In early 2019, Western Sydney will not only score a brand new zoo, it will also add a new community running event to its calendar: RunWest. Its first incarnation will see joggers sharing the route with lions and tigers, as they race through Sydney Zoo, which is due to open early next year. Open to runners of all ages and abilities, RunWest will follow a 12-kilometre course, through several major landmarks. You'll begin at Sydney Motorsport Park, before visiting the zoo, traversing Western Sydney Parklands, heading into Blacktown International Sports Park and winding up at West HQ. If 12 kilometres sounds too far, conquer the more friendly four-kilometre Family Fun Run instead. Either way, there'll be plenty of action to keep you on course. Keep an ear out for live music and an eye out for live performers. Plus, on crossing the finish line, you'll find yourself immersed in the Finish Line Festival, an extravaganza of food trucks, music and rides. If you're a City2Surf regular, this might be a good race to enter in the off-season — although, being March, chances are the weather will be pretty warm. But, like City2Surf, you're encouraged to raise funds for a charity of your choice, so your sweat will be all worth it. If you're ready to commit, sign up right now at super early bird rates, which are $15 per person for the fun run and $30 for the 12-kilometre event. Plus, your ticket includes entry to Sydney Zoo, valid for a year from 1 August, 2019. RunWest will happen on Sunday, March 31, 2019. You can enter here.
UPDATE, FEBRUARY 21: This That has been postponed and will now take place at Wickham Park on Saturday, March 12. Here's something that has been as rare as a good night's sleep this year: the announcement of a music festival to look forward to. Come February 2022, This That will be returning to Newcastle's Wickham Park for its sixth event — so mark Saturday, March 12 in your diary, tell your mates and get ready for a road trip. On the bill is an all-Australian lineup, featuring Client Liaison, Dune Rats, Mallrat, Hayden James, Jack River, San Cisco, The Chats and more. Yes, you'll be listening to electronic, hip hop, pop and rock tunes all day — and, as the event's name suggests, you'll be doing so across two stages. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Thursday, November 12, and more acts will be announced down the line. Naturally, everything will be held in a COVID-19-safe way. Plus, if you're in need of some more good news, This That will actually be hosting two fests in 2021, with its second event currently planned for Sandstone Point in Queensland. Images: Jordan Munns.
Spoilt as we are by a city of surf and sun, it's no secret we Sydneysiders are prone to a bit of a whinge when the weather starts to turn. Now, don't get us wrong: we love binge-watching Netflix in our snuggies as much as the next guy. But we're here to bust all your best excuses to stay home when it pours with our picks of the ten best things to do on a rainy day (or even a crisp, less-than-outdoorsy one) in Sydney. GET SWEATY AT SKY ZONE There is nothing more gleeful than jumping around with reckless abandon like a child. And by opening its trampoline-lined doors until 10pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends, Sky Zone (75 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria) lets you do just that without jumping on a child. Sydney's first indoor trampoline park sits in Alexandria and brings you foam pits into which to fling yourself, basketball hoops to dunk like Shaq and dodgeball games to join, as well as some pretty intense 'skyfit' classes that channel all that bouncy fun into strategic cardio and muscular workouts. Other places to get sweaty this winter: Enjoy an 80s aerobics workout at Retrosweat, shake what your mama gave you at No Lights No Lycra, or get high and mighty at ClimbFit. GET FULL AT THE FOUR IN HAND No amount of rain can bring you down when you've got a craft beer in one hand and some warming comfort food in the other, so make your way into the back streets of Paddington for award-winning pub grub at the Four in Hand (105 Sutherland Street, Paddington). You don't even need to book into the fancy dining room to enjoy the renowned nose-to-tail experience; the bar offers creative (and surprisingly delicious) dishes like pan-fried duck egg with a rich slab of black pudding and crispy bits of pig's ear ($18), or you can keep things simple with a burger and crunchy chips ($19). If you're celebrating, 48 hours' notice and $35 per head will score you a whole roast pork belly plus trimmings for ten people. Other places to get full on a rainy day: Smash a brilliant burger at the Duck Inn, or go for the razzed-up pub grub at Hart's Pub. GET WATCHING AT THE GOLDEN AGE CINEMA AND BAR Watching Marilyn make Manhattans while sipping on our own is our idea of heaven. The Golden Age Cinema and Bar (80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills) has gifted us this fabulous reality by restoring the old screening room of the heritage-listed Paramount Pictures building in Surry Hills and running two screenings a day (tickets $20, Tuesday-Sunday) of old favourites like Some Like It Hot and Casablanca all the way through to critically acclaimed newbies. The teensy art deco cinema is made even cosier by clever cinema snacks such as cinnamon doughnut popcorn and a 'Spielberger' pastrami toastie, which you'll want to wash down with a wintery classic like a Maple Pecan Old Fashioned or a Golden Negroni. Other places to get watching this winter: Catch an arthouse film and a vegetarian feed at Govinda's or enjoy a free cult classic at Smash Cut Cinema. GET SKILLED AT THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT Homeware emporium The Essential Ingredient (731-735 Darling Street, Rozelle) boasts an industrial kitchen in which you can learn to create all sorts of deliciousness this winter. From Mexican street food to Moroccan stews to gluten-, dairy- or sugar-free treats, the chef-run cooking school schedule has something for everyone and covers both the total beginner and the Masterchef in making. The classes are relaxed and communal, with everybody pitching in to create the day's feast and then sitting down to devour the tastiness created together. You'll go home with a recipe pack and, no doubt, a basketful of artisanal goodies from the adjoining store. Other places to get skilled this winter: Get pickled with Cornersmith, step outside your comfort zone at Work-Shop; or get trigger happy with Sydney Photographic Workshops. GET LISTENING AT THE OLD 505 The sexy, brooding jazz den that unfolds at 5 Eliza Street, Newtown only gets cosier as the rain outside gets heavier. This intimate artist-run space has transformed (not to mention physically moved) in recent years from an underground secret into a stalwart of the music scene, now operating not only as a fantastic venue but also a centrepoint for local music and theatre communities. You can snuggle up in one of the comfy couches and catch some serious local or international talent, Pinot and tapas in hand. There's no wonder we're drawn here when the skies start to fill: in the words of Duke Ellington, the rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Other places to get listening this winter: Get noisy among the vinyl at Black Wire Records. GET BUZZED AT THE LOBO PLANTATION What's more warming than rum? Rum that's been delicately spiced, generously buttered and served piping-hot for you to sip in your comfy lounge chair by candlelight, that's what. Yours awaits in the underground Cuban den that is the Lobo Plantation (209 Clarence Street, Sydney), together with an epic collection of the sugarcane liquor ready to be devoured neat or in cocktail form. Add to that some fiery empanadas prepared by the team at Food Society and spontaneous bursts of flame when the delightfully pyromaniacal bartenders torch their cocktail garnishes and you're all set for a seriously snug evening in from the rain. Other places to get buzzed this winter: Sip on 'Gunther's Gluhwein' at Arcadia Liquors, hug a steaming mug of mulled cider at Mr Falcon's or get technical with a titrated hot toddy at the Eau de Vie Apothecary. GET WIRED AT GOWINGS BAR AND GRILL It's no secret that inclement weather operates as an energy-sucking black hole, so perk yourself back up with the double-coffee double-chocolate caffeine-fest that is Gowings' (49 Market Street, Sydney) renowned affogato ($16 or $24 with a shot of Patron). Creamy dark chocolate ice-cream is sprinkled with crispy Valrhona chocolate pearls and organic prunes, all ready to be drenched in a double shot of Allpress ristretto and, at your choosing, a liberal serve of Patron XO Coffee Tequila. You'll be singing in the rain like Gene Kelly by the time you're through with this little number. Other places to get wired this winter: Check out the brew bar at the Paramount Coffee Project, indulge in High Coffee at the Intercontinental or learn to distinguish origins at the Campos Coffee Cupping Room. GET PAMPERED AT CHI SPA Head in from the cold and spoil yourself with a hot stone treatment at CHI at the Sydney Shangri-La (Level 2, 176 Cumberland Street, Sydney). CHI massages and treatments are based on authentic natural healing methods drawn from traditional Asian cultures and feature local botanical ingredients like lemon myrtle and eucalyptus. The signature hot stone massage ($175) involves the placement of heated basalt stones on key points in the body to relieve tension, improve circulation and rebalance the body and mind. The indulgent treatment ends with a light oil massage, a refreshing facial spray and a warming cup of T2 tea. Other places to get pampered this winter: Snuggle into a natural clay and hot oil massage at the Park Hyatt, indulge with a honey exfoliation and yoghurt cocoon at Endota Day Spa or experience a Moroccan hammam-inspired ritual at the Darling Hotel. GET CULTURED AT WHITE RABBIT GALLERY Step inside White Rabbit Gallery (30 Balfour Street, Chippendale) for some warm, dry kulcha. Check out their bold, rotating major exhibitions, alongside the gallery's super eclectic permanent collection — the upper floors are crammed with more colourful art communicating the stories of 21st-century China. Plus, there's a tea room calling you to rest your weary, art-appreciating legs. Other places to get cultured this winter: Experience some of Australia's best theatre talent at Belvoir St Theatre, absorb yourself in grassroots urban arts at the Red Rattler or get some laughs at the Giant Dwarf. GET SMART AT DARLO BAR Every Wednesday from 8pm, keep your head with 'Texas Chainsaw Trivia' at Darlo Bar (306 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst). Hosted by rambunctious Darlinghurst locals Coffin Ed and Jay Katz of FBi Naked City fame, trivia here involves three rounds of eccentric questions, spot quizzes and novelty segments. The winning team at the end of each round scores drinks for the table, with the ultimate champion going home at the end of the night with a hamper of animal-themed DVDs such as The World's Scariest Bears (don't ask us) and a couple of bottles of wine. Good fun to be had by all. Other places to get smart this winter: Win the heads or tails pot at the Four in Hand or snuggle into the Dove and Olive for their Tuesday triv.
Nothing says Aussie summer like an afternoon courtyard bevvy, whether you're at your local for a schooner and a pub feed, or kicking on after a brunch date and making the most of the good weather. What makes a summer arvo session even better is that the days are longer, the nights are warmer, and you can choose from lots of different drinks to keep your palate interested. To give you some inspiration for your next catch-up, we've teamed up with Maker's Mark to pin down the best courtyards in Sydney where you can enjoy an old-fashioned, a whisky sour, or whatever refreshment takes your fancy.
What happens when a croissanterie known for perfecting its signature dish, and also for getting inventive with its pastries, joins forces with a distillery that both knows how to make a stellar dry gin and equally likes experimenting? We're talking about Lune and Four Pillars, of course — and the result is the world's first croissant gin. Is this the new perfect brunch drink? Will this help you enjoy a breakfast of champions? You can be the judge from Wednesday, February 19, 2025, when the croissant gin hits stores — and online. And yes, it's a buttery sip. "Lune croissants are made with nearly double the butter of your average croissant, so we knew that butter had to be a key part of the gin," explains Four Pillars Head Distiller Sarah Prowse, with Lune's own clarified butter a key ingredient. Alongside that caramel slice-smelling dairy product, the croissant gin is made with almonds that've been roasted in the Four Pillars distillery kitchen, juniper and a range of other botanicals, plus wattle seed and nutmeg. The recommended way to knock it back? In G&Ts or in espresso gin-tinis. While this isn't the type of tipple that just anyone could've dreamed up, Lune and Four Pillars joining forces couldn't seem more obvious — not only for their similar meticulous approaches to their chosen wares, but as Melbourne-born success stories that hero local ingredients. The croissant gin sprang from shared visits and tours, then hand delivering butter and testing distillations. If it sounds like a bucket-list collab, Lune Founder Kate Reid agrees. "Infusing our Lune magic into my favourite gin was a dream come true. I can honestly say I've never been thirsty for a croissant before but once you taste this gin, you'll understand what I mean." "It turns out there is a knack to distilling butter, but after a few trial distillations we found our sweet spot and we couldn't be happier with the end result," explains Prowse. "The nuts and spices add a real depth to the gin, the vanilla bean brings a hint of sweetness, and then we've bought in our signature organic oranges to deliver lovely brightness and balance." The croissant gin retails at $80 a bottle — or $100 with a Four Pillars x Lune tote bag exclusively from Four Pillars. If you're among the first to get your hands on it, free croissants are also on offer. On launch day, the Four Pillars Sydney Lab in Surry Hills will be giving away free Lune croissants with first 50 bottles of gin sold, for instance. At Dan Murphy's Malvern East and BWS Hawksburn in Victoria, plus Dan Murphy's Double Bay and BWS Potts Point in New South Wales, as well as Dan Murphy's Newstead in Queensland, there'll be a limited number of Lune vouchers up for grabs on launch day as well. And on Saturday, February 22, the Four Pillars Distillery in Healesville will have free Lune croissant for the first 50 bottles purchased, too. Croissant Gin will be available from the Four Pillars website, Four Pillars Distillery, Four Pillars Lab, and select Dan Murphy's and BWS stores from Wednesday, February 19, 2025 — head to the Four Pillars website for further details.
