Longstanding Parramatta Road stalwart The Lady Hampshire has been saved. Dating back to the 1800s, the Camperdown pub has entered a new chapter in its storied history. Originally called the Old Hampshire Hotel, the Camperdown venue sat vacant for years before being given a makeover and reopening as The Lady Hampshire in 2016 under the guidance of Sydney publican Paddy Coughlan. This new-look iteration lasted about five years before closing during the pandemic without reopening. But now, in 2023, it's back in a big way, with Public Hospitality Group (Oxford House, The Strand Hotel, El Primo Sanchez) coming to the table to revive it with a new Head Chef and a massive live music program. Aesthetically, things have been kept relatively the same. You'll still find the memorable Scott Marsh mural of Australian icons like Steve Irwin and Kath and Kim on the wall as you head out to the beer garden. And said beer garden remains a no-frills al fresco area calling out for sun-soaked beers and afternoon feeds. In the kitchen, you'll find Brendan King (ex-Baba's Place, FISH SHOP) whipping up top-notch pub feeds that highlight locally sourced produce. The chicken schnitzel ($24) is sizeable and comes with your choice of mash or chips. There are plenty of burger options (all $21), from the house-special smashed cheeseburger to the simple crumbed barramundi burger topped with American cheese, iceberg lettuce, tartare sauce and pickles. And snacks are also plenftiful on King's new menu, including salt and pepper wings ($14), salted cod croquettes ($13) and kofta served with hummus and chilli ($14). Beer does the heavy lifting on the drinks menu, with affordable tinnies, the refreshing house Lady Hampshire larger and a hefty happy hour making the Hampshire a home run for after-work drinks. But hops aside, you'll find a considered wine list and plenty of house cocktails to appease non-beer drinkers. Give the Elizabeth ($19) a try, which combines Hayman's Sloe Gin, lychee liqueur, lemon and aquafaba. Then there's the big drawcard of the venue. At the end of the narrow dining room, you'll find the live music area, locked and loaded to host a genre-spanning program of acts. On the opening lineup, you'll find pop, punk, reggae, indie rock and electronica all gracing the Hampshire stage, signposting things to come as the historic venue ramps back up under its new owners.
Good Fella Coffee is The Hills' hidden gem. It's serving up specialty coffee brews and tasty bagels in Bella Vista. If you like a seat with a view, you've come to the right place. Every table has uninterrupted views of the bar, letting you watch the baristas work their magic. Grab a spot on one of the lower level's wrap-around wooden tables or head upstairs to the sleek mezzanine loft for bar-style seating. Peruse the menu and you'll find your coffee classics, cold pressed juices and the house ice tea ($6). Beer by The Grifter is also on offer. Bagels are the star of this menu selection, with options including cream cheese ($10), smoked salmon ($20) and the vegan-friendly sweet boy ($13). There is also spring salad ($18) and muesli ($17) on offer if you're in the mood for a fresher option. For something snazzy, opt for pizza, toasties or the house-made pies. Appears in: The Best Cafes in Sydney Where to Find the Best Bagels in Sydney for 2023
The weekly Carriageworks Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 8am–1pm, is one of Sydney's most beloved weekend activities. Makers, producers and artisans from across NSW converge on the site of the former Eveleigh Railways Workshops to sell organic produce, artisanal bread, single-origin coffee, freshly cut flowers and more to the hundreds of Sydneysiders who visit each week. You'll want to arrive with an empty stomach and spend your first lap of the stalls on the lookout for breakfast, be that a croissant from AP Bakery, a gözleme from Baba's Place or perhaps a classic British bite from Crumpets by Merna. Then it's time to turn your thoughts to the pantry as you peruse the wares of Enokido Miso, Condimental, Maya Sunny Honey and Currong Comestibles. Now, the fresh produce beckons and whether you're a dedicated vegan or a card-carrying carnivore, there are delights both animal and vegetable to add to your basket. Part of the joy of shopping at a market like this is the opportunity to talk to the passionate people behind the goods. Take the time to learn their stories and you'll be rewarded with a whole new appreciation of the craft and care that goes into the bountiful harvests we lucky Sydneysiders have access to each and every week. Images: Jacquie Manning
The team behind Sydney Contemporary art fair will serve up seven days worth of parties, pop-ups, performances and public events, as part of their newly announced Sydney Art Week program. Running alongside the main Sydney Contemporary program at Carriageworks this September, the week-long festival within a festival will go down at various locations around the inner-city, with the aim of bringing art into the public domain. Headlining the new initiative is the Art and Dine program, wherein leading Sydney restaurants including The Apollo, Longrain, Otto and Riley St Garage will offer customers specially made, art-inspired dishes. So too will a number of Sydney bars including the QT Hotel bar be serving a bespoke 'Pink Frost' cocktail designed by 2014 Archibald Prize winner Fiona Lowry (in collaboration with a mixologist.) Other standouts in the Sydney Art Week program include a series of late night talks, films and moving image works hosted by leading Australian artists such as Tracey Moffat at QT's secret cinema, a one off culture and craft showcase presented by Redfern Night Markets, and a specially curated performance art trail that takes participants on a journey through many of Sydney's leading art hotspots. The main Sydney Contemporary Program, meanwhile, begins on Thursday September 10 with an opening night party featuring live performances from the likes of harpist Jake Meadows, soul-singer Sarsha Simone, DJ Jessica Lovelle and music collective The Alaska Orchestra. There will also be after parties held every night at venues around Redfern, including The Dock, Arcadia, 107 Projects and The Bearded Tit. Sydney Art Week runs from September 7-13 at various locations around Sydney, while Sydney Contemporary takes place from September 10-13 at Carriageworks in Redfern. For more information visit www.sydneycontemporary.com.au
Button Bar is back. The much-loved Surry Hills bar closed in 2020 for building renovations, but the House of Pocket crew promised it would return. We've had to wait a while, but the team has remained true to its word, re-opening Button Bar with the same small-bar charm that made it a much-loved local for a decade — but this time, in a brand-new location. For its second iteration, Button Bar has landed uptown — specifically, in the city's YCK Laneways district. Fans of the original might experience a delightful feeling of déjà vu upon entering the Kent Street space, with exposed brick, naval-themed decor and soft candlelight nodding to the Foveaux Street original. But while that space might have given the impression of being cosily ensconced in the hull of a pirate ship, this expansive new address feels more like the top deck, thanks to its high ceilings, showpiece lighting fixtures and dramatic black textures. The cocktail menu is smartly arranged in ascending order of strength — the two-page list begins with For the Plot, a sunny mix of Bombay Sapphire, green apple liqueur, fresh honeydew juice, house-made pineapple vinegar, lime and honey, and ends with the big-swinging Keep the Change, in which solera-aged whisky from sibling Stitch Bar is layered with Averna, orgeat, cold-drip coffee, orange bitters and whisky barrel bitters and garnished with a raspberry. The house program is complemented with a considered list of classics — when was the last time you spotted a Hotel Nacional Special or Mary Pickford on a cocktail menu? — as well as booze-free classics and a handful of wines and beers. Snazzy bar snacks include honey-drizzled goat's curd served with pane carasau and smoked mortadella with grissini and whisky piccalilli. New for Button Bar 2.0 is the Lab Series, a rotating residency program that invites emerging culinary talent to trial their concepts in a real-world setting. Each three-month residency acts as both a launchpad and a testing ground, giving budding entrepreneurs the chance to refine their ideas, gain hands-on business experience and even pitch to potential investors.
When Stephen Sewell's The Blind Giant Is Dancing premiered in 1983, the audience felt royally slapped in the face. Now, in 2016, this wordy, based-on-true-events play is pertinent to the many difficulties plaguing Australian politics today — and it's currently showing at the upstairs theatre at Belvoir, directed by new artistic director Eamon Flack (Best Director at the Sydney Theatre Awards for Ivanov in 2015). At the play's centre is an idealist, Allen Fitzgerald (played by Australian actor Dan Spielman) who dreams of making the nation a better place, but becomes so mixed up in party power struggles, he has trouble keeping his eye — and aspirations — on the bigger, more important picture. Spielman leads a cast of 11, including Sydney actor and real-life wife Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black) playing Louise Fitzgerald, Allen's socialist, feminist, pretty damn kickass wife. Playing an onstage married couple while you're married is one thing, but playing said couple caught up in the whirlwind of '80s Australian politics is another. So we asked Yael to get into the nitty gritty for Concrete Playground. Yael and Dan chowed down at a Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney after their Thursday matinee performance of The Blind Giant Is Dancing. They unpacked the play, character arcs, gear changes, Liberal and Labor audiences and how to act without listening — while Yael quietly nabbed all the spring rolls. YAEL: Dan, how are you feeling? DAN: Pretty buggered. The show is nearly three hours long and it cracks along. We’ve just done our first of two shows in a day, so I’ve got to think about doing that twice — and I’m really looking forward to this pork chop I’m about to eat. Today was our unwaged performance; Belvoir every season does one performance for people on a pension or who don’t have an income, so they can apply and get access to the shows free of charge and I think that’s a wonderful thing. They were a terrific audience, a lot of people that were interested in politics, particularly the crowd today because we have a lot of people who were quite vocally either against or for people in the scenes in the show. And a lot of the references from the early ‘80s I think might have brought back a few memories for some of the older people in the audience today. YAEL: In terms of a political spectrum, given the content of the play, who’s been attracted to come and see this play? Who’s most excited about it? DAN: I thought at first that it would be you know, theatregoers generally, that want to see as much as they can. I thought at first it would be mostly Labor Party people because the play is set in the Labor Party in the early ‘80s here in Sydney. But I’ve noticed quite a few Liberal Party members, ex-ministers and stuff, have come along to see the show who I think are taking some delight in watching a play about self-destruction inside the Labor Party — they’re having quite a good time. So I think across the spectrum people have an interest because it’s such a wonderful portrait of a very excessive and interesting time in Australian political history but also how resonant it is for what’s still going on today. YAEL: So your character Allen Fitzgerald has a huge process of transformation throughout the show, throughout three very distinct acts. The changes are pretty dramatic. Are you planting the seeds of change in the act before? How far ahead do you like to sow the seeds of the change? DAN: I treat each of the three acts distinctly, partly because of how its written; there are some important events that happen offstage, so they’re not in the play but they’re referred to later, that happen between the three acts, that I consider as large gear changes. But the way Stephen writes is fiendishly difficult to learn because… oh, thank you... YAEL: Thank you. My spring rolls just arrived. DAN: That’s fantastic. Because [Stephen] does sow the seeds of thoughts into scenes a long time before they’re mentioned. To clarify, you have to learn the scenes by rote. They don’t flow naturally from ideas necessarily because he’s cramming so many ideas in. YAEL: On that, we have a few particular scenes where we discovered that it was actually a really bad idea to listen too closely to the other person, because it might screw you up, which pretty much goes against all the rules of acting where really, you should be very present and listening a lot. In this play, sometimes you can’t listen, because the characters are so maniacally focused on their own point of view that to actually hook into the other side isn’t in line with the way that they’re thinking. On that, do you think Allen thinks differently when he’s engaging with Louise? Versus when he’s engaging with a political opponent? DAN: So it should be said that you, Yael, are playing Louise, Allen’s wife, in the play. YAEL: That’s right, I’m digging. DAN: So yeah, I think one of the great things about the play is that it shows a very public figure, a series of public figures in the public limelight — well, they’re kind of the back room dealings of a political party but they’re very much in a public area, and contrasted with a very private crisis that’s happening between Allen and Louise in their marriage. I think Allen wants his marriage to be a refuge from what he’s experiencing at work, but because Louise is herself a very dedicated intellectual and someone who’s trying to revolutionise her own consciousness and her own thought through feminist ideas as well as socialist ones, the home is seen by her as a place of change as well. And Allen acknowledges it and fights on that basis but it’s very difficult for him. But the language and scenarios at home are very private. YAEL: Great answer. And how do you feel about the fact that I just started the last spring roll, while you were answering that conversation? DAN: I could see what you were doing, and I wouldn’t put it past you to do that sort of thing, so I’m not surprised. But I’ve got some decent food coming for myself so… YAEL: Well, here’s the great reveal. I’m actually just going to have half of it, and leave you the other half. The Blind Giant Is Dancing runs February 13 – March 20 at Belvoir. Head to the website to book tickets. By Shannon Connellan with Jasmine Crittenden. Image: Brett Boardman.
Home wine delivery is finally catching up with the wine fiend’s need to sample as many drops from as many places as often as possible. A new US-based service by the name of Vinebox brings wines to your door — by the glass, rather than by the bottle. For a neat monthly price, subscribers score three premium drops, sourced from wine regions all over the planet. Fingers crossed for an Australian version. Each tasting comes in the form of a 100ml vial. Thanks to Vinebox’s patented, cutting-edge tech, the packaging process meets the stringent standards demanded by bottling. The wine is not exposed to oxygen at any point, so you can store your samples for at least three years. Vinebox’s team of specialists and sommeliers are experts in unique vineyards, obscure locations and wines that wouldn’t normally be available in the US, so subscribers can count on fun and interesting discoveries. And the company provides your own user account, enabling you to keep track of your tastings and thoughts. Once Vinebox has established your preferred flavour profiles, you can choose to receive personalised recommendations — very much like this savvy taste-predicting app. So who dreamed up this handy service? Vinebox is the creation of two former attorneys from New York City, Matt and Rachael, who quit their jobs to pursue their passion for wine. Their goal is to promote “spectacular” wines made in independent wineries around the world that often don’t make it to bottle shop shelves. Unfortunately, Vinebox is only taking sign-ups from US residents at the moment. We’re hoping it’s not long before it catches on here.
Unicorns invaded the runway last night. For the Australian Fashion Week's final Resort 2018 showing, Sydney's Romance Was Born, known for its outlandish, yet highly desirable collections, worked with two-time Archibald winner Del Kathryn Barton to send out sparkling unicorns, polka dotted femme fatales and grand dames draped with rich prints in Barton's iconic style. This is Electro Orchid. The name references Barton's eponymous show from 2014, where she presented a series of smudgy word paintings in pink gouache, which was reflected by models who strutted down the catwalk wearing nothing but handwritten evocative messages, nude undies, a pair of killer shoes, oh and a good dose of sparkle. As expected RWB's Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales brought the spectacle to MBFWA, ending the week on a runway acid trip and giving life to all of our wildest dreams — which we'll now also be able to wear in the coming months. With such an extravagant showing, it was only fitting to keep those glittery good vibes a-glimmer. So, the fashion set said goodbye to Carriageworks for the year, and made its way to QT Sydney to celebrate with a grand finale of pink tinsel and neon lights, cocktails, oysters and a soundtrack of ABBA and Whitney Houston. (The party also opened a small RWB archival exhibit at QT's Parlour Lane, on free public display until the end of the month.) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia has come and gone, bringing with it an epic collaboration between two Australia design icons in their own right (yes, one of those is the Opera House), street style by the sea, hectic mullets and a slew of trends to now mull over and decide which will influence what we're wearing next from our fine Aussie designers. Until next time MBFWA, you've been quite the ride. Images: Tim Da Rin / Flaunter.
Let’s clear one thing up immediately: SPECTRE isn't nearly as bad as some critics are making out. We’re mercifully far from the nightmarish hellscape of Die Another Day or the '…...............huh?' of Quantum of Solace. It's just that SPECTRE isn’t quite Skyfall, either. Firstly, though, to the good bits. This film is stunning. Cinematographer and man with a Bond name Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar, Her) has crafted something magnificent here, framing every shot to perfection regardless of scale. Credit, too, to director Sam Mendes, who again proves that his dramatic background in no way hampers his ability to shoot thrilling action sequences. On that front, the film’s best is also its first: a five minute ‘uninterrupted’ tracking of Bond through the streets of Mexico during the Día de los Muertos festival. In fact, the whole first half hour of SPECTRE is so tight, its trajectory puts it on track to rival (or even surpass) its predecessor, however it's at that point where unfortunately the cracks also begin to appear. The overall viewing experience of SPECTRE might best be described as one of déjà vu. The story, to its benefit, draws heavily upon the three previous films as both an explanation for Bond’s increasingly tortured temperament and as a through-line tying the whole ‘Craig era’ together. Where things get problematic, though, is when near-identical scenes pop up from those earlier movies. Bond being fitted with an implanted tracking device in his right arm comes straight out of Casino Royale. Bond joining his beautiful French companion in a train's dining car while they discuss why he does what he does — that's Casino too. M having to the defend the 00 program from accusations of redundancy and outdatedness formed much of Judi Dench’s screen time in Skyfall, and the villain’s desert base in SPECTRE looks remarkably like the one from Quantum with a different coat of paint. Even the score by Thomas Newman feels overly familiar, with some sections essentially cut-and-paste jobs from the Skyfall soundtrack (Jellyfish to Hinx, for example). SPECTRE’s strongest scenes are its original ones, and with a reported budget of well over $200 million it’s a crime they weren’t all that way. On the performance front, Craig is reliably stony as Bond, although ‘franchise fatigue' has visibly set in. His dispassionate characterisation often slips into languor in SPECTRE, relinquishing only when opposite Léa Seydoux as his love interest Madeleine. Seydoux is the clear standout, imbuing Madeleine with every ounce of intelligence and mystery the script could provide. As the villain, Christoph Waltz receives a disappointing amount of screen time, and his character lacks much of the menace conveyed by Javier Bardem in Skyfall. Regulars M, Q and Moneypenny all hold their own (played again by Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris), while Andrew Scott of Sherlock fame puts in a nice turn as ‘C’ — the new head of MI5. Again, this is not a bad film. The confusing or absent motivations, plot holes and scene repetition notwithstanding, SPECTRE still offers up all the elements of a classic Bond. Its action scenes are gripping, its wit affords welcome chuckles and its opulence entices. Any film that came after Skyfall was always going to be like opening up birthday socks when you'd already unwrapped the new car: it was destined to disappoint. But if you can remind yourself that socks are still pretty neat too, especially $200 million dollar ones with gorgeous people, places and cars on them, then you’ll find more than enough to like about SPECTRE.
