If you plan to head to Shira Nui, be sure to book ahead, as this place often has a waiting list a month in advance. Opened twenty years ago by chef and owner Hiro Nishikura, Shira Nui is the type of restaurant where looks can be deceiving. Consistently considered in the top two or three Japanese restaurants in all of Melbourne, the humble interior of the restaurant serves to highlight the quality of the food while not overwhelming it. This place is serious about food yet fun and charming, with chef Hiro the life of the party. It's famous for its grilled oysters, and the bento boxes are favourites among locals, but you really can't go past the sushi and sashimi. The sushi selection includes salad rolls for vegetarians, California rolls, pan-fried salmon and even oyster sushi on request. But if you're after something more substantial, try the seared salmons served with a powerful shichimi powder, which is only lightly seared so the middle is still raw. Alternatively, the yakiniku beef with rice, scallions, and sauce is a delight. Be sure to follow the soya or no soya rules here, as the chefs have put a lot of thought into how the meals should be eaten, and remember each piece of sashimi is cut just to size to be the perfect mouthful. Pair it all with a few rounds of sake, and you'll be in for a delightful night out at Shira Nui — that is if you can get a seat. You can only book by phone so make sure you plan accordingly.
For years Altona has sat in the shadow of its southwest bayside neighbour Williamstown. But all that may be set to change with the opening of Two Bros on Blyth, the latest eatery to open in the area from brothers Michael and Ehab Botros. The duo launched the Two Bros on Blyth brand last year as a pop-up cafe, and it was so successful they've decided to give it a permanent home just off Altona's Pier Street. The brothers chose the waterside southwestern suburb — which is not necessarily known for its dining options — because they felt locals wanted a piece of Melbourne's cafe culture and nightlife in their local area. "We wanted to open a space where people could have a good time without having to go into the city," says Michael. By transforming the double-storey space into an all-day eatery with a cafe downstairs and bar and dining room upstairs, the Botros brothers have given Altona the cultural injection that neighbouring Williamstown has been enjoying for a while, most namely with the recent opening of George Calombaris' Hellenic Hotel. Two Bros on Blyth will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the upstairs area converting to a live music venue during the evenings. This might be just the place to enjoy an espresso martini, while browsing the drinks list put together by Pete Giannaris (ex-Gazi and The Press Club). By the way of a food menu, the term 'Australian fusion' has been thrown around, so expect just about anything. Two Bros on Blyth is now open at 51 Blyth Street, Altona. It's open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday. For more info, visit 2bonb.com.au.
Another lane, another Melbourne hotspot. And yet these places continue to suck us in, with their low-lit entrances, fun-loving menus and bold attitudes. It's also hard to ignore the whispers that go out around town like wildfire. But this particular whisper — the news that Lucy Liu was opening up in place of the now-retired PM24 — was like music to my ears. Or like succulent wagyu to my tastebuds, even. Lucy Liu Kitchen & Bar — not to be confused with the Charlie's Angel — is a modern Asian delight of a venue. This here is something worthy of its newbie hype. Reservations are accepted (huzzah!), but if you prefer to wing it and rock up unannounced, you might possibly get the best seat in the house: at the counter overlooking the kitchen. It's a well-oiled machine, I can tell you. And as a machine that's been running for less than a month, it's an impressive one. The service is efficient, if not ever-so-slightly imposing — but that's really no bother when the food is this good. An exciting menu is on show at Lucy Liu. Tempura soft shell crab ($16), kingfish sashimi ($18) and rare breed sticky pork belly ($20) are 'small bites' standouts, while the dumpling menu features fillings such as Peking duck, steamed pork and chestnut, and barramundi and scampi. Salads and sides are there, but don't really get a look in with so much other stuff worth ordering. Larger plates are still to come, and the hero here is definitely the wagyu beef with yakiniku dipping sauce and hot mustard horseradish ($38). It's likely that the menu will have your eyes glazing over with anticipation, and if that's the case, just sit back and let 'let Lucy choose' five or seven of her finest plates for you ($55 and $65 respectively). Letting a tender slice of wagyu melt in your mouth (quite literally) while you sip a glass of Lucy's Red and overlook the kitchen superstars calmly plate up some beautiful food, you could be anywhere in the world (and the middle of Manhattan might indeed spring to mind). But by the same token, at Lucy's, there's nowhere else you'd rather be.
The Waiters Restaurant (formerly The Waiters Club) has been around since 1947 and still resembles an old Coles canteen from the '70s. But despite missing out on the neighbouring Meyers Place revolution, the The Waiters Restaurant remains a city stalwart. Originally a members-only, after-work venue for Melbourne's new-Australian waiters, the restaurant now hosts a cross-generational legion of foodie fans. Tuck in to a welcoming bowl of pasta or a generous slice of tiramisu; fine dining it's not, but it's homely and dependable. And while its no-frills service has remained but the place has been offered up a fresh coat of paint and a new set of tables and chairs. The Waiters Restaurant might have changed a little on the surface, but the vibe of the place remains, and it will always have an air of nan's kitchen about it. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pasta in Melbourne for 2023
"It's one of those things where you keep pinching yourself," says director David F. Sandberg, the brains behind new 'be afraid of the dark' horror movie Lights Out. Given the whirlwind couple of years the Swedish filmmaker has experienced, his reaction is completely understandable. Back in 2013, he was an aspiring director with a love of making scary flicks and a dream to hit the big time, just like plenty of others. And then he had a great idea, made a short that took off, and his phone started ringing. Also called Lights Out, that two-and-a-half-minute effort managed to turn everyone's childhood fears of something sinister lurking in the darkness into the kind of creepy fare most horror features can't master. And one of the calls it sparked came from producer Lawrence Grey, who happened to know Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, and Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan — and the rest, as they say is history. Actually, the end result is an effective and unnerving movie that looks as spooky as it sounds, and sets actresses Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello against a shadowy figure that only appears when it's not so bright in a particular spot. With the film currently screening in Australian cinemas, we chatted with Sandberg about coming up with an attention-grabbing premise, fielding the calls that made his dreams come true, and working with one of the modern greats of the genre. ON TURNING A FEAR OF THE DARK INTO A HORROR MOVIE "It came from this thing I'm sure many people have experienced, where you turn the lights off at night and you think you sort of see something there in the shadows — and you have to turn it back on to check. And Lotta [Losten, Sandberg's wife, and the producer and star of the 2013 Lights Out short] and I had this idea: what if there actually was something there every time you turned off the lights? "We made the short for an online horror competition. We had been trying to get money to make shorts in Sweden but had been unsuccessful, so we figured let's just make them on our own — we don't need a lot of money, I have a camera and Lotta is an actress, so we can do it by ourselves. So we just had to come up with the scariest thing we could do in our apartment with just one actor, and that seemed like the perfect idea." ON GOING VIRAL — THEN GETTING CALLS FROM HOLLYWOOD "It just suddenly — after we had uploaded it to YouTube, a couple of months after that — just became this viral sensation and started getting millions of views. And all of a sudden all these people in Hollywood wanted to talk to us. And it was just insane that a two-and-a-half minute short can get so much attention, you know? "I had to make a spreadsheet with everyone I talked to and what was said last just to keep track of it all. And one of the first producers who got in touch was Lawrence Grey, and it just seemed like he knew what he was talking about — and he was very passionate about making this into a feature. So I went along with him, basically. "He knew James Wan because they had been talking about maybe doing something together. So he sent the short to James, and he had already seen it online actually and thought it was a really cool short — but he didn't know if there was enough there for a feature. So, I wrote like a treatment of what I wanted the story and the characters to be that Lawrence sent to James, and that got him on board and to maybe see that, okay, maybe this could be a feature after all." ON FINDING A FEATURE-LENGTH STORY FROM A 2.5-MINUTE SHORT "There isn't a lot of story in the short really. It is just a concept — and that was very freeing when it came time to make it into a feature because it meant that all we had to do was stay true to that concept. We didn't have a story that we had to stay true to. "Lotta and I have made movies, and we've made them really short so there hasn't been time for real stories or characters with backstories and all that. So it was like finally we could explore that aspect and really create characters that you care for — which I think is really important in a horror movie, because if you don't care about what happens to the characters, you probably won't get scared." ON WORKING WITH JAMES WAN "I was honoured that he wanted to come on board as a producer because he is like the modern horror master. And he has all these ideas and all this experience. He's created I don't know how many franchises now. And he has kind of a similar story in that he came from another country and made a short that was turned into a feature in Hollywood. "He was telling me, 'Just have fun with it, because it's a crazy business.' I tried my best, but since it was my first feature I was very stressed out, because like, this is my shot, I'd better not stuff this up, this is my one shot at Hollywood. But yeah, he was great to have as a mentor." ON HOW TO MAKE SURE 'LIGHTS OUT' MEANS LIGHTS OUT "It was very important for me that we had true darkness, because in a lot of Hollywood movies, you just have a lot of blue light and that's supposed to represent darkness — but you still see everything. So it was really important to have pitch-black darkness where any kind of evil could hide. And that took some convincing of everyone to make that happen. And also, to play with, to just have certain light sources like Martin [played by actor Gabriel Bateman] with the candle or Teresa [Palmer] with the UV light down in the basement, and to not light it apart from those lights. And again, that was a bit of an issue. "That was something that James Wan helped out with because, when I told sort of the camera crew that I wanted to have the scene lit by just candle light, they were like, 'No, no, you've gotta light the movie.' But then when we were shooting that scene, James Wan came by the set, and he was like, 'Hey, you know you should shoot that scene with just the candlelight.' And everyone's like, 'Yeah, great idea James, lets do that.' And I was like 'Oh, okay.'" ON LIVING THE DREAM (STARRING ANNABELLE) "I mean, this has all happened so fast that I still haven't really processed everything that has happened because I've only been in this country [the US] for a year and a half — and I'm already in the middle of directing my second movie [the James Wan-produced Annabelle 2, the sequel to the 2014 spin-off from The Conjuring]. I'm not really sure what's going to happen afterwards, but I'm just happy for everything that's happened so far. It's awesome. It's what I've always dreamed that I want to do. And I mean, just doing stuff like this, these interviews, just because I made a two-and-a-half minute short — it's insane. I mean, my life goal was to direct a Hollywood feature, and I've actually achieved that, which is pretty amazing." Lights Out is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
If someone hasn't already reminded you that today is the first of March (with a petrified look of a person on the brink of a mid-life crisis, no less), this bit of news should well and truly confirm that summer is over. Vivid Sydney has this morning given us the first tidbit from their 2017 program, announcing indie folk-rock band Fleet Foxes as their first visiting artist. The US band will bring their bright dance-around-the-forest songs to the Sydney Opera House for four exclusive shows on May 26–29 this year. These will be the band's only shows in Australia — and their first here in five years — so tickets will be allocated via a ballot system. Anyone who sat online to get (or miss out on) tickets to the Opera House's Bon Iver show last year will appreciate this method of allocation. Fans of Fleet Foxes will know the band have been extremely quiet of late; they haven't released an album since Helplessness Blues back in 2011. The band is set to release their third album this year — which, according to Consequence of Sound, is called Ylajali — and has already locked in some European tour dates post-Vivid, meaning that we could potentially be the first to hear their new material. The Fleet Foxes gig is the first announcement for Vivid 2017, which will this year run from May 26 until June 17. The full program will be announced later this month. That should get you excited for winter. Fleet Foxes will play four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 26–29. The ballot is open now until 11.59pm on Sunday, March 5. You can enter here.
Lally Katz is losing some of her magic, and she's fine with it. Now well and truly established as one of Australia’s leading playwrights, Katz’s development as an artist has brought profound changes in her approach to writing, alongside her move from independent theatre to larger, mainstage audiences. “You just don’t want to write the same thing over and over again your whole life,” she says. “I think when I was in my early twenties you don’t know where your writing comes from: it’s imagination, it’s dreams, it’s magic, and I didn’t always have control over it.I’m proud of that work but you develop more craft as you get older and you can’t help but use it. There are times where I’ll have a play and I still like having dreams and magic in it, but what I’ve learnt is that when I was younger I wasn’t able to wrangle that stuff in a way that made sense for some of the audience.” Some of Katz’s later plays have been closely derived from her relationship with real figures — as with her Hungarian neighbour, Ana, in Neighbourhood Watch. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve got more interested in writing about real people, the characters that I meet, with a bit of myself in there. I think that places the work somewhere different too; if you’re learning the way that someone talks, the story comes out of those characters.” Her latest work, Timeshare, is just about to open at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre. Starring Fast Forward's Marg Downey, the play takes place on an unsettling holiday resort, one that straddles the International Dateline, and the intersection between time and memory. Last year Katz wrote the libretto for an operatic adaptation of John Marsden’s The Rabbits, and Timeshare gives her the chance to try her hand at lyrics again, with a show she describes as a “semi-musical”, its songs written in collaboration with Jethro Woodward. This kind of collaboration forms the heart of Timeshare, with Katz and director Oliver Butler (from New York’s The Debate Society) facing an uphill battle trying to communicate across time zones. “Before Malthouse brought Oliver out here last year to do a development, it was so hard,” she says, “When you Skype, the differences between here and New York are so painful, and it was so hard to make progress. Part of what originally inspired this story of a resort on the International Dateline was just that frustration of trying to work together across those times.” The playwright had to undertake strenuous research for the show, staying in all-inclusive resorts in Fiji and Cancun, usually the odd-one-out loner among families on school holidays. But her travels overseas have also allowed her to see and experience theatre all over the world. “When you see a lot of theatre internationally you realise what a distinct style Australian theatre has," she says. "I’m always interested in seeing what’s going on with new writing in other countries — what’s different about that writing, what’s different about the way writers work with theatre companies or other artists. It opens your mind to different ways of working.” When asked about what Australian theatre could learn from international practitioners, Katz points to an issue that highlights the challenges Australian theatre still face in generating a sense of community around their work. “Some new writing companies in the US will have a question-and-answer session with the audience after every single performance; maybe not with the actors or the director, but usually with someone like a dramaturg,” she says. “And what it means is that the audience gets to be heard. What they liked, didn’t like, what they engaged with. Even if they hate the show they still feel included and they leave feeling as if they’ve been acknowledged, and then people never go home feeling stupid. Especially with new plays it would be great for us to be having more of those kinds of conversations.” Timeshare is on from April 29 – May 17. Rehearsal photography by Sarah Walker.
It's easy to miss Seven Seeds on Berkeley Street, hidden in one of the quieter pockets of Carlton. This micro-roaster, cafe and retailer is hidden behind a wood-panelled door, which serves as a humble ruse for one of Melbourne's most marvelled cafe creations. And it truly is one aromatic, if slightly overwhelming, marvel. The interior design, the crumpets, the lamingtons, the coffee lab — these are all little sensations that piece together a giant applause-worthy creation that comes with a tasty caffeine hit, no less. Takeaway or dine-in, Seven Seeds is an experience either way. No matter where you sit, stand or wait, you'll have a clear-cut view of where your coffee is being conceived. Look at the baristas working busily behind their machines or the roasters, with beanies atop, in glasses you can't afford, sporting science-fair stares of intrigue at vats of dense, brown liquid: coffee. The team here are renowned for bringing the best and tastiest characteristics out of a bean, and it's one of the few roasteries to cup what they roast on a daily basis. There's only one size for coffee here, purely so these craft masters can delicately balance your shot in a proportion to water or milk that suits best. At a glance, it seems ostentatious, but at a sip, it seems unquestionable. Seven Seeds is meant to be all about the coffee, but the food doesn't just sit on the sidelines. Though small and compact, its baked goods cabinet can't be missed on arrival. There's a rotation of tasty treats here, with lamingtons, brownies, a sweet and savoury muffin selection, croissants, and strangely addictive pretzel blondies that make for a selection that'll have your hands drifting to your wallet while your eyes stay fixated. The dine-in menu is just as tasty and comes at half the calories. From pasta to white beans, waffles to mushrooms, each meal is as hearty as a breakfast should be, with the delicate flavour balance synonymous with Seven Seeds. At the very least, you must admire any cafe that can pull off homemade french toast with chocolate mascarpone, blackberries, strawberries and hazelnut praline. Come here for the coffee, but stick around to lap up the full experience of Seven Seeds. After all, when your postcode begins with three, it's your God-given right to be a coffee snob occasionally. Top image: Cormac Hanrahan/Visit Victoria. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Coffee in Melbourne
Radiating sunshine from its pint-sized digs overlooking Lincoln Square, Hareruya Pantry is a takeaway-only hole-in-the-wall created by Kantaro Okada, who also brought us other Japanese gems, 279 and North Melbourne's Le Bajo. The tiny Japanese convenience store-meets-cafe specialises in bento and gelato, its name translating to 'sunny shop'. And indeed, it's as cheery as they come, drawing queues from breakfast till dinner. Shelves are stocked with a neat array of takeaway treats and snacks, while at the counter, staff scoop from shiny tubs of gelato. Vibrant, loaded bento boxes are brimming with various osouzai (side dishes), teamed with meat and egg, the fish of the day, or vegetarian options. Savoury snacks might include the likes of onigiri, sandos and chicken karaage tossed in dashi amazu (a sweet vinegar), while during colder months, you'll find oden boxes (a Japanese stew), served with the broth ready to pour over the dry ingredients. Sweet-toothed visitors to Hareruya will delight in the rotation of house-baked pastries — think, castella, miso brownies and matcha cookies — and the drinks offering runs to freshly-pressed juices and lattes of both the caffeinated and matcha-infused variety. House-made gelato fills the Italian Pozzetti freezer, the rotating lineup fusing classic Japanese flavours with Italian techniques. Shirogoma (white sesame), sweet potato, and red fruits with elderflower and yuzu are just some of the varieties being scooped of late. Get yours in a cup or take-home tub, daifuku-style (wrapped in mochi skin), or sandwiched between rice wafer crisps like a traditional monaka. The petite Hareruya store boasts a couple of bench seats, though if the sun's a-shining, you'll find the adjacent grassy park is the ideal setting to hoof down your bento and gelato.