If you've got a hard-earned thirst for some spiffy beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered, and that's been the case for a couple of years. Already decked out most of your wardrobe with VB gear, but still looking for something to splash around in at the beach? Then you'll be pleased to discover that the famed Carlton & United Breweries beer has just joined forces with Budgy Smuggler on a new range of swimwear. Available via Budgy Smuggler's website, the Victoria Bitter collection includes briefs for men — budgie smugglers, obviously — plus one-piece swimmers for women, with both types available in multiple designs. If you're keen to have the classic beer logo emblazoned across your body, you can choose between green and white backgrounds. You can also opt for a 'sticker bomb' design, which features multiple different VB logos, or pick one with cartoon beers as well. Whether you're a beachgoer or you prefer lazing around a pool, you'll need a towel, too, with four different types available with the same imagery. They'll set you back $55 each, while the mens' bathers cost $65 and womens' togs cost $100. If you're keen on other VB-themed items as well, you can still head to the brand's site to check out its retro-styled collection, which nods firmly to the brew's lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking Aussies. There are crewneck jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies, beanies and caps, all emblazoned with that instantly recognisable logo. Alongside all the clothes, you'll also find VB jigsaw puzzles — plus glasses, water bottles, coolers, speakers, bar mats and even fridges. And, as part of its ever-expanding range of merch, don't forget that VB also has its own scent now, too. The Victoria Bitter Collection is available to purchase from Budgy Smuggler's website. Top image: VB.
There's nothing humdrum about rum. A favourite with pirates, sailors and scoundrels alike, this rich, golden dram works equally well as a neat shot or for a disorderly night of mojitos. Here's our list of the top destinations for rum-sipping in Sydney, so you can get better acquainted with the spirit of the sea. THE LOBO PLANTATION The Lobo Plantation on Clarence Street will transport you to the glamorous, old world estate of Julio Lobo, a wealthy Cuban sugar trader from the 20th century. Splash out on their Millionaire cocktail ($17), which features a powerful blend of Appleton Estate VX, apricot brandy, sloe gin, lime juice and grenadine, served with a rolled up bank note attached to the stem. Otherwise, cosy into one of the leather banquettes with their Lobo Rum Journal, a 100+ page compendium of rum tasting and production notes which leaves you spoilt for choice. Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence Street, Sydney PAPA GEDE'S Named after the Haitian voodoo spirit of love and laughter, Papa Gede is just one of many spirits in this witch-doctor apothecary bar. Specialising in Caribbean rum and fruit concoctions, the signature drink is The Zombie ($16), a bright and spicy mix of Appleton Estate rum, brandy, Cointreau, grapefruit and falernum (a sugar syrup made with almonds, ginger and cloves). It's strong enough to resurrect the dead, Papa Gede's warns. This is definitely a venue to add to your regular haunts. 348 Kent Street, Sydney EAU DE VIE This dimly lit speakeasy is the darling of Darlinghurst, serving some of Sydney's best rum cocktails (with a glass cabinet of awards to prove it). If you're a mighty fan of the mai tai, try their tiki version, Captain Zissou ($21). This inspired blend is made with Appleton VX rum, grapefruit and passionfruit marmalade, dry fino sherry, freeze-dried mint leaves and liquorice root syrup, vigorously shaken over ice. As a final touch, it's flamed to impart a burnt rum aroma over the top. C'est magnifique! 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst GRANDMA'S BAR Isn't it time you paid Grandma's a visit? This cosy den of cosmopolitan kitsch on Clarence Street is one of the last places you might expect to find such a vast battery of rum. Just like Grandma, the mai tai ($21) is an oldie but a goodie. Her version uses Appleton Extra Jamaican rum, Creole schrubb (an orange and rum liqueur), orgeat, lime, pineapple and bitters, set alight. Grandma would never let you leave hungry, so tuck into an old-school spaghetti jaffle ($8) while you're here. Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney THE CUBAN PLACE Directly across from the Queen Victoria Building, The Cuban Place recreates the heydays of 1950s Havana, considered to be the home of the mojito. This classic rum, lime and mint medley is available in three sizes, or you can thumb your way through their extensive rum list, with over 150 entries from around the globe. You can also order a Cuban cigar, something that will surely make the smokers light up. 125 York Street, Sydney THE CLIFF DIVE Decorated with artefacts from the South Seas, this little treasure on Oxford Street features a one-of-a-kind underwater dance floor and tiki bar with a rum focus. To drink, we recommend the Monkey Hat ($25), which combines home-spiced rum, Aperol, passionfruit and lime and is served in a monkey head, just like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst BUTTON BAR Welcome aboard button bar, a pirate-themed watering hole by the crew behind Pocket Bar and Stitch. There's no X marks the spot at this inconspicuous address on Foveaux Street, but once inside, you'll find a gorgeous, wood-panelled ship's hull with 19th-century long rifles and dripping. The go-to cocktail is the Pleasure Vessel ($17) a tasty, tart combination of Appleton dark rum, Grand Marnier, orange marmalade, fresh grapefruit, lemon and orange blossom water. We're sure ye will love it. 65 Foveaux Street, Sydney MOONSHINE CIDER & RUM BAR Located upstairs in the Hotel Steyne, Moonshine is one of the only pirate bars with an outdoor wooden deck and beachside views, which makes it a breath of fresh sea air. Racks of caged rums line the walls, priced from $7.50 for the house to $40 for a top shelf selection. There's also a stage for live bands and DJs, if you feel like hearing a few shanties. 75 The Corso, Manly
You'll find handcrafted Australian made furniture alongside a range of contemporary pieces from international brands at The Wood Room, a bespoke store located in North Narrabeen. The beautifully designed furniture includes dining tables, chairs, coffee tables, sofas and outdoor pieces, as well as lighting, rugs, mirrors, art and other homewares. Owners Kate and Simon, who founded The Wood Room in 2012, say they are inspired by simplicity and minimalism in design and love embracing the natural beauty of timber. All of The Wood Room's furniture is made to order, and each item can be custom designed to specific requirements such as dimensions, materials and finish — making it possible to create the pieces that you've been searching for. Images: Marie Homer
Look, some things are definitely better fresh. Things like like produce, sashimi and hot chips. But other things get better with age, things like you and, surprisingly, beer. There's an idea floating around that beer only belongs in the former category, but in celebration of Cooper's 2017 Vintage Ale release, we're shedding some light on the beers that age gracefully. If you're intimidated by the idea of a cellar, don't be. Modern cellaring doesn't require you to own a sprawling mansion with a decked-out cellar door. All you need is a dark, cool and consistent space to cellar beer and bring out its mature flavours. A basement or garage will do the trick, as long as the temperature stays between ten to 12 degrees celsius and doesn't fluctuate. Also, keep the space between 50 and 70 percent humidity if you can, but if you can't, an air humidifier will help control any mould issues. The other very important item you'll need is self control — don't go downing your cellared beers just because they're there and you can. Good beers come to those who wait. (And so do some pretty tasty food and beer pairings.) Once you've got the set-up, which beers should you choose? Which actually age well? Well, that's where we come in. Follow our lead, and look to these brews for your home beer cellar. In a year or so, you'll be thanking us. STOUT A good rule of thumb is that heavier beers with a higher alcohol content will cellar the best. Aim for beers that are heavy on malt and have an alcohol content of eight percent for good results. Stout is an excellent beginner's brew for cellaring. The word stout is even a synonym for heavy, determined and forceful, making it an ideal candidate to develop some extra depth. The rich, dark (but never heavy) texture of a stout starts off great, but is made even better with time. The roasted malt component, which is what gives the beer its depth, becomes even more complex. The consensus on how long to cellar a stout for is mixed, but the best approach for a DIY beer-ager is through experimentation. Buy the brew of your choice in bulk (like Cooper's Best Extra Stout) and drink a few fresh, making sure to take notes as you go. Age the rest and every six months, repeat the experiment, each time taking notes. Everyone has different tastes, but when you have your perfectly aged stout, pair it with a slow-cooked pork roast or oysters. DARK ALE Dark ale is one of the lesser known dark beers, but its reputation (or lack thereof) is undeserved; this beer warrants a place in your DIY cellar, especially if you're into chocolaty, coffee flavours. Think of dark ale as a dessert beer — heavy, creamy and rich. This strong flavour profile is what makes the beer excellent for cellaring, as it gets stronger, yet subtler, after a few years in the dark. For your home cellar, look for either barrel-aged or bottle-conditioned beer, like Cooper's Dark Ale. The active yeast contained in the bottle means they were designed to cellar well. Also note, thanks to their high alcohol content, dark ales can withstand a slightly higher temperature — between 12 and 14 degrees celsius — compared to their wheaty brethren, making this one a kinder brew for the home cellar novice. VINTAGE ALE From time to time, brewers will develop and release beers that are designed to age. Cooper's Vintage Ale is the perfect example and a must have for any DIY beer cellar — trust us, you'll be glad you added it in couple years. In its infancy, it has a bitter and punchy flavour with pineapple and pear undertones (unusual flavours for such a heavy beer, but somehow it works). During the production process, the introduction of live yeast as a conditioner gives this brew its longevity. So, if you're patient, you'll notice as the beer ages that the bitterness evolves into a sweet, caramel palette. Keep an eye out for these kinds of limited releases at your local as they're often designed — bottle and all — to be cellared, and may even become collector's items in years to come. SPARKLING ALE Now, we have just said that dark and heavy beers age well, so it may surprise you to see sparkling ale on this list. As a lighter brew, it may not be a go-to for most cellars, but sparkling ales do actually age beautifully and (if you do it right) you'll end up with a rich brew a lot faster than the heavier drops. The cellaring process takes the sparking ale's fruity, floral notes and smooths them out. Any acidity, over-the-top sweetness or rough edges age into honeyed undertones. But make sure you check these beers more regularly than their darker counterparts as they'll mature a little faster. Also, make sure to keep the temperature under control; these brews won't react well to any heat. Once you've nailed your desired aged flavours, pair them with bold tastes. Spicy food will match with the bubbles, and charcoal and rotisserie barbecue flavours will sit well with fruity tones. SOUR BEER If you like your beer a little bit tart, then turn your attention to sour beer. These acidic brews famously cellar well, but be warned, they're an unpredictable beer to begin with. Sour beers have always been brewed differently from other beers. Before modern brewing, beer was intentionally soured by introducing wild yeasts into the fermentation process — a method still used today. And although the modern brewing method is a little more controlled — brewers often use a Belgium yeast called brettanomyces to sour, instead of leaving the beer out to the elements — things can still go wrong. On the plus side, if the initial brew goes well, the beer will taste even better a few years down the track, since brettanomyces take months to develop a full flavour profile. Even if you don't traditionally like sour beer, we recommend you hop on down to your local and try an aged sour — you might be pleasantly surprised. (Beer pun intended.) A limited number of the 2017 Coopers Vintage Ale cartons have been released, so get to stocking your cellar with these brews quickly. Otherwise, you can find the vintage available on tap at a few key venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond. Find your closest pub serving the brew here.