Set in an old yoghurt factory opposite Wicks Park, Philter Brewing is very well placed — it's just down the block from Batch and close walking distance to Sauce, Wildflower, Grifter and Willie The Boatman. Yeah, it has turned into one massive brewery crawl indeed. The brewpub pays homage to the building's 1960s heritage, as well as the 1980s Australiana vibe of Philter's can design. Expect "suburban pub nostalgia" aplenty, like hanging Tiffany lamps, hand-painted signage and a handmade tile bar with a bar top that's been rescued from a local pub. Plus, a black chesterfield sofa and simple round tables and chairs. The somewhat kitschy, old school fit-out certainly suits the brand well. The public bar overlooks the brewery and boasts a viewing deck with bar stools, so punters can watch the brewers in action while they sip fresh-as drops. Philter Brewing produces over one million litres of beer annually, heaps of which will end up on the bar's taps. First launched back in 2017, the gypsy brewery has become well-recognised for its retro tinnie branding and sessionable styles. It's led by one of Australia's first female brewers (and former Young Henrys head brewer) Samara Füss — who is, fittingly, a bit of a legend in the local beer scene — and Marrickville neighbours and beer lovers Stefan Constantoulas and Michael Neil. The public bar is open five days per week, and the kitchen produces dishes such as southern fried chicken wings, classic burgers and a range of pizzas. Images: Liz Ham Appears in: The Best Sydney Brewery Bars for 2023
Each of Australia's capital cities has a different shtick. Melbourne's just happens to be a 24-hour culture — or, at least, the closest Australia has to it. It's got all-night public transport on weekends, late-night opening hours for the National Gallery of Victoria's new Triennial and the city's White Night festival will return for its annual all-nighter in 2018. If you haven't been down to White Night before, here's how it works. From 7pm, much of Melbourne's CBD is closed to cars. From then on, the streets give way to pedestrians, who are free to wander between temporary installations, live music and on-street projections — as well as in and out of galleries and cultural institutions — up until the sun comes up at 7am the next day. It's the Australian version of Nuit Blanche, which was founded in France in the 80s. Next year's festival — which will shut down the city for 12 hours on the evening of Saturday, February 17 — features work from a tonne of both local and international artists. Expect to see neon pups, two Burning Man installations and one laneway covered in snow. There are far too many works to list, but here are a few highlights you'll want to look out for. A giant shimming silver net that will hover above Federation Square for White Night (and two weeks afterwards). Drag queens singing from balconies above Collins Street. A laneway filled with virtual neon 'dogs' and another filled with falling 'snow'. A tree that lets you write temporary messages on it with the light from your phone Two installations straight from Burning Man: a fire-breathing serpent outside Melbourne Museum and a giant mechanical insect that doubles at a DJ booth. Mini gigs performed from multiple balconies above Swanston Street. A 360-degree dome in Alexandra Gardens that will feature mesmerising projections. Stories from Australian detention centres projected onto the NGV's façade. White Night will also head out to Victoria's regional centres. It will return to Ballarat on March 17 for a second year, and will take to the streets of Bendigo and Geelong for the first time later in 2018.
Hungry? Or need a new pair of sneakers? Solve one or both of these dilemmas at Butter, Sydney's utterly ridiculous palace of fried chicken, Champagne and sneakers. Located on Hunt Street in Surry Hills, Butter gets its vibe from New York City's hip hop culture. Think fried chicken with punk names — I'll have a hot AF 3PAC, thx — and a fancy-ass champagne menu, served in a totally packed club-like environment. Doubting its street cred? Don't. This place is the real deal. Chicken is the name of the game at Butter and the first thing you'll notice is the lack of bones — just buttery soft chicken flesh all the way through. This is achieved by brining the chicken in buttermilk then dipping it in a cayenne and cumin-spiced batter to seal in all those precious juices. Another pat with a paper towel wouldn't have gone astray, but instead those oils went towards nourishing my hands and cuticles. Thanks for that. A worthy alternative to the fried chicken packs is the chicken sandwich, a delightfully oversized portion of fried chicken served between a dashi butter-soaked milk bun. All chicken can be ordered naked (aka sans sauce) or, if you're not a big wimp, choose from the hot sauces; fire or reaper hot sauce. Don't choose the reaper if you're not a hundred per cent you can handle it. If you're craving something fresh to balance out all the butter, bypass the slaw, which is drowning in its own creamy dressing. Get a serve of crunchy, lip-puckering seasoned greens, which are guaranteed to sober you up and keep you feeling fresh — like a good ol' slap to the face. A side of laces — that is, the super crispy French fries — is non-negotiable. Liberally sprinkled with homemade shiitake seasoning, you'll never look at chicken salt the same way again. When it comes down to the champagne, maybe skip on the Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. Your mouth can become quite overpowered with the hot and spicy flavours, and you won't be able to distinguish it from a bottle of Yellowglen. Instead, go for one of their boozy slushies topped with soft serve (yes, really) or a beer, such as the cheap and cheerful Philter XPA. Oh, and don't forget that you can get your kicks at Butter, too — quite literally. The front of the shop displays 70 handpicked collector's edition sneakers. We strongly suggest buying a pair after your meal and going for one hell of a run. You'll find Butter in our list of the best fried chicken in Sydney. Check out the full list here. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Burgers in Sydney for 2023 The Best Fried Chicken in Sydney for 2023
We can't get enough live music. That is, we can't get enough live music until the Blurs and Mark Ronsons of this world blow through town, take all our money and leave us penniless and devoid of boogie. Then we literally cannot get enough live music. That's where these ten bars, venues and creative nooks come in. Don't have the wallet for a seven-day rotation of cover charges? These spots boast free (and great) live music, so you can catch a new act every day of the week if you so choose, all without breaking the bank.
From Barangaroo to Green Square, Parramatta to Circular Quay, Sydney's seen more than its fair share of construction lately. Newly proposed, multi-million-dollar developments are popping up all over the city, employing forward-thinking architectural teams and designers to transform the city visually and practically into a city prepped for the future — however either celebrated or controversial plans may be. From new food-focused precincts to world-class horticultural experiences, Sydney's newest design projects are aiming to take the city into a new realm of urban possibility. Here are ten paving the way for things to come. You'll note the Powerhouse Museum isn't in here, we'll bring you more on its impending Western Sydney move soon. By the Concrete Playground team. HAROLD PARK TRAMSHEDS They've kept us in suspense for an age, but one Sydney's most talked about developments, Tramsheds, has finally announced an opening date: September 22. The Tramsheds project, built in the bones of the heritage-listed Rozelle Tram Depot in Harold Park by developers Mirvac, will house a European-inspired market hall, lined with small, high quality and bespoke food retailers, alongside a 2440 square metre IGA Supamart supermarket (try saying that ten times fast). Now, in your mind, a giant grocery chain might not mesh well with local providores, but the Supamart is less like your local Woolies/Coles than you might think. It's a family owned and run business — by brothers Andrew and Vasilli Karellas — with a focus on organic and local produce . There's a host of already announced Tramsheds foodies planned for the site too, including Tokyo Bird (to open Japanese restaurant Osaka Trading Co.), Melbourne chicken kings Belles Hot Chicken, Butcher and The Farmer (a deli/butcher/restaurant triple threat run by Jared Ingersoll); sustainable seafood restaurant Fish and Co; tapas restaurant Bodega 1904; ice cream kings Gelato Messina and Flour Eggs Water, a new establishment run by Eugenio Maiale. We can expect a dozen more foodie announcements over the coming months, giving fellow rosy suburb Rosebery a run for its money. There's also a medical centre, gym, hairdresser and nail bar planned for the Tramsheds, and a number of cycle paths are currently under renovation — with plans for over 80 bike racks to be installed across the site. Tramsheds will open September 22. THE CALYX Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden turned 200 in June — and it landed itself one humdinger of a birthday present. Meet The Calyx, the Garden's new world-class horticultural experience. Opened to coincide with the official opening date of the Botanic Gardens on June 13, 1816, 200 years ago, this dazzling new UFO-shaped public space not only houses thousands and thousands of plants, but gives Sydneysiders an escape from the city's busy streets and relentless traffic. It also provides a new outdoor home for fun, innovative exhibitions. The first, now open, is Sweet Addiction, the botanic story of chocolate from bean to bar. Starting your journey deep in a tropical rainforest, you'll make your through ancient history and chocolate plantations, before reaching a tasty pop-up shop — the site for many future chocolate activities and tastings. Also part of the show is a collection of 18,000 plants, which are arranged as living artworks. Together, they form the biggest green wall in the Southern Hemisphere, measuring six metres in height and 285 square metres in area. Move over, Patrick Blanc. (Mind you, we can't deny that One Central Park's wall is looking prettier with every passing day.) The Calyx is open now at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, 10am to 4pm daily. GREEN SQUARE One of Sydney's industrial heartlands is going to look pretty different by 2030, as the City of Sydney designs a new town centre for the area — by then the suburb will be home to more than 54,000 people. The 278-hectare Green Square development includes a creative hub, an aquatic and childcare centre, and more than 15 new parks and open spaces, set to be revealed at staggered times between now and 2030. One of the most exciting aspects is a coast-inspired aquatic centre by Andrew Burges Architects, in association with Grimshaw and T.C.L., who won the City of Sydney's Green Square Design Competition. The plan includes a 50-metre outdoor pool, built within a larger, organically-shaped 'beach pool'; a 25-metre indoor pool; and a health and fitness centre. These facilities will be encompassed by Gunyama Park, which is to be revamped with the addition of a promenade, native landscaping and play equipment. All in all, the development will cover an area equivalent to three football fields. But Green Square won't be a plain practical canvas of a space. For about 18 months now, the City of Sydney has been promising an epic public art program. Well, it wasn't a hollow proposal, with artworks planned for reveal by 2018. For a start, the precinct's futuristic, architect-designed library will be scoring two brand new works by Aussies, selected from 90+ submissions — Cloud Nation by Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (a vintage Beechcraft Travel Air plane, suspended in mid-air and covered in a teeny-tiny miniature world) and Sydney's Michael Thomas Hill and Indigo Hanlee (Lightwell) will be installing their High Water, in the library's external public plaza (a mammoth-sized LED display of local weather patterns and tidal information, fed by live data). Green Square will be completed by 2030, with staggered reveals until then. DARLING SQUARE LIBRARY A spiralling, futuristic community library is in store for Darling Square. Across its two floors, you'll find not only tens of thousands of books, but also a bunch of extra facilities, including a 'makerspace' and an 'Innovation Exchange Program' for creative startups. Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and proposed by Lendlease, the building will have six storeys altogether, with another two floors occupied by a commercially-run childcare centre — as long as all plans get the green light. The agreement means that the City of Sydney will lease the 2225 square metre space for 99 years. The rest of the terms are confidential at this stage, but we're expecting them to be ready to go by the end of 2016. And, if everything runs according to plan, the library will open in 2018. "The redevelopment at Darling Harbour includes a new residential and commercial area with 4200 new residents and 2500 new workers," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. "High-density living is an important part of our city's future, but to be a success it must be supported by great community facilities, which is why we're so pleased to see a project like this that meets the city's standards of design excellence." Darling Square Library is planned to open in 2018. CENTRAL PARK AND THE ABERCROMBIE HOTEL The State Government has given the go-ahead to a controversial development project on the site of the heritage-listed Abercrombie Hotel, one that will see the shuttered corner pub dwarfed by a 16-storey apartment building and office complex. The imposing glass tower was designed by the award-winning London architecture outfit Foster and Partners alongside Sydney-based firm PTW, and is the latest step in Frasers Property Australia's $2 billion Central Park development. It will contain commercial offices along with a childcare centre and 48 apartments, while an adjoining 18-story tower will house 293 hotel rooms. As for the pub itself, Sydney mega-restaurateur and MasterChef hanger-on Matt Moran is taking over ownership of the Abercrombie Hotel. The iconic Chippendale venue, officially known as The Australian Hotel, was renowned for its sticky floors and raucous club nights, but ceased operation in 2014. A resurrection has been on the cards for a while now, with Moran's company Solotel Hospitality Group inking the deal this week. Just don't expect the return of S.A.S.H. or Purple Sneakers. "Our refurbishment of The Australian Hotel will see the pub restored to its original art-deco glory including its rear courtyard beer garden," said Solotel co-owner Bruce Solomon. "Solotel will deliver a contemporary expression within the original heritage character of the pub reminiscent of this bygone era whilst ensuring its seamless integration into the broader Central Park precinct." In addition to the main building, Moran and Solomon have acquired the three adjacent terrace houses facing Abercrombie Street, with an eye to opening a European-style wine bar. With work on final Central Park plans still ongoing, however, neither venue is expected to begin trading before 2018. The Abercrombie Hotel is expected to begin trading sometime in 2018. THE STREETS OF BARANGAROO With various elements already in full swing (and plenty to come) Barangaroo is one of Sydney's most visible new precincts — and one of the most controversial. Although the City of Sydney (for one) slammed certain elements of it, James Packer's $1.5 billion casino tower project has been approved, Barangaroo has successfully generated positive buzz by appealing to our stomachs — the food and drink aspects of what's known as The Streets of Barangaroo. We've brought you plenty of news of bars, restaurants and cafes opening already in this waterfront precinct, from Anason to Rabbit Hole, Belle's Hot Chicken to Noma. But one of the most exciting developments up ahead for the area is a giant, three-storey salad bowl. Just one of a host dining precinct plans for the billion-dollar waterfront, leading Australian chef Matt Moran has announced he will create a three-level dining experience with business partner Peter Sullivan, along with Bruce and Anna Solomon of Solotel. The formidable MorSul/Solotel foursome, who have previously teamed up to deliver ARIA Sydney, ARIA Brisbane, CHISWICK and North Bondi Fish, make up the dream team who revamped Opera Bar. Moran's three-level Barangaroo offering is set to open in 2016. Designed by Sydney architects Collins and Turner, the epic new establishment will resemble a series of stacked shallow bowls or varying sizes — glorifying your everyday kitchen essentials in a colossal waterfront palace. Moran's pet project will sit at Barangaroo's southern end, marking a grand entrance point for the waterfront dining precinct. "When we were first approached by Lend Lease about joining the precinct, it was the location of the site which was key in our decision making," says Moran. "We intend to deliver a truly Australian experience at this world-class waterfront venue. Whether you are looking for a casual bar and restaurant, a more premium restaurant or a rooftop garden bar, we will have it all with our offering at Barangaroo and use only the best locally sourced produce to create a showpiece of Sydney dining." Matt Moran's yet-to-be-named Barangaroo establishment will open in 2016. [caption id="attachment_573019" align="alignnone" width="1280"] NSW Department of Planning.[/caption] UTS STUDENT HUB Despite claims by the University of Technology Sydney that some people actually like the Brutalist-style UTS Tower, it's known to haters citywide as one of the least subtle buildings in Sydney. But UTS has new multi-million dollar plans for an attached 'student hub'. Building 2 of the tower will get a complete makeover and act as a shiny new distraction from the structure allegedly designed so students couldn't meet each other, form groups and protest (it's a myth but we love it). The 16-level, glass-sheathed student hub will replace Building 2 on the corner of Broadway and Jones Street. The project, titled UTS Central, is said to start this year and finish in 2019, costing a whopping $278 million. The new development does sound pretty swank, though — there are plans to include a library with a twisting tri-level reading room, research areas, teaching spaces, a student centre, the student union, and a dining hall. Top it all off with an outdoor terrace and rooftop garden and the futuristic glass structure will at least be keeping students happy. UTS Central is the next in the campus revamps, following the recent $180 million Frank Gehry-designed business school that has also received mixed reviews. UTS Central is set to open in 2019. [caption id="attachment_576936" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Century.[/caption] CAPSULE HOTEL Sydney's CBD is getting a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with plans to renovate Bar Century, rebrand it as The Century, and fit it out as a three-storey, luxury capsule hotel being announced last week. The George Street institution, which closed earlier this year, has been taken over by developer Walter Yao, who is investing a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, which will be carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building will retain its vintage fit-out and have a "Soho House vibe", with the bar and hotel running as separate entities. The first two levels will act as The Century's cocktail bar and nightclub, while the top three floors of the building will be dedicated to the Century Capsules. These capsules are certainly more luxe than most you'll find in Asia. Each of the 72 capsules will contain a large LED screen and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and even 'mood lighting' (whatever that means). Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not going to be a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. And while the CBD haunt may have closed because of the lockout laws — and been a central part of a huge lockout protest as a result — these new digs are not meant as a lockout solution either. The Century is set to open in late November 2016. [caption id="attachment_510690" align="alignnone" width="983"] City of Sydney.[/caption] THOMAS STREET, HAYMARKET Come future Friday nights, you're soon going to have another excuse to grab Emperor's Puffs from the Chinatown markets. The streets of Haymarket will be transformed into a pedestrian friendly, tree-lined space in a move to refurbish the area announced by the City of Sydney. Now under construction, the proposed new plaza in the heart of Chinatown promises to put pedestrians at the top of the priority list. Thomas Street will become a pedestrian-friendly walkway and public space, with more lighting, seats, wider footpaths and a no-car policy during busy periods — so you can finally enjoy your street food goodies distraction free. Road closures are planned between Ultimo Road and Thomas Lane, while Thomas Street will become one-way only between Thomas Lane and Quay Street to make things safer for pedestrians. Visitors will also be able to enjoy public art from Australian contemporary artist Lindy Lee while walking through the streets of Chinatown. Lee's work is preoccupied with the idea of self in the world, as captured through her own negotiations with her divided Chinese-Australian heritage. Chinatown's revamp is currently under way, installation dates TBC. [caption id="attachment_513652" align="alignnone" width="1280"] City of Sydney.[/caption] CLOUD ARCH We're keeping everything crossed for this one, just to see if it actually works. Teetering over 50 metres above George Street beside Sydney Town Hall, a streamlined, cloud-shaped arch is one of three brand new public artworks coming to Sydney's CBD — to be installed as part of the City of Sydney's George Street-based revamp. Designed by Tokyo-based architect and artist Junya Ishigami — winner of the coveted Golden Lion for Best Project at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale and visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design — Cloud Archwill act as a gateway to the soon-to-be pedestrian-friendly George Street, with the brand new light rail passing right underneath it — kind of like an elegant, minimalist Colossus of Rhodes for Sydney's CBD. "Green, global and connected are the characteristics of the new Sydney, and this new public space about to be created in George Street will be the exact manifestation of these qualities," says Ishigami. "Good public policy is not, in itself, enough — there is a need for a new symbol to embody and communicate these qualities to the world. The Cloud is that new symbol, comprehensible to all. The Cloud evokes comfort, openness and freedom." At 50 metres high and significantly ribbony, you might be wondering how Cloud Arch will stand up to those pesky CBD wind gusts or densely-populated flocks of art-hating birds. Using a single box beam as the central construction framework, Ishigami's tapered steel plates will apparently stand up to the elements without a hitch. Cloud Arch will also change shape from wherever you're getting a crick neck looking at it around the CBD, classic perspectival win (it should be visible from as far north as Wynyard station, the old site of the Coca Cola sign on Darlinghurst Road to the east and Liverpool Street to the south). Dates for Cloud Arch are yet to be announced.
If you live Camperdown, you may have noticed the stunning and speedy transformation of the suburb's dilapidated bowling club to a full blown urban farm. The space, now donned Camperdown Commons, consists of Pocket City Farms and Acre Eatery, which, with help from the Camperdown Project, turned the neglected space into a site for fresh organic produce and a farm-to-table restaurant to boot. The produce from the farm, headed by permaculturist Michael Zagoridis, will be used for the Acre menu, with enough for the community as well. Community is a major part of the PCF system — they will continue to host volunteer days, along with farm tours, slow-living workshops and a school education program. They're even starting yoga and meditation classes next week. The sustainable message doesn't just exist on the green, either, but reverberates in the restaurant. Acre is a gorgeous 350-seater, with beautiful wooden tables and Hamptons-style white chairs and booths. And while PCF hasn't yet had its first major harvest, fresh salad greens and edible flowers are already represented on the Acre menu. They're growing all seasonal produce, which, by necessity, makes the menu a truly seasonal one as well. "It's easy to say you're seasonal but we really need to follow it because people can see what's growing," says head chef Gareth Howard. "It keeps us pretty honest." Howard's background at Jamie's Italian in the UK paved the way for his interest and advocacy of farm-to-table. "The concept of Acre fit perfectly with my background, but this is on a whole new level to have [a farm] literally on your doorstep." They're going local and ethical on their protein as well, exclusively partnering with Vic's Meat Market, which guarantees full traceability of all of their meat. The menu uses some secondary cuts, like the beef cheek with oxtail and parsnip ($29) and the wagyu rump cap with garden béarnaise and pickled mushrooms ($34). Despite the delicious sounding meat, the team's favourite dish is actually the Acre garden salad ($14) – a hearty dish of winter vegetables, grains and hummus. "I know it's pretty rare for a chef to choose a salad as their favourite dish," says Howard. But co-owner Luke Heard, consultant for The Greens in North Sydney, and PCK General Manager, Emma Bowen, both agree. Both PCF and Acre are already partnering with locals as well, including using the spent grain from Young Henrys for compost — YH will also be represented on the beer taps, as well Camperdown locals Wayward Brewing. Acre eatery is open Wednesday to Thursday from 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm and Friday to Sunday from 8am to 3pm and 5pm to 10pm.
