Jason Schwartzman as a private detective. That's it — that's the show. In Bored to Death, the Wes Anderson favourite plays Jonathan Ames, a Brooklyn-based writer who moonlights as a sleuth, pals around with a comic book artist played by Zach Galifianakis and sees a literary magazine editor played by Ted Danson as his surrogate father figure. Adding another layer of eccentricity: the fact that Bored to Death was created and written by an author also called Jonathan Ames, who later wrote the novella that excellent hitman thriller You Were Never Really Here was based on. But even without that nifty trivia tidbit, this is a delightfully offbeat three-season gumshoe series that deservedly amassed quite the cult following when it initially aired from 2009–11. Also, everyone from Jenny Slate and Kristen Wiig to Patton Oswalt and Isla Fisher co-star.
Castle Mall's Northwest Growers is the local go-to for the freshest fruit and vegetable around town. Owners and brothers Peter and Bud source most of the fruit from their nearby family farm and orchard — including stone fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums and figs. And the veg is also sourced locally in Windsor and Galston. The offering is brought in fresh from the farm each day and is the best you'll get. Alongside the fresh stuff, there are family made jams and other smallgoods up for grabs, too.
Left your Valentine's Day plans a little late? Not to worry, Opera Bar has got you covered with sweeping, romantic views overlooking Sydney Harbour. Taking only walk-ins, this playfully cheesy event is the perfect way to spend your February 14 without getting tied up in ticket sales and reservations. Hosted by two whimsical cupids, the lighthearted Day of Love affair features live tunes from the Hot Potato Band. This joyful 10-piece brass troupe will serve up their take on a host of classic love songs – expect more than a few saxophone solos. Meanwhile, there's a photo booth for snapping pics and caricature artists ready to capture your date in curious ways. [caption id="attachment_990358" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Ethan Smart[/caption] Throughout the evening, the cupids will roam the space, handing out flowers, love poems and postcards to unwitting couples. There'll also be a host of food and drink specials to celebrate the occasion, with the Cupid Club cocktail offering a tasty concoction of Bombay Sapphire, raspberry, lemon myrtle and egg whites. [caption id="attachment_990360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Credit: Ethan Smart[/caption]
Anything humans can eat, dogs think that they can munch on as well. But as every responsible pet parent knows, that isn't actually the case. So, we've all weathered those adorable, yearning, pleading looks from our beloved pooches as we've tucked into something that they'd like to taste as well. And, we've all felt the heartbreak at letting our cute critters down — even though it's for their health. Does your doggo get a twinkle in their eye whenever there's a doughnut around? It wouldn't be the first — and, until Monday, September 18, it's in luck. For International Dog Day on Saturday, August 26, Krispy Kreme has announced the return of its limited-edition range of "doggie doughnuts". They're doughnut-inspired dog biscuits, actually, but they sure do look like the real thing. First introduced in 2021, the eye-catching bikkies are a collaboration with Sunshine Coast-based pet treats business Huds and Toke, and they come in six different varieties. If you love Krispy Kreme's original glazed doughnuts, perhaps your pupper will adore the dog biscuit version as well. Or, you could let then go barking mad over choc iced, choc cookie, choc cheesecake, choc sprinkles and strawberry sprinkles varieties. The biscuits aren't made from doughnuts or from chocolate, of course; instead, they use a hard-baked cookie base, as well as frosting made from ingredients like carob that's been designed specifically for dog jaws. The bikkies are also meant to be good for chewing and for dental cleaning — and they're designed to last longer than your usual dog treat. If these round delights will get your four-legged friend's tail wagging, you can buy them in six-packs (for $14.90) while stocks last at Krispy Kreme stores — including via drive-thru. And, they are just for pets. So, just like how Fido or Rover can't have your doughnut, you can't have their version either. Grab some on the weekend of Saturday, August 26–Sunday, August 27 and you'll also score a complimentary pup cup. Krispy Kreme's doggie doughnuts are now available from the chain's stores in Australia and New Zealand until Monday, September 18. Images: Michael Leckie / PinPep.
If you've seen and loved the show Girls, then you know what a character Lena Dunham is. Her work on the big screen is equally amusing. The one-woman-wonder wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture, a clever and amusing coming-of-age dramedy about a bright but lost young woman coming to terms with her stagnant life. In Tiny Furniture, 22-year-old Aura (Dunham) moves back into her artist mother's Tribeca loft after graduating from university. With a useless film degree, a boyfriend who's left her for Burning Man, a dying hamster and no job, Aura is a desperate for someone to tell her what to do. Luckily, her imprudent childhood friend (Jemima Kirke from Girls) and some feckless love interests (including Alex Karpovsky, also from Girls) are thrown in the mix for plenty of roguish escapades. Through gritted teeth and a forced smile, Aura puts her self out there, lands a job at a crummy restaurant and tries to make something of her life like any other twenty-something in New York City. With a witty cast of characters — including her real-life mother, sister and best friend — Dunham's story hits close to home (and was actually filmed in her parents'). Winning Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest and Best Screenplay at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards, this indie darling has all the salty, satirical and sardonic humour that captivated us even before Girls. Tiny Furniture is available on DVD and digital download on October 23. Thanks to Transmission Home Entertainment, we've got five DVD copies to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=GuD6wF_GPOY
Last Wednesday, the lower north shore's Mosman Rowers club was forced to close after a fire partially destroyed the century-old building. But, in good news, the venue has opened its cafe back up for business as of today, Monday, April 8. In just a number of days, the club has made emergency repairs, and the second-level 100-seat cafe Archie Bear — where the fire started — has resumed service. It's currently serving classic bacon and egg roll and green breakfast bowls, and will switch to plates of Sydney rock oysters, baby squid and antipasto plates as the lunch menu kicks in. View this post on Instagram We're excited to let everyone know we are open again 🍾 A huge thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this point since Wednesday, we honestly can't thank you enough. For more info on our updated hours, please visit our website 🍽 #MosmanRowers A post shared by Mosman Rowers (@mosmanrowers) on Apr 7, 2019 at 3:02pm PDT The Rowers Bar, which is located one level up, won't reopen until 4pm this Friday, April 12. To make up for it, Archie Bear will remain open for dinner service all this week. Come Saturday, both levels will resume normal operating hours, with Archie Bear open from 7.30am–3.30pm Monday to Wednesday, and for dinner as well Thursday to Sunday. The Rowers Bar opens from 4pm Monday to Friday, with the addition of lunch from midday on weekends. The fire started in the fireplace in Archie Bear early on Wednesday, March 3, and, while it was quickly contained by several crews and trucks, it forced the closure of the historic venue. All this after it had reopened under the Bird & Bear Group just last month. Locals will be pleased to see the venue reopen so quickly. Mosman Rowers is located at 3 Centenary Drive, Mosman. Archie Bear will be open from 7.30am–late all this week, while The Rowers Bar will open from 4pm on Friday. Normal operating hours are scheduled to resume on Saturday, April 13.
Get your fill of the best vegan food in town at the fifth annual Vegan Day Out. Come September 2 and 3, The Cruelty Free Shop is putting together a walking tour of vegan cafes, restaurants and retailers, many of which will be offering discounts, deals and free samples to anyone who stops by. For one weekend only, socially conscious eaters can stop by The Cruelty Free Shop on Glebe Point Road, and grab a map outlining their route. From there, it's all about making your way to to plant-based delights aplenty — and making a day (or two) of it. Whether you're a dyed in the wool vegan or just giving it a go, you'll find a whole world of retailers catering to animal-free eating, offering meal deals, two-for-ones, complimentary coffee, wine tastings and savings on vegan groceries. The Cruelty Free Shop will also be running its own tastings throughout the day, as well as offering discounts on more than 300 different products.
When Nigella Lawson graced our shores earlier this year, some Sydneysiders followed her (mostly culinary) adventures with the same enthusiasm as they would a royal or religious figure, proving our love for the English chef with the syrupy accent and penchant for decadent food is as strong as ever. So, really, learning that someone has created a cabaret inspired by her shouldn't be a surprise. In this comedic musical tribute, Raelene Isbester pokes fun at the radiant public persona while prodding at the all-too-human private side, too. Isbester's show is a hilarious study of the cult of Nigella and why we can't help but continue to worship her. Love Bites may not topple the deity, but it does give her pedestal a shake. Highly recommended for those of us who view a midnight trip to the fridge as an admission of defeat by a mere mortal and not just a way to spice up the closing credits. Nigella – Love Bites is showing from Thursday, July 11 to Saturday, July 13 as part of Bondi Feast 2019. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way.
Fans of Asian eats will be no strangers to Chippendale's Kensington Street, aka Spice Alley, the hawker-style dining precinct where Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, Cantonese and Shanghainese dishes have been on the menu for years. Now, the Land of the Rising Sun's fare has joined this roll call of eastern cuisines, with the addition of Spice Alley's new Japanese Quarter. The two new Japanese venues are modelled after the compact hole-in-the-wall diners and izakayas dotted throughout Tokyo's busy laneways, and bring Spice Alley's complement of restaurants and bars to ten. Devised by Kevin Vu Ha, who trained under sushi master Ryuichi Yoshii at Yoshii Omakase in Barangaroo, Japanese Quarter also offers a taste of Tokyo's vibrant cocktail scene, drawing on Vu Ha's time working with legendary Japanese bartender Hidetsugu Ueno San of award-winning bar High Five. Japan's fast and satisfying street eats dominate the menu at Tabe-ru, where ramen, sushi, donburi and yakitori dishes are available for under $15 throughout winter. Think: crab rolls, wagyu beef donburi, black garlic ramen, chicken katsu curry and salmon sashimi. Just like its Tokyo counterparts, Tabe-ru is built for speed, with diners collecting their orders directly from the kitchen and eating al fresco at the tables out front. Next door, Nomu is an intimate cocktail nook serving up Japanese classics — expect plenty of highballs — as well as a selection of Japanese beers, shochus and sakés, both chilled and warm. With nods to both Japan's traditional decor and its pop culture, the fitout is a riot of manga murals, paper lanterns and bamboo trunks for an immersive experience that might help tide you over until you can next visit Tokyo in person. Find Nomu at 40 Kensington Street, Chippendale, open 4–11pm Tuesday–Thursday and 4pm–midnight Friday–Saturday — and find Tabe-ru at 38 Kensington Street, Chippendale, open daily 11am–9.30pm.