Television has delivered many great characters over the decades, but Leslie Knope is the best there is. As played to perfection by Amy Poehler, she's the determined, passionate and persistent local government employee and later politician — not to mention a huge fan of waffles and Joe Biden, too — that we all wish really existed. Where The Office turns a regular paper company's operations into must-see comedy, Parks and Recreation weaves the same magic with the titular department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Creators Mike Schur and Greg Daniels worked on both shows, but P&R evolves into its own overwhelmingly good-natured, heartwarming, hilarious creation. If you wanted to call it literally the best TV comedy of the 21st century, Chris Traeger-style, we'd wholeheartedly agree with you. And yes, with Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe among its cast, it's the show that just keeps giving.
As the name suggests, Lounge Lovers is the place to head when your cosy spaces need a bit of a zhuzh. A company dedicated to providing beautiful homewares at affordable prices, Lounge Lovers has a team of in-house buyers that works directly with the suppliers to ensure it can continue to offer modern and luxurious decor pieces at a competitive price. Initially starting out as an online store, founder, Derek Kerr, quickly realised the demand to sit on and feel furniture before purchasing is a huge priority for people like us who aren't willing to risk being stuck an uncomfortable couch.
They call it Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, oh Tina — The Tina Turner Musical — and, while it finally arrived in Australia in May, it now has more dates around the nation. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades will tour Down Under, following up its current first local stint in Sydney with seasons in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Crown Theatre, Festival Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Princess Theatre enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical has made its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself before her passing in May this year. Announcing the show's stint on our shores back in 2022, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. The singer didn't mention her appearance in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but she is indeed part of the beloved Mad Max franchise, too. In Australia, The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge! The Musical star Ruva Ngwenya plays Tina, with In the Heights, Fame: The Musical and fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alumni Tim Omaji as Ike Turner. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike and her huge solo success. If you're a fan, Turner herself summed it up — yes, it's simply the best. "I first heard about the possibility of a stage musical portraying Tina's life eight years ago and I immediately reached out to Tali Pelman at Stage Entertainment. At that point there was no script and no book; however, I was hooked on the idea of it," said TEG DAINTY CEO Paul Dainty about Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. "We have been on that journey ever since, and here we are today announcing the Australian tour! Australians love this theatrical masterpiece which tells the story of Tina's life, of empowerment and success, and is ultimately the best music industry comeback story of all time." TINA — THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN DATES: Now until Sunday, December 31, 2023 — Theatre Royal, Sydney From Tuesday, February 27, 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Wednesday, April 24, 2024 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide From Sunday, July 2, 2024 — Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane From Tuesday, September 24, 2024 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne Tina — The Tina Turner Musical is currently playing in Sydney, and will tour the rest of Australia in 2024. For more information and tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
Not content with creating four of Sydney's favourite venues in Bar Planet, Cantina OK!, Tio's and The Cliff Dive — plus the beloved OK! sparkling margarita seltzer — Mucho hospitality group has just served up another absolute home run with its new hidden underground cocktail lair Centro 86. Described as an "old, fancy Mexican cantina on shrooms", the fresh Sydney CBD opening takes the magic of Bar Planet, as well as Cantina OK!'s love of margaritas, and applies it to an expansive 110-seat space. But before you settle in for a few fanciful cocktails, you've got to find the bar first. Wander down Pitt Street until you find the Centro 86 sign. At this point, you'll have to take a right-hand turn and venture around to the unassuming Hoskings Place, where you'll find a fire escape and luminous Centro 86 sign, which will lead you down two flights of stairs to the moody subterranean watering hole. Mucho has kept things local, working with a collection of Sydney and Australian artists to transform the space. David Humphries, the mind behind Bar Planet's psychedelic countertops, is back to inject big splashes of colour into the bar — while the team has enlisted local stained-glass artists, ceramicists, furniture makers and visual artists to bring the venue to life. Margaritas are the name of the game at Centro 86, with five varieties on the menu, including the sensational and ultra-unique parsley-topped Verde — a must-try. Adding to that something special is a set of three old-school ice shavers, bringing a dose of theatrics and a melt-in-your-mouth touch to the drinks. The inventive cocktails don't stop with the margs, with sherry-forward mixes and a fresh take on Bar Planet's Scorpino gracing the menu, alongside a refined wine and beer list featuring a few minimal-intervention drops and Wildflower Brewing's beloved table beer. There's also an expansive tequila collection featuring spirits available from $13–180. You'll find varieties that the Mucho team has aged themselves, ultra-rare options, plus Australia's first agave spirit that's distilled up in Bowen, Queensland. And it wouldn't be a Mucho venue without a bag of popcorn on your table — this time with a new secret spice mix that's promised to rival the fan-favourites of the group's other venues. Located just metres from The Caterpillar Club and Ragazzi, this opening marks another impressive addition to the ever-improving Sydney CBD as it bounces back from the lockout laws. A few city-best margs and a bag of popcorn before heading off to enjoy a bowl of artichoke ravioli at one of our favourite restaurants in Sydney — sounds like a match made in heaven. Centro 86 is located at Basement 86/88 Pitt St, Sydney — find the entrance on Hoskings Place. It's open 4pm–12am on Tuesday and Sunday, and 4pm–2am on Wednesday–Saturday. Stay up to date with the bar at the venue's Instagram. Images: Dexter Kim.
With Winter's Bone, Debra Granik directed one of the undoubted film highlights of 2010. More than that, she directed the haunting drama to four Oscar nominations, earned herself a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, and helped put Jennifer Lawrence on the path to superstardom. And yet, it still took eight years for the masterly filmmaker to helm her next fictional feature — eight years where her empathetic perspective could've been brightening up cinemas. Blame the difficulties faced by female directors, projects falling by the wayside or the vagaries of fate; whichever you choose, the big screen has sorely missed her work. It's not just that Granik makes movies about American life on the margins, as her 2014 documentary Stray Dog also illustrates. What sets her films apart is her probing yet compassionate approach, not only spinning stories about struggling folks striving to get by, but ensuring that her pictures feel humane and authentic above all else. They're traits that are much more rare in today's blockbuster-heavy cinema realm than they really should be, and they help Granik's gentle, thoughtful work soar. While that was evident in Winter's Bone, it's even more apparent in Leave No Trace, an equally tender and devastating father-and-daughter effort that's handled with supreme sensitivity, shot with unwavering kindness and, as a result, proves one of the best movies of this year. Adapted by Granik and her Winter's Bone co-scribe Anne Rosellini from Peter Rock's novel My Abandonment, Leave No Trace takes its title from what might as well be military veteran Will (Ben Foster) and teenager Tom's (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) unspoken motto. Living well off the grid in an Oregon forest, their entire existence relies upon not being spotted. And, as long as they're able to enjoy their lives in the manner that they prefer, they're happy hiding out and keeping things simple. The local authorities soon have other plans, busting up their modest camp, arresting Will and forcing the pair to re-integrate into society. To her own surprise, Tom warms to more traditional confines, but her PTSD-afflicted dad can only stomach mod cons and social worker check-ups for so long. Where Winter's Bone coiled a coming-of-age tale around a bleak mystery, Leave No Trace steeps its story in lighter but no less meaningful waters. Both feature young women learning to survive in fraught circumstances; however, even given the films' thematic similarities, Granik's latest is its own textured, complicated and delicate creation. At the movie's core sits a familiar battle that's fleshed out in an intimate and heartbreaking fashion — the choice between following in the footsteps of someone you adore, or following your own wisdom even if it'll completely change your life forever. This is a film about breaking free and forging a new path on many levels (from trauma, from the prevailing concept of normality, from the structures enforced by a broken country and from the parent-child bond), and they're all expertly and intelligently intertwined. As also seems to be Granik's remit across her small oeuvre to date, Leave No Trace overflows with everyday detail. Thanks to the director's patient gaze, no moment of Will and Tom's lives is too small or insignificant. That's never more evident than when the movie hones its focus on revelatory New Zealander McKenzie, who demonstrates not only Granik's keen eye for observation, but for talent. Acting against the similarly exceptional Foster (who's in career-best form), the young star's seemingly effortless naturalism radiates from the screen, with a cocktail of potent emotions always emanating from her pores. Indeed, while Leave No Trace is visually sumptuous with its lush wilderness-set visuals, it's downright sublime when it's simply watching its two leads quietly encapsulate the effects of America's increasingly fractured society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkX1qAyMrY
Update Tuesday, June 7: Due to COVID-related concerns, this event has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. Long weekends are a real treat — an entire extra day to spoil yourself with relaxing activities, good food and even better company. Here to make your long weekend even better, I Should Be Souvlaki is celebrating its first birthday by giving away free signature wraps at their Newtown location to the first 50 food-loving customers across Queen's Birthday long weekend. I Should Be Souvlaki prides itself on an entirely plant-based menu that adheres to traditional Greek flavours. Think dairy-free tzatziki, warm pita, fresh salads and a Mediterranean herb mixture developed by co-owner Adam Papastathopoulos's yiayia (grandmother). "We're incredibly excited to be celebrating our first birthday here at I Should Be Souvlaki, Newtown. Opening a new venue just days before Sydney went into widespread COVID lockdowns last year was not part of our initial plan, but we've received overwhelming community support over the last twelve months, and this is an important shared milestone for our customers and our team alike," co-owner Emma Langley said. Available from midday on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, the first 50 customers each day will be able to choose from marinated cauliflower, soy-based lamb, mushroom-based lamb or chick'n in their pita. If you miss out on the free goodies, you'll get a chance to spin a wheel for freebies like vegan cheesecake, upgraded meals and gift vouchers. "When people first try our menu, they can't believe that plant-based food can be so mouth-wateringly delicious yet still taste authentically Greek. We do not cut corners on flavour," co-owner Adam Papastathopoulos says.
No one makes neon-lit, red-hued, emotion-dripping tales of yearning and loneliness like Wong Kar-Wai, as everyone who has seen 2000's In the Mood for Love knows. It isn't the Chungking Express, Happy Together, 2046, Ashes of Time: Redux and The Grandmaster filmmaker's only masterpiece, but the 1960s Hong Kong-set romantic drama is utterly unforgettable as it unfolds its love story against a backdrop of festering societal tension. Viewers have fallen for the film for almost a quarter of a century now. Sydney Opera House clearly feels the same way. Back in 2020, it hosted and livestreamed dreamy song cycle In the Mood — A Love Letter to Wong Kar-Wai & Hong Kong, which delivered exactly what its title promised. At 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, March 22, 2025, the venue will also welcome in the Australian premiere of In the Mood for Love in Concert. As everything from Batman, Back to the Future, Home Alone and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King, The Princess Bride, Black Panther and Star Wars films has in the past — and plenty more — the iconic movie will return to the big screen while an orchestra brings its score to life. In this case, the film will flicker across Sydney Opera House's HD silver screen as conductor Guy Rundle leads a 39-piece group of musicians playing live. The BAFTA-nominated and César-winning film — which also picked up two awards at Cannes, including Best Actor — stars the great Tony Leung (Hidden Blade) and Maggie Chen (Better Life) as Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen. In a complicated time and place, the two neighbours are drawn together when they begin to suspect that their partners are not only being unfaithful, but that they're having an affair with each other. While In the Mood for Love is rightly acclaimed for its affecting performances and evocative direction, as well as its gorgeously lush cinematography, its score is just as exceptional. Indeed, the filmmaker has called it "a poem itself". This is a stellar opportunity to find out why — and to discover why this movie, and Wong Kar-Wai, keep proving so influential.