The future of Sydney's nightlife in the face of the NSW Government's infamous lockout laws might still be in a state of polarising uncertainty, but the perseverant bunch at nightlife lobby group Keep Sydney Open is attempting to reinvigorate one of Sydney's central night spots. After a Kings Cross-wide event back in July, KSO is taking over Darlinghurst for a day-to-night takeover of the areas best venues. Alongside the Darlinghurst Business Partnership, the collective will take over 16 (and counting) Darlo nightlife venues for a precinct festival on Saturday, October 21 from 3pm all the way through to 3.30am. You'll be able to ho between venues such as Shady Pines Saloon, Golden Age, The Unicorn, The Colombian, The Cliff Dive and Stonewall, each of which will be throwing their own parties all through the afternoon and night. Some events will be ticketed while others, like markets and outdoor activations, will be free to attend. "A report conducted by the Darlinghurst Business Partnership found that bars and clubs took a 33 percent hit to their turnover after the lockouts, but shockingly, daytime business fell by 25 percent," says KSO campaign director Tyson Koh. "It shows how far-reaching the effects of the lockouts are on all aspects of the city's vitality. There's a sense now, however, that things are heading in the right direction. Creating a vibrant city starts with us, which is why we're putting on Meet Me In Darlo. I think it's time we get out there, take back nightlife and take back our city!" Who will you find having a mad boogie within these venues? Well, that's all set to be revealed soon, along with the full program and ticketing details. So keep October 21 free and stay tuned. Meet Me in Darlo is happening across Darlinghurst on October 21 from 3pm till 3.30am. Tickets will go on sale soon here. Image: Kimberley Low.
Within the walls of Buon Ricordo, as if in Italy, that constant flow of chatter removes the need for music. The huge painting on the wall also transports you to Europe, with giant unfurling flower petals that resemble radicchio leaves. The sun streaming through the curtains leaves only a silhouetted hint of the plants outside. It's easy to imagine a rolling Tuscan landscape extending beyond them dotted with Cypress pines. It's also where you'll find some of the best Italian food in Sydney — focusing on refining the classic dishes without trying to reinvent the cuisine. The ingredients are allowed to taste as they ought to, not disguised by complex pretentiousness. A thinly sliced Hiramasa kingfish refreshes the palate and is marinated in gin and vermouth with candied orange and Campari crystals. The dishes move from light and refreshing to oozing with oil. However, as it is home grown extra virgin olive oil that's nearly good enough to sip on, the quantity is of no concern. The penne with cuttlefish ink sauce and braised cuttlefish with lemon zest and pecorino is divine and one of the highlights on the menu. Wines are introduced as though new people, their histories and characters explained. As soon as a glass is empty it is whisked away, replaced with a clean, promptly filled new one. The waiters' silently glide through the room with elegance, showing off their old school European style of service. Next is the gnocchi all vaccinara, a fresh made gnocchi served with oxtail ragu and a hint of cinnamon. It is deliciously rich and is equalled only by the panfried swordfish with sautéed cheery tomatoes, olives and capers. Above the kitchen several Buon Ricordo Association plates line the wall. Visitors to the member restaurants of the Italian Association are given ornate ceramic dishes to take home after polishing off their 'plato del giorno'. Underneath the Buon Ricordo plates sits 'Reg', a semi-permanent fixture at his corner table almost every Friday and Saturday. The main of Braciolette Reginaldo is a toast to him. Spinach is rolled within a crumbed veal escalope. Each bite of it releases parmesan and nutmeg. It is paired with a Villa Antinori, from the Sangiovese grape. The wine is so light that is it barely distinguishable as a red until it lingers on the tongue. The meal is finished with tort a diplomatica, a puff pastry layering with rum-soaked sponge, stewed pear and caramel served with a healthy does of vanilla bean ice-cream. It is the perfect finish to cap of a deliciously succulent meal at Buon Ricordo Ristorante. Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
If movies have taught us one thing, it's that you shouldn't feed gremlins after midnight. If movies have taught us a second thing, it's that hardened criminals are no match for a precocious eight-year-old played by Macaulay Culkin. But if movies have taught us a third thing, it's that you should never, ever, under any circumstances go into the water. Because that's where Jaws lives. Do you want to get eaten by Jaws? Didn't think so. Unfortunately, despite it basically being a straight-up fact that anyone who dips so much as a toe into the murky depths will 100 percent get eaten by a ravenous 25-foot shark, the lunatics at Golden Age Cinema are still insisting on screening Jaws in an outdoor pool right by the harbour. In partnership with Art & About Sydney, Golden Age will screen Steven Spielberg's quintessential summer blockbuster crucial public safety announcement on back-to-back evenings in late January 2016 at Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool on Woolloomooloo Bay. Tickets go on sale in November, with the option for floating or 'beachside' seating. The screening will be accompanied by ocean-inspired beverages and fresh seafood, as well as guest talks designed to dispel myths about our toothy aquatic friends. Although frankly, headlines like this aren't exactly helping their case. In the meantime, Golden Age are also hosting a car park screening of Blade Runner in late November, complete with food, music, artwork and a futuristic night market. It promises to be a transportive event, even (or especially) if you fear self-aware AI as much as you do sharks.
Focusing on natural and minimal intervention wines, Where's Nick is a sign of things to come in Sydney's wine bar market, and also for the suburb of Marrickville. The area has seen a slate of new operators heading in recently, and the brothers — Julian and Dominic Abouzeid — behind the new venue took over a cake shop after noticing the area had an up and coming market and little competition. They kept the cake shop sign out the front but the long bar, bottle display and chalk board of wines by the glass let you know things have changed. It's said that wine with less chemicals gives you less of a hangover (we can't make any promises), so, with that in mind, pick from the rotating selection of 25 wines which feature small and sustainable producers. For anyone who isn't sure if they buy into the natural wine movement, Where's Nick is a good place to start. After all, it did win Wine Bar of the Year in 2019 for a reason. Now, award winning sommelier Bridget Raffal (Formerly at Sixpenny) is running the bar while the brothers keep next door at the Goblin Wine Shop, ready for all your takeaway needs. The menu by head chef Leila Khazma is Mediterranean inspired. It's snack-centred with plates made to share. Think a crunchy and rich potato galette with confit artichoke and a creamy pecorino custard. Or, keep it simple with some house-made focaccia with extra-virgin olive oil. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Sydney's 4 Pines Brewpub is not just about beers — it's in the food game too, with delicious burgers, steaks and other classics available in its original Manly brewery. Think dishes like kale and quinoa veggie burgers with pickled red onions, pappadams, beetroot chutney and coriander; grilled barramundi with coconut rice, pickled greens and paw paw; and the Brewpub burger with an Angus beef patty, smoked bacon, American cheese and pickles. Sides-wise, you can opt for cornflake-crumbed chicken tenders, a serving of mac and cheese, charred ciabatta bread and cauliflower topped with tahini yoghurt, mushrooms and lemon. Apart from beer, there's also a modest supply of wines and spirits on offer at 4 Pines Brewpub, plus a cocktail menu that is designed to be enjoyed while looking over the sea. Appears in: The Best Sydney Brewery Bars for 2023
Within a couple of hours' drive of Sydney, there are hidden caves for cooling off in, huge sandstone caves for camping (with 50 or so of your closest mates), beachside caves for picnicking, tunnel caves for meeting glow worms in and river caves for swimming. In short, there are a lot of caves, even if you won't run into them when tucked up in town. However, these primeval landmarks are ripe for adventure – and often closer than you'd think. Here are the ten best caves near Sydney we think you should visit. Recommended reads: The Best Swimming Holes in Sydney The Best Hikes in Sydney The Best Coastal Walks in Sydney The Best Rivers for Swimming in Sydney [caption id="attachment_554861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Robert Montgomery via Flickr[/caption] Caves Beach, Lake Macquarie Caves Beach is no misnomer. This magical shoreline is famous for the labyrinth of caves found at its southern end. They're only explorable at low tide, so be sure to time your visit according to the charts. Whether the sun gets a little hot or the wind picks up, you can find a serene refuge inside these monumental lairs. You'll find Caves Beach 130 kilometres north of Sydney, just south of Swansea Heads, which is where Lake Macquarie joins the sea. Plus, a handful of charming restaurants and cafes are just up the beach. Bring some camping supplies — and a good book — and camp out until the tide starts to change. [caption id="attachment_703034" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dee Kramer for Destination NSW[/caption] Cave Beach, Jervis Bay Not to be confused with the aforementioned Caves Beach, Cave Beach is located on the other side of Sydney in Booderee National Park — about a three-hour drive south of Sydney. As well as its namesake cave at the western end of the beach, it is known for its turquoise waters, primed for snorkelling, surfing and swimming. If planning on spending the night there, you'll find a secluded campsite 300 metres from the beach. While waking up to the sound of the ocean is already idyllic, this break is a choice destination for beginner surfers, thanks to its soft rolling waves. Meanwhile, a friendly kangaroo troupe regularly wanders through to graze on the grass. Pindar Cave, Brisbane Water Contemplating a cave party? Pindar Cave might well be your first choice. It's an enormous overhang made of sandstone that can accommodate as many as 50 explorers at once. And you're perfectly welcome to stay the night, with this vast sheltered space helping to keep you dry and warm if the weather turns south. To reach Pindar, jump on a Central Coast or Newcastle-bound train to Wondabyne Station. From there, the cave is located about two hours on foot. If you're driving up, there are several places to park your car before venturing into the national park. While a little more effort than others on this list, Pindar Cave certainly won't disappoint. [caption id="attachment_790431" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Tran via Department of Planning, Industry and Environment[/caption] Glow Worm Tunnel, Wollemi National Park Strictly speaking, this isn't a cave. It's a 400-metre-long, disused train tunnel that used to form part of the Wolgan Valley Railway. Glow Worm Tunnel may be rocky and dark, but there are stacks of glow worms hidden within. So we could hardly be expected to leave it off the list. You'll find it about 30 kilometres northeast of Lithgow. The best way to arrive is via a five-kilometre stroll along what used to be the railway, which you can even work into an overnight hike. But if you're short on time, drive further and reduce the walk to just one kilometre. While you're there, please avoid flashing torches, smoking, lighting fires, making a racket and, most importantly, touching the glow worms — they're fragile creatures and easily killed. And if you want to explore the area over a few days, we recommend staying at this local treehouse accommodation – it offers the ideal base amongst the gum trees when off making bioluminescent discoveries. [caption id="attachment_554836" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Aidan Casey via Flickr[/caption] Palona Cave, Royal National Park Made of limestone, Palona Cave stands out in the mostly sandstone Royal National Park as it comes with exotic furnishings like stalagmites and stalactites. That also means it's a lovely place to cool off, made even more refreshing by a nearby waterfall cascading through the rainforest (to find it, follow the track another 20 metres). Getting to Palona Cave involves walking or cycling a couple of kilometres along the relatively flat Lady Carrington Drive (rom the crossroads with Sir Bertram Stevens Drive), just an hour's drive from Sydney. [caption id="attachment_554843" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steve via Flickr[/caption] Fig Tree Cave, Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve The Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve's caves are a dazzling series of natural limestone structures. The most visited is Fig Tree Cave, which can be explored via a self-guided tour, and is crowded with all kinds of striking 'cave furniture', from stalagmites and stalactites to helictites and cave coral. Leave yourself enough time to swim in the stunning Wombeyan Gorge, and pay attention to your surroundings, as this part of the world is a haven for endangered creatures. You can always stay the night too, as there's a campground, cabins and private accommodation. The Wombeyan Caves are in the Southern Highlands, about 250 kilometres southwest of Sydney. [caption id="attachment_703039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Harvey via Flickr [/caption] River Caves Canyon, Newnes Plateau Even though River Caves is a canyon, you don't need abseiling skills to visit. All you have to do is walk in. That said, you can expect to get your knees – and maybe even your thighs – wet, as most of the trail is more of a creek. But chances are you'll be so awed by the towering sandstone walls surrounding you that you'll hardly notice. River Caves Canyon is on the Newnes Plateau in the Gardens of Stone National Park, about 180 kilometres northwest of Sydney. Navigating your way there can be tricky, but there are some helpful instructions over here. Pack a dry change of clothes and some water shoes if you happen to have some handy. [caption id="attachment_554835" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Adam J.W.C. via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Wind Cave, Blue Mountains This extraordinary structure is the creation of wind erosion. As a result, the walls are covered in tiny, intricate formations that have the colour and look of honeycomb. Being far taller than it is deep, it feels a bit like a giant's picnic spot. The views are beautiful, incorporating the Grose Valley and Mount Banks. To reach Wind Cave, head to Blackheath and take Hat Hill Road all the way to the end, before following the signs leading to Anvil Rock. From there, it's only a 200-metre walk from the carpark. If you have the option, timing your visit with sunset means catching the vast landscape as it bursts to life in golden hues. [caption id="attachment_553972" align="alignnone" width="1280"] NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service[/caption] Red Hands Cave, Ku-Ring-Gai National Park The Red Hands Cave is one of Ku-ring-gai National Park's most well-known sites for Indigenous heritage, not to mention one of the best preserved. On the walls, you'll see colourful ochre handprints that were pressed onto the rocky surface as far back as 1,600 years ago. According to local historians, the ancient artists would chew a mixture of ochre and water, then blow it over their resting hand to form a stencil. Red Hands Cave is a short walk from Resolute Picnic Area in Ku-ring-gai's West Head section. For a longer journey, continue along the Aboriginal Heritage Walk, a nearly five-kilometre loop featuring more art, engravings and a historic shelter that culminates with the enchanting Resolute Beach. Note: Red Hands Cave is temporarily closed for works, with no scheduled reopening date confirmed. [caption id="attachment_703035" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Needless to say, we couldn't exclude this classic. In Jenolan Caves, 175 kilometres west of Sydney, you'll discover some of the most ridiculously beautiful rocks on the planet. There are nine caves altogether, filled with limestone formations, pristine underground rivers and secret chambers. The only way to visit is by tour. Choose the cave that most appeals to you — take it easy with a one-hour Imperial Cave Tour or get an adrenaline hit on an abseiling escapade. Either way, impressive lighting and walkways make it easier to get a clear and up-close experience with the cave's millennia-old features. Note: Jenolan Caves are currently closed due to flooding and major road repairs, with a reopening date yet to be confirmed. Top image: Andrew Harvey via Flickr.
We know that ambience is what makes or breaks a good swim. After all, being immersed in water is one of the most sensory experiences a human can have – it can soothe, excite, intimidate, challenge and even transcend. A well-designed swimming pool is all part of this encounter as our bodies relinquish control to what we see, hear and feel. If you're thinking of your local 25-metre community pool — don't . There are some incredibly designed, amazingly functional and just downright beautiful pools out there, designed by architects with sustainability, accessibility and even Feng Shui in mind. Whether you're a serious swimmer, design enthusiast, or just a general lover of good aesthetics, these are ten of the best architecturally designed public swimming pools in the world. So pack your one-piece and your goggles, and add these blue beauties to your next overseas itinerary. [caption id="attachment_557381" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Slangen + Koenis Architecten[/caption] 'DE HEUVELRAND' VOORTHUIZEN SWIMMING POOL — VOORTHUIZEN, NETHERLANDS In Voorthuizen, a slopping roofline of blond timber provides the ideal vista for your backstroke. Built as a new facility in an area of development, the building has been designed by Slangen + Koenis Architecten as one large stone block with masses cut out of it — those masses complementing the function and orientation of the pool itself. This bright, neutral interior brings simplicity to slugging laps and, importantly, allows for the pool to be overseen by one employee. Built on a landscaped lawn and surrounded by a forest, you can be assured that swimmers' lungs breathe easy here. [caption id="attachment_557386" align="alignnone" width="1280"] MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects[/caption] REGENT PARK AQUATIC CENTRE — TORONTO, CANADA The revitalisation of Regent Park Aquatic Centre goes hand-in-hand with the transitional community in which it is located. Designed as a local meeting place for many of the area's socially marginalised and migrant communities, this 'Pavilion in the Park' brings an existing outdoor pool indoors for a variety of purposes. The facility's design — done by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects — reflects this appropriately in a number of ways; the aquatics hall provides spaces for cultural groups interested in private swimming, whilst also being the first facility in Canada to employ the use of universal change rooms which no longer separate males and females. Instead, private change cubicles in common change rooms are used to address cultural and gender identity issues and to enhance safety. [caption id="attachment_557393" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Zaha Hadid Architects[/caption] LONDON AQUATICS CENTRE — LONDON, ENGLAND Built by Zaha Hadid Architects for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the naked eye may see a mass of concrete and water at the London Aquatic Centre. Considering the space a bit more closely though, its architectural conception lives in the fluidity of water in motion and the riverside landscapes surrounding Olympic Park. It's an example of what great design can do on a large scale. Created to accommodate over 17,000 spectators, the billowing roof sweeps from the ground upwards to swathe three different pools, but also remains distinctly relevant to the needs of the public in its 'legacy' use after the Olympics. [caption id="attachment_557396" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Camillo Botticini Architect[/caption] CENTRO NATATORIO MOMPIANO — BRESCIA, ITALY Built to reflect its urban environment, this pool is unadorned and pretty much all you need to live out your days of serene swimming. Compact brown clinker bricks cut harsh lines across the horizon to make this facility seem more of an art gallery than anywhere where you'd work up a sweat — and that's perfectly alright with us. The outside also makes its way into the facility's heart, where the bricks continue their precision to render the pool spaces light and effortless. Designed by Camillo Botticini Architect, together with Francesco Craca, Arianna Foresti and Nicola Martinoli, it's great example of how pure functionality can shine without even coming close to boring or bland. [caption id="attachment_557401" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Urbane Kultur[/caption] PISCINE TOURNESOL — STRASBOURG, FRANCE The recent refurbishment (by French architects, Urbane Kultur) of this decades-old pool has brought Lingolsheim, just outside of Strasbourg, into the modern day. Airy and full of natural light, this modish design isn't too far off feeling like it's from the future; the spaceship-like complex is one of over 183 dome-shaped swimming pools built by the French government during the 1980s to encourage more citizens to swim. The dome has been constructed with a self-supporting frame so the inside of the tournesol — that's 'sunflower' in French — is column-free inside. Also inspired by the way sunflowers angle themselves towards the sun, sliding panels within the building allow the structure to be opened during summer. [caption id="attachment_508411" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Neeson Murcutt Architects[/caption] PRINCE ALFRED PARK POOL — SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Perhaps the most accessible swimming pool on this list, a visit to Prince Alfred Park Pool should be mandatory for every visitor to (or resident of) Sydney. Designed by Neeson Murcutt Architects as part of the invigoration of Redfern's Prince Alfred Park in 2013, a swim here invites immediate invocation of a long, hot Australian summer at the pool. Built cleverly amongst a 'folded landscape' of native grasses to both protect the green space of this inner urban area and provide swimmers with some protection, the facility is, at once, confined and imposing. Yellow umbrellas and palm trees make this architectural space a little less serious than most, but no less impressive. [caption id="attachment_557409" align="alignnone" width="1280"] DRD Architecture[/caption] AQUATIC CENTRE LOUVIERS — LOUVIERS, FRANCE One for pastel lovers, the aquatic centre at Louviers in France is nothing short of a sorbet dream. Situated amongst landscaped waterways, as well as being nestled against a downtown railway and highway, DRD Architecture decided to draw inspiration from the linear structures of the environment when planning the identity of this project. And it shows. The insides of the facility transmit a fluidity of volume — in lines and in water — to its outdoor spaces, whilst the flux of visitors to centre contribute to this transience. Built in consideration of natural light, energy saving and minimal impact on the environment, Aquatic Centre Louviers is one swimming pool designed for the ages. [caption id="attachment_557415" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Herzog & de Meuron[/caption] NATURBAD RIEHEN — RIEHEN, SWITZERLAND Switzerland is known for its awe-inspiring landscapes, so it makes sense that nature would be front of mind for any architect working alongside the outdoors. Years of unrealised proposals for conventional swimming pools in the town of Riehen finally gave way to the natural approach: a biologically filtered bathing lake. Visitors swim in a naturally filtered lake that is kept clean using aqua plants and layers of soil, sand and gravel, delivering an experience that is free of chlorine and traditional machinery. Whilst the bath — designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron — contributes to the rise in popularity of natural swimming pools across Europe, it also pays homage to the traditional riverside baths of older generations. LEÇA SWIMMING POOLS — LEÇA DE PALMEIRA, PORTUGAL Built in 1966 by renowned Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, the swimming pools at Leça are today internationally recognised. Graceful and beautiful in its aging, the facility is lowered into the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean and provides visitors with a wonderful blur between the natural and manmade. Ocean sounds bounce off the natural stone walls as visitors walk through the sloping entry point, where they are then met with swimming pools built amongst the coastline's natural rock formations. In almost all instances the water level of the pool and ocean appear to be equal, connecting the swimmer with the expanse of their surrounds. [caption id="attachment_557433" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Mikou Studio[/caption] AQUAZENA — PARIS, FRANCE Designed by Mikou Studio for the City of Issy-les-Moulineaux southwest of Paris last year, this is definitely not your ordinary public swimming pool. Whilst smooth concrete walls, rounded windows and doorways with similar curved edges exude a late 1970s feeling, Feng Shui specialist Laurence Dujardin has also contributed to the calm, minimal aesthetic, resulting in a facility that uses the traditions of Chinese space-planning to create a naturally lit, uncluttered and fluid space. In particular, skylights allow daylight to filter through the swimming area, whilst a grassy rooftop solarium sits above. The external walls of the facility also feature undulating wooden slats to reflect the circular movements of water, movement and energy. Top image: AquaZena by Mikou Studio.
