If you're a Northern Beaches resident, next time you're after some doughy, cheesy, saucy goodness, turn your attention towards Ribelle, Freshwater's no-frills BYO pizza spot that's doing sensational pizzas that can stand up against Sydney's best. Ribelle is the brainchild of Chef Dale Mann, who brings with him experience from Ezra, Hartsyard, and most notably for the pizza-heads out there: Bella Brutta. Mann worked for four years at the latter, the last of which he spent as Head Chef. So with Ribelle you're in very, very good hands. At Ribelle, whether you're eating in or grabbing a bright yellow pizza box to-go, the menu is kept simple, with a mix of classic and more boundary-pushing toppings available alongside a couple of simple sides like anchovies, baby cos salad and burrata. It's also BYO, so you can pack that riesling you just got for your birthday or your favourite funky skin-contact and head in. Keeping true to the restaurant's name (it means 'rebellious' in Italian), some of the more out-there pizza varieties on the menu include The Reuben which combines 12-hour smoked beef brisket from LP's Quality Meats, pink peppercorn sauce, fior di latte, confit garlic, parmesan and purple sauerkraut; or the Braised Greens, a meeting of cheese, braised kale, rainbow chard, fermented red chilli sauce, confit garlic and lemon juice. Sound good? Well, let us tell you: it is.
As the source of those bright green hotdog buns and pancake stacks dominating your Instagram feed, entrepreneur Sarah Holloway knows a few things about how to spot (and start) a food trend. In 2014, she went from corporate lawyer to professional foodie when she started her own business, tea company Matcha Maiden, and then expanded it to vegetarian cafe Matcha Mylkbar (purveyor of said buns and stacks). A big part of her life (which she documents as @spoonful_of_sarah) involves swotting up on Melbourne's best food, drink and wellbeing offerings, so if total nourishment is what you aspire to on your upcoming visit to the city, she's an ideal guide. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Melbourne, we've called in Sarah, whose favourite spots range from Burnley's happiness-promoting Serotonin Eatery to Windsor's degustation-sporting Morris Jones. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in Melbourne — Albert Park or On the Park in East Melbourne — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you rest and digest in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Sarah's top Melbourne food hot spots in her own words, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. BREAKFAST AT MATCHA MYLKBAR My (completely non-biased, of course) Melbourne favourite is Matcha Mylkbar. It has everything I love in one spot (by no coincidence). Breakfast outings are my favourite way to start the day, food innovation and creativity are my great passions and healthy living is my philosophy. Our menu unites clean eating with satiation and excitement — plus it's a stone's throw from the beautiful beach in St Kilda. The "vegan egg" is a must-try! It's made from coconut, sweet potato and turmeric, but the texture and protein content is almost like the real thing. BRUNCH AT SEROTONIN EATERY Happiness + cafe go together in my world, so eating at a "happiness cafe" speaks to my heart. Serotonin Eatery has beautiful, colourful, nourishing bowls, served in a happiness-promoting environment complete with swings, tucked away in leafy Burnley. Don't miss the Positive Pancakes! Dehydrated organic bananas are ground into banana flour to make the pancakes, which are topped with banana nice-cream, coconut yoghurt and berries. ELIXIRS AT GREENE STREET JUICE I visit this stunning elixir bar filled with soul-replenishing goodness most days. Greene Street Juice's flagship "elixir bar" has the best juices in town, as well as smoothies, broths, tonics and even crystals. If you make one stop for your wellbeing from inside to out, make it here. The New Yorker smoothie — a twist on banana — is my favourite, but their concoctions range from alkaline activated charcoal and lemon water (Gotham City) to an energising carrot and beetroot juice with burdock root extract (The Bronx). MINDFUL MORNINGS AT GREENFIELDS This beautiful new venue on Albert Park Lake mainly caters to events, but it also hosts a monthly "Mindful Morning" with meditation, yoga, tunes and a delicious healthy breakfast from their eatery. A truly nourishing experience for mind, body and soul! Greenfields focuses on which local, raw, organic and fermented ingredients, and if you miss the Mindful Morning, you can grab a la carte eats from Wednesday to Sunday instead. BITES OF ALL SIZES AT LBSS Literally the place where you can get a bite that's little, big, sweet or salty, LBSS (Little Big Sugar Salt) in Abbotsford is another favourite for breakfast or lunch with something to suit every palate. The seasonally changing Plate of Health is my favourite for something healthy, filling and delicious. The cafe is also known for offering "Eggs with Friends" — a spread of breakfast dishes for sharing selected by the chef. LUNCH AT URBAN PROJUICE Tucked away in a converted terrace house, Urban Projuice is the home of health. Run by a beautiful family who glow with vitality, the menu here is absolutely delicious, with lots of takeaway options too. I love to grab a snack then go for a walk around Albert Park Lake nearby. The Smoothie Bowls here include a Snickers-inspired option with cacao powder, natural peanut butter, banana, soy milk, dates and fresh seasonal fruit and nuts. QUICK CUPPA AT MAGIC ON FERRARS Not far away from Urban Projuice is the Melburnian coffee lover's best-kept secret, Magic on Ferrars. It's known for its amazing St Ali coffees and very cosy setting (its few seats are almost always occupied), but it also does a mean breakfast and a solid matcha latte using Matcha Maiden. I love popping by for meetings. AFTERNOON DELIGHTS AT PANA CHOCOLATE Even though I don't have a sweet tooth, there is nothing quite like a dessert experience at Pana Chocolate. Perfect for a guilt-free afternoon snack indulgence, the store on Church Street in Richmond not only stocks the range of Pana's beautiful organic, raw vegan chocolates but also offers a range of delectable dessert creations. I can't go past the cookie dough caramel slice, which features layers of crunchy activated buckwheat, chocolate cheesecake and cashew nuts, and is sweetened with agave and coconut nectar. DEGUSTATION DINNERS AT MORRIS JONES Morris Jones on Chapel Street, Windsor is one of our favourites for a night out. Head chef Matthew Butcher brings a wealth of experience and culinary flair to the degustation menu, which always keeps us entertained and infinitely satisfied. His Nitro Violet Crumble dessert is next level! It combines the flavours of violet ice cream, chocolate soil and frozen honeycomb, and the plating is finished at the table from a pot of liquid nitrogen. SEAFOOD SENSATIONS AT NOBU Our first foodie tradition ever was date night at Nobu, and eight years later, nothing has changed. This Melbourne outpost of the famous New York Japanese restaurant has been open at the Crowne since 2007, and overlooks the Yarra River. The miso cod keeps us coming back every time, along with some of the most exquisitely prepared seafood around town. Plus, don't miss the green tea dessert bento box! Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
One pair of Aussie pastry chefs are on a mission to make the humble lamington famous. Well, famous outside of Australian borders — just how Iranian-born jalebi and Italian cannoli are now found the world over. To do this, Min Chai and Eddie Stewart, founders of Australia's N2 Extreme Gelato, have launched Tokyo Lamington. Currently available in Singapore and Tokyo, the dessert brand doesn't just make traditional takes on the quintessentially Aussie chocolate- and coconut-covered cake. Instead, the sponge gets an international makeover with iterations in pandan, ube, lemon myrtle, black sesame, matcha and milk tea. While the duo has initially been focused on piquing the interest of overseas tastebuds, the chefs are heading back Down Under this July to the lamington's motherland for a one-day pop-up. [caption id="attachment_774462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] On Tuesday, July 7 — and on Tuesday, July 7 only — the pair's untraditional lamingtons will be available at Koko Black stores across Sydney and Melbourne. The chefs have collaborated with Koko Black's Master Chocolatier Remco Brigou to create three flavours that are definitely luxe and a little Aussie. There's a sweet and sour davidson plum lamington made with dark fruity Sao Thomé Callebaut chocolate; a triple choc number with 80 percent dark chocolate ganache and finished with chocolate shavings; and a caramelised coconut sponge coated in white chocolate. On the day, you'll be able to buy these lamingtons in packs of three for $21 at the following Koko Black stores: The Strand Arcade and the QVB in Sydney; and Carlton, Chadstone, Como Centre, Doncaster, Highpoint Shopping Centre, Town Hall, Royal Arcade and The Glen Shopping Centre in Melbourne. Like all good things, we expect these sweets to sell out fast, so head in early if you can. Tokyo Lamington's limited-edition lamingtons will be available at select Koko Black stores across Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday, July 7. Images: Nikki To
SXSW has never left Austin until this year. For the first time ever, a second iteration of the world-renowned music, screen, gaming, tech and ideas festival is popping up — and it's landed all the way over in Sydney. Running between Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22, the first SXSW Sydney has produced a huge lineup with hundreds of musicians performing across Surry Hills, Ultimo, Chippendale, Darling Harbour and Haymarket. The American iteration is known for breaking the next big thing and, following that trend, a who's who of Australian and international up and comers make up a bulk of the lineup — with the intention that you'll wander through the festival precinct each day and stumble upon a healthy mix of acts you know and love, as well as your next great music discovery. There are soon-to-be superstars with co-signs from the biggest names in music, free dance parties in Tumbalong Park, a huge takeover of Powerhouse Museum, hidden parties in abandoned cinemas and Chinatown restaurants, and an 11-year-old Australian rap prodigy. If this all seems like a lot, don't worry — we've got you. Here are ten gigs you should have at the top of your list if you're heading to the festival. HARVEY SUTHERLAND If you're around on Sunday, October 15, then head down to Tumbalong Park as SXSW Sydney kicks off the entire festival with a series of free events. Local funk and house producer Harvey Sutherland will be making an appearance at 8pm for a special one-off festival set that's free for everyone to attend. The Tumbalong Park program will stretch on through the whole week, so don't make a visit here a one-and-done affair. Also on offer: an outdoor cinema featuring classic films that have premiered at SXSW Austin over the years, an onstage discussion between Adam Spencer and Dr Karl, and a massive Suntory -196 vending machine which will function as a rooftop bar. REDVEIL He's already collaborated with Denzel Curry and JPEGMafia, and he's been shouted out by Tyler, the Creator and Pusha T — and he's only 19. Maryland rapper Redveil is heading to Australia for two sets at SXSW Sydney. You can catch his unique alternate hip hop stylings at the House of Vans, located at UTS Underground on Wednesday, October 18, and then at Phoenix Central Park at 8pm on Friday, October 20. Get in line early for his Friday set — it's sure to be a special one at the extremely intimate Chippendale venue. [caption id="attachment_848402" align="alignnone" width="1916"] Barkaa, Luke Currie Richardson[/caption] FBI RADIO SXSW SYDNEY PARTY The abandoned Chinatown cinema that hosted the beloved summer arts and music venue Pleasures Playhouse is being revived for SXSW Sydney — and the equally beloved community radio station FBi Radio is taking it over for a one-night party. The Haymarket space will host a stacked lineup of Australian talent spanning a heap of different genres on Thursday, October 19 from 7–11.50pm. Iconic Malyangapa and Barkindji rapper Barkaa leads the lineup alongside the psych-pop of Skeleten, future reggaeton superstar Lamira, the self-proclaimed 'Blak Britney' Miss Kaninna and the punk-hip hop hybrid duo Bract and Bayang (the Bushranger). It's an eclectic mix (as is customary with FBi Radio), and it's coming to one of the city's most interesting arts spaces. FLYANA BOSS If you've been hearing the words "hello christ, I'm 'bout to sin again" all over your TikTok feeds, these are artists responsible. Flyana Boss is a US hip hop duo who have seen a wave of success from that viral moment, including a remix of that song 'You Wish' featuring none other than Missy Elliot. The pair of multi-instrumentalists and rappers will be kicking off the whole music festival alongside Ekkstacy on Tuesday, October 17 at the opening night celebrations — hosted at The Starship on the Convention Jetty. If you miss out on this set, you can also find them performing at the House of Vans at UTS Underground at 11.20pm on Wednesday, October 18. POWERHOUSE LATE Powerhouse Late is being given the SXSW Sydney treatment with a showcase of some of the program's most exciting artists — and best of all, this one's open to everyone no whether you've got a pass to the festival or not. From 5–9pm on Thursday, October 19, you can catch sets from hugely popular Indonesian singer-songwriter Isyana Sarasvati, South Korean synth-pop group ADOY and Aussie rockers Dust on Stage One. Stage two will welcome rising local musos Tiffi, POOKIE, Big Skeez and SUPEREGO, while stage three will host electronic artists Nuum, Moss and Sonic Mutations in their debut live performance. FRIDAY* If one of your goals for the festival is to catch a local Sydney artist before they blow up, make sure you attend one of FRIDAY*'s sets. Alongside fellow SXSW artists Dylan Atlantis and Zion Garcia, as well as Sollyy and Breakfast Road, FRIDAY* is part of the bustling Western Sydney music collective recently spotlighted in the SBS short film We Just Live Here. The melodic singer-songwriter effortlessly blends pop with genres like R&B, UKG and folk. You can catch these sonic melting pots on stage at the Hollywood Hotel on Thursday, October 19; UTS Underground on Friday, October 19; and Mulan Music Restaurant on Saturday, October 20. [caption id="attachment_888440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Otoboke Beaver by Mayumi Hirata[/caption] OTOBOKE BEAVER Japanese punk quartet Otoboke Beaver is hitting Australia for three SXSW Sydney sets, bringing their ferocious guitars to stages across Sydney. This one's not to be missed for any fans of rock music or anyone looking to experience something you won't see anywhere else in Australia this year. On Thursday, October 19 the band is playing a late-night set at The Soda Factory in Surry Hills, followed by a set at UTS Underground the next day. Then, rounding out their trio of shows for the week, you can catch them at The Factory Theatre's outdoor stage on Saturday afternoon. LANEWAY FESTIVAL SXSW SYDNEY PARTY Before it returns for its stacked 2024 festival with Stormzy, Dominic Fike and Steve Lacy, Laneway is throwing a SXSW party in a Chinatown restaurant. Mulan Music Restaurant and Bar on the corner of Dixon Street is known for its neon-lit stage and spicy seafood, but during the eight-day festival it'll be hosting a heap of gigs. Laneway's takeover is happening from 6pm on Wednesday, October 18 with a lineup of up and comers from Australia and abroad. If you were around for the height of the indie-dance era circa 2004, you'll want to check out Fcukers, who are bringing back the sound of bands like The Rapture and Hot Chip. Pop singer Cody Jon and Melbourne art-punk group Gut Health are also on the lineup, alongside Miss Kaninna, Will Swinton and RAVVE TAPES. INKABEE Another one for those looking to catch the next big thing: Western Australia's Inkabee is already killing it at the age of 11. All you have to do is watch his freestyle on Triple J's Bars of Steel with his dad, aka rapper and activist Flewnt, to see the huge potential this kid has. You can catch Inkabee on the mic at APRA AMCOS on Friday, October 20, and then downstairs at The Lord Gladstone on Saturday, October 21. [caption id="attachment_922018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Cole[/caption] SOMEDAY SOON SXSW Sydney has teamed up with The University of Sydney's Someday Soon to give attendees the chance to attend this festival popping up in the event precinct. Head to Manning Bar on Saturday, October 21 and you'll be treated to a lineup featuring What So Not, Peach PRC, 1300, Sly Withers, Northeast Party House, Royal Otis and Sweden's Kornél Kovács. The festival will feature three stages stretched across the two levels and outdoor areas of Manning Bar. A reserved number of tickets for Someday Soon are available exclusively for SXSW Sydney Platinum Badge holders, Music Badge holders and Music Festival Wristband holders on a first-come-first-serve basis — so head down early to guarantee your spot. SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: Brittany Hallberg.