Home to an endless variety of Asian cuisine, a single street in Melbourne's east houses some of the best honest, hawker-style food in the city. On Kingsway, Glen Waverley, deceptively delicious eateries run rampant. The epitome of casual eating, Glen Waverley’s dirt-cheap Asian food is kind to both your stomach and your purse. Although often associated with notoriously poor customer service, it's quite arguably one of Melbourne's most loved and regarded cheap eating scenes. Bring some good humour and you'll enjoy a simple, tasty meal — and in classic Glen Waverley style, it won't cost you more than $15. CHIVE DUMPLINGS AT HONG KONG DIM SUM: $3.80 It's one of the smaller restaurants in Glen Waverley, but that makes Hong Kong Dim Sum ideal for grazers reluctant to break the budget on high-class yum cha. This eatery doesn’t wheel around trolleys filled with food — instead opting for a small, specialised yum cha menu made to order. Stick to classic dim sum options like the scallop or chives dumplings ($3.80 for three) and you'll walk away pleasantly topped up with quality Chinese fare. If you're particularly impressed by the food, you can purchase a freshly frozen set of items from the freezer. 77 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9545 3886; facebook.com PRAWN MEE AT PAPPA RICH: $12.90 Always the crowd pleaser, dining at Pappa Rich usually involves a short wait at peak times. But don't be deterred by the queue — you'll be seated surprisingly quickly with expert staff cleverly maximising the spacious interior. Although technically a Malay eatery, the menu is heavily influenced by Indian and Chinese flavours. There's a variety of dishes to choose from, and a pleasantly creative drink menu. The Pappa Prawn Mee is a highlight here, with a balanced broth of rich prawns and tangy Asian spices. The flavours at Pappa Rich are a little more intricate than some other Glen Waverley eateries, which is surely reflected eagerly by the restaurant's devoted following. 92-94 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9560 0968; papparich.net.au YONG TOFU AT THE GRAND TOFU: $9.80 Here at The Grand Tofu you'll find one of the biggest, steaming hot bowls of noodle soup available for a mere ten bucks. This is classic Asian street-style soup at its best. There are a few other standard hawker flavours on the menu, including some notable vegetarian options, but Yong Tofu orders dominate most nights. Choose from a braised, tom yum, or curry soup base. Add your choice of noodles (or choose a mix) and six feature items. As a little delight, the generous range of dumplings, fish-stuffed vegetables and bean curd items are displayed in a glass case for you. The vegetarian bean curd roll and stuffed eggplant are particular standouts. 102 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9560 1700 PORK DUMPLINGS AT RARAMEN: $8.80 If crowds are anything to go by, this inconspicuous dining hall serves some of the best budget dumplings in Melbourne. The menu is extensive, but most patrons don't read beyond the dumpling list. Which is fair enough, really, when a mere $8.80 will buy you 12 of the juiciest pork treasures in town. Steamed or fried, these succulent, warm parcels are easily some of Glen Waverley's most popular hidden gems. A two-storey restaurant, RaRamen is a treat for groups with the upstairs section featuring lengthy tables specifically designed to accommodate sharing and general festivity. And if you needed another reason to visit, there are also free slurpees. 114 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9561 5665; facebook.com HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE AT STRAITS OF MALACCA: $9.80 Traditional Malaysian dishes with a western-friendly influence reign supreme at this lively restaurant. There's a genuine mix of conventional and modern Malaysian flavours, but the "most popular" Hainanese Chicken Rice is a particular standout. Beautifully light chicken rice with sharp and sweet sauces complement softly steamed meat — be patient for this one, it's worth it. If you feel adventurous, try some Malaysian drinks including the classic Kopi ($3) and the Three Layered Teh ($3.5). Ambience can be lacking occasionally, but the food is so gloriously cheap here that it's hard to mind. 78 Kingsway, Glen Waverley; (03) 9561 3880 Malacca Straits image credit: annieenguyenn; The Grand Tofu image credit: foodiebebs; Hong Kong Dim Sum image credit: Alpha via Flickr
Longtime gaming and beering aficionado, America has a booming barcade scene. From Portland's Ground Kontrol to New York City's Barcade and Two-Bit's Retro Arcade, dive bars are popping up left right and centre; brimming with retro arcade games, pinball machines and Daytona set-ups. Melbourne's been getting in on the arcade action with the likes of Forgotten Worlds and Beta Bar, but now even more so with the opening of Pixel Alley — from the crew behind Mr Wow's Emporium. After an eye-opening trip through America's flourishing barcade landscape, the Mr Wow's crew decided to level up their Fitzroy location. Setting up shop on Smith Street right next to Mr Wow's, Pixel Alley will be an '80s-style retro arcade meant for grown ups. The crew have landed their hands on the likes of Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Pac-Man, Daytona and Tapper for a start; all housed amongst original pixelated art by Sketchet Illustration artist Justine McAllister. With lego shot glasses, pixelated Link decorations and Mario-style hearts on the beer glasses, this newbie overall looks a lot like a bar version on Footscray's Eat8bit burger joint. Of course, we're going to need some liquid courage to really tap into our expert Street Fighter skills. Adorably themed cocktails like the Konkey Dong (a barrel-aged rum banana milkshake) and the Pac-Man Bubble Tea should get your head in the right space, and the bar will be stocked with local and American tinnies. Plus, we hear Little Smith Brewing will be providing Bastard Son Pale Ale on tap (with a free game token every time). Just look at this adorable menu: Pixel Alley is set to open in late May at 95 Smith Street, Fitzroy, right next door to Mr Wow's Emporium. Here's the Facebook page for more info.
The arrival of spring might have you wanting to get out among nature and baby animals — and you can do just that at Melbourne Zoo this month as it hosts National Geographic's 50 greatest wildlife photos. The outdoor installation is now on display in the zoo's Carousel ParkCarousel Park, and also includes an augmented reality experience that will transport you to a watering hole in Africa. This is its world premiere, so don't miss it. But even if you do, there's still lots of art to get amongst. NGV Australia's new Ken Unsworth exhibition features skeletons and murderous pianos, RMIT Gallery is exploring the representation of air and Melbourne Museum is hosting a huge Nelson Mandela tribute. On top of that, you can also catch works by some of Australia's best artworks if you're willing to travel to Ballarat or Geelong.
The 400 Gradi crew is back at it again this year, throwing a massive party for World Pizza Day on Sunday, February 9. Rock up to the original Lygon Street location from 2–5pm, and you'll be treated to free-flowing spritzes and bellinis paired with unlimited pizzas by the slice for an easy $59 per person. That's a damn good price for three hours of bottomless food and booze. There'll also be tunes from Mark Pellegrini and stacks of giveaways — including pizza masterclass tickets, gift vouchers and free access to more bottomless food and drink sessions. For, from March 1, 400 Gradi will be running a new unlimited pizza and spritz deal every Saturday night from 8–10pm. It will be much like the World Pizza Day Party offering — with guests getting two hours of bottomless pizza by the slice and free-flowing spritzes for $59 per person. It's a pretty epic way to start a big Saturday night out in the northern burbs.
UPDATE: April 25, 2019 — On ANZAC Day, Arbory Afloat will be open from 7am, serving up two breakfast burgers (one with mushrooms and pesto, the other with terrine and fried eggs), breakfast pizza topped with egg, cheese and porchetta and Gunfire Breakfasts. The latter are hot mugs of black coffee spiked with plenty of rum — you do have the day off, after all. 'Melbourne's famed floating bar is back for another spring and summer season on the Yarra. And this time, it's bigger and better than ever before. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, has reclaimed its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra. But this year it has gained a considerable extra 19 metres in length — that's on top of the 50 metres and 407-person capacity it had last year. The temporary bar and restaurant has again been designed by Lucienne Hemmingway of Curious by Design, and is inspired by train trips through the Cinque Terre, where the beaches and cliffs are surrounded by citrus and fig trees. And real citrus and fig trees you will find on the floating bar, nestled amongst lush garden beds, white furnishings and pops of green and orange. It also has a second-storey rooftop bar with a lengthy magnum menu, featuring rosé and Champagne aplenty. Dubbed Upper Deck, the 116-seater bar has panoramic views of the river and day beds, so you can spend lazy summer days making your way through dozens of oysters, woodfired pizzas and 1.5 litres of something pink (with a friend or two to help, of course). It's also available to be hired out, if you're planning a party for a special occasion. Chef Nick Bennett has designed the menu, which is also inspired by the seaside villages on the Italian Riviera. A woodfired pizza oven, taking pride of place in the open kitchen, will be pumping out Neapolitan-style pizzas, including the Suina topped with buffalo mozzarella, porchetta and crackling, and the Lele with cime di rapa, prawns and chilli. You'll also find lots of seafood, pasta, light salads and sandwiches stuffed with cured meats and cheeses on the menu. Would it be a visit to seaside Italy without spritzes? We think not. And luckily, there'll be plenty. Blood orange and Aperol spritzes will be on tap, sitting pretty on the drinks menu alongside less-Italian cocktails such as piña coladas and watermelon sangria. Those wanting something simpler can choose from one of eight different G&Ts. Arbory Afloat is open from 11am–1am daily.
Renowned chef Scott Pickett (Estelle, Matilda, Pastore and Longrain) transformed his former Italian restaurant Lupo into the Parisian-inspired Smith St Bistrot back in 2021. The bistro and bar celebrates the French chapter of Pickett's own culinary training. It opens from 12pm for those chic lunching, sipping and snacking sessions, with a rotating menu du jour showcased come dinnertime. Classic European flavours star throughout finely-tuned dishes like tartare de boeuf with salt baked beetroot and dill yoghurt paired with a side of fries or the chicken fricassee with apple and pearl onions topped with cider. You'll be just as happy dropping by for a steak with green peppercorn on your lunchbreak, as you will be celebrating with friends over a barramundi with cucumber, crayfish beurre blanc and salmon roe. [caption id="attachment_849501" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shannon McGrath[/caption] A matching wine offering has options for all occasions and budgets, favouring local and international winemakers taking a hands-off approach to their art. There be boutique beers and a handful of cocktails, too — revamping familiar favourites with a few new-world twists. The space has been created under the eye of Anthology Studio's Sarah Townson, with green velvet and burgundy leather played against exposed brick in a nod to both gothic and art deco stylings. Think brass chandeliers, antique mirrors and wrought iron balustrades, with a spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine level and second private dining space. Top images: Alex Squadrito Appears in: The Best French Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
It might be France's fourth biggest city, but Toulouse isn't yet a firm fixture on the tourist trail. Unless you're an aviation fanatic, that is — all Airbus A380s are born here, so Biggles fans drop by to tour what's surely one of the world's biggest assembly lines. But what's less known about Toulouse is that it's a mecca for creatives. For decades now, artists have been pouncing on abandoned buildings and reclaiming them for art's sake. Among the epic proportions of an ex-slaughterhouse, you'll find a 78-year-old stage curtain painted by Picasso. Along the curved walls of an 18th century water tower, explore France's first photography gallery. In an ex-clothing factory, discover the latest from emerging artists. To these eclectic spaces, a busy festival calendar brings wave after wave of international art invasions, dance spectaculars, electronica marathons and world music parties. In fact, locals dub Toulouse the 'festival capital' of France. Nestled into a bend on the Garonne River, which begins in the Pyrenees and flows into the Atlantic at Bordeaux, Toulouse, like Paris, is organised according to its banks. On the right, winding, cobbled alleyways lead to the famous pink brick of the Capitole. The left is quieter, but it's where some of the most interesting galleries and imaginative uses of public space are found. ART-ING If there's one way to redeem a slaughterhouse, it's surely through devotion to acts of creativity. Les Abattoirs (76 Allées Charles-de-Fitte; +33 (0)5 34 51 10 60) swapped the butcher's knife in favour of the paintbrush back in 2000. Its enormous, airy space now hosts 4000 modern and contemporary artworks (Picasso's curtain included). I stroll in to find myself eye-to-eye with Franz Gertsch's freakishly realistic, close-up portraits and impossibly translucent coastlines. Hung just centimetres from the floor and backdropped by monumental archways, his works couldn't find a more dramatic setting. A mezzanine level allows viewing from every conceivable angle. Les Abattoirs is one stop along a 12-point walk taking in both riverbanks. It also covers Centre de L'Affiche, a graphic art museum; the crumbling remains of Toulouse's 16th century city walls; the 12th century Hôtel Dieu Saint Jacques, one-time shelter for orphans, paupers and pilgrims; and the Fine Arts Museum. Peeling off the Pont Neuf onto the right bank, I'm soon drawn into a maze of secretive backstreets. Since July 2013, vehicles have been banished from the centre, in just one of Toulouse's many pedestrian-friendly and green-inspired initiatives. 2010 saw the world's first experiments with 'pavement power'. This propensity for forward-thinking is evident even among the gothic cloisters of the Musée des Augustins (21, Rue de Metz; +33 (0)5 61 22 21 82). An ex-convent, it was seized in 1793 by French Revolutionaries, who transformed it into one of France's first public galleries. Today, 4000 works span the 11th century to the early 1900s. Their display is, however, in no way trapped by cold reverence to tradition, with fresh interventions frequently transplanting centuries-old artworks into the present. Right now, the Romanesque sculpture collection has been reimagined as a bright, pendant-lit, stylised garden by Cuban artist Jorge Pardo. Commissioned for the 2014 Toulouse International Art Festival, it's on show until 2016. Other galleries worth more than a peep include Alain Daudet (contemporary), exp rm'n tl and concept (up-and-coming contemporary), Le Chateau d'Eau (photography), NEXT (pop art) and Fondation d'Entreprise Espace Ecureuil Pour L'Art Contemporain (art inspired by everyday life). If you're keen to visit several, invest in a Pass Tourisme, which gives you a bunch of freebies and discounts. EATING & DRINKING Like most places in France, Toulouse is fiercely proud of its regional produce. At least 13 food markets are in operation, the majority within 15 minutes' walk of the Capitole. I head straight for the biggest: Marché Victor Hugo. At first, I think I might well have the wrong address. From the outside, it's a multi-storey carpark that must have reared its concrete head sometime in the 1970s. Inside, however, I discover a pastoral labyrinth of pastries, dairy, meats, fruit, vegetables and wine, brought in by growers and producers from all over the region. A couple of cheeses in hand, I pause for a sneaky mid-morning wine tasting. Then it's up to the first-floor restaurants for lunch, where the chefs source their produce in the early morning from downstairs. Such focus on the best of ingredients continues in Toulouse's numerous wine bars and eateries. Situated between two wine regions — the South West (or Sud-Ouest) and the Languedoc-Roussillon — the city is a meeting point for both. Legendary brandy-producing area Armagnac is also nearby. To taste your way across a huge range without breaking the bank, drop into No. 5 Wine Bar (5 Rue de la Bourse; +33 (0)5 61 38 44 51). I stumble across it by accident while wandering among a bunch of arty, independent shops around Rue de la Bourse. With a 'tasting card' in hand, visitors can help themselves to the wines on offer, sampling as much — or as little — of each as they like, without having to invest in entire glasses. The 36-bottle selection changes every night. Other excellent bars include L'Oenotilus (Boulevard Griffoul Dorval; +33 (0)5 62 16 39 47), which occupies a converted 1927 barge beneath the leafy trees of the Canal du Midi, and the quirky Au Père Louis (45 Rue des Tourneurs; +33 (0)5 61 21 33 45), established 1889, where you can quaff at the original, zinc-covered bar. Definitely try the quinquina, a fortified wine zinged up with cinchona bark and herbs. Also worth checking out are the laneways around Rue Castellane and Rue de L'industrie (800 metres east of the centre), where funky, grungy holes-in-the-wall serve up affordable, internationally diverse eats. SLEEPING Just around the corner from Rue de L'Industrie is a boutique hotel by the name of St. Claire (29, Place Nicholas Bachelier; +33 (0)5 34 405 888; contact@stclairehotel.com). Welcoming, airy and light, it feels more like a country home than a city hotel. I take a room on the third floor, with district views. Rustic cane and wooden furnishings are in line with classic French aesthetics, but, the concierge tells me, they've been arranged according to the principles of feng shui, which is why the whole place feels so unusually tranquil. Breakfast is a generous selection of pastries, cereals, fruit and yoghurt served in a cute downstairs café. For a slicker, more grown-up option, there's the Citiz Hotel (18 Allées Jean Jaurès; +33 (0)5 61 11 18 18; contact@citizhotel.fr). Situated on the edge of the town centre, it's close to major attractions and is housed in a beautiful, heritage-listed building. Inside, though, interiors have been swished up with a cool, contemporary revamp. Spacious rooms are decorated in sleek chocolates and creams, and splashed with mauve lighting, to particularly spectacular effect in the bathrooms. In the morning, a generous breakfast buffet takes over the downstairs dining room, where large bay windows afford views of the city rolling into action. OUT-OF-TOWN ADVENTURING The Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and the Haute Languedoc are all within two-hours' travel time of Toulouse. Theoretically, you could throw snowballs and swim in the sea between dawn and dusk. I catch a train east, to Mazamet, a market town in the foothills of Montagne Noire (or Black Mountain), where I meet Angus Longstaff — Aussie-turned-French citizen who's spent his life chef-ing, travelling, wining and dining, and now runs tours around South West France. Tell him where you'd like to go and what you'd like to do and he'll organise it — whether you're looking for obscure mountain villages, truffle-foraging expeditions, off-the-beaten-track markets, home-cooked lunches with French families or wineries. Passengers can design their own adventure or choose from a bunch of one-day itineraries. "I just spent the week driving around an Australian couple, who are looking at buying a chateau. You can buy an entire castle in France for less than the price of some Australian houses," he laughs. Angus is easygoing and fun-to-be-around. Whether you're interested in buying real estate, what makes one French wine region different from another, the latest headlines hitting Australian news or Heston Blumenthal's most recent move, he's up for a chat. Our morning starts with a visit to a tranquil, centuries-old village, where there's not another tourist to be seen. We watch a traditional instrument maker at work and chat to a local seamstress whose shop is filled with striking blue-purple clothes, made with dye derived from the area's renowned violets. Then, we head to the home of a local winemaker and her four sons, who serve us a long lunch around their sunny kitchen table, accompanied by wines made from grapes grown, harvested and stomped in the vineyard just outside. In the afternoon, we wind our way to heritage-listed Carcassonne, a medieval, fortified city that's home to 53 towers, stunning panoramic views and a really, really good chocolate shop. At sundown, Angus drops me back in Mazamet, at La Villa de Mazamet. Built in 1934, it was originally a family home, but following a mid-2000s renovation, is now a lush bed and breakfast run by Peter Friend and Mark Barber, from England. "For us, it's a passion," Mark tells me. "It's what I've always wanted to do. I feel lucky to be here and to be able to share it with other people." Peter is a self-trained chef, who cooks four-course meals for guests in the evenings, while Mark is a wine expert. The villa is surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, a pool and, in the former wine cellar, a private, underground spa. "Mazamet is a popular choice with Australians," Mark says. "I think it's because they like getting to destinations that are a bit away from the beaten track." Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Toulouse Tourisme, St. Claire Hotel, Citiz Hotel, Fine Wine Tours and La Villa de Mazamet.