If you're a film and TV obsessive, how do you know that a new year has kicked off? Hollywood starts handing out awards. Tinseltown loves starting off the annual calendar by looking backwards, giving away trophies and having parties, with the Golden Globes 2025's first ceremony to celebrate on-screen achievements from the past 12 months — in cinemas and on television. 2025's accolades, rewarding 2024's big- and small-screen fare, took place on Monday, January 6 Australian time. Accordingly, there's now a brand-new batch of Golden Globes recipients for viewers to watch — or rewatch. Some, like The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, haven't made their way Down Under just yet (they each arrive later in January), but plenty of others are ready and waiting for audiences to catch ASAP. Haven't seen Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Kieran Culkin (Succession) play bickering cousins yet? Keen to relive every thrilling, heartbreaking and tense moment of Shogun? Fancy watching Baby Reindeer on your iPhon iPhone? Need a reason to shout "yes chef!". Feel like defying gravity? Eager for a dose of The Substance? They're just some of the 11 movies and TV shows that you can make a date with right now. (Wondering what else won, too? Read through the full list as well.) Movie Must-Sees A Real Pain He didn't feature on-screen in his first film as a writer/director, but 2022's When You Finish Saving the World couldn't have sprung from anyone but Jesse Eisenberg. Neither could've 2024's A Real Pain. In the latter, the Fleishman Is in Trouble actor plays the anxious part, and literally. He's David Kaplan, with his character a bundle of nerves about and during his trip to Poland with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, Succession) — a pilgrimage that they're making in honour of their grandmother, who survived the Second World War, started a new life for their family in the US in the process and has recently passed away. David is highly strung anyway, though. One source of his woes: the ease with which Benji seems to move through his days, whether he's making new friends in their tour group within seconds of being introduced or securing a stash of weed for the journey. With A Real Pain as with When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg is shrewdly and committedly examining an inescapable question: what is real pain, and who feels it? Are David's always-evident neuroses more worthy of worry than the despondency that Benji shuttles behind his carefree facade, and is it okay for either to feel the way they do, with their comfortable lives otherwise, in the shadow of such horrors such as the Holocaust? As a filmmaker, Eisenberg keeps interrogating what he knows: A Real Pain's main train of thought, which was When You Finish Saving the World's as well, is one that he ponders himself. Although he's not penning and helming strictly autobiographical movies, his latest does crib some details from reality, swapping out an IRL aunt for a fictional grandmother, as well as a trip that Eisenberg took with his wife for a cousins' act of tribute. It's no wonder, then, that he keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them. With A Real Pain, he also turns in a stellar performance of his own and directs another from Culkin, who steps into Benji's shoes like he wears them himself everyday (and takes on a part that his director originally had earmarked for himself). Thrumming at the heart of the dramedy, and in its two main players, is a notion that demands facing head-on, too: that experiencing our own pain, whether big or small, world-shattering or seemingly trivial, or personal or existential, is never a minor matter. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Kieran Culkin). Where to watch it: A Real Pain is screening in cinemas Down Under. Read our interview with Jesse Eisenberg. The Substance If you suddenly looked like society's ideal, how would it change your life? The Substance asks this. In a completely different way, so does fellow Golden Globe-winner A Different Man (see: below), too — but when Revenge's Coralie Fargeat is leading the charge on her long-awaited sophomore feature and earning Cannes' Best Screenplay Award for her troubles, the result is a new body-horror masterpiece. Pump it up: the sci-fi concept; the stunning command of sound, vision and tone; the savagery and smarts; the gonzo willingness to keep pushing and parodying; the gore (and there's gore); and the career-reviving performance from Demi Moore (Landman). The Substance's star has popped up in Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World in recent years, but her work as Elisabeth Sparkle not only defines this period of her life as an actor; even with an on-screen resume dating back to 1981, and with the 80s- and 90s-era likes of St Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure to her name, she'll always be known for this from this point onwards, regardless of whether awards keep rolling in. Turning 50 isn't cause for celebration for Elisabeth. She's already seen film roles pass her by over the years; on her birthday, she's now pushed out of her long-running gig hosting an aerobics show. Enter a solution, as well as another 'what if?' question: if you could reclaim your youth by injecting yourself with a mysterious liquid, would you? Here, The Substance's protagonist takes the curious serum. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley, Drive-Away Dolls), who helps Elisabeth wind back time — and soon wants Elisabeth's time as her own. Just like someone seeking the glory days that she thinks are behind her via any means possible, Fargeat isn't being subtle with The Substance, not for a second. She goes big and brutal instead, and audacious and morbid as well, and this is the unforgettable picture it is because of it. No one holds back — not Elisabeth, not Sue, not Moore, not the also-fantastic Qualley, not Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) eating shrimp, not Fargeat, and definitely not cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) or composer Raffertie (99). Globes Won: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Demi Moore). Where to watch it: The Substance streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. A Different Man Two of 2024's best films have one person in common: Sebastian Stan. In cinemas in Australia, The Apprentice and A Different Man released within weeks of each other; as well as making a helluva double feature, they boast two of the finest performances of the year as well. In both movies, the former Gossip Girl star with the best taste in picking interesting parts — see also: Logan Lucky, I, Tonya, Destroyer, Monday, Fresh and Pam & Tommy — plays men chasing a dream that turns out to be a nightmare: once as a certain US real-estate tycoon-turned-reality TV host and then president, and once as a struggling actor who desperately wants a new face. When A Different Man's Edward Lemuel undertakes an experimental treatment for neurofibromatosis, his disfigurement disappears; however, his hopes for stardom, or even just to feature in his playwright neighbour's (Renate Reinsve, Presumed Innocent) off-Broadway production about his own life and attract her romantic interest, can't be grasped that easily. Also turning in an excellent portrayal is Adam Pearson (Ruby Splinter) as Oswald, who has a firmer grasp on the existence that Edward so feverishly covets without any medical intervention. Writer/director Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life) knows that The Elephant Man will spring to many audiences' minds — and astutely probes and questions why in a film that is unflinching in its exploration of perception, prejudice, identity, authenticity and self-worth. As it muses on what it takes to accept yourself and ignore the world's feedback, too, and whether external change can bring about an internal transformation, A Different Man also pairs exceptionally well with The Substance (see: above). Styling his feature as a psychological thriller as much as a black comedy, Schimberg refuses to let any moment pass by without needling, probing and unpacking. He digs into not only the mindsets that surround Edward, but equally explores the character's own view as he reinvents himself — with his new Sebastian Stan good looks — as newcomer Guy Moratz. It might have a few kindred spirits in various ways among 2024's highlights, but nothing else truly like this has reached screens in years. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Sebastian Stan). Where to watch it: A Different Man streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Challengers Tennis is a game of serves, shots, slices and smashes, and also of approaches, backhands, rallies and volleys. Challengers is a film of each, too, plus a movie about tennis. As it follows a love triangle that charts a path so back and forth that its ins and outs could be carved by a ball being hit around on the court, it's a picture that takes its aesthetic, thematic and emotional approach from the sport that its trio of protagonists are obsessed with as well. Tennis is everything to Tashi Duncan (Zendaya, Dune: Part Two), Art Donaldson (Mike Faist, West Side Story) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor, La Chimera), other than the threesome themselves being everything to each other. It's a stroke of genius to fashion the feature about them around the game they adore, then. Metaphors comparing life with a pastime are easy to coin. Movies that build such a juxtaposition into their fabric are far harder to craft. But it's been true of Luca Guadagnino for decades: he's a craftsman. Jumping from one Dune franchise lead to another, after doing Call Me By Your Name and Bones and All with Timothée Chalamet, Guadagnino proves something else accurate that's been his cinematic baseline: he's infatuated with the cinema of yearning. Among his features so far, only in Bones and All was the hunger for connection literal. The Italian director didn't deliver cannibalism in Call Me By Your Name and doesn't in Challengers, but longing is the strongest flavour in all three, and prominent across the filmmaker's Suspiria, A Bigger Splash and I Am Love also. So, combine the idea of styling a movie around a tennis match — one spans its entire duration, in fact — with a lusty love triangle, romantic cravings and three players at the top of their field, then this is the sublime end product. Challengers is so smartly constructed, so well thought-out down to every meticulous detail, so sensual and seductive, and so on point in conveying Tashi plus Art and Patrick's feelings, that it's instantly one of Guadagnino's grand slams. Globes Won: Best Original Score — Motion Picture (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). Where to watch it: Challengers streams via Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review, as well as what Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist had to say about the film when they were in Australia. Wicked The colour scheme was always a given. "Pink goes good with green," Galinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) tells Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Luther: The Fallen Sun). "It goes well with green," the grammar-correcting reply bounces back. The songs, beloved echoing from the stage since 2003, were never in doubt as both centrepieces and a soundtrack. As a theatre-kid obsession for decades, it was also long likely that the big-screen adaptation of Wicked — a movie based on a musical springing from a book that offered a prequel to a film that walked the celluloid road 85 years ago, itself jumping from the page to the screen — would have big theatre-kid energy as it attempted to ensure that its magic enchants across mediums. Enough to fill every theatre on Broadway radiates from Grande alone, someone who, as a kid, won an auction to meet the OG Wicked good witch Kristin Chenoweth (Our Little Secret) backstage. That enthusiasm is impossible not to feel. No one would ever want a muted Wicked, where the hues, in yellow bricks and emerald cities and more, weren't trying to compete with Technicolor — and the tunes, with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) voices previously behind them in such full force, weren't belted to the rafters. Jon M Chu has a knack as a filmmaker of stage hits reaching cinemas: matching the vibe of the show he's taking on expertly. It was true of his version of In the Heights. It now proves the case in its own different way with Wicked. Achieving such a feat isn't always a given; sometimes, even when it does happen, and blatantly, any stage spark can be lost in translation (see: Cats). Again, movie viewers can feel that synergy, and how much it means to everyone involved. Globes Won: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Where to watch it: Wicked is screening in cinemas Down Under, and streams via YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our interview with production designer Nathan Crowley. Small-Screen Standouts Hacks Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. The HBO comedy gave viewers a two-year wait, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returned better than ever in season three in 2024, this time charting Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. (Yes, fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now this.) At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Back in Vanceland , everything is gleaming — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. Globes Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jean Smart). Where to watch it: Hacks streams via Stan. Read our full review. Shōgun Casting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4), Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as its three leads is one of Shōgun's masterstrokes. The new ten-part adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 novel — following a first version in 1980 that featured Japanese icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune — makes plenty of other excellent moves, but this is still pivotal. Disney+'s richly detailed samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, making having three complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada plays Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is among the political candidates vying to take control of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman who is also tasked with translating. Each character's tale encompasses much more than those descriptions, of course, and the portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. As Game of Thrones and Succession both were, famously so, Shōgun is another drama that's all about fighting for supremacy. Like just the former, too, it's another sweeping epic series as well. Although it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll seize power and stepping into sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. The scale is grand, and yet it doesn't skimp on intimacy, either. The minutiae is meticulous, demanding that attention is paid to everything at all times. Gore is no stranger from the get-go. Opening in the 17th century, the series finds Japan in crisis mode, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first Englishmen that've made it to the nation — much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants from Portugal. Getting drawn in, including by the performances, is instantaneous. Shōgun proves powerful and engrossing immediately, and lavish and precisely made as well, with creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) doing a spectacular job of bringing it to streaming queues. Globes Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Hiroyuki Sanada), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Anna Sawai), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Tadanobu Asano). Where to watch it: Shōgun streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Globes Won: Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Jessica Gunning). Where to watch it: Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. The Bear Serving up another sitting with acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw), his second-in-charge Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2) and their team after dishing up one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, the third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every series that proves as swift a success as this, after delivering as exceptional a first and second season as any show could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, the latest ten episodes ruminate on as Carmy faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in dealing with cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this third The Bear course, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered as it picks up in the aftermath of sandwich diner The Original Beef of Chicagoland relaunching as fine-diner The Bear, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jeremy Allen White). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. The Penguin Ambition courses through The Penguin, both within its storyline and in bringing the spinoff from 2022's The Batman to the small screen. HBO might be giving a swathe of its cinema hits the TV treatment, including Dune, IT, Harry Potter and The Conjuring; however, there's nothing by the numbers about Oswald Cobb's time in the television spotlight. With Colin Farrell reprising the show's titular role, and starring in two of 2024's standout new series in the process alongside Sugar, The Penguin isn't a mere attempted caped-crusader cash-in, as some fare about nefarious folks connected to well-known heroes have proven (see: Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter). Across its compulsively watchable eight-episode first season, this crime drama has more than a touch of The Sopranos and The Godfather films about it — and not only is it aiming high in endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of two of the greatest mob stories ever told but, as developed and co-written by Lauren LeFranc (Impulse, Agents of SHIELD), it heartily earns its place in their company. Never forgetting who it is about and what Oz's future path is, no matter how much viewers start to warm to him throughout the series, The Penguin is also responsible for one of the most-heartbreaking moments of the past year. Set after the events of The Batman — a big-screen sequel to which, aka The Batman — Part II, is on the way — the show steps back into Oz's life as he's chasing his own ambitions. After years spent as an underling, including as the righthand man to Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong, Dune: Prophecy), he has his sights set on more than just doing everyone else's bidding. Complicating this quest for power: that it coincides with the release of Carmine's daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti, The Resort) from Arkham, and she isn't willing to simply do what she's told by the new Falcone underboss (Michael Kelly, Pantheon). As Oz navigates a turf war also involving incarcerated rival Sal Marone (Clancy Brown, Gen V), The Penguin keeps his exploits personal through his demential-afflicted mother (Deirdre O'Connell, The Big Door Prize) requiring his care, and with kindhearted teenager Vic Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz, Encanto) trying to steal Oz's rims but ending up with a job as his driver. A grounded waddle into the supervillain realm, and boasting exceptional — and rightly Golden Globe-winning and -nominated, respectively — performances from Farrell and Milioti, this is comics-to-screen storytelling at its best. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Colin Farrell). Where to watch it: The Penguin streams via Binge. True Detective: Night Country Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, True Detective has returned as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. This is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. In handing over the reins, Pizzolatto's police procedural never-standard police procedural is a powerhouse again, and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date the investigation in the new season, a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. Globes Won: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Jodie Foster). Where to watch it: True Detective: Night Country streams via Binge. Read our full review.
