March Into Merivale 2016

Overview

Clear your culinary calendar, Merivale’s epic food and wine festival March into Merivale is back for the eighth year in a row. From February 14, for five glorious weeks, you’ll be treated to pop-up feasts, international DJs, festivals-within-the-festival, dining specials, masterclasses and mystery banquets. Altogether, it’s more deliciousness and fun than we can handle — but we'll try.

The extravaganza kicks off on Wednesday, February 10 with a huge launch party invading every nook and cranny of the Ivy – and spilling over into nearby laneways. Sample nearly all of Merivale’s creations in one spot, with pop-ups from Mr. Wong, The Paddington, Coogee Pavilion, est. and Papi Chulo, alongside Enmore’s soon-to-open Queen Victoria Enmore, The Newport and Fred's. In between grazing, keep your eyes peeled for live acts and roaming performers. An easy 45 bucks buys you eight food and drink tokens, which you can top up to your heart’s content all night long.

When the festival starts proper on Sunday, February 14, each night of the week will be devoted to a different activity. On Fridays, the UK’s fabulous homage to pop, Guilty Pleasures, will take over Palings Kitchen and Bar with DJs, cabaret and Chandon’s Unplanned Band. Tix are $20 a pop. Meanwhile, every Saturday, Pacha will be presenting Absolut Nights, stacked with international DJs, including Trance Nation feat. EXIS (February 20), Thomas Jack (February 27), Yolanda Be Cool and Nicky Night Time (March 5), DJ Fresh (March 11) and Robin Schulz (March 26).

Sundays are all about festivals. If you find yourself strapped for cash on March 6, the Coogee Rooftop will have you covered with live music and a free DJ set from Yahtzel. 20 bucks to spare? Head to the Ivy Pool Club, where L D R U will be manning the decks. Two weeks later, on March 20, it’ll be more of a family affair, when the Coogee Foreshore Festival hits the Coogee Pavilion with live music, roaming performers, games and food from Coogee Pavilion, Papi Chulo, El Loco, sushi e and Mr. Wong. Swap $25 for three food and drink tokens or $45 for six.

Meanwhile, to get you through hump day, Wednesdays will be giving Merivale’s venues permission to ‘show-off’. The stand-out on this part of the program is The Establishment’s epic festival-within-the-festival, happening on March 9. All sixteen rooms of the luxurious hotel will be taken over with cocktails, theatre and tasty, tasty morsels ($75). The Wednesday before will see a return of The Establishment’s popular ‘Wok On’, combining Asian food, cocktails and hip hop beats ($45). Before that, on February 17, Palings will hold an epic ‘burger-off’ – you get to sample the work of six finalists and vote ($45); on February 24, Ash St. Cellar will transform its laneway into an outdoor European-style market, featuring stalls from from Felix, Ash St, Bistrode CBD, Lorraine’s Patisserie, The Paddington, Uccello and Palings ($45); and on March 16, Hemmesphere will be opening more than 20 top-shelf champagnes for you to work your way through ($85).

For a quiet meal with a friend, look to Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays are dedicated to ‘Friends with Benefits’. Take a mate to Ash St. Cellar, Ms. G’s or Papi Chulo, and score a two-course meal, and a drink of your choice, as well as some unexpected happenings, for $45 a head. A bit more cash to splash? Do the same at Felix, Uccello, Bistrode CBD, The Paddington and sushi e for $55 or at est. for $75.

Things get fancier on Thursdays with ‘Chef Signature’. If you’re willing and able to hand over anywhere between $150 and $300, you’ll be amply rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime banquet, be it a sneaker exhibition and curated Asian feast at Ms. G’s on 18 February or a five-course dinner, hosted by seven hatted chefs, in est.’s extraordinary dining room on 10 March.

To get an education, check out Mondays, when ‘Show and Tell’ master classes will happen every week. Wondering why your Instagram posts aren’t going viral? Let social media stars DJ Dumpling, Dan Hong and Patrick Friesen show you how it’s done on 29 February for $45. Want to know why Merivale’s venues all look so damn good? Spend a night with the company’s designers on 7 March. On 15 February and 14 March, dessert chef Lorraine Godsmark will be talking – and eating – chocolate ($75), while on February 2, Villa Maria’s Josh Hammond and Merivale’s Franck Moreau will be cracking open a bunch of limited edition reserves for your sampling pleasure ($45).

If, at any time during the festival, you’re feeling the need for an adventure, book yourself a Mystery Feast. For 75 bucks, score three courses with matching wines, or, for $35, one course with one glass of wine. You could end up at any of Merivale’s restaurants – from Ms. G’s to est. Can’t make up your mind? Grab a $150 Chandon Unplanned Pass, which seals you a Mystery Feast plus your choice of any two events.

Head to the March Into Merivale website for more info and to lock down tickets (they go fast).