them. Waterside bars and in-house Italian dining top off the stay — anything more you want to ask for? ABOVE AND BEYOND: AWASI, CHILE Among pristine, untouched Patagonia are 14 luxury cabins unlike anything else out there. The Awasi resort champions its surroundings, fitting into vistas of lakes, snow-tipped mountains and forests as seamlessly as a Patagonian puma hiding in the hills. Each cabin is topped off with a hot tub, where guests can admire their unbelievable surroundings. Visitors are also well attended to, with a private guide assigned to customise their experience. That could involve running away to off-the-beat hiking trails that lead to the best wildlife viewing spots the area has to offer. Seclusion and serenity unite at Awasi to deliver an unforgettable Chilean experience. BEST FAMILY HOTEL: TREEHOTEL, SWEDEN If Tarzan opened a luxury group of treehouses, it would translate to Sweden's Treehotel complex. There's something addictively adventurous about hanging among the trees, even when you're an adult. And before you think you'll be doing it tough, know that the cleverly designed pods that clutch the forest trees are filled with stunning Scandinavian-styled interiors. You'll have to monkey down the trees to cook though. There's a restaurant, bar and shared kitchen area, as well as shared bathrooms with a sauna and whirlpool plunge bath. Alongside that is an open-air hot tub, ziplines and an abundance of forest to look at. Each room is accessible by either a ladder or stairs. HOTTEST HOTEL SOUNDTRACK: FAZENDA NOVA, PORTUGAL Fazenda Nova is the love child of London born Hallie and Tim Robinson, who holidayed in Portugal for three years before opening their own accommodation. The pair renovated a 19th-century farmhouse to create a stunning retreat, surrounded by almond, pomegranate and olive orchards. Fazenda Nova encompasses the exuberance Portugal is renowned for, but the Robinsons have slotted in international influences into the grounds including Balinese teak furniture and Moroccan doors that the pair collected during their travels. The restaurant, A Cozihna, preaches the glory of Portuguese cuisine, which is often shadowed by Spanish cuisine (note — the two are exceedingly different). Menu options rotate daily, but often honour local seafood, and dishes are made from the hotel's own produce. LOCAL HOTEL HERO: 11 HOWARD, NEW YORK The romantic 11 Howard hotel proudly resides in Lower Manhattan. You may recognise the 150-foot mural that graces the side of the building from Instagram, where it is shared endlessly. Made up of minimally beautiful rooms, it's not hard to assume that guests struggle to check out of here. Danish design rules the decor; rooms are made up of light oak floors, blush pinks and soft greys to create a calm ambiance. Le Coucou (the hotel's restaurant) is something out of a fairytale, partly evoked by the forest painted walls that surround diners. It's a NYC hotspot, not that we'd expect anything less from acclaimed chef Daniel Rose, who set up La Bourse et La Vie in Paris. After indulging there, trickle over to the hotel's bar, The Blond. By 9pm, the sensual space transforms into a nightclub. There's a strict guest list from Thursday to Saturday, but as a hotel patron you don't need to fret. You'll get in easily.
Leave your table manners at the door, as Sydney's beloved crab shack comes scuttling into St Kilda. Dinner at House of Crabs promises to be a messy affair, but then again that's half the fun. We're talking hammers, bibs and seafood straight from the bag, as you suck down shellfish like it's going out of style. Opening March 4 in the basement of The Newmarket Hotel, House of Crabs takes its cues from crab joints in the American south. The menu features a mix of crabs, prawns and mussels served with Cajun, oriental, Mexican or lemon pepper sauce, along with snacks including smocked ocki tacos, lobster fries and Creole corn. They've also got steak and baby back ribs – although if you're in a restaurant called House of Crabs and not ordering seafood, we think you may have slightly missed the point. No word yet on whether the ice cream waffle sandwiches from their Sydney setup will be making the journey south, but we've got all our fingers claws crossed. The drinks list includes a healthy selection of cocktails, including Blackberry Mint Juleps, Alabama Slammers, Hurricanes and Frozen Margaritas. They also serve beer and a small number of house wines. House of Crabs will begin trading March 4 below 34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda. For more information check them out on Facebook or visit www.houseofcrabs.com.au/stkilda. Image: House of Crabs Sydney.