In these tumultuous modern times — these times of Pottermore, Fantastic Beasts spinoffs and The Cursed Child — it's comforting to be able to take it back to basics. Basics, here, meaning the score of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone film played live by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. That's right — the SSO are taking us back to 2001 when the first of the eight Harry Potter filmscame out. It made us cringe (the acting — so bad but so good), marvel at how not hot Neville Longbottom was (boy, would we learn) and — most importantly — float away on a magical adventure thanks to the incredible score by John Williams. For two nights in April, you'll be able relive the magic all over again when the Sydney Opera House screen the film scored by a real, live orchestra in the Concert Hall. Maybe they'll release live owls! Maybe not because that would be chaos. Maybe they'll release live rats? Actually, absolutely not — we all know rats are secretly fat old criminals hiding from magical law enforcement and waiting for the Dark Lord to rise again (lookin' at you, Pettigrew). As you might imagine, tickets are selling like pumpkin pasties so get in quick or spend eternity griping about it like some Moaning Myrtle-type character.
There's never a bad day for oysters. Good thing it's almost certainly easier — and cheaper — to dine on them throughout May with The Boathouse Group's latest promotion. Serving up these coastal delights for $2 each all day, every day, eight of the group's venues are getting involved up and down the coastline. Made possible thanks to a partnership with East 33, a leading supplier of Sydney rock oysters, now is your chance to soak up the sun at Barrenjoey House in Palm Beach or settle in for a long lunch at Manly Pavilion. You might even opt for a day trip to The Boathouse Patonga or a leisurely stroll to The Boathouse Shelly Beach — an oyster feast is a worthy reward. Other venues serving these treasures of the sea for just $2 are The Mona Social, The Boathouse Balmoral, The Boathouse Rose Bay and The Boathouse North Wollongong. So, regardless of whether you're north or south of the city, indulging in cheap but quality oysters is made easy. Once you've ordered up a freshly shucked platter, all that's left to do is squeeze a little lemon and find the perfect drink to pair them with. Consider how much you're saving on the oysters, you wouldn't be blamed for splurging on a cocktail or two.
Regularly screening plays and musicals held by Sydney University students, this venue is the place the get your culture fix for a bargain price (and grab some autographs before the actors become famous).
The City of Sydney has voted unanimously to waive fees on outdoor dining for businesses until the end of June 2025. The inner-city council has poured a mountain of support into helping encourage al fresco dining and events in the wake of the pandemic, with $5.7 million worth of funding set aside for the project last year and a series of street parties popping up across The City of Sydney over the last 12 months. The extension of this initiative sees the fee waiver for outdoor dining permits continue for an additional two years, a review of the permit system and an investigation into areas that can be permanently extended into the road for increased outdoor dining. The two-year waving of permit fees will cost the council approximately $4 million in foregone revenue. "Waiving outdoor dining fees was one of the first things we did when the pandemic hit Sydney," said City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "We did this to make it easier for restaurants, bars, and cafes to operate while encouraging physical distancing. People have really embraced it, with participating businesses telling us they've taken on extra staff and seen increased patronage — a crucial aid to staying afloat in these difficult times." Moore cites a March survey that showed 91 percent of businesses participating in the outdoor dining program saw the initiative as crucial to the business and 39 percent had experienced a significant increase in turnover since the introduction of outdoor dining. Moore continues: "Having brunch with friends, a wine after work or grabbing a quick bite and watching the world go by are some of the best moments of urban life. Being able to shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways makes it easier for us to enjoy those things and support local businesses in a COVID-safe way." Continuing this push for outdoor dining and events, a huge series of al fresco feasts are set to take over George Street next month. Titled Open for Lunch, the takeover of the bustling CBD area will see the likes of Merivale, YCK Laneways and Porteno's Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz hosting pop-ups throughout George Street. The City of Sydney has voted unanimously to waive fees on outdoor dining permits until the end of June 2025. Images: City of Sydney
It visited Melbourne in June and Brisbane in September, and now Australia's sweetest dessert museum is finally heading to Sydney. Called Sugar Republic and heading our way this February, the immersive pop-up brings sugary delights to folks with a sweet tooth, boasting an array of spaces filled with all things chocolate, confectionery and dessert-oriented. Taking over the sixth floor of Myer Sydney City, the Sydney pop-up features a huge bubblegum pink ball pit, a climbable candy rainbow, a sherbet-filled bridge and a life-sized gum ball machine (the sugary list goes on and on). You're also able to bask in nostalgia inside an old-school lolly shop, a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired garden and a house made from cookies. It sounds like the kind of place that Willy Wonka might own. Throughout the colourful exhibition, you'll find many edible treats, including Hubba Bubba, Halo Top, Wizz Fizz, Skittles and Starbursts, and will be able to visit a Sugar Republic cafe, which will be serving up a whole host of sugary delights. Don't tell your dentist. Worried the installation will be filled with littlies? Thankfully, it's opening on Thursday and Friday nights for adults only — so you can jump in the pit without fear of crushing a small one. Sugar Republic will pop up on the sixth floor of Myer Sydney City from February 10, 2019, and run through until the end of April. It is open from 10am–6pm every day except Wednesday, and adults-only sessions will run from 6.30–8pm on Thursday and Friday nights. Images: Lucas Dawson and Sherbet Birdie Photography. Updated: April 9, 2019.
A couple with a secret invite another couple over for dinner. It’s a familiar premise. But unlike Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Mr Kolpert has considerably more laughs. And although there's plenty of colour in the set design, this play is pitch black on the spectrum of dark comedies. Fledgling company pantsguys have been racking up some success lately. We've had the stress-ridden sixth formers of Punk Rock and even more recently the melancholic family saga, On the Shore of the Wide World; however, Mr Kolpert, by German playwright David Gieselmann, offers an opportunity to loosen things up a bit. Under the charismatic direction of James Dalton, this play is a pretty wild ride. In a no-frills apartment, Sarah (Claire Lovering) and Ralf (Tim Reuben) are expecting guests. As they hurriedly tidy up, their conversation is strung together of half-sentences and unfinished thoughts. Then Ralf blurts out to visitors Edith (Paige Gardiner) and Bastion (Garth Holcombe) that they have murdered a co-worker. Though immediately palmed off as a joke, the question of the possibly deceased accountant, Mr Kolpert, keeps cropping up. It’s a wry party game that doesn’t quite feel like a game. Indeed, the tension of the play is built around the confusion between confession and elaborate practical joke. Lovering and Rueben are a good match as the would-be killers. They oscillate between cool and collected and outrageously over-the-top. Holcombe is wonderful as the prickly architect, Bastion, and Gardiner is simply hilarious as his co-operative wife, Edith. Brimming with faux innocence and gawkiness, she is magnetic even when not delivering lines. Both these characters have a psychotic edge and undergo something of a role reversal as the play unfolds.There’s also a pizza delivery guy (Edan Lacey) that gets sucked into the action, lending a deadpan humour. I wondered why Ralf and Sarah allow their secret to hover so close to the surface. But then, as thrill-seekers, it becomes apparent that each character is yearning to “feel something again”. And murky motives become less of a problem as the play spirals into a taboo-busting Tarantino-esque blood bath. It is fast-paced and truly unpredictable. When it comes to staging, Mr Kolpert feels like an ambitious project, but it's realised through some creative choices. The set is splattered with fluro paint, and there’s UV lights, smoke and bubbles. Taking the dinner party disaster genre to new levels, Mr Kolpert will keep you on your toes. Although the performances of Gardiner and Holcombe really stand out, the physical comedy is a collective effort and given the constraints of the space, it’s probably as fluid as it can be. In any case, this entertaining play is like being stuck inside an absurd practical joke that just won't end.