Since the arrival of the First Fleet in Warrane in 1788, beer has been a staple of Australian life. However, until relatively recently, the scope of Aussie-made brews had been largely dominated by English-style ales and lagers, leaving a yawning gap in the market for craft brewers to exploit. Marrickville, an area once best known for its industrial parks and manufacturing businesses, has become the epicentre of Sydney's ascendant small brewery scene, thanks to a collective of independent brewers who have made the Inner West a surefire go-to for beer lovers. The first brewery to plant its flag in the area was Batch Brewing Co. in 2013. In the decade since then, a craft beer boom has seen Marrickville become densely populated with specialised breweries that offer as much to the first-time beer taster as they do the seasoned suds seeker. The remnants of Marrickville's industrial past — a handy smattering of empty warehouses dotted throughout a swath of abandoned commercial land — have made the area uniquely primed for breweries in search of ample space for stills and tap houses. Today, the suburb has cemented a reputation as one of the city's coolest drinking destinations. [caption id="attachment_981901" align="alignnone" width="1365"] Batch Brewing Co. founder Andrew Fineran[/caption] "We're far enough away from the city that people can afford to have industrial areas here, but we're close enough to the city that you can be at Central in five minutes" American ex-pat and Batch Brewing co-founder Andrew Fineran says. However, the industry's success here is not just courtesy of Marrickville's convenient location and easily repurposed infrastructure. "We've developed a good relationship with the council to make sure that we're able to create something sustainable," Fineran notes. "Because the council supported and there was a groundwork, [Marrickville has become] a good spot for other people to come and set up their breweries as well." Since Batch Brewing pulled its first pint in 2013, eighteen more independent breweries have opened in Sydney's Inner West, with nine alone in Marrickville itself. "I think the cherry on top was that there was a lot of precedent for breweries in the area. It had become quite a burgeoning community of like-minded businesses that we really admired." says Nathan Lennon, co-founder of Marrickville's newest attraction, The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre. This popular tap room from Hawke's Brewing is named and themed in honour of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who even assisted in co-founding the company. [caption id="attachment_981900" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Hawkes co-founders Nathan Lennon (left) and David Gibson (right) with former PM Bob Hawke (centre).[/caption] "We felt that we could complement that community and bring something unique, and unique to us as a brand within it, to help drive the idea that Marrickville is one of the craft beer capitals of Australia," Lennon adds. Wildflower Brewing and Blending, which opened its Marrickville HQ in 2016, takes the yeast cultures it uses to ferment its brews from NSW wildflowers (hence the name). Co-founder Topher Boehm likens his small-batch ales, which employ diverse and regenerative brewing methods, to the "sourdough" of beer. [caption id="attachment_982274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wildflower co-founder Topher Boehm with a bale of hops at his Marrickville brewery[/caption] A longtime friend of Fineran, Boehm believes the variety every local brewery brings to the table creates an "overall vibrant community". But as he and Fineran point out, breweries aren't the only hospitality businesses revitalising the suburb. "It's not just beer that's made in Merrickville. There's such a vibrant community of industry vendors," Boehm explains. "I don't want to overlook the council's support of what we do … they've been overwhelmingly supportive of these industries and hats off to them for that. They've been supportive of business development and economic growth in their local community. And we've been the beneficiaries of that. "It's something in the Australian psyche to be a community person … I'm gonna promote community first, I'm gonna promote my neighborhood first. That's an investment in your locality." Support for the flourishing beer scene comes not just from the council and fellow brewers, but from the locals themselves. "You have a lot of people living here in the Inner West who are more 'think global, act local' kind of people who spend their money on independent businesses," adds Boehm. "That's what I love about Australia. Locals like the sole traders, they like the small business and they're actually somewhat happy to pay for that. "It's something in the Australian psyche to be a community person … I'm gonna promote community first, I'm gonna promote my neighborhood first. That's an investment in your locality." However, despite this enthusiastic local support, Marrickville's breweries have still faced challenges. Like other areas of the hospitality industry hammered by the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, craft breweries are going under across Sydney and beyond. Malt Shovel Brewery, one of Sydney's oldest craft breweries, was closed by corporate brewer Lion in August of this year, ending decades of proud brewing heritage. [caption id="attachment_781133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wildflower Brewing and Blending, Marrickville.[/caption] The rising price tag of making and distributing beer for independent brewers has made it increasingly difficult for independent breweries to keep up with the wide networks and expansive resources of corporate competitors. "It can't be left unsaid that it just is difficult to maintain businesses of smaller sizes because you don't have the economies of scale," says Boehm. However, it seems brewers and employees alike have hope for the industry's future. Indeed, those who pour their love and dedication into Marrickville's craft brewing industry are what truly make it noteworthy. Whether that be carefully brewing a new and somewhat strange beer in the back of a warehouse down or stumbling through the streets and raising pints with your friends in honour of another night well enjoyed. "It was just sort of like that perfect storm really of the industry had enough people within it or outside of it that wanted to build breweries, but also the pathway became a little bit easier economically because of places like Marrickville, which had the infrastructure, had the sites, had the council permit, the council quite supportive of that type of business," Lennon concludes. "And the kind of crowd within the Inner West area is one that would be willing to try new things and really fit with the growth of breweries in the area. "Did we choose Marrickville or did Marrickville choose us is the question. You can discover the best Marrickville breweries, as well as the broader craft beer scene of the surrounding suburbs, on the Inner West Ale Trail. Visit the website for details.
One of the most promising young Australian standups out there, Becky Lucas first caught our eye as one of the finalists of RAW Comedy in 2013. Since then she's opened for Wil Anderson, written for Josh Thomas' Please Like Me, and performed at the legendary UCB theatre in LA. Her new show, Baby, marks her second time at the Sydney Comedy Festival, and covers everything from depression and abortion to falling down the rabbit hole on Menulog.
Winter puts most of us in a slump but that doesn't mean your sense of style also has to fall behind. Rather than go out and buy a new wardrobe, give new life to your existing clothing with Philips' range of garment-care tools. Philips is giving away five prize packs (worth $164.85 each) that include a Philips Handheld Garment Steamer, Rechargeable Fabric Shaver and Sneaker Cleaner. The 3000 Series Steamer not only removes wrinkles on almost all iron-safe fabrics, including delicates but also reduces odours and bacteria so that you can prolong your wear between washes. The handy gadget is compact and foldable, meaning you can throw it in your bag on your way to the office or even bring it with you on any upcoming travels. If you've been living in your knitwear all winter, it's time to revive your sweaters. The 1000 Series Fabric Shaver removes unsightly pills on all garments and is conveniently rechargeable by USB. Don't overlook your footwear — your shabby sneakers can still be saved with the electric sneaker cleaner, which features three types of rotating brush heads to bring your shoes back to their original spotless glory. Enter below to be 'fit check-ready year-round. [competition]968206[/competition]
Has every famous actor ever popped up in a Marvel movie at one point or another? With Captain America: Brave New World marking the saga's 35th film — and with entry 36 on its way via Thunderbolts*, then flick 37 courtesy of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, all before July 2025 is out — it can feel that way. So when the comic-book company-turned-cinema powerhouse announces the cast for one of its Avengers movies, there's plenty of talent to call upon. The ensemble for Avengers: Doomsday has just been revealed, and it's a stacked bunch. Set to be the 38th Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Avengers: Doomsday will hit the big screen in autumn 2026 — Thursday, April 30 Down Under — which means that it's still over a year away. But expect Robert Downey Jr (The Sympathizer) rejoining the franchise, a few folks who've been in past Avengers films, recent additions to the fold and familiar X-Men faces, and more. [caption id="attachment_866265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel advised Downey Jr's return, fresh from him becoming an Oscar-winner thanks to Oppenheimer. Although the last time that he was in an Avengers picture, he played Tony Stark aka Iron Man — a role he portrayed in ten MCU movies — this time he's stepping into Victor von Doom's shoes. That, fans already knew before the rest of the Avengers: Doomsday cast was unveiled. It's a big list from there, starting with Chris Hemsworth (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki), alongside Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building), Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Winston Duke (The Fall Guy) among those with Avengers experience. [caption id="attachment_877485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.[/caption] Get ready to see a number of faces a couple of times over the next year, given that Wyatt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Florence Pugh (We Live in Time), David Harbour (A Working Man), Hannah John-Kamen (Breaking Point) and Lewis Pullman (Salem's Lot) will hop from Thunderbolts* to Doomsday. Pedro Pascal (Gladiator II), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) will do the same from The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Simu Liu (Last Breath) returns from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Danny Ramirez from Captain America: Brave New World and Tenoch Huerta Mejia from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Channing Tatum (Blink Twice) was in Deadpool and Wolverine, and will keep adding to his MCU resume. As Beast from the X-Men movies, Kelsey Grammer (Paper Empire) joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Marvels, while Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Picard) brought Professor Charles Xavier to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — and they're back again now. [caption id="attachment_973924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.[/caption] Ian McKellen (The Critic), Alan Cumming (Drive Back Home), Rebecca Romijn (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), James Marsden (Paradise): they're on the list of X-Men stars — actors bring Marvel comics to the screen before the MCU even existed, but in films that were their own franchise until now — that are also part of Doomsday. Now that Disney owns Fox, which previously was behind the Deadpool, X-Men and Fantastic Four flicks, it's bringing characters from all of the above into its ever-sprawling screen saga. So, that's Thor, Loki, Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Ant-Man, Shuri, M'Baku, John Walker, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, Robert Reynolds, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm, Shang-Chi, Joaquin Torres, Namor, Gambit, Beast, Professor X, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Mystique and Cyclops covered. After helming Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo (The Electric State) are back as well, directing not just Avengers: Doomsday but also 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. Check out the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement video below: Avengers: Doomsday releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Top images: photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney // Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © 2025 MARVEL. // Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
For a town as superstitious as Hollywood, having The Amazing Spider-Man directed by a guy named 'Webb' could only have been a good sign. Given his last film was also the critically acclaimed 500 Days of Summer, you can see why Columbia Pictures was eager to rush his reboot into production despite it being only five years since Tobey Maguire donned the lycra for Sam Raimi's trilogy. All the same, it begs the question: did we really need this movie? And the short answer is 'no', particularly when the plot bears so much similarity to the first Raimi film of 2002. However, it's also the best Spider-Man movie to date. Best by a long shot, in fact, so let's just be glad they pushed ahead with it anyway. Leading the way this time round is Andrew Garfield of The Social Network. Garfield gives an excellent performance as Peter Parker and definitely offers a more convincing high school kid than Maguire could ever have hoped to. His Parker is still a nerdy science student being pushed around by the bullies, however in this version he's also not afraid to stand up to them - both before and after the acquisition of his superpowers. It's a subtle change that not only provides a nice "look what I can do now" sequence, but also adds greater depth to his character's underlying courage and morality. Playing opposite Garfield is Emma Stone (Zombieland, Easy A) with another effortlessly engaging performance. Stone's quickly established herself as one of Hollywood's most natural actors and her turn as Parker's love interest 'Gwen' brings a wonderful blend of confidence and charisma to what's traditionally a more 'damsel in distress' type role. Together the two leads ground this take on the Spider-Man legend very much in honest, human terms: it's a love story first, a murder mystery second and a superhero film last – which may explain why Webb was chosen to direct. The ensemble support cast is also excellent, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field playing Parker's aunt and uncle, Dennis Leary as the police chief and Rhys Ifans in the role of the mentor-come-villain. On the production side, the 3D is both clever and unobtrusive while the special effects impress without ever dominating proceedings. The 'point of view' sequences, in particular, are so exhilarating you actually gain a fleeting (and utterly enviable) glimpse of what life might be like swinging from high-rise to high-rise just like Spidey. Since wish-fulfilment lies at the heart of every great superhero story, that fact alone makes The Amazing Spider-Man definitely worth the admission price. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FpKPiHYJc54
Music and sport will collide again this summer as AO Live returns to John Cain Arena for its biggest edition yet. The only music series held at a Grand Slam, AO Live has grown into a major drawcard of the Australian Open calendar — and for 2026, it's getting even bigger. Running from Wednesday, January 28 to Sunday, February 1, the series will stretch across five nights of live performances, with a lineup that blends local favourites and global heavyweights. Headlining acts include The Kid LAROI, Spacey Jane, Peggy Gou, The Veronicas and Sofi Tukker, with additional artists still to be announced in the lead-up to summer. [caption id="attachment_1031979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sofi Tukker[/caption] The expansion follows record attendance at previous editions of AO Live, which transforms Melbourne Park into a festival-style precinct after the day's matches wrap up. Alongside the main stage at John Cain Arena, fans can expect live music and DJ sets scattered across the grounds — from laidback acoustic sessions in Garden Square to high-energy local talent spinning on Grand Slam Oval. According to organisers, every ticket "unlocks more than just epic music", offering access to both the AO's tennis action and the wider event atmosphere — including premium food, drinks and summer entertainment. It's an experience that continues to blur the line between sport and festival, delivering one of the city's biggest multi-night celebrations each January. Tickets start from $99 and go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 14. AO Live 2026 runs January 28–February 1 at John Cain Arena, Melbourne. You can view the full lineup and ticket details via AO Live. Images: Supplied
Enter one of Yayoi Kusama's infinity rooms, including the Japanese icon's brand-new Infinity Mirrored Room–My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light at the National Gallery of Victoria, and it appears as if the artist's work goes on forever. A great exhibition dedicated to Kusama evokes the same sensation. Accordingly, when you're not staring at a seemingly endless celestial universe while enjoying a world-premiere piece from the talent that's been unveiled for the first time ever in Melbourne, you'll still feel as if Kusama's touches are everywhere around you. Simply titled Yayoi Kusama, NGV International's big summer 2024–25 showcase features 200 works, so there really is enough Kusama art to envelop attendees in dots, mirrors, balls, tentacles, pumpkins, flowers, rainbow hues and her other beloved flourishes. With ten immersive installations, the exhibition breaks the world record for the number of such pieces by the artist assembled in one spot. The showcase is also the largest-ever Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen. Open since Sunday, December 15, 2024 and running until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama has taken over the St Kilda Road gallery's entire ground floor with a childhood-to-now survey of its subject's creative output. With the artist reaching 95 years of age in March 2024, there's eight decades of art on display. Some pieces have never been seen Down Under until now. Some are sourced from private collections, and others from Kusama's own personal stash. In advance of the exhibition's launch, Melbourne welcomed Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture in NGV International's Federation Court. Outside the gallery, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material before Yayoi Kusama opened its doors, too. Now comes the chance to explore the complete showcase, which is also one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally. Forget booking in a trip to Kusama's Tokyo museum for the next few months, then — all that Melburnians need to do is stay local, and Australians elsewhere just need to head to the Victorian capital. Other highlights include NGV International's glass waterwall going pink, but with black rather than white dots; Kusama's new version of Narcissus Garden, which dates back to 1966 and features 1400 30-centimetre-diameter silver balls this time around, sitting in front of the waterwall and in parts of Federation Court; and the yellow-and-black spheres of Dots Obsession hanging over the Great Hall. Then there's the artist's sticker-fuelled, all-ages-friendly The Obliteration Room, where audiences young and old pop coloured dots everywhere — 'obliterating', as Kusama calls it — to cover an apartment interior that's completely white otherwise. Flower Obsession is another participatory piece, returning from the 2017 NGV Triennial. Again, you're asked to add to the work. Here, red flowers are applied to a domestic space — and again, obliterating it is the mission. If you adore the artist's way with mirrors, you'll want to see 2016's Chandelier of Grief, which features baroque-style chandelier spinning within a hexagon of mirrors; 2013's Love Is Calling, where tentacles in different colours spring from both the floor and the ceiling; and 2017's The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens, which gets viewers peering at glowing pumpkins as far as the eye can see through a small peephole. In Invisible Life, convex mirrors line a twisting and multi-hued corridor. With its six-metre-tall tendrils — which are covered in polka dots, naturally — the yellow-and-black The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe from 2019 is striking without using a looking glass (or several), and makes its Australian premiere. Prefer flowers instead? Set within a dotted space, All My Love for the Tulips, I Pray Forever from 2013 sees a trio of giant tulips loom over audiences. Overall, Yayoi Kusama steps through the artist's 80-plus years of making art via a thematic chronology. While a number of pieces hail from her childhood, others are far more recent. Her output in her hometown of Matsumoto from the late 30s–50s; the results of relocating to America in 1957; archival materials covering her performances and activities in her studios, especially with a political charge, in the 60s and 70s; plenty from the past four decades: they all appear. Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed. Here's another drawcard: the NGV has also added Friday-night parties to the mix, kicking off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then running for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Images: Visitors and artworks in the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at NGV International, Melbourne until 21 April 2025. © YAYOI KUSAMA. Photos: Danielle Castano, Sean Fennessy, Tobias Titz and Kate Shannassy. Updated: December 16, 2024.