The team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes Top Paddock and The Kettle Black have finally cut the ribbon on their long-awaited new venue. Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground has been in the works for well over a year, and after a technical fault that further delayed the opening last week, they finally opened their doors to the public this morning, Monday, July 4. And boy is it a beauty. The huge, high-ceilinged 160-seat venue sits on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets in a former warehouse. The interior is impressive to say the least; a palette of exposed brick and green marble is spread across a multi-level space, which includes a raised area, an open kitchen, and a large mezzanine that holds couches, tables and its own bar. This is what it looks like: A photo posted by Concrete Playground Melbourne (@concreteplaygroundmelbourne) on Jul 3, 2016 at 9:11pm PDT The venue is serving up the same kickass cafe fare that its two siblings are known for, with the all-day menu including the likes of avo on toast, spiced cauliflower scrambled eggs and semolina porridge with cherry, umeshu, shiso and plum. The famous Top Paddock ricotta hotcake has made the menu too. But they'll also be departing from the usual formula by staying open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. If you come by after dark, expect some pretty well-priced dinner dishes, like cured kingfish, ricotta gnocchi, lamb ribs and half a chook with truffle and lemon. When we visited today, the eatery was already running like a well-oiled ship, even on their first day of service. Unsurprisingly, it seems these hospo legends have done it again and elevated Melbourne's cafe scene to — dare we say it — higher ground. Higher Ground is now open at 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. They're open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. For more info, visit higherground.com.au. Words: Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal. Images: Tim Grey.
Thought Friday Nights at the NGV ended with summer? Nup. They're back. Complementing the new Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Degas: A New Vision, the gallery is inviting visitors to enjoy a jam-packed late-night program complete with food, booze, talks and live performances. The 13-week program will run the length of the exhibition, kicking off on opening night this Friday, June 24 with headliner Clare Bowditch. Other musical guests on the program include The Grates, Augie March, Mick Harvey, The Goon Sax and Kid Congo, amongst others. In addition to the music lineup, other Friday night activities include talks on the Degas exhibition, performances by a jazz quartet and drinks and snacks in the Great Hall. All in all, it should make for many top-notch Fridays at the gallery.
Sydney's CBD is getting a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with plans to renovate Bar Century, rebrand it as The Century, and fit it out as a three-storey, luxury capsule hotel being announced last week. The George Street institution, which closed earlier this year, has been taken over by developer Walter Guo, who is investing a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, which will be carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building will retain its vintage fit-out and have a "Soho House vibe", with the bar and hotel running as separate entities. The first two levels will act as The Century's cocktail bar and nightclub, while the top three floors of the building will be dedicated to the Century Capsules. These capsules are certainly more luxe than most you'll find in Asia. Each of the 72 capsules will contain a large LED screen and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and even 'mood lighting' (whatever that means). Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not going to be a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. And while the CBD haunt may have closed because of the lockout laws — and been a central part of a huge lockout protest as a result — these new digs are not meant as a lockout solution either. "The accommodation, which is not quite hotel nor hostel, is aimed at solo travellers looking for something more private than a typical backpackers and those who want the designer hotel experience on a budget," says Christopher Wilks, an associate at Giant Design. It's set to sit well within your budget, with prices ranging from 40-60 bucks a night. Which, depending on how far from the CBD you live, could be a lot cheaper than a cab home at 1am. Sounds futuristic (for Sydney, at least), but these aren't some plans for the distant future — The Century is coming soon. Giant Design is looking at a mid to late November opening.
