Longstanding Bondi cafe Harry's is opening its doors and its kitchen for dinner for the first time, all thanks to a weekly Sunday session. It won't be serving up its usual brunch fare, however — instead, it's inviting some of Sydney's best young chefs to whip up something special. Harry's New Wave Chef Sessions will see a different face in the kitchen each week, introducing diners to Sydney's fresh batch of culinary talent. The up-and-coming chefs hail from respected restaurants across the city, including Chica Bonita, Cafe Paci and Ume Burger. Each week's menu will centre on a different concept, with snacks and small sharing plates under $20, plus wines and cocktails by Connor Sainsbury Canham from Whole Bunch Wines. Cocktails will feature ingredients gathered from the area, including local lemon myrtle and seaweed sourced by free-diving in North Bondi. Diners can look forward to Dear Sainte Éloise's head chef Hugh Piper serving up Peruvian ocean trout ceviche, signature flavours from Ume Burger courtesy of Kerby Craig, and Chica Bonita's classic tacos from Alejandro Huerta. On May 3, Jack New (of the soon-to-open Teramoto) will be joined by bartenders from Prince of York for an extravagant gold-themed Japanese/Australian menu. Eight chefs have been locked in for the series so far, with more likely to be announced on social media in the coming weeks. Here's hoping fora little more diversity in the lineup, especially considering the event launches on International Women's Day. NEW WAVE CHEF SESSIONS LINEUP March 8: Alejandro Huerta, Chica Bonita March 15: Simon Drolz-Cox, Cafe Paci March 22: Hugh Piper, Dear Sainte Éloise March 29: Lewin White, Icebergs Bar and Dining Room April 5: Kerby Craig, Ume Burger April 19: Michael Lo Presti, Momofuku Seiobo May 3: Jack New, Teramoto (opening in March) with Prince of York May 10: Kenta Takeuchi, Cirrus New Wave Chef Sessions will take place every Sunday night from March 8. You can book at table on Harry's Bondi's website. Images: J Belnick.
It's been 21 years since the first of The Lord of the Rings movies had everyone rushing to cinemas, obsessing over hobbits and elves, saying "precious" too many times and ogling New Zealand's natural splendours. Come September, this time via your streaming queue, get ready for much of the above to happen all over again. After five years of talking about it, Prime Video's new series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is mere months away from reaching eyeballs — and the platform has just dropped another trailer to tease what's in store. Yes, Middle-earth is about to sprawl across your TV screen — or whichever other screen you use to access your streaming queue. The JRR Tolkien-inspired fantasy series will return to the franchise's elves, dwarves, epic cities and leafy landscapes, as its first sneak peek back in February made plain. And, thanks to the just-dropped new footage, it looks set to spend a fair amount of time looking up. "The skies are strange," viewers are told at the beginning of the minute-long clip — and a fiery ball in the heavens does indeed demonstrate just that. The clip is big on mood and light on story, but still offers a fresh look at The Rings of Power's world. Full sneak peek exclusively for Prime Members on https://t.co/cofBDVThEu. #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/Md8SAMk2aT — Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) July 6, 2022 The one catch: if you're keen to check out the whole new clip, you'll already need to be a Prime member. If so, you can head to Prime Video now to watch the full teaser — as part of the platform's push to promote its upcoming Prime Day. If you're not up to date on The Rings of Power, it features a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud) and a young Elrond (Robert Aramayo, The King's Man). As seen in the initial trailer, it's also set to include elves catching arrows, humans stuck on rafts on stormy seas, cave trolls, raging fires and orc battles. Amazon first announced the show back in 2017, gave it the official go-ahead in mid-2018 and set a premiere date of Friday, September 2, 2022 back in 2021. In-between, it confirmed that it wouldn't just remake Peter Jackson's movies. Rather, the series will spend time in Middle-earth's Second Age, bringing that era from the LOTR realm to the screen for the very first time. According to show's official synopsis, The Rings of Power will follow "the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history," with the action set thousands of years before the novels and movies we've all read and watched. The series will also "take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness." If you're a little rusty on your LOTR lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. Naturally, you can expect Sauron to feature in the new show, and to give its main figures some trouble. "Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth," the official synopsis continues. "From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone," it also advises. In terms of stars, The Rings of Power features an unsurprisingly large cast — and some impressive talent behind the scenes. Among the other actors traversing Middle-earth are Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing) as Arondir, Nazanin Boniadi (Bombshell) as Bronwyn, Owain Arthur (A Confession) as Prince Durin IV, Charlie Vickers (Palm Beach) as Halbrand and Sophia Nomvete (The Tempest) as Princess Disa. There's also Tom Budge (Judy & Punch), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Peter Mullan (Westworld), Benjamin Walker (The Underground Railroad) and comedian Lenny Henry. And, the series is being overseen by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, while filmmaker JA Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) directs the first two episodes. After you've hopped over to Prime Video to scope out the new trailer, you can revisit out the first teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power below. And, watch this space — as announced in the just-dropped new clip, another trailer is coming on July 14, too. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be available to stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 2, 2022. Images: Matt Grace / Ben Rothstein.
On the edge of the rapidly gentrifying Central Park area, lies The Lord Gladstone. Now in the hands of the OG crew (Benny Johnson and Mitchell Crum), the pub had a makeover of sorts back in 2019. While its retained its old-school feel and general laidback vibe, the boys have amped up the entertainment with more live gigs and parties, plus more art exhibitions in the upstairs gallery space, Goodspace. But still, the stern visage of The Lord Gladstone hangs outside tiled walls with a big screen showing sports on one wall while the Regent Street traffic buzzes outside. It's a laidback space, perfect for locals to congregate for a midweek dinner. In the kitchen, chefs are turning out all your pub favourites. Expect a solid chicken schnitty or parmie, lamb chops, fish and chips, nachos, a house curry and a few burger options. Drinks include some (very) local craft beers, such as Young Henrys, 4 Pines, Resch's and Akasha. There's also a short wine list and espresso martinis on tap. With a dedication to live music and an existing killer sound system for the purpose, the Lord Gladstone seems comfortable in its skin, neither trying too hard for design magazine hip nor chasing the food trend of the month. From the graffiti-strewn courtyard to the tartan carpets in the front room, it's an approachable pub set to be a reliable local for years to come. Appears in: The Best Pubs in Sydney
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from July's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Fake A drive to the airport in a rideshare is one of life's mundane experiences, whether or not you're en route to a wedding, and also regardless of if you're meant to be collecting your partner and their dry-cleaned suit along the way. In Fake, this routine journey on an average Melbourne day is a masterclass in tension, a portrait of an unravelling and an unwanted realisation unfurling with no escape. With journalist Birdie Bell (Asher Keddie, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) sitting in the backseat as much that she's trusted melts down, it's a stunning episode of television, arriving five instalments into this eight-part Australian thriller that tells a page-to-screen and reality-to-fiction tale. Viewers spend the preceding four episodes of Fake waiting for a moment like this. For those who haven't read Stephanie Wood's memoir of the same name, charting her time dating a former architect-turned-grazier who pairs his grand romantic gestures with erratic behaviour, there's still no doubt that it's coming. It has to, and not just because series creator Anya Beyersdorf (The Twelve) and her co-scribes Jessica Tuckwell (Year Of) and Hyun Lee (Born to Spy) have Birdie's beau Joe Burt (David Wenham, Elvis) note in voiceover that she was onto him from the get-go. While Fake is a love- and lies-fuelled saga, it's also about how someone gets taken in not by the kind of narratives that Joe spins but by the emotions that they prey upon, even when their intuition tingles at the outset — and how deceptions like this, from someone manipulating others and someone fooling themselves alike, always shatter. The words "Joe, 51, grazier" on a dating app introduce the ex-property big shot to Birdie; however, everything that he utters on their first date almost halts their romance there. When the pair meet at a sleek bar, he has a business acquaintance (Yuchen Wang, White Fever) in tow and talks only of himself, grandstanding with the recognisable arrogance of someone who refuses to believe (or simply hasn't stopped once to consider) that they aren't the most-interesting person in the room. She cuts and leaves quickly, despite his insistence to the waitstaff that they'll share more wine. Then she ignores his persistent follow-ups afterwards, until she doesn't — but really should've. Fake streams via Paramount+. Read our full review. The Devil's Bath Suspense and tension, how to cultivate such a strong atmosphere of unease that it feels as if it drips from the screen, the darker side of human nature, sheer existential exasperation: writer/directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala know these things. The Austrian filmmakers are just as well-aware of how to make movies that crawl under your skin as much as distress does with their characters. For that sensation at its very best, see: Goodnight Mommy, their Oscar-submitted 2014 debut (which was then remade in America in 2022). The Devil's Bath earns the same description, too. The duo's