These days, new restaurants love to shout about their ethical practices from the rooftop. A decade ago, this was less common. So, when sustainable seafood restaurant Love Fish popped up on the scene in Rozelle, it made quite the splash. Led by Michelle Grand-Milkovic and Michael Milkovic, Love Fish set about proving that sustainability didn't need to be adopted at the expense of innovation — and, in fact, it could do the opposite. In 2018, the couple brought these values to Barangaroo's waterfront with a second iteration of Love Fish. Here, you can expect the same focus on fresh, locally and sustainably sourced goods prepared with simple techniques that hero the produce. That means dishes like salt and pepper calamari with chorizo powder and wasabi mayo; chargrilled octopus with roasted chickpeas and tahini; and grilled Coral Coast barramundi fillet with butternut pumpkin, basil pearl couscous and marinated goat's feta. The wine list is equally considered with the majority of labels sourced from Australia and New Zealand. It's easy to see why Love Fish has been on of the best seafood restaurants in Sydney for many years. Images: Nikki To
Japan’s beloved illustrator, director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is once again helping us believe in the good of humanity with his latest passion project. Miyazaki is building a park on Kume Island, in the Okinawa Prefecture, a park intended to preserve and celebrate nature and remind children that, to quote Miyazaki himself, “It’s good to be alive.” Pass the tissues please ;_;. The park, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, will inhabit 10,000 square metres of pristine forest and Miyazaki has donated $2.5 million towards the project. Although he is often touted as the Walt Disney of Japan, their parks couldn’t be more dissimilar. Miyazaki’s park will have room for just 30 guests, which leaves a whole lot of space for running through the woods and recreating iconic scenes from Princess Mononoke. And construction and development will be centred around using only local building techniques, resources and labour so you know, it’s the exact opposite of a soulless Disney theme park (and far removed from the beautifully depressing Banksy kind). Here's the plan for Miyazaki's pristine nature park: Perhaps you'll find a few little trolls in the woods: Or little kodama doing their thing: Or a casual forest spirit, hangin': Miyazaki has always been an unwavering social critic, picking apart the wrongs of society in both his films and his public commentary. The countless allegories for environmentalism in his films are not lost on the audience but unlike many celebrity crusaders, he can often be found quietly doing the hard yards as well. Earlier this year he ran a mass public clean-up of the Fuchi no Mori forest, which he saved from development 20 years earlier with a $2.56 million dollar donation, and which is believed to have inspired the setting of My Neighbour Totoro. In the 2013 documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness he told documentarian Mami Sunada of walking to work every day with a rubbish bag in hand to clean up the streets and spending his weekend in gumboots, cleaning up the local river. He might actually be the river spirit from Spirited Away. So, now we all have a few new items to add to the bucket list, including ‘clean rivers’, ‘visit Kume’ and ‘become modern day version of Princess Mononoke’. All are now possible. Via Good Magazine.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales is getting nude, and not nude in some kind of metaphorical minimalist kind of way. Nude in the most literal sense of the word. The full frontal kind. And really, is there any better way to celebrate summer that getting your kit off? Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at the Art Gallery of NSW in January 2017 you can. Well, not really, thats all kinds of illegal. But you can go see the Art Gallery's celebration of nudity in their major summer after-hours program, Nude at Night. Hinged around the Nude: Art from the Tate collection, Nude at Night is a free series of talks, live music, nude-themed film screenings, guided tours from local artists and thinkers, as well as nearly-nude drawing workshops (the best kind of workshop). In association with the Sydney Festival, our limber friends from the Sydney Dance Company will also be performing a work inspired by the exhibition. The cornerstone exhibition Nude will display more than 100 iconic works by iconic artists such as Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Henri Matisse and Louise Bourgeois. After a night of admiring the human form, you're invited to wind down at the pop-up bar in the gallery forecourt. Each Nude at Night will have a different theme. Wednesdays are all about talks, with prominent Australian writers taking to the stage to compose fictional backstories to the featured artworks. The lineup includes some top writers including Christos Tsiolkas, Linda Jaivin, Benjamin Law, Anita Heiss and Michael Leunig. Thursday nights take on a more philosophical edge, with thinkers from The School of Life gathering to discuss writing and theories behind the fluid concepts of nudity and nakedness. Topping off your week the best way possible is the 'Nearly Nude' drawing workshops on Friday nights, conveniently located in the pop-up bar every Friday eve in January. Nude at Night kicks off Wednesday, January 4 and runs until Friday, January 27 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. For more information about nightly events, please visit the Nude at Night website.
From the folks behind Grandma's and The Wild Rover is Bistecca, an Italian steakhouse that specialise in Tuscany's top chop, the bistecca alla Fiorentine. Duck in the back alley entrance on Dalley Street and emerge two stories below in a charmingly quaint Italian restaurant, as smooth and polished as its crooning jazz soundtrack. Despite the Carrara marble wraparound bar and beautiful farmhouse furnishings, all eyes are on the butcher's block, which is topped with a bright crimson slab of steaks tracked with veins of creamy marbled fat. Just like pizza, soccer and leather man bags, Italians take their bistecca very seriously, and, as such, there are strict rules that govern its cooking and eating. In Florence, the ancient Chianina cow breed is used, but due to the impractical nature of importing it, Bistecca has opted for a local alternative, a high quality black Angus beef from the Riverine region of NSW. In Florence, T-bones are cooked either rare or bleu, at Bistecca medium rare is the default. If you ask for well done, you won't be asked to leave, as per the Italian tradition. Once you've selected your steak size, the flesh is presented to you for approval. It's then thrown on an open hearth to spit and sizzle on a bonfire of charcoal and ironbark branches. To distract you from staring at the fire all night, mouth agape, drool puddling, Bistecca diverts its diners with an edible candle made from beef dripping. It's not quite as good as Heston's white chocolate and caramel-filled candle, but the tallow has a simple stocky flavour and the whole thing is good old fashioned fun. Around 40 minutes after ordering, steaks arrive sliced and ready for attack. Ours is cooked to perfection, the fillet is blushing while the sirloin is ruby red and wobbly, the fat rendered like room temperature butter. It's scantily dressed, naked except the salt and pepper, olive oil and a cheek of lemon. Each mouthful reveals unadulterated beefy pleasure, a satisfying savouriness and a soft, relaxed texture. Create your own meat and three vegetables with a sample from the sides menu. Traditional accompaniments include pecorino and truffle honey, salty picks like sardines with tomato, parsley and kalamata olives and more complex accompaniments, like our pick: the delightfully creamy ricotta gnocchi with walnut ragu, shimeji mushrooms and bocconcini. There's enough variation for those less carnivorous diners in the group, since these can be enjoyed separately. The extensive wine list celebrates two of Italy's great grapes, nebbiolo and sangiovese, with female winemakers distinguished by the Venus symbol. Rather than choose from the menu, you can also hand pick your own bottle from the 300 on display in the adjoining enotecca. Bistecca may not offer a strictly traditional Florentine experience, but for steaks this bloody good, we're willing to overlook it. Images: Dominic Loneragan
The inner west is home to all things craft beer. You name it, they've got it: from craft focused brewpubs and bars to whole restaurants serving nothing but craft brews. The real draw to the inner west drinking scene, though, is the breweries themselves, many of which only opened their cellar doors recently. They're all into keeping it local and are swiftly rivalling bars as the go-to for afternoon sessions. Each brewery is distinct from the next and the beer has that 'just made' freshness because, well, it is fresh — you can quite literally see where it was made. Keen to try them all? Pick a Saturday and strap on those sneaks — no DD required for this drinking tour. [caption id="attachment_672371" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stockade Brew Co, Letícia Almeida[/caption] FIRST, A FEW SIMPLE TIPS Start early — It's easy to lose track of time in a house full of beer. To fit all of these in, you'll need to get to your first brewery for 10am opening. Go with a group — Sharing a beer with friends doesn't just spread the love for local craft — it will also make the walking go by faster. Take advantage of tasting paddles — The most bang-for-your-buck option, paddles allow you to taste the brewery's range without going overboard. Schedule a brewery tour — There are few occasions in life when you get to see exactly where the product you're consuming is made. Take advantage of this moment. Pace yourself — Don't be a hero, you have a whole day of drinking ahead of you. This isn't a pub crawl for rowdy uni kids all wearing the same t-shirt. The breweries are community hangouts where friends gather to chill and grab a beer, best to keep that in mind. Eat, eat, eat — Drinking on an empty stomach leads to nothing but inevitable sadness; luckily, most of the breweries have food trucks parked outside or pop-up stalls inside. Pick and choose — Eight breweries is a lot to fit in one day, so don't feel you have to tick them all off. Choose your favourites, linger for longer. NOW, LET'S WALK. [caption id="attachment_751557" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Esteban La Tessa[/caption] STARTING POINT: WILLIE THE BOATMAN The new-look brewery Willie the Boatman has just opened a fancy new-look brew bar in St Peters' Precinct 75, and this is your excuse to go check it out. Start your trek in the Luchetti Krelle-designed space sitting on a comfy leather couch, in a booth or around a long communal table. The beers, like the brewery, all have fun names and stories — from the easy drinking Old Salty melon gose to the Tempe Tim pale ale. If you're really lucky, the bar will have its speciality Albo corn ale on tap (named for the current Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese); this beer is in a league of its own and could easily keep you at the brewery all afternoon. 75 Mary Street, St Peters. Get there via Sydenham Station or Buses 348, 418 and 422. Open 3–8pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12–9pm Friday, 10am–8pm Saturday and 12–7pm Sunday. SECOND STOP: BATCH (15-MIN WALK) The all-American brewery Next, head on over to Marrickville and rock up at Batch Brewing Company. It's no surprise that the Batch guys, American brewers Andrew Fineran and Chris Sidwa, are into big, bold flavours in their beer. Apart from their signature APA, their core beers include a summer farmhouse ale, the West Coast IPA and a nitro milk stout named Elsie. Batch is all about reppin' its neighbourhood and serving the community top-quality beer. The brewery does feel like a local hangout, complete with couches and lounge areas. Love Batch's beers? You'll find more of them of at the label's recently opened second brewery in Petersham. 44 Sydenham Road, Marrickville. Open 10am–8pm Sunday–Thursday and 10am–9pm Friday–Saturday. [caption id="attachment_672373" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] THIRD STOP: STOCKADE (FIVE-MIN WALK) The all-rounder Located in an old factory space in Marrickville, Stockade's brewery and bar boasts a communal dining space for 250 punters, plus a 14-person tasting room for private parties. Designed by RAD Studios, the fit-out includes terracotta tiles and blackbutt timber furniture that gives the industrial space an art deco feel, plus a custom-built bar made with up-cycled barrels and lightbox menu boards. Here, Stockade's sessionable core five beers are poured alongside the brewery's out-there seasonal releases. Time your visit right and you'll be able to try the coveted maple syrup-infused imperial stout. If you've had a couple of beers, this is the point at which you might start feeling peckish — luckily, Stockade can help. It has a rotating lineup of ten different burgers on offer, including an extra-cheesy number, one with jalapeños and a vego version. You can schedule in a brewery tour, a masterclass and sometimes even a boozy yoga class here, too. 25 Cadogan Street, Marrickville. Open 5–10pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12–11pm Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday. FOURTH STOP: SAUCE (TEN-MIN WALK) The roomy brewery In this comfy, laid-back watering hole, you'll sit overlooking the Sauce's shiny collection of brewing equipment. It has a beer garden and a bar area crafted from recycled bricks and timber, too, and seating options aplenty — because, as owner Mike Clarke will tell you, "there's nothing worse than a crowded bar with standing room only and 50-foot lines to get a drink". To drink, you can choose from Sauce's core beers, including the Hop Sauce pale ale and Piss-Weak Sauce mid-strength IPA, as well as seasonal releases and collab beers, such as a recent Citrus Haze IPA made with Spain's Garage Beer Co. There are food trucks here every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, too — check the Facebook event page for more info. 1a Mitchell Street, Marrickville. Open 4–10pm Thursday, 12–10pm Friday–Saturday and 12–8pm Sunday. FIFTH STOP: WILDFLOWER (TEN-MIN WALK) The wild one If you want to include Wildflower on your brewery crawl, you'll need to get your timing right. It's only open for four hours on two days: Friday and Saturday. But, schedule right and you'll be rewarded — this Marrickville spot is pouring some of the city's most unique brews. Made using wild NSW yeasts and barrel ageing techniques, the brews have distinctly tart characteristics. But as owner Topher Boehm will tell you, Wildflower is not a sour beer facility. On the contrary, Boehm is focused on producing balanced, easy-drinking beers that are closer to farmhouse or saison-style ales than sours. Blending newly brewed beer with existing barrel-aged beer is what gives this balance between fresh and funky. If you'd like to learn a little more about these tasty brews, you can book into a tour and tasting session, which run on the first Saturday of the month from 1–2pm. It'll set you back $25 and includes three tasters — you can purchase tickets over here. 11–13 Brompton Street, Marrickville. Open 2–6pm Friday and Saturday. SIXTH STOP: THE GRIFTER (FIVE-MIN WALK) The One with the Watermelon Pilsner Located in a former dry-cleaner, Grifter is one of the inner west's busiest breweries — it's packed, but it never feels overcrowded. Opening to the public at the end of 2015, the brewery has quickly gained a cult-like status for its sessionable and limited-release beers. Its orange-canned pale ale can be found at restaurants, bars and pizzerias across the city; its Serpent's Kiss watermelon pilsner has fans travelling from all across the city; and its hard-to-find Pink Galah pink lemonade sour has never been available in cans. You can wear your love for the brewery on your sleeve or head, too, thanks to its lineup of fresh merch. While you're there, grab something from the rotating pop-up food stall, which has hosted the likes of Dulwich Hill's Rosa Cienfuegos and Crows Nest's Johnny Bird. 1/391-397 Enmore Road, Marrickville. Open 4–9pm Monday and Thursday, 12–10pm Friday–Saturday and 12–8pm Sunday. SEVENTH STOP: YOUNG HENRYS (15-MIN WALK) The artsy brewery If you're still going strong, take an easy walk across town to Young Henrys. Part brewery, part gallery space, Young Henrys' tasting bar is an artist's hangout where music is always blaring and beers are a-flowing. These masterminds don't limit themselves to beer, either — their cider and gin game is strong as well, having launched their own Noble Cut. The brewery is constantly trying out new angles like chef-inspired beers, restaurant collaboration and community contests and events. It may be local craft, but Young Henrys is a big player in the beer industry as a whole. 76 Wilford Street, Newtown. Open 12–7pm every day. LAST STOP: WAYWARD BREWING CO. (20 MIN WALK) The lost brewery As evening draws in, head to the catacombs of Camperdown for Wayward Brewing Co. This covert laneway location was purposefully chosen to give patrons the sense of being "lost on purpose". The massive cellar door houses a 24-tap bar, foosball tables and a labyrinth of rooms filled with upcycled, retro lounge furniture. The beer is a fresh departure from the popularised big, hoppy beers — the core five including an Everyday Ale, pilsner, IPA, Red IPA and the popular raspberry berliner weisse. You can check out the rest of the rotating tapped beers over on its website. Wayward stays open late, as in 10pm late, and it knows how to throw a good themed party, an ideal spot to end on. Go ahead, Carpe Bierum. 1 Gehrig Lane, Camperdown. Open 2–10pm Thursday–Friday, 12–10pm Saturday, 12–8pm Sunday and 4–9pm Monday. Top image: Young Henrys
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 kicked off 2024 by serving up an absolute home run with its new hidden underground cocktail lair Centro 86. Described as an "old, fancy Mexican cantina on shrooms", the tequila-focused bar in the 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. Follow the 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 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 one-of-a-kind bar top, while local stained-glass artists, ceramicists, furniture makers and visual artists were enlisted to bring the venue's vibe and aesthetic 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 in 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. Images: Dexter Kim
Cheese isn't just a topping or a charcuterie pairing — it's a whole food group, and should be treated as such. If we had our way, the food pyramid would have a gooey, cheesy base, and probably a bite out of the top because it would also be made out of cheese. If you structure your day correctly, it's possible to have cheese for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert — and, frankly, it would be remiss not to sneak a cheese plate in somewhere between courses. To help you set off on the road toward your personal cheese nirvana, here are ten tried, tested and truly transcendent cheese experiences you can have in Sydney, on any day of the week (plus, an additional fondue special that's just here for winter). [caption id="attachment_721671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] RACLETTE AT LOLUK BISTRO, SURRY HILLS An amazing feature of French cuisine is that pouring melted cheese over your food is considered a meal — and not just one you make at home when your housemates are out of town. The raclette craze in Sydney shows no sign of slowing, with heaps of venues offering their version of this semi-hard cheese, melted under a grill and poured on top of potatoes, meat and pickles. Bourke Street's LoLuk Bistro whips out the raclette every Tuesday and Wednesday night — and for $49 per person, you can eat as much of it as you want. MR CRISPY SANDWICH AT THE STINKING BISHOPS, ENMORE Where else to start but at the inner west's temple of cheese? We're talking about The Stinking Bishops. It's home to one of the greatest vegetarian sandwiches in Sydney, dubbed the Mushroom Mr Crispy ($11). Comprised of field and enoki mushrooms, this toastie oozes taleggio and thyme mayo. If you're a meat lover, there's also a wagyu smoked beef version, topped with horseradish mayo. And there are plenty of other cheese options if you need them. The ploughman's lunch ($27) is a plank of wood covered with incredibly hearty nibbles, while the cauliflower mac 'n' grueyere ($27) is nothing short of an otherworldly experience. [caption id="attachment_622140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low.[/caption] CACIO E PEPE PASTA AT BUFFALO DINING CLUB, DARLINGHURST Pasta tossed in a wheel of cheese has become a Sydney trend that doesn't seem to be slowing. You can find it at markets around town, and, this winter, Handpicked Cellar Door is even doing a flaming truffle version this winter. But a time-honoured version can be had a Darlinghurst's Buffalo Dining Club any day of the year. The restaurant mixes a traditional Roman-style cacio e pepe pasta inside a hollowed-out wheel of pecorino cheese ($24), along with freshly cracked pepper and plenty of olive oil. It all goes down tableside — we know you'll be filming the action to post on your feed later. SEASONAL CHEESECAKE AT LITTLE LORD, CAMPERDOWN Cheese doesn't always have to mean savoury. Camperdown cafe Little Lord gives you good reason to have cheese any time of the day with its seasonal and regularly changing cheesecake of the moment. Co-owner Jax Alexander makes her cheesecake the Italian way with ricotta, natural yoghurt and whichever seasonal fruit is on offer. Recent flavours include passionfruit, raspberry, and lemon and coconut. But no matter what flavour it is, it's invariably fluffy, creamy and impossible to share — the good news is, at $5 a slice, you won't have to. [caption id="attachment_711918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] KIMCHI TOASTIE AT PENNY'S CHEESE SHOP, POTTS POINT Walk into Penny's Cheese Shop, and you'd think you'd died and gone to cheese heaven. With two fridges stocked to the brim with creamy, stinky, funky and hard cheeses this little unassuming fromagerie is one of the best in Sydney. Aside from the service and the cheese, Penny Lawson's golden toasties, which quickly achieved cult status, are another reason you'll return to the shop again and again and again. With cheese both on the inside and the outside of the Pioik bread, as well as a rotating range of fillings — from kimchi to smoked wagyu and jalapeños — we think they might just be the best in the city. TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE AT THE HENSON, MARRICKVILLE We've got to hand it to them — Americans do a few things really, really well. Free-poured drinks are one, barbecued meats are another. But top of the list for us is their ability to slather carbs with cheese in a variety of pleasing ways. At Marrickville stalwart The Henson, the kitchen has created a fancier version of the classic mac and cheese by melting tasty cheese together with heaps of parmesan and truffle oil, then adding in a 'healthy' twist with cauliflower and silverbeet greens aplenty. It's incredibly rich and cheesy, and will completely fill you up for $16 a serve. CHEESE MAKING COURSE AT CORNERSMITH, MARRICKVILLE You might know Cornersmith for its pickles and preserves — and for its courses that teach Sydneysiders the skills to it themselves. But the Cornersmith Picklery also offers a semi-regular cheesemaking course run by local supplier Kristen Allan. The half-day workshop will teach all you need to know about how to make delectable soft cheeses like ricotta and labne at home — and you'll get plenty to take home, too. The next one is coming up on August 11, and places are still available here for $170. CHEESE PLATE AT THE GPO CHEESE AND WINE ROOM, CBD The GPO Cheese and Wine Room is a fine dining cheese establishment like no other. Open since 1999, it boasts one helluva cheese list, offering over 100 varieties — which you can choose from to create your ultimate cheese board. The seasonal selection ranges from local Australian producers to options from Europe, the States and the UK. We recommend letting the in-house cheese-masters curate a platter of their favourites, which you can pair with one of over 200 wines — or opt for a cheese and wine flight while you're at it. BURRATA AT PAESANELLA, MARRICKVILLE Paesanella should be a go-to for every Sydney cheese lover. This factory has been producing a variety of handmade Italian cheeses since the 1950s, and you can peruse its many varieties at the food emporium, day or night. Of the boundless cheeses available, it's the burrata you're after: a fist-sized pouch of mozzarella filled with rich cream that oozes out when pierced. You can sit down at the downstairs pizza restaurant and enjoy it in the antipasto platter ($35), which also comes with fried dough, mixed grilled veggies and cherry tomatoes. Or take one home and serve it at room temperature. Add a few fat ribbons of prosciutto, maybe a scattering of basil leaves and some fresh bread, and you have a legendary antipasto of your own. BURRATA PIZZA AT DONNY'S PIZZA, ABBOTSFORD If you haven't spotted it already, Abbotsford has a new authentic Italian pizza joint: Donny's Pizza. The rustic 60-seater is offering quality ingredients, alongside a self-professed Big Poppa's-inspired hip-hop backdrop. While so many of the pizzas are worthy of your attention, the burrata pizza ($19) is hard to beat — as burrata atop a pizza tends to be. The dough is heavily layered with a bruschetta-like mix of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil, then finished off with an entire ball of gooey burrata. It'll make you wonder why every pizza isn't made the same way. Top image: Penny's Cheese Shop by Kimberley Low.