Come on Barbie, let's go party. Let's go to the real world, too. In the second sneak peek at Greta Gerwig's Barbie, the eponymous doll (Margot Robbie, Babylon) and her also-plastic beau Ken (Ryan Gosling, The Gray Man) are living life in Barbie Land, which is meant to be perfect. If you like pink and pastel hues aplenty, which the film splashes through its frames heavily and happily, it'd clearly be a dream. But that supposed bliss brings an existential crisis for the movie's main figure, plus ample everyday angst for its central Ken. Marking Gerwig's third solo stint behind the camera after Lady Bird and Little Women, scripted by the actor-turned-director with fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach — her helmer on Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise, and real-life partner — and boasting a cast that's a gleaming toy chest of talent, Barbie might be the most anticipated toy-to-film release ever. There's that pedigree, of course. There's also the picture's patently playful vibe, which first shone through in an initial teaser trailer that parodied the one and only 2001: A Space Odyssey, and beams just as brightly in its just-dropped next look. Here, there are Barbies everywhere, with Rae (Insecure) as president Barbie, Dua Lipa (making her movie debut) as a mermaid Barbie, Emma Mackey (Emily) as a Nobel Prize-winning physicist Barbie, Alexandra Schipp (tick, tick... BOOM!) as an author Barbie and Ana Cruz Kayne (Jerry and Marge Go Large) as a supreme court justice Barbie — and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as diplomat Barbie, Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) as a Barbie who is always doing the splits, Hari Nef (Meet Cute) as doctor Barbie, Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as a Pulitzer-winning Barbie and Sharon Rooney (Jerk) as lawyer Barbie. There's also a whole heap of Kens, including Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Ncuti Gatwa (the incoming Doctor Who) and Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie). And, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) plays Alan, Emerald Fennell (The Crown) plays Midge, Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) is the narrator, America Ferrera (Superstore) and Ariana Greenblatt (65) are humans, Jamie Demetriou (Catherine Called Birdy) is a suit, Will Ferrell (Spirited) wears a suit as Mattel's CEO and Connor Swindells (also Sex Education) is an intern. Barbie brings all those characters to the screen across its dream house-filled Barbieland and its version of the real world, as its main doll seems to realise that life in plastic mightn't be so fantastic after all. The new trailer provides more of a storyline than the first did, while also teasing the film's sense of humour — largely around Gosling's Ken, whether he's insisting that him and Robbie's Barbie are boyfriend and girlfriend, fighting with Liu's Ken about "beaching" each other off or sneaking into the Barbie convertible with his rollerblades ("I literally go nowhere without them") when Barbie is driving off to reality. What happens from there, and whether this'll be the best figurine-to-film adaptation yet in a mixed field that also includes the Transformers series, Trolls, The Lego Movie and its sequel, Battleship and the GI Joe films, will all be pulled out of the toy box in cinemas on July 20 Down Under. And no, there's still no signs of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' on the trailer's soundtrack; however, you'll likely get it stuck in your head anyway just thinking about this movie. Check out the latest trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023.
Sydney's egalitarian, not-for-profit organisation Kaldor Public Art Projects is currently celebrating 50 years of bringing groundbreaking, immersive artworks to the Aussie public. To mark this half century of shaping Australia's art space, Kaldor is hosting a free retrospective — Making Art Public — at the Art Gallery of NSW. Each of Kaldor's 34 previous projects has been reimagined and created by noted British artist Michael Landy. One showstopper is Allora & Calzadilla's Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on 'Ode to Joy' for a Prepared Piano, which is making its Sydney debut this month. If you're a fan of both art and piano concerto, you can catch this artwork every day until Wednesday, October 30. You'll see the pianists attempt Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' on an adjusted piano that can be played from within, and walked across the gallery floor, in AGNSW's Entrance Court. Part music, part performance and part sculpture, Stop, Repair, Prepare was first performed in Melbourne back in 2012 as part of Kaldor Public Art Project #26, with the aim to create an experience through dance and music where the audience plays just as important a part as the choreographed performers. Allora & Calzadilla's Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on 'Ode to Joy' for a Prepared Piano runs from Thursday, October 17 through to Wednesday, October 30. It will be performed every hour on the hour from 11am–4pm every day, with extended hours until 7pm on Wednesdays, October 23 and 30. On Wednesday evenings you can also hear the pianists speak about the work in an intimate Q&A from 6.30pm.
It seems entirely appropriate that within five minutes of my meeting Lally Katz, she is drenched. When I call her, it is pouring outside and she mentions she is walking to rehearsals. "It's okay, I've got a small umbre–" She is interrupted by what sounds like a burst of static, but is, in fact, a large amount of water being displaced. "Oh shit. Sorry. Yep. Yeah, that was actually a car just driving through a massive puddle. Now I am, I'm pretty wet." She jokes briefly about how this is a special sort of road rage that drivers get to practice on rainy days and continues on, her spirits, at least, seemingly undampened. I say appropriate because I'm calling to talk to her about Atlantis, her latest work, which had its world premiere at Belvoir just this week. The play loosely revolves around Katz's return to her childhood home in Miami and her efforts to consolidate precious memories before rising seas claim the city forever. That at least one of us is sopping wet while we discuss this seems like providence rather than bad luck. Lally's work has been a staple at Belvoir since 2011 when her play Neighbourhood Watch stormed that year's season. Loosely based on the friendship she shared with her elderly Hungarian neighbour, it took awards by the boatload and gave Belvoir-goers a taste for Katz's witty and surreal style. Since then, she has wrestled with bears and curses in her one-woman show Stories I Have to Tell You in Person, detailed the awkwardness of maintaining joint custody of a cat with one's ex in The Cat and gotten to the bottom of her father's karate obsession in Back at the Dojo. With Atlantis, she flirts yet again with autobiography. As usual, though, fantastical elements flit in and out of the memories, stretching the bounds of possibility to the infinite. Although an accomplished chronicler of her own narrative, Katz's also seems to have an unerring, Louis Theroux-like ability to find garrulous oddballs busting to share an outlandish story. The idea for Atlantis came from a conversation she had with a cabbie in Mississippi. The cabbie told her that the mythical sunken city of Atlantis would come again and that we would all be called back there when it did. With this in mind, the cabbie was saving all of her money so she could move her family to Miami, where she hoped they would have a better chance of being taken first. "I thought 'Oh my God, she wants to drown her whole family'", says Katz. "And I don't think it's that uncommon a belief there. I think there's a network of Atlantis believers for sure." With thoughts of sunken utopias ricocheting through her brain, Katz stumbled across an article suggesting that Miami, the city she'd spent a fair chunk of her childhood in, could be completely underwater by 2030. Before that, she had always resisted the urge to return to the city, wanting to safeguard her memories from the cynicism of adulthood. But the ticking clock made her think otherwise and she's since been back several times. Katz was nine when her parents decided to emigrate from a small cul-de-sac in Miami to the suburbs of Canberra ("not as different as you might think", she points out). And while she was too young to immerse herself in Miami's vibrant culture, she has vivid memories of the wildness of the city's cocaine heydays. She speaks of growing up in a neighbourhood where everyone knew who the drug dealers were — "But they were nice, they were fine" — and of devastatingly glamorous women hitting each other with giant stiletto shoes. Katz is a naturally effusive conversationalist, but her tone changes as she remembers. She is full of nostalgia and wonder. "You know when you go to a place as a kid and it's so magical, and then you go there as an adult and it's like 'well…' (she gives the verbal equivalent of a shrug). But when I went back to my old neighbourhood, I was so struck. It was like a tropical Smurf village and it did feel magical to me. That was a big surprise because I thought I was going to go back there and be disappointed." The play grew out of these memories, from discussions she had with the city's residents, the Atlantis myth and from the looming possibility of Miami joining that fabled city at the bottom of the ocean. I ask whether knowing that she'll put such personal material on stage later makes it harder to enjoy these moments as they take place in reality. "I used to think there's something wrong with me, that I'm not living properly. Then in my mid-30s I came to pieces and thought this is just the way I live. It doesn't mean I'm not living, this is just how I am in the work." [caption id="attachment_643831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lally Katz.[/caption] By this stage, Lally is indoors and out of the rain. Although as she heads into rehearsals, she points out that a series of hurricanes is staged throughout Atlantis. A car splashing up some water now seems rather small by comparison. Images: Brett Boardman. Atlantis runs in Belvoir's Upstairs Theatre until 26 November. Book your tickets here.
Write a list of all the gifts you need to buy and take it to this shop. Step inside this Paddington treasure trove of knick-knacks and odd items and you're guaranteed to find something irreverent, joyful or unusual for your loved ones. Novelty gifts? Tick. Bath and body set? Yep. Opus has it all. And when you don't know where to start, there's a handy online gift guide to sort your well-groomed dad and your tech-savvy mum. It's a primo place to go when you have absolutely no idea what to get — maybe it's a book on how to be a boss bitch, new candles for the friend with new digs, or drinking games for that Kris Kringle. Make it your first stop and give yourself a giggle at the humorous cards section. [caption id="attachment_798513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Images: Cassandra Hannagan
As you might know, The Lansdowne and its sky-high outdoor area have a storied history. The rooftop spanned a few different iterations while the Mary's team was at the helm. Now, under the guidance of the crew behind the Oxford Art Factory, The Lansdowne has brought back sun-soaked sips two days a week — as of March 2023. Head upstairs on a Friday or Saturday and you'll find a bright-blue oasis high above City Road that's perfect for a weekend catch-up with mates. The open-air bar was given a quick-fire revamp during the summer and now boasts retro beach umbrellas to shade you from the sun's rays, as well as the full suite of food and drinks from the pub downstairs. Sweetening the deal is a new deli menu that The Lansdowne has introduced in conjunction with its new Head Chef Eugene Novikov. The accomplished hospitality veteran takes the reins of the beloved pub's kitchen after previously working at three-hatted Queenstown restaurant Amisfield and Hamilton Island's Qualia. [caption id="attachment_903435" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dougal Gorman[/caption] Sandwiches are the heroes of this new culinary offering, with options including a wagyu meatball sambo, a chicken schnitzel sanga, a classic reuben and a cajun-spiced prawn po boy. Accompanying the sandwich selection, you'll find a Chicago-style hot dog, beef and vegan burgers, chicken wings, wedges and waffle fries. "The Lansdowne was an exciting opportunity to demonstrate how food, music and culture can all come together as the city comes back to life with activity," says Novikov. Rounding out the fresh additions to the venue is the return of its weekly music series, Graveyard Shift. The late-night sessions run free gigs in the downstairs bar every Friday from 10.30pm, serving as the ultimate kick-on spot for Sydneysiders looking to start their weekend right. Top images: Alana Dimou Appears in: The Best Pubs in Sydney
We could all use a bit of a mood boost and if there's one surefire way to up those dopamine levels, it's a weekend spent lazing by the harbour, soaking up a taste of that luxe waterfront lifestyle. A holiday from reality, featuring sunshine, water vistas and maybe even a private pool. Well, dotted all around Sydney, you'll find chic harbourside retreats and beachfront villas you can call your own for a couple of nights, offering exclusive addresses and hard-to-match views. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up Sydney's most exclusive harbourside stays you can book right now. Choose a favourite, pack those bags and get ready to live your best-ever holiday life. Stylish Apartment, Pyrmont Taste the high life with a stay at this next-level apartment, kitted out with luxury features and boasting sweeping harbour views. From $1410 a night, sleeps six. Cloudbreak, Mosman This sprawling hillside home makes for one luxurious group getaway, complete with smart styling, an infinity pool and absolute water frontage. From $385 a night, sleeps two. The Boathouse, Kurraba Point Set right on the shoreline of Kurraba Point, this roomy retreat features both a sunny waterfront lawn and a boat shed-turned-entertaining space. From $1833 a night, sleeps six. Harbour Hideaway, Clontarf A bright, breezy coastal escape for two, set right on the shores of Clontarf. Enjoy barbecues on the spacious balcony, overlooking the beach. From $499 a night, sleeps two. Camp Cove Tropical Retreat, Watsons Bay Your own tropical oasis, set just metres from Camp Cove Beach, featuring modern styling, a pool and leafy private garden. From $300 a night, sleeps three. Postcard View, Kirribilli A spectacular apartment on the water edge with direct view of the iconic Opera house and Sydney Harbour Bridge. With ideal views and luxe furnishings, this is the perfect stay for immersing yourself in the Harbour city. From $491 a night, sleeps four. Manly Beach Views, Manly Centrally located with a two minute walk from Manly Beach and Corso shopping strip, you'll have easy access to everything Manly has to offer - stunning views included. From $260 a night, sleeps two. Luxury Yacht Overnight Stay, Rose Bay Indulge yourself in a night of romance on board your own private French built Beneteau yacht moored in Rose Bay. On the waterfront with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the background, it will be a stay to remember. From $517 a night, sleeps two. Balmoral Beach Beauty, Mosman This stunning absolute beachfront apartment offers magnificent views of Middle Harbour and Balmoral Beach. From $330 a night, sleeps two. Magnificent Waterfront Living, Double Bay Step into your own peaceful harbourside sanctuary complete with it's own private ten metre marina berth, when you stay in this chic Double Bay apartment. From $1008 a night, sleeps five. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: courtesy of Airbnb
This cosy bar has become a favourite with Bondi locals, both for its food and beverage options as well as its comfortable surrounds. Forget about OTT beach cocktails: wine is the drink of choice here, served by the bottle or the glass. You'll find drops from all around the country as well as New Zealand, France, Argentina and beyond — but you don't need to be a wine snob to enjoy what's on offer, as the drinks list provides short descriptions below each tipple. In addition to reds and whites you'll find a small but tempting selection of spirits, or you can ask the waiter about their secret beers and ciders. The food offerings are similarly tempting, with a mouthwatering array of tapas share plates along with a generous selection of cheeses. The decor is low-key and casual, with dim lighting, comfy couches and seats for around 20 people, making Speakeasy an ideal place for a quiet night out with friends.