In the past few years, Twilight at Taronga — the after-hours live music series that boasts arguably the best view of Sydney Harbour as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven it's got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs. The 2019 lineup featured the likes of You Am I/Magic Dirt, Aloe Blacc, The Whitlams and the Hoodoo Gurus and, from the looks of things, 2020 will be just as epic. Held in Taronga Zoo's natural amphitheatre, the concert series will run from Friday, January 31 to Saturday, March 7, 2020. And we've got some real humdingers to look forward to including Meg Mac, NZ duo Broods, Wolfmother, Mavis Staples, Kasey Chambers and Paul Kelly bringing together a six-piece band to perform bird-inspired poems — you'll be in a zoo, after all. And, as always, the ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again will be back by popular demand. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available onsite alongside a handful of food trucks. Tickets go on sale at 12pm on Thursday, October 31 and include discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand). As always, all proceeds will go back into Taronga's ongoing conservation work. So, you can see a gig and feel good about helping the zoo. Get excited and check out the full lineup below. TWILIGHT AT TARONGA 2020 LINEUP Friday, January 31: Broods Saturday, February 1: Wolfmother Thursday, February 6: Pete Murray Friday, February 7: Pete Murray - SOLD OUT Saturday, February 8: ARC perform 'Abbey Road' Live Friday, February 14: Bernard Fanning - SOLD OUT Saturday, February 15: Sunnyboys Friday, February 21: Kasey Chambers Saturday, February 22: James Morrison Big Band Friday, February 28: Paul Kelly in 'Thirteen Ways to Look at Birds' with James Ledger, Alice Keith and Seraphim Trio Saturday, February 29: Bjorn Again - SOLD OUT Sunday, March 1: Bjorn Again Thursday, March 5: Mavis Staples Friday, March 6: Meg Mac - SOLD OUT Saturday, March 7: Comedy Gala Tickets for Twilight at Taronga 2020 go on sale at midday on Thursday, October 31 via twilightattaronga.org.au.
Last month, Ian Strange turned a Richmond house into an artwork, to explore urban isolation, vulnerability and the universal need for shelter. Now, a bunch of teachers from Swinburne Uni have similarly treated the home as canvas. But, this time, they've plastered it with mirrors. Every square centimetre of wall surface on the dwelling at 27 Dorset Road, Ferntree Gully is covered with mirrored bricks. There are over 1800 altogether. Called Untitled House, the project is part of Knox City Council Immerse Arts Festival, which runs 11 November to 11 December. "The Great Australian Dream of home ownership is being challenged in contemporary Australian life," artists Roh Singh, Larry Parkinson and Morganna Magee explain on the festival website. "[It's] becoming an ephemeral idea, one that many are watching slip from the horizon. The concept of the tangible disappearing out of sight and out of reach is one of the central intentions." The mirrors represent this ephemerality. As the house occupies a high position, they mainly reflect the sky and distant views of the Dandenong Ranges. "This clad structure reflects and absorbs the changing ambience of its surroundings," the artists write. "We hope to echo a sense of disappearing, bringing a symbolic impression of the house being lost to the environment." Meanwhile, the interior has been transformed into a gallery. A series of artworks draw on installation, sound art, photography and architectural interventions to explore notions of home and place, compelling viewers to reflect on their memories and ideas. The house is open on Wednesdays (10am – 1pm) and Saturdays (10am – 4.30pm) between November 15 and December 9. Admission is free but you should book a spot through the website in advance. Images: Rhiannon Slatter.
To celebrate their second year delivering great entertainment night after night, the Newtown Hotel is throwing what can now be called their Annual Halloween Party. So get freaky, get creepy and don your best Day of the Dead attire for a wild night of terror, tunes and treats. As if you needed an incentive to drizzle fake blood across your neck, the big flirt will be shouting your drinks from 6pm and bringing you two of the best acts from in and out of town. Local songwriting talent Andy Golledge will be crooning in rootsy hues, followed by Melbourne rockers Kingswood, who will be dropping hits from their latest album Microscopic Wars. So whether you’re a regular or you’ve been living under a rock these last two years, do yourself a favour and pen it in: October 30, Newtown Hotel, good times.
When telling the tale of a five-year-old Indian boy separated from everyone and everything he knows (and the man who later tries to piece together his past), names are important. In Lion, Saroo Brierley is both the child and adult in question, with the movie recounting his real-life experiences trying to return to his mother Kamla and his brother Guddu, and then being adopted by Australians Sue and John Brierley. Newcomer Sunny Pawar and English actor Dev Patel play Saroo at different stages of his life, the latter with as spot-on an Australian accent as you're likely to hear. Nicole Kidman, David Wenham and Rooney Mara help round out the high-profile cast. Yes, there's names aplenty here. One that's crucial in bringing Saroo's plight to the cinema — based on his memoir, and as covered by TV's 60 Minutes — is Garth Davis. In fact, expect to hear his name more often, particularly as Lion keeps receiving acclaim. Davis was recently nominated for two Directors Guild of America awards, while the film snagged six Oscar nods, including for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel) and Best Supporting Actress (Kidman). Plus, his next movie is certain to attract even more interest: reuniting with Mara, and also starring Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Aussie Ryan Corr, you'll instantly know the story at the centre of Mary Magdalene. For a first-time filmmaker previously best known for co-directing the first season of Top of the Lake with Jane Campion, it has been quite the journey to becoming one of the hottest names in Australian cinema. With Lion making its way to local screens, we chatted with Davis about taking on such a powerful story, finding excellent leads and how travelling to India to follow in Saroo's footsteps shaped the movie. ON TAKING ON SAROO'S STORY "The story itself is just an extraordinary tale. It is hard to believe it is true. And you read this story, and you can't help but be moved by it. I mean, it's incredible. But I could also sense something moving under the story, that was quite spiritual and quite special, and I think that's what really lured me into making the film. And when I started to meet the real-life people in the story, like Sue and Saroo and all his Indian family, I realised that there was such an immense love that all the characters held — and I suddenly realised it was this love that I think engineered the miracle that the story has." ON DOING JUSTICE TO SUCH A POWERFUL TRUE TALE "There's a big responsibility in telling a true story. So all you can do really is spend time with everybody and try to understand their stories as deeply and emotionally as possible. So that's what I did — I basically almost immediately went to India, coincidentally at the time that Sue was meeting Saroo's birth mother Kamla. It was such an incredible meeting, so I just tried to immerse myself in their lives as much as possible, hear their stories, hear them talk about things. I think that's a really important process to go through so you can kind of dimensionalise their story. Because a lot of people take their story, and it makes a great article or a great paragraph or a great conversation — but to turn it into a movie, you've got to go a lot deeper. And you need to really get behind it to understand it." ON HOW TRAVELLING TO INDIA AND FOLLOWING IN SAROO'S FOOTSTEPS HELPED SHAPE THE FILM "It's very simple. It's very subtle and kind of existential. Things like, for me, when I stand in that village, I try to imagine myself as a child: where would I play? What would my world feel like? What are the sounds? What's the nature like? I go wandering off into the paddocks. I spent a lot of time just sitting at the dam, the dam that is featured in the film and in the story, just watching a new generation of children. Seeing how they play, how the women do the washing, seeing the trains passing by. So I just immersed myself in that world, as a director and as an artist. And then carrying that through, like when I got to Kolkata, I didn't quite realise how powerful that was. Like imagining my kids — because I've got three kids — imagining them just being dropped off in this chaotic planet, it's like another planet really. And just trying to imagine how they'd survive. Again, I would be in Saroo's shoes, just going, "okay where would I stay? What would I do?" and I'd walk around, and eventually I stumbled across real homeless children sleeping out in the subways and in some of those forgotten paddocks that sit across the way from the train station, and the reality of it really struck me — just how important and how powerful it was going to be as a film, and as an experience with an audience." ON LION'S STRUCTURE, AND SPENDING THE FIRST HALF OF THE MOVIE FOCUSED ON A FIVE-YEAR-OLD "It's not a story of a guy who starts to remember something. It's not that kind of story. He remembers everything — he's just lost, and he's never had any hope of finding home so he's had to move on and accept his fate. And find gratitude in what's happened to him ultimately, because he's survived all the perils. So it didn't seem like it was that kind of movie where he's remembering things and putting things together. I don't know, we just felt it was more powerful in that kind of snowball effect. People can become very complacent with their own worlds, you know? I think I was very interested in that idea that anybody in the street could have an amazing story. So if the audience steps into the shoes of a young boy who they almost take on as their own because he's so beautiful — and the family, despite their poverty, are very loving — I think he's a very accessible character. And then you basically go on a journey with him. Then, suddenly you leap forward 20 years and he's like an everyday Aussie guy, and he's got a charm and he's got a great life, and he's just a really healthy, happy-go-lucky guy, but he's sitting on this enormous past that you wouldn't see until you scratch the surface. So I think that was kind of interesting for me." ON FINDING THE RIGHT ACTORS TO PLAY SAROO "We did an extensive casting. We cast in three cities, we went for about four to five months. We looked at thousands of children and we shortlisted that to a few hundred. It was a lot of hard work, and we stumbled across Sunny one day, in all of his glory and character. He was the one — it was a bullseye. When you're dealing with someone so young, you need to make sure you cast someone who covers at least more than half of the characteristics of your character. So, in their natural state, in their natural being, you've kind of got Saroo. And then you can move from there. But it is very hard to have someone go against their nature for most of the movie, so we had to find someone who had a quality and a characteristic, and a light and a sense of instinct that matched Saroo. And little Sunny had all of that. And then we just had to basically encourage him and train him and teach him how to act, and how to feel safe in front of the camera, and learn some techniques. And eventually he started to do some full-blown acting — it was amazing. Dev Patel is one of those rare people, very very rare people, if you get to meet him you'll never forget him. He's just a beautiful light, there's a light about him — and I felt that this movie is full of that. And so I think his spirit is wonderful, and also he was the best actor by far. So it was again an amazing combination of things. That's the reason why he's playing Saroo and the reason why he's so fantastic in the film." Lion opened in Australian cinemas on January 19, 2017. Read our review. Images: Mark Rogers.
Hell hath no fury like a restless child. If your little ones are experiencing a classic case of school holidays cabin fever and you're paying the price for it, there's an event headed to the Entertainment Quarter that can help keep them out of your hair. Enter Sydney Kidz Fest, taking place from Saturday, April 13 to Sunday, April 28. If you've got Paw Patrol fans in the family, be sure to bring them for a visit to the Paw Patrol Stage Show, which runs daily at 11.30am and 2.00pm with a meet and greet with Chase and Marshall daily at 12.00pm. And for more animal-related entertainment, there's a daily animal nursery where your kids can meet some adorable furry critters up close. For some more excitement, you can check out the daily offering of carnival rides and games like dodgem cars, an inflatable slide and a teacup ride. Then there's the showbags, stage shows and regular market stalls... and, well, we'll leave a few surprises for you (or your kids) to discover. The Sydney Kidz Fest runs from Saturday, April 13 to Sunday, April 28, for more information or to book tickets visit the website.
Each year, the team behind Vivid Sydney clearly asks itself a question: where else can we dazzle with lights next? Ranging from gardens and tunnels to buildings and bridges, the answers brighten up not only the festival's annual program, but the Harbour City. Letting a train lit up with an immersive glow and pumping techno tunes loose on the New South Wales capital's rails is a new answer for 2024, however. Meet Tekno Train. This isn't your ordinary, everyday, average commute — this is a 60-minute trip filled with lighting and music that changes to match the train's speed and the landscape outside. And the tunes? Like the event itself, they hail from Paul Mac. The result is a 23-night-only railway experience that's an Australian first, with its music newly composed specifically for what promises to be a helluva ride. Here's how it works: between Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, you'll hop onboard a K-set train at Central Station, either opting for a scenic route to North Sydney and then Lavender Bay via a secret spur line (the slower, more family-friendly trip), or hitting up City Circle and South Sydney (which'll be the livelier and faster-paced journey). Whether you pick The Scenic Route or Tech Express, as the two choices have been named, you'll see Tekno Train's custom lighting beam and hear its electronic dance music soundtrack pulse through all of the locomotive's carriages. If you're wondering how it links in with this year's Vivid theme of 'humanity', Tekno Train puts the power of music to unite — even when people are doing something that they don't normally think twice about — in the spotlight. It also celebrates public transport, mass transit and community. And, of course, it'll get you seeing riding the rails in a whole new light, literally.
Inviting everyone over to enjoy your sun-drenched courtyard on a Friday evening seemed like a brilliant idea at the time — it's certainly more relaxed than cramming into a busy city rooftop bar and more summery than sipping cocktails in a dark, underground basement bar. But now that your friends are due round any moment, do you have your drinks repertoire ready? Here to help you, we've got five easy-to-make cocktail recipes that'll upgrade your home bar and hosting skills — and you won't have to spend all your time in the kitchen making them, either. Spruce up your evening get-together with the world's finest French vodka, Grey Goose, which we've partnered with to showcase three vodka cocktails and two non-alcoholic options that your friends and workmates will love. GREY GOOSE ESPRESSO MARTINI In 1983 a model sauntered into a London bar and uttered the phrase "I want something to wake me up and fuck me up", and the espresso martini was born. Thirty-six years later and the caffeinated cocktail has risen to cult status. To make things easier on you, this recipe uses cold drip coffee so you don't have to worry about making a fresh espresso for each round. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 30ml De Kuyper Crème de Café coffee liqueur — 30ml cold drip coffee — 1 pinch of salt (serves one) Shake all the ingredients, hard, in Boston tins with lots of ice till the outside is frosty. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans or chocolate dust. Everyone'll be pepped for the night ahead in no time. [caption id="attachment_750115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Camille Vidal, La Maison Wellness[/caption] HEALTH YEAH Not everyone drinks alcohol — and having a non-boozy option makes you a considerate host. This refreshingly light iced tea needs a little pre-planning, so you'll have to batch-make the tea and syrup the night before. Then, come Friday afternoon, you can to knock one of these together in no time. — 120ml roobois tea — 80ml kombucha — 20ml turmeric honey syrup — 2 dashes of lemon essential oil (serves one) Use cold water to infuse the tea as it'll avoid bitterness and tannins; add ten grams of roobois tea for every one litre of mineral water and leave to infuse overnight. Strain and keep it in the fridge. To make the syrup, use three tablespoons of turmeric honey and one tablespoon of golden unrefined sugar with 350ml of water. Add all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boiling point and stir for one-to-two minutes until dissolved. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. Build the cocktail over ice in a highball, give a gentle stir to mix ingredients and garnish with a lemon wedge. SPIKED ICE TEA Thought that last one sounded good? How about having an iced tea with an extra kick? Forget woeful Long Islands and upgrade to this delicious and balanced Grey Goose version which includes a fruity twist of apricot brandy. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 20ml apricot brandy — 20ml lemon juice — 90ml cold earl grey tea — 10ml sugar syrup Just like the boozeless option above, prep the tea overnight and brew with cold water to avoid any bitter tannin taste. Build the cocktail over ice in a highball, give a gentle stir to mix ingredients and garnish with a lemon wedge. Easy peasy! BOOZELESS GINGER MOJITO Who said drinkers had to have all the fun and flavour? When you want to take time off the sauce, or cater for guests who do, opt for this gently spiced but super-fresh non-alcoholic mojito. As a bonus you can show off your muddling skills to impress your mates. — 22ml fresh lime juice — 15ml sugar syrup — 3 wedges of fresh lime — 2cm of fresh peeled ginger — 12 fresh mint leaves — top with soda water (serves one) Muddle lime wedges, mint leaves and ginger with the sugar syrup and lime juice. Add crushed ice and churn before topping with soda water. Look at you go! ROSE SPRITZ Make like you're in the south of France with this gently fizzy, and oh-so pink cocktail that practically begs to be sipped outdoors on a terrace surrounded by your besties. — 30ml Grey Goose Original — 20ml Martini Bianco — 10ml Monin watermelon syrup — 15ml lemon juice — 45ml soda (serves one) Build all the ingredients over ice in a collins glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Then upload a pic to Instagram to make sure everyone knows you can make such a fine looking drink. Upgrade your Friday night at home by choosing premium vodka Grey Goose. Each bottle is distilled in France, and the high quality vodka has a 100 percent traceable production process, from crop to cork.