Leading the renaissance down the eastern, grimy end of Johnston Street, Abbotsford's Rita's Cafeteria has hit the sweet spot. A beacon of friendly service accentuated by Italian undertones and a classic diner vibe, it's a charming neighbourhood local that will satisfy at all hours of the day. Its positioning just-not-quite under Victoria Park station makes Rita's an intimate, low-lit space that feels as welcoming as your own dining room. With dark timber tables and glossy white walls that are at once sleek and endearing, peering through the venetian blinds will take you back to the 1960s. Mix this with Aretha Franklin's voice booming across the sound system over the buzz of conversation, and you've got yourself a local that is as much a casual all-day diner as it is an upmarket offering. Such diversity is reflected from diners both young and old; you'll find families enjoying themselves harmoniously amongst the hipster set and the boomer crowd. The brilliance of Rita's is clear in its ability to provide different moods within the one setting. The expansive wooden bar, classic booths and large communal table all give you enough room to enjoy your meal comfortably whilst still feeling a part of the community. The all day outpost plays Melbourne breakfast to a tee, with subtle variations of an Italian accent, but it's at dinner that Rita's truly stands out. Simple, honest fare is executed with the right amounts of nonchalance and passion. The fettuccine and meatballs in rich tomato sauce ($20) is authentic and all the more pleasing when noted that the pasta is cooked fresh, as is the gnocchi with mushroom ($22) that hits the perfect spot between the rich and the passionate. Rita's pizzas ($10-20) dare to push the boundaries: the bases are rolled in semolina for extra texture, resulting in a puffy, thick crust that is slightly more filling than the thin-crust style seen from many of Melbourne's other artisanal pizza makers. A simple aperitivo list that features all of the must-have favourites caps it off perfectly. Despite its youth, Rita's is already an unwavering stalwart leading the revival and progression of Abbotsford. A true local diner with a snug interior and comfort food to match — even if you aren't from a few streets over, it's well worth the visit.
Something remarkable takes place in Captain America: Civil War. Or rather, it doesn't. For this is a superhero movie in which not a single building falls. Not one. No skyscrapers tumble, no factories collapse, not even a tiny workman's shed lists slightly to one side and crushes some petunias. In a cinematic world now so inured to (and bored by) the sight of 9/11-esque dust clouds chasing hapless citizens through crumbling streets, Civil War doesn't just eschew this trend, it centres its entire story on the consequences of those kind of destructive nightmares. That's not to say there isn't any action. Quite the opposite. Civil War features some of the most exhilarating chase sequences and fight scenes in recent memory, choreographed with a balletic-like precision in which the emphasis is on small, considered flourishes rather than sheer brute force. Every punch, block, shot, weave and parry has been painstakingly conceived to reflect the personalities of each character involved. We see Cap (Chris Evans) bouncing his shield off walls like Ronnie O'Sullivan on a 147 break; Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) dispatching villains with scientific swagger; and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) trapping explosions instead of creating them. It's exactly the opposite of the kind of 'mindless violence' of which superhero flicks are so often accused, and it's as refreshing as it is electrifying. The other key feature of Captain America: Civil War is its story, in part because it actually has one. There's no fighting for fighting's sake here. Indeed most of the action is driven by a determination to stop the violence. As with its previous instalment The Winter Soldier, this is a film about oversight and accountability – acknowledging the terrifying (and unchecked) power of the Avengers, then seeking to control, regulate and restrict it by way of a UN accord. The world knows it owes an unpayable debt to these heroes, but collateral damage and civilian casualties can only be excused for so long.Here lies the conflict at the heart of the so-called civil war. Self-determination versus oversight. Freedom versus control. Team Cap versus Team Iron Man. It's a compelling and plausible fissure along which the line in the sand is drawn. And as with any great story, neither side is entirely in the right. Marvel, to its credit, knows its tone better than perhaps any other franchise, and here again we find its signature combination of edge-of-the-seat action and laugh out loud comedy. The performances teem with an emotional complexity rarely found in blockbusters, and the new character additions – whether they be previous Marvel Universe ring-ins like Spidey (Tom Holland) and Ant Man (Paul Rudd), or totally fresh inclusions like the outstanding Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) – ensure that no single actor commands too much screen time. Plot driven, fast-paced and terrifically funny, Captain America: Civil War is an outstanding film and the most fun you'll likely have in the cinema this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us
When it gets to July, it seems like everyone you know is planning a European holiday — and the Greek islands are on many a traveller's summer itinerary. Most flock to islands like Santorini, Mykonos or Ios — but, really, that's just skimming the surface. While most people can count, say, six islands confidently, there are actually 6000 all up — 227 have people living on them, and the rest you can kayak or sail to for the day. So while we don't want to downplay the beauty of the well-travelled tourist islands, we're putting in a good word for the more underrated parts of Greece, which are extremely — if not more — worthy of your holiday time. Plus, these eight islands are nowhere near as crowded in European summer. So, as you make Europe summer plans, consider these alternative Greek jewels as a setting for snacking, finding serenity or smashing plates — what you decide to do there is up to you. [caption id="attachment_627543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Karakatsanis via Flickr.[/caption] SKOPELOS Waltzing around Skopelos may induce flashbacks of Pierce Brosnan's lack of singing ability, as a large portion of 2008's Mamma Mia was shot on the island. More fondly, you may recognise Agios Ioannis, the tiny little church perched on an 100-metre-high rock that hosted Meryl Streep's impassioned The Winner Takes it All solo. Skopelos' idyllic beaches are aplenty, but stray away from Kastani beach — also featured in the film — as its shores are one of the few spots on the island that gets crowded. Try Limnonari or Glysteri instead. If you hire a car to drive around, you'll notice how much this island differs from others in terms of terrain and vegetation, which is due to its northern situation. When springtime comes around, Skopelos is carpeted in wild flowers such as poppies and irises, camomile starts to pop up in June, and plums and almonds emerge as September nears. [caption id="attachment_627546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Livadaki beach, esther via Flickr.[/caption] FOLEGANDROS Clinging to the southern edge of the Cyclades group of islands is Folegandros, an island which travellers don't usually reach as they choose to halt their journey on Ios or Mykonos. But to venture a little further is a very wise choice; travellers are still greeted with the same, mesmeric turquoise waters and can enjoy them in more tranquil surrounds. Angali, Agios Nikolaos and Livadaki are notable beaches to unwind at. Folegandros is tiny — a 12-kilometre run will get you from one end of the island to the other — and there is no airport, so to get there you need to take a ferry from Athens, which only adds to the odyssey. After you dock and drop off your luggage, hire a quad bike and zoom your way through some seriously fresh air. [caption id="attachment_627461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rachel Docherty via Flickr.[/caption] KOS The sunset at Kos' Agios Theologos beach gives Santorini's a run for its money. Feast on fresh octopus at the beach's only restaurant and watch the sun turn the sky into a hypnotic fuchsia as it disappears into the Aegean. In the morning, take a swim to church. At the western head of the island you'll find the village Kefalos, which literally translates as 'head'. Kefalos' relentlessly cold beach Agios Stefanos hosts a little church, sitting on microscopic island about 200 metres from shore. Adventurers can take a swim through the waters, above the sea life to reach it. Kos also has a rich historical past, filled with ruins and sites that honour Hippocrates. You'll find most of them the capital Kos Town (the island proves to be quite literal in its naming approach). From Kos Town's port, it's a measly 20-minute ferry ride to Bodrum on Turkey's southwest coast. So, if you're continuing on into Turkey, Kos is a wise place to wrap up your Greece trip. [caption id="attachment_627452" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Blue Cave, Tatsushi Okamoto via Flickr.[/caption] KASTELORIZO Instead of white villages and blue motifs, Kastelorizo's houses are boldly colourful and expressive. Its aesthetic significantly differs from other islands which may have to do with the island's far-flung geographical positioning — it just clutches onto the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea. You'll find neoclassical mansions, rocky fortresses, miniature seaside churches and one of the most insanely well-kept secrets in Greece: the Blue Cave. A truly majestic spot to swim, the cave has stalactites that overlook deep blue waters that are slightly lit up by the reflection of sun rays that manage to creep in. If you seek total seclusion and serenity, head to Kastelorizo — we doubt the population of 490 will disturb you. [caption id="attachment_627549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mandraki, Karelj via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] NISYROS Nisyros is very much a calm island, undisturbed by tourists. What we're hoping stays calm is the volcano, which is one of the only active ones in the country. Nonetheless, you can get up close with fumaroles that hiss as you get close. And when you're not exploring Nisyros' terrain, try and delve into some local produce. Those looking for a drink must track down some koukouzina, a distillation of grapes and figs with a taste similar to raki. And it's no revelation that cheese and wine are a glorious combination but trigas takes it to the next level — it's a hard goats' cheese cooked in wine. Enjoy these delicacies in the capital village Mandraki, which rests right on the water. Its roads are made up of intricate pebble patterns, streets are peppered with flowers and cats can be seen on the locals' doorsteps. [caption id="attachment_627462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] View from St John Monastery, Tomisti via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] PATMOS Rich in historical and religious past, Patmos is where Saint John is said to have written the Book of Revelation, and the Cave of the Apocalypse has been spectacularly transformed into a church. The island continues to draw religious tourists and pilgrims from all corners of the world. Near the cave you'll find the old hilltop town of Chora, which is crowned by what at first glance looks like a castle, but, is actually the UNESCO-listed Monastery of St John, built in the 11th century. It solidifies Patmos' position of being a place of religious knowledge and learning in Greece. Plus, the view — which overlooks the entire island — is insane. Worth a visit whether you're religious or not. [caption id="attachment_627548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] t_y_l via Flickr.[/caption] IKARIA Ikaria is heralded as the island of longevity. Dementia is relatively absent, thanks to good diet, incredible produce and a pretty stress-free quality of life. Feast on fresh goats' cheese, fish straight from the sea and tomatoes so flavoursome you won't know what hit you. The local panigiri (that is, festivals) are something you'll want to get in on. Pull up a chair with the locals (after asking if it's okay that you do so), grab some food and then dance it off, Greek style. Ikaria is an inspiring speck of land in the North Aegean Sea, lush and green, separating it from other islands that suffer from dryness. [caption id="attachment_627550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] heipei via Flickr.[/caption] KALAMATA While Kalamata is not an island — it's located on the Peloponnese peninsula in the south — if you do wish to visit an actual city in Greece, this is the one to go for. A lot of Greek Australians emigrated from the Peloponnese city, and many will tell you how much they miss it. We can understand why. The city has endured its fair share of Spartan domination and battles, but, nowadays, you can party it up in Kalamata's abundance of clubs and bars. The next day, rejuvenate in the contemplation of the warm Mediterranean sun — just like the Greeks.
You can spend this summer immersed in legendary Japanese artworks at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Its upcoming blockbuster exhibition, dubbed Japan Supernatural, is set to open on November 2 as part of the tenth Sydney International Art Series. Made up of more than 200 works from all over the planet, it's an exploration of the spirit world in Japanese art. Expect an immersive experience involving paintings, sculpture, prints, film, animation, comics and games. Leading the show is a monumental piece by Tokyo-born Takashi Murakami. He's a bit of an international rockstar, renowned for bringing together high and low art — much like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol. Chances are, you first heard of him in the 1990s, when he launched the inaugural Superflat exhibition. Since then, he's been a prolific creator of paintings, drawings, sculptures and animations, and collaborated extensively with Louis Vuitton. Representing a much earlier era will be Katsushika Hokusai, born in Edo in 1760. His best-known piece is Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, a series of wood block prints that includes the now iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa. While can't reveal, yet, which of his pieces will be travelling to Sydney, we're hoping we get some of the works that were at Melbourne's NGV in 2017. Look out, too, for works by historical artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Kawanabe Kyosai, as well as contemporary pop artist Chiho Aoshima and photographer Miwa Yanagi. The artworks are expected to be announced in early 2019, but, in the meantime, you can check out the ninth Sydney International Art Series, which includes paintings by Monet, Matisse and Picasso and a retrospective of South African photographer David Goldblatt's work. An installation view of the exhibition Japan Supernatural at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, November 2, 2019 until March 8, 2020. Photo: AGNSW/Jenni Carter
If you wander into Aunty Peg's looking for a latte, you won't find one. But rather than being turned away, you'll be sat down at the bar. You'll be talked through the coffee, perhaps given a taste or a smell (no obligation, of course). And before you know it, you'll probably be sipping a nitrogen-charged cold brew straight out of a beer glass. That seems like standard practice at Aunty Peg's, which opened way back in 2014 to showcase and sell the best beans Proud Mary can find. The drop-in coffee bar is attached to the newly relocated Proud Mary roastery, which is conveniently just a hop, skip and jump from their flagship cafe. There is one bar, three coffees on rotation, and two options. Filter or espresso. Everything's black. You might try the fragrant Colombian Popayan Reserve Washed Decaf, or perhaps go for a nitrogen cold brew. This one is special: the Panama Geisha beans (a relatively new varietal) are brewed for 52 hours at 4 degrees and then poured straight from the keg, giving it a beer-like texture. It's easy drinking and perfect for summer. The guys here know their coffee, and they want you to know about it, too. Watch them make your pour-over filter at the bar or drop in during the week, and find out how to brew your beans just right. Always wanted to learn how to use your French Press? This is your chance. It's a vast space, and the bar is just a small part of the Proud Mary story. As well as the warehouse and roastery, there's the retail corner, training area and upstairs bakery and event space. For a coffee nerd, Aunty Peg's is the ultimate school. And if you're still after that latte, Proud Mary is just around the corner. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Coffee in Melbourne
With Melbourne weather being what it is, comfort food is an absolute necessity. When it comes to keeping warm, our hearty meal of choice would have to be a good old fashioned roast, hands down. The only problem is that cooking one for yourself is no small feat – and if something goes wrong in the process it can lead to lots and lots of tears. So let's leave it to the experts, shall we? Here are ten of our favourite warming roasts in Melbourne. NEIGHBOURHOOD WINE, FITZROY NORTH Any trip to this Fitzroy North gem is nothing but an absolute pleasure, but Sunday lunches are without a doubt our favourite. For $35 you will receive a roast lunch, as well as an entrée and dessert. The roast changes every week, but as an example, think Warialda beef, potatoes sarladaise, green beans and a red wine jus. The roast lunch is available every Sunday until 5pm or sold out. Stick around for a game of pool on their massive billiards table, or kick back and listen to whatever vinyl is spinning. When? Sundays from 5pm. How much? $35. MARQUIS OF LORNE, FITZROY As much as we are drawn to roast dinners, we also crave a pub with a fireplace. Thankfully, the Marquis of Lorne in Fitzroy ticks both of those boxes. For $20 you can have a roast meal for either lunch or dinner all weekend-long. Their beer list is both local and impressive, so grab a pint and settle in for an exceptionally cosy afternoon. When? Saturday and Sunday from midday. How much? $20. ESTELLE BISTRO, NORTHCOTE With the opening of Estelle by Scott Pickett next door, Estelle Bistro has become more casual, more laidback and more affordable. But you'll get the most bang for your buck on their Sunday roast. Served every Sunday for lunch, you'll get an entree, main, dessert and a glass of wine for just $50. The meat rotates every week, and it's quite the refined roast spread. For example, an upcoming Sunday session will feature likes of ham hock terrine, roast pork loin and apple and oat crumble for dessert. Not a bad way to experience Estelle at all. When? Sundays from midday. How much? $50. MIDDLE PARK HOTEL, MIDDLE PARK Rare breed roasts for an exceptional price is what you'll find at Middle Park. Hunks of meat served up by the venue in the past include slow roasted Gippsland lamb leg, pork loin, roasted venison and corn-fed Victorian duck. For $30 you get the roast of the day, as well as a glass of Shiraz or Chardonnay. With a deal like that, you're best off booking in advance. Well in advance. When? Saturdays and Sundays from midday. How much? $30. EPOCHA, CARLTON If you can find a more elegant Sunday lunch than the specialty roast at Epocha, we'll eat our hat. This monster of a feast includes snacks, small shares, the roast with all of the trimmings and dessert, all for just $45. And they really utilise the meat they obtain for each feast — for example, when they teamed up with Greenvale farm they served crispy pig's ear, pork shoulder and pork prune and hazelnut terrine with violet mustard, plus a lemon meringue pie to bring it all home. If you have allergies or dietary requirements you're welcome to call ahead — and bookings are highly advised. When? Sundays from midday till 3pm. How much? $45. THE WOLF AND I, WINDSOR If a Sunday Scandinavian roast sounds like something you could get down with, head straight to Windsor's The Wolf and I. For a mere $20 you can indulge on some delicious roast beef, crispy roast potatoes, broccolini, carrots and pumpkin puree. Live music usually kicks off sometime around 4pm, so once you've wrapped up dinner, grab a drink and find yourself a cosy corner and watch the band play. When? Sundays from midday. How much? $20. LEZZET, ELWOOD Contemporary Turkish cuisine doesn't get much better than Lezzet. Every Sunday for lunch and dinner, visitors are treated to wood-fired lamb and chicken roasts served with bulgur and Turkish salad. Before the meat arrives you'll also enjoy freshly-made dips with warm bread. If this isn't comfort food for your Sunday, we're not sure what is. When? Sundays from 3pm. How much $38. THE GRACE DARLING HOTEL, COLLINGWOOD Sunday roasts at the Grace Darling are the perfect cure for whatever damage you may have done to your liver the night before — and for only 25 bones. Their roast changes weekly, but their last serve included slow-roasted pork belly with winter roast veggies. The roasts here are served in individual cast iron pots to keep all the heat and juicy goodness in the meat. When? Sundays from midday. How much? $25. LA LUNA BISTRO, CARLTON NORTH Feel like some modern Australian cuisine with a Mediterranean influence that's meat-centric and dedicated to sourcing local produce? Firstly, you're oddly specific, and secondly, we've found exactly what you're after. Carlton North's La Luna serves a cracking roast pork with, um, crackling, and roast parsnip, apple, leeks and sage. For those who like to share, there's also a slow cooked lamb shoulder available. The best bit? It's available every day and night of the week bar Mondays. As if you needed another reason to hate Mondays. When? Every day except Monday. How much? $42.50. THE ROAST KITCHEN, KEW Whoever told you roasts were reserved for Sundays had clearly never come across the joy that is The Roast Kitchen. These guys know the true sentimental value of a good roast — and they also understand that, as much as we would like, we can't cook one every night of the week ourselves. That's where they come in. Whether you're craving beef, lamb, pork or chicken, The Roast Kitchen have you covered, whether you want to eat-in or take away. Oh, and their signature red wine-infused gravy is a must. When? Every day of the week. How much? $23.50 regular, $32 large. Top image: Neighbourhood Wine.