UPDATE: June 24, 2020: Mid90s is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. The skate movie is having a moment and it's doing so in perfect style, gliding into cinemas one leisurely film at a time. After the all-girl antics of Skate Kitchen and the insightful small-town musings of Oscar-nominated documentary Minding the Gap, Mid90s is the latest picture to profess its love for the board — and to roll along casually while making a big impact. All three kickflip-filled flicks are hangout movies, spending their time with friends who are both shooting and riding the breeze. They're also coming-of-age films, following kids navigating the reality of watching their childhoods slip by. Crucially, they're all slice-of-life pictures too, because nothing conveys the sensation of ollying in and out of adolescence like feeling as though you're right there with them. Thirteen-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) wants nothing more than to join the local skateboarding crew. It's not just the thrill of idling down Los Angeles roads that appeals to the quiet teen, but having somewhere to belong. Ray (Na-Kel Smith), Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin) and Ruben (Gio Galicia) are all older, however they instantly become family — the family Stevie can escape to when his elder brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) is giving him grief and his single mum Dabney (Katherine Waterston) is sharing her stress. When the quintet aren't tearing up the streets, they're partying as if there's no tomorrow, although you can't skate through life without more than a few stumbles. As summer ticks by, Stevie and his pals bide their time at the resident Motor Avenue skate shop, cruise around empty schools and test their luck with neighbourhood girls. They mouth off to security guards, stay out past Stevie's curfew, generally avoid going home and get in scraps amongst themselves. While they're getting into trouble, they attempt to forget their troubles — and it's this to-and-fro that makes Mid90s bubble along. Watching rebellious kids trying to fix their worries by falling into other woes isn't new or novel, but it keeps popping up on screen because that's how childhood works. Making his directorial debut as well as picking up his first scriptwriting credit, Jonah Hill understands this. In his hands, Mid90s is both an affectionate teenage dream and a devastatingly real reflection of youth struggles, tussles and hardships. As a filmmaker, Hill has two tricks up his sleeve: nostalgia and naturalism. They mightn't seem to be the most obvious combination, but the pair fit together like wheels sliding onto a set of skateboard trucks. Hill mightn't have strictly lived the same existence as Stevie and the gang, but he directs this blast from the past like someone who's been there, seen it all and knows exactly how every second of his film really feels. With his square-shaped frames, he serves up images so vivid that they could be memories. With his clear-eyed view, he doesn't shy away from the grit and grease that lingers behind even the happiest moments. Hill isn't just looking back fondly at his younger days. Rather, he's trying to capture the feeling of being a shy kid entering a new world and learning what getting older actually means. To do so, he needs the painstaking detail — the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sheets, Super Nintendo consoles, and the sounds of 'Kiss From a Rose', 'Pony' and 'Wave of Mutilation' — as well as the picture's stripped-bare performances. Hedges and Waterston might be Mid90s' biggest names, other than its director, but this movie is all about Suljic (The House with a Clock in Its Walls) and his first-timer co-stars. When Hill lets the camera sit and watch Stevie try trick after trick (and endure fall after fall) on his driveway, determination and desperation written across Suljic's face, that's Mid90s' heart. When the film roves around with the group, peering on as they do little more than skate away the hours with unbridled authenticity, that's Mid90s' oh-so-relatable soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoPYppF_e5c
All too often the staggering numbers behind global atrocities render them abstract and untouchable — a regrettable yet perhaps unavoidable reduction of human suffering into statistics. We know this of war, famine and poverty, and sadly now the scale of human sex trafficking places it squarely on that same list. Recent UN estimates place the number of women and children being trafficked every year for the purposes of forced prostitution, labour and other forms of exploitation at anything between 700,000 and 4 million. Human trafficking has been identified as the fastest growing and second-most lucrative form of organised crime in the world (after drug trafficking), with annual profits for the illegal activity now exceeding $9 billion. It is a terrifying, escalating and global violation that undoubtedly merits greater awareness than is currently being afforded. So enters director Larysa Kondracki and her confronting debut film, The Whistleblower. The movie tells the 'based on true events' tale of Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), an American police officer who moved to Bosnia following the war in 1999 as a UN peacekeeper. Bolkovac's intelligence and determination quickly saw her promoted to Head of the UN's Gender Office, where she learned not only of the rampant sex trafficking trade around her but also of the shocking involvement by her fellow peacekeepers, UN workers and international police under the veil of diplomatic immunity. What follows are Bolkovac's dogged attempts to rescue as many of these victims as possible while exposing the UN's involvement and bringing those responsible to bear. Interwoven with Bolkovac's story is the tale of a hapless Ukrainian teenager named Raya (Roxana Condurache), whose horrific experiences remind us of the uncomfortable humanity within this most inhumane practice. Much like the girl in the red coat from Schindler's List, Kondracki uses Raya as a singular device to symbolise the wider plight of the faceless masses for both Weisz's character and the audience in a terrifying and tragic fashion. Together they encounter widespread corruption, corporate indifference, intimidation and unspeakable violence in the midst of a disturbing and baffling moral vacuum. Ultimately, The Whistleblower falls short of the standard one might expect from such a powerful true story and talented cast, though thankfully its subject matter (and Weisz's performance) will ensure it finds an audience. The screenplay in particular, which Kondracki also wrote, periodically stumbles under structural flaws, and the film's title rather clumsily negates the overall narrative suspense. Weisz, however, is at once fearless and impressive in her portrayal of Bolkovac, and she's capably (if not far too briefly) assisted by Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn and Monica Bellucci in supporting roles. If nothing else (and there's definitely 'else'), The Whistleblower offers an uncompromising look into the disturbing world of human trafficking and demonstrates the entirely preventable side to it, if only people are prepared to stand up and act. If you're interested in learning more about the problem, along with ways to become involved, check out the amazing Aussie not-for-profit Project Futures and their terrific Stella Fella campaign. https://youtube.com/watch?v=DSc3An5YYMQ
One of Sydney's oldest hotels has undergone a lavish refurbishment — so the next time you head over to The Strand Hotel, it'll look a little different. Following a revamp in September, the heritage pub now boasts a brand-new look and a refreshed menu. At the helm of its revival is culinary talent Clayton Wells — Automata's previous Head Chef and co-owner and now PUBLIC Group's Creative Culinary Director, with Leigh McDivitt on Head Chef duties. The ground floor, now know as the Strand Bistrothèque, has undergone a contemporary design update with reflective black ceiling paired with eccentric art prints and pops of colour with inviting green velvet couches placed throughout the space. As for the menu, the relaxed French cuisine now takes a less-is-more approach while pairing unexpected flavour combinations. Highlights include the chicken liver parfait eclair accompanied by maraschino cherry and cacao, as well as a soufflé heroing gruyere cheese. "The food is a combination of my own cooking style of traditional French techniques and a nose-to-tail approach. When you find the quality produce that our farmers are passionate about sharing, you need very little interference from chefs to make the dish sing," said Leigh McDivitt. [caption id="attachment_922027" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The wonderful chicken liver parfait eclairs[/caption] For sips, the ground floor offers a cocktail menu from the globally-renowned Maybe Sammy crew and a wine list that has been carefully curated by P&V's Mike Bennie. To top it off, the Strand Bistrothèque hosts weekly live music gigs. [caption id="attachment_922023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (The Strand Hotel's Head Chef Leigh McDivitt & PUBLIC Group's Creative Culinary Director Clayton Wells.)[/caption] As for the rooftop bar, the openair space has been relaunched as a French and Mediterranean fusion called Kasbah. Balearic tunes accompany the cosy terracotta lounges, luxe Persian rugs and vibrant patterned tiling, which draw inspiration from Marrakesh's pastel tones. For bites, Kasbah serves French and Moroccan-inspired fusion cuisine in the form of grazing plates to the tune of ginger, turmeric and coriander spiced tiger prawns. To pair, there's an array of Mediterranean-leaning cocktails like The Silk Road and Ficus and a short offering of natural wines. "Leigh and the team have the expertise to provide a renewed experience in food and service across Strand Bistrothèque and Kasbah upstairs on the rooftop," said Wells."You'll be able to make your day or night whatever you want it to be at The Strand." Head to 99 William Street, Darlinghurst, to check out the new and improved pub. For further information and operating hours, head to The Strand Hotel's website. Image credit: Parker Blain
Acclainmed chefs Cuong Nguyen (Penelope's, Hello Auntie) and Jack Kulusai and Tanya Boonprakong (Porkfat) are joining forces for an exclusive two-night dinner series. Taking place on Monday, May 20 and Monday, May 27, Chu Fat marks the second iteration of Nguyen's Chef Series collabs. Diners can expect intense flavours and inventive combinations for $85 per person. [caption id="attachment_956129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Chad Konik[/caption] The menu begins with snacks and light bites such as tamarind wings with lime gel, garlic and chilli, and a Thai mortadella with toasted brioche 'pork toast'. Next, indulge in calamari noodles doused in a southern Thai-style curry sauce, and sweet pork and gkapi rice served in a clay pot, before moving to a main serve of dry-aged wagyu ribeye with smoked tamarind and a side of snake beans. You'll finish with a dessert of choux filled with a kaya sticky rice diplomat and pandan sherbet. Find out more about the collab at the Hey Chu website, and book your spot for either May 20 or May 27 via the reservations page. [caption id="attachment_956128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Chad Konik[/caption]
Most years, the arrival of winter heralds more than just colder weather for Sydney's cinephiles. When June hits, so too does the Sydney Film Festival, unleashing hundreds of movies upon the city's cinemas. By now, we all well and truly know that little has been normal about the past 12 months, so SFF has been adjusting with the times. In 2020, it cancelled its physical event completely, opting for a virtual-only festival instead. This year, it's planning to come back as an in-person fest; however, it'll be doing so a bit later than normal. Movie buffs, you'd best block out the last couple of weeks of August in your diary, because that's when SFF will be starting up the projectors. The 2021 event will now take place from Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29, so you'll be ending winter by running between cinemas and watching as many films as you can, rather than beginning it that way. While Sydney's COVID-19 case numbers have remained under control for the past month or so — on Sunday, February 14, New South Wales marked 28 consecutive days without any locally acquired cases, in fact — that hasn't been the situation overseas. Accordingly, it's hardly business as usual at big international festivals such as Berlinale and Cannes. After completely cancelling last year, the latter has postponed its 2021 dates from May to July. SFF typically programs a number of brand new titles straight from Cannes, so moving to the end of August allows it to keep accessing the kind of big-name flicks that'll premiere at the French event. If you're the type of cinephile who pays attention to Australia's nationwide festival scene — and travels interstate to keep getting your movie fix — you might've noticed that SFF's new dates overlap with the Melbourne International Film Festival's regular August timing. MIFF also hopped online in 2020, and has announced August 5–22 as its 2021 dates. Whether that'll change, or if diehard film fans will find themselves picking which fest to attend (or zipping from one to the other), is obviously yet to be seen. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival is now scheduled to take place from Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29. For further details, head to the festival's website.