As a kid, did you ever dream about getting to roam around your favourite store after hours? As a fashion-loving adult, would you adore nothing more than being surrounded by your go-to label on an overnight stay? Thanks to House of Sunny, the latter is now becoming a reality — but for just two people for one night only, at its Hackney showroom and to celebrate London Fashion Week. The good news: this collaboration with Airbnb looks like the ultimate fashion fantasy, and it's also free. The trickier news: getting to slumber in a space that's basically House of Sunny's latest collection turned into a pop-up hotel means needing to be in London this week, because the stay is for Friday, September 22. If you've seen news of Airbnb's past one-off listings — think: Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, Gwyneth Paltrow's Montecito abode, Hobbiton, the Bluey house, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage and Japan's World Heritage-listed Suganuma Village — then nothing about this situation should come as a surprise. Just like previous extremely short-term themed stays, this one is only up for reservations at a set time, too, with bookings opening at 3am AEST on Wednesday, September 20. With what's been dubbed Sunny's House, you'll kick back at a spot that's been given a stunning makeover — and you'll also get to improve your own style. The digs include an entrance that's all about greenery, taking its cues from the Hockney dress; a red and orange bedroom designed to look like the sundown cardigan; a crimson bathroom that splashes the colour all over the room, this time paying tribute to the La Belle dress; and hanging out in the cloud-adorned "wardrobe of dreams". Sunny Williams will be on hand to give you design tips one on one, and your time in the wardrobe of dreams will involve trying on House of Sunny threads. Also, due to the showroom's location, you'll be able to head beyond Sunny's House for brunch on Broadway Market, visiting the Columbia Road Flower Market and grabbing dinner. "House of Sunny's design and ethos has always been inspired by the intersection of culture, architecture, interior, and our community's love for travel, home and aesthetics. I am excited to welcome you to my house; this immersive Airbnb is unique, crafted and eye-catching, the perfect partnership of fashion and special stays," said Williams. As always, whoever scores the booking is responsible for their own travel, including if they have to get to and from London. Money literally can't buy the overnight stay, however — so best of luck to your busily clicking fingers. For more information about the Sunny's House sleepover on Airbnb, or to book at 3am AEST on Wednesday, September 20 for a stay on Friday, September 22, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Alix McIntosh. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Ever find yourself overwhelmed by Sydney's diverse array of booze haunts and wish you had your own personal bar guide? Yep, we feel you. Often we frequent the same bars out of comfort and forget to try new places for fear of missing out. With our city's current flurry of decent drinking holes, however, we think it's time you heard it from those truly in the know: the bartenders themselves. Concrete Playground's guide to where bartenders drink will set things straight. Listen to the experts. Aasha Sinha drinks at Low302 Aasha hails from Bondi originally and has been running the bar at Gazebo Wine Garden for just over one year. Prior to that Aasha was head bartender at Vinatta Project in New York City. She has also worked at local haunts Cafe Pacifico, Duke Bistro and The Winery. If I had the night off, I would go to ... "Low302 bar on Crown Street. There are so many reasons why I love this bar. The bartenders are some of Sydney's best and their banter is even better. The drinks list and back bar selection have never failed to impress me. They're open until 2am and serve amazing food all the way through. The buffalo wings are out of this world and make for a great late night grease fix. There's always a spot for you at the bar, where you're guaranteed to run into a fellow bartender (or 10) for a staffie." Luke Reddington drinks at Bulletin Place Luke was bar manager of Eau de Vie for over one year and currently bartends at Cockatoo Island. He is in the process of opening his own venue with his business partner, which should be ready by the middle of this year. One of my favourite drinking holes is ... "Bulletin Place. I like their concept of an ever-changing list of daily cocktail specials, which is based on whatever fruit is in stock that week. The Lord Nelson Pub in The Rocks is also in my top ten. It's one of the oldest and best pubs in Sydney, and always has an interesting selection of delicious locally-brewed beer on tap. I haven't been to 121BC in Surry Hills but it's next on my hit list. I love finding out about new wines and apparently that's the place to do it." Reece Griffiths drinks at Cafe Pacifico Reece has been a bartender at Low302 for one year and is the Brand Ambassador for Jose Cuervo Tequila. Reece has also been behind the stick at The Victoria Room and Emmilou Tapas Bar. When I'm not behind the bar, you can find me at ... "Cafe Pacifico. Being a Tequila and Mezcal lover, Pacifico is a no-brainer for me. One of the best collections of agave spirits going around, a great authentic cantina feel, not to mention 'Cat in the Hat' Phil Bayly to spin stories of Tequila. Low302 is also like a second home to me. It has great booze and has some of the most under-rated food in Sydney. The place is dangerous, but amazing. If I were taking my girlfriend out for a drink, Vasco would be my pick." Ben Blair drinks at Frankie's Ben is currently managing the bar at The Corner House in Bondi and has just been ranked one of Australia's top 10 bartenders. Ben has also been behind the bar at the Victoria Room and before that, various venues in London. The next bar on my go-to list is ... "Frankie's Pizza. The Swillhouse boys (Shady Pines Saloon and Baxter Inn) certainly know what it takes to open a cracking venue, and it would appear that most of my mates live at the bar so I'd never be short of company. For an excellent selection of agave based spirits, tasty popcorn and bartenders who know how to have a good time, Tio’s would be my pick. I also like the 'less is more' philosophy behind Bulletin Place. Their cocktail list is short and no-fuss, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce." Jessica Arnott drinks at Eau de Vie Jessica's a born and bred Sydney girl, but London is where she made the transition from floor to bar. She worked at The Victoria Room for almost three years and has just left Gardel's Bar at Porteno to join the team at the Roosevelt. She's super excited about it. If there's one thing you should try, it's ... "the chicken liver parfait at Eau de Vie. I think it's made from unicorn breath, or fairy dust, or something. It's unbelievably good. Eau de Vie always has great staff manning the bar. I love that I can go and have a cider and a shot, or a top shelf whisky, or get my cocktail geek on with them anytime. Max and Luke from rock 'n' roll bar Vasco also pump out cracking cocktails. It's as loud as you'd expect from Max Greco with tasty food and great chat. Everything a bartender's bar should be. Charlie Ainsbury drinks at Tio's Charlie has been in bars since 2003. He's worked at the Bayswater Brasserie and a number of places in Canada and most notably, The Diamond. Charlie has worked at Duke Bistro, consulted on Izakaya Fujiyama and, for a bit of fun, spend a month's worth of weekends working at Shady Pines Saloon. The reason I drink at the bars I do is ... "for the people who work there. I like making my way down to Tio's, Low302 and The Baxter Inn whenever I can. Hinky Dinks in Darlinghurst is right next door to us so I find myself there more often than I care to admit! Being a bartender who works late into the night, it's also pretty difficult to avoid Frankie's Pizza. I’ve heard great things about Harlem in Manly, so that’s where I’ll be making my way to next – but not before taking my lady out on a date to Monopole (with our hours being polar opposites, I owe her quite a few of these date nights!). Robb Sloan drinks at The Corner House Robb tells us he's a payer of invoices, filler-inner of spreadsheets and wielder of mops at Bulletin Place. He also co-owns the place. Before his current post, Robb was behind the bar at The Black Pearl in Melbourne. My favourite place to drink in Sydney is ... "The Corner House upstairs bar. Guaranteed a warm welcome, a generously poured, beautifully made beverage and a cool vibe on Sundays. Plus bartender Ben Blair is such a dreamboat. The location is perfect too; perched atop Bondi Road hill so it's a gentle downhill stumble all the way home. Tio's also deserves a mention for positively contributing to people's understanding of how much tequila their body can physically process. I like their dedication. When (when!) I get a night off, I'm looking forward to checking out Bottleneck in Darlinghurst." Natalie Ng drinks at Foley Lane Natalie is venue manager and part owner of Mojo Record Bar. Previously, she was the venue manager at Hugos Pizza Bar and before that, the bar manager at Cafe Pacifico for nearly three and a half years. If you're after good drinks, great food and an awesome outdoor area, head to …. "Foley Lane. It feels more restaurant than bar with its laid-back vibe and rustic charm. Think negronis, jugs of sangria and tapas. It's understated, without being boring. Plus the staff are fantastic. I also have a soft spot for Bulletin Place. These guys show that bars don't need to compromise when it comes to ingredients or freshness. I love their 'simplicity equals quality' ethos. Another bar championing a similar idea (and which I've yet to visit) is Bar H in Surry Hills, where the focus is on seasonal local produce. Finally Low302 deserves a shout out for their quality margaritas and Manhattans, and for their eclectic taste in music. Header image courtesy of the Soda Factory.
Feel like an art opening? How about nine? Artereal is taking it’s love for those art glam moments seriously with Collaborateurs, which offers you nine art shows opening and closing across nine days. Each micro show will take its turn in a transient art collaboration space, in the form of a three by three metre white cube. David Capra opens proceedings on Wednesday, with ceramic sculptures based on sets from his recent Workout performance, Leahlani Johnson and Brooke Morgan follow through Thursday with an alphabet of flowers and Friday Bridie Connell collaborates with Brian Chase (yes, that Brian Chase) to make a mash up of burlesque with Vatican-renovating, Italian sculptor Bernini’s filthiest religious sculpture. Saturday Charles Dennington and Tully Arnot are making hoverchairs. You know, following the usual instructions. Sylvia Schwenk walks through death in a German cemetary on Sunday, while Monday Liam Benson works with Nick Atkins on a dance from start to curtain call. Tuesday sees Ella Barclay collaborate on screen with Yujunye, Meng Ping Chou, Hai Wen Hsu and Scot Oper8or, Wednesday, July 10 sees Karina and Michael Wikamto unfold their family trees and Thursday, July 11 sees Nola Diamantopoulos play twenty questions with psychotherapists. Are you man/woman/art lover enough for nine solid days of art? There’s only one way to know for sure. Check out the program here. Artereal will be open 3pm–9pm, with official openings each night 6pm–9pm. Image VB Sticker by Liam Benson.
After the country clocked up its third-warmest year on record in 2018, the heat has continued well into 2019, with the mercury hitting high-40s across the country and some towns reaching record-breaking temperatures. The spicy weather is thanks to a mass of hot air hanging around Australia's Red Centre, which is looking particularly scarlet at the moment: https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1084218154782478337 As the mass of hot air has moved east, northern SA has copped the brunt of the heat, with Port Augusta hitting a top temperature of 48.9C — the highest ever recorded in the South Australian mid-north, according to the Guardian — and Adelaide is experiencing a solid few days in the 40s. In Sydney, which is currently experiencing its worst period of heat since 2011, NSW Health officials have issued a warning for high levels of ozone gas across the city's west, due to a combination of heat and sunlight, which can cause chest pain, coughing and airway inflammation. Authorities are suggesting western Sydneysiders stay indoors during the hottest times of day and in the evening, avoid physical activity and stay well hydrated. Sydney is expected to remain in the mid-to-high 30s until Sunday, which will hit an estimated max of 25 with 50 percent chance of showers. Melbourne's north has also copped a substantial chunk of heat, with most of the region sitting in the high-40s. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting some cities will hit, and get close to, record-breaking temperatures today. In the city, it's a bit cooler, with the metropolitan area sitting in the high-20s and low-30s until Saturday, when it will drop to an estimated 22 with 80 percent chance of showers. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1085302493981085696 Brisbane's city has avoided the majority of the heatwave, sitting fairly consistently in the low-to-mid 30s. Some parts of Queensland's southwest will cop a scorching, however, as the mass of hot air moves further east, with many towns in the region expected to sit in the mid-40s for the next few days. Wherever you're spending this week, air-conditioning is your friend. If you don't have air-con, check out our ten sustainable hacks for staying cool over here. Image: Bondi Beach by Paros Huckstepp.
Do you find yourself wondering what this existence is all about? How we came to be? What it means to live a short life in an expansive universe? Well, wonder no more, you curious beings. Professor Brian Cox is bringing his dazzlingly brilliant mind and science expertise Down Under with Horizons: A Space Odyssey, the live stage show that explores those very questions. ICYMI, Cox is a world-record holding (highest ticket sales for a science show) physicist, TV host and best-selling author. And this spring, the talent is fusing his planetary passions with showstopping production values for an entertaining, educational and thought-provoking journey through the cosmos. On Thursday, October 13, Cox will hit the stage at the ICC Sydney. Staggering visuals travelling through faraway galaxies, supermassive black holes and alien worlds will backdrop an inquisitive celebration of human life, philosophy and art. Expect deep questions, expert knowledge and Cox's optimistic eye examining the existentialism in all of us. To nab your tickets to the intergalactic stage show in Sydney, head to the website. Or, if you're further north, nab tickets to Cox's show at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, October 12.
Occupying the shoreline that stretches from Rozelle Bay to Pyrmont Bay, the suburbs of Glebe, Ultimo and Pyrmont have had many identities over the years. They were once known as primarily industrial suburbs. Then, following a period of disrepute, the 21st century saw the area reinvent itself into a thriving entertainment hub. Its storied past is evident in its restored terrace houses and preserved buildings, many of which are now home to grungy bars and a diverse range of restaurants. Pair these with dozens of eclectic shops, galleries and live music joints and you can easily lose days discovering everything these suburbs have to offer. To help you explore more of this part of Sydney, we teamed up with City of Sydney to ask Concrete Playground readers what businesses they love to visit and support around Glebe, Ultimo and Pyrmont. Here are some of your top picks. Read on to discover some of the most popular picks to visit during the day. Then, flick the switch above and we'll dim the lights to show your favourite things to do once the sun goes down.
Parramatta Park has been open to the public since 1858 and its 85 hectares of open space includes walking trails, a 3.2km cycling loop, picnic shelters, barbecues and landmarks that are so well preserved the park is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Register. It regularly hosts events in its natural amphitheatre called The Crescent, and when you simply want to wander or settle in for a picnic, you can explore the gardens and waterside trails at any time of day. The park is never closed, though it has limited light after the sun has set. You can book one of its picnic shelters online, or rock up and take your pick of the 14 free barbecue sites. It's also BYO booze-friendly, but as it's a family-friendly park with exciting playground areas, you're encouraged to drink responsibly. For organised events where guests are served alcohol as part of a booking, a liquor license may be required. You can bring along your four-legged friends too, so long as they're always on a lease. Images: Destination NSW.
For the uninitiated, omakase is a chef's choice meal like no other — it is an opportunity for a chef to showcase their skills and celebrate seasonal produce. Kuon Omakase is making waves in Sydney's Darling Square, offering a taste of Japan in a pocket of the Harbour City. The incredibly intimate omakase restaurant has only ten seats at its chef's counter, and the spots are snapped up quite quickly. The group is co-founded by head chef Hideaki Fukada, who creates unique expressions of Japanese cuisine with a touch of Aussie flavour. We sat down with Fukada to chat about his journey, omakase and his sushi knives. Kuon Omakase regards itself as "modern Japanese Edomae sushi": an evolved, refined way of enjoying sushi and combining elements of the west and east, old and new. At Kuon, guests can enjoy aged sushi served with sake alongside fresh seafood caught off the coast of Australia — everything in balance. The menu changes with the seasons, using only the freshest, in-season ingredients. Kuon Omakase is part of the Kuon restaurant group in Sydney. In addition to the omakase outpost, there's Sushi Sei for all your sushi needs, Irori Takibi and Izakaya Tempura. So, whatever your preference or budget regarding Japanese cuisine, the Kuon team has you covered. Guests can choose between two seatings Tuesday–Sunday, one at 5.15pm and one at 7.45pm. There are also lunch seatings at 12.30pm on Friday–Sunday. The spots fill up quickly, so make a reservation on the website. Images: Brooke Zotti
In 2020, Vincent Namatjira made history. Thanks to his portrait of champion AFL footballer Adam Goodes, he became the first Indigenous Australian artist to win the Archibald Prize in the award's 99-year run. That's an exceptional achievement, but 2021 isn't looking too average for the acclaimed Western Arrernte painter — with the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia just revealing a new 15-metre-long mural by Namatjira. The MCA has long decked out the foyer of its Circular Quay entrance with eye-catching, large-scale, site-specific works, with Namatjira's new piece marking the seventh such commission. Called P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future), it shows seven Aboriginal male figures against the desert landscape of the Indulkana in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) region in South Australia, which is Namatjira's home community. Taking two weeks to hand paint directly onto the wall, the hefty artwork includes a self-portrait of Namajtira among the men — plus portraits of his great-grandfather Albert Namatjira; musician Kunmanara (Jimmy) Pompey, who was also the artist's late father-in-law; and an Aboriginal stockman who symbolises the male elders from Namatjira's region. Visitors to the MCA will also spot Adam Goodes, land-rights campaigner Eddie Koiki Mabo and boxer Lionel Rose on the artwork. Explaining the piece, Namatjira said that "I'm trying to bring my neck of the woods to the city, to the big smoke, for everyone to see. I painted this for the Indigenous people of Australia... I'm proud to be Aboriginal, and to have these Aboriginal male figures in the world makes me happy for our people." P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future) marks Namatjira's largest ever artwork to-date, and sees him respond to the mural's location — which includes its history as the site where first contact was made between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and British peoples. As well as viewing the work, MCA patrons can listen to an audio guide that features Namatjira talking through the figures and their significance to his life. Previous Circular Quay Foyer Wall Commission pieces have been crafted by Helen Eager (in 2012–2013), Guan Wei (in 2013–2014), Daniel Boyd (in 2014–2016), Stephen Bush (in 2016–17), Khadim Ali (in 2017–2018) and Gemma Smith (in 2018–2021). Vincent Namatjira's P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future), is on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 140 George Street, The Rocks. Images: Vincent Namatjira, P.P.F. (Past-Present-Future), 2021, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2021, supported by Veolia Environmental Services, image courtesy the artist; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; and Iwantja Arts, South Australia © the artist. Photograph by Daniel Boud
The world's largest female surfing participation event, Seas the Day, is back for its third year, taking over Kingscliff Beach from Saturday, June 21–Sunday, June 22. Sharing the stoke with women of all abilities, this free and family-friendly event attracted over 15,000 people last year, with the festival hoping to do even better in 2025. On the schedule are 30 free workshops and talks involving a who's who of Australian surfing royalty. For instance, Layne Beachley will lead Awake Academy — a guided wellness program — while Wendy Botha will take part in a rare Q&A, delving into the life of one of surfing's most elusive female pioneers. Meanwhile, Indigenous surfers Amber Mercy, Leihani Zoric, Bodhi Simon and Jodie Barsby will share their journey through Tides of Change, weaving tradition, storytelling and identity into their experience amid the waves. Then, environmental scientist and professional longboarder Tully White will join Belinda Baggs from Surfers for Climate for a chat on ocean advocacy. Also taking place throughout the weekend is a massive surf competition, featuring over 300 competitors across numerous divisions. Exploring themes of health, wellness, empowerment and environmental awareness, expect Seas the Day to deliver an enriching community-led experience.