She became the Queen of France at the age of 18, is famously associated with the phrase "let them eat cake", and got the biopic treatment courtesy of Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst. Now, Marie Antoinette has her own bar. Not bad for someone who lost her head, literally, back in 1793. No, you won't need to travel back in time to check out the long-deceased monarch's new digs — but you will need to head to New York. Brooklyn restaurant Chez Moi has converted the basement space beneath their French eatery into a decadent lounge bar fit for royalty, using Antoinette's own bedroom in the Palace of Versailles as inspiration. Adorned with all things velvet and vintage as far as the eye can see, Le Boudoir endeavours to recreate Antoinette's inner sanctum, complete with reproductions of 18th century oil paintings, sconces sourced from actual French castles, an exact replica of her private powder room and an original monogrammed doorknob from Versailles. Plus, patrons enter through a secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf — just like the Queen's had in her personal library. It's a very lavish, rouge-laden, late-night version of the royal boudoir. Here's Sofia Coppola's pastel-happy interpretation: And here's Brooklyn's: The theming doesn’t stop there, courtesy of snacks ranging from French fries to crispy frog's legs to truffle mushroom croquettes, and a drinks list boasting plenty of wine from the Austrian-born Antoinette's adopted country. Alas, cake isn't on offer — but cocktails served in silver-plated and crystal goblets are. With concoctions such as the 1793 (with toasted sunflower seed-infused rye and oloroso sherry) and the Guillotine (mescal, blended scotch, banana liqueur and honey), you'll want to have a tipple and drink it too, of course. Book that airfare and this'll be you: Via Travel and Leisure. Images: Nicole Franzen, Le Boudoir.
Wild fermentation wines have been around for as long as the hills on which they're grown, but lately the resurgence of the movement has been gaining a lot of momentum. Questions abound as to the nature of these beverages, from how its production differs from traditional methods, to how the taste of these vinos compare to the drops that we're more accustomed to. So, in the interest of immersing oneself in the experience, crack a bottle and have a read — your wine education has begun. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT? Wild fermentation wines are the result of winemakers removing most of the artificial processes involved in producing a bottle. The whole idea is to let the natural processes of winemaking take over, to interfere with the fermentation process as little as possible. In winemaking, grapes are pulped into a sugary juice, then yeast is added to the juice which eats up all the sugar and creates waste products of carbon dioxide and alcohol until you're left with a finished wine. In wild fermentation winemaking this process is dramatically altered. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? Wild fermentation wines are often more complex, textural and layered. Making it involves a longer fermentation process than your standard bottle, which gives the wine a softer taste. The different types of microflora present on the grapes all add their own bit of flavour. Standard wines have yeast added to them, which creates a specific flavour when fermented. Because you're leaving the flavour up to nature, what you end up with is unique from vintage to vintage. The Stoneleigh winemakers in New Zealand's Marlborough country use the naturally occurring elements in their vineyards to produce wild fermentation wines with as little intervention as possible. The grapes used for the Wild Valley range are grown using 'sunstones' — stones derived from the ancient river bed the winery sits on. The stones soak up all the sunlight during the day, and keep ripening the grapes at night. Once the grapes are picked, the process is to sit back and let the microflora do the work. The grapes can be picked earlier, and they deliver a flavour profile that is unique to each vintage. Sulphites are often added to wine produced in this way, to maintain its freshness and keep it crisp from bottling to delivery. WHO IS MAKING IT? Wild fermentation winemaking methods have been used for millennia in Europe and they're still incredibly common in places like France, Italy, and Austria. The process is still fairly new here. With a move by wine drinkers towards a more organic approach — and the rise in popularity of minimal intervention, organic and orange wines — more and more winemakers are taking on the minimalist approach. Stoneleigh have been using nature in their winemaking since the foundation of the winery, so the next natural step was taking on wild fermentation wines for their premium range. WHAT DO I EAT WITH IT? Experiment a little (like the winemakers) and try to nail that perfectly balanced combo. Pairing wine with food is a subjective matter, despite the rules we've been told for decades. You don't have to pair red wine with red meat, or white wines with white meat. A good rule of thumb is to just eat and drink what you like and then look for something to balance the palate. As long as the goal is to keep it balanced, the world is your oyster with pairing food to wild fermentation wines. Wild fermentation wines are a little richer on the flavour profile, so will generally pair well with food that is a little more subtle. Good cheese always matches good wine. A nice brie will do well with the intense flavours of a wild fermented Pinot Noir for example, because it supports the flavours in the wine rather than competing for dominance in the taste party. Jamie Marfell, Stoneleigh's head winemaker, recommends pairing a minimal Sauvignon Blanc with a salad that has some more tropical elements. Something with a healthy dose of citrus or vinegar, like a top-notch papaya salad that will cut through the more rounded palate of the wine. Try some Wild Valley wild fermentation wine at the Stoneleigh Hotel, a sandstone house in Chippendale overrun by nature. It's at 48 Kensington Street, Chippendale from November 11 until December 11.
When opening Kissaten, owner Adam Wright sought to create a venue that reflected his partner's Japanese heritage while simultaneously acknowledging his own Australian background. This fusion of food cultures has created this gem of a cafe in Alphington. The space itself is light and airy, with simple furnishings and an ambient Japanese garden out the back for those sunny Melbourne days. Kissaten is dog-friendly, too, so don't be afraid to bring the pooch down for a puppycino. The menu here is long, so give yourself plenty of time to peruse before you order. If you're after pastry or a simple muffin, everything here is made in-house and is out-of-this-world tasty. There is, of course, the humble croissant, banana bread and chocolate brownie (all delicious), but it's hard to overlook the more indulgent cake options — think coconut and passionfruit polenta cake, matcha and white chocolate brownies and raspberry and pear teacakes. When it comes to its breakfast menu, treat yourself to anything from eggs on rice, porridge with cinnamon and coconut yoghurt, panco-crumbed milk toast or avocado and edamame on toast. For something richer, Kissaten offers up golden curries with carrot, peas and potato with your choice of protein, as well as breakfast ramens, bento bowls, karaage chicken burgers and a big breakfast with pork sausage, bacon, roast mushrooms, sautéed kale, roast tomato, croquettes and two eggs. There's a range of toasties and rolls, too, so literally everyone is covered. The katsu chicken toastie comes with tasty cheese, spinach and pickled onion, while the roast pumpkin toastie is packed full of pumpkin, shredded cabbage, pickled cucumber and red onion. Options abound at Kissaten as the team seamlessly blends Japanese flavours with contemporary Australian cafe culture.
In the years since Bar Saracen sadly closed its doors, former Head Chef Tom Sarafian has become king of the food pop-up, lending his culinary prowess with modern Middle Eastern flavours to popular kitchen residencies across Melbourne. Now, he's coming to Young Hearts in Windsor. On Sunday, June 25, celebrated chef Tom Safarian will be hosting a pop-up, bringing some seriously good Middle Eastern Food (and yes, that hummus) across two sessions. Dishes and canapes will circulate throughout the day. Expect a great line-up of DJs, a dedicated hummus shop and a hand-mixed martini on arrival. Nice touch, that. Other dishes include Safarian's take on a classic pinxto, green olives stuff with labne, and Lebanese steak tartare. "I'm excited to reconnect with this pocket of Melbourne where I grew up," Safarian says. "Young Hearts have a really cool space up there. I love music and I haven't done a party like this before." And don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those canape events where you need to chase it down with a post-party Big Mac. "No one's going home hungry," Safarian laughs. "It won't be one of those nights where you leave the bar and get a kebab. In fact, we'll be serving you one there." Kebabs? Check. Free-flowing hummus? Check. Mini grilled pitas filled with charcoal chicken, French fries, tourn and pickled cucumbers? Check check. Tickets are $75 and spaces are limited. If hummus is your thing, don't hang about. Session 1 runs from 12pm–2pm. Session 2 runs from 2.30pm–4.30pm. [caption id="attachment_896988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Young Hearts, Pete Dillon[/caption] Images: supplied.
There's a reason Sydneysiders love their city so much. Beneath the reputation that our lovely lockout laws have un-wilfully bestowed on us, there's an unbeatable combination of food, drink, beaches and atmosphere that you won't find anywhere else in Australia. The trick is that you just have to know where to look for it. That's why we're here. If you're in the mood to treat yourself, book yourself a flight, then book yourself a room at Pullman Hyde Park (try and get the suite that's designed by Matt Blatt) then indulge in the luxury that Sydney has to offer. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we've created a guide so you can make sure you're getting the best of the best in a limited time frame. When you're in the mood for some sunshine — what's better than a spontaneous weekend trip? [caption id="attachment_587798" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Kepos Street Kitchen. Image: @stillsbyrash via Instagram.[/caption] SATURDAY On a quiet, leafy corner in Redfern, you'll find a laid back cafe serving some of the best brunches in town. It goes by the name of Kepos Street Kitchen, and it's the perfect place to start your weekend in Sydney. Israeli-born chef Michael Rantissi has earned a Good Food hat for his creative Middle Eastern dishes. Try the warm hummus with burnt butter, poached egg and taboon bread, or granola with berries and halva yoghurt. Whatever you order, the plates are designed for sharing, so get into sampling as many flavours as possible. From there, it's a half-hour stroll westwards through Redfern's park-dotted streets to Carriageworks. This left-of-field arts centre is housed inside the huge spaces of a former rail yard. At any given hour, you'll see art installations, dance experiments and live gigs. Saturday, though, is always farmer's market day, an event overseen by chef Mike McEnearney. More than 70 growers and producers congregate to peddle their organic and biodynamic wares. Try handmade sweet treats from The Dessert Makers, truffles from Hartley, the latest bakes from the Bread and Butter Project, goat's cheese from Willowbrae and loads more. You can coffee and dine on the spot, as there's plenty of freshly-cooked fare available, or stock up on picnic supplies. [caption id="attachment_587145" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Chowder Bay walking track.[/caption] Speaking of which, your next stop takes you to the harbour, where a good portion of any Sydney weekend should be spent. Jump on a ferry at Circular Quay bound for Taronga Zoo. Walk east and you'll soon find yourself on a track surrounded by bush, and weaving in and out of secret harbour beaches and lookouts. Keep an eye out for water dragons and kookaburras, as you continue for four kilometres, eventually landing in Chowder Bay. If the weather's nice (which it will be, it's Sydney), pack your swimmers because there's a harbour pool. A fine glass of red is on offer afterwards in the East Coast Lounge, alongside hand-stuffed olives with almond, lemon and chilli. Come evening, make your way to Potts Point, where a string of small bars and eateries have popped up over the past few months. A favourite with the locals for pre- (and post-) dinner cocktails is Jangling Jacks, opened in January this year by artist Orlan Erin Raleigh and her partner Jon Ruttan, founder and former owner of Mojo Record Bar. The walls are covered in classic rock 'n' roll posters — from Tom Waits to David Bowie — and the signature cocktail list features classics with a creative twist, like the Tiki's Hummingbird, which is margarita, with the addition of a homemade sherbet rim and a dash of orange blossom. [caption id="attachment_587146" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Powder Keg.[/caption] Just a stumble down the road, you'll arrive at The Powder Keg. This 17th century inspired hideaway owns the biggest collection of gin in the Southern Hemisphere. Take your pick with your tonic of choice or go for a cocktail, like the Honeymead Sour (vodka, apple liqueur, honeymead and organic cider). The quirky menu includes quail scotch egg with smoked potato, crispy pancetta and mushrooms, as well as oysters with gin and tonic sorbet. [caption id="attachment_587154" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Rose Bay.[/caption] SUNDAY There's no brighter way to start a Sydney Sunday than with a trip to Bondi Beach for brunch overlooking the ocean at Jo and Willys Depot Cafe. You can expect high standards — it's owned by a former Olympic sprinter by the name of Heather Turland and her son Guy, who's CV includes Icebergs. Tuck into the ultimate hippie breakfast: poached eggs on red rice and organic quinoa, piled with toasted seeds, hummus and kale chips. For the least interrupted views, grab a seat on the pavement. Once you're fuelled up, you'll be ready for a paddling adventure. Pop over to Rose Bay and hire a kayak from Rose Bay Aquatic Hire or Point Piper Kayak Centre. If you feel like playing it safe, keep to the shore, following it towards Point Piper or Vaucluse. Otherwise, get brave and paddle out to Shark Island, which lies about a kilometre from the shore. With its sandy beaches and grassy slopes, it's one of the prettiest islands in the harbour. Before landing, call (02) 9253 0888 to buy a national park entry ticket or, should you have a spare $3300 on you, hire the entire place for your own private use for the day. [caption id="attachment_587156" align="alignnone" width="1280"] 10 William St.[/caption] Next up, you're heading into town for a spot of lunch. In Paddington, swing by 10 William Street. Owned by the team behind Fratelli Paradiso, this pocket-sized bar is a simple, stripped-back and has excellent food and wine. On the international drinks list, you'll find drops from Italy, Portugal, France and Switzerland, while the tapas-style menu features dishes like citrus with white radicchio and black olives, and quail with sesame and daikon. Post boozy lunch, leave time for a casual stroll around Paddington. William Street is home to a handful of super-cute boutiques, selling everything from antiques to hair cuts to fancy clothes. Wander to Oxford Street, heading towards the city, to visit Parlour X, an extraordinary collection of designer fashion handpicked by Eva Galambos and occupying St Johns Church. Just down the hill, you'll come across Paddington Reservoir. Once Paddington's main water supply, it's now a sunken garden, inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. For the grand finale, you're heading to Circular Quay to visit the Pullman's newly opened Hacienda. This Cuban-inspired bar calls itself a 'botanical oasis'. Garden trestles and luxe pastel furniture are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, looking over Sydney Harbour and the city. The folks behind the design — Applejack Hospitality - have also taken care of Bondi Hardware, The Butler and Della Hyde. As you might've guessed, you'll be sipping on Cuban-influenced cocktails, like the Old Smoked Presidente (aged rum, orange curacao, dry vermouth, house-spiced raspberry syrup and Angostura bitter). Meanwhile, the menu represents a Cuban-American reunion, with fusions like yuka fries, buttermilk fried chicken and pork neck mojo. You also have the option to finish off your weekend with a drink at Mobius Bar and Grill — it's a convenient 500 metres away from the terminal at Sydney airport. Pullman Hotels and Resorts make a great base to explore Sydney for a weekend.