Goodbye Shiv Roy, hello Dorian Gray — plus every other character in Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece. That's Sarah Snook's current path. The Australian Succession star is swapping the hit HBO drama, which wrapped up forever with its just-aired four season, with a stage date with the sinister portrait that lets its subject stay young and beautiful. And, she's playing every single role in the production. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is the iteration that Snook will star in — in the UK's West End. [caption id="attachment_896386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HBO[/caption] This news is two huge announcements in one: Snook's return to the London stage after debut in the 2016 production of The Master Builder, and this Aussie reworking of Oscar Wilde's classic making its UK premiere. With its high-profile star, The Picture of Dorian Gray is headed to The Theatre Royal Haymarket, with a season from Tuesday, January 23–Saturday, April 13, 2024 locked in. Premiering in Sydney 2020, this take on the tale uses video and theatre to get its star playing 26 characters. In Australian runs, Eryn Jean Norvill has done the honours, and brilliantly, with Snook following in the actor's footsteps abroad. "I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre," said Snook. "From Oscar Wilde's remarkable original text to Kip Williams' stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I can't wait." Williams, who adapted Wilde's text into the phenomenal production and also directs, is heading to the UK as well. "In creating a new piece of theatre like The Picture of Dorian Gray, you always hope to have the opportunity to share it with a wider audience. I am so excited for theatre lovers in London to experience our show, and am thrilled to have the extraordinary Sarah Snook bringing to life the many characters of Oscar Wilde's remarkable story." [caption id="attachment_856346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Boud[/caption] Taking the show to London is part of a partnership between STC and Michael Cassel Group, which is all about sharing the former's works around the globe. A similar path — from Australia to the UK, but originating from the Griffin Theatre Company — has worked out spectacularly for Prima Facie, with the British production starring Killing Eve's Jodie Comer winning Best New Play and Best Actress at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards. On-screen, Snook will next be seen in straight-to-streaming films Run Rabbit Run and The Beanie Bubble. Check out a trailer for STC's Australian seasons of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Norville below: The Picture of Dorian Gray will play The Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, London from Tuesday, January 23–Saturday, April 13, 2024 — for more information and tickets, head to the venue's website. Top image: Alexi Lubomirski.
As the country that gave the world Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie, to name just a few world-famous Aussie actresses owning the silver screen in recent years, Australia is no stranger to celebrating formidable women in cinema. It tracks, then, that the country's national centre devoted to moving pictures — aka the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne — has curated a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to femininity across film history. Girls to the front at this six-month-long showcase, with Goddess declaring its affection for ladies of the screen right there in its name. Displaying from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, it's both a massive and a landmark exhibition. More than 150 original objects, artworks, props and sketches will grace the Federation Square venue's walls and halls, all championing oh-so-many talented women and their impact upon cinema. [caption id="attachment_882188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Britt Romstad, 2022, photo by Phoebe Powell. Costume: Kitty (Elaine Crombie) costume, Kiki and Kitty, Australia, 2017, designed by Amelia Gebler, courtesy of Jetty Distribution Pty Limited. Backdrop: Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, photo by Don Ornitz, © Globe Photos / ZUMAPRESS.com. Image courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] That lineup includes costumes that've never been displayed before, various cinematic treasures, large-scale projections and other interactive experiences. While exploring the female footprint upon film is an immensely worthy subject, Goddess will also chart how representations of femininity have changed over the years — not just in different eras, but in different places, too — and inspire a rethink of plenty of cinema's memorable female characters. Silent-era sirens, classic Hollywood heroines, unforgettable femme fatales and villains, Bollywood stars, women in China and Japan's cinematic histories: they're all being given the spotlight. Goddess will also dive into provocative on-screen moments from Hollywood's silent days through to today that've not only left an imprint, but also played a part in defining (and altering) what's considered the feminine ideal. Expect an interrogation of how women on-screen have helped to redefine fashion expectations, sparked a boundary-breaking genre and spearheaded the #MeToo movement — and to spend time thinking about how screen culture has shaped societal views of gender. [caption id="attachment_882194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blonde Venus, 1932, Marlene Dietrich. Image courtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] ACMI hasn't revealed the full slate of women highlighted, or films, or items that'll be on display, but the details revealed so far are impressive. Think: Marlene Dietrich in 1930's Morocco, Pam Grier's spectacular Blaxploitation career, Tilda Swinton in 1992's Orlando and the aforementioned Robbie via 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Plus, Mae West's sky-high heels from 1934's Belle of the Nineties, costumes worn by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 1991's Thelma & Louise (1991) and Michelle Yeoh's fight-ready silks from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will also feature. The list goes on, clearly, spanning Anna May Wong, Marilyn Monroe, Laverne Cox and Zendaya as well. And, expect everything from Glenn Close's Cruella de Vil in 102 Dalmatians to the Carey Mulligan-starring Promising Young Woman to get time to shine. [caption id="attachment_882191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000, Yu Xiulian costume.[/caption] "The women of Goddess are bold, rebellious and defiant. Their power is expressed in numerous ways — in what they wear, how they move and the stories they tell," said ACMI Director of Experience and Engagement Dr Britt Romstad, announcing the exhibition. "ACMI's exhibition honours their influence and daring, and explores how they have transformed the face and expectations of on-screen femininity for audiences, time and time again," Romstad continued. [caption id="attachment_882195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thelma and Louise, 1991, L-R Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, © MGM. Image courtesy of Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will pair its wide-ranging display with soundscapes by Melbourne-based composer Chiara Kickdrum, and also feature a sprawling events program complete with late-night parties, performances and talks — and film screenings, of course. The full program, including guests, will be announced in February 2023, which is when tickets go on sale. Unsurprisingly, the exhibition is ACMI's big midyear blockbuster — and its 2023 contribution to the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, as Light: Works from Tate's Collection was in 2022. After showing in Melbourne for its premiere season, Goddess will then tour internationally, taking ACMI's celebration of women on-screen to the world. [caption id="attachment_882197" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Limehouse Blues (AKA. East End Chant), 1934, L-R Anna May Wong, George Raft. Image courtesy of Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, 2023. For more information, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the ACMI website. Top image: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 2020, Margot Robbie, © Warner Bros. Image courtesy of LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo.
Lightning Ridge might be best known for its enduring opal mining history, but the community's collection of bizarre museums is definitely a close second. Astronomers Monument is a kooky landmark dedicated to scientists like Copernicus. Others not to miss are the Bottle House Museum, Amigo's Castle, Beer Can House and the Kangaroo Hill Complex. Image: John, Flickr
He's responsible not just for a big Australian movie franchise, but for the big Australian movie franchise. He's also followed a pig in the city, made penguins dance, gotten witchy and granted wishes, too. He's Australian filmmaking icon George Miller, and he has just joined the Sydney Film Festival lineup for 2024 to talk about his career, and of course Mad Max and Furiosa. Mere weeks after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hit cinemas — starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Super Mario Bros Movie) as Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder) as wasteland warlord Dementus — Miller now has a date with Sydney's annual cinema showcase to chat about on-screen storytelling. For company, he'll have someone else who knows a thing or two about action cinema, and just filmmaking in general: stuntman and filmmaker Nash Edgerton, brother of Joel (Dark Matter), and director of episodes of Bodkin, plus Mr Inbetween, Gringo and The Square. The Road to Furiosa — George Miller with Nash Edgerton will take place at 3pm on Saturday, June 15 in the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Town Hall, on the second-last day of the fest. SFF's full dates: Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16. Miller won't just be stepping through his work in a general sense, either. The director that started the Mad Max franchise 45 years ago and has helmed four more films in the saga — and has Babe: Pig in the City, The Witches of Eastwick, the two Happy Feet movies, Lorenzo's Oil and Three Thousand Years of Longing on his resume as well — will dig into a specific action sequence, if you want to find out how it was executed. After also adding a visit from Elvis star Austin Butler for his new picture The Bikeriders and straight-from-Cannes body-horror flick The Substance as closing night's flick since announcing its 2024 program, Sydney Film Festival has now popped something for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans on the bill, too. Ahead of season two's arrival, the Iron Throne spend time at Martin Place from Wednesday, June 5–Friday, June 7. Yes, you can sit in it. Other talks and events on the program also include a queer cinema night, going all in on the 80s to tie in with opening night's Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line, K-pop fun as part of a Korean cinema celebration and a session on the impact of AI. [caption id="attachment_959668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2023/SFF[/caption] Sydney Film Festival 2024 takes place from Wednesday, June 5–Sunday, June 16 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Read our interview with George Miller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and our review of the film. Top image: Sonna Studios.
Another year goes by, and we return to another year of Sydney's beloved short film festival: Flickerfest. Anyone who loves to be ahead of the cinematic curve can attest that a night at Australia's only Academy® Qualifying short film festival is a night of screen culture unlike anything you'll catch at the blockbusters. Returning to its home at Bondi Pavilion for the 33rd year running, Flickerfest spans ten days in Sydney before it packs up to tour screens across Australia. Throughout the festival, 200 top films handpicked from over 3400 entries will delight audiences while vying for awards like the Flickerfest Award for Best International Short Film, the Yoram Gross Award for Best International Animation, the Panasonic Lumix for Best Australian Short Film and the Flickerfest Award for Best Documentary - all of which are Academy® qualifying. Flickerfest also includes celebrations of diverse filmmakers of all ages and walks of life. Rainbow Shorts celebrates the work of LGBTQI+ storytellers; and FlickerKids gathers the best of the family-friendly program and Short Laughs will keep you giggling throughout the night. Of course, what's a night at the movies without food and drinks? You'll be able to start your evening right with a bev at the Pav's beachside panoramic bar, enjoying conversations with your crew as the sun goes down behind you. Come by day after a swim in the water then a movie at the indoor cinema, or head into the open-air courtyard after dark and enjoy a night of screenings under the stars. After wrapping its Sydney stint, Flickerfest will share the short-film love and pop up at over 50 venues across the country between February and October 2024. The 33rd Flickerfest International Film Festival will run from Friday, January 19 to Sunday, January 28. Tickets and the full 2024 program are available now. For more information, head to the website.