Fishbowl opened its first pokè dedicated restaurant in Bondi in 2016, serving up nothing but pokè seven days a week from morning 'til night. With the cheesy slogan "everything will be pOKè," owner Nathan Dalah brought a bit of LA food culture to Bondi with his new venture — and it proved successful, with almost 20 outposts around Australia now, including this spot on Darley Road, Manly. The bar is 'BYOB' only — build your own bowl. In case you're intimidated, it's pretty easy — the sashimi salad bowls essentially deconstruct a sushi roll and take it to the next level. The five bowl-building steps are simple — base, sashimi, toppings, sauces and garnish — but the flavour combinations are complex and seemingly endless. Bases don't only offer the standard sushi rice, but also include inventive options like vermicelli, coriander and carrot. The toppings are a wide range as well, from avocado and edamame to tobiko (flying fish roe) and beetroot. For sauces, think miso tahina, roasted sesame and wasabi or truffle mayo, garnished with the likes of wasabi peas, togarashi (Japanese capsicum) and nori. If you love the flavour combos but aren't feeling like fish, tofu sashimi is also available for the vegos out there. Tofu sashimi. We must say Fishbowl's Instagram photos are pretty damn tasty looking with all those bright, contrasting colours of pokè goodness. We're already creating our own order for lunch today: quinoa and brown rice base, kingfish sashimi, avocado, seaweed salad and ginger toppings and spicy ponzu sauce, garnished with toasted coconut. Feel free to copycat.
There's an antidote to winter and it's pubs with roaring fires, cosy whisky bars, experimental art galleries and winter dishes whipped up by brilliant chefs. You'll find all these in high concentration in the creative Sydney neighbourhoods of Surry Hills, Redfern and Chippendale. To maximise your immersion — and cut down the journey time to get home — make the area the focus of your next staycation. With a night or two in one of the nearby AccorHotels properties, you'll be welcoming the cold weather rather than wishing it away. Here's your guide to a winter weekender in Surry Hills, Redfern and Chippendale. EAT AND DRINK Getting out of bed on a frosty morning is much, much easier when you know that good coffee awaits. You'll get just that – and, on a cloud-free day, a generous dose of sunlight – among the high ceilings of Surry Hills' Paramount Coffee Project. Another cheery spot is nearby Suzie Q, where the morning menu includes Wintertime Love: a brekkie bowl loaded with quinoa, almond hummus, fermented pumpkin, pickled cauliflower, kale, avocado, poached egg and toasted nuts. Alternatively, to warm up with freshly baked goods, swing by Chippendale's Brickfields Bakery or Redfern's extremely popular Donut Papi. Yes, a doughnut for breakfast is the definitive answer to the wintertime blues. Among the area's most tempting lunchtime offerings is fried chicken ramen, which you'll find at Butter, a hybrid eatery-retail space with an impressive rare sneaker collection. The dish was such a hit in 2017 that head chef Julian Cincotta brought it back for another round. Burger fiends, The O.G from Eve's Bar is one to tick off your burger bucket list: a classic beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mustard mayo combo topped with a mini cheese burger on top (because one is never enough). Another option is a Japanese-inspired burger at Ume — think crumbed chicken katsu with yuzu kosho mayo and tonkatsu sauce. That's pretty much enough fuel to get you through to spring. If you're ready to indulge at dinnertime, then head to the newish Kensington Street Precinct. The quintessential dining experience here is Automata, a 2015 opening that was named one of the Diners Club World's 50 Best Restaurants and whose head chef, Clayton Wells, has been showered with awards. This is a degustation-only deal where contemporary Australian flavours like romanesco, broccolini, sour cucumber, dory roe emulsion combine in one dish. The cluster of more casual restaurants and stalls around Spice Alley are Jason Atherton's Kensington Street Social also vie for your attention here. Other cosy dinner spots are double-hatted Ester, LP's Quality Meats for smoked and cured delights, Melbourne transplant Chin Chin for spicy Asian, Spice I Am for authentic Thai and Happy D's for dumplings. All wintry evenings should end with a beverage in front of a crackling open fire. In Surry Hills alone, there are three pubs with just that: The Dolphin, the Cricketers Arms and Harpoon Harry. Alternatively, for a cocktail, go to Mjolner, a labyrinthine bar filled with cavernous rooms inspired by Thor, or, for a whisky, the Wild Rover. DO With the lure of beach-going reduced, winter is a great time to catch up on art. Surry Hills, Redfern and Chippendale are perfect places for it, being absolutely packed with galleries. Get started at Brett Whiteley Studio, where the famous avant-garde artist lived and worked, before heading to White Rabbit, to peruse one of the biggest collections of 21st-century Chinese art in the world. Afterwards, take a wander around Chippendale's back streets, to stumble across stacks of independent and experimental galleries. Look out for Galerie Pompom for shows by emerging artists, Tiny Tailor for designer creations and Goodspace, where, with the support of local pub the Lord Gladstone, artists exhibit commission-free. Come evening, swap art for live performance. There's jazz, blues and funk at Venue 505, rock bands at the Lansdowne Hotel, DJs and various live acts at Freda's and all kinds of sexy – and not-so-sexy – stuff at the Bearded Tit. Meanwhile, for theatre, comedy and talks, check out the Old 505, Giant Dwarf and the Seymour Centre. You'll be so busy, you won't have time to think about the cold. SLEEP To keep up with so many adventures, a super-sound sleep is crucial. The good news is there's a few nearby hotels where you can count on being cosy and warm. To go 4.5-star, book at the Novotel Sydney Central. The sunny, colour-splashed rooms feel happy — on even the chilliest of days. All come with lovely king-sized beds (or two queens, if you so choose) and the Superior rooms with private balconies. Wherever you sleep, you'll be welcome to swim in the heated rooftop pool and hang out in the garden terrace. Also be sure to make a stop at the Field House Bar during happy hour from 5–7pm and enjoy $5 house drinks and two-for-one cocktails, accompanied by live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. An alternative is the 4-star Mercure Sydney, right near Central Station and a short walk from the sizzle of Spice Alley and Kensington Street. Keen to splurge? Reserve a city-view room, with panoramas of the Sydney CBD skyline. There's also a rooftop gym, sauna and indoor heated pool (winter dip, anyone?). If you're looking for bang for your buck, then the Ibis Sydney World Square is for you. Located within a stone's throw of Surry Hills, Chippendale, Redfern and the CBD, it's spacious, clean and close to the wildly praised new bars and restaurants you came this way to see. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Sydney, and to discover more of NSW, check out Visit NSW.
Gin has come a long way in the past few years. Once relegated to the back of your nana's pantry, reserved for particularly rough nights on the bingo circuit, this infamous clear spirit is now front and centre in Australia's bars. With tonic and citrus, it's your ideal summer refreshment, and in its various other forms it's the perfect winter warmer. Though Australia doesn't have a huge part to play in today's World Gin Day celebrations — c'mon it's still the most British thing around since bangers and mash — we do sure love to drink it all the same. So, in honour of this spirit that's known less as a drink and more of a mascara thinner, we've compiled our favourite creations. Swing by the bottle-o on your way home, roll up your sleeves and get a little classy — here are five perfect ways to toast World Gin Day (or any other day for that matter). Negroni This Italian classic is not for the faint-hearted. A more alcoholic version of the Americano, this hard-core aperetif is perfect for a luxurious nightcap or after-dinner punch in the mouth. While the other spirits definitely dwarf the flavour of the gin, it's also a stereotypically gin-drinker's beverage — no nonsense, no fuss, and no prisoners. 30 ml gin 30 ml Campari 30 ml sweet vermouth orange rind Method: Stir and pour over ice in short glass. Drink: In the comfort of a leather armchair in the smoking room of a swanky Italian restaurant. Gin Fizz This is a fun, summery drink with a bunch of variations. Though each cocktail bar likes to put their own spin on this versatile hit, anything with St Germain or elderflower liqueur is guaranteed to be a winner. With the rich flavour of rosemary thrust among the citrus tang of the lemon, this is a drink any cocktail pro will rave about (and happily sit on all night). 30ml gin 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 30ml elderflower liqueur 1 lemon slice 1 rosemary sprig soda Method: Shake alcohol and lemon juice, then strain over ice into highball and add garnishes. Drink: Under the sun with a smug, satisfied look on your face. Southside Though its history is widely contested, it's widely established that this mint and lemon concoction dates back to the 1920s. Yet another gin cocktail with no mixers, the Southside is definitely for those with class. With a single sip it's guaranteed to transport you back to the late-night cafes of Hemingway's Paris or the dingy clubs of 1920s Chicago (depending on your historical biases). 60 ml gin the juice of 1 lemon 15 ml sugar syrup a decent handful of mint leaves Method: Shake all ingredients until the mint is pulped, and finely strain into a coupe glass. Drink: With an outstretched pinky and a 1920s cigarette holder. Tom Collins Are you sick of gin and tonics? Does the thought of one more Gordon's London Dry and home brand tonic make you cringe? It's probably time to spice it up a bit (or alternatively, stop drinking). The Tom Collins is a classic cocktail that doesn't vary too much from the well-trodden G&T terrain. Swap that tonic for soda, sweeten the deal with some cherries and sugar, and away you go — a convenient twist on a summer classic. 30 ml gin 30 ml sugar syrup 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 lemon slices 1 glazes cherry soda Method: Stir and pour over ice in a highball glass. Drink: At your next picnic or beach getaway. Martini While a vodka martini may be the standard (for James Bond fans at least), gin martinis are undoubtedly for the more refined palette. And either way, the martini is a drink for the purist. This is a cocktail with no junk in it — it lives and dies on the quality of its spirits. Of course, there are a million types of variations out there (Espresso, Apple, Marshmallow etc) but really those are all amateur hour. To raise a drink to World Gin Day, it has to be the real thing. 60 ml gin 30 ml dry vermouth olives or a twist of lemon for garnish Method: Shake gin and vermouth with ice, stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish. Drink: In a morose fashion while at a bar you feel slightly intimated by. Photo credits: Oriol Lladó, sushiesque, and Isabelle @ Crumb, Clint Gardner, and RenaudPhoto via photopin cc.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, but, this time round, it's teaming up with Shin Ramyun for a spicy limited-edition menu. And, yes, it includes fried chicken ramen. For the collab with the Korean instant noodle brand, Belles Head Chef and Co-Founder Morgan McGlone has created two ramen dishes and Korean-style chicken wings. Available for one day only on Saturday, January 18 at the Belles Darling Square store, the limited-edition menu features a fried chicken ramen with egg and fried spam, a ramen with Cloudy Bay clams and shiitake mushrooms, and wings with Korean fried chicken sauce and green onion. To drink, there are two soju cocktails — one with watermelon and Yakult, and another with nashi pear and pineapple — Kloud beer and Momento Mori wine. We expect this is going to get very busy, so get there early if you want to snag yourself a bowl. Belles x Shin Ramyun menu is from 12–4pm then 5pm till sold out.
There's something momentous about opening a bottle of sparkling — unwiring the muselet, anticipating the dramatic pop and then the subsequent hiss as the bubbles start to fizz to the top — it signals celebration. We toast with it on New Year's Eve; crack it open to celebrate promotions, birthdays and engagements — but you needn't wait for one of these situations to pop the bubbly. Sometimes it suffices to just toast the sunny days ahead. We've partnered with Henkell, purveyors of quality bubbles, and rustled up five summer occasions to pair with a glass of sparkling. From celebrating the Sydney arts scene and LGBTQI+ community to honouring your love on Valentine's Day — these events require you to raise a glass of the good stuff. Yep, we've just given you five more reasons to crack the bubbly. You're welcome. [caption id="attachment_694972" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pigalle, Sydney Festival.[/caption] SYDNEY FESTIVAL: JANUARY 9–27 Since 1977, Sydney Festival has fed our city with critical ideas, cutting-edge art and compelling performance. From January 9–27, the three-week festival is pulling no punches with a diverse program that showcases the best and brightest in the arts community. You can enjoy a raucous night of music and cabaret at Pigalle, partake in a silent disco at the State Library, experience the weightlessness of space on earth via the Moon Drop installation at Barangaroo, or check out powerful new theatre and art by First Nations artists in Blak Out. Once you've got your culture fix, grab a glass of Henkell Blanc de Blancs and debrief with your festival buddy. TROPFEST: FEBRUARY 9 Tropfest — the world's largest short film festival — is back this summer, with 16 incredible finalist films premiering underneath the stars at the picturesque Parramatta Park on February 9. The festival promises an electric atmosphere, bursting with film-loving Sydneysiders, along with some cracking cinema. The best part? Tropfest is a completely free event with BYO permitted. So, pack a gourmet picnic — a selection of charcuterie and cured meats, perhaps — and a bottle of Henkell Trocken to toast the new wave of Aussie filmmakers. As always, films can be about anything but must include the Tropfest Signature Item, which for 2019 is 'candle'. Be sure to keep an eye out for wax and wicks. VALENTINE'S DAY: FEBRUARY 14 Whether you believe Hallmark invented the holiday or not, Valentine's Day is still a good opportunity to show how much you appreciate your partner and crack a bottle of bubbly. It's a win-win. Forgo that passé Italian restaurant with those crazy V-Day crowds and inflated prices, and plan a romantic picnic instead. Cheese and sparkling is the quickest way to the heart, right? Well, at least we think so. Single? No dramas. Treat your ride-or-die bestie to the aforementioned spread and make them feel suitably special. Don't forget to pick up a kitsch Valentines card of the "I choo- choo- choose you" ilk, for a bit of a laugh. [caption id="attachment_701467" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW.[/caption] MARDI GRAS: FEBRUARY 15 TO MARCH 3 You might think Mardi Gras is already sparkly enough — sequins, glitter, rhinestones, what more do you need? — but there's always room for more sparkles, darling. Pop a bottle of Henkell Blanc de Blancs then head along to one of the many Mardi Gras events and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community in the lead up to the main parade. The program covers everything from interactive cabaret banquets to queer burlesque and contemporary art shows; there's thought-provoking work which challenges the status quo and light-hearted art designed to make you laugh. More broadly, Mardi Gras gives Australians a chance to be free, have fun and advocate for diversity simultaneously. Now that's something to celebrate. MOONLIGHT CINEMA: NOVEMBER 29 TO MARCH 31 Summer's balmy nights are certainly worth celebrating, and, there's no better way to do that than by spending a night at the Moonlight Cinema, sparkling in hand. This year's program is stacked with new and old cinematic gems — everything from Dirty Dancing to Bohemian Rhapsody will grace the silver screen. But even if the movie is a drag, the idyllic backdrop of Centennial Park (plus that aforementioned bubbly) will keep you entertained. While there are food trucks and a licensed bar onsite, Moonlight also allows BYO, which means you can go as cheap and cheerful or upscale as you like. Summer is here and it's time to pop the bubbly. Pick up a bottle of Henkell Blanc de Blancs or Henkell Trocken for your next sparkling occasion.
Since its conception in 2004, Sydney clothing brand Jac + Jack has created stunning additions to your wardrobe that ride the line between sleek modern style and casual comfort. Entrenched in soft natural tones, the brand's range covers everything from tees and tanks to dresses and knitwear, with both masculine and feminine lines on offer. If you're looking to add some new pieces to your style roster as we head into Autumn, this is your perfect opportunity, with Jac + Jack throwing a massive end-of-summer sale at its Surry Hills outlet. The boutique brand has rolled out one-off samples and treasures from past season's clothes, slashing the prices on them dramatically. You'll be able to stock up on garments for the chillier weather, with items going for up to 80-percent off. The sale is on until Monday, March 13, running 10am–4pm Monday–Wednesday and Friday–Saturday, as well as 10am–6pm Thursday. You can reserve a spot via Eventbrite.