Get the bacon and whisky ready, and prepare your ears for some high-pitched laughter. They're the only things you can do — other than start making your own canoe, and generally squealing with glee — upon hearing the news that Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are coming to Australia in early 2016. That's right, the dream off-screen duo — aka Parks and Recreation's on-screen Ron and Tammy Swanson — are bringing their latest comedy tour to our sunny shores for the first time ever. Just take a moment to let that sink in. Ron effing Swanson will be in the country. Offerman and Mullally's show, Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, will not only showcase their comic stylings but also delve into the inner workings of their long-term marriage. Given that there may not be a showbiz duo more in love than the pair — who've also featured on Will & Grace, Childrens Hospital, Smashed, Somebody Up There Likes Me, The Kings of Summer and Bob's Burgers together — exposing all the salacious details of their fiery union for the world to enjoy promises to be something special. Mullally describes Summer of 69 as "like comedic sex-ed" and "a variety show comprised of talking, singing and sex acts", in case you needed any more convincing. It also features "songs, funny talking, heavy ribaldry, light petting and an astonishing final act of completion". Consider us excited. SUMMER OF 69: NO APOSTROPHE DATES January 29 — State Theatre, Sydney January 30 — Theatre Royal, Hobart January 31 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne February 2 — Astor Theatre, Perth February 4 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide February 6 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday, August 27, via Live Nation. UPDATE DECEMBER 21, 2015: Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally's Summer of 69: No Apostrophe show will be replaced by Offerman's solo show Full Bush. Mullally is no longer able to tour early next year as she starts a major film production overlapping directly with her Australian dates. There are no changes to the current tour dates, times or venues. Tickets for each show will remain valid for the new performance — Nick Offerman’s Full Bush show — without the need for exchange. For patrons who are no longer able to attend, a refund is available at point of purchase. Refund requests must be submitted prior to 5pm, January 19, 2016.
Nothing counteracts Melbourne's frigid winter weather like drinking a glass of red or an old-fashioned by a roaring open fire. But most pubs — and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade — don't take too kindly to people lighting up their furniture, so you'll have to stick to drinking dens with built-in fireplaces. These venues will let you fill your belly and defrost your toes by a fire — and help you avoid those pesky arson charges. The only bad thing about these situations will be when you have to go head home. NEPTUNE, WINDSOR Neptune Food and Wine, as its name might suggest, has the latter. It also has a fairly impressive collection of empty wine bottles lining the window ledges down the back of the restaurant and a fireplace. Nab a spot on the leather sofa downstairs to reap its warmth, otherwise huddle nearby next to the wine wall or in one or the atrium-style booths. On cosy afternoons we recommend a plate of charcuterie and cheese, or a bowl of spaghetti. Paired with a glass of Margaret River shiraz, it's the ultimate winter dish. DR. MORSE, ABBOTSFORD Tucked away under Victoria Park Railway Station, the roaring fire in this converted Abbotsford apothecary is the perfect cure for all your winter woes. The Jr. Morse takeaway window does a roaring coffee and breakfast trade with early morning commuters, but the real fun starts later on. Comfy couches and ottomans surround the open fireplace, and are the perfect spot to chow down on what we've already dubbed one of the best value beef burgers in town. As for beer, Dr. Morse recommends pairing it with a shot of whiskey. And you should probably listen to him — doctor's orders and all. FERDYDURKE, CBD Ascend from the rowdiness of Section 8 on Tattersalls Lane and you'll be rewarded with some cosiness above Chinatown at Ferdydurke. While things get loose up here too, it's also very cosy — in large part due to the fireplace nestled into the back corner. Pull a stool up nice and close while you nurse a glass of pinot and perhaps a jalapeño and cheese toastie. NEIGHBOURHOOD WINE, FITZROY NORTH Any trip to this Fitzroy North gem is nothing but an absolute pleasure, but it's best when its fireplace is roaring. Neighbourhood Wine is open every night of the week, so any chilly eve is the perfect time to pull up a perch at the bar for a bottle of wine and some snacks. Or, head in on Sundays for the roast lunch — for $40 you will receive an entrée and dessert as well. After that, stick around for a game of pool on their massive billiards table, or kick back and listen to whatever vinyl is spinning. CIAO CIELO, PORT MELBOURNE Once a modest but respectable Italian eatery on Bay Street, Port Melbourne, Ciao Cielo has taken things up a notch with its brand new digs. In late May, the fine diner reopened in Port Melbourne's courthouse, following $1.5 million makeover to the 1860s building. It has soaring ceilings and heritage features now offset by New York-style booth seating, striking marble bars and — most importantly — cosy fireplaces. Next to the fire you can take the fine dining route for a menu of modern classics, like the king prawn risotto with bisque and marjoram gremolata, a Sardinian-style goat leg with polenta, and the Tuscan-inspired, 1-kilo grass-fed Florentine steak. They're backed by plenty of old favourites, with the kitchen's flair for house-made pasta shining through in dishes like the squid ink linguini and a bolognese ragu with tagliatelle. Meanwhile, the adjoining bar is dishing up a more casual affair within a 150-seat Amalfi-inspired marquee covered in fairy lights, which is next to the main dining room. THE LOCAL TAPHOUSE, ST KILDA We've long been an advocate of St Kilda's Local Taphouse, with the European-style tavern scoring a spot on our list of Melbourne's ten best craft beer bars. This Carlisle Street institution truly is one of the must-visit locations for draught lovers, rotating through more than 400 different beers a year. Whatever they're tapping this week, there's no better place to enjoy it than by the outdoor log fire that warms up the Taphouse's spacious rooftop beer garden. They've also got a second, indoor fireplace downstairs, for when the weather turns sour. And there's even an indoor bocce court. THE RETREAT, BRUNSWICK A point-of-call for any true Northside denizen, this Sydney Road icon can lay claim to one of the nicest beer gardens in Melbourne. It's also got a hearty dinner menu, nine different beers on tap, and is arguably one of the best places to catch up-and-coming local bands. Basically, it's a great place even without the crackling fire — with it, there's really no reason to ever leave. And if you ever do need a change of scenery, just head upstairs to the Amelia Shaw Saloon, complete with fireplace of its own. THE GRACE DARLING HOTEL, COLLINGWOOD The Grace Darling has been a staple of Smith Street for a long, long time — built in 1854, it's apparently the second oldest pub in the city. Regulars will have clocked plenty of hours knocking back drinks in the footpath beer garden out front, but with the weather the way it is, we'd rather be indoors near one of the two blazing fires. The food is classic pub fare on the fancy side, while the candlelit bar has a dozen local draughts on tap. Add to that an atrium restaurant out back plus two separate bandrooms, and it's clear why the Grace is still standing after all this time. THE TIPSY COW, PORT MELBOURNE Here's one that basically has it all. The Tipsy Cow Malt and Vine Co. in Port Melbourne boasts squashy couches, sports on the telly, plenty of great whisky and, most importantly, a toasty fireplace. Oh, and a whole lotta dogs. The dog-friendly has a solid whisky selection that'll warm you up from the inside while fire fire defrosts your toes. It's one of the only places you can enjoy a Talisker 18-year-old or a Macallan Sienna in the company of your pup. Don't have furry mate of your own? Grab a drink and head out back anyway — you're guaranteed some wet nose kisses from The Tipsy Cow mascot and resident pooch, Nisha. THE RAINBOW HOTEL, FITZROY A mere 50 metres removed from the hustle and bustle of Brunswick Street, The Rainbow Hotel is a personal favourite. Its enormous undercover beer garden (complete with pool table) is a great place to while away a lazy afternoon — especially when you're also ballooning on their spicy buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce. If things get too chilly come nightfall, you can toast your outsides by the fireplace, while warming your insides with any of 100 different beers. A great live music lineup is just the icing on the cake. THE POST OFFICE HOTEL, COBURG The Post Office Hotel is a well-rounded gastropub experience, complete with bandroom, large terrariums atop tables and a cracking open fireplace. The menu is well-priced and tasty, and includes everything from pork schnitties to mushrooms and polenta to potato gems. If that all sounds a little too much for you, the bar next door offers a more humble experience — and, yes, it has a fireplace, too. LAZERPIG, COLLINGWOOD Sometimes you just want to eat a pizza by the fire under the lights of a disco ball. And at Lazerpig you can do just that. The Collingwood bar serves up some of the best pizza in town, and does it to a very good soundtrack, lots of booze and and — if you skip the main dining room and take a seat by the bar — the crackling or a fire. Order a carbonara pizza and a spice negroni and settle in. TRAMWAY HOTEL, FITZROY NORTH Comfortable, warm and friendly, with plenty of tasty food offerings and a variety of local beers, Tramway is just about the perfect pub to get away from the cold. Soft overhead lighting matches the pleasant glow of the fire as it smoulders quietly in the corner of the room. Tramway Conductor Golden Ale headlines a list of quality draughts on tap, from Victorian breweries including Mountain Goat and Quiet Deeds. Meanwhile, your snacking options range from delectable Chinese sweet buns filled with fried chicken, pickled carrot and Coca-Cola teriyaki, to comfort food like mini-hots dog and extra cheesy mac 'n' cheese.
Aussie craft beer lovers might be feeling it in their livers this week. They've just gone through two weeks of craft beer glory around the country, starting with from Melbourne's Good Beer Week and the Australian International Beer Awards and culminating in the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular, the epic two-day beer festival held in both Melbourne and Sydney. A record number of 27,600 people attended the events, which showcased over 400 types of local craft beers and ciders. That's a lot of tasting notes. And since it all started to get a bit hazy by the end, we've put together a list of the best, weirdest and most controversial new Australian beers we discovered at GABS 2016. Let's just hope these make it to market. THE BEST BACCHUS BREWING CO. (QLD) Festival beer: Peanut Brittle Gose The Queensland brewery was a clear favourite of the festival, taking home the GABS People's Choice Award for Best Festival Beer in both Melbourne and Sydney. The Gose style originated in 14th century Germany, but their version is not sour and salty like the classic — it packs a peanut butter and caramel toffee punch. This creative and delicious combo made for a true standout. WAYWARD BREWING CO. (NSW) Festival beer: Funky Pineapple Hand Grenade Brett IPA Fans were calling this drop the second best beer of GABS — and for good reason. The beer bursts with tropical pineapple, mango, peach and citrus, making it a great homage to the warmer weather. This is not to say it's a simple one to make, though. Fermenting with 100 percent funky Brettanomyces yeast, the beer has a distinct flavour which is balanced by a silky finish. HOP NATION BREWING CO. (VIC) Festival beer: The Kalash Russian imperial stout Despite the brewery's name, Hop Nation didn't win us over with a hoppy beer this year. Instead, they went the Russian imperial route, and The Kalash is just so damn good. Aged in oak puncheons for five months, the beer has bitter chocolate, coffee and toffee notes that are perfect for this winter chill. The smooth, roasted finish might fool your tastebuds, but the 10 percent alcohol value catches up fast. AKASHA BREWING CO. (NSW) Festival beer: Iago's Revenge black IPA Since opening in Sydney last year, Akasha always seems to be on Australian craft beer watch lists. This dark brew is Akasha's hoppiest yet, while still holding to its roasted malt backbone. Rested on American oak and whisky barrels, the IPA gives off citrus, pine and resin aroma — and at a massive 9.8 percent, this complex beer will just as readily knock you on your ass as well as your nose. THE WEIRDEST COLONIAL BREWING COMPANY (WA) Festival beer: Project #21 - The Reuben Sandwich rye IPA A collaboration with fellow West Australians West Winds Gin, Colonial Brewing refers to this one as "an iconic sandwich in one hand, a martini in the other". It's a complex — and weird — concept for a beer. Brewed using gin botanicals, the beer is spicy, fruity and a bit tart. And while we didn't get much of the Reuben flavour off it, it sure did make us hungry for one. BATCH BREWING COMPANY (NSW) Festival beer: Marrickville Pork Roll Described as a "spice, herb or vegetable beer", Batch went all-out with the ingredients on this one — coriander, chilli, cucumbers and carrots all went into the brew, as did pork broth and a citrusy hop called Sorachi Ace. Fashioned after a bánh mí thit in Sydney's inner west, there's no denying the pork roll flavours. But, nonetheless, it's still a really tasty, well made beer. PRICKLY MOSES (VIC) Festival beer: Faulty Towers basil IPA Better known for their ace ciders, Prickly Moses gave patrons an unexpected dose of herb this year. There is no doubt that fresh basil went into the brew, as it hits you both on the nose and palate — a bi-product of it being used both in the mash and during fermentation. Hoppy, bold and herbal, this beer really works and is one of our favourite wackier brews. THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL 7 CENT BREWERY (VIC) Festival beer: Belly Button Beer If you're hoping this isn't what it sounds like, stop reading here. The beer was fermented using yeast found hiding out in the brewer's belly button — for how long we do not know (nor do we want to know). Belly Button Beer received global curiosity and disgust well before its appearance at GABS, and most couldn't help but give it a try. It's a weird one — the kind of funk orange zest and coriander seeds can not disguise. DOCTOR'S ORDERS BREWING (NSW) Festival beer: Mutagenic Cephalopod Gose The name alone means you simply must try this one, and the ingredients are a truly bizarre combination. Infused with seaweed, smoked mushroom salt, chipotle oil and — wait for it — squid ink, we're not sure how the brewers dreamt this one up. The beer is tart and also tinged green in colour — making it a seaweed green, squid ink beer. Despite the controversy, many still thoroughly enjoyed the brew and the novelty behind it. SHENANIGANS BREWING (NSW) Festival beer: Sabotage oatmeal stout Nothing polarises quite like a chilli beer — folks either love them or absolutely hate them. In Shenanigans' case, the divide was evenly split. While we personally loved it, a lot of patrons had a hard time with the chilli, either claiming it was way too spicy or that they couldn't taste it at all. Brewed with organic coconut sugar, cacao and coffee beans, and then aged on bourbon oak, the controversial chocolate jolokia ghost chilli was unforgivable to some and praised by others. HONOURABLE MENTIONS We have to give a big shout out to Bucket Boys and Stockade Brewing Co., whose beers absolutely killed it. We're expecting to see big things from both of these brewers in 2016. Want to know more? Check out the complete list of the Festival Beers
A staple for Melbourne comedy lovers, Quick Bites Comedy is the go-to night for checking out some of the best local, interstate and international comedians around — and it's free. Taking turns in a rapid-fire night of laughs, each comic delivers five-to-seven minutes of their funniest material, guaranteeing an evening crammed full of both up-and-coming and established performers across a variety of acts, styles and topics. Personalities and writers from many of Australia's most-loved TV shows are regularly in attendance and you're bound to discover someone who cracks you up. Held on Monday evenings at popular late-night spot Boney, the Little Collins location is perfect for getting some belly laughs in at the start of the week, ensuring the rest of your working week is just a little bit easier.
From today, the launch of Reservations by DoorDash gives you exclusive access to tables at your favourite restaurants across Sydney and Melbourne — even when they are fully booked. This innovative new feature means that your go-to app for dining in can now be used for dining out. DoorDash Vice President APAC, Simon Rossi, says, "The launch of Reservations marks an exciting evolution for DoorDash in Australia. We're not just delivering meals, we're helping diners connect with some of the most sought-after restaurants. Whether it's securing a table at a hatted venue or discovering a hidden local gem, this feature makes it easier than ever to enjoy unforgettable dining experiences. For our restaurant partners, Reservations is another way we're helping them showcase their venues, attract new guests, and foster lasting relationships through exceptional hospitality." The Reservations system is being rolled out across two major cities now, with further launches coming soon. And it's stupidly simple. All you need to do is locate the Reservations icon in the DoorDash app, browse what's available, and confirm your booking, all in the one app. DashPass members will also have access to exclusive tables held especially for them during busy days and time slots. And the best part is that booking through this system allows you to earn redeemable credits that can be used for future orders. Prestigious restaurants across Melbourne and Sydney have embraced this new booking system, including Bar Julius, Di Stasio, Embla, Harriot and Lottie. James Bradey, founder of Liquid & Larder, says, "Bar Julius is proud to be part of DoorDash's Reservations debut. We're excited to welcome more guests from the greater network into our little corner of Redfern and provide the welcoming, detail-driven experience that's become a hallmark of Bar Julius and the Liquid & Larder family." "The DoorDash partnership will open the doors to a diverse bunch of potential new regulars that we might not otherwise have been able to reach. We're always on the lookout for more people who have been searching for a place like ours, and being on the platform will help us to continue to grow as we start our second decade in business," says Christian McCabe, General Manager at Embla in Melbourne. Images: George Roske. Reservations on DoorDash rolls out across Melbourne and Sydney from November 20. If you're looking for ideas of where to dine, check out the best restaurants in Sydney, and the best restaurants in Melbourne.