Sydney's back in lockdown. This time the Greater Sydney region will be restricted to their houses for at least the next two weeks. As a result, bars, cafes and restaurants are required to shut their doors to dine-in customers — so they're adapting by beefing up their takeaway options, launching new delivery meals and even creating boozy care packages. That means that you can put down that fifth can of Aldi tuna and pick up the phone, knowing you'll be doing a local business a solid while also getting to eating a tasty, fancy, succulent meal. Here, we'll keep you updated on all the restaurant-quality eats you can order takeaway, or have delivered to your doorstep. [caption id="attachment_697657" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bella Brutta by Kitti Smallbone[/caption] TAKEOUT ONLY Al Aseel (Penrith, Castle Hill, Greenacre and Castle Hill) Lebanese eatery Al Aseel is offering Feed the Family meal deals and a special $25 lunch feast across all its stores during lockdown. Th epickup inly deal features shish tawook, laham and kafta mishwi, grilled Lebanese bread, garlic dip, hot chips, salad and a drink. Arthur (Surry Hills) The fine-diner has launched Arthur To-Go, with different meals available each night. The meal comes with a dessert and include the likes of pork and mushroom lasagne with truffle bechamel or black Angus beef short rib tacos. Avi's Kantini (Newtown) The Bank's new Middle Eastern-inspired eatery is launching a new takeaway service with housemade dips, fried kofta and sesame fried chicken pita. The King Street eats are available 5–9pm Wednesday–Friday and midday–9pm Saturday and Sunday. Bar Suze (Surry Hills) Surry Hill's newest spot for a tipple of wine or next-level bar snack, Bar Suze, has transformed into a fish and chip shop over lockdown. On the takeaway menu you'll find beer battered flathead, fried halloumi, crumbed sardines and a crispy fish sandwich. Browse the menu here and call or text 0431 180 389 to preorder. Bella Brutta (Newtown) The inner west spot is now serving up all its pizza, cured meats, tiramisu and coffee via takeaway. To sweeten the deal, its offering specials takeaway specials including two pizzas and four cans of Grifter for $60. Check out the menu and order online over here. Bella Vista Hotel (Bella Vista) This north-west Sydney Hotel is going all out to help out during lockdown. Not only is it offering cocktails and woodfire pizza for pickup daily, it's also launching a drive-thru warehouse with a bunch of food and drink goodies and running a two-day drive-thru food truck festival on Friday, July 2 and Saturday, July 3 with burgers, Greek street food, waffles and chips on a stick. Bibo Wine Bar (Double Bay) The Double Bay bar is now a two-person snack box featuring smoked mackerel pate, mushroom rissois, meats and cheese for $60, as well as a range of mains and desserts takeaway. Pick up only — full menu and details on how to order over here. Bistrot 916 (Potts Point) The French bistro is improving lockdown with the Burger 916. Swing by Potts Point from 4pm each day to grab one, however be quick as the burger is limited to 50 per day. Pre-orders are available by calling 916 766 67. Catalina (Rose Bay) Catalina has brought back its popular at-home seafood boxes, family feasts and cocktails. To order a lobster box, lamb rack or signature Catalina cocktail from home, contact the venue on 9371 0555. Calita, Carbon, Taqiza and Sonora (Bondi and Potts Point) These four Mexican restaurants are all offering the same wild taco and margarita special throughout lockdown. Across all four venues you can order the fiesta for two, four or a bottomless fiesta. Each comes with guac, corn, tacos, quesadillas and between 500m millilitres and five litres of margarita. Chiswick (Woolahra) This Woolahra favourite is offering a selection of its winter menu for takeaway. While the experience isn't the same as sitting in Chiswick's sun-soaked and greenery-filled dining room, you can still make the most of the garden herb roasted chicken or the slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pumpkin and mint from home. Dear Sainte Eloise (Potts Point) This Potts Point wine bar is reinventing itself as a bottle shop and takeaway restaurant with a special lockdown menu available 12–8pm daily. Browse the menu which includes an angus beef burger with blue cheese and truffle, black pepper fried chicken and a whole bunch of discounts of wines. DOC (Surry Hills) Surry Hills' newest kid on the block, DOC is offering its full menu for takeaway 5–9pm, Tuesday–Saturday. You can view the menu and order online. [caption id="attachment_810487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Avi's Kantini[/caption] The Foxtrot Inn (Crows Nest) This Crows Nest cocktail bar is pouring craft beer growlers for $24–30, offering 30 percent off beer and wine, and serving up a takeaway food menu featuring $8 jaffles packed with bolognese or chicken curry. Find all the details on Instagram. Good Fella Coffee (Bella Vista) This north-west Sydney cafe is still serving its best-in-the-west coffee and bagels as well as takeaway Grifter for any craft beer lovers out west. North Bondi Nami (Bondi) North Bondi Fish has transformed into this Japanese pop-up bar and restaurant for winter. During lockdown its offering takeaway including a lockdown pack that includes two bowls of ramen, prawn gyoza and a half-litre bottled cocktail for $88. Suss the menu out here. Nomad (Surry Hills) Surry Hills favourite Nomad is brining fine dining into your home with a series of at-home banquets for two. Think black truffle and three-cheese croquettes or veal meatballs with wood-roasted tomato. Each day there are limited banquets so it's best to preorder. Pub Life Kitchen (Ultimo) After closing down in 2017, Pub Life Kitchen returned this year and it brought its iconic burgers back with it. There's a full menu of favourites available for pickup from the bottom of The Lord Wolseley Hotel. To preorder, call 0467 644 434. Public House Petersham (Petersham) The sunny neighbourhood pub is turning into a pop-up bottle shop for the duration of lockdown, with natty wines, craft beers and bottled cocktails. The pizza oven will also continue to fire and you can pick up a fresh pie. Want the whole lot? You can score two pizzas and a natural wine for $65 or a five-serving bottled cocktail for $85. View the menu and order online. Sample Coffee (St Peters) Whether you're just after your caffeine fix or looking for some brunch, the specialty coffee roaster's St Peters spot is doing takeaway coffee, beans, coffee making gear and food. Totti's (Bondi) Never fear, you can still cave to your Totti's cravings during lockdown as the always-popular Bondi spot is offering its full menu including its famous woodfire bread takeaway. Ume Burger (Barangaroo) Japanese burger joint Ume Burger has shifted to takeaway only from 11.30am–2.30pm on weekdays, so you can enjoy the signature Ume burger or a fish or chicken katsu burger with a side of lotus root chips from the comfort of your couch. Where's Nick (Marrickville) This inner west wine bar may be temporarily closed, but Where's Nick's new bottle shop at 234 Marrickville Rd is open seven days a week. You head in store or order online. Yulli's Brews (Alexandria) Vegan brewery Yulli's Brews is taking online orders for pick-up from its Alexandria warehouse so you can get a carton of Amanda mandarin IPA ($64), sixteen-pack of Dolly Aldrin watermelon and mint Berliner Weisse($64) or a Bloody Mary kit ($25) to help you through lockdown. [caption id="attachment_748494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shwarmama by Kitti Gould[/caption] TAKEAWAY AND DELIVERY Belly Bao (Newtown) King Street's bao haven is running delivery through UberEats and DoorDash, and is offering $5 beers and 40 percent off bottle of wine with all pickup orders. BL Burgers (Darlinghurst and Parramatta) As well as continuing its outrageous weekly specials (and full menu), the team behind the legendary Blame Canada burger is offering its burgers for takeaway and delivery via Deliveroo from both its Darlinghurst and Parramatta stores. Butter (Surry Hills, Chatswood and Parramatta) Butter is cooking up all of its sandwiches, burgers and fan-favourite fried chicken and is continuing its Butter Ramen Club throughout the lockdown. You can order them for pick up or delivery online. Chatkazz (Harris Park and Bella Vista) The vegetarian Indian street food's western Sydney outposts are both offering their full menu for pickup or delivery via UberEats, DoorDash and Deliveroo. Cook and Archies (Surry Hills) This long-running Surry Hills cafe has made its entire menu, including cakes, breakfast wraps, burgers, salads and bowls available for pickup via Hey You or Hungry Hungry, or takeaway on UberEats. Crumpets by Merna and Pepe Saya (online) A visit to Carriageworks Farmers Markets is not complete without a steaming crumpet slathered in butter — and now you can keep up the weekly tradition at home. Pepe Saya and Crumpets by Merna are both offering their entire range 20 percent off when you use the code SYDNEY20, including breakfast boxes featuring buttermilk crumpets, Pepe Saya salted butter, passionfruit curd and creme fraiche. The Duke of Enmore (Enmore) The Duke of Enmore's new food and drink menu is available for pickup or delivery, including the eggplant katsu sandwich, pickleback shots and a range of meal deals to enjoy at home. Also, being the legends they are, The Duke team is offering free meals and drinks to hospitality workers out-of-work due to the lockdown. El Jannah (various locations) The cult Lebanese-style charcoal chicken chain is slinging its full menu including its legendary garlic sauce for takeaway, delivery via several outlets and drive-thru at its Smithfield store. Emma's Snack Bar (Enmore) This much-loved Enmore eatery has made the majority of its menu available for takeaway, including $26 snack boxes — filled with meat or falafel, salad, garlic potatoes and bread — and a bunch of sides. You can also order via