Hiding away in Crows Nest is Ryo's, a little slice of Tokyo serving ramen as it should be — packed with flavour and in a huge, deep bowl that you'll struggle to make it all the way through. As soon as you step inside the orange ramen house, you'll feel as if you're in Japan. With butcher's paper decorated with kanji adorning the walls and with good luck cats scattered everywhere you turn, it makes your meal feel much more authentic when it arrives. There are a number of pork and chicken broths to choose from, but there is no going past their famous number 8 — ramen in spicy hot flavoured chicken soup with roast pork, egg and shallots. To make it even better, add extra garlic and you'll go away with your lips on fire and your belly full of satisfaction. Just make sure that you leave as soon as you're finished, else you'll feel the ire of those queuing outside.
With restaurants in both Sutherland (which is taking a brief hiatus due to staff shortages) and Cronulla, Alphabet Street is where to go for an upmarket Thai meal in the Shire. Its bubblegum-pink walls also make it a bit of an Instagram fixture. Leaning more towards the upper end of the spectrum than your standard Thai establishment, this venue specialises in flavoursome small bites designed to share. The contemporary and the traditional collide in dishes such as five-spice squid with lemon dipping sauce, tapioca dumplings with sweet pork and peanut, and enticingly soft and crispy bao with fried chicken and chilli mayo. There is also a range of dumplings available including chicken dumplings with prawn and sweet corn in a plum sauce, beef dumplings with soy and chilli oil or vegan mushrooms with shiitake dressing. The bao buns include crispy fried chicken and tofu with chilli mayo. If sharing isn't your thing, or if you're in the mood for something more substantial, Alphabet Street's selection of mains is equally irresistible. Try the choo chee curry with prawns, lychees and coconuts or the crispy pork belly with plum sauce and green apple. Alternatively, the jungle curry of beef, kaffir lime leaf and pea eggplant is criminally delicious. Can't decide what to get? Let the experts make the choice for you and order one of their banquet options. There is also a limited (but thoughtful) selection of vegetarian dishes to choose from, and one vegan curry. Images: Mel Koutchavlis
Ever found the prospect of finding a good inner city cafe where you can wile away the morning resoundingly quixotic? Copo Cafe and Diner offers the answer to this conundrum. And more. Unlike the revolving door 'feel' of a Crown Street cafe with queues of grumpy people waiting outside and awkward packed-in crowds, a beautiful bright-lit spacious cafe opens up before you, located only a short distance from the city. You can actually spread out multiple cumbersome newspapers across a heavy old-fashioned table, walk freely to the bathroom without tripping on a dog or a bag and in general take your time. The brunch menu offers generous tantalising meals at reasonable prices, ranging from exotic sweet dishes like citrus hotcakes with fresh mango, mascarpone and maple syrup ($13.90) or French toast with fresh ricotta, lemon curd and maple syrup ($14.90) to the rich and savoury, South American-style baked beans with chorizo and bacon on toast ($16.90), and original vegetarian options such as Moroccan eggplant baked eggs with labne, herbs and toast ($17.90). Copo's chef sources fresh produce from the markets daily so it's all bright, honest and juicy with a real home-cooked yet professional quality. I died and went to gourmet heaven over the house-smoked trout with fried egg, potato hash, herbs and toast ($17.90) and my breakfasting companion was mad keen tucking into the fried lentils and ham with poached egg, onion, parsley and cumin ($16.90). There was a perfect balance to the food; the lentils had a moreish smoked ham flavor without being too salty and the trout with hash browns was crispy and buttery yet far from greasy. You really couldn't fault any of it. Surrounded by the warm chatter of both youngsters and families, you can comfortably laze the hours away doing crosswords, sipping on hallmark Campos coffee so as to ease into the weekend. Perfect. If you're from these parts, it's the ideal local haunt. If you're not a local, it is well worth the effort to go there to relax, enjoy the amazing food and not feel squeezed like a breakfast juice.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. DUNE A spice-war space opera about feuding houses on far-flung planets, Dune has long been a pop-culture building block. Before Frank Herbert's 1965 novel was adapted into a wrongly reviled David Lynch-directed film — a gloriously 80s epic led by Kyle MacLachlan and laced with surreal touches — it unmistakably inspired Star Wars, and also cast a shadow over Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Game of Thrones has since taken cues from it. The Riddick franchise owes it a debt, too. The list goes on and, thanks to the new version bringing its sandy deserts to cinemas, will only keep growing. As he did with Blade Runner 2049, writer/director Denis Villeneuve has once again grasped something already enormously influential, peered at it with astute eyes and built it anew — and created an instant sci-fi classic. This time, Villeneuve isn't asking viewers to ponder whether androids dream of electric sheep, but if humanity can ever overcome one of our worst urges and all that it brings. Dune tells of birthrights, prophesied messiahs, secret sisterhood sects that underpin the galaxy and phallic-looking giant sandworms, and of the primal lust for power that's as old as time — and, in Herbert's story, echoes well into the future's future. Blade Runner 2049 ruminated upon a similar idea in its own way, as many movies do. Indeed, Ridley Scott was hired to helm Dune before Lynch, then made the original Blade Runner instead, so Villeneuve is following him again here. Dune's unpacking of dominance and command piles on colonial oppression, authoritarianism, greed, ecological calamity and religious fervour, though, like it's building a sandcastle out of power's nastiest ramifications. And, amid that weightiness, it's also a tale of a moody teen with mind-control abilities struggling with what's expected versus what's right. That young man is Paul Atreides, as played by Timothée Chalamet in a stroke of genius casting that seems almost fated — as if returning Dune to the big screen had to wait for the Call Me By Your Name star. (The book also earned the TV miniseries treatment in 2000, and we should be thankful that a 90s iteration soundtracked by the Spice Girls' 'Spice Up Your Life' didn't ever eventuate.) When the narrative begins in Villeneuve and co-screenwriters Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) and Eric Roth's (A Star Is Born) retelling, Paul's life has been upended. House Atreides, led by his father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), must leave its watery home planet of Caladan to take over the desert world of Arrakis. Previously run by their enemies in House Harkonnen, it's the source of the universe's melange stores, with the spice making interstellar travel possible. Spice also expands consciousness and extends lives — and, while forced by imperial decree, the monstrous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård, Chernobyl) isn't happy about handing Arrakis over. To say House Atreides' move doesn't go smoothly is like saying that its new home is a tad toasty, but the tricky transition is just one of Dune's concerns. Another: the plans for Paul. House Atreides' heir, he's being trained as such by the Duke, security expert Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson, Devs), swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa, Aquaman) and weaponry whiz Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame). But Paul's mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Reminiscence) hails from the Bene Gesserit, an all-female group who pull the galaxy's strings, and she sees him as its fabled chosen one. Read our full review. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust under a magnifying glass as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has filled the screen with such characters and stories for more than half a century — intense tales of men who would not take it anymore — as evidenced in his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, and also in his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however, as much as his work repeatedly bets on the same ideas. Instead, his films feel like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it becomes part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William 'Tell' Tillich (Oscar Isaac, Dune), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year stint in military prison, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon after his release. His gambit: winning modest scores from small-scale casinos. If he doesn't take the house, the house won't discipline his card-counting prowess. The money keeps him moving, but each gambling den could be the same for all that Tell cares. His motel-room routine, which involves removing all artwork from the walls, making the bed with his own linen, and covering every other surface and item with carefully tied cloth — making each space as identical as it can be, and resemble incarceration — lingers between fierce self-discipline and a stifled cry for help. Assistance arrives in two forms, not that Tell is looking or particularly receptive to having other people in his life. The regimented status quo he's carved out so meticulously is first punctured by fellow gambler-turned-agent La Linda (Tiffany Haddish, Like a Boss), who backs other punters and believes they should team up to profit big on the poker circuit. That'd bring Tell more visibility than he'd like, but it'd also increase his pay days, which would come in handy for his second new acquaintance. In Atlantic City, he meets the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers), who has proposes a quest for revenge. Tell shares a grim past with Cirk's dad, and the twentysomething wants to punish the retired major-turned-security expert (William Dafoe, The Lighthouse) that he holds responsible — which Tell is eager to discourage. Isaac doesn't ask his reflection if it's looking in his direction. And, given that The Card Counter joins a filmography overflowing with exceptional performances — including Scenes From a Marriage already this year — it won't define his career as Taxi Driver did for a young Robert De Niro. Still, it's the highest compliment to mention the two in the same breath. At every moment, this blistering film is anchored by Isaac's phenomenal portrayal, which is quiet, slippery and weighty all at once. As conveyed with a calculating glare that's as slick as his brushed-back hair, here is a man who dons a calm facade to mask the storm brewing inside, revels in routine to avoid facing change, and anaesthetises his pain and past deeds with the repetition he's made his daily existence. Here is a man desperate to paper over his inner rot with time spent amid meaningless gloss, preferring to feel empty than to feel anything else, until he has an innocent to try to save and a clear-cut way to rally against the soulless world. Read our full review. ENCANTO Five years after Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney first teamed up on an animated musical with the catchiest of tunes, aka Moana, they're back at it again with Encanto. To viewers eager for another colourful, thoughtful and engaging film — and another that embraces a particular culture with the heartiest of hugs, and is all the better for it — what can the past decade's most influential composer and biggest entertainment behemoth say except you're welcome? Both the Hamilton mastermind and the Mouse House do what they do best here. The songs are infectious, as well as diverse in style; the storyline follows a spirited heroine challenging the status quo; and the imagery sparkles. Miranda and Disney are both in comfortable territory, in fact — formulaic, sometimes — but Encanto never feels like they're monotonously beating the same old drum. Instruments are struck, shaken and otherwise played in the film's soundtrack, of course, which resounds with energetic earworms; the salsa beats of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' are especially irresistible, and the Miranda-penned hip hop wordplay that peppers the movie's tunes is impossible to mentally let go. Spanning pop, ballads and more, all those songs help tell the tale of the Madrigals, a close-knit Colombian family who've turned generational trauma into magic. This is still an all-ages-friendly Disney flick, so there are limits to how dark it's willing to get; however, that Encanto fills its frames with a joyous celebration of Latin America and simultaneously recognises its setting's history of conflict is hugely significant. It also marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature — dating back to 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — but its cultural specificity (depictions of Indigenous, Afro Latino and Colombian characters of other ethnicities included) is its bigger achievement. The focal point of their jungle-surrounded village, the Madrigals are the local version of superheroes. They live in an enchanted home, complete with a magical candle that's burned for three generations, and they each receive special powers when they come of age. The latter wasn't the case for Encanto's heroine Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), though, and that absence of exceptional abilities has left the bespectacled teen feeling like an outcast. Plus, with her young cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers, #BlackAF) now going through the ceremony, Mirabel's perceived failings linger afresh in everyone's minds. But then la casita, as their supernatural home is known, starts cracking — the flame begins to flicker as well, as everyone's powers waver with it — and it looks like only its most ordinary inhabitant can save the day. Encanto doesn't refer to the Madrigals by any term you'd hear in a Marvel movie, but the imprint of Disney's hit franchise remains evident. Thankfully, director Byron Howard (Tangled), and co-writers/co-helmers Charise Castro Smith (Sweetbitter) and Jared Bush (Zootopia) have sprinkled in a few fun abilities — because mixing up a template sits high among the feature's powers, even when those generic underlying pieces can still be gleaned. Accordingly, one of Mirabel's sisters, Luisa (Jessica Darrow, Feast of the Seven Fishes), is super strong, but the other, Isabela (Diane Guerrero, Doom Patrol), makes flowers blossom with her loveliness. Similarly, while their aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitán, The Greatest Showman) controls the weather, their mother Julieta (Angie Cepeda, Jane the Virgin) heals through cooking. Read our full review. THE LOST LEONARDO Art of either great or dubious origins. Airport facilities where items can be stored — art masterpieces included — without their owners abiding by taxation rules. Both played parts in Christopher Nolan's Tenet; however, it's no longer the only recent thriller to include the two. The Lost Leonardo doesn't feature a phenomenal heist of a disputed piece from a freeport, but it is as tense and suspenseful as its 2020 predecessor. It also tells a 100-percent true tale about the artwork dubbed the 'male Mona Lisa'. Exploring the story of the Salvator Mundi, a painting of Jesus that may hail from Leonardo da Vinci, this documentary is filled with developments far wilder and stranger than fiction (sorry not sorry Dan Brown). And while there's little that's astonishing about the film's talking heads-meets-recreations approach, it still couldn't be more riveting. Although the Salvator Mundi itself is thought to date to the 15th century, The Lost Leonardo only jumps back as far as 2005. That's when the High Renaissance-era piece was sold for US$1175, and when Alexander Parrish and Robert Simon, art dealers eager to dig up sleepers — works from renowned masters that've been mislabelled or misattributed — suspected there might be more to it. The pair tasked restorer Dianne Modestini with tending to the heavily overpainted and damaged work, which revealed otherwise unseen details in the process. Cue a now-prevailing theory: that the Salvator Mundi sprung from da Vinci's hands. That's a shattering revelation given that, despite the prominence that the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper enjoy, the list of surviving works attributed to da Vinci barely hits 20 — and that's with questions lingering over his involvement in quite a few. Uncovering one of his previously unknown paintings was always going to be huge as a result; locating it in such a way, and for so cheap, only bolsters the extraordinary tale. Debates over the painting's provenance have continued for the past 16 years, although that's not the only reason that The Lost Leonardo exists. The piece has increased in fame over the last decade thanks to two factors, including the Salvator Mundi's inclusion in a 2011–12 da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery, London, placing it alongside the author's accepted works — and its sale for US$75 million in 2013, then for US$127.5 million, and finally again in 2017 for a whopping US$450.3 million. Its unglamorous discovery, the ongoing argument over authenticity, the legitimacy gained by exhibiting in one of the world's most influential galleries, that it's now the most expensive painting ever sold: these details are unpacked and analysed by writer/director Andreas Koefoed (At Home in the World) via his array of interviewees — and so is the fact that, when that mind-blowing sale occurred, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the secretive buyer. It's little wonder that the filmmaker has chosen to unfurl the ins and outs of these remarkable events as if he's joining the dots and puzzling together the pieces right in front of viewers' eyes, making The Lost Leonardo a detective story of a doco. It isn't a new approach, let alone a unique or unusual one, but it savvily relies upon the combined force of a ripping yarn and rollicking storytelling. Read our full review. THE HAND OF GOD For anyone that's ever watched a Paolo Sorrentino film and noticed his fascination with breasts, The Hand of God has the answers. It explains why the director behind The Great Beauty, Youth and Loro — and TV's The Young Pope and The New Pope, too — took to his chosen career as well, and why his features frequently feel pinpoint-accurate when they're either at their most sorrowful or their funniest. And, if he was ever to make a Diego Maradona biopic, the reasons why are also laid out. Sorrentino's latest drama takes its name from the Argentinian soccer superstar's infamous move during a 1986 World Cup match, where he used his hand to score a goal, wasn't penalised and helped win the game. Based on the filmmaker's own adolescence, it also tells of a time when the player was a deity to the not-yet-film-obsessed future Italian cinema great. First, those boobs: they belong to Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri, La vita promessa), aunt of teenager Fabietto Schiesi (Filippo Scotti, Luna Nera), Sorrentino's on-screen surrogate. She isn't shy — sunbathing nude on family boat trips and calling him over to hand her a towel — and the boy is obsessed to the point of chatting about it with his wannabe-actor elder brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert, Romulus). He's also fixated on Maradona's possible move to SSC Napoli, his local team, although that's a family-wide passion. At home with his mother Maria (Teresa Saponangelo, Porcelain) and father Saveria (Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo), and at get-togethers with all of his relatives, it's a frequent topic of conversation. But then a summer takes a turn for the tragic and, thanks to his devotion to Maradona, he's spared — but also caught adrift. For a filmmaker who often lets his excesses guide his frames, The Hand of God sees Sorrentino in a softer mode. The naked female skin remains, the dips into lavish visual extravagance and the eye-catching use of dolly shots as well — plus his penchant for following in Federico Fellini's footsteps, which also manifests when Fabietto tags along with Marchino to