Watch a Mark Wahlberg-starring movie, tuck into a burg from Wahlberg's burger chain Wahlburgers, get the words 'burger' and 'Wahlberg' stuck in your head for days: that's now on the menu in Australia. After first announcing plans to open Down Under back in 2021, Wahlburgers has just launched its first Aussie store — so, Sydneysiders, it's time to pair a burger with some Sunkist. Because there's a reality TV show for everything, you've probably heard of the chain thanks to the 2014–9 series Wahlburgers, which turned its lens on the burger joints owned by the actor formerly known as Marky Mark and his brothers. Now — in Sydney from Thursday, February 17, at least — you can also eat the Wahlburgers' fast-food fare, rather than just watch a show about it. As also announced last year, Wahlburgers has now made its home at Sydney's Circular Quay, with its first Aussie outpost joining more than 50 stores in the US, Canada and Germany. Folks in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane can all look forward to munching on the brand's bites to eat, too — and in New Zealand as well — with the chain expected to launch 20 stores across Australia and NZ. On the menu: burgers, obviously, including a meat-free Impossible burg that's been dubbed 'Mark's choice', plus a barbecue bacon burger that bears his fellow actor brother (and ex-New Kids on the Block member) Donnie's tick of approval. There are 13 burg options to choose from in total, with two types of chicken schnitzel burger, a crispy fish option, and a truffle burger — which pairs a beef patty with truffle aioli — also available. Or, you can opt for salads, sides that span everything from French fries and sweet potato fries to onion rings and bacon mac 'n' cheese, and loaded versions of your favourite fries and potato gems. There's also a breakfast menu, complete with avocado on toast, granola, pancake stacks, breakfast burgers and French toast sticks. And, for dessert, you can pick from fried dough — yes, that's what the menu says — and three types of lamington from Tokyo Lamington. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wahlburgers Australia (@wahlburgersau) To answer the most important question, at least if you happen to remember that Mark Wahlberg was in the music business before he started acting and, as part of his hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, he released the 1991 single 'Good Vibrations': yes, Wahlburgers serves Sunkist, as referenced in that track's lyrics. Drinks-wise, there's also other soft drinks, coffees, shakes and spiders in both boozy and booze-free varieties, 17 types of cocktails, a small wine list, and beers that include Wahlbrewskis, the chain's signature beer. If the Wahlberg name has you thinking about movies — with Mark starring in everything from Boogie Nights to Joe Bell, and co-owner Donnie also featuring in The Sixth Sense and the Saw franchise — then that won't change with Wahlburgers' Aussie jaunt. In fact, the chain's entire venture Down Under is a collaboration with United Cinemas, and some of the former's sites will be located within the latter's picture palaces. United Cinemas now operates the cinema at Opera Quays that used to be a Dendy, for instance. The picture palace brand also currently runs venues at Narellan, Collaroy, Warriewood and Avalon in Sydney, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, Craigieburn in Melbourne, Indooroopilly in Brisbane and Rockingham in Perth, so that's where you might be getting your Walhburger fix in the future, too — but Walhburgers will be opening stand-alone stores as well. Just when the chain will launch more locations around Australia and NZ hasn't yet been revealed. Wahlburgers is also co-owned by chef Paul Wahlberg — another Wahlberg sibling — and, given its name, the chain decks out its sites with photos and memorabilia from the brothers' lives. Wahlburgers is is now open at Opera Quays, 18a/7 Macquarie Street, Sydney, operating from 7am–10pm Sunday–Wednesday and 7am–11pm Thursday–Saturday. Further stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and New Zealand are also set to open in the future — we'll update you with exact locations and dates when they're announced, and you can keep an eye on the chain's website and Facebook page in the interim. Top image: Michael Rivera via Wikimedia Commons.
We sadly bade farewell to Ferdydurke earlier this year, one of our favourite bars in Melbourne's CBD. Since opening in 2012, it stood out among the sleek and highly polished bars of the city, deciding instead to embrace its rougher edges and provide an unpretentious space for both chill hangs and live music-fuelled parties. But even though it's now gone, the Office of Public Works group (Section 8, The Beast and formerly Ferdydurke) has teamed up with some of the hospo legends who originally helped set up Ferdydurke to create its replacement: Aster. Thankfully, not too much has changed. The loft's exposed brickwork and beams remain, as does the roaring fireplace. What you will notice though, is that it all feels a little more grown-up, from the contemporary wine list and refined snacks to the team replacing live gigs with DJs. Aster also has some serious date-night vibes — its design lends itself to being a playfully romantic spot that's less about big parties (you can still head downstairs to Section 8 for this) and more about intimate hangs. Nonetheless, the crew still promises dancefloor energy on weekends. We've been told to expect anything from jazzy house and cumbia rhythms to northern soul and smooth amapiano. While listening to these tunes, you'll be sipping on a range of classic and modern styles of wine, specialty beers, signature cocktails and artisanal spirits, with a particular focus on local producers. Food has also been given a big makeover, as Executive Chef Jarrod Moore has created a playfully decadent assortment of bites. You can expect dishes like saison black truffle and squid ink salami with guindillas; dark chocolate and rye whiskey marquise, fire-roasted peppers with smoked tomato and goat's cheese; and a poached prawn roll with pickled celery and burnt butter aioli. "I'm excited to show guests that going out in Melbourne doesn't have to break the bank, that they can enjoy a few drinks in a safe space, try something new or stick to what they know," says Venue Manager Manny Platsis. "We want to offer patrons a memorable experience, focusing on true hospitality in a warm, welcoming and fun environment." You'll find Aster at 31 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne, open 5pm–midnight from Tuesday–Thursday, and 5pm–2am on Fridays and Saturdays. For more details, head to the venue's website. Images: Arianna Leggiero.
Travel is a salve to all of life's problems. There's something truly healing about that first dip into a faraway sea, a bite of a food you've never heard of before, or the background hum of a language you can't understand. But sometimes, all it takes is a hotel to have you packing your bags and buckling into your plane seat. There's no better place to find that holiday feeling than in Asia. From the patchwork blue seas of the Komodo Islands to the tranquil jungles of Ubud and into the hawker centres of Singapore, Asia is dotted with spectacular hotels that are worth making the trip for. As a Marriott Bonvoy member, you can access exclusive rates immediately on stays at participating properties (700 of them in Asia alone). Membership is free, so once you've signed up, book with the app and earn points for future stays worldwide. [caption id="attachment_1045361" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TA'AKTANA, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa[/caption] TA'AKTANA, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere from 16,000 to 18,000 islands in Indonesia. Flores, Bali's quiet neighbour, may just be the most underrated of them all. The town of Labuan Bajo on Flores is the gateway to the Komodo Islands—a patchwork of sparkling blue water, technicolour coral reefs and sacred Komodo dragons. It's quickly becoming Indonesia's best-kept treasure and is only a one-hour flight from Bali. When in town, TA'AKATANA, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa is the place to stay. The resort's over-water villas draw inspiration from Flores' distinctive spider-web style rice paddies, offering epic views that look out over the Komodo Islands. Here, your villa also includes a luxurious butler service. Inspired by the mystical caves of Rangko and Batu Cermin, Di'a Spa is where hot tubs and cold plunge pools overlook the turquoise Flores Sea, offering not just relaxation but also renewal. It's your chance for a soulful pause in one of Indonesia's most captivating settings. [caption id="attachment_1045362" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Athenee Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel[/caption] The Athenee Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok is a direct flight away from most Australian capitals, but the second your feet hit the buzzing streets, you feel a world away. You arrive to tropical warmth, towering, gilded temples, and fragrant, heaped bowls of street food passing by on vendors' carts. Not to mention, Bangkok is quickly earning a reputation as one of South East Asia's creative hotspots with galleries, bars, endless vintage shopping and local fashion labels popping up across the city. When in town, our editors check into The Athenee Hotel. Here, you're staying on the grounds of Kandhavas, the palace of Princess Valaya Alongkorn, the daughter of King Rama V. The five-star, luxury hotel is also located right in the heart of Bangkok—perfect for a trip spent hitting the city's exceptional shopping malls like Siam Paragon. After a day exploring Bangkok, head back to your hotel to de-stress with a holistic treatment at the Athenee Spa. W Singapore - Sentosa Cove, Singapore Sentosa Island is Singapore's island getaway—yet, you're still connected to the mainland. Singapore's hawker centres, futuristic skyline and unrivalled shopping make it one of the best city breaks going. W Singapore - Sentosa Cove is one of the coolest places to stay when you're in town. The hotel's sleek design and freshly-renovated rooms were born from blending city and sanctuary. The result is a space that channels the tropical microcosm that is Singapore: abundant energy, buzzing atmosphere, and an element of surrealism. While on Sentosa Island, check out Universal Studios, laze your day away at Siloso Beach or Palawan Beach (the southernmost point of continental Asia) or simply unwind in W Singapore's free-form outdoor pools. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ubud, Indonesia Found deep inside the Balinese jungle, on the shores of the Ayung River, sits Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property. Ubud, a green, spiritual enclave in Bali, is often overlooked in favour of beach clubs. But, check into Mandapa — within an Indigenous village — and you'll soon realise that this is the best way to experience Bali. You'll find 35 suites, 25 pool villas and four unique dining concepts dotted across the resort's lush grounds. The best part, though, is their restorative spa and Disconnect to Reconnect Wellness Journey Program. You'll receive a personalised wellbeing and health program tailored just for you. The experience is guided by three pillars: wellness, gastronomy, and sustainability. For those seeking a stay that truly renews, this is your sanctuary. [caption id="attachment_1043648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juliana Barquero[/caption] Aloft Osaka Dojima, Japan If you're anything like us, your social feeds are currently filled with friends living it up in Japan. And, with ski season approaching, your jealousy is about to get worse. If you've always wanted to go, let this be your sign to book that trip now. The vibrant, technicoloured streetscapes of Osaka's litter social feeds everywhere — especially with the city's vintage designer shopping. But they're really just the backdrop of Aloft Osaka Dojima. The sleek, design-focused hotel is for the traveller who likes being in the heart of the city. Stay here, and you're never more than a short walk from Osaka's viral food spots and expansive train network. Take a day trip to Kyoto or Nara, stop into Universal Studios or try the world-famous Kobe beef before heading back to base. [caption id="attachment_1051746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa, Malaysia[/caption] Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa, Malaysia Think of Malaysia, and chances are your mind rushes to steaming bowls of fragrant laksa, a buzzing Kuala Lumpur and its Petronas Towers at night (or that scene from Entrapment). But, did you know its coastline is dotted with tropical islands and pristine beaches? One of our editors' favourites is the Perhentian Islands on the east coast of Terengganu. It's here, on Perhentian Kecil, that you'll find Perhentian Marriott Resort & Spa. Their private villas are perched on the cliffside with panoramic views out onto the azure shores of the Perhentians, and even come complete with a private pool and luxurious baths. Outside the resort grounds, island hop the day away, swim with turtles and snorkel through pristine coral reefs, then watch the sun slip below the horizon on a sunset cruise. Become a Marriott Bonvoy member (for free) for access to the best rates on the website. Then, download the app to discover a world of unparalleled rewards and earn and redeem points for your next trip with Marriott International's award-winning travel program and marketplace. And, to celebrate the end of 2025, you can even earn 2,025 bonus points when you book if you register at Marriott's website.
More than 60 people have been injured and 19 hospitalised after a stampede at Falls Festival's Lorne leg on Friday evening. The incident occurred after DMA's finished their set on the Grand Theatre Stage, when many in the crowd tried to make their way to see London Grammar on the Valley Stage. The Age reports that a number of patrons slipped and lost their footing during the move, resulting in leg, rib, hip, pelvic, head, facial and spinal injuries and fractures, as well as cuts and bruises. "It was quite a chaotic scene and required a major response," said Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman. Punters took to social media to post about the traumatic and chaotic experience, including reports of broken bones, panic attacks, people passing out, trampling and many fearing for their lives. "This was the most scariest thing ever! I will never forget what I saw last night," wrote one Falls attendee. "It's hectic and she said it was the worst thing she has ever experienced in her life," posted the sister of another. https://twitter.com/kewesting/status/814859083740102656 Festival organisers also took to social media to issue a statement, reflecting the fact that entertainment in the Grand Theatre was suspended for the remainder of the evening, but noting that normal programming will resume on Saturday. Many responses to their post have been rightfully critical of the setup that allowed the incident to occur in the first place — this isn't their first time hosting a popular event of this size, with a mass migration between stages and sets a common occurrence not just at Falls, but at every other music festival. The Lorne crowd crush occurs just days after a 21-year-old woman was struck and killed by a falling tree branch at the Lost Paradise festival on the NSW Central Coast. With plenty of festivals in full swing over New Year's — and the peak festival period upon us during summer — here's hoping for a safe rest of the season. If you're attending a fest, look after each other. Image: Falls Festival.
2025 marks once, not twice, but three times in a row now that winter in Melbourne is being bookended by major arts festivals. RISING kicks off the cooler weather, then Now or Never helps farewell the frostier temperatures. As the former was as well, the latter is back in a big way this year, whether you're keen to witness one of the city's key spaces undergo a spectacular transformation just for the fest, fill 11 days and nights with live tunes, hear more about astronauts and astronomy, see where the lines between cinema and real-time performances blur, or celebrate queer Black excellence. Now or Never packs its lineup with arts, ideas, sound and technology events. From Thursday, August 21–Sunday, August 31 around Melbourne, 2025's fest will feature more than 140 free and ticketed sessions, which are the products of 285-plus local and international artists. Whatever else you head to, making a date with the Royal Exhibition Building — the venue that hosted its first large-scale live music performances in over 20 years at 2023's debut Now or Never — is a must, however, if you want to step inside a pink bubble. Free, running for the first four days of 2025's festival, and both an Australian premiere and a Melbourne exclusive, MATRIA looks set to prove quite the stunner. The installation's aim: to turn the Royal Exhibition Building, its temporary home, into a womb-like space via a recycled pink inflatable. Courtesy of Barcelona-based collective Penique Productions, translucent membrane will wrap around the venue's wooden interior skeleton — and breathe. The accompanying soundtrack, complete with a solo vocalist, will get it vibrating. Dancers will also help the installation's skin move and stretch, and you can expect to see futuristic art feature as well. Inside MATRIA, you'll be cocooned — and you'll also engage with more of Now or Never's program, because the site is still hosting shows and gigs within the installation. Dancer and choreographer Amber McCartney is teaming up with DJ Shapednoise on one, composer Alex Zhang Hungtai is in the spotlight on another, and rRoxymore is also doing the honours one evening. Or, get inhaling and exhaling along with MATRIA thanks to The Breath Haus and its meditation and breathwork sessions. For more music, Melbourne Town Hall will feature four nights of acts spanning Marie Davidson, DJ Python, DJ Logic1000, Young Marco and Yarra — plus Japanese visual and sound artist Ryoji Ikeda bringing ultratronics and its blend of minimalistic light and sound to Australia for the first time. Also engaging multiple senses in the same venue is Einder, a 20-metre-long light and sound installation by Dutch artist and composer Boris Acket. For one evening only, you can also feast beneath it, with Julia Busuttil Nishimura in charge of the multi-course menu. For a memorable outdoor installation, Dr Christian Thompson is on the case at the Evan Walker Bridge. Burdi Burdi (Fire Fire) is all about quiet reflection, and will be the Bidjara/Chinese Australian artist's largest such work. Hit up State Library Victoria instead and you'll spy DELIRI from the Barcelona-based Hamill Industries, a large-scale projection musing on understanding and deconstructing reality that's taking over the building's facade. Thinking about the cosmos is on the bill when Aussie astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg and astronomer Dr Tania Hill team up, complete with a screening of a short film commissioned by the Australian Space Agency. For more folks chatting, former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery will contemplate facing the future as the climate changes. Plus, the Charting the Future: First Nations Knowledges and Artificial Intelligence session will examine Australian innovation, not just looking at machine learning now and beyond, but also at knowledge in First Nations cultures — and neuroscientist Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is digging into potentially living forever. If you're all about the big screen, ACMI is presenting Rashaad Newsome's documentary Assembly, which steps behind the scenes of his installation at New York's Park Avenue Armory. With this year's Melbourne International Film Festival, it's also screening VR documentary The World Came Flooding In. Or, drop by for PARA.CINE's merging of where cinema and real-time virtual performances intersect. One world-premiere piece is giving picture palaces a zoological spin. The other boasts New York's Team Rolfes, with speeding jockeys at its centre. Over at The Capitol, you can check out First Nations film Crown and Country, and its conversations between Warlpiri philosopher and teacher Wanta Jampijinpa Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu and music producer Marc 'Monkey' Peckham. Blending performance with motion-capture, reality television and game design, Crisis Actor at Arts House in North Melbourne will get you participating rather than merely watching, all in the aftermath of a fictional disaster. From there, Moritz von Oswald is taking to the stage at Melbourne Recital Centre with a 16-person choir to perform his album Silencio, and composer, DJ and producer Laurel Halo is teaming up with cellist Leila Bordreuil. Plus, Science Gallery Melbourne's DISTRACTION wants to live up to its name via a range of local and international experimental projects, Intraconnection in Federation Square's screen will get you pondering being human, Queer PowerPoint is back and the State Library of Victoria is staying up late one night — and there's still more on the lineup. Now or Never 2025 runs from Thursday, August 21–Sunday, August 31 around Melbourne — head to the festival website for further details.