UberEats or Deliveroo. Esteban (Sydney) Esteban has launched an at-home menu with a selection of five hearty set menus, as well as a range of bottle cocktails. Think Byron Bay pork belly, grilled carrot, smoked kipfler potatoes and a sweet potato tart all for $65. Fabbrica (Sydney) The pasta and produce shop from the team behind Ragazzi is offering sandwiches and lasagne as well as handmade pasta packs, pasta sauces and high-end pantry items takeaway, on UberEats or with free delivery on orders over $50. Find all the details here. Glebe Point Diner (Glebe) This longstanding local is currently offering a takeaway with 50 percent off house wine. Owner and chef Alex Kearns is also offering a home delivery service. The menu will change daily but includes the choice of three mains ($20), two sides ($12) and a soup ($12). Find more info here. Harvey's Hot Sandwiches (Parramatta) The Parramatta sub experts are offering their full range of sandwiches from pastrami to hot meatball for pickup and delivery via UberEats and Menulog. Henrietta Charcoal Chicken (Surry Hills) This Surry Hills spot is serving up all your charcoal chicken needs for pick up in-store or delivery via UberEats. Treat yourself to burgers, wraps, falafel or roast chook and corn for a family roast without the clean up. [caption id="attachment_694683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rara by Luisa Brimble[/caption] Johnny Bird (Crows Nest) Lower north shore favourite Johnny Bird is available for pickup or deliver via Deliveroo, UberEats or DoorDash. Browse the menu and order online. Madame and Yves (Clovelly) When you're mostly living on pantry staples, a treat is more than deserved — and you can't go past this Clovelly patisserie's insane creations. You can order everything from savoury pies and bread to eclairs and chocolate-dipped croissants online or takeaway in-store. Nakano Darling (CBD) Nakano Darling is available for takeaway and delivery via UberEats and DoorDash including $15 chicken karaage, gyoza or wagyu shingureni bento boxes or take home frozen gyoza and reheatable karaage (both $15 for 15 pieces). The CBD spot is also running a small lockdown bottleshop with beers and yuzu highballs. Nutie (Balmain and Surry Hills) If you've burned through all your supermarket snacks already and need a quick sugar fix, Nutie is now delivering its gluten-free and vegan doughnuts, cakes, cookies (fresh or frozen) and muffins straight to your door with delivery options across Sydney. Plus, both stores are also still open for takeaway, and are baking up an array of limited-time Christmas in July goodies. Maiz (Newtown) Maiz is serving up its full menu of Mexican Street Food 11am–3pm and 5–8pm for takeaway and delivery via UberEats and Doordash during Sydney's lockdown. Those that pick up their order can also treat themselves to a section of Mexican beers, wines and boozy aguas frescas. Rara (Redfern and Randwick) and Lonely Mouth (Newtown) This super-popular ramen joint has just started delivery from its two stores and its Newtown sibling, so you can slurp the piping hot tonkotsu with black garlic and chilli or vegan shio ramen from the comfort of your living room. Rara Chan South Eveleigh is closed for the time being, but Eveleigh dwellers can head to the Redfern store to satisfy any cravings. You can place and order for pick-up here for Rara and here for Lonely Mouth, or delivery via UberEats. Saint Peter (Paddington) Oxford Street's seafood-focused diner is open with a limited takeaway menu including tarts and natural wine, and is cooking a dish a day available to pre-order via fishbutchery.com.au. A bunch of this weeks meals are already sold out so jump online quick if you want to secure one. Keep an eye on Instagram to see what dishes are announced next. Shaffa (Surry Hills) Surry Hill's latest Middle Eastern eatery is launching takeaway and delivery so inner city dwellers can enjoy its pitas from home. You can check out the menu and all the details at Shaffa's Instagram. Shwarmama (Surry Hills) The shawarma spot is doing all its sabich, kebabs, snack packs and beer available for pick up and delivery on UberEats and Deliveroo. Sonoma (multiple) You may have learnt how to bake sourdough last lockdown, but this time around its fair enough you just want to pick some up. Sonoma has you covered on that front. The artisanal bakery is offering both click and collect pickup and takeaway across every store. Timbah (Glebe) This neighbourhood bar has launched a lockdown takeaway menu available for pickup or drive thru. To order, ring the shop on 02 9571 7005. Head to Instagram to see the full menu, including caramalised charcoal pork skewers, pad kee mao and kaeng phet green curry with apple eggplant. [caption id="attachment_817101" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maiz by Debbie Gallulo[/caption] Have you come across one we've missed? Let us know at hello@concreteplayground.com Top image: Chiswick
Tucked away from the bustle of Hall Street is this excellent local butcher. The guys from Field to Fork love to chat about all things meat — whether it's about what you're going to be cooking up at home, or about the meat in the fridges, much of which is grass-fed, cage-free and raised without hormones. Alongside its selection of raw meat and poultry, are hot, cooked meals like sticky lamb ribs and slow-braised lamb shanks. The butchers is also known for its South African-style dried meats — the biltong is legendary, spicy and moreish, while the droëwors (a traditional dried coriander-seed spiced boerewors sausage) is meaty, tender and addictive. [caption id="attachment_776595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Images: Yael Stempler[/caption]
Add this to the list of top-notch summer traditions: watching movies under the stars, and being spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a viewing spot. When the weather is warm, Sydney definitely isn't short on openair cinemas — but a trip to Hunters Hill Open Air Cinema includes checking out new releases and classic flicks with water views as a backdrop. Running every night throughout January at Bedlam Bay, Hunters Hill's setup also includes wine, beer, tapped cocktails and food truck eats — so you can say cheers to your movie of choice, and also add pizza, hot dogs and waffles to your film-viewing snacks. And as for what you'll be seeing, the lineup spans the Timothée Chalamet-starring Dune and The French Dispatch, horror flicks Last Night in Soho and Antlers, sing-along sessions of The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia!, and also everything from The Matrix Resurrections and West Side Story to House of Gucci and Eternals. Plus, in excellent news for your wallet, tickets are just $9 per person.
Mooncakes, ramen, fried ice cream, taiyaki, DJs and a live acrobatic lion dance performance. These are all part of the Darling Square Moon Festival that's taking over the Haymarket precinct from Friday, September 15, until Sunday, October 1. The traditional Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival will be celebrated over two weeks of festivities, with a huge program of Darling Square's beloved restaurants and bars whipping up special celebrations for the festival. From Friday, September 15, mooncakes will be all the rage at this fest. The Gong Grocer mooncake stall will pop up outside Maker's Dozen, boasting special mooncake flavours like peach oolong, jasmine, pandan, mango pomelo, and the famed custard lava series. Golden Century's XOPP will also be rolling out an array of its popular mooncakes, including its golden egg custard and red bean lotus root flavours, alongside its famous XO sauce. Region-specific flavours, including Teochew flakey pastry variants, Vietnamese mooncakes, and mochi-adjacent ice-cream 'snow skin' mooncakes, will be available. Elsewhere, IIKO Mazesoba is offering its Tsukimi Mazesoba ramen, mochi taiyaki, milk pudding with peach puree, and a snow skin bunny mooncake. Dopa by Devon will be offering chicken teriyaki, chicken karaage and veggie mini dons for $10, Ume Burger is doing crispy Moon Festival lotus chips, and Chinta Ria has crafted three celebratory set menus dubbed Love, Peace and Happiness. To accompany the various eats on offer, Hello Auntie will be serving up two specially-curated cocktails for the festival period. Sip on Moon Light (a pandan rum with green Chartreuse, pineapple and mango puree) or the 15-08 (gin, dragon fruit, and St. Germain). The Hello Auntie crew will also be slinging an XO tiger prawn dish paired with thyme, XO sauce, lime gel, shiso and nori. Along with the wide variety of eats, there will be a bunch of live music from the likes of Flygirl Tee and Mark Matthews through to DJ Aycuz spinning tracks every weekend. Rounding out the massive program of festivities is an exclusive live acrobatic lion dance performance from Jin Wu Koon on Friday, September 29, as well as an on-site calligraphy bar and lantern retailers — so you can personalise your glowing lanterns with a special message in English or Chinese. There will also be traditional Chinese makeup and face painting artists popping up from Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 1. Check out the full program at the Darling Square website.
Film festivals seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment, and the 2013 Spanish Film Festival is joining the party this June. In its 16th year, it will fill 23 days with more than 20 films. In true festival style, you can expect a little from column A and a little from column B: comedy, romance, horror, political tales, triller and coming-of-age stories. Some of the highlights include the winner of 10 Argentinian Academy Awards, Clandestine Childhood, a tale of a boy finding his place in the world; A Gun in Each Hand, a witty look at gender roles and growing up; and the Spanish box office hit I Want You, a love story filled with new beginnings and a rocking soundtrack. The Spanish Film Festival is set to entertain and get you thinking. The question is, how many will you see?