audition for the iconic figure — but this is Sorrentino at his most reflective and poignant. Bringing your most painful memory to the screen and sifting through all the complicated feelings it evokes will do that, understandably. Indeed, when Fabietto meets another real-life filmmaker, Antonio Capuano (played by Veleno's Ciro Capano), and says he wants "an imaginary life, like the one I had before" rather than his curent sea of hurt, Sorrentino reveals exactly why The Hand of God and his whole cinema career exists. It may start with a striking flight of fantasy involving a limousine and a small monk, but this is an affectionate and intimate family portrait, as populated with a wonderfully detailed central quartet. It's also a tender and touching coming-of-age story that's equally about sexual awakenings, farewelling childhood and confronting the worst that a teen can face, too. And, it's a movie layered with details about the tidbits that shape us in moments big and small, be it sport or friends or family practical jokes, and it always feels personal. As always, Sorrentino guides wonderful performances out of his cast — along with his striking cinematic eye, its long been one of his best filmic traits — and The Hand of God is never better than when Scotti, Joubert, Saponangelo and Servillo light up the screen together. BACK TO THE OUTBACK Joining the lengthy list of all-ages-friendly animated flicks that preach the importance of being yourself and not judging others on appearance (see also: Encanto and Ron's Gone Wrong), Back to the Outback hits screens with two differences. This overly glossy film is set in Australia, and sports the Aussie voice cast to prove it — Eric Bana, Isla Fisher, Jacki Weaver, Miranda Tapsell, Tim Minchin, Guy Pearce and even Kylie Minogue — while focusing on our native critters. Here, no one should assume a koala is nice, for instance. Fearing spiky, snapping and slithering creatures is similarly frowned upon. That's an immensely well-worn life lesson for kids, and also echoes with cognitive dissonance. When the animals in question are crocodiles, snakes and spiders, wanting them to be your next Finding Nemo or Finding Dory-style pet is hardly the best choice. Misreading how children will likely respond to the movie — begging for their own creatures, rather than taking a message they've already heard countless times to heart yet again — is one of Back to the Outback's many missteps. It smacks of trying to give a by-the-numbers formula a local spin but not thinking it through, a feeling that's also evoked elsewhere in the movie. Take its Steve Irwin-esque zookeeper Chaz Hunt (Bana, The Dry), who plays like a mean-spirited parody, and is the villain of the piece. Again, it must've been a quick decision to caricature Irwin and, while that choice is eventually grounded in the script, it really just seems like the easiest shorthand to make the movie more stereotypically Aussie. In the same vein, Chaz also mentions Vegemite and budgy smugglers when he's not uttering "crikey", unsurprisingly. He dons khaki and hosts wildlife shows at his Sydney zoo, too, which is where taipan Maddie (Fisher, Godmothered), funnel web spider Frank (Pearce, Mare of Easttown), scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie, Emma) and thorny devil Zoe (Tapsell, Top End Wedding) all live — but koala Pretty Boy (Minchin, Upright) is the star of the show. That truth hits home for the sensitive Maddie when she makes her public debut and is called a monster because of her venom, while the cute and cuddly PB is a viral sensation the world over. Maternal croc Jackie (Weaver, Penguin Bloom) counsels not to take it all personally, although that's obviously easier said than done. So is the escape plan to flee the zoo and head back to the outback in search of her family — and yes, the film does utter its title in dialogue. Directed by Clare Knight (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part's editor) and Harry Cripps (screenwriter of The Dry and Penguin Bloom, and also this), Back to the Outback hails from the distraction-filled school of family-centric filmmaking. Think: expensive and overt needle drops that add nothing to the story, but will keep kids bopping ('Bad Guy' is one such choice here); and a need to pack in as many flimsy jokes as possible in the hope that some will stick and, even if they don't, that they'll all keep viewers moving onto the next thing split-seconds later. Also high among its grating traits is an evident lack of understanding that great stories rather than half-baked sight gags and onslaughts of colour and movement make all-ages filmmaking special. Oh, and Back to the Outback's overemphasis on celebrity voicework is just as testing, as is that aforementioned heavy-handed messaging. SIT. STAY. LOVE. As Netflix keeps reminding its subscribers each and every festive season, Christmas rom-coms aren't usually known for their style, substance or depth. Instead, the most stereotypical flicks in the genre tend to favour cheese and cliches decked out in seasonal trimmings, and are designed to be consumed as easily and undemandingly as possible. They're the brandy custard of the cinema world, or the candy canes used to stuff stockings. Filler is a great way to describe the Hallmark-style fare that keeps getting churned out, too. Releasing in cinemas but surely destined to settle into a streaming platform's end-of-year roster in the future, Sit. Stay. Love is one such movie. And, while it gleefully owns all of its tropes — and all that Christmas packaging — that isn't the same as giving viewers a present. Festive-themed romantic-comedy meets animal-centric heartstring-tugger: even with an Eat Pray Love-knockoff of a title, that's the recipe here. Christmas brings people together, cute critters do as well, and Sit. Stay. Love doesn't hide either the formula at work or how blatantly it's splicing together two well-worn templates. The Australian-made film is better at getting a Gold Coast studio to stand in for Vermont in the thick of winter — because that's how firmly the movie embraces cookie-cutter Christmas flick inclusions, requisite snowy backdrop and all. Director Tori Garrett (Don't Tell) has nowhere near the same success in presenting the Australian cast as American, though, adding unconvincing accents to the feature's sack of struggles. As paint-by-numbers as it is, there's still wholesome potential in Sit. Stay. Love's premise, as penned by veteran sitcom writer Holly Hester (Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Drew Carey Show). Overachiever Annie (Georgia Flood, American Princess) has returned to New England after a stint building a school in Nepal, but the aid worker still needs to keep herself busy — lest she actually spend meaningful time with her dad (Anthony Phelan, The Nightingale) and come to terms with her mother's death in the process. When the local animal rescue charity looks set to go under, her solution is to help save it, and to try to find homes for three of its dogs. But that isn't enough of a feel-good setup, so Sit. Stay. Love also has Annie flirtatiously banter with her old debating nemesis, Dylan (Ezekiel Simat, Back to the Rafters), who's now the town vet. The schmaltz falls as thick as snow, the dialogue is trite and no one's putting in their best performance. They're all hallmarks of exactly this kind of Christmas movie, as is the complete absence of surprises served up by the plot. Still, simply adhering to a terrible pattern shouldn't be any feature's biggest strength, even in a genre as padded out and merrily content to always stick to the obvious as seasonal rom-coms. Festive flicks have a built-in recourse to criticism — if you don't like them, you must be a grinch, or so the accusation goes — but saying bah humbug to cloying movies shouldn't stop at any time of the year. The dogs are adorable, at least, but that was always going to be a given. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.
Jaaks has entered a new era. The breezy Kyle Bay venue, perched on the edge of the Georges River, has traded its fine-dining roots for something far more casual: a Greek mezedopolio that channels the relaxed rhythm of an evening by the Aegean. Gone are the white tablecloths and formal degustations — in their place: light timbers, linen sails draped from the ceiling and a decidedly laidback feel that invites you to linger over small plates and a cold ouzo. The menu has been completely reimagined under new Executive Chef Arman Uz (ex-Efendy Group), who first worked at Jaaks after arriving in Sydney in 2017. The rotating selection of around 20 mezedes and mini souvlakia — cooked over charcoal on a hibachi — is heavily rooted in homestyle Greek and Cypriot classics, but with clever twists that draw on flavours from across the Med. Octopus, for example, sits on a bed of gigantes and chermoula, butterflied king prawn is glazed with an ouzo bisque and brussels sprouts are given a lift with eggplant, tahini and molasses. Souvlakia, meanwhile, range from the traditional — chicken thigh is brushed with lemon and oregano — to the more inventive — salmon belly replaces the usual pork in the classic Cypriot sheftalies, which are topped with smoked salt, mustard mayo and dill. Lesser-known cuts, like a date syrup-glazed ox tongue, reflect the kitchen's nose-to-tail ethos, while vegetarian options, like cabbage finished with gochujang, walnut and molasses, also feature. Rounding out the offering are daily house-baked breads, served simply with sea salt and oregano or topped with rotating combinations such as tomato and garlic or haloumi and honey, plus a drinks list designed for kicking back. Greek wines and cocktails lead the charge — try the ouzo-spiked martini or the bright Lemonada, a mix of gin, cucumber and homemade lemonade. There's also an impressive collection of ouzo and tsipouro for slower sipping. Owners and siblings George Christodoulou and Diana Valsamis say the shift from Jaaks' more formal offer reflects how Sydney diners want to eat today: it's social and spontaneous rather than structured, with an approachable, ever-evolving menu and dedicated space for walk-ins next to the 40-seat dining room. The result is a spot that feels equal parts local hangout and summer escape — and just right for its prime riverside location.
Your trip finally made it out of the group chat, but now the struggle is on to keep the friendships intact after the trip. It's almost impossible to imagine anyone having a bad time on the Sunshine Coast, but where you choose to call home while you're there can make all the difference. In partnership with Visit Noosa, we've compiled a guide to some of the top-notch accommodation options around the region — from one-bedroom studios on Noosa's main strip and luxe hotels with ocean views to easygoing resorts with kid-friendly activities and multi-bedroom homes. [caption id="attachment_965601" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Netanya[/caption] For Style Savants Stay in the heart of the action at Netanya Noosa. The sophisticated resort is sandwiched between the bustle of Hastings Street and the tranquillity of Main Beach, so you'll be in a prime position to experience the best of the area. There are serviced apartments to suit all types of groups, ranging from poolside studios for solo travellers and couples to two-bedroom beachfront rooms with a rooftop terrace and even a three-bedroom penthouse villa with views across Main Beach and Laguna Bay. Each self-contained apartment features king beds, a kitchenette and flexible housekeeping options, while the resort offers concierge services, laundry facilities, on-site parking, Tesla airport transfers and a heated beachfront pool. [caption id="attachment_965595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Noosa Springs Golf Resort[/caption] For Wellness Fanatics If shopping or lounging by the beach doesn't quite cut it for you, book in at the Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort for wellness activities galore. Spend your days working on your handicap at the 18-hole golf course, playing tennis, doing laps in the heated pool or taking part in one of the many daily exercise classes at the fitness centre before unwinding at the spa. Alongside classic treatments such as massages, facials, body scrubs and wraps, there's also a flotation pool and thermal suite with a hydromassage pool, infrared sauna, steam room and blitz shower. [caption id="attachment_965597" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sofitel Noosa[/caption] For Luxury Lovers Level up your stay at the five-star Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, conveniently located on Hastings Street. Sofitel combines attentive service with luxe rooms and stellar facilities, including a day spa, the hatted Noosa Beach House Restaurant, a swim-up pool bar and the Riviera Bar. If you can tear yourself away from the resort, Main Beach is only a two-minute walk away, while Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach are just five minutes by car. [caption id="attachment_965596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RACV[/caption] For Families If you're travelling with the whole family, RACV Noosa Resort has you covered. It offers everything from one-bedroom apartments to multi-storey, three-bedroom villas that sleep up to eight people. Keep the kids entertained (and maintain your sanity) with the resort's wide range of facilities, which include heated pools with water slides, a games room, playground, spa, tennis court, restaurant, bar and free shuttle service to Noosa Junction, Hastings Street and Main Beach. During the school holidays, you can even entrust your kids to the qualified professionals at the Kids Club Care service, who will host games and activities for your little ones between 5.30–8.30pm, so you can enjoy a romantic dinner without the little ones. [caption id="attachment_965600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clubb Coolum[/caption] For Surf Buffs Go straight from rolling out of bed to rolling into some of the Sunshine Coast's legendary waves at Clubb Coolum Beach Resort. The relaxed resort has a range of two- to three-bedroom apartments with views of the water and is located right by Coolum Beach. The lesser-known beach is only a 30-minute drive from Noosa Heads and boasts various wave types for all skill levels. If you're starting out, Coolum Surf School is a five-minute walk from the hotel. After hitting the surf, you can keep your heart rate up at the outdoor pool, gym, games room or tennis court before kicking back in the sauna or whipping up a feast at the barbecue. [caption id="attachment_965598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tingirana[/caption] For Cosy Couples It's all about embracing the coastal aesthetic at Tingirana Noosa, where you can don your best sun hat while cosying up with a mystery novel on a blue-and-white striped recliner at the beachfront pool. Choose from one-bedroom studios overlooking Hastings Street or one- to two-bedroom apartments and penthouses facing Noosa Beach. Each comes equipped with a kitchen, a private balcony overlooking the water and a barbecue. Guests also get direct beach access and can use the resort's infinity pool, gym, restaurant (which offers room service) and parking. [caption id="attachment_965599" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zinc[/caption] For Long-Term Stays If you're planning to enjoy the Sunny Coast for a longer stretch (because why wouldn't you?), opt to rent a holiday unit from Zinc Properties. The company has a range of two-bedroom apartments available in Noosa Heads, complete with parking, kitchens, private balconies and extras like an outdoor barbecue, a pool, hot tub and water or hinterland views. And if you decide to extend your stay indefinitely, there are even apartments and houses for rent or sale on the Zinc Properties site. [caption id="attachment_965602" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Niche[/caption] For Bigger Groups Prefer the privacy of your own place? Niche Holidays has you covered with over 80 stylish properties around Noosa. From two-bedroom apartments with direct access to Main Beach to a five-bedroom Mediterranean-style villa with a pool and a sprawling eight-bedroom home with a private jetty, Niche Holidays has a property for every type of group — with enough bedrooms and private breakaway spaces for when group tensions start to rise and your social battery runs low. Start planning your Noosa getaway and find out more at the Visit Noosa website. Images: Tourism Noosa
Ridiculous as it may sound, some of the most compelling on-screen moments of the past decade have been found in the simple 30-second commercial spots for Apple products. Think back, for example, to the excitement on the face of the deaf girl as she's finally able to use sign language on her mobile phone, or the hypnotic dancing silhouettes cutting loose to Jet's ridiculously catchy 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'. Best of all, picture that deployed soldier on the distant battlefront, tearfully touching the screen just as his newborn son gently does the same from all the way back home. Like the products they were marketing, Apple ads tapped into the notion of selling ideas and emotions — not items — and $500 billion later it was pretty clear we liked what we saw. Because of that, though, one of the biggest challenges facing the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs was to simply be better than the ads for the products he invented, and on most fronts it was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. Not unlike 2010's The Social Network, the Jobs film tracks its protagonist's story from his college days through to his stewardship over what is now, economically, the largest company in the world. We're presented with an unflattering portrayal of the man whose extraordinary vision sat alongside his infamous temper, ego and capacity for cruelty, particularly in matters concerning close friends and family. Steve is played by Ashton Kutcher in a performance that impressively captures the tech legend's mannerisms and cadence. The problem, however, is that Jobs feels more like a movie about Apple than the man who founded it. Whilst we're presented with at least some of his highs and lows (the movie is at its best during those low points, most notably his dismissal by the Apple board), whenever the products rate a mention, they're given almost comical reverence; messianic machines bathed in ethereal light. There's no denying the Cult of Apple exists, but this film wasn't the place to indulge it, and when coupled with some serious omissions, such as Jobs's founding of Pixar, it's hard to not consider this biopic more Performa than performer. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FrvkCS0ZGPU
Imagine a fully immersive theatre experience with a choose-your-own-adventure twist and lots of macabre nods to Edgar Allan Poe, and you'll have some idea of what to expect when A Midnight Visit takes over an abandoned Sydney warehouse later this year. Unlike any theatre offering the city has seen before, this captivating experience is part performance, part playground and part film set. And it's being brought to life across 30 rooms of an eerie, two-storey, 3500-square-metre Newtown warehouse before it's demolished to make way for apartments. Audiences will find themselves transported into a dream world that takes its cues from those notoriously macabre works of Edgar Allan Poe, as imagined by a team of local actors and a crew of innovative sound, film-set and costume designers. Expect an air of David Lynch and some Stanley Kubrick vibes, with a spot of steam-punk thrown in for good measure. "The experience explores themes of madness, guilt, death, impermanence and memory — just the small things in life," explains director and co-creator Danielle Harvey. "It's sometimes funny, sometimes sexy, sometimes wistful, and yes, sometimes a bit scary." It won't be for the faint-hearted, with hints to uneven floors, suffocatingly small spaced and many 'troubled characters'. If you're thinking you might need some sort of tipple to calm your nerves before all of that, or after, you'll find yourself in good hands at The Ravens Rest pop-up bar, curated by Studio Neon. A Midnight Visit will run from October 3 until December 9, at 655 King Street Newtown. Tickets are $45, available here. Preview performances from September 19 will also be available for $25.