Christmas is on its way to South Melbourne Market, an integral part of Melbourne's food scene for over 150 years. Usually a go-to spot to pick up fresh produce and top-notch seafood, they're stepping up this festive season with a huge array of produce, meats, decorations and gifts for everyone on your list. Once you've grabbed a takeaway coffee, visited the greengrocers and eaten some gozleme, you'll have all the energy you need for this year's Christmas shopping. Free live entertainment, competitions and giveaways are all on the agenda through the month of December, to bring festive cheer to the hustle and bustle. There will be lots on for the kiddos as well, including face painting and visits from Santa. Take the whole family if you can face it, otherwise, just write your list for the big day and tackle it solo.
In the just-dropped trailer for Only Murders in the Building season five, Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated) gives the apartment complex that he calls home — as do his friends and fellow podcasters Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez) and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Grimsburg) — a fitting description: "the most-murderous building in New York". Another run for this mystery-comedy delight does indeed mean another suspicious death that needs investigating. This time, the show's central trio are looking into the demise of the Arconia's beloved doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca, The Blacklist), although the police rule it as accidental. Of course, Charles, Mabel and Oliver aren't convinced with that explanation — and, as the first sneak peek at season five shows, their latest round of sleuthing brings a few colourful new characters into their orbit. Mobsters and billionaires are part of Only Murders in the Building's plot this time around, which is where new co-stars Bobby Cannavale (Unstoppable), Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy), Logan Lerman (We Were the Lucky Ones) and Christoph Waltz (Old Guy) fit in. [caption id="attachment_1014462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Disney/Patrick Harbron[/caption] By now, audiences know that lives don't just thrive in NYC towers like the Arconia. Sometimes — frequently in this abode — they end, too. Folks connected to the fictional structure haven't been having a good run, but Charles, Mabel and Oliver looking into their untimely passings, and talking about it, has proven this series' premise since 2021's first season. A severed finger, The Godfather references, mafia meetings, "three of the richest people in the world sniffing around a murder scene", the Mayor, gambling, examining a body at a funeral: that's all in store in season five, as seen in the trailer. You'll next be viewing the trio's antics from spring Down Under, with Only Murders in the Building locked in for a Tuesday, September 9, 2025 premiere date for its fifth season. Michael Cyril Creighton (American Horror Stories) is back among the cast as well, as are Meryl Streep (Extrapolations), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Bride Hard), Richard Kind (Poker Face) and Nathan Lane (The Gilded Age). Alongside Cannavale, Zellweger,Lerman and Waltz, season five also features Téa Leoni (Death of a Unicorn), Keegan-Michael Key (Dear Santa), Beanie Feldstein (Drive-Away Dolls), Dianne Wiest (Apartment 7A) and Jermaine Fowler (Sting). Check out the trailer for Only Murders in the Building season five below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Disney+, with season five premiering on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three. Images: Disney/Patrick Harbron.
Carrie Bradshaw once said that Vogue fed her more than dinner – a hot take in the early 2000s, when skipping a few meals was á la mode. Alas, flipping (or scrolling) through a fashion mag today might not have the same effect. Tinned fish, cherries, lemons and lobsters appear on the clothes, like one big grazing plate. Every Loewe ad features sculptural heirloom tomatoes, while Jacquemus' are a reminder to butter your toast. [caption id="attachment_1042055" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maison Batard servers wearing bespoke tuxedos from The Service Club.[/caption] The obsession has even spilled over to the beauty industry in recent years — Nude by Nature's lippies are stirring martinis and scooping up whipped butter. Food motifs aren't new in fashion, but in the latest wave of the food-fashion zeitgeist, the people behind what we eat are also shaping what we wear for the first time. Amidst workplace misconduct and financial pressures, working in hospitality is notoriously tough. But 'chefcore' has officially become a thing, thanks to shows like The Bear, which have turned our attention to what chefs wear. Fashion publications dissect the show's thoughtful costuming every season, with iconic looks including vintage designer pieces that reference Chicago history, Carmy's perfect (and pricey) white t-shirt, and the $600 Thom Browne chef whites gifted to Sydney in the season two finale. Another thing: The Bear doesn't shy away from the industry's harsh realities — and the grittiness appeals. It's why Jeremy Allen White, who plays Carmy, now fronts Calvin Klein campaigns. And why Gio Luciano, a real-life line cook in New York City, went viral on TikTok for "line cook food hauls". It makes sense that brands are clamouring to cash in on this cultural cachet. Incu asked Messina to reimagine its brands as gelato flavours in 2020. In Hollywood, Mel's Drive-In made a sky-high pancake stack for Skims, which homegrown Scarlet and Sam referenced with its monogrammed birthday pancakes. Last month, Tarts Anon teamed up with Birkenstock Australia to spotlight their professional footwear range. [caption id="attachment_1042052" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tarts Anon Head Chef Gareth Whitton in his trusty work clogs.[/caption] "Fashion brands want to be part of culture and create experiences that feel tangible and memorable," Tarts Anon founder Gareth Whitton says. "Food and hospitality are inherently social and sensory experiences, which makes them perfect for lifestyle storytelling." Borrowing from the thyme-hued Boston clogs he wears around the kitchen, Whitton created a one-weekend-only thyme, chocolate and verjus tart, finished with a cocoa dusting in Birkenstock's signature bone pattern. [caption id="attachment_1042054" align="alignnone" width="1920"] An exclusive thyme, chocolate and verjus tart at Tarts Anon that pays homage to Head Chef Gareth Whitton's Birkenstock Bostons in Thyme.[/caption] These collabs are a win-win for Whitton: his team is excited to experiment, while retail brands gain exposure to "a highly curated audience in a relaxed social setting". This face time is especially valuable to brands without a brick-and-mortar presence, but it's also a way for those with a physical storefront to draw more curious browsers. [caption id="attachment_1042053" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birkenstock's iconic Boston clogs, made for work.[/caption] Luxury maisons have long paired fashion with fine dining. In 2004, Chanel brought on celebrated chef Alain Ducasse to open Michelin-starred French restaurant Beige alain Ducasse Tokyo in its Ginza flagship. Gucci, Prada, Ralph Lauren and more followed with similar concepts, all meant to draw crowds to their stores. As designers join diners at the table, Whitton warns against collabs that feel "forced and gimmicky". He offers a hot tip for fashion marketers: "Typically, chefs collaborate with brands that share a similar aesthetic, ethos, or target audience. The best collaborations are always the ones where both sides feel the partnership enhances their story, rather than serving as a one-off promotion." Keeping that in mind, workwear labels might have an edge in the game. Sydney-based designer Johnny Schembri, who started hospo-dedicated diffusion line The Service Club, explains: "Chefs are incredibly particular, and rightly so, they spend long hours in these garments. We listen carefully to their notes around comfort, heat, and movement. The same goes for waitstaff; they need to be able to move freely, and everything must be easy to wash and wear." Schembri has been dressing women under his namesake label, By Johnny, for the past 16 years, but he earned his stripes making uniforms for the now-defunct Keystone Group. Two years ago, the designer turned his eye back to the kitchen with The Service Club. Venues can pick from a collection of 40 ready-to-wear garments or opt to collaborate with Schembri on custom uniforms. [caption id="attachment_1042057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The crew at Bobbys Cronulla kitted out in nautical-inspired uniforms designed by The Service Club.[/caption] "Historically, chef uniforms have all looked the same, very standard and not especially considered," Schembri says. But now, chefs are looking for design-led options to inject personality into their attire. The Service Club outfitted 20 venues in its first 12 months, ranging from a breezy all-white look punctuated by blue and clay aprons at Sydney's beachside restaurant Bobby to tailored-yet-functional tuxes for Melbourne's Maison Bâtard team. While uniforms are a masthead for venues — Schrembi calls them "walking billboards" — the clothes worn during a busy shift still have to strike a balance between function and style. In an era of countless microtrends, practicality might be a virtue; The Bear's style explosion demonstrates a love for clothes that go just as hard as the people who wear them. Beyond chefcore, the people and pulse of a restaurant can also inspire the fashion world in its own right. London-based Melt Jewellery's most-hyped collection in five years features sculptural sterling-silver-and-gemstone rings and pendant necklaces that nod to the movement in a kitchen. [caption id="attachment_1042056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bertrand Kerleo shows off Melt Jewellery's new collection.[/caption] The collection took shape when Melt founder Prachi Jan met French pastry chef Bertrand Kerleo on the tube. Kerleo became the muse of the campaign, which is centred around his culinary journey and shot in a working kitchen where he busies himself making an avant-garde take on European milk pudding called blancmange. While Jan is well aware that no chef would actually wear jewellery during service, it's the unlikely crossover that intrigues her. "We're not encouraging people to sauté in silver," she says. "You see Bertrand wearing the jewellery while cooking, moving [and] sweating — all those human details that you don't usually associate with fine jewellery. It feels slightly surreal." With all the hype around hospo, high-concept collaborations like this could be where we're headed. As Schembri puts it: "There's something raw and real about the hospitality world that cuts through the noise; it's tactile, it's lived-in, and it feels genuine, which is exactly what people want from brands right now." Images supplied
Buying gifts for the men in your life can feel hard at the best of times. Whether you're buying for your brother, partner or dad, we've rounded up some of the top gifts for men with a little bit of help from Amazon to help you out. We've sought out goodies for tech lovers, outdoorsmen, and gamers, as well as the men who like a bit of luxury. Plus, if you've left gifts to the last minute, Amazon has some of the latest delivery days out there, which is good news for those of us who tend to resort to last-minute Christmas shopping. 1. Pocket Knife The ROXON M2 Mini Storm 14-in-1 Multitool is a man's dream come true. Made from premium stainless steel, with a smooth, lightweight design and ceramic glass breaker, this is the ultimate handyman's accessory. While small, it has 14 functions, including a knife, a nail file, pliers and wire cutters, just to name a few. 2. BOSCK Watch A casual watch that also looks the part, this classic business watch from BOSCK is a simple gift for those who love their accessories. The watch features a striking black strap made of stainless steel, is designed with five layers of hinges and a folding buckle and features a 40mm watch diameter, high-accuracy quartz movement and a classic three-eye dial design. Oh, and it's waterproof. Comfortable, convenient and durable. What more could you want? 3. Retro Game Console The ultimate blast from the past, this retro console from CZT takes us right back to endless days spent gaming days as a kid. Take it anywhere and play until your heart's content. The Tetris-esque game may be simple, but it's a formula that's survived for a reason. All you have to do is move and flip the blocks left and right to create a complete line. Choose from four colours including green, purple, pink and blue. 4. Gamepad 3D Illusion Lamp This one's for the more hard-core gamers out there. The Gamepad Illusion Lamp from the Attivolife Store is a lamp or night light in the shape of a game controller, made with laser engraving on an optical acrylic plate to create an epic 3D illusion. With 16 colours, four kinds of flashing and adjustable brightness, this little thing is the ultimate way to elevate a dark corner of a room or add some extra decoration. 5. Electronic Accessories Carry Case For the men in your life who need help when it comes to organisation, we got you. Enter the electronic travel organizer. It comes with three dividers, so you can organise all those chargers, batteries and hard drives in a way that works for you, with no more tangles. Made from Oxford Fabric and with a soft, spongey inside, the case will also protect all your prized gadgets. A perfect gift for men who travel a lot or are just a little OCD. 6. Camping Hammock A gift for the camping aficionados out there, this portable camping hammock from Lineno is the ultimate way to combine outdoor fun with a bit of relaxation. Simply find some trees to hook it onto and use it as a bed or perch in it for a momentary swing. And when you're not hiking or camping, the hammock also makes a nice addition to the backyard or balcony. 7. Beer Mug Does Dad already have more stubby coolers than he can keep track of? Why not mix it up with a beer mug? The Stanley Adventure Big Grip Beer Stein keeps beer cold for two hours and keeps iced beer cold for an impressive 20 hours. Made from stainless steel with a heavy-duty handle, this mug can hold up to two cans of beer, which is more efficient, really. It can also keep hot drinks warm for up to one hour, perfect for mulled cider or even a cup of coffee in the morning. 8. Nespresso Essenza Mini The De'Longhi Nespresso Essenza Mini single-serve capsule coffee machine is a generous gift for the men in your life who may be known fondly as coffee snobs. The compact, sleek design of the machine is simple and easy to use, with a 19-bar high-pressure pump and fast heat-up system, so coffee is ready in under 30 seconds. Because Nespresso offers a wider variety of coffees, this machine is the way to go if you're not 100 per cent sure how your dad, uncle or father-in-law likes their coffee. And this is not something you want to just assume and, god forbid, get wrong. 9. Smart Ball A gift for all the football-lovers, soccer-lovers, or whatever you want to call it. This Smart Ball Bot is the next generation of the game – relying on state-of-the-art sensors to track and tackle the ball to test your football skills. There are three-speed modes to accommodate all skill levels, and it features an in-built LCD score tracker which keeps track of your current score and records your highest achievements. We can't think of any sports fanatic who wouldn't be happy seeing this under the Christmas tree this year. 10. Asēdos Perfume Often, the last thing he has on his list to buy, you can never go wrong with gifting a man a new perfume or cologne. This Spicy Pepper EDP Spray from Asēdos is our pick. Known for their inclusive, gender-neutral vegan fragrances, this scent features Calabrian bergamot and pepper, with middle notes of Sichuan pepper, lavender, pink pepper, vetiver, patchouli, geranium and base notes of ambroxan and cedar. It lasts between four to six hours and is small enough to keep in your pocket or bag. Images: Supplied. This article contains affiliate links, Concrete Playground may earn a commission when you make a purchase through links on our site.
After chronicling the day-to-day chaos at a company that sells paper, what comes next for The Office — in the US, that is? Documenting the daily reality of life working at a newspaper. As announced in 2024, the beloved American version of the hit sitcom is getting a spinoff. In The Paper, which is led by Domhnall Gleeson (Echo Valley) and Sabrina Impacciatore (G20 and also The White Lotus season two), a midwestern newspaper publisher is in the spotlight. The series debuts on Thursday, September 4, 2025 in the US and in Australia, streaming in the latter via Binge. If you're keen for a sneak peek, The Paper has also just dropped its first trailer. A new boss arriving to shake things up, staff ranging from apathetic to overenthusiastic, office-set awkwardness aplenty, a familiar face: they're all featured in the initial glimpse at the show. As its predecessor was, this is a mockumentary series. The setup: the same documentary crew that turned their cameras towards Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch have found a new workplace to explore. Their time pointing their lens the Toledo Truth Teller's way coincides with Ned Sampson (Gleeson) joining the publication as editor-in-chief, with the paper's newest employee underwhelmed with the status quo and brimming with ideas about how to change things. Chelsea Frei (The Life List), Melvin Gregg (Fight Night), Gbemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops), Alex Edelman (Unfrosted), Ramona Young (You're Cordially Invited) and Tim Key (Mickey 17) also star in The Paper, as does Oscar Nuñez (The School Duel), reprising his role as Oscar Martinez. Accordingly, the new series is set in the same universe as the Steve Carell (Mountainhead)-led hit dwelled in from 2005–13 and sports multiple ties to it, but definitely isn't simply walking back into Dunder Mifflin with new staff. Also, Gleeson starred with Carell on 2022's The Patient, giving the two series another connection. Greg Daniels — who created the US version of The Office to begin with, and has also been behind Space Force and Upload — is steering The Paper behind the camera with Nathan for You co-creator Michael Koman. And yes, the franchise that initially kicked off in the UK version in 2001 just keeps expanding, after the Australian version dropped in 2024. Cringeworthy bosses, annoying co-workers and soul-crushing office jobs show no signs of fading away, of course, which all things The Office has understood for nearly a quarter of a century now. Check out the trailer for The Paper below: The Paper debuts in Australia on Thursday, September 4, 2025, streaming via Binge. Images: Aaron Epstein and John P Fleenor/PEACOCK.