first feature since 2019's Riley Keough (Under the Bridge)-starring English-language horror flick The Lodge, it needles deep as it follows new bride Agnes (Anja Plaschg, Axolotl Overkill), who is thrilled to be starting her married life to Wolf (David Scheig, Heribet), even if that joy doesn't seem completely reciprocated. Relationship disharmony bubbles at the heart of this 18th century-set film, but that's not the only force bearing down on a woman that no longer has any agency — and, soon, little hope left simmering as well. Franz and Fiala begin The Devil's Bath with a different scene of domestic struggle. They haunt their viewers from the outset, too. First up, a woman throws a baby over a waterfall, then turns herself in for punishment, knowing that she'll meet her end via decapitation. With that scene as a prologue, it hardly appears strange that Agnes is thrilled to receive a severed finger as a wedding gift — a digit that's meant to bring luck for starting a family. But nothing in the way of good fortunes spring when she's soon away from her other loved ones, left alone in a woodland cottage as Wolf works by day, stuck navigating his disinterest in the bedroom each evening and frowned upon constantly by her new mother-in-law (Maria Hofstätter, Andrea Gets a Divorce). There's history to Franz and Fiala's screenplay, which draws upon real events, and the mood of despair that seeps from returning Goodnight Mommy cinematographer Martin Gschlacht's grey-toned frames sports a can-only-be-true bite to it. There's little sunshine shed on the imagery, or on the way that people treat each other — and there's even more terror in realising that the lines between this arresting picture's vision of the past, even as set within a deeply superstitious and puritanical community, and today are far from faint. The Devil's Bath streams via Shudder and AMC+. The Imaginary Since Studio Ponoc made its feature debut in 2017 with Mary and the Witch's Flower, a question has remained: when is its next film coming? That query was answered in 2023 in Japan, and has now arrived in 2024 on streaming — and The Imaginary is a delight worth the wait. If you didn't know when sitting down to either of the company's movies that they hailed from an animation house founded by a Studio Ghibli alum, you'd guess while watching. A producer on The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There — and also The Boy and the Heron since — Yoshiaki Nishimura scripted Studio Ponoc's second picture, too. His source material is the AF Harrold-penned, Emily Gravett-illustrated British children's book that gives The Imaginary its name, just as Mary and the Witch's Flower found its story on the page as well. Prepare to be enchanted, even as viewers beyond the film's homeland get their third flick this year about imaginary friends. Not just Blumhouse horror movie Imaginary but the John Krasinski (A Quiet Place Part II)-directed IF have nothing on this, though, despite sharing more than a few plot details. This'll sound familiar, then: imaginary friends exist, but can't always be seen as children grow up and forget about their buddies. When they're no longer a kid's best friend, they dwell in their own space, eager to have a flesh-and-blood pal again. So discovers Rudger (Kokoro Terada, Tokyo Poltergeist), companion to Amanda (Rio Suzuki, Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!). He's been dreamed up, she's human, and they spend every moment of her spare time in the attic above her home — which is itself above her widowed mother's (Sakura Andô, Godzilla Minus One) closing-down bookshop — going everywhere that she can conjure up. Alas, thanks to the sinister Mr Bunting (Issei Ogata, Kotaro Lives Alone), the one exception to spying imaginaries as an adult, they're torn from each other's side. Bringing Nishimura's screenplay to life with vivid and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, director Yoshiyuki Momose's (Ni no Kuni) feature doesn't just cast aside the other recent pictures that served up spins on a similar situation. He does that as well, of course, but also achieves what Japanese animation manages so splendidly and consistently: dives into the fantastical with a wellspring of genuine emotions. The Imaginary streams via Netflix. Omnivore What does it take to get a world-famous chef out of their kitchen? Every time that a new culinary series reaches the screen, that should be the audience's question. Why has someone so skilled in the art of cooking — a talent that they've meticulously and passionately honed for years, to great success and also to the immense benefit of grateful diners — stepped out of their favourite place and in front of the camera? In plenty of such instances, chefs remain chefs on-screen. They talk. They cook. They give viewers the lowdown on how to prepare their dishes at home. Getting René Redzepi out of Noma and onto streaming wasn't about following that well-thumbed recipe, however. Rather, in the David Attenborough- and Planet Earth-inspired Omnivore, he branches beyond the three-Michelin-starred Copenhagen eatery that's been voted the planet's best by The World's 50 Best Restaurants a whopping five times — from 2010–12, and also in 2014 and 2021 — to instead tell the tale of some of the staple ingredients that humanity wouldn't and couldn't exist without. Eight types of foodstuffs receive Omnivore's