If brutal honesty, passionate angst and extraordinarily affecting personal songwriting is your jam, rejoice the return of Martha Wainwright to Australia for a massive, 12-date national tour. Part of a large, fractured musical family, it was perhaps fitting that Martha made her first big splash with 'Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole', a song at once heartbreaking and defiant, laying bare her difficult relationship with her father in an extraordinarily public way. And her forthcoming album, Come Home to Mama, continues this deeply personal approach to music, inspired by the six-month period in which she gave birth to her first child and lost her mother — legendary Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle — to cancer. But it's not all doom and gloom. Over the years Wainwright has established herself as a compelling and engaging performer with an extraordinary voice, one that will have you in tears one moment and tapping your feet the next. It won't be an easy night, but it could be an amazing one. 31 May – The Tivoli, Brisbane 1-2 June – Byron Theatre, Byron Bay 6 June – Sydney Opera House 8-9 June – Live n Cookin' @ Lizotte's, Newcastle 13 June – Theatre Royal, Hobart 14-15 June – Recital Centre, Melbourne 16 June – Memorial Hall, Leongatha (VIC) 20 June – Dunston Playhouse, Adelaide 22 June – Astor Theatre, Perth Tickets for the Sydney Opera House show are on sale on Friday, April 12, at 9am. More ticketing information here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pX-bIr8dr6U
Usually, IKEA's food game is as unmistakably Scandinavian as its hard-to-pronounce furniture names — headlined, of course, by those iconic Swedish meatballs. But come Wednesday, January 22, the retailer's Tempe store is shaking things up and taking a jaunt to the other side of the globe, dishing up a Chinese street food buffet in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Alongside a program of cultural entertainment and traditional workshops, the all-you-can-eat dinner is set to run from 5.30–7.30pm, transforming the store's restaurant space into a colourful Asian feasting hall. On the menu, you'll find classic dishes like steamed dumplings, sweet and sour pork, and sweet potatoes in a teriyaki glaze. There's both combination and vegetarian hot pot soup, hoisin slow-roasted pork shoulder, and even sweet offerings like fruit platters and mango rice pudding. [caption id="attachment_757260" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Adult tickets to the buffet feast are $29.95, though IKEA Family members can nab theirs for just $25.95. And since the store's open until 9pm each night, you could even squeeze in a spot of post-dinner flatpack shopping while you're there. Images: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
At first glance, mid-week raving and healthy living don’t seem to go hand in hand. The energetic people behind Morning Gloryville are here to turn that preconception on its head with their ingenious way to start your day in style. From 6.30 to 10.30am on the last Wednesday of the month at Paddington Uniting Church, Morning Gloryville will host a monthly all-ages, drug and alcohol free rave to kickstart your day. Music will be pumping with an eclectic mix of '90s dance to jungle beats and soul tunes; you’re encouraged to jump around and shake those cobwebs loose before heading to work. Local DJs Klue, DJ Tricky and Person Three will be storming the decks, along with a dance team to get the party going. But it’s not just the furious dancing that's helping you start your day off on the right foot. The Morning Gloryville sessions will also include yoga, massage, fresh smoothies and healthy food. The recommended dress code is simply 'dress to sweat', but loads of colour and festivalwear is also encouraged — anything to help you seize the day. The only real rule is sobriety; let your inner dance monster show the world what it’s made of unimpeded by plonk. The Morning Glory rave started in London’s Shoreditch — where else — by Sam Moyo and Nico Thoemmes. "We’ve noticed the habit that when people start getting really serious jobs or have a family, or if they want to live free of alcohol and drugs, then they almost stop partying and stop dancing in that way. We thought that was a shame," says Thoemmes. "Morning Glory is a revolution of conscious clubbing. For us it’s really important to get people embodied and dancing and moving freely." It has since gathered a global following with offshoots in Barcelona, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam and now Sydney. Morning Gloryville is a great alternative for those who truly dread climbing out of bed during the chilly winter months to head to the gym. If you’re looking down the barrel of 8-12 hours at a desk or in an office environment, this is one sure fire way of getting an endorphins hit. The first Morning Gloryville event will be launched on July 23 and entry is $20 for adults and children under 12 rave for free. Via BBC and Fresh 92.7.
Alright, people of Sydney, we get it. Y'all love a tight rooftop. You love to drink bevs under the open sky and in line with your demands, venues countrywide are opening up rooftop bars. It's a glorious new era with a skyline of rooftop bars extending into the horizon and, happily, Paddington's Light Brigade Hotel is the latest place to jump on the bandwagon. It's one of many recent changes for Woollahra's beloved Oxford Street hotel. In November, they reopened after an extensive renovation and came out the other side a whole lot fancier. And since October 7, Brigade Rooftop joined Brigade Bar and Brigade Dining as part of the four-storey hangout, offering pub-goers a lush space with views of the Paddington rooftops and Sydney harbour skyline. The rooftop functions as a combination space for drinking and dining, and is designed to feel "as casual as a neighbour's terrace," according to Jonathan Richards, director of interior design company SJB (the design wizards who executed the renovation). "We have designed a circular bar that fans around the terrace to enable the visitor full access to the horizon." Executive chef Marco Adler has also developed an accompanying wood-fired pizza menu available on the rooftop and in the Brigade Bar. Pizza and drinks on the rooftop? It's like they read our mind. At the same time, the Brigade Lounge also opened downstairs. It's a 1920s-themed cocktail bar that blends right into the art-deco vibe of the building, aka the perfect spot for a post-rooftop-pizza tipple. Brigade Rooftop is now open on the corner of Oxford Street and Jersey Road. Check out their Facebook page for further information.
Let's face it — you don't necessarily expect to walk out of a bar feeling smarter. But the global initiative Raising the Bar looks to do just that, pulling education out of classrooms and injecting it into unexpected locations with talks on all things wacky, sustainable and scientific — including addiction, cybercrime, manufactured blood vessels and climate change. Hailing from New York then annually touring Hong Kong, London and beyond, Raising the Bar returns to Aussie shores in partnership with the University of Sydney and City of Sydney, to take over Sydney bars for one night only. Fifteen Sydney haunts — including The Abercrombie, Brix Distillers, Atomic Brewery, Soultrap and the Ace Hotel —are getting involved in this free event, with each venue hosting talks at 6pm and 8pm. The venues will be open for business, too, so you can grab a drink and some food to snack on while you try to wrap your head around the game-changing, boundary-pushing subject matter. Some of Sydney's brightest minds will come together to discuss research findings and specialist areas — from CEOs and up-and-coming visionaries to local professors and lecturers. And the conversation topics are about as varied as you can get, so it's unlikely you won't find something to sink your brain into. Speakers include Prof. Stefan Williams on his years of experience in underwater exploration, Josh Ismin on the therapeutic potential of magic mushrooms, Paul Millett on the vertical future of farming and Barbara Stephen on Sydney's growing role in the global entertainment industry. Registration for each individual event is a must, so to check out the full program and nab your free ticket, visit the website.
On the lookout for a dope new denim jacket? Or do you want to be rid of that weird-looking lamp taking up space in the living room? Then, by golly, you're in luck. The Garage Sale Trail works with local council partners Australia-wide to get as many trash-and-treasure troves happening on the same few days as possible. Last year, more than 300,000 Aussies took part at this festival of pre-loved stuff, holding more than 15,000 sales. Will this year's Garage Sale Trail top those hefty numbers? It'll certainly try via a huge array of events that will open their doors to bargain hunters, selling millions items across two big spring weekends: between Saturday, November 11–Sunday, November 12, and then again from Saturday, November 18–Sunday, November 19. Aside from the retro goodies up for grabs, the Garage Sale Trail is all about sustainability. Instead of ending up in landfill, unwanted clutter becomes a fantastic find. So get that tight pair of sunnies for peanuts and help the environment at the same time. The Garage Sale Trail began humbly in Bondi in 2010 and is growing bigger every year. There'll be a right slew of sales happening all around Sydney, so keep your eyes on the event website — or register online to make a quick buck from your old junk and hang out with the friendly folks in your hood.
Need to get around Sydney during WorldPride, and want your trip around town to be as entertaining as the entire festival? Enter Uber Pride Ride, a party bus that's hitting the Harbour City across three weekends. From Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26 and Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 5, operating from 6.30–10pm daily, it'll will loop around the CBD — with a heap of drag queen stars on hosting duties. Each night's trips will feature different talents busting out onboard activities — so you might be in for a ride filled with drag bingo, karaoke or an inner-city disco on wheels with Jojo Zaho, Carla From Bankstown, Coco Jumbo, Cassandra Queen, Karen From Finance, Annie Mation and more. The Uber Pride Ride is also hosting educational talks from First Nations LGBQTIA+SB advocacy organisation Black Rainbow. Like to party on the way to the party? This is the hop-on-hop-off — and free — bus for you. It'll take an hour-long City Circle loop, departing at 6.30pm, 7.45pm and 9pm each evening, starting at Australian Museum on William Street. From there, it'll head to St James Station, Powerhouse Museum, Central Station, Albion Street in Surry Hills, Flinders Street in Darlinghurst, Oxford Street in Paddington, then via Craigend and William streets back to the beginning. Like free Uber Pool trips as well? On one weekend, from 12–10pm Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, the rideshare company is also doing $100 off trips.
Sydney is no stranger to boozy brunches. They've popped up in the west with fried chicken waffles, on rooftops with endless Champagne and by the beach with tacos and margaritas. But, none do it quite like Surry Hills' Nour. The Crown Street palace of pastels and plants — and boundary-pushing Middle Eastern fare — has just brought on a new team of A-class chefs and launched a brunch offering with cocktails in teapots, breakfast pizza and possibly one of the best (and smokiest) bloody marys in the city. Executive Chef Ben Williamson (from Brisbane's Gerard's) together with Head Chef Mike Dierlenger (The Bridge Room) have overhauled the restaurant's general menu and unveiled its first-ever breakfast lineup, which is only available one day a week. On Sundays from 10am–2pm, you can find a spot on the sunny banquette (surrounded by pillows) or out the back (here, surrounded by plants) and order an appropriately boozy breakfast teapot. Made to share between two, the pots cost $36 and come filled with either bourbon, apple juice and earl grey or gin, lemon myrtle and peppermint. You could, instead, go for the bloody mary (made with gin, harissa and extra-smoky tomato juice) or a Blossom Pipe ($20), with cardamom, pineapple and vodka served in an elaborate glass pipe. Nour is known for using traditional Middle Eastern flavours in new and interesting ways — and its brunch is no different. Designed to share, the breakfast dishes include a falafel crumpet (with crisp edges and a soft interior) topped with tahini and a pickled quail egg; burnt butter hummus topped with whole golden chickpeas; and a lineup of manoushe: a popular Lebanese pizza typically eaten for breakfast. Cooked to order in a woodfired oven and topped with the likes of sujuk (spicy sausage) and stretched cheese curds, it'll dissuade you from ever eating cold, leftover slices of Domino's in the morning ever again. Another daytime highlight is the Baalbek eggs: a thin flatbread topped with soft-yolked fried eggs, tahini yoghurt and lamb awarma (which is spiced, cooked and preserved). You could, in theory, eat this with a knife and fork, but it's suggested you use your hands; tear off a piece of bread and use it to scoop up a salty, yolky mouthful. For the decision-averse, Nour's brunch menu also includes two banquet options for $45 or $69, with optional bottomless booze add-ons. For an extra $30 a head you can choose from 90 minutes of endless bellinis or rosé.