Australia's longest running exhibition and art prize of its kind, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) was established in the early 1980s when the commercial popularity of Aboriginal art was just starting to develop. The coveted award not only offers one of the biggest prizes for First Nations artists in the country, but it also aims to highlight the diversity and evolution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and its various forms. This year, there are 65 artists who have been selected as finalists for the seven awards, which have a total prize value of $80,000. So we've partnered with Telstra to give you a rundown on seven impressive artists that we think you should get to know better — and support — as they share their artistry with the world. Make sure you visit the NATSIAA website on Friday August 7, from 6pm, to watch the Awards presented live by host Brooke Boney. VICTORIA'S MULTI-TALENTED ARTIST CASSIE LEATHAM Inspired by walking the country near her two-acre property in Central Gippsland, Taungurung woman Cassie Leatham, from the Kulin Nation, is a true slashie. She's an artist, designer, weaver, dancer and educator. Leatham is hoping her second entry in the Telstra NATSIAA — a woven artwork that tells the creation stories passed to her by her elders — connects with the Award's judging panel. 'Nugal-ik Liwik Bundjil (My Ancestors Creation Story)' features a mix of pipe clay, emu fat, wattle sap, stringy bark, mud, ochre, sand crystals and wedge-tailed eagle feathers. The artist says her goal is to maintain cultural practices, with her dream being to create a teaching centre on her property to keep her culture alive. WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S KNIFE WELDING ILLIAM NARGOODAH Emerging artist Illiam Nargoodah is gaining acclaim for continuing an ancient tradition. Based out of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region, the 23 year old uses his skills to create knives by hand from found objects, crafting every part of the knife from handle to blade. Upholding knowledge that runs in the family, the young artist has been learning alongside his father — a leatherworker — since he was a young boy. The artist's first Telstra NATSIAA entry consists of several special knives that were crafted out of metal objects and artefacts collected on community station properties near his home. QUEENSLAND'S VISUAL ARTIST RYAN PRESLEY Using the iconographic traditions of Christian art as his launchpad, Marri Ngarr man Ryan Presley has his second entry in the Telstra NATSIAA this year. It's a political work that depicts the "beauty, resistance and everyday heroism of Aboriginal people today", he says. 'Crown Land (till the ends of the earth)' mixes oil, synthetic polymer and 23 karat gold on canvas. Presley, who was born in Alice Springs and now lives in Brisbane, is known for creating works that reference the impacts of colonisation on First Nations people, and the devastation of country and wellbeing from industries such as mining. CANBERRA-BASED SHELL ARTIST KRYSTAL HURST Proud Worimi woman Krystal Hurst brings the strength of the women in her family, and her ancestors before her, to her art. Working with banded kelp shells, bitjagang (pipis), fishing line and seaweed, Hurst has created a layered necklace for this year's Telstra NATSIAA. This is her second time entering the Awards, and the jewellery maker's artwork references an enduring connection to the sea and the continuation of knowledge passed on through generations. Hurst grew up on the Mid-North Coast and she continues to tell the stories of her people through her jewellery, and via weaving workshops that she runs at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. SOUTH AUSTRALIA MOTHER-DAUGHTER PAINTERS BETTY AND MARINA PUMANI Winner of the Telstra NATSIAA 2016 Telstra General Painting of the Year, Betty Kuntiwa Pumani enters the awards again this year — but this time in collaboration with her daughter Marina Pumani. Based in Mimili, a remote community in the APY Lands of South Australia, the mother-daughter duo has made two paintings that celebrate matriarchal knowledge. Painting Antara, a special site for the women in their community, Marina adds her knowledge to this particular diptych, referencing Maku Tjukurpa (the witchetty grub songline), which is central to all of Betty's paintings, marked by her signature use of vibrant reds. NEW SOUTH WALES DISRUPTOR AMALA GROOM Mixed media artist Amala Groom is the only New South Wales-based artist to make the finalist list of this year's Awards. Based out of Bathurst, the Wiradjuri artist has re-appropriated a beaten up print of a famed painting by Frederick McCubbin — a prominent member of the Heidelberg School movement — found discarded in a parking lot during the bushfire crisis, earlier this year. Groom's piece 'The Fifth Element' is a "conceptual intervention into the Australian canon of art history", she says. It comments on the uncertainty of our current times and remind us of ngumbaay-dyil — that 'all are one'. ARNHEM LAND TEXTILE ARTIST DEBORAH WURRKIDJ A previous Telstra NATSIAA finalist, Maningrida-based artist Deborah Wurrkidj has this year created a woven sculpture that reflects a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris taken in 2019. Alongside four other artists from the Bábbarra Women's Centre, Wurrkidj was asked to exhibit her artwork at the Australian Embassy in Paris, which was then profiled in Vogue. This new work, woven from memory, is inspired by the Eiffel Tower. Wurrkidj says, "I saw that tower and I thought I'll go back to Maningrida and I'll make her. Yes, I can weave that tower in our way, our Aboriginal way, not balanda [a white/European] way. And I did it." Find out more about the upcoming Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Top image: Krystal Hurst
Not only is The Rocks Sydney's oldest part of town — with some of the oldest watering holes — but it's also got some classic Sydney views to boot. Directly across the water from Bennelong Point, the area is perfectly positioned for uninterrupted vistas of the Opera House, Circular Quay and the harbour. So now that Vivid Sydney is officially in full swing, it's time to take advantage of those sprawling views. What's even better, you can take in these sights at some primo dining spots. Here are five eateries in The Rocks where you can catch some significant doses of Vivid light shows — pre-, post- or during dinner. SAKE Wearing its prestigious chef's hat for six years running, this restaurant is the perfect pause from the Vivid hubbub with its inventive sushi and over 40 sakes. Through the faux traditional Japanese entrance and down the long walk into the main room, you're removed from the bustle and guided to a cavern-like space divided between tables, booths and shoes-off and bum-on-floor tatami dining. Kick off your shoes, dig into some house specialties like the nori crips with tuna, kingfish green onion, togarashi and sesame dressing, and the Glacier 51 toothfish with miso butter, cooked in bamboo leaves, then head back out onto the illuminated streets refreshed and ready yourself for a game of LED hopscotch through The Rocks. THE ROCKS NIGHT MARKETS If you'd rather have a stroll through the Vivid sights with some tasty takeaway, instead of committing to a sit down meal, The Rocks Night Markets on Fridays and Saturdays (plus the Sunday of the Queen's Birthday long weekend) have you sorted. Before you set out through the lighted laneways, take some time to wander the stalls now set up on Playfair and Atherden Streets. Sample handmade, dried, baked, whipped and roasted products from all over the city and further afield. You name it, you'll get your hands on it — from BBQ skewers to cupcakes, gozleme and handmade chocolates. You'll also find new comers like Saké Jr serving up Japanese fried rice, and Fratelli Fresh dishing out authentic Italian eats from their pasta and gelato bar. And as a bonus, there'll also be live music. Sights, eats and tunes, sorted. The Rocks Night Markets are held Fridays and Saturdays, plus the Sunday of the Queen's Birthday long weekend during Vivid from 6–10.30pm. ALTITUDE RESTAURANT The Shangri-La's Altitude Restaurant offers the epitome of dazzling views. That's because it's on the 36th floor of the hotel, and it's fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbour, all the way out to the heads. While you're working through your tempura soft shell crab with saffron risotto, foie gras brûlée with squid ink puree, cocoa nib and hazelnuts, Macleay Valley pork loin, and white chocolate and pear sorbet to finish, gaze out over the city's panoramas flickering and flashing with Vivid colours below. THE DINING ROOM AT PARK HYATT What Altitude offers in dizzying heights, The Dining Room at Park Hyatt offers in its spectacular proximity to the water and juxtaposition to the Opera House — a table here is about as close to the harbour as you can get without jumping on a ferry. Plus, the four-metre, floor-to-ceiling windows make for unreal views of Vivid right from your table and away from the crowds. Like Altitude, The Dining Room is for fine dining, but for tighter budgets — the tasting menu presents a reasonably-priced four courses of Sydney rock oysters, albacore tuna crudo, Tassie salmon with carrot declination, kaffir lime and coconut foam, slow-cooked, 'Bourguignon-style' wagyu beef cheek, plus a decadent chocolate bar with popcorn ice cream and salty caramel sauce. Pair it all with wines presented by the sommelier, and you're still paying less than $150 per person, for top-notch cuisine with a million dollar view. FINE FOOD STORE If there's one cafe in The Rocks that locals have frequented for over a decade, it's this one. The Fine Food Store pours Sydney's legendary Coffee Alchemy — plus blends up the famed Golden Gaytime shake — from its clandestine location on the corner of Mill and Kendall Lanes. And during Vivid this local favourite is keeping the lights on late on Fridays and Saturdays with homestyle Northern Italian eats served from their pasta pop-up. The regular cafe menu will also be on offer until 9pm — which includes some pretty tasty cocktails. So, dig into some fresh pasta, wash it down with a barrel aged negroni or deconstructed old fashioned, then check out the many light installations just around the corner. Top Image: Destination NSW
Every year, one of the most unmissable events on the Mardi Gras calendar is the Sissy Ball. Taking over Sydney Town Hall on Saturday, February 24, the shindig will transport you to a dance floor inspired by NYC's legendary ballroom scenes. Spend the night making shapes to a 'disco-house-bounce-pop' soundtrack and watching an epic vogue championship, which will see entrants compete across nine categories, including Sex Siren, Hands, Face, Realness and Trans Man Best Dressed. Godmother of Australian Ballroom, Kilia, is returning this year as curator, with a lineup of beloved ballroom figures coming together to judge, alongside Jack Mizrahi and Jamaica Moana who will be delivering high voltage rapid-fire commentary. In charge of the tunes for the night will be MikeQ, a legendary producer and DJ within the ballroom community who was even sampled on Beyonce's Renaissance, plus Brisbane-based superstar Neesha Alexander. You can check out the full lineup Sissy Ball via the Mardi Gras Instagram. First and second release dance floor tickets are sold out, so act quick if you want to secure your spot.
Here's something to be thankful for: Thanksgiving isn't an Australian occasion, but Black Friday has made the jump Down Under, bringing sales upon sales with it. Maybe you're getting your Christmas shopping done early, and cheap. Perhaps you're treating yo'self to a major purchase at a discounted price. Or, you could be excited about making travel plans for the year ahead, which is where Virgin Australia's 2024 Black Friday sale comes in. A huge one-million-plus fares are currently up for grabs from the airline, covering both Aussie and international destinations. If somewhere beyond these shores beckons, Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Queenstown are among your options. Within Australia, so does The Whitsundays, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Darwin, Uluru, Hobart and more. Internationally, return deals are on offer. From Sydney, you can get to and from Queenstown from $435, Nadi from $569 and Denpasar from $609. Melburnians can holiday in the same spots from $405, $599 and $589, respectively, while the prices from Brisbane are $515, $589 and $599. Cheap fares from the Sunshine State capital also include hitting up Port Vila from $499 and Apia from $689. One-way domestic fares start at $49, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As always, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast from $109, Brisbane to The Whitsundays from $79, Sydney to Hamilton Island from $115, Melbourne to Darwin from $205, Brisbane to Uluru from $129 and Sydney to Perth from $209. Are you yearning to kick off 2025 with a holiday? Perhaps you're planning an autumn, winter or spring vacation instead? Travel dates span Monday, January 6–Thursday, September 18, 2025, all varying depending on the flights and prices. As normal when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are available until 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Virgin's 2024 Black Friday sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Wednesday, December 4 — or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
We Australians love our cheese. We have everything from fromageries and festivals dedicated to the dairy foodstuff to cheese wheels filled with pasta and bottomless raclette sessions to prove it. Our stomachs are working overtime to digest all the lactose and, honestly, we've never been happier. The love affair only continues with this cheesy annual event. Bon Fromage — a festival specifically celebrating European cheese — is returning for a 2024 run, popping back up with a full in-person festival following a couple of disrupted years. The whole thing will be taking place from Friday, May 31 until Sunday, June 2, coinciding with the city's favourite light and arts festival, Vivid. With the festival taking over the Overseas Passenger Terminal's Cargo Hall, you'll be able to enjoy samples of cheese and wine as you take in the view of the lit-up Sydney Opera House during Vivid. Across the weekend, one tonne of cheese will be given out, with a huge cheese buffet of brie, camembert, triple-crème, Fourme d'Ambert, Langres and mimolette being set up as the centrepiece of the festival. Plus, it'll be taking inspiration from the four seasons as part of its 2024 edition, so expect to be met with cheese spreads themed around summer, autumn, winter and spring. There will also be a market where ten of the country's top cheesemongers and chefs will be exhibiting and selling cheeses; pop-up culinary experiences from the likes of Masterchef alumni Jimmy Wong and Marani Deli's Alex Grenouillier; craft beer and spirits; live music gigs from violinist Daniele Montarulo, Anna Waving Collective, and DJ Frans; and cheese-based masterclasses. Best of all, entry to the festival, all of the cheese tastings and the masterclasses are all free.
What started as a lockdown pop-up is now getting a permanent home in the Inner West, with the team behind Ragazzi, Fabbrica and Love, Tilly Devine announcing a brand new bricks-and-mortar bakery is bound for Rozelle this August. Back in 2021, Sydneysiders were pining after any treat they could get their hands on as they stuck out a four-month lockdown. During this time the Love, Tilly Group was one of many Sydney favourites that made a pivot to something a little different and more takeaway-friendly, utilising its King Street pasta and wine shop as a bakery on weekends which they coined Fabbrica Bread Shop. Following the success of this limited-time venture, the crew is setting up a permanent shop for takeaway and dine-in feeds inside an expansive new Maloneys Grocer on the Rozelle end of Darling Street later this winter. [caption id="attachment_825864" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] The sunlit 24-seat venue will be headed up by a pair of bread, pastry and dessert experts — Love Tilly Group's Head Baker Aniruddha Bhosekar and Fabbrica Pasta Shop's Alyce Bennett (formerly Humble Bakery). Raised in Thane, Bhosekar was trained at Mumbai's oldest hospitality institute, bringing this wealth of hospitality experience to create a one-of-a-kind slate of bakery items. Carry-over champions from the pop-up including pork and fennel sausage rolls, chocolate-filled bomboloni and banoffee tarts will be joined by exciting new additions. The masala croissants will be loaded with spiced dosa potatoes, and vindaloo pies will be on offer filled with goat direct from the Gourmet Goat Lady. Further down the Fabbrica Bread Shop menu you can expect fluffy focaccia, a daily lineup of sandwiches, pillowy maritozzi, chocolate and custard tarts and sticky buns — alongside a drinks list made up of The Little Marionette coffee for your morning caffeine fix as well as beer, wine and spritzes for lunchtime catch-ups. Keeping loyal to its name, there will also be plenty of loaves of freshly baked bread on offer including a signature sourdough that uses three different flours from Wholegrain Milling in Gunnedah and requires over 24 hours of proofing. This will mark the third addition to the Fabbrica family, joining the CBD provisions store and wine bar, and the recently opened Fabbrica Pasta Bar Balmain. "Fabbrica Bread Shop takes the Fabbrica experience into the suburban sunshine," says Love Tilly Group co-owner Matthew Swieboda. "It's everything you want in a great local bakery, whether you're picking up a bag full of still-warm pastries to enjoy in the park on a relaxed weekend morning, nabbing a spot by the window for a light lunch with mates or just swinging by to pick up another loaf of excellent sourdough for home." Fabbrica Bread Shop will open at Maloneys Grocer, 733 Darling Street, Rozelle in August.
Surry Hills pub The Dolphin is a food and wine favourite at the best of times, but on June 10, it's taking things to the next level, joining forces with Drnks to host its own mini food and booze festival. Dubbed Wet Dreams, the event's set to dish up a smorgasbord of great eats and boozy treats, with a pumping soundtrack to match. Over 30 winemakers, brewers and importers will be there showing off their finest wares, including a strong South Australian contingent (Ochota Barrels, Jauma and Commune of Buttons), Sydney's Wildflower Brewing, California-based wine stars Forlorn Hope, WA natural winemakers Brave New Wine and Canberra's Mallaluka. Expect lots of natural and skin contact drops. Meanwhile, a curation of drinking snacks will come courtesy of Momofuku Seiōbo's Paul Carmichael, Acme's Mitch Orr, Luke Shannon from LP's Quality Meats and the brains behind Pub Life Kitchen and Superior Burger, Jovan Curic. Spend the afternoon chatting with top Aussie producers, while tasting some of their finest creations. The event will kick off at 1pm and run until 4pm, after which you can slide into The Dolphin's wine bar for a few more glasses.