As first announced in 2017, then officially given the go-ahead by the government in 2018, the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) is currently undergoing a $344 million expansion. Dubbed Sydney Modern Project, it'll see the cultural institution double its current exhibition space, incorporating an entirely new 7830-square-metre building — complete with a gallery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, plus a contemporary art space created from an old WWII oil tank — and an outdoor public art garden. Also part of the plan: revitalising its historic building, including restoring key original features, upgrading and reconfiguring spaces, and revealing old windows that have been covered up in past renovations. As just announced by AGNSW, most of the refurbishment work will start next year and be finished by 2022 — which is when the full Sydney Modern Project is set to be completed. Art lovers can look forward to walking into the 19th- and 20th-century building via a restored entrance vestibule, which'll showcase Walter Liberty Vernon's original 19th-century architecture — and to peering down on the 8.5-metre-high atrium in the 1972-built wing via reinstated internal balconies, too. In the latter area, you'll be able to look out the large windows on the building's northeast facade, getting a glimpse outside to the new art garden. Those windows aren't new, but they've been covered over in recent decades to give the gallery extra hanging space. [caption id="attachment_786960" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image of the Art Gallery of New South Wales as produced by Mogamma for Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects © Mogamma.[/caption] The original Grand Courts galleries will also score a refurb, including restoring its heritage fabric, removing a staircase that was added in the 70s and installing new energy-saving LED lighting. And, the major temporary exhibition space is moving from Lower Level 1 to Lower Level 2, to give it more space — and to benefit from higher ceilings as well. Other changes span expanding and moving the Capon Research Library and National Art Archive to Lower Level 3, to a new purpose-built site within the building; enhancing facilities for AGNSW's members, including doubling lounge capacity and adding a new outdoor terrace; and upgrading the dedicated area and facilities for volunteers. Along with the new building and gardens — ambitious plans designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architecture and design practice, SANAA, who is also behind New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Louvre's satellite museum in Lens — the revamp of AGNSW's main building is part of an overall effort to all to help the gallery's bid to better compete with its interstate counterparts. While it was the country's most visited gallery in 2007, AGNSW has since dropped to fourth position behind Melbourne's NGV and ACMI and Queensland's GOMA. It's predicted this expansion will double the number of visitors to the Gallery. Construction on AGNSW's Sydney Modern Project is slated for completion in 2022. The Gallery will remain open during this time. Images: Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizama/SANAA, courtesy of the AGNSW.
When Easter rolls around each year, one thing is always on everyone's minds: eating as much chocolate as humanly possible. Chocolate eggs, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cocktails, chocolate-filled hot cross buns — the list goes on. Thanks to SBS, Easter 2020 won't just involve eating chocolate, however. Courtesy of The Chocolate Factory: Inside Cadbury Australia, Australian audiences can also spend three hours watching chocolate Easter treats get made. It's the latest instalment in the network's 'slow TV' series — which has previously let viewers spend 17 hours watching a train journey on not one but two occasions, and tracked a lengthy cruise from Broome to Darwin, and a trip from New Zealand's north island to its south island as well. Of course, vicariously indulging your wanderlust is one thing. Teasing your sweet tooth is another entirely. Spanning three hours — and set to a new original score by Amanda Brown and Caitlin Yeo — The Chocolate Factory: Inside Cadbury Australia charts the chocolate-making process from beginning to end, starting with seeing sugarcane being harvested from north Queensland fields and milk being collected from a Tasmanian dairy farm. Naturally, the observational documentary devotes the bulk of its time to the factory itself, focusing on the creation of its best-selling easter eggs and chocolate bunnies by combining the aforementioned two ingredients with cocoa imported from Ghana. Expect melting, rolling, drying, shaping and wrapping. Expect to be mesmerised by the routine and rhythm, too. Airing twice over the Easter weekend of Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 — and then available for a year on SBS On Demand — it's basically Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, just without the Oompa-Loompas, songs or everlasting gobstoppers. That said watching chocolate come to fruition will likely have your stomach singing out with hunger, so don't forget to stock up on appropriate snacks (yes, chocolate) to accompany your viewing. Check out the trailer for The Chocolate Factory: Inside Cadbury Australia below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFSE3TW7EPc&feature=youtu.be The Chocolate Factory: Inside Cadbury Australia screens is now available to watch on SBS On Demand.
Are you the kind of person who just has to read the book before watching a TV show or movie? Perhaps you prefer the opposite, soaking in every minute of the series or film afresh with no knowledge of what's to come, then devouring the source material to spending more time in its world and fill in the details. Whichever best describes your style of page-to-screen fandom, you're welcome at a new Australian event that's all about streaming hits adapted from novels: Prime Book Club LIVE. You might've noticed that plenty of the streaming platform's recent fare began on the page. It's true of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and also of the Culpable trilogy and also We Were Liars, for instance. So, the service is celebrating that fact in Sydney, putting on Prime Book Club LIVE with a number of authors and actors connected to its lineup as guests. The third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, the platform's most-successful original series, is streaming from Wednesday, July 16 and releasing episodes through until Wednesday, September 17. Accordingly, author Jenny Han — who not only penned the books The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer that the show is based on and is the series' showrunner, but also wrote the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy — is on Prime Book Club LIVE's lineup. So are Lola Tung and Rain Spencer (Test Screening). Ahead of Culpa Nuestra (Our Fault), the third and final Culpable trilogy flick after films Culpa Mia (My Fault) and Culpa Tuya (Your Fault), reaching Prime Video in October, author Mercedes Ron is also getting chatting in the Harbour City. Taking place from 5pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Machine Hall in Sydney, Prime Book Club LIVE boasts Lucinda 'Froomes' Price as its host, features a #BookTok panel, and sports an immersive setup spanning interactive experiences, giveaways and more. The event is also set to cover We Were Liars — which has an Australian connection thanks to Invisible Boys talent and future The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star Joseph Zada — and others that fit the page-to-screen mould, including upcoming book-to-screen titles. Attendance is free, but you'll either need to register for a ticket in advance from 12pm AEST on Monday, July 14 or try your luck for one of the limited seats that'll be available on the day. The Summer I Turned Pretty images: Erika Doss © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC / Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Prime Video.
Traditional horizontal gardens are a fantastic aesthetically pleasing addition to any house, park or natural area. Yet by simply rotating these gardens 90° to make them vertical, their purpose, possibilities and magnificence can completely and utterly transform. Vertical gardens are a recent craze, which are taking the world by storm. Gardens on museum walls, on the outside of buildings, in shopping centres or as feature pieces are popping up in almost every major city of the globe. Aside from adding a wonderful visual and organic element to the concrete shackles of urban centres, vertical gardens also offer a host of environmental benefits. Adding a vertical garden to any space can help improve air quality and respiratory functions, keep the air cool and humidity comfortable through the process of transpiration, reduce harmful levels of CO2 and provide natural insulation and acoustic absorption; not to mention the instinctive elated sensation humans feel when in close proximity to plant life, called biophilia. Here are ten of the most beautiful, useful and impressive vertical gardens from around the world that will make even the most elaborate horizontal garden look boring and mundane. Miami Art Museum Patrick Blanc is the world's most renowned vertical garden specialist and his incredible creations have spread like wildfire across the globe. With his designs appearing in every continent, and his recent publication, 'The Vertical Garden: from Nature to the Cities' being widely acknowledged as the expert book on this new trend, you simply can't go past Blanc's inspired works of art. This amazing garden from the Miami Art Museum is one of Blanc's projects, designed together with Herzog & De Meuron. Who needs the Hanging Gardens of Babylon when we have our own hanging gardens of Miami? Alpha Park II Les Clayes sous Bois At 2,000m², the Alpha Park II Les Clayes sous Bois just West of Paris will become the largest vegetal facade in the world. The shopping centre is being reopened sometime this month with its new organic coating of various plants and flowers. Melbourne Greenhouse Restaurant Joost Vertical Gardens are an up-and-coming business in Australia, which specialises in living walls and columns. Their vertical gardens have appeared in art exhibitions, sculptural installations and high-end architectural fitouts, highlighting their aesthetic value and practical purpose. Through popular demand, Joost's unique designs are now available online and by consultation for restaurants and both domestic and commercial spaces. Vertical Garden Institute Philip and Vicki Yates set up the Vertical Garden Institute in 2007 after witnessing the awe of Blanc's huge vertical garden in Spain. They wanted to promote vertical gardens through sales, research, education and the development of vertical garden partnerships throughout the globe. This vertical art garden was released in July 2010. Berlin Another stunning design from Patrick Blanc, this garden wall in Berlin is a beautiful and eco-friendly addition to the city's streets. Increased temperatures in cities can partially be attributed to the absorption of heat by concrete buildings and roads. However, the natural processes of transpiration in plants ensures that they never go 5°C above the atmospheric temperature, thus helping to keep the urban area cooler. Madrid Caixa Forum This feature wall in the capital of Spain is a magnificent piece of natural artistry that provides a perfect place for tourists and locals alike to marvel at. The building was a former power plant built in 1899 and a rare example of industrial architecture in the old part of the city. The vertical garden is another design from Patrick Blanc and reaches four stories high, with over 15,000 plants from over 250 species. Tokyo AKROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall This 15-stepped terrace was shifted from a 10,000m² park in the city centre of Tokyo by US architect, Emilio Ambesz. To stand out from other city park areas, Ambesz opted instead for a garden resembling a mountain, culminating in a belvedere, which offers magnificent views of the harbour. The building is 14 floors above ground and 4 below, making it one of the largest vertical gardens in the group. Bangkok Siam Paragon Shopping Center The vertical garden craze has also reached Thailand, with this example of beautiful plants lining the balconies of the Siam Paragon Shopping Centre in Bangkok. Gardens appear not only in this courtyard of the shopping mall but they also decorate the elevator shaft as well as even some of the shopping booths. Living Walls, Netherlands Rather than being concrete, this colourful wall is made up of a thin layer of felt and rock wool material. To keep the vertical garden alive and vibrant, it also has water pumping through the material. This Dutch house is a perfect example of how easy it is to spice up any building with some floral flair. Bilbao Guggenheim Art Museum Outside the Guggenheim Art Museum in Bilbao, Spain, one would find a giant 43-foot tall 'plant puppy' made out of a steel substructure and an array of colourful vegetation. Jeff Koons created this cute and vibrant vertical garden masterpiece in the mid-1990s and we just couldn't go past this impressive creation. Especially since it made its own notable visit to the lawns of Sydney's MCA in 1995.
Winter is well and truly upon us. Everywhere you look, Sydneysiders are decked in their downiest puffer jackets and thickest tracksuits. But don't let the oh-so-chilly air stop you, because the city is still in full swing. Winter is a season of warmth, driven by delicious roasts and hot drinks, and you don't need to rug up at home to enjoy that side of the season. Step into the warm sunlight and get ready to browse, because busy markets are popping up across Sydney to fill baskets and bags with all the fresh produce, tasty treats and homemade gifts you'd ever need. Start by pencilling in a visit to the Cronulla Winter Market. This 100-plus stall event is returning to its annual home of Don Lucas Reserve on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30, from 10am to 3pm. Here, you can get your hands on anything, from swimwear to ceramics. To keep your shopping energy up, fill your stomach with street food, baked goods, healthy choices and everything in between. If time gets the better of you, or if you're looking to get some serious shopping done, make plans for The Ultimate Winter Market EQ. This is being held on Sunday, August 6, from 10am to 3pm, under the Entertainment Quarter's Market Canopy. This is another 100-plus stall market, but it's in the heart of the bustling Entertainment Quarter, so expect live music and entertainment for all ages alongside the goods and food available. You're also within range of the local entertainment venues and can take advantage of two hours of free parking at the Entertainment Quarter. The Cronulla Winter Markets are running on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30, from 10am to 3pm at Don Lucas Reserve. The Ultimate Winter Market EQ runs on Sunday, August 6 from 10am to 3pm at the Entertainment Quarter. For more information on either, visit the Cambridge Markets website.