In early 2018, world-famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney popped across the Pacific from California to launch his very first eatery in Australia: Alibi on the ground floor of Ovolo Woolloomooloo. Kenney isn't just any old animal-free chef — he's an international legend. His TEDx talks have attracted masses of views and Food and Wine Magazine has listed him as one of America's Best New Chefs. The Alibi Bar & Kitchen menu is big on creative combinations of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. Kenney has a reputation for experimentation and innovation, and it shows in dishes such as the summer paella with salsa verde, kelp noodle cacio e Pepe and the chamomile spaghetti with saffron and ricotta. He worked with Kasper Christensen , who also rejigged the Ovolo's brekkie and room service menus. To match Alibi's plant-based delights, there's a regularly changing drinks list focused on Australian drops — both classic and boutique — as well as signature cocktails.
It had been three decades since Sydney institution Golden Century opened its doors in Haymarket. The late-night Chinese restaurant was famed for its unbeatable midnight feasts and the queues of chefs, celebrities, hospo workers and everyday diners that lined up to partake into them. And just before the original shut down thanks to the lockout laws, they opened a new one in 2019— XOPP by Golden Century — inside the (at the time) new Exchange Building. Those who had eaten at the original restaurant might recognise the name as a homage to its pipis in XO sauce, a dish so revered that even David Chang has called it "the best dish in the world". This 160-seat restaurant is helmed by Billy Wong — son of original owners Eric and Linda — who has developed a more contemporary dining concept that he's hoping will speak to a new generation of casual diners. Most notably, there is a bar serving snacks and smaller dishes alongside cocktails — think XO mayo prawn rolls and chicken liver parfait served with Chinese doughnuts. Oh, and 250 wines. Just as the vibe is different to Golden Century in Chinatown, so is the menu. Chinatown regulars will notice the addition of baby abalone with salted egg yolk, and a roasted kung pao cod fish fillet with cashew nuts. Other modern additions include kale and brussels sprouts and a jasmine bubble tea panna cotta. But you can expect to see a few nods to the OG restaurant — including the pipis in XO, of course. The impressive XOPP venue is located on the mezzanine level within Darling Square's striking new six-storey Exchange Building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The dining room makes use of the circular building with floor-to-ceiling windows that show the timber that wraps around the facade. Inside, it's all very sleek with black ceilings, leather banquettes patterned light fittings. It joins the Maker's Dozen on the ground floor of the building, which includes a Tokyo-inspired milk bar from the Devon team, a bar from craft beer specialists Bucket Boys and a Japanese pasta shop from Hamish Ingham and Rebecca Lines of Banksii and Kerby Craig of Ume. The building is also home for Haymarket Library. And if you're booking for a special event then look to book one of XOPP's impressive and elegant private dining rooms, with spaces available for 10, 20, 40 or 60 guests. [caption id="attachment_742977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Images: Steven Woodburn
The middle floor of beachside hotspot Coogee Pavilion is home to three distinct venues. While each venue has its own personality and design DNA, the whole level is an homage to the idyllic coastal location and is guided by the same Australian-accented take on modern Mediterranean cuisine. Executive Chef Jordan Toft (Bert's, Bar Topa) has taken the reins, just as he's helmed the rest of the building's food offerings over the years, including the multi-faceted ground-floor offering and much-loved Coogee Pavilion Rooftop. Boasting sweeping ocean views through its large arched windows, Mimi's pairs drops off a 600-strong wine list heroing the French wine growing region of Chablis with fresh seafood, top-quality meats and market-fresh vegetables grilled on the kitchen's josper. Don't expect any foams, gels or smokes here — Mimi's is all about letting the produce shine. Abrolhos scallops are steamed and served with summer fennel, black abalone is barbecued and skewered, and grilled broccoli is served with fried harissa. Larger dishes include a barbecued koji quail with nettle cream and house cured bacon; a decadent caviar pie with scallop mousse line and citrus butter; and a handpicked mud crab with preserved lemon mayonnaise and salted brioche. And for even fancier occasions, the Mimi's Selects menu offers bumps of caviar, frozen vodka and freshly shucked oysters. Luxe. If you're coming with a larger group be sure to book the private dining room. With space for up to eighteen and a bespoke shared menu, it's the perfect spot for an intimate gathering by the sea. The bar exudes European charm with a lineup of Italian coastline-inspired cocktails created by their wonderful bartenders. Make your way through the likes of the Afterglow (baked strawberry, vodka and sauvignon blanc), the Boab Tree (banana water, rum blend and fennel) and Cliffbrook (kiwi, pisco, fino and green apple) or go classic with a classic martini. Snacks from the Mimi's kitchen are available from your perch up at the bar. Images: Steven Woodburn
When Australian audiences embrace our own films, we tend to do it in a very big way. Last year, Lion had viewers everywhere in tears. In the years prior, we were turning out in droves for The Dressmaker and Mad Max: Fury Road. And, even when local efforts aren't setting the box office alight, our homegrown flicks are still tearing up cinema screens with a showcase of Aussie talent. The Babadook, Snowtown, Mystery Road, Goldstone, Tracks, These Final Hours, 52 Tuesdays, Holding the Man, Sherpa, Hounds of Love, Jasper Jones, Ali's Wedding — they're just some of the ace Australian films that've reached theatres in recent years. In 2018, they'll be joined by these ten movies you need to put on your viewing list. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYKBG1znk4A SWEET COUNTRY An Australian western set during the late 1920s in the Northern Territory, Sweet Country boasts plenty of well-known talent, including Bryan Brown, Sam Neill, Matt Day and Ewen Leslie. It's the director behind the movie that should grab your attention, however, with his long-awaited second fictional feature absolutely essential viewing. In an impassioned race-relations drama that finds the struggles of the past painfully still relevant to Australia in the present, Samson & Delilah's Warwick Thornton crafts a searing piece of cinema about an Aboriginal stockman, a cruel station owner and the fallout when they cross paths. Make no mistake, it'll be gathering a heap of shiny trophies when Aussie awards season rolls around at the end of 2018. In cinemas January 25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMrhANU1-X4 CARGO He's already played Tim from The Office, Bilbo Baggins and John Watson — and now, Martin Freeman takes on the guise of a father trying to save his baby during the apocalypse. Based on Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke's Tropfest short of the same name, the South Australian-made film plunges into dystopian sci-fi territory amidst Australia's sparse landscape, and takes locals such as Susie Porter, Anthony Hayes and David Gulpilil along for the ride. Oh, and for added thrills in what proves an involving, gorgeously shot, environmentally and Indigenously-minded addition to a well-worn genre, there's zombies as well. A hit at last year's Adelaide Film Festival, it's destined for Aussie cinemas and Netflix. Release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNndmppBgwM HAVE YOU SEEN THE LISTERS? There's only one way to respond to the question posed by the title of Aussie documentary Have You Seen the Listers? The answer, of course, is yes. If you've walked along a city street in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, you've seen Anthony Lister's work at least once, even if you didn't realise it. Directed by All This Mayhem's Eddie Martin — with the same flair for an engaging story told with insight and authenticity — the film charts his graffiti and art career, and the about-face he faced in Brissie when the council that once paid him to paint decided to take him to court for vandalism. Compelling and moving in equal measure, and candidly personal too, it's a portrait of chasing a dream, finding success and then coming down the other side. In cinemas April 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY8KFlOm7qo BREATH Returning to Australia's film industry after nearly two decades, Simon Baker doesn't just feature in Breath, the adaptation of Tim Winton's best-seller of the same name. He also ventures behind the camera, making his directorial debut. In both guises, he impresses — particularly, as the feature's guiding force, in coaxing illuminating performances out of standout young stars Samson Coulter and Ben Spence. In a visually, emotionally and tonally assured effort, the pair play surf-obsessed teens who come to idolise Baker's ageing ex-professional wave-rider, and grow close to his retired skier wife (Elizabeth Debicki). In cinemas May 3. [caption id="attachment_653802" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jennifer Kent's The Babadook[/caption] THE NIGHTINGALE Don't worry, Jennifer Kent's second feature won't have you peering under beds, being scared to look in cupboards and thinking twice about pop-up books. Instead, The Babadook director is trading one kind of thrills for another, this time telling the tale of a young woman in Tasmania in the early 19th century. A quest for revenge drives the narrative, with Game of Thrones actress Aisling Franciosi, Their Finest's Sam Claflin, and Aussies Ewen Leslie and Damon Herriman helping to bring it to life. When Franciosi's 21-year-old convict witnesses the death of her family by soldiers, her vengeance begins, as does her journey through the wilderness with an Aboriginal tracker. Release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u4P4Isv6Zk 1% If Sons of Anarchy was made in Perth, it might look like 1%. Diving into the depths of warring motorcycle gangs, and exploring both internal and external turf wars, it has all of the familiar elements: gritty aesthetics, violent altercations, power struggles, a clash of generations and the club's second-in-charge facing off against his veteran leader all included. And yet, with Ryan Corr and Matt Nable both putting in memorable performances, and Abbey Lee and Aaron Pedersen also among the cast, the debut feature from Stephen McCallum rides its own trail through the brutal bikie genre. Nable also wrote the script, while the film itself started doing the rounds of international festivals late last year. In cinemas August 30. HOTEL MUMBAI In 2008, Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was attacked by terrorists. At least 167 people killed. Making his first feature, Australian writer/director Anthony Maras recreates the horrific incident, which understandably proved harrowing for locals and tourists alike. And, he's doing so with a familiar face to Aussie cinemagoers, with Dev Patel helping lead a noteworthy international cast after doing such a stellar job in 2017 hit Lion. Also on screen: Red Dog: True Blue's Jason Isaacs, 52 Tuesdays' Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Call Me By Your Name's Armie Hammer. In cinemas November 22. [caption id="attachment_585206" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Filmmaker Abe Forsythe[/caption] LITTLE MONSTERS After attacking the Cronulla riots with a sense of humour that made clear the stupidity of racist thinking and hateful actions, Abe Forsythe has a zombie comedy in his sights for his next film. Yes, Aussie filmmakers really are loving the undead this year. Called Little Monsters, it follows a musician who agrees to chaperone his nephew's school excursion, the kindergarten teacher he falls for in the process, a kid's TV entertainer who forms the third part of their love triangle, and the shuffling, brain-eating masses trying to munch on the children. Down Under's Alexander England stars opposite 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o and Beauty and the Beast's Josh Gad. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_653812" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Undertow[/caption] UNDERTOW Slated to debut at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival as part of the fest's Premiere Fund, Undertow tussles with grief and obsession as a mourning woman begins to stress about her husband's connection with a pregnant teenager. Namechecking Black Swan and Wish You Were Here as influences on its crowdfunding page, the film is clearly stepping into the psychological thriller realm. Actress-turned-debut feature filmmaker Miranda Nation both writes and directs, and Laura Gordon (Joe Cinque's Consolation), Josh Helman (Wayward Pines) and Olivia de Jonge (Better Watch Out) star. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_653809" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Slam[/caption] SLAM An Australian-made and -set effort by Indian-born filmmaker Partho Sen-Gupta (Sunrise), Slam wades into complex — and all-too-topical — territory. When Ameena (Danielle Horvat), a young hijab-wearing Aussie of Palestinian origin, disappears after attending a slam poetry night, the media is quick to paint her as something more than a missing person. For her brother Ricky (Adam Bakri) and mother Rana (Darina Al Joundi), it's an expectedly tense time filled with easy labels and suspicions. Complicating matters is the personal struggle of the police inspector assigned to the case (Rachel Blake), who has just returned to work after losing her soldier son. Release date TBC.
What's hot in Sydney right now? That would be Firedoor, Sydney's home of wood-smoked goodness. Behind the project is Lennox Hastie, a British-born chef with a string of Michelin stars on his belt; so as you can imagine, Firedoor was an instant hit once it opened back in 2015. These days, you'll need to book your table well in advance or try your luck for one of twenty highly coveted walk-in spots (knock on wood). There's no question that smoking is on the rise in Sydney, and at Firedoor it's used to enhance the natural characteristics of the ingredients, not to smother them like cheap perfume. Firedoor uses ten different woods to flavour and accent its menu, including gnarly mallee root, chestnut, pearwood, wine cask and native ironbark to name a few from the woodpile. [caption id="attachment_641664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Wood also forms the central ingredient in the restaurant's décor, and the aged wood pillars and timber tables, coupled with the smell of sweet smoke, deliver a multi-sensory experience. The menu is short and changes daily, depending on what's in season and looks fresh at the markets. We start with a serve of woodfired bread with olive oil and smoked cultured butter. The butter has absorbed rich aromas from the coals; just one light spread and it tastes like you're eating a meat sandwich. This is butter to eat like no one's watching. The bread can be a consistent entry, but the rest of the menu is in flux. To give you an idea of the potential offering, past entries on the seafood front include Moreton Bay bug with green apple and a creamy smear of mullet roe underneath, garnished with snow pea tendrils and Jarrod Day calamari with smoked pork broth and quail eggs. Surf may be good, but turf is the hero. On our initial visit we tried the robust and earthy lamb rump, cooked to a wobbly medium rare and served with creamy, buttery borlotti beans lightly coated in jus and cavalo nero which has crispy singed edges. We're also impressed by the grilled leaves with pecans and guanciale, a fatty Italian cured meat which has been shaved into thin, transparent slivers. Radicchio and sweet cos are served lukewarm in a sharp vinaigrette, and the dish cleverly sits somewhere between a fresh salad and braised vegetables. Browsing the menu on other days, you'll spy entries like Bundarra pork with radish and mustard or wagyu ribs with baby blue oyster mushrooms and black garlic. From the dessert menu there are daring combinations — spaghetti squash, pumpkin ice cream and pepitas, or a Firedoor spin on the grilled pineapple craze, this time served with tahini and finger lime. As for drinks, the wines have been well curated and the cocktails are well priced. The Swiss pear bellini is lemony and mellow, while a clever negroni adds pistachio Cinzano to the mix. Bold flavour, pretty plates and technique-driven dishes have been trending in Sydney for a while now and that's where Firedoor goes against the grain. Instead, you'll get a completely new food philosophy, which puts the ingredient at the very centre, accentuated by the subtleties of woodfire. Just remember the menu changes daily, so don't expect the same experience we had, for every evening is unique at Sydney's Firedoor. Images: Nikki To. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Steak in Sydney
Tired of the classic movie and dinner date night combo? Us too. That's why we're always on the hunt for new things to do, scouring the city for more inventive Sydney activities — ones that are guaranteed to extend your dating repertoire beyond beers at the pub. Whether you're taking someone on a second date or doing the 100th with your significant other, we've got some stellar Sydney date ideas for this week, no matter your budget. Recommended reads: Romantic Sydney Bars and Restaurants What's On in Sydney This Weekend The Best Films and TV Shows to Stream This Month FREE Explore the Powerhouse Ultimate for One Last Time Before It Closes The Powerhouse Museum is closing for up to three years from Monday, February 5, for its long-awaited $250-million makeover. So, this is your last chance to squeeze in one more dose of free art, history and general oddities at the inner-city museum. The institution's current exhibitions — including 1001 Remarkable Objects and Absolutely Queer — are all great date ideas, providing you with a chance to wander around and chat as you occasionally remark: "Whoa, how cool's that?". If things are going well, there are plenty of spots to head after for a spot to eat or drink. If you're after something cheap and cheerful, head to Kafe Kooks or one of the many top spots at Darling Square; if you want to catch up over a bev, The Old Clare Rooftop and Flamin Galah are good options; and if you're looking to really impress, there are a few ultra-fancy spots you could hit up — namely, seafood and snack haven Longshore. Under $50 Catch a Flick at Sydney's BYO- and Dog-Friendly Moonlight Cinema Moonlight Cinema is back for another jam-packed year of flicks under the stars. Pack a picnic, your favourite snacks, and a bottle of chilled red, and head to Centennial Park to catch a new release or a cult classic as the sun sets. You can even bring your pups, so if you're looking for somewhere to introduce Fido and Spot, this could be your chance. This week, you can catch showings of Argylle, The Boys in the Boat, Next Goal Wins and the sequel to The Dry. Or, looking ahead to the rest of February, Saltburn, 10 Things I Hate About You, All of Us Strangers, The Iron Claw and The Princess Bride are all in line for showings. Tickets are $26 (just over $50 for the two of you), but if you're a Cinebuzz member, you can snag them for just $22 each. Under $100 Hit up the Huge Banksy Exhibition at Sydney Town Hall After a blockbuster season in Brisbane, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits has finally hit Sydney Town Hall with more than 160 works from the collection of the world's biggest street artist, Banksy. A massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an icon — the exhibition's hefty array of artworks include Banksy's certified art, prints on a heap of different materials, plus photos and sculptures as well. For an immersive experience, there are installations, physical and digital, alongside murals and mapping shows. The experience has already proven to be super popular in Sydney, so make sure to reserve your spot before heading into the city. Standard adult tickets are $41 per person, or you can opt for premium entry, which includes a t-shirt spray painting session, after which you get to keep the garment. Putt Your Way Around This Pizar-Themed Mini-Golf Course Sydney's sunny season is in full swing — and if you like celebrating warm weather, adorable animation and mini-golf all at once, the part-tee has arrived in Darling Harbour. Everyone's favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Sydney at a putt-putt course inspired by the Disney-owned studio's loveable films. Yes, Pixar Putt has returned, with the kidult-friendly course taking over the Pier St Underpass until this Sunday. Designed to challenge both eight-year-olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Flicks such as Monsters Inc., Onward, Finding Nemo, Up, A Bug's Life, Wall-E, Inside Out, Soul, Turning Red and Lightyear all get some putting love, too. Clearly, there's no need for a trip to Disneyland — and this year's course features new holes inspired by Pixar's recent Elemental. If this all sounds up your alley, tickets are available for $29.90. Go All Out [caption id="attachment_923663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maclay Heriot[/caption] Combine Live Music and Harbour Views at Twilight at Taronga Where can you see live tunes with a stunning view of Sydney Harbour, all while surrounded by adorable animals as well? Twilight at Taronga. Each summer, the after-hours live music series hosts outdoor gigs with an impressive lineup — a true date-night delight. Each year, the program serves up a mix of returning and new exciting local faves. For the first week, the lineup features Meg Mac on Saturday, February 3, and Bjorn Again on Sunday and Monday, as well as Emma Memma with one for the kids on Sunday afternoon. Later in the month and into March, you can catch Ball Park Music, The Whitlams, The Cat Empire and the Comedy Gala featuring Celia Pacquola and Dave Hughes. If your ideal Sydney date idea includes harbour vistas, live music, cute (but not cuddly) animals and some fresh air, this one's for you. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available on-site alongside a handful of food trucks. Ticketholders can also purchase discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand), and if you want to make a weekend of it, you can add on a night at Taronga's luxe eco-retreat. Top image: Charlie Hardie.