A spoonful of sugar isn't needed to make this medicine go down: the Mary Poppins musical is coming to Melbourne. Umbrellas at the ready for the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious news that you'll hear all day, and all year as well, with the tale of the singing nanny set to take over Her Majesty's Theatre from Sunday, January 29, 2023. Mary Poppins comes to Melbourne after its Australian-premiere Sydney season and then a stop in Brisbane, and hails from Disney and theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh. This current version of the show tells the same enchanting tale that everyone knows from the hugely popular, five-time Oscar-winning 1964 film — which, as well as inspiring this stage adaptation, also gave rise to big-screen sequel Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. (Everything to do with the English governess harks back to PL Travers' books about the character, of course, and pop culture has been thankful for and downright delighted with her stories for almost six decades now.) When it soars through its Melbourne season over the summer of 2023 through to Sunday, April 2, local theatre fans can look forward to a new version of the show that last graced Australia's stages — and won eight Helpmann Awards — back in 2011. Since Mackintosh first teamed up with writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) to bring Mary Poppins to the theatre in 2004, the production has won four Olivier Awards and a Tony as well. The local cast includes Stefanie Jones as Mary Poppins and Jack Chambers as Bert, as well as Tom Wren as George Banks, Lucy Maunder as Winifred Banks and Hannah Waterman as Mrs Brill. Also appearing: Gareth Isaac as Robertson Ay, Robert Grubb as Chairman and Admiral Boom, Cherine Peck as Mrs Corry, Lisa Sontag as Miss Lark, Kade Hughes as Neleus, Stephen Anderson as Park Keeper and Andrew Broadbent as Policeman. If you'd been crossing your fingers that a date with Poppins, the Banks family and their Cherry Tree Lane abode might also come Melbourne's way, consider that wish granted. Consider 'A Spoonful of Sugar', 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious', the Oscar-winning 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' and 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' stuck firmly in your head until January blows in, too. Check out the musical's trailer below: Mary Poppins will play Her Majesty's Theatre from Sunday, January 29–Sunday, April 2, 2023. To sign up for the ticket waitlist, head to the musical's website — with presales from 10am on Monday, September 12 and general sales from 9am on Monday, September 19. Images: Daniel Boud.
The beer festival scene will look a little different in 2026, as one of the country's premier events, GABS, or the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular, is being paused for the year. But don't fear, the announcement comes with the assurance that it will return in 2027 with a reimagined format that does the event's legacy justice. The news was revealed by Dr Jerry Schwartz, owner of Sydney Brewery, whose Schwartz Family Company (SFC) recently followed up on a 2023 investment in GABS with a full takeover. While events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are being restructured over the next 12 months, regional events in Canberra and the Hunter Valley are moving ahead unchanged. "The craft beer landscape has never been more challenging, but we are confident that with fresh new ideas and the support and expertise of our extensive craft beer and hospitality network, GABS will remain the benchmark for craft beer promotion in Australia," said Dr Schwartz in a statement. Founded in 2011, GABS has built a stellar reputation for showcasing the best of Australia's boundary-pushing independent brewers. Yet in recent years, some regulars have felt that the festival has lost the atmosphere that once made the event so special, not helped by numerous smaller brewers turning away due to the high cost of attending. "We have plenty of great plans, but we always listen and learn from our partners involved in our festivals. We plan to reassess the venues, timings of festivals, even the number of sessions, and possibly add cider and spirits to the events, so that we can grow the customer base and provide a memorable experience," said Dr Schwartz. As for the ever-popular GABS Hottest 100, the poll is going ahead as usual, with beer-lovers invited to vote for their favourite five breweries until Sunday, January 11, 2026. With Mountain Culture Status Quo completing the three-peak in 2024, becoming just the second brewery to do so, only time will tell if a new champion claims boozy bragging rights. GABS Festival is expected to return to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in 2027. Head to the website for more information.
For the second time in 2024, Hollywood's TV talents have spent a night celebrating the best and brightest shows to hit the small screen, plus the folks that make our television and streaming favourites happen. If you love awards ceremonies, or just the reminder about what to watch that they always offer, this is a busier year than usual — because there's been not just one round of Emmys, but two. Back in January, the Emmys first took place for 2024 after the 2023 event was postponed from its usual September timing during Hollywood's writers' and actors' strikes. So, now that September is here for 2024, there's another Emmys — the ones that were always due to happen at this part of the calendar. Already worked your way through the winning shows from earlier in the year? Get ready for your next batch. Here's nine shows that've just received shiny trophies that you should watch, be it for the first or the fifth time. (We've also run through the full list of nominees and winners, too.) The Bear The more time that anyone spends in the kitchen, the easier that whipping up their chosen dish gets. The Bear season two is that concept in TV form, even if the team at The Original Beef of Chicagoland don't always live it as they leap from running a beloved neighbourhood sandwich joint to opening a fine-diner, and fast. The hospitality crew that was first introduced in the best new show of 2022 isn't lacking in culinary skills or passion. But when bedlam surrounds you constantly, as bubbled and boiled through The Bear's Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated season-one frames, not everything always goes to plan. That was only accurate on-screen for Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Fingernails) and his colleagues — aka sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), baker-turned-pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Hap and Leonard), veteran line cooks Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Fargo), resident Mr Fixit Neil Fak (IRL chef Matty Matheson), and family pal Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings). For viewers, the series' debut run was as perfect a piece of television as anyone can hope for. Excellent news: season two is better. The Bear serves up another sublime course of comedy, drama and "yes chef!"-exclaiming antics across its sizzling second season. Actually make that ten more courses, one per episode, with each new instalment its own more-ish meal. A menu, a loan, desperately needed additional help, oh-so-much restaurant mayhem: that's how this second visit begins, as Carmy and Sydney endeavour to make their dreams for their own patch of Chicago's food scene come true. So far, so familiar, but The Bear isn't just plating up the same dishes this time around. At every moment, this new feast feels richer, deeper and more seasoned, including when it's as intense as ever, when it's filling the screen with tastebud-tempting food shots that relish culinary artistry, and also when it gets meditative. Episodes that send Marcus to a Noma-esque venue in Copenhagen under the tutelage of Luca (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), get Richie spending a week learning the upscale ropes at one of Chicago's best restaurants and jump back to the past, demonstrating how chaos would've been in Carmy's blood regardless of if he became a chef, are particularly stunning. Emmys Won: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White), Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Comedy Series (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Directing for a Comedy Series (Christopher Storer, The Bear). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review of The Bear season two. Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. It's been two years since the HBO comedy last dropped new episodes, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returns better than ever in season three as it charts Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland , everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Emmys Won: Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Jean Smart) and Writing for a Comedy Series (Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky). Where to watch it: Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review of Hacks season three. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Emmys Won: Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Richard Gadd), Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jessica Gunning) and Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Richard Gadd). Where to watch it: Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Ripley Boasting The Night Of's Steven Zaillian as its sole writer and director — joining a list of credits that includes penning Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, and also winning an Oscar for Schindler's List — the latest exquisite jump into the Ripley realm doesn't splash around black-and-white hues as a mere stylistic preference. In this new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book, the setting is still coastal Italy at its most picturesque, and therefore a place that most would want to revel in visually; Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr Ripley's director a quarter-century back, did so with an intoxicating glow. For Zaillian, however, stripping away the warm rays and beaches and hair, blue seas and skies, and tanned skin as well, ensures that all that glitters is never gold or even just golden in tone as he spends time with Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers). There's never even a glint of a hint of a travelogue aesthetic, with viewers confronted with the starkness of Tom's choices and actions — he is a conman and worse, after all — plus the shadows that he persists in lurking in and the impossibility of ever grasping everything that he desires in full colour. On the page and on the screen both before and now, the overarching story remains the same, though, in this new definitive take on the character. It's the early 60s rather than the late 50s in Ripley, but Tom is in New York, running fake debt-collection schemes and clinging to the edges of high-society circles, when he's made a proposal that he was never going to refuse. Herbert Greenleaf (filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, who has also acted in his own three features You Can Count on Me, Margaret and Manchester by the Sea) enlists him to sail to Europe to reunite with a friend, the shipping magnate's son Dickie (Johnny Flynn, One Life). As a paid gig, Tom is to convince the business heir to finally return home. But Dickie has no intention of giving up his Mediterranean leisure as he lackadaisically pursues painting — and more passionately spends his time with girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning, The Perfect Couple) — to join the family business. Emmys Won: Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Steven Zaillian). Where to watch it: Ripley streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Fargo This is a true story: in 2014, Hollywood decided to take on a task that was destined to either go as smoothly as sliding on ice or prove as misguided as having a woodchipper sitting around. Revisiting Fargo was a bold move even in pop culture's remake-, reboot- and reimagining-worshipping times, because why say "you betcha" to trying to make crime-comedy perfection twice? The Coen brothers' 1996 film isn't just any movie. It's a two-time Oscar-winner, BAFTA and Cannes' Best Director pick of its year, and one of the most beloved and original examples of its genre in the last three decades. But in-between credits on Bones, The Unusuals and My Generation, then creating the comic book-inspired Legion, writer, director and producer Noah Hawley started a project he's now synonymous with, and that's still going strong five seasons in. What keeps springing is always a twisty tale set in America's midwest, as filled with everyday folks in knotty binds, complicated family ties, crooks both bumbling and determined trying to cash in, and intrepid cops investigating leads that others wouldn't. Hawley's stroke of genius: driving back into Fargo terrain by making an anthology series built upon similar pieces, but always finding new tales about greed, power, murder and snowy landscapes to tell. Hawley's Fargo adores the Coenverse overall, enthusiastically scouring it for riches like it's the TV-making embodiment of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter's namesake. That film hailed from Damsel's David Zellner instead, and took cues from the urban legend surrounding the purported Fargo ties to the IRL death of Japanese office worker Takako Konishi; however, wanting the contents of the Coen brothers' brains to become your reality is clearly a common thread. Of course, for most of the fictional figures who've walked through the small-screen Fargo's frames, they'd like anything but caper chaos. Scandia, Minnesota housewife Dot Lyon (Juno Temple, Ted Lasso) is one of them in season five. North Dakota sheriff, preacher and rancher Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm, Good Omens) isn't as averse to a commotion if he's the one causing it. Minnesota deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani, Never Have I Ever) and North Dakota state trooper Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris, Woke) just want to get to the bottom of the series' new stint of sometimes-madcap and sometimes-violent mayhem. Emmys Won: Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Lamorne Morris). Where to watch it: Fargo streams via SBS On Demand. Read our full review of Fargo season five. Shōgun Casting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as its three leads is one of Shōgun's masterstrokes. The new ten-part adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel — following a first version in 1980 that featured Japanese icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune — makes plenty of other excellent moves, but this is still pivotal. Disney+'s richly detailed samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, making having three complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is among the political candidates vying to take control of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman who is also tasked with translating. Each character's tale encompasses much more than those descriptions, of course, and the portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. As Game of Thrones and Succession both were, famously so, Shōgun is another drama that's all about fighting for supremacy. Like just the former, too, it's another sweeping epic series as well. Although it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll seize power and stepping into sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. The scale is grand, and yet it doesn't skimp on intimacy, either. The minutiae is meticulous, demanding that attention is paid to everything at all times. Gore is no stranger from the get-go. Opening in the 17th century, the series finds Japan in crisis mode, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first Englishmen that've made it to the nation — much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants from Portugal. Getting drawn in, including by the performances, is instantaneous. Shōgun proves powerful and engrossing immediately, and lavish and precisely made as well, with creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) doing a spectacular job of bringing it to streaming queues. Emmys Won: Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Hiroyuki Sanada), Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Anna Sawai) and Directing for a Drama Series (Frederick EO Toye). Where to watch it: Shōgun streams via Disney+. Read our full review. True Detective: Night Country Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, True Detective has returned as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. This is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. In handing over the reins, Pizzolatto's police procedural never-standard police procedural is a powerhouse again, and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date the investigation in the new season, a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. Emmys Won: Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jodie Foster). Where to watch it: True Detective: Night Country streams via Binge. Read our full review. Slow Horses In gleaming news for streaming viewers, Mick Herron's Slough House novel series boasts 12 entries so far. In an also ace development, several more of the British author's books have links to the world of veteran espionage agent Jackson Lamb. That thankfully means that Slow Horses, the small-screen spy thriller based on Herron's work, has plenty more stories to draw upon in its future. It's now up to its third season as a TV series, and long may its forward path continue. Apple TV+ has clearly felt the same way since the program debuted in April 2022. In June the same year, the platform renewed Slow Horses for a third and fourth season before its second had even aired. That next chapter arrived that December and didn't disappoint. Neither does the latest batch of six episodes, this time taking its cues from Herron's Real Tigers — after season one used the novel Slow Horses as its basis, and season two did the same with Dead Lions — in charting the ins and outs of MI5's least-favourite department. Slough House is where the service rejects who can't be fired but aren't trusted to be proper operatives are sent, with Lamb (Gary Oldman, Oppenheimer) its happily cantankerous, slovenly, seedy and shambolic head honcho. Each season, Lamb and his team of losers, misfits and boozers — Mick Jagger's slinky ear worm of a theme tune's words — find themselves immersed in another messy case that everyone above them wishes they weren't. That said, Slow Horses isn't a formulaic procedural. Sharply written, directed and acted, and also immensely wryly funny, it's instead one of the best spy series to grace television, including in a new go-around that starts with two intelligence officers (Babylon's Katherine Waterston and Gangs of London's Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) in Istanbul. When the fallout from this season's opening events touches Lamb and his spooks, they're soon thrust into a game of cat-and-mouse that revolves around secret documents and sees one of their own, the forever-loyal Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves, Creation Stories), get abducted. The talented River Cartwright (Jack Lowden, The Gold) again endeavours to show why being banished to Slough House for a training mistake was MI5's error, while his boss' boss Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas, Rebecca) reliably has her own agenda. Emmys Won: Writing for a Drama Series (Will Smith, Slow Horses). Where to watch it: Slow Horses streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Crown It's the season that originally wasn't going to happen, telling the story that's still ongoing IRL, and wrapping up a seven-year run for a star-studded regal drama that's proven a royal hit. But, thankfully, it did — with The Crown coming to an end with a sixth go-around split into two parts. The focus for the Peter Morgan (The Queen)-created show's final episodes: the relationship between Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki, MaXXXine) and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla, Moon Knight), including the tragic events of their trip to Paris; the changing attitudes towards the British monarchy, and Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton, Downton Abbey: A New Era) entering her ninth decade; what his mother's advancing years meant for Prince Charles (Dominic West, The Pursuit of Love); Princess Margaret's (Lesley Manville, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris) stroke and lifestyle changes; and Prince William (Ed McVey) going back to Eton, then attending St Andrew's University and forming a crush on Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy). When The Crown began, it kicked off with Queen Elizabeth II's life from her marriage to Prince Philip back in 1947. The first season made its way to the mid-50s, the second season leapt into the 60s, and season three spanned all the way up to the late 70s. In season four, the royal family hit the 80s, while season five hopped to the 90s. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons changed a few times, including Netflix announcing that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season, only to have a change of heart and proceed for a sixth season after all. While there was always going to come a time to say goodbye, especially given that this is a IRL tale without an end, it's hard to see how the show would've fit in everything it needed if it hadn't delivered its sixth batch of episodes — and, among everything else viewers can be glad for Debicki's excellent performance. Emmys Won: Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Drama Series (Elizabeth Debicki). Where to watch it: The Crown streams via Netflix.
Melbourne-based winemaker Werkstatt needs the community's help after an unfortunate forklift accident by a third party saw the small-batch, cult-followed brand lose 2000 litres of premium pinot noir in just a few seconds. With Werkstatt's future now in doubt, a GoFundMe has been established to help cover 50 percent of its direct losses. Founded in 2022, Werkstatt was launched by sole operator winemaker Bridget Mac. While only a few years old, the business has become a favourite in local restaurants and bars that put extra consideration into their wine lists. Mac purchases grapes from organic vineyards, handling them with immense care to produce delicate wines that have won a host of industry awards. In 2024, Bridget received the Young Gun of Wine: Best New Act award, while her 2024 Mount Gambier riesling was featured in journalist Max Allen's top 20 drinks of the year. Most recently, Werkstatt's inaugural gewürztraminer was recognised in the respected Halliday Wine Companion, appearing on its Top 100 Wines of 2025 list. "I make small batches with intense care, and this wine was by far the most substantial amount I have made to date, and easily the most costly to produce," said Mac in the GoFundMe post. "I was hoping to finally break even, pay myself a wage, and share this special vintage beyond the core fans and restaurants who already love it." View this post on Instagram A post shared by YIAGA (@yiaga.au) As it stands, the GoFundMe has a target goal of $75,000 — an amount that covers approximately half of the $150,000 in lost revenue and potential sales resulting from the accident. With the proceeds covering the loss of product, damage to the property and securing the brand's future, Australia's wine-loving community is getting behind the fundraiser. In the uncertain event that Mac is reimbursed through insurance or a settlement, any remaining balance from the fundraiser will be donated to Full Stop Australia — a leading sexual, domestic and family violence response and recovery service. For more information and to donate, head to the GoFundMe page. Top image: Nadeemy Betros.
Today, Marvel is one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry; however it has taken 80 years for the company to progress from small comics outfit to the pop culture phenomenon behind a 23-movie franchise. To mark the organisation's massive milestone, Melbourne Central is playing host to a huge exhibition — celebrating the outfit that gave the world Spider-Man, Wolverine, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and more, and stepping through its hefty history. On display until Sunday, September 29, the three-month-long Marvel: Journey of Heroes showcase jumps through each of Marvel's eight decades, starting with its origins as Timely Comics. The work of legendary artists such as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko earns a sizeable mention, naturally, as does the fact that Marvel is now a big-screen force to be reckoned with (if this year's Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home didn't already make that obvious). Visitors will also find a range of original artwork on display, including by local artists Patrick Brown, Jon Sommariva, David Yardin, Ben Templesmith and Wayne Nichols — plus eight special pieces by by Radio Velvet creatives, all marking a decade in Marvel's past, and all taking their cues from the company's most iconic comic book covers. The free exhibition is open daily from 10am, on level one of the Melbourne shopping centre, behind the Shot Tower. From Monday–Friday between 11am–5pm and Saturday–Sunday from 10am–5pm, you'll also be able to nab some Marvel goodies at the onsite merchandise store.