One of 2013's best album covers, Pennsylvanian Kurt Vile's LP Waking On a Pretty Daze featured a specially commissioned mural by Steve "ESPO" Powers in Philadelphia. Now the bright, purely inoffensive mural — which controversially features a rampaging dancing snowflake, threateningly adorable postbox and a terribly welcoming couch surround by a love heart and the words "There's a place for all my friends." — has been painted over by local man DJ Lee Mayjahs, according to Philadelphian radio station WXPN. Why? Apparently the mural was "attracting graffiti to the neighbourhood." WARNING: Vile fans, this photo hurts a little. Philadelphia journalist Leah Kaufmann spoke to Mayjahs, turns out he really didn't know what he was doing when he took to the mural with white paint. Mayjahs is apparently horrified by his actions and has offered every sincere apology. "I got home and started doing research on my computer. I can't believe what I had done ad I wrote a letter to Kurt Vile apologising," he said. "I wrote a letter to the artist Espo apologising, telling them that I would pay Espo to come down and repaint it. I also wrote a letter to the mural arts apologising. Apparently it wasn't official. Even though it wasn't official I'm sorry for everything I did. I would do whatever I could do to make it right. I really am sorry. I don't know what I was doing. I literally lost my mind and took it out which was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my entire life." "I live in that neighbourhood. I've lived there for 15 years. I'm always cleaning up the streets and alleyways. I don't know… for some reason I feel like ever since that piece has been there it's attracted more and more graffiti to that neighbourhood, he said. "Every time I paint over illegal graffiti I was blaming it on it (the mural) and I didn't realise the people in the neighbourhood love it, I've never really sat and looked at it. I never did any research on it and then I just snapped." "I didn't think anything through and acted false pretence. I didn't think about the consequences of my actions. I'm sorry about that, I love Philadelphia, I love my neighbourhood and I love the arts. I'm a big supporter of the arts and so for me to do something that offends all of these people is completely out of character for me. Anybody who knows me will tell you the exact same thing. I'm sorry about it." Vile's rep has confirmed to that ESPO will head back to the mural and repaint it. The building's owner and the attached restaurant are apparently fans, seeing no reason to fear a graffiti influx to their Philadelphian streets because of it. Check out the mini-doco about the creation of the mural and just stare forlornly at the Waking On a Pretty Daze album cover for consolation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=I4RlljcBKg0 Via Pitchfork, Metro and WXPN.
The warmer months are here, and our bodies are ready to take our indoor fitness routines to the outside world. Think yoga. Think nature. Think combining the two for the perfect summer activity. As well as mixing up your usual vinyasa routine, doing yoga in natural environments has great benefits for mental health since it combines the benefits of exercise with the restorative effects of being in nature. But where can you realign those chakras outside? We're here to point you to a few golden outdoor spots to practice your asanas. We've also found a few teachers who'll help you through the moves, but these spots are also excellent for when you need a solo session with just you and nature. Either way, make sure to be sun safe and do your sun salutations from the shade when that fiery ball you're saluting is at its strongest (11am–3pm). A sunrise or sunset yoga practice is prime for avoiding peak UV time and for ensuring you aren't a total sweaty mess by the end of class. Whatever time of day you practice, though, make sure to apply that SPF 30+, wear some protective clothing and lay your mat in the shade. NARRABEEN SURF CLUB, NARRABEEN BEACH Nestled halfway up the Northern Beaches, Narrabeen Beach is one of the most consistently clean beaches in Sydney, partly due to local conservation efforts aimed at protecting the ecosystems where Narrabeen Lagoon meets the sea. Slop on that sunscreen, plonk your mat right down on the sand with Louise Kelly of Surfside Yoga, breathe in the fresh air and flow to the calming sound of the waves rolling in. As a bonus, you can often spot dolphins here, giving you the full David Attenborough yogi experience. Corner of Ocean and Albert streets, Narrabeen BONDI BEACH A sweeping view of Bondi Beach, the splash of salt spray, an outdoor lap pool on hand and an outdoor yoga sesh makes an ideal start to any day. Yoga By The Sea runs sunrise classes at the southern pocket of the world-famous beach on Tuesday and Friday mornings, with sessions focusing on strength, fitness and flexibility. Can't make it to Bondi? Classes also take place at Bronte, Manly and Freshwater. 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach [caption id="attachment_852734" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joppe Spaa (Unsplash)[/caption] MANLY BEACH So, you've mastered yoga on land and you're looking for a new challenge? Look no further: Manly's Flow Mocean has just the ticket with its weekend stand-up paddleboarding yoga classes. Paddle out to the floating studio for a 60-minute class that promises a lighthearted yet challenging practice that caters to just about any fitness and experience level. Prefer to stay on land? Flow Mocean also offers kayak yoga — no, it's not yoga on a kayak, but rather taking a kayak from Manly Kayak Centre Wharf to a secluded beach where you'll have a class on sand before taking a refreshing ocean dip afterwards. [caption id="attachment_852737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hopefilmphoto (Unsplash)[/caption] YOGA IN THE PARK Health, happiness and community are at the heart of the mission of registered charity Live Life Get Active. Its online and IRL fitness workshops welcome people from all walks of life to stay healthy and active, with classes led by professional trainers. The charity offers regular yoga classes in parks throughout Sydney, from Cronulla to Castle Hill, offering yogis of all experience and fitness levels a chance to practice outdoors. The best part? All classes are absolutely free. If you are looking for more places to feel a sense of connection in New South Wales, head to visitnsw.com.
Heading to Marvel Stadium at Melbourne's Docklands usually means watching a game of AFL. Or, you could be hitting up the venue to see a gig. Moseying beneath the space to wander around an underground light show and labyrinth definitely isn't normally on the cards. That'll change come winter, with the city's Firelight Festival returning for 2024 — and, for the first time, bringing the Firelight Labyrinth with it. The fest itself is a three-day affair over the last weekend in June, running from Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30 at New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade and Harbour Esplanade. On the agenda, as in past years: fire performers, fire pits, fire drums, flame jets, fire arches and fire sculptures. There'll also be live music, African drumming, and an array of stomach-warming food and drink options — such as dumplings, smoked meats, paella, churros and hot chocolates. Flame-filled arts — and bites to feast on and beverages to sip while you're enjoying them — aren't the only drawcard this year, though. Cue more than 144,000 lights beaming beneath Marvel Stadium, with the labyrinth sticking around for over two weeks from Friday, June 28–Sunday, July 14. Accordingly, this year's Firelight Festival is also a huge tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike, especially if you want to see a key Aussie Rules venue in a new light — literally. As well as all of those sources of luminousness, the Firelight Labyrinth will feature immersive audio, making the experience an audio-visual maze. While the festival is free to attend — you'll need your wallet for whatever you eat and drink — the Firelight Labyrinth is ticketed, costing $37.50 for adults.
Drop everything, it's time to book a holiday for next year. At this time of year, every dollar counts, and when else can you book a return flight (domestic and international) and only pay for half the fee? Jetstar — ever the patron saint of affordable getaways — has just announced its latest special offer: three days of deals that offer essentially two flights for the price of one. From midnight tonight (or midday today if you're a Club Jetstar member), customers who purchase an outbound starter fare on select flights will get their return flight completely free, until 11.59pm on Sunday, November 30, or until the 90,000 available fares sell out. As mentioned, the offer is available across both domestic and international trips. Sydneysiders could skip the eight-hour drive to Byron and instead book a flight to Ballina from $42, or to Cairns from $102. Brisbane travellers can book a Whitsundays flight from $63, and Perth locals looking to go cross-country can fly to Melbourne from $199. If you're going out of the country, you're spoilt for choice. Sydneysiders looking for a quick and easy trip to Bali can do so from $249, Melbournians can immersive themselves in the cultural melting pot that is Singapore from $209, and if you're part of the Aussies that have yet to visit the 'it' destination of 2025: you can fly from Brisbane to Tokyo from $373 and Sydney to Osaka for the same price. Just next door is South Korea, which has gone underappreciated for too long — but Brisbanites can fly to Seoul from $309 in 2026. In terms of dates, the availability varies per route, but the offer is open for domestic flights between early February and late October 2026, and for international flights between early February and mid-September 2026. The Jetstar Return for FREE Black Friday sale runs from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 27 for Club Jetstar members, and from 12am AEDT for the general public. The sale will run until 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday, November 30, or until fares sell out. Visit the Jetstar website for more information.
If your usual night-out routine has been suffering from same-same syndrome of late, left-of-field events company Curious Cartel has just the thing to help you lift your game. The experts of immersive theatre and masters of intrigue — the same ones that brought us Prom Night and Popcorn Therapy — will again lead punters blindly into an unknown world of wonders, this time with their interactive cocktail pop-up and game room, The Lock In. Guests are in for a truly immersive experience here, mixing booze, nostalgia, sci-fi and theatre, as they're led back in time (and over some oceans) to 1980s small-town Indiana, USA. In classic Curious Cartel form, the event is pretty much shrouded in mystery until the moment you walk through the door, entering the pop-up's temporary world above Surry Hills bar The Wanderer. All we know is you'll have 90 minutes to investigate an eerie mystery surrounding a fictional, top-secret government facility, while enjoying cocktails, games, food and a soundtrack of banging 80s jams. UPDATE: MARCH 18, 2019 — Due to overwhelming success, The Lock In has been extended until further notice. To purchase tickets, head this way.
D4vd has officially been removed from the touring lineup of Spilt Milk, in the midst of official investigations into a dead body discovered in a Tesla registered in the artist's name. His 2025 touring schedule has been up in the air ever since the investigation began, but after quietly being scrubbed on the weekend, the organisers have confirmed their decision today as reported on Rolling Stone. The body was discovered in the Tesla trunk after police were called to a tow yard in Hollywood to investigate reports of a foul smell coming from the car. It took a week for medical examiners to identify the victim as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who had been missing for over a year. Burke was on tour when Rivas' body was discovered, and he continued to play shows. "Last week we removed d4vd from our website and marketing out of respect for the unfolding story," a statement reads. "We can now confirm d4vd will not perform at Spilt Milk and we are working on a replacement booking which we'll announce as soon as it's finalised." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spilt Milk (@spiltmilk_au) Tickets for d4vd's headline shows while in the country have also been quietly scrapped. Rolling Stone AU/NZ has contacted promoters for comment. According to a previously released statement, Burke has been "cooperating" with authorities during the investigation. He has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest, nor has he been accused of any crimes. While authorities haven't identified a suspect or person of interest yet, several details about the investigation have come out. For instance, the impounded Tesla was towed from the affluent Bird Streets neighbourhood in the Hollywood Hills, with neighbors telling Rolling Stone that it had been spotted in various places. It was eventually towed from a spot on Bluebird Avenue, where sources said it had been sitting for at least three weeks. After Rivas was identified, law enforcement searched a house around the block from where the car was towed. Police left with several items, including a computer. The home's owner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the residence had been rented to Burke's manager, Josh Marshall, last year, starting in February 2024. Spilt Milk will take place in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast between Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 14. For more information on the lineup, visit the website.
Almost three decades ago, before he had the world saying "thank you, thank you very much" to Elvis, before he explored the birth of American hiphop in Netflix's The Get Down, and before gave The Great Gatsby a spin and made Moulin Rouge! spectacular (spectacular), too, Baz Luhrmann achieved two not-too-insignificant things with his film version of Romeo + Juliet. Not only did the Australian director's vibrant take on the classic tragedy completely change the way everyone thinks about Shakespeare adaptations — it also delivered one of the killer soundtracks of the 90s, and one that many a movie has tried and failed to top since. The track list speaks for itself, really, featuring everything Garbage's '#1 Crush' to The Cardigans' 'Lovefool' to Radiohead's 'Talk Show Host'. Everclear, Butthole Surfers, Des'ree and Quindon Tarver's 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)' also pop up, with Luhrmann turning the greatest love story ever told into the greatest soundtrack ever sold. If you were around and of a certain age back in 1996, you definitely owned a copy. You probably still do. Even if you weren't loving it before the turn of the century, you should now as well. It's no wonder, then, that not just the picture but the tunes keep being celebrated as Romeo + Juliet nears its 30th anniversary in 2026. In London for more than a decade, concert screenings of the movie with a live choir and band have been wowing audiences and selling out. More than half-a-million filmgoers have attended. Now, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet: A Cinematic Experience is finally coming to Australia. Young hearts run free to The Astor Theatre in Melbourne, which is playing host to the Australian debut of this live experience from Tuesday, September 23–Sunday, September 28, 2025. New sessions have already been added due to demand, and there's no word yet if the shows will make their way to other Australian cities. "Audiences really feel like they're stepping into Verona as we don the theatre for a multisensory experience," said Dominic Davies, CEO of the UK's Backyard Cinema, which created the experience. "After sellout performances in London, we are thrilled that Sony Music Australia is bringing this production Down Under for the first time." "The Astor Theatre is such an iconic Melbourne venue and will provide a majestic backdrop for the immersive performance — it will be an experience like no other," added Sony Music Australia and New Zealand Chair and CEO Vanessa Picken. "The show has done incredibly well in London for a long time. We're really looking forward to adding a local slant with a well-known narrator to be announced soon." Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet: A Cinematic Experience runs at The Astor Theatre, 1 Chapel Street, St Kilda, from Tuesday, September 23–Sunday, September 28, 2025 — head to Ticketek for more details and tickets. Images: Andrew Ogilvy Photography.