After months of speculation and a soft launch that turned out to be a bust, Amazon's hotly anticipated Australian website is finally up and running. And the offering is huge. It's been a couple of weeks since the online retail giant kicked off an 'internal testing phase' here in Australia, on November 23, though customers weren't actually able to get their hands on any products. Now, the site's gone properly live, filled with a hefty array of goods in time for that hectic, pre-Christmas retail rush. This online shopping wonderland spells trouble for your credit card, boasting everything from books, electronics and homewares, through to fashion, beauty products and even power tools. According to Senior Industry Analyst for IBISWorld Kim Do, Amazon's arrival in Australia is set to give the local retail industry a solid shake-up. "The company intends to challenge domestic retail prices by offering items for 30 percent less than domestic retailers," she explained, adding that technology products are expected to be Amazon's highest selling category. Let the retail therapy begin!
In a beachside suburb like Manly, an Assembly Label store is pretty a given. But the Pittwater Road shop is extra nice — it's been fitted out with sleek wooden counters and minimal white aesthetics by Manly's own interior designers Mr & Mrs White. The simplicity in the store's fitting is mirrored in the fashion it houses: Assembly-branded tees, linen pieces, swimwear and a few pairs of sandals. You'll probably see a lot of locals wearing this stuff. There's also cafe in-store with coffee by Allpress to boot.
Celebrating Dia de la Independencia in 2023 in Sydney means enjoying some of Mexico's best bars right here at home. Three watering holes that landed on the World's 50 Best Bars List for 2022 list, plus one that placed just outside the top 50 in the 100-bar longlist, are travelling to Paddington to descend on El Primo Sanchez and Oxford House for Mexican Independence Day. On Saturday, September 16, Limantour (number four on the World's 50 Best Bars List) will be taking over El Primo's main bar, while Brujas (number 64) will be popping up at the attached speakeasy La Prima. Both bars will be in charge of the festivities from 6–10pm. The following day, you'll find number 13 Hanky Panky serving drinks poolside over at Oxford House alongside Baltra (number 32) from 1–6pm. Expect all four bar teams to bring their signature flair and some of the drinks that have seen them listed among the best spots for a bev in the whole world. The vibes are expected to be high, with dancing until late. Local party starter Discoteca Tropical will be in charge of the music at Oxford House on Sunday. [caption id="attachment_918066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption]
If you've been around Darling Harbour and Tumbalong Park of late, you've probably noticed Sydney's huge new $1.5 billion business and entertainment precinct, International Convention Centre Sydney, set to open in December 2016. This looming structure boasts three new theatres, an entertainment precinct, an open-air event deck and more (detailed in our handy breakdown), but it's not just design that's getting people talking about ICC Sydney. Focused on changing the game for average convention centre cuisine, the ICC Sydney is opening with a very specific angle on their food offerings, with a philosophy called 'Feeding Your Performance'. It's the brainchild of ICC Sydney's big name culinary team headed by director of culinary services, Lynell Peck and executive chef Tony Panetta, and they're focused on improving the alertness, concentration and overall health and wellbeing of guests. DON'T EXPECT BORING OLD FUNCTION FOOD HERE Corporate workshop, boutique event and ballroom dinner guests will be choosing from dishes that are "high in protein, low in saturated fats to boost the overall health of delegates and visitors," says executive sous chef Constantin Kautz. "We've also increased the ratio of plant based proteins to aid digestion and concentration." We even spy chia seeds and almond milk on the menu. Perhaps this is an indication that the health movement has moved from yogi fad territory into the world of Big Corporate — and there's nothing bad about that, come on. This appears to be an Australian, even potentially a world first, and Panetta says they've been fielding inquiries from around the globe. "We might be at the forefront now, but we also believe this philosophy will become business as usual in the future." LOCAL SUPPLIERS WILL RULE AN INTERNATIONAL VENUE While in other hands (or with less financial investment) this way of feeding huge crowds of people could feel trite and temporary, Panetta and the team are walking the walk when it comes to the food. Kautz says they're committed to working with local and regional farmers and producers who practice ethical and sustainable farming techniques. Among them are Martin Boetz from the Cooks Co-op, Old Salty's Oysters in Pambula River, Willowbrae Chevre Cheese Farm at the Hawkesbury river, Archie Rose distillery in Rosebery and Westview Limes from Kempsey. THERE'S A DIVERSE TEAM OF CULINARY EXPERTS BEHIND EACH DISH Panetta is enthused about this new way of cooking, saying it's a "completely different approach to anything I have ever worked with before." Along with the team including Kautz who was previously the executive chef at Sydney's Intercontinental, executive pastry chef Michael Belcher, executive sous chef Jack Astin and chef de cuisine Dylan Sanding, Panetta says the environment is one where "people are encouraged to flourish, challenging one another to keep upping the ante." He says the fact that they have such different backgrounds provides a unique jumping off point for the kitchen. "From convention centres to boutique hotels and five-star restaurants, everyone can bring something different to the table." There's also collaboration with a well-respected team of nutritionists including Dr Joanna MacMillan, who is reviewing the nutritional value of the menus and aiming to "drive physical and mental performance," says Panetta. He also says they're constantly aiming to "unlock the science behind ingredients" making sure they tick boxes in both flavour and health benefits. The focus is on locality, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and seasonal food. AND NOW A LITTLE PEEK AT THE MENU One of Panetta's favourite dishes is Australian king prawns with lemon verbena, carrot, kohlrabi and porky wild rice. "It's a zesty, seasonal dish that plays into all our philosophies." He says it's high in "protein, vitamins and minerals to actively drive mental ability." Kautz likes the slow braised beef cheek, pureed sweet potato and broccoli with pancetta and crispy white anchovies as "the beef is sourced locally from Rangers Valley and the broccoli leaves zero waste — all parts of the vegetable are included," he says. We also like the look of the Hawkesbury tomato salad, the Cowra C-boosted lamb salad with freekeh, kale, pomegranate and wild rice and the blue eye with beetroot, cucumber and sesame.
Women of the workforce, here’s your chance to network with Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, taste-makers, writers and media personalities. And, while you’re at it, you can indulge in a turf-side champagne, a blow-dry, a croquet match or a T2 session. This is all happening thanks to 9 to Thrive: the first-ever Business Chicks experience, taking place at Australian Technology Park on Friday and Saturday October 23–24. Over two days, more than sixty exhibitors will showcase their wares across the food, beverage, health, wellness, fashion, lifestyle, beauty and business sectors. Meanwhile, an action-packed program of keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops will feature the likes of glamorous fashion blogger Nadia Bartel, interior design pro Shaynna Blaze, fitness legend Michelle Bridges, I Quit Sugar author Sarah Wilson, bestselling author Zoe Foster-Blake, TV presenter Jules Sebastian, Business Chicks CEO Emma Isaacs, nutrition expert Dr Libby Weaver and many others. But it’s not all about listening and talking. In between chats, hang out in the King Living Lounge, check out Royal Randwick’s champagne-fuelled 'mini-races' experience or grab a tea. Alternatively, if you feel like freshening up, book yourself a touch-up with Benefit Cosmetics or a face-map with Dermalogica. Or get active at Chambord’s flamingo croquet bar, Body Pass’s pilates classes and Virgin Active’s shape-up sessions.