Since early 2020, A.P. Bakery has built a cult following among Sydneysiders through its renowned bake sales. Initially popping up across Sydney before finding a home on the rooftop of Paramount House Hotel with A.P. House, the team has been winning over locals for 18 months with its bread, pastries, pies and egg rolls. A.P. Town arrived in Newtown as the team's first standalone venue. The bakery and cafe is tucked away behind north King Street on Bucknell Street in a quaint red-brick inner west building filling a once quiet alleyway with lines out the door each day. Open 7am–2.30pm Monday–Saturday and 8am–2:30pm Sundays, the outpost is a hit with inner west residents heading down for their morning coffee, a mid-week baked treat or that weekend breakfast. The response from locals was huge from the get-go, with A.P. Town selling out before midday on its first day of operation. The menu is simple. There are pies filled with chicken curry, smoked brisket or native Warrigal greens. There are a range of cakes, too, with whiskey canale, three milk bombolini and a Basque cheese cake standing out. The menu also features pastries like buttermilk croissants or Aleppo pepper and asiago cheese scrolls; quince, ricotta and almond Danishes; and bread ranging from seeded bagel and baguettes through to smokey eggplant and pork flatbread and fenugreek and sesame loaf. As for the drinks, you'll find delicious coffee, tea and fruit juices. [caption id="attachment_858741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chimichurri Choripán[/caption] Appears in: The Best Cafes in Sydney
The local wine fiends at Cake Wines are teaming up with the folks at Vivid for a trio of rooftop parties in the Sydney CBD. Each secret sky-high location will feature a different live music lineup, plus catering by some of the finest eateries in town. The burning question: with three events raging simultaneously, which do you head to first? Pies in the Sky kicks off at 1pm on Saturday June 3, at three different locations that have yet to be revealed. What we do know, however, is the talent involved. The first site will feature food by Thievery plus music from Geology, 30/70, Mike Who and Tom Studdy. The second will be serving up burgs by Superior Burger, along with tunes by J'Nett, Adi Toohey and a number of disco- and house-loving DJs. At the third, you'll fill your belly thanks to the gang at Three Blue Ducks, before kicking back to the sounds of Swooping Duck, Ed Lyons, Preacha and Krakatau. The three locations are all within walking distance of one another (or stumbling distance, depending on how much wine you've had). Entry is $45 per rooftop, while food and drink will be sold separately.
Kittyhawk, from the team behind The Lobo Plantation, is a seductive bar and restaurant on Phillip Lane hiding in plain sight from the blur of corporate warriors and traffic that are customary for a location where the city and Circular Quay intersect. Taking its name from a US fighter jet, Kittyhawk takes you back to the historic French liberation, when US and French troops celebrated liberté, egalité and fraternité on the streets of Paris. Inside this generously sized but intimate feeling time capsule of a venue you'll find walls decorated with vintage wartime posters, gleaming leather banquettes, velvet chairs, and an impressive 12-metre-long handcrafted American oak bar across which a continuous output of smart cocktails and wine from an impressive cellar are served. The food is playful French fare where dishes with rustic tradition are delivered with dashes of contemporary luxury. Enduring classics like the duck liver pâté with cornichons and tawny port jelly or appellation oysters with mignonette are essential starters, and opulent mouthfuls of the Siberian caviar bump with frozen Grey Goose or the scallop crudo on blini with caviar and horseradish add some extra sex appeal to the table. The white anchovy tarte with caramelised onion is an exercise in perfectly executed simplicity, while the lunch-only steak sandwich with gruyere, onion jam and pickles is a flavour-packed flex. The menu options invite you to either stay and linger over several bottles of wine, or take in a quick pre-theatre or pre-gig snack with a martini (they take bookings for drinks seatings). The Kittyhawk drinks menu is presented as a pilot's flight operating manual and, like the real thing, it is a lengthy document: 32 pages of triumphant cocktails, a versatile and varied wine list, and spirits ranging from Australian whiskey to amaro. Can't decide what to drink when and with what? Leave it in the extremely capable hands of the floor and bar staff. Kittyhawk might be inconspicuously tucked away behind a deep-blue door on Phillip Lane, but those in the know are always treated to a very, very good time.
Back in 2018, Chatswood scored a big infusion of contemporary Chinese flavour in elegant newcomer Mama Mulan. Located in The Concourse, the 180-seater made quite the impression, with its restaurant, bar and private dining areas boasting striking interiors by creative agency DS17. To match the polished, modern aesthetic, the kitchen is dishing up a culinary exploration of China, delivered through a mix of traditional techniques and new-school flair. The chefs have pulled together an approachable menu full of tightly executed dishes from a range of Chinese provinces. Wok-fried lobster is dressed in the restaurant's secret Szechuan sauce, dandan noodle soup is made with noodles hand-pulled before your eyes and roasted lamb ribs are cooked Mongolian style. The addition of duck drives a san choi bao into modern territory, while the Mama Mulan fried rice is supercharged with asparagus, wagyu beef and XO sauce. If you decide to look to the tanks for inspiration, pick out a live mud (or snow) crab and order it typhoon shelter-style, piled high with dried chilli and black beans. Headlining the dessert offering is a range of signature fried ice cream flavours, created in collaboration with Sydney's famed dessert masters, Duo Duo. A hefty selection of Chinese booze, clever cocktails and international beer rounds out the fun. If you're coming for a special event then be sure to book out the private dining room. With polished floorboards, floor to ceiling linen curtains and a curved, steel-grey interior, the room is sophisticated and fun, elegant without being overbearing. They can seat over fifteen guests so you can kick back and relax while the professional staff take care of your evening.
Paddington favourite Tequila Mockingbird brought its South American and Mexican flare to the CBD when it opened the doors to its pop-up restaurant in an old printing press on Temperance Lane, Tequila on York. That was then replaced by this permanent Mexican spot, Esteban. The multi-level venue is split into three distinct offerings: an upstairs restaurant, a downstairs mezcal bar and a laneway dining space. And now boasts two hats to its name — the first Mexican restaurant to do so in Australia. In the kitchen, Head Chef Will Quartel is serving Mexican share plates created using traditional cooking techniques with sustainably sourced Aussie produce. Corn tortillas are made in-house daily, while the custom-built parilla grill and vertical charcoal rotisserie have been installed to turn out the likes of tacos al pastor and ironbark-grilled chicken. Other specialties served in the upstairs restaurant include pink ling ceviche with leche de tigre, karkalla and fried plantain; seared pork belly with pickled watermelon radishes and salsa tatemada; and a massive one-kilogram wagyu rib eye paired with black garlic and chipotle butter. Meanwhile, in the basement bar and al fresco dining area, it's all about the street food — with tacos, ceviche and tortas on offer from lunch straight through until late (four days a week). Alongside the taqueria-style menu is an emphasis on mezcal and tequila, with a roving trolley pouring drops for patrons throughout the night. Designed by Sydney architects Humphrey & Edwards (Barangaroo House), the space takes inspiration from the underground basement bars of Mexico City and 1930s art deco buildings. The building's heritage aspects, including its exposed sandstone walls, high archways and existing timber beams, have also been preserved. Upstairs, the intimate 45-seater boasts an open kitchen with counter seating and a floor-to-ceiling mural created by Sydney artist Nanami Cowdroy. Other artworks include hand-painted and beaded bottles crafted in Oaxaca. In Esteban's basement, you'll find leather booths and banquettes, plus a granite bar top and custom-built timber cabinets to hold all of that distilled agave. The bar claims to be home to the largest collection of mezcal and tequila in Australia. On the way in, take a closer look at the 400-kilogram front door, which was created from acid-aged steel by Byron Bay artist Daniel Heapy. Images: Steven Woodburn
Celebrate the way of the flip-flop this Australia Day with the annual Thong Challenge down at North Bondi Beach and help break the world record for the longest line of giant inflatable Havaianas in open water. With the challenge intensifying in a state-by-state 'thong off', the stakes seem even higher in this, the challenge's tenth year. Don't let 2014 champions Cottesloe Beach, WA take out the title for the third year running. Further creating a thong-lovin' environment, Havaianas have organised a giant sprinkler and thong, along with a pop-up retail stall and numerous events throughout the day such as a Tug-O-War, Thong Toss and Thong Grab, all with prizes to be won. Online registration is $30, which includes a $10 donation to North Bondi SLSC’s Nippers program as well as your necessary giant Havaianas inflatable.
Need a bit of a break and love your music? Sure you could leave it all behind and head up to Splendour, if you were lucky enough to get tickets. You didn't? Why not look a little further afield for your music festival fix? Festival season is about to kick into action in the Northern Hemisphere. With a plane ticket in your hand, you need never quit the dancefloor. Take a coffee break and take a scroll through some of the world's most incredible music festivals. We've teamed up with NESCAFÉ to help you take the desk break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. They're events we'd nab an airfare for just for the festival itself — from big name-driven classics like Glastonbury to boutique gatherings in extraordinary settings, like Japan's mountaintop festival The Labyrinth. The lineups are a bonus. [caption id="attachment_569154" align="alignnone" width="1280"] littlebreadtoast.[/caption] PRIMAVERA SOUND, BARCELONA, SPAIN If you were championing Courtney Barnett before anyone else was listening and spend more than your fair share of hours searching YouTube for undiscovered artists, you'll love Primavera Sound. Just a few of the acts to have made their Spanish festival debut here are LCD Soundsystem, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco, Arcade Fire and Bon Iver. Primavera is all about giving stages to indie and alternative music. When the show's over, hang around for a few days at least to explore Barcelona's winding alleyways, sparkling coastline and late, late (lockout free!) nightlife. This year, Primavera's scheduled for June 1-5. [caption id="attachment_569179" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Labyrinth.[/caption] THE LABYRINTH, JAPAN Lovers of mountains and electronica, add this one to your bucket list. Held among the spectacular peaks of Japan's Niigata Prefecture, The Labyrinth is famous for its amazing surroundings, as well as its hours and hours of uninterrupted music. DJ sets run back-to-back, so you'll have to bring a deckchair to catch your breath. Acts to have made previous lineups include Peter van Hoesen, Donato Dozzy, Svreca and Petar Dundov. The only catch is that only 5 percent of tickets are sold outside Japan, so you need to get smart to get hold of one. Labyrinth 2016 is yet to be announced, but you can expect it to happen in September. [caption id="attachment_569170" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Love International.[/caption] LOVE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL, CROATIA Started in 2006 as Garden Festival, this event has morphed into the Love International Festival. Lesser known than many listings here, it's a week-long, boutique affair, set in a magical garden in Tisno, Croatia, right on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. In fact, there's even a private beach, so you can cool off after sweating it out on the dancefloor. You have a choice of six stages, including one on the sand, one in an olive grove and two on wooden boats. The program is mainly electronica, with a smattering of live acts. Get to Love International 2016 between June 29 and July 5. [caption id="attachment_569144" align="alignnone" width="1280"] SXSW.[/caption] SXSW (SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST), AUSTIN Back when Bob Hawke was Prime Minister and shoulder pads were boss (we're talking 1986), a bunch of music-loving folks in Austin, Texas, got together to talk about the future. What bothered them most was that so many stupendously talented local musicians were struggling to attract interstate — let alone international — attention. So, they decided that if Austin couldn't get to the world, they'd bring the world to Austin. And in 1987, the first ever South by Southwest Festival was held. 29 years on, the event is one of the planet's most influential tastemaking music happenings, featuring more than 2000 acts, 200+ workshops and over 100 stages. The 30th edition is programmed for 10-19 March, 2017. INTO THE VALLEY, SWEDEN Sweden's Into the Valley might be the only festival in the world held in a limestone quarry, which was formed by a meteorite. Not only does such a setting make for infinite Instagramming opportunities, it's also means cracking acoustics. The organisers get the best out of both, with a solid house and electronic lineup booming through super powerful sound systems, as well as fantastical light shows. Plus, there's a brilliant, turquoise swimming hole. Into the Valley takes place in Rättvik, 280 kilometres north of Stockholm. This year, it'll be on July 29-31. [caption id="attachment_569150" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Douglas Mason/Jazz Fest.[/caption] NEW ORLEANS JAZZ AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL, LOUISIANA Jazz makes up just one chunk of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest). You can also count on blues, soul, R&B, rock, Latin, rap, country and bluegrass. Take 2016's program, for example — it's spearheaded by Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Neil Young and Snoop Dogg. Running for eight days, the extravaganza takes over New Orleans' every nook and cranny. To keep you fuelled up between sets, there are more than 70 food stalls, serving up soulful nosh — from crab po' boys and boiled crawfish to fried green tomatoes and oyster patties. 2016's Jazz Fest is running April 22 - May 1. [caption id="attachment_569167" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Meadows in the Mountains.[/caption] MEADOWS IN THE MOUNTAINS, BULGARIA If smaller crowds are more your thing, book a ticket to Bulgaria's Meadows in the Mountains. Set high in the Rhodopes Mountains, this four-day festival offers a blend of live acts and DJs — and loads of time to settle into a hammock and relax. There's also a dedicated 'healing field', where you can partake in yoga lessons, meditation sessions, tantra workshops, cacao ceremonies, sound baths and wholesome food. Stay in a genuine Bulgarian rustic mountain hut or a teepee or carry your own tent with you. Meadows in the Mountains 2016 is on June 10-13. [caption id="attachment_569168" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Nat Urazmetova.[/caption] GLASTONBURY, UK Should Byron Bay's Bluesfest fail to deliver your annual quota of mud, you can always try again at Glastonbury. Held every June on a farm in Somerset, this legendary event often cops a good ol' British deluge — but that only doubles the fun. What's more, if you've just hit sunny Primavera, it's a refreshing sequel. Glastonbury's lineup is always littered with massive names — this year, Muse, Adele, Coldplay, Disclosure, PJ Harvey make up just a sprinkling of them. Needless to say, the tough bit is getting your mitts on a ticket — they sell out faster than Usain Bolt can smash 100 metres. Glastonbury 2016 is coming up June 22-26. [caption id="attachment_569176" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Matias Garabedian.[/caption] MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, CANADA After Glastonbury and a couple of days at Love International, jump the Atlantic for a change of scene. Like New Orleans Jazz Fest, the Montreal Jazz Festival isn't only about jazz, but also covers its close musical relatives. 2016 headliners include Rufus Wainwright, Ben Harper and Noel Gallagher, alongside jazz stars like Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea and Christian McBride. All in all, you can prepare to see 3000 musicians, representing more than 30 nations, across 650 shows (of which 450 are outdoors and free!). The 35th Montreal Jazz Festival is on June 29 - July 9 2016. [caption id="attachment_568795" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Geoff Stearns.[/caption] BURNING MAN, NEVADA Each year, as the Northern Hemisphere's summer draws to a close, tens and thousands of people gather in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, to take part in Burning Man. It's the only festival on this list to create itself as it happens. In other words, all attendees are participants — rather than followers of a neatly organised, timetabled plan. Over the course of seven days, they build art installations, themed camps, mutant vehicles and performances, thereby creating a temporal and ever-changing metropolis named Black Rock City, which vanishes when the event finishes. If you're travelling solo, you can hook up with others by volunteering. Burning Man 2016 is on August 28 - September 5 (and you'd better go soon before Silicon Valley suits eat it up. Top image: The Labyrinth.