Ah, the tinnie. The refuge of the second-rate beer, right? Wrong. With improved technology obliterating the old argument that cans damage the taste of beer, more and more craft brewers are moving to the once humble can. Sometimes favoured for their retro feel, cans actually boast both a lower carbon footprint and longer shelf life than their bottled counterparts, making it likely their booming popularity will only continue rising. For many craft beer makers, the tinnie is actually an essential part of their craft; the makers of acclaimed Heady Topper urge their customers not to pour their beer into a glass, lest it lose the carefully cultivated hop aromas the can preserves. Here are ten of the best canned wonders. JAMES SQUIRE ONE FIFTY LASHES PALE ALE Named after a convict rapscallion who is believed to have created Australia’s first commercial brewery, Sydney-based James Squire produces a distinctly Australian range which has become synonymous with local craft beers. Newly available in cans, this is an approachable variety which makes an inspired addition to your next beach hang or spring picnic. With a light citrus burst and faint notes of passionfruit hitting the palate first, and the malted wheat giving it a silky smooth finish, it’s an ideal session beer. MOUNTAIN GOAT SUMMER ALE One of the first Australian craft beer makers to stock their product in cans, Victorian microbrewers Mountain Goat initially thought of doing a limited one-off run of these tinnies, but were soon overwhelmed with the response and turned it into a permanent fixture. A gold-hued ale perfect for sneaking into your picnic baskets, this offers inviting citrus and tropical aromas. With no hint of acidity, it’s an easy drinking delight and an ideal choice for the newer craft beer drinker or seasoned hop head alike. BREWDOG PUNK IPA Back in 2007, James Watt and Martin Dickie were two 24-year-olds with “scary bank loans” and a passion project selling their craft beer out of the back of a battered van. Today, they are the kingpins of a Scottish craft beer success story, overseeing more than 350 employees pumping out their abrasively flavoured brews to great acclaim. The Punk Indian Pale Ale is a must, a great introduction to their in-your-face style. Also look out for the mightily bitter Jackhammer, which is about as subtle as its name. HEADY TOPPER Ranked number 2 among all the world’s beers on the encyclopaedic Beer Advocate, Heady Topper is less a beer than a phenomenon. Initially considered unlikely to have widespread appeal, Heady Topper actually became so popular that the Vermont brewery which made it regularly had people cuing for hours and had to limit hordes of customers to one case each. It’s a complex beer with notes ranging from grapefruit to pine and spice and just about the quintessential craft beer tinnie. Image: Carter Brown. SIERRA NEVADA PALE ALE With its instantly recognisable pastoral artwork, Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale has long been warmly regarded as one of the classic craft beers. The pioneering brewery now produces over 50 varieties, but the pale ale accounts for more than half their sales. Famously using only whole cone hops, they have a commitment to quality ingredients that has produced a consistently good and almost universally liked beer. Heavy on the hops, it’s a beer that pairs well with some spicy Mexican. YO-HO TOKYO BLACK PORTER Japan is a relatively new player in the world of craft beers, having effectively legislated against microbreweries until the mid '90s. Now some 200 microbreweries have moved into a once stagnant market. One of the first breweries to spring up when the laws changed were Yoho, who have since been named Japan’s best craft beer brewery. Based in the snowy mountains of Nagano, they produce a nice variety of beers, including this rich black number which draws you in with its treacly aroma, roasty character and a head like foamy coffee. YOUNG HENRYS REAL ALE While the range of craft beers available in cans was quite limited just a few years ago, today there’s an abundance of options and this is a great example of a local take on the traditional British bitter. Made with both Australian and British malts, it’s light but flavoursome and took Young Henrys all the way from their inner west base to the International Real Ale Festival, where this bad boy picked up a gold medal. EVIL TWIN HIPSTER ALE An American Pale ale hailing from (where else?) Brooklyn, Evil Twin market this colourfully packaged beer as a homage to anyone who “feel(s) excluded because you’re hip but your city is not”. Even for those in a cutting-edge hip city, this is a very drinkable ale with some complexity to keep you interested. The colour is like a light honey, and you’ll get notes of everything from biscuits, toffee and caramel to more zesty citrus. FERAL BREWING HOP HOG IPA Credit Feral Brewing company with putting beer on the map in the fabled Swan Valley wine district. This is their most famous product, an American-style Indian pale ale with hops added both during the boil and late in the fermenting. It’s proven a hit both with the craft beer-loving public and the critics who raved about its balance and drinkability and made it the number 1 pick in their Australia’s Best Beers annual roundup. SIX STRING DARK RED IPA Like many craft brewers, Six String began as a couple of friends with a love of beer and a desire to make something better than the mass-marketed product. After lengthy battles with bureaucratic red tape, Chris Benson and Adam Klasterka were able to enlist the support of their community and set up a boutique brewery in the Central Coast. Their beers proved worth the wait. Among their staples is a dark red IPA. It’s full-bodied, really dark and really good. Top illustration by Barry Patenaude.