The Entertainment Quarter's multi-storey live music venue is set for a huge transformation with the Mary's Group taking over operations at the Moore Park spot. Formerly Hi-Fi and Max Watt's, the 1200-capacity hall will be renamed Liberty Hall and taken under the wing of burger bros, Mary's founders Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham. Located across from the Hordern Pavillion and the Entertainment Quater's new pub Watson's, Hi-Fi quickly became a Sydney mainstay for midsized gigs in the early 2010s. It was then renamed Max Watt's House of Music in 2015. Now, with Smyth and Graham at the helm, the venue will host gigs ranging from local acts finding their feet and club nights to tours with big international acts. "We are humbled at another opportunity to take the reins of yet another fallen live music venue and pour energy and hard work into creating an exciting creative space for Sydney's arts community," Graham said. Liberty Hall will swing its doors open from late October with initial lineups and shows set to be announced over the next couple of months. View this post on Instagram A post shared by George Kostopoulos (@gm.kosto) "Today's announcement is another great step forward in the renaissance of Sydney's live music scene," NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said. "This new venue will give a platform for creative talent from Sydney and beyond, whilst also helping to revitalise the Entertainment Quarter precinct. It's a big shot in the arm for our city's 24-hour economy and I can't wait to experience its first performances." The live music venue will be accompanied by a new Mary's restaurant next door, serving up the team's signature burgers and fried chicken. The burger joint will become the group's fifth Sydney location, joining Newtown, Castelraigh Street, Circular Quay and the recently opened Castle Hill outpost. This won't be the team's first foray into live music programming. Below the Circular Quay location, you'll find another salvaged space, the underground gig space Mary's Underground. Previously known as The Basement, Mary's resurrected the venue a year after it was forced to close. Smyth and Graham also ran gigs out of The Lansdowne for over half a decade before stepping away from the venue in February. Thankfully for the city's live music junkies, the beloved City Road pub has been saved by the Oxford Art Factory team. [caption id="attachment_747991" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's by Kitti Gould[/caption] Liberty Hall will be located at Building 220, 116-122 Lang Road, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. It will open in late October. Images: Tom Wilkinson
On Friday the much-loved Sydney gallery White Rabbit will reopen and unveil their new show, Serve the People. Which means it's time for one of their famously fun opening night parties! Everyone's welcome, so get there early to grab a prime place in the inevitable queue. The exhibition is curated by Chinese art aficionado Edmund Capon, former director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Capon lends his passionate expertise to this intriguing collection of the best artworks of the ‘21st-century cultural revolution’. So grab a drink and prepare to be impressed by pieces from artists including Yan Siwen, Jin Feng and Madeln Company (Xu Zhen) reflecting a freer period in which the phrase ‘serve the people’ no longer means producing art to further the socialist cause. Instead, in highly experimental, individualistic ways artists are interrogating China’s national image, exploring themes like consumerism, history vs. ideology, corruption, personal identity and censorship. Image: Zhou Xiaohu, "America Likes Me", 2012
Those fortunate enough to have spent a night or two at Capella Sydney – a five-star stay immersed in art and heritage – will probably know all about its luxury dining offering, Brasserie 1930. Having just celebrated its second birthday, operator Bentley Restaurant Group saw this moment as the perfect time to shake things up. Entering its next era, Brasserie 1930 has got a new head chef, a new Australian brasserie menu and an exciting culinary experience linking sophisticated food with art and culture. Leading this evolution is Executive Chef Brent Savage and newly appointed Head Chef Troy Spencer (Pomme, Bistro Thierry, L'Etoile Restaurant & Bar). Working closely together, the duo have married Savage's passion for incredible local produce with Spencer's impressive career working in European brasseries. Bringing an elevated Australian-inspired approach to French late-night cuisine, expect dishes featuring native flavours and ingredients that honour tradition without foregoing innovation. Adorning the new menu are highlights such as David Blackmore wagyu tartare with mustard cream, rye cracker and sorrel; Aquna Murray cod, smoked clam with roasted onion butter and paperbark oil; and Kinross Station lamb saddle with eggplant, macadamia and saltbush. There's also a selection of curated cocktails, including a macadamia martini, lemon myrtle sidecar and wattleseed highball. "Brasserie 1930 celebrates the incredible variety of native Australian ingredients, blending the country's unique culinary heritage," says Savage. "It's about highlighting the best of what Australia has to offer in a warm and inviting setting where guests can enjoy exceptional food with attentive, yet relaxed, Australian hospitality. It's about good and honest flavours in a space that feels elegant, yet approachable." Adding to this perspective is the hotel's new monthly series, The Art of Dining, starting from Thursday, May 29. Curated by international art and design consultancy, The Artling, this exclusive experience sees restaurant guests receive a private tour of the hotel's landmark art collection, guided by renowned advisor Fiona McIntosh. Those taking up the tour will also receive a complimentary glass of champagne and a double pass to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA). With over 1,400 pieces on display, Capella Sydney's art collection is one of the largest in any Australian luxury hotel. That's a fitting status for one of Sydney's heritage icons. Built in 1915 amid what's now called 'the sandstone precinct', the hotel's storied building is best known as the former home of the Department of Education. After the department moved to new digs in 2018, the developer behind Capaella Sydney snapped up the property with incredible results. Brasserie 1930 is situated inside Capella Sydney at 24 Loftus Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information. Images: Ethan Smart.
While almost everyone loves hot chips, agreeing on which takeaway option does them best is far more contentious. Plus, everyone has their preferences when it comes to tomato sauce. However, Mutti has teamed up with acclaimed chef Nelly Robinson of Sydney's NEL Restaurant to create a single, show-stopping fry that might just settle the debate. Bringing together the humble chip and the world of fine dining, this over-the-top tribute set out to achieve the World's Fanciest Fry. Once you start delving into the ingredients and process that make it happen, it's hard to deny that this unique creation has truly taken the classic side dish to extraordinary heights. "To create a fry truly worthy of Mutti tomato ketchup, we had to go all in. We started with the fanciest Chipperbec potatoes we could get our hands on, blanched them in Wagyu beef fat, and finished them with fresh truffle and served with scampi caviar. This isn't just a chip — it's the McLaren of fries," says chef Nelly Robinson. With a creation this lavish, settling for an ordinary condiment is simply not an option. Fortunately, Mutti's range of premium table sauces made for the ideal pairing at the launch of this special dish. If you're the kind of person to slather your chips in sauce, perhaps they'll also take your humble feast up a notch. As for the World's Fanciest Fry, it's now available on NEL Restaurant's menu until the end of June. But don't expect this supremely decadent treat to come cheap. Priced at $35, this curious delicacy has seen the everyday, moreish side dish transformed into a luxurious morsel that takes centre stage. Says Robinson: "It's crispy, rich, outrageously indulgent and possibly the most culinary brainpower ever invested in a single hot chip. But with a ketchup as good as Mutti's, the fry's gotta bring its A-game!" The World's Fanciest Fry is available until the end of June at NEL Restaurant, 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. Head to the website for more information.
A lavish European-influenced brasserie is swinging open its doors in Sydney's CBD. Brasserie 1930 will officially arrive on Wednesday, March 15, coming to the new luxury hotel Capella Sydney from the Bentley Restaurant Group. The acclaimed hospitality crew behind Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Monopole, Yellow and Cirrus will bring an elegant dining room, next-level eats and a meticulously curated wine program to the expansive inner-city hotel — the first Australian opening from the Capella hotel group. Named after the year the Young Street section of the building was completed, Brasserie 1930 takes the idea of an elevated French diner and injects it with local Australian produce and Sydney-favourite dishes. Expect to kick off your meal with Sydney rock or Tasmanian pacific oysters, as well as prawns paired with fermented chilli mayonnaise. Highlights from the starters section of the menu include beef tartare, brown butter scallops, spanner crab alla chitarra with sea urchin sauce and glazed quail paired with whipped feta. [caption id="attachment_892588" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Then there's the mains. Starting from $48, this portion of the offerings is full of no-holds-barred luxury. The seafood selections, for example, include coral trout with potato yoghurt puree and leek, coal-roasted Murray cod with pepperberry butter and eastern rock lobster. There are three steaks on offer if that's what you're craving. Take your pick from the Yarabah wagyu rump cap, O'Connor's bone-in sirloin or Coppertree Farms 600-gram rib eye that'll set you back an easy $110. And, rounding out the mains is the whole-roasted duck which you can order for the table. This $190 share dish comes accompanied by duck-neck sausage, roasted plum, fennel, spinach and glazed eschalots. [caption id="attachment_892592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Timothy Kaye[/caption] Bentley Restaurant Group's co-owner and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt has pulled together a massive wine list to compliment the elegant menu. More than 400 producers from across Australia and Europe are on show, with the by-the-glass menu set to evolve and change over time, spotlighting picks from the hospitality group's wine vault. All of this is housed within an equally grand dining space. Original architectural features of the nearly century-old building have been restored, then complemented with sleek modern furnishings and light fixtures. Brasserie 1930 will join the McRae Bar in the 192-room, eight-storey Capella Sydney hotel. The luxury accommodation will become Australia's first Capella when it also opens on Wednesday, March 15, offering guests an elevated inner-city stay featuring swimming and vitality pools, a fitness centre and a spa alongside the impressive dining options. [caption id="attachment_892589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kris Paulsen[/caption] Capella Sydney and Brasserie 1930 both open on Wednesday, March 15 at 2–4 Farrer Place, Sydney. Top image: Kris Paulsen.
Maroubra locals who have been looking at the inner west with envy at the area's range of markets are about to be blessed with a monthly market of their own. After two false starts due to extreme weather, the market maestros at Cambridge Markets launched this monthly market at Maroubra Beach in partnership with Randwick City Council on Saturday, November 2, which runs from 8am–2pm. Dozens of vendors will dish out hot food, cool drinks, and all sorts of homemade goodies, so you'll want to bring plenty of shopping bags with you. There will also be water bottle refill stations so you can stay hydrated as you explore. Expect also to find fashion, homewares, toys, fresh produce, art, craft, gifting, vintage clothing, plants, and plenty more. Plus, there'll also be live music, along with activities to partake in and some fun rides for the kids. Held down at Broadarrow Reserve, mere steps from the beach, the Maroubra Beach Markets will be held on the first Saturday of each month from 8am–2pm. The Maroubra Beach Markets are taking place on the first Saturday of every month from Saturday, November 2, from 8am–2pm. For more information on Cambridge Markets or any of its events or markets across Sydney, visit the website.
With the end of Summer almost in sight, it's time to make the most of those long lazy afternoons. And what better way to do that than with a few cold drinks in a relaxed, comfortable outdoor setting — AKA, a lush beer garden. So we've rounded up the best lesser-known beer gardens in the inner west, where you can soak up some rays and brews this summer (without struggling to find a place to sit).