UPDATE, August 30, 2020: Mary Shelley is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. It has been exactly 200 years since Frankenstein's monster first shuffled through the pages of Mary Shelley's now-classic story, completely reshaping the gothic horror landscape in the process. At the time, no one anticipated the impact that the novel or the woman behind it would have. No one realised that Mary was responsible for the greatest horror novel ever written, either, a title it still holds today. In fact, only 500 copies of Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus were initially printed back in 1818. It was also published anonymously, with Mary's poet husband Percy Bysshe Shelley penning the introduction and originally thought by many to be the text's author. Today, the beast conceived by the teenage Mary has carved a path not only through the literary world, but across cinema screens for more than a century — but, as the movie's title suggests, Mary Shelley doesn't replay Frankenstein's familiar narrative. Instead, Haifaa Al-Mansour's follow-up to 2012's Wadjda subscribes to a different filmmaking trend. Like everything from James Whale's iconic 1930s adaptations, to Tim Burton's gorgeous Frankenweenie, Mary Shelley obviously owes its existence to Frankenstein. But this origin story is more concerned with the early life of its author than with an obsessed young scientist and his resurrected creature. It's not the first time that Mary has earned the biopic treatment, with 1980s flicks Gothic, Haunted Summer and Rowing with the Wind all exploring the woman behind the classic tale. Still, where that trio honed in on the Lake Geneva getaway that sparked Frankenstein into being (the novel originated from a holiday wager among friends to see who could write the scariest ghost story), this movie focuses on Mary's tumultuous adolescence, her relationship with Percy, and the influence of both upon her famous work. Before images even reach the screen, the sound of writing echoes from Mary Shelley. Before Mary (Elle Fanning) has even dreamed of Frankenstein, the film deploys her lyrical prose to set a distinctive mood and tone. Stylistically, that's Al-Mansour's vivid and evocative approach, infusing every moment of the movie with the same passion and poetry that drives its heroine. A willowy yet strong-willed teen, from the outset Mary is either spinning her own tales or reading others in her father's (Stephen Dillane) bookshop. In-between, she fights with her stepmother (Joanne Froggatt) and finds solace with her stepsister Claire (Bel Powley) — until Percy (Douglas Booth) comes along. Although Mary is just 16, and despite the fact that Percy already has a wife and child, the couple is determined to be together. In her debut feature-length script, Australian screenwriter Emma Jensen endeavours to examine a side of Mary's tale that hasn't previously received as much on-screen attention, championing her protagonist's achievements as well as the considerable obstacles that she faced. Neither can be downplayed and nor are they. That said, sometimes the scandalous love story that accompanies them is given a little too much prominence. Indeed, parts of the film feel like a stock-standard period romance that just happens to involve one of the most influential writers who ever lived. When Mary Shelley connects the dots between Mary's experiences and the book she'll forever be associated with, it's a much more satisfying, moving and involving picture. Likewise, when it delves into Mary's tussles with sexist, dismissive men who can't even conceive of a woman writing such dark, smart and terrifying things, the film comes much closer to doing justice to its subject, her struggles and her continuing importance. Thanks to Fanning's lively and spirited portrayal, there's no doubting the fire that burned inside Mary, even when the film does favour her amorous affairs. Whether surrounded by towers of tomes, scribbling by her mother's grave, or swooning over Percy, Fanning's take on the real-life figure always stands out — from the movie's sumptuous backdrops, which constantly catch the eye, as well as from the romantic plot. It's a performance worthy of the woman it depicts, and it leaves audiences wanting more. The same is true of Mary Shelley, although in a different way. You'll want to keep watching Fanning as she brings the fiercely independent and thoroughly fascinating Mary to life. But you'll also want the movie to flesh out the aspects of Mary's trailblazing existence that it sometimes rushes over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zFFs6BHsS0
As part of the return of its Spring Festival, the stunning Mayfield Garden three hours out of Sydney will be hosting a luxurious on-site glamping experience. Bookable between Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, October 23, the experience will see guests stay in a luxury tent, enjoy a three-course meal and explore the picturesque gardens with special early and late-night access. Located in regional NSW just south of Bathurst, Mayfield Garden is Australia's largest privately-owned cool climate garden. In the gardens, you'll find expansive green spaces filled with bridges, paths, sculptures, stonework and vibrant flora, an English-inspired maze, a croquet court, a family chapel, interactive games and rowboats to take out on the lake. The Mayfield Restaurant offers a seasonal modern Australian menu based around produce grown on sight. Campers will be treated to a complimentary dinner at the restaurant, plus breakfast delivered to their tent, and can add a lavish sunrise or sunset picnic to their experience. The experience will set you back $475 per couple or pair per night. And, if you're a family, you can bring your kids under 16 for an additional $105 per child.
Located five hours down the coast from Sydney, Mystery Bay Campground is set directly along a stunning stretch of ocean, and your pup is invited to share every bit of it with you. It's definitely a more rustic campsite, though firewood is available onsite. But it's a chance to truly unplug and unwind with your best mate. Go for a swim or a surf in turquoise waters, then explore the region's rocky coves together. On the way in, don't forget to stop off at Narooma, where you can grab provisions. Image: Mystery Bay Beach by Sol Ramana-Clark via Destination NSW
Much has happened in the world of Marvel this year. Black Panther started things off on a high, Spider-Man is about to return to its animated roots, and the man who started it all, Stan Lee, sadly passed away. Oh, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe completely changed the game with the snap of a few fingers. We know that you know what we're talking about — Avengers: Infinity War sits atop the box office Down Under for 2018. Of course, ever since the third Avengers movie hit screens, excitement for its follow-up has been feverish to say the least. Now, the first look at Avengers: Endgame has finally arrived — and yes, that's the film's brand new title. It all starts with a despondent Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), before giving a taste of how the remaining heroes are facing their new predicament. Check out the trailer below — and start counting down the days until Avengers: Endgame makes its way to cinemas on April 25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8 Plus, if you need a bit more excitement, Marvel also dropped the next Captain Marvel trailer earlier this week — with the first film featuring Brie Larson's superhero arriving prior to Avengers: Endgame, on March 7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc
The 21st-century has not been kind to the vampire. Between Stephenie Meyer's sparkling high schoolers, the leather-clad killers of the Underworld series and whatever the hell those things in I Am Legend were meant to be, the once noble creatures of the night have been reduced by pop-culture to cringeworthy caricatures. Bela Lugosi must be turning in his grave. Enter Jim Jarmusch, director of Dead Man, Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers, to name just a few. One of the enduring figures of the American indie film movement, Jarmusch has made a career out of minimally plotted, post-modern genre subversions, and his latest work is no exception. Mixing traditional vampire mythology with the director's distinctively aloof brand of cool, Only Lovers Left Alive is a handsome, compelling, meditative take on the lives of the eternal undead. An appropriately gaunt and pasty Tom Hiddleston plays Adam, a centuries-old bloodsucker living on the outskirts of Detroit. A reclusive figure, Adam's only human contacts are a crooked hospital doctor (Jeffrey Wright) who provides him with fresh batches of O-negative, and a wide-eyed rock 'n' roll fan (Anton Yelchin) from whom the vampire buys vintage guitars. Aside from his music, the one thing Adam cares about is his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton), with whom he is reunited not long after the movie begins. For a while, the immortal lovers live in peace, only to find their solitary existence shattered by the arrival of Eve's impulsive younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Like many of Jarmusch's films, Only Lovers moves along at a languid pace, with large stretches of the movie unfolding in which very little actually happens. Nevertheless, viewers willing to give the film their patience will be rewarded by its rich, intoxicating atmosphere. Synonymous both with rock 'n' roll and America's crumbling economy, Detroit's empty streets and abandoned buildings are the perfect stalking ground for Jarmusch's silent camera, which finds an eerie kind of beauty in moonlit vistas of urban decay. Electronic guitar chords flow despondently across the soundtrack, ringing in perfect harmony with the images projected on the screen. The protagonists are drawn with fascinating detail. Late-night musings, on music, art, science and the various historical figures that Adam and Eve once knew, are underlined by a sardonic sense of humour, informed by centuries of bitterness and disappointment. Detached from the world around them, there's an air of tortured disinterest to the duo, like ageing rock stars, or unkillable hipsters (and isn't that a terrifying concept?) Emphasising mood over story, Only Lovers Left Alive is the cinematic equivalent of one of Adam's melancholic rock songs. It washes over you, absorbing through your skin. Jarmusch has brought dignity back to the vampire, in his own unmistakable style. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo
Looking for a little bit of R&R after a long day of shopping? Encore Beauty has you covered. You can treat yourself to a selection of massages and skincare treatments. The trained therapists customise the treatments based on your specific skin needs, and use products from luxe French skincare brand Sothys to treat and nourish your face, neck and décolletage. The studio offers micro-needling, cosmetic injectables and light therapy, too. Meanwhile, the body treatment menu includes 'hanakasumi', a Japanese ritual which uses shea butter and cherry blossom. The shop also has a number of skincare products from Sothys, Mayerling and more for sale, too, if you need to restock your home stash. Images: Trent Van der jagt.
The good ol' Marly has bid farewell to its upstairs neighbour Miss Peaches and has welcomed something much quirkier in her place. The Newtown boozer's first floor space is now home to the weird and wonderful Cuckoo — a kooky bar inspired by Germany's alpine resorts. Venture on up and you'll feel a bit like Alice tumbling into the rabbit hole. Brought to life by hospitality group Solotel with help from International Worldwide (the creatives behind the recently renovated George Hotel, The Duke, The Old Fitz) and Monster Children, Cuckoo is filled with knick-knacks, a lounge room bar pulled straight from your opa's house and constant sounds from the collection of cuckoo clocks adorning the walls. It even has a bouldering wall, so you can really pretend you're climbing up Zugspitze. The quirkiness is also embraced wholeheartedly by the drinks list, which boasts eight different house-infused schnapps, alongside crafty cococktails such as the cardamom, sour apple and ginger-laced Apfelschorle cocktail ($18) and the Deer's Blood ($18) with gin, Jägermeister, Campari and honey vermouth. Meanwhile, taps are pouring Germanic-style beers from local breweries like Batch and Wayward — try yours in a stein or in the glass shoey the team's calling Das Boot. If you head in during Schnappy Hour — from 5–7pm, Wednesday–Friday — you'll score yourself a glass of house schnapps for just $5 and a selection of cocktails for $15, too. Sticking with the theme, Cuckoo's food offering is filled with German classics like schnitzels (in chicken, veal and pork varieties), smoked kransky sausage ($8) and spätzle ($8). But, thanks to a fully-stocked condiments station, the house-made pretzels ($12) might just steal the show. Images: Kitti Gould
We all know the idiom, but this art installation, in collaboration with The Empathy Museum, invites visitors to literally walk a mile in someone else's shoes. What's more, the pop-up store in which you find said footwear is shaped like a giant shoe box. These are real shoes, too, but not just anyone's; these are the shoes of people with real stories: refugees and migrants who have come to Australia, made it their home and changed the environment around them in the process. You'll learn, you'll laugh, you'll cry, but one thing's for sure — you'll never think of the famous phrase in the same way again.
It's easy to pass right by this restaurant, which is hidden down a seedy CBD alley. Luckily for O Bal, its reputation precedes it — and for good reason. The bustling, DIY Korean style barbecue is popular among all nationalities. At the centre of each table sits a charcoal barbecue pit, perfect for cooking the selection of meats, seafood and offal that can be found on the menu. Believe it or not, the thinly sliced wagyu and the marinated king prawns go particularly well together. Expect a bit of a wait — but you'll be seated and eating way before your counterpart at the neighbouring Madang. Image: Anna Ayvazyan via Flickr