For the uninitiated who visit Din Tai Fung Emporium, the sight of ten or so people encased in what seems like a hermetically sealed, glass-walled prison may be slightly disconcerting at first. Upon closer inspection though, the glass walls serve only as a screen, displaying the precision and artisanal care that Din Tai Fung's dumpling masters put into what you are soon to devour. From the stacked, steaming bamboo baskets that greet you on the way through the door to the abrupt hospitality that says we know we're good — so hurry up, eat and leave, you will feel as though the bustling streets of Taipei are right outside the entire time. For the regulars — particularly those that love to display their cultural prowess to the world — the opportunity to teach someone the ways of eating xiao long bao without losing the encased nectarous soup (or severely burning their mouth) is enough to allow a foodie to die happy. While it is easy to be distracted by the perennial favourites, it's important to keep your mind (and stomach) open to options. The crispy chicken with egg fried rice, spicy shrimp and pork wonton and the simple water spinach with garlic are unmissable additions to your table. All the usual liquids are on the menu, but if you're feeling like a refreshing palate cleanser, one can't go past the lychee mint freeze. And if, after all this, you find yourself wanting more, the golden lava mini buns — a.k.a. custard buns — are a perfect finish. The mango pudding is a delightful way to wrap it all up. If you're yet to step over the threshold of this Taiwanese native, it's time you did. You can even order your meal while you wait for that elusive table — just find yourself a clipboard and menu on the podium at the door and place your order on the checkbox menu form. Then, through the magic that is Din Tai Fung Emporium, your meal will likely arrive at your table at the same time you do.
As if the fruits of the crowdsourcing revolution weren't clear already (hello Uber, hello Tinder) the new 'land-sharing' service, Hipcamp, is going even further and actually adding value to our environment — while finding you the perfect camping spot. Currently operating in the US (with eventual worldwide aspirations), Hipcamp is a service that connects campers with private land owners, meaning previously inaccessible, beautiful plots of land probably once flanked with "Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again" signs are now available to camp on. You can camp on ranches, farms, vineyards and land preserves. Think of it as Airbnb for people who don't mind pissing in the woods. While campers are an important cog in the Hipcamp machine, it's actually the landowners who are the crux of the thing. Over 60 percent of America is privately owned and Hipcamp aims to make undeveloped land useful, even profitable, by facilitating back-to-nature style camping on private land. The site operates just like Airbnb, providing you with plenty of information on amenities and activities, photos, prices, reviews, availability and (most importantly) lots of S'mores recipes. As well as giving campers access to remote, previously private camp sites, Hipcamp lets you experience these locations with someone who's both got your back in an emergency and will make sure you leave the land as you found it — the environmentally-conscious land stewards. In order to sign up, Hipcampers have to read and engage with a Leave No Trace agreement, the main point of which is obviously to leave no trace of your trip at the camping spot (duh). So if you're planning a road trip around America and you don't want to spend your nights in a murder motel, this is the app for you. Images: Matt Lief Anderson. Via Lost at E Minor.
Kath and Kim's Kel Knight might be the ultimate sausage creator to many, but there are plenty of local butchers who give the purveyor of fine meats a run for his money. And the Builders Arms Hotel brings a few of them together every year when it hosts its epic Sausage Festival. For its 11th iteration, the pub's Andrew McConnell-run kitchen will be pumping out five specialty sausage dishes from Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 30 — made by butchers local to the Gertrude Street watering hole, with many produced by Troy Wheeler and his team at Meatsmith. Get around a classic merguez sausage served with three fresh oysters and mignonette sauce ($22), a layered mortadella sandwich in a milk bun and finished with salted butter ($14), spicy Thai sausages with green nam jim ($23), a blood sausage loaf topped with a fried egg and relish ($24) and an epic choucroute garnie that includes a heap of sauerkraut topped with smoked frankfurters, lyonnaise sausages and pork belly ($36). Each of the dishes also comes with a suggested wine, beer or cocktail pairing for those looking to take it all to the next level. Plus, if you rock up on Wednesday, June 26, you can join the Builders Arms' special sausage-themed trivia. Snag the win by showing off some of the most obscure sausage facts you know, all while chowing down on some less-than-classic bangers.
Independent artist-run record label Two Bright Lakes have been releasing exceptional, gamechanging music for the last eight years. Sadly TBL are calling it a day, but thankfully they'll continue to release music through a new venture, affectionately dubbed Little Lakes Records. To celebrate the end of an era, Two Bright Lakes are throwing one huge final bash at Schoolhouse Studios. Both current talent and TBL alumni will be performing on the night, with Kid Sam putting in an extra special performance. There'll also be troubadour extraordinaire Brendan Welch, the divine dance moves of Collarbones, and utterly gorgeous Melbourne group The Harpoons. The fun doesn’t end there, as Seagull, Nick Huggins, Hello Satellites and of course, Two Bright Lakes DJs, will celebrate eight glorious years of independent music. If you're a music fan, a TBL fan, or just a lover of damning the man with independent art, this is your party. Image: Two Bright Lakes.