Located on Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, Kingsleys specialises in classic Australian dining — using premium, locally sourced steak, seafood and wine. With a charcoal oven in the kitchen, dry-aged ribeye on the bone, WA octopus and MB9+ wagyu bavette are cooked faster, juicier and with a smoky charcoal flavour. The menu also champions seafood fresh from the market. There is mud crab and Moreton Bay bugs grilled with house chilli XO sauce, wood-fried rock lobster and Humpty Doo barramundi. Bibs are provided to keep you looking fresh. The banquet menu will get groups of ten or more dining on three courses, letting you sample entrees like locally caught fried calamari, a tasting board of steak, humpty doo barramundi, sides and a cheeky dessert—think dark chocolate custard and a duo of Australian cheese. The food is complemented by an extensive list of local and international wines, and a selection of signature cocktails. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Steak in Sydney
It's not your imagination — there really has been a heap of stunning new hotels open in Australia this year. Australia's hotel scene is already stacked with some remarkable stays, both in the major cities and in the regional corners of the country. And as our tourism economy has continued to boom, the last six months has seen more boutique and luxury chain hotels open on our shores. From boutique hotels with lush gardens to a wine lovers' dream stays or vibrant 'choose-your-own-adventure' lodgings, there are some seriously impressive (and incredibly designed) new hotels awaiting your arrival — whether on an interstate trip or a sneaky staycation. Read on to find out which 2018 hotel openings to pencil into your travel calendar as soon as possible. [caption id="attachment_671141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] W Brisbane[/caption] W BRISBANE, BRISBANE Brisbanites should be well aware of the CBD's riverside stretch that's synonymous with bland buildings and a hurried expressway. But with the arrival of W Brisbane — marking W Hotels' first foray back into Australia before it opens hotels in Sydney and Melbourne — the northern bank has received a much needed spruce. Offering views across the water to Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland and GOMA, the five-star hotel boasts 312 designer rooms equipped with ten-gallon drum baths and in-suite cocktail stations. On the fourth-level, you'll find a pool with some funky geometric décor. There's also a 150-seat restaurant from celebrated restaurateurs Three Blue Ducks. Looking out over Brisbane River, guests can enjoy signature dishes like spanner crab scramble, congee with pulled pork and hay smoked salmon kedgeree. W Brisbane is location at 81 North Quay, Brisbane. Make a reservation here. [caption id="attachment_660519" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharon Cairns[/caption] PARAMOUNT HOUSE HOTEL, SYDNEY When Paramount House Hotel was first announced back in August of 2017, the hotel promised it wouldn't be your standard luxury hotel, but rather an immersive experience that would embed patrons into the culture of Sydney's inner city suburb of Surry Hills. All we can say is that it's delivered on that guarantee. Set in a 1940s warehouse above Paramount Coffee Project, the 29-room hotel features soaring ceilings with exposed brickwork and rafting and even has a rooftop gym and cafe. And while there's luxury copper finishes, Jardan sofas and premium kilim rugs from Pakistan, the appeal of the place is less tangible in its nature. It's both the vibe and history of the surrounding community that make Paramount House Hotel special. Paramount House Hotel is located at 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. Make a reservation here. UNITED PLACES, MELBOURNE Positioned opposite the Royal Botanical Gardens, United Places' remit was to create a home away from home. And its success is immediately apparent, with the outside greenery extending into the 12 luxury suites, creating a space that you'll never want to leave. Each offers hardwood floors and polished kitchens, while terraces with sweeping city and parkland views round out the cosy living spaces. While you're there, you'll get to have a taste of Melbourne chef Scott Pickett's latest restaurant, Matilda. Pickett's contemporary Australian cuisine is produced entirely over open flames and hot coals — and you won't have to leave your room to enjoy it, with the high-end meals delivered directly to your suite. Dining at the restaurant is an experience in itself though, so we'd recommend heading in one night, too. United Places is located at 157-159 Domain Road, South Yarra. Make a reservation here. THE COLLECTIONIST, SYDNEY From rooms inspired by wine vintages to rooms that a spy might book for the night, Camperdown's The Collectionist is set on offering patrons something different. The place has a rather unique approach, in that it lets you pick which one of its 39 rooms you want to spend the night in when you check in. Billed as a 'choose-your-own-adventure' hotel, it's meant to be a highly individualised experience, with patrons touring the rooms and getting their access code via SMS. The hotel has collaborated with seven designers and 13 artists to create the innovative experience and each space features its own distinctive colours, textures and mood. While there's no restaurant on-site, the lobby hosts daily social drinks from 4–8pm. The Collectionist Hotel is located at 9–13 Marsden Street, Camperdown. Make a reservation here. OVOLO INCHCOLM, BRISBANE If you're the type who appreciates a bit of old-world glamour, then Brisbane's new Ovolo Inchcolm is the hotel for you. A former residence and medical centre, the 1930s building has been returned to its roots — albeit with a distinctly modern twist — presenting a charming art deco fit-out. But the hotel doesn't get lost in the past in every aspect. The addition of Salon de Co, a sprawling bar and restaurant, serves up modern rhubarb martinis or goji berry and vodka combos. Meanwhile, chef Anthony Hales' menu adds a bit of mystique with a sparse list of ingredients to keep diners guessing. The rooms, suites and a split-level loft dial back the theme a touch, but with a free minibar, and bookshelves loaded with timeless novels, you might find yourself dreaming of a simpler time. Ovolo Inchcolm is located at 73 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill. Make a reservation here. WILLIAM INGLIS HOTEL, SYDNEY Named after Australia's renowned thoroughbred company, William Inglis and Sons, Western Sydney's latest hotel is a sure thing if you're after a mini Sydney staycation. As part of the Sofitel's MGallery collection of boutique hotels, the William Inglis Hotel's centrepiece is its fresh rooftop bar boasting a pool and stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Warwick Farm. Once you've built up an appetite, head downstairs to the Newmarket Room, a paddock-to-plate restaurant led by chef Sercan Kesici. Whisky fans will be at home here, too — the mezzanine's 1867 Lounge serves high-end cocktails and boutique wines. William Inglis Hotel is located at 155 Governor Macquarie Drive, Warwick Farm. Make a reservation here. MITCHELTON HOTEL, NAGAMBIE Set in the scenic Goulburn Valley wine region in Victoria, this recently opened accommodation is as good as the on-site winery. Featuring a palette of moody, rural tones designed by acclaimed architectural practice Hecker Guthrie, the Mitchelton is a wine lover's dream escape. Chef Daniel Hawkins (POW Kitchen, Newmarket Hotel, Stokehouse) helms restaurant The Muse, which serves ethically farmed produce found throughout the Nagambie Lakes district. Boutique chocolate producers The Ministry of Chocolate run the decadent café, while Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art displays works from 15 Indigenous communities from across Australia. If you're lucky enough to stay here, you'll get a full selection of Mitchelton Wines as soon as you step inside the door. Mitchelton Hotel is located at 470 Mitchellstown Road, Nagambie. Make a reservation here. FELIX HOTEL, SYDNEY Airport accommodations are normally pretty drab, but the lively Felix Hotel is bucking this trend with a truly first class stay. Inspired by the 1960s Golden Age of air travel — that is, before budget airlines made you pay for water — the seamless experience starts from the get-go with guests heading straight to the top-level penthouse to check-in. From here, overlooking the runway, guests can enjoy the rooftop cinema, a 24-hour general store and a colourful cocktail bar that'll undoubtedly be a departure from the monotonous airport hotels that you've grown accustomed to. Felix Hotel is located at 121 Baxter Road, Mascot. Make a reservation at here. THE BYRON AT BYRON, BYRON BAY While The Byron at Byron may not exactly be new, this year's massive revamp makes it worthy of a place on this list. Having shut up shop for six weeks to undergo the renovations, renowned interior designer practice Luchetti Krelle — and executive chef Matthew Kemp — led the extensive face-lift of the restaurant, bar and accommodations. Working closely with a range of local artists, the enhancements manifest themselves quickly. There's a fancy copper island bar and a verandah that blends into the lush surrounding forest. Kemp's restaurant serves seasonal cuisine with Asian, modern Australian and European flourishes, while the rooms and suites are warmly furnished making for a homey resort stay. The Byron is located at Byron at 77-97 Broken Head Road, Byron Bay. Make a reservation here. WEST HOTEL, SYDNEY It's hard to ignore the West Hotel's 'Chanel handbag' façade, which according to designers Fitzpatrick + partner, was the visual representation of the hotel's entire space and vibe. Set on the Darling Harbour waterfront, the 182 designer rooms feature bold furnishings aimed at judicious travellers who seek out luxury. With botanical motifs abound, there's also an openair atrium serving as an oasis from the busy city streets below. The restaurant, Solander Dining, embraces sustainable seasonal produce from across New South Wales, while the accompanying bar is the perfect spot to enjoy some boutique drops while seated at a mesmerising emerald-green terrazzo marble counter. West Hotel is located at 65 Sussex Street, Sydney. Make a reservation here. And there are more where those came from, too. Melbourne is set to score a new luxury Jackalope Hotel on Flinders Lane, a new Art Series hotel will open at Brisbane's new Howard Smith Wharves precinct, and W Hotels will be opening hotels in both Sydney and Melbourne in 2020.
Listen up: Listen Out is back for its 11th year and, after first announcing its dates and venues, it isn't slouching on the lineup front. The just-dropped bill for the touring festival boasts 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names. On the electronic side, John Summit and Sub Focus feature. Yes, the list goes on from there. Fans of 21 Savage, Tyla and Flo Milli — and of Teezo Touchdown, Jessie Reyez and Jazzy, too — should be especially excited. When they each take to Listen Out's stages this spring for the fest's 2024 trip around Australia, they'll be hitting the country for the first time. Among their company, Lil Tjay, Lithe, Folamour, The Blessed Madonna, Cassian and Disco Lines are just some of the fellow acts that'll have festivalgoers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth dancing. With Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same, everyone's plans for 2024 have been missing a few music festivals. But Listen Out is aiming to buck the trend, locking in its return for September and October. Adelaide's Listen In is also taking place this year, and has similarly just unveiled its lineup. 2023's fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. As the roster of names on the lineup demonstrates, the festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. Four stops are on the Listen Out agenda: Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne, HBF Arena in Perth, RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and Centennial Park in Sydney. If you've been worried about missing the NRL final in Sydney and the AFL final in Perth thanks to Listen Out's dates, the fest has news there: at both legs, there'll be screens showing the football. Listen In, the condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup, is headed to Ellis Park in Adelaide. It'll feature 21 Savage, Folamour, Jessie Reyez, John Summit, Lil Tjay, A Little Sound, Skepta and Theodore Kittens. Listen Out and Listen In 2024 Lineups: Listen Out: 21 Savage Skepta Lil Tjay Tyla Flo Milli Jessie Reyez Teezo Touchdown Lithe John Summit Sub Focus Folamour The Blessed Madonna Cassian Disco Lines Jazzy Koven Conducta A Little Sound Ben Gerrans AK Sports Foura B2B Tom Santa Miss Kaninna Djanaba Soju Gang Melbourne: Yo! Mafia Sixten Kelly T J-OK Perth: Sammythesinner Janeethevirgin Dr Pepper Bodie Brisbane: Trance Mums Jacob Tompkins Mikalah Watego Melanin Mami Sydney: Dayzzi Malfunkt x Banno Bodego Collective Bella Backe Listen In: 21 Savage Folamour Jessie Reyez John Summit Lil Tjay A Little Sound Skepta Theodore Kittens Triple J Unearthed winners + more [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In Australian 2024 Dates: Friday, September 27 — Listen Out Melbourne, Caribbean Gardens, Wurundjeri Land / Melbourne Saturday, September 28 — Listen Out Perth, HBF Arena, Mooro Country / Joondalup Sunday, September 29 — Listen In Adelaide, Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24), Kaurna Country / Adelaide Saturday, October 5 — Listen Out Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds, Meanjin / Brisbane Sunday, October 6 — Listen Out Sydney, Centennial Park, Gadigal Country [caption id="attachment_957226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In's 2024 season tours Australia in spring 2024. For more information — and for tickets from midday local time in each city on Thursday, June 6 — head to the festival website. Top image: Sam Venn.
Sydney's newest urban farm and eatery, Camperdown Commons, has had the city buzzing since opening in June 2016. What was once the Camperdown Bowling Club has become an accessible, green community hub, composed of Pocket City Farms and Acre Eatery. Surrounded by vegetable patches, the 350-seat restaurant is all clean lines, blonde wood and lofty ceilings. And it was furnished by the guy who did the same for The Matrix. Really. To complete Camperdown Commons' earthy and elegant space, the team called on local designer Rory Unite, who not only specialises in wooden furniture but has worked as a film set designer for Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix and The Great Gatsby. Made primarily from reclaimed materials, Unite's furniture complements Acre's vegetable-patch-to-table ethos, providing the perfect frame for the restaurant's healthy, colourful meals. So how did Unite find his way from Neo to Acre? A sculptor by training and big time Hollywood film set designer, Unite followed a winding path to furniture design. "It was all a bit accidental," he laughs. When Unite was working on the set of The Great Gatsby, his in-laws asked him for help renovating their Palm Beach home. "I took on the project and ended up getting very involved," he says. After working on the initial renovation, Unite began to create custom furniture for the house, turning the project into a much bigger one than he had initially anticipated. It wasn't long before Unite fell in love with the furniture design process. "I enjoyed creating pieces my in-laws would be interacting with on a daily basis," he says, "The idea that I would build something that would literally affect the way they lived their everyday lives was an exciting one." While the leap into furniture was a daunting one, Unite says it was also a somewhat natural progression. "When you're into materials and processes, it's all the same language, whether you're working on a film set, a sculpture, or a piece of furniture," he explains. "It's just the context that changes." Unite soon set up a small workshop in Sydney's northern beaches, and it wasn't long before Andrew Goldsmith, of the Boathouse restaurants, discovered him. "I designed a range of furniture for the restaurants and, as the Boathouse empire expanded, I started looking abroad for workshops that would help create the amount of product Goldsmith required," Unite explains. He eventually settled on Indonesia, and moved to Java to set up a workshop. The move was a challenge — not least because Unite did not speak a word of the local language. Yet he found that, despite the language barrier, he was able to connect with local craftsmen through their shared passion for design. "Design is a language," Unite says. "Materials communicate, they tell stories about their origins, and that of their maker as well." At Camperdown Commons, Unite hopes his furniture will communicate a sense of the natural, and the handmade. "I just love the textural quality of these pieces," he says running a hand over the table surface. "You can literally feel and see the hand of the maker in this piece." Indeed, Unite's furniture — and the food prepared with fresh produce from the gardens — transports guests to a simpler past, when you actually knew the people who built your furniture and harvested your food. Go on, try it out, pull up a Unite-made pew at Camperdown Commons this week. Find Rory Unite's designs at Camperdown Commons and The Boathouse venues, including Shelly Beach, Palm Beach and Balmoral Beach.
Back in 1982, Melbourne played host to one of China's most important ancient artworks: a collection of statues known as The Terracotta Army. Crafted between 221–206 BCE and first discovered in the Shaanxi province in 1974, it made its international debut at the National Gallery of Victoria — and now, 37 years later, it's returning for the NGV's 2019 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Dubbed Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, the five-month exhibition will feature eight warrior figures and two life-size horses from The Terracotta Army, alongside two half-size replica bronze chariots that are each drawn by four horses. They were created during the reign of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang and were buried near his tomb more than 2200 years ago. The pieces coming to Melbourne only represent a fraction of the entire work, which numbers more than 8000 figures in total. If you're wondering how big of a deal the statues are, the answer is very. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century and has also been described as the 'Eighth' Wonder of the World. Displaying at the NGV from May 24 to October 13, 2019, the selected pieces will be accompanied by more than 150 other ancient Chinese treasures sourced from museums and Shaanxi archaeological sites. Expect to rove your eyes over priceless gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date back more than 3000 years, charting China's artistry across the country's formative period. Looking to the present as well as the past, the NGV's winter season will also celebrate acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. His work is no stranger to Australia — in 2014, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art hosted its own showcase — however, his Melbourne exhibition will feature all new pieces. With Cai known for his large-scale installations, The Transient Landscapewill include 10,000 porcelain birds suspended in a spiral formation, in an artwork that links to The Terracotta Army. Specifically, it'll create a 3D version of a calligraphic drawing that depicts Mount Li, which is where Qin Shi Huang and his terracotta warriors were buried. Another of Cai's new works will feature a porcelain sculpture of peonies placed in the middle of a 360-degree gunpowder, with his entire show taking inspiration from Chinese culture and philosophy. The world-renowned talent will also help design Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, making the two concurrent exhibitions as immersive as possible. 'Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality' and 'Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape' will exhibit as part of the NGV International's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces presentation, running from May 24 to October 13, 2019. For further details or to buy tickets, visit the NGV website. Exhibition images: Sean Fennessy and Tobias Titz photography. Images: The terracotta army, Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, Xi'an.
Does chasing all them pretty lights make you hungry? Thirsty? Vivid Sydney's big electric shock is just one half of a great night out — it goes best with some eats and drinks. This year, the glowing installations will span from the Royal Botanic Garden to Circular Quay, round Darling Harbour and Barangaroo and across to Luna Park, and you'll want to see them all. So, whether you want to pop a bottle under the sails of the Opera House or eat off your lap in the thick of it, here are a bunch of spots in the Vivid vicinity that let you feast with stars in your eyes. OPERA BAR Der. The best place to enjoy the views of the Opera House's sails — which will this year be lit up with Australian botanic flora by Chinese-American artist Andrew Thomas Huang and LA-based animation makers BEMO — might be from the distance of the other side of the Quay. But the best Instagram frames are from a little more close up, around Opera Bar. Obviously, this is a go-to for many a Vivid reveller and will be insanely busy, but if you can nab a table, we reckon it's worth it for the views (and the oysters). BAR PATRON When Bar Patron opened in the old Cafe Nice space at Circular Quay, all we could think about was how damn perfect it would be to down tacos with the Vivid lights turned on. And now you can do just that. The restaurant and late-night bar boasts beautiful views over Sydney Harbour (albeit interspersed by images of trains zooming past), and has a traditional Mexican menu. Tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and empanadas are all on there, but they're strictly traditional in style — that means no Coon cheese, no seasoning sachets and strictly no Doritos corn chips. Best part is, there's a three-course Vivid set menu available for the reasonable price of $35 per head, plus $10 margaritas (with free corn chips and salsa) between 4–6pm if you can get there early. HACIENDA When Vivid first started, Circular Quay didn't have too many good options. But that's changed — notably with Hacienda, a millennial pink bar inside the Pullman Quay Grand. The botanical bar is situated just above CQ and affords unparalleled views of the harbour and the bridge. There aren't not too many places you can get a lounge seat and a cocktail with a view like this, so this is a great option for small groups. They take bookings during the week, but you'll have to get in quick over the weekend. [caption id="attachment_659941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts[/caption] BARANGAROO HOUSE For the second time, the Vivid lights will extend down to Barangaroo with installations scattered around the precinct and along Wulugul Walk. To be amongst all the action, grab a seat outdoors on one of Barangaroo House's three levels. We've broken it down for you here, but basically you'll either want to eat dinner on the terrace at Bea or head up to the rooftop at Smoke for a drink and a smoked mushroom toastie. [caption id="attachment_721906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE'S SPELLBOUND BAR The Sydney Opera House is going all out for its annual Vivid pop-up bar, this year channelling none other than its program headliners, legendary English alt-rockers The Cure. Brought to life by the minds behind Newtown bar The Midnight Special — also responsible for last year's retro-themed Goldie's Music Hall pop-up — Spellbound will see the Concert Hall's Northern Foyer reimagined as a neon-lit post-punk den of moody decadence. Expect dark leather couches and long banquet tables decked out with glowing fruit installations, sheet music and skulls, while black felt-topped pool tables entertain late-night Vivid explorers. On the menu, you'll find bites like Sydney rock oysters, both a classic and vegetarian version of the humble croque monsieur, and beers from Sydney favourites Grifter Brewing Co and Young Henrys. THE GLENMORE This 1921 pub never gets old. One of the best parts of the refurbished Glenmore has to be the rooftop terrace. The views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House can be seen clearer from this area. The retractable roof is a great addition, along with the rustic-style wooden benches and red industrial chairs, to go with the new kitchen. Watch all the flashing lights below you while eating pub food straight off the barbecue. Again, this is a spot we'd make a case for getting in early. BENNELONG What more fitting place to dine during Vivid than the Opera House? Peter Gilmore's Bennelong gets you right up close to the action with sweeping harbour views. Whether you're here for all the glitz and glamour of Bennelong's full menu (where three courses will set you back a cool $120) or for its more casual share plates menu — at the Cured & Cultured bar — you know you're getting one of Sydney's best meals here. For a truly interactive experience, grab a seat at the counter for a full view of the chefs at work, all while eating the seven-course chef's tasting menu for a reasonable $70. Afterwards, you'll be perfectly situated to make the Vivid rounds (albeit a little full). HENRY DEANE Standing proud in Millers Point, the Hotel Palisade forms a unique and improbable part of Sydney's foreshore history; when it was built a century ago, it was the city's highest building. Now, having been revived with a smart new maritime design by Sibella Court, the Palisade serves up pub food that avoids the familiar schnitzels and steak sandwiches and opts instead for snacks like creamy chicken liver pate with a sweet Young Henrys cider jelly or a beef brisket sanga with a mug of salt and vinegar chips. Venture upstairs for the swanky Henry Deane rooftop bar, with some of the best views of the city all lit up. ALTUM RESTAURANT Sometimes, the best views are from afar. If you want to catch all the pretty lights in one sweeping vista, few restaurants provide a better vantage point than Altum. Located across the harbour in Milsons Point, smack bang next to Luna Park, the restaurant makes use of its waterside location with its enormous bi-fold windows that overlook Sydney Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay and, of course, the Opera House. Aptly, the restaurant serves up a lot of seafood, with a menu that focuses on local and seasonal ingredients with influence from the Mediterranean coast. Sure, it's across the way from most of the Vivid action but Altum provides one of the bests seats in the house. THE DECK AT LUNA PARK With the Light Walk extending across to Luna Park, you can check out Vivid's newest precinct as well as look across to the lights across the shore from The Deck bar. It's really something. And while it's not an all-year favourite, it's a great spot from which to view the twinkling Harbour Bridge up close and see the hypnotic sails from a distance. Plus, the park is open until late every night so you can go on rides and down some fish tacos (not at the same time — please god, not at once). ALTITUDE RESTAURANT AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL There are two reasons to visit Altitude: 1) your friends are in town and you want to show off, and 2) Vivid. From 36 floors up in The Rocks' Shangri-La Hotel, you feel like a cloud emperor surveying your magnificent, technicolour realms below. This is Vivid taken to the literal next level. TAKEAWAY AT CIRCULAR QUAY Okay, so this is always going to be a bit of a hustle — but if you're looking to do Vivid on the cheap, grab some takeaway and jostle for a seat somewhere near the harbour. You've got loads of options — Circular Quay's food court Gateway will be open until 9pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, which has with the likes of Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Messina, Four Frogs Creperie, Workshop Espresso and Gozleme Co. Plus, The Rocks will run a special night market on Friday and Saturday and Sunday nights throughout Vivid. By the Concrete Playground team.