attention in its first season, starting with chilli, then moving onto tuna, salt, bananas, pigs, rice, coffee and corn. A certainty while watching, and listening to Redzepi narrate the journey: never thinking about any of these ingredients the same way again. Expect to yearn to taste different spicy meals, to visit Japan's tuna markets, to cook with the best of the best salt and to try kinds of bananas that you didn't previously know existed. Expect to gain a greater appreciation of the entire ecosystem that gets each one of the show's chosen foods to your plate — and the impact of the world's ecosystem upon them, and vice versa. Alongside Redzepi and Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown alum Matt Goulding, filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die, Beasts of No Nation, True Detective season one) is one of Omnivore's driving forces, and it shows visually. Also evident: the care and dedication that Redzepi has put into sharing the series' slices of life, including the intimate portraits of those involved in the production of everything from pork products to corn's many edible uses. Omnivore streams via Apple TV+. Read our interview with René Redzepi and Ben Liebmann. Abbott Elementary The Parks and Recreation comparisons were there from the start with Abbott Elementary. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning comedy charts the hustle and bustle at the titular underfunded school in Philadelphia, rather than a government department in Pawnee, but the similarities have always been glaring. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson, Miracle Workers) is the eager-beaver second-grade teacher keen to do everything she can for her students. Ava Coleman (Janelle James, Monsters at Work) is the principal content with coasting by on the bare minimum. There's even a newcomer in substitute Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams, The United States vs Billie Holiday), with whom sparks fly on Janine's part. It might seem a bold move to use one of the greatest-ever — warmest-ever, too — sitcoms as a template, or even just follow closely in its footsteps, but Abbott Elementary is up to the task. Those awards, which Parks and Recreation also deserved but rarely received, are well-earned by a series that is all heart, kindness and affection for one of the most-important careers there is, as well as appreciation for the obstacles facing US public-school teachers today. In its third season, Abbott Elementary knows that even a winning formula that's been proven elsewhere needs shaking up. So, it does the equivalent of Parks and Recreation sending Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, Inside Out 2) to Washington by having Janine work for the school district to attempt to bring about change for her pupils at a higher level. It's a move that brings in the always-welcome Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize) as her new boss, and also Keegan-Michael Key (IF) as the Superintendent that's his boss — and disrupts the status quo at the educational institution that she adores, including for her idol Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ray Donovan), plus colleagues Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter, The Right Mom) and Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti, Sound of Metal). The idea that one person can and does make a difference, no matter the recognition they do or don't receive, beats strongly in this good-natured series, which Brunson created and co-writes. So does a sense of humour about grappling with whatever the day throws your way, be it professional or personal chaos. Abbott Elementary streams via Disney+. Arcadian Filmmakers love imagining the world once life as we currently know it ceases to be. Even if some scenarios no longer play like hypotheticals — anything about pandemics, obviously, a realm that Contagion perfected with prophetic skill years in advance of COVID-19 — post-apocalyptic stories help us sift through the what ifs that plague our worst nightmares about humanity's possible unravelling. Accordingly, Arcadian doesn't unfurl a unique scenario, as a family endeavours to endure 15 years after the bulk of civilisation has been eradicated. But as it fill its duration with a father and his teenage boys as they eke out as happy a life as anyone can under such circumstances, or attempt to, all while needing to avoid monsters that strike by night and fear the light, this film has a few key components that make it stand out. Director Benjamin Brewer (The Trust) taunts his characters with foes that prove a striking feat of creature design, instantly carving their own place apart from the hordes of prior movie monsters. Also, the patriarch doing whatever it takes to protect his sons is played the one and only Nicolas Cage, who continues to hop between vastly dissimilar roles in the same month in Australia that's also delivered Longlegs to cinemas. Cage's Paul could be pals with John Krasinski's Lee from A Quiet Place, although he's parenting solo in Arcadian. Giving his kids as normal a routine as one can in the circumstances is his aim. The script by producer Mike Nilon (Braven) also gives him offspring curious about their reality, and insistent critters who aren't going to leave anyone alone. While there's a little convenience to parts of the plot, Cage, plus Jaeden Martell (Barry) and Maxwell Jenkins (Dear Edward) as Paul's sons Joseph and Thomas — and also Sadie Soverall (Saltburn) as a survivor from a nearby farm that isn't fond of outsiders — all give weighty performances that convey the emotional toll of fighting for every second and deeply realising that you'll never know if your next moment will be your last. And don't discount what affecting portrayals and unnerving beasts can do when combined. It isn't easy to craft creatures that not just startle but surprise as much as Arcadian's do. Trust Cage's latest genre effort, which also brings his work in Mandy, Color Out of Space and Pig to mind, to achieve that feat. Arcadian streams via Stan. Skywalkers: A Love Story When it comes to scaling great heights on-screen, viewers often fall into two camps if they're not real-life daredevils themselves. Some appreciate the spectacular sights and stunning feats safe in the knowledge that all that they're viewing is filmed footage, even in a documentary. Some still feel the need to virtually peer through their fingers, riding the same nerve-shredding fear that'd rush over them if they were confronted with the scene IRL. Whichever is your go-to, expect one of those reactions to arise while sitting down to Skywalkers: A Love Story. The movie played Sydney Film Festival 2024 in IMAX, but seeing it on a small screen doesn't rob it of its visual impact. Russian couple Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau are rooftoppers, starting out solo, first joining forces when he asked her to collaborate on a sponsored trip, then climbing higher and higher around the world — and the recordings of their gravity-defying ascents up buildings, along sky-high ledges, onto cranes on towering building sites and wherever else they can clamber up to is jaw-on-the-floor material for those who'd much rather remain on the ground. With 2018 documentary Momentum Generation about the era of surfers that Kelly Slater came up in, director Jeff Zimbalist unpacked an insular world for the masses with its main players as guides. Sharing the same credit with producer and first-time helmer Maria Bukhonina on Skywalkers: A Love Story, he takes the same approach with a different pastime. As a subtitle, A Love Story doesn't merely describe Beerkus and Nikolau's fixation with rooftopping, though, with Skywalkers laying bare their relationship from its beginning to the climb that threatens to send them on their separate ways: making it to the the tip of Merdeka 118, the Kuala Lumpur structure that reaches 678.9 metres into the heavens, ranking second on the world's largest skyscrapers list only to Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Nikolau doesn't just stand atop lofty properties, either, but busts out gymnastic and acrobatic poses, adding even more peril to their endeavours. Folks with a need to conquer such buildings aren't always worried about the legalities of their feats, making such a mission doubly tense — and giving this doco a heist-film feel as well. Beerkus and Nikolau smartly earmark the date of the 2022 World Cup final, when Argentina beat France on penalties, as their moment to go where no one had before on the just-built structure. Watching the outcome is nail-bitingly riveting. Skywalkers: A Love Story streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Sunny It doesn't matter what the weather holds for Suzie Sakamoto: with her husband and son missing when Sunny begins, the series' titular term can't apply to her days. An American in Kyoto (Rashida Jones, Silo), she's filled with grief over the potential loss of her Japanese family, anxiously awaiting any news that her spouse Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car) and their boy Zen (debutant Fares Belkheir) might've survived a plane crash. She'd prefer to do nothing except sit at home in case word comes; however, that's not considered to be mourning in the right way according to custom and also isn't appeasing her mother-in-law (Judy Ongg, Kaseifu no Mitazono). When Suzie soon has a robot for company — a homebot, an artificial-intelligence domestic helper that's an unexpected gift from Masa in this ten-part series, which adapts Colin O'Sullivan's 2018 novel The Dark Manual for the small screen — dwelling in her sorrow doesn't appear to be what he'd want in his absence, either. In this near-future vision of Japan, homebots are everywhere, aiding their humans with chores, organising tasks and plenty more — everywhere other than the Sakamoto house with its firmly anti-robot perspective, that is. Amid asking why her husband has not only sent the eponymous Sunny her way, but also why it's customised specifically to her, questions unsurprisingly spring about his true line of work. Has Suzie been married to a secret roboticist, rather than someone who designs refrigerators? What link does his job have with his disappearance? How does someone cope in such an already-traumatic situation when the person that they're possibly grieving mightn't be who they've said they are? Often with a science fiction twist, Apple TV+ can't get enough of mysteries. That truth is as engrained as the service's fondness for big-name talent, including across Severance, The Big Door Prize, Hello Tomorrow!, Silo, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Constellation, Sugar and Dark Matter. Thankfully, there's no content-factory feel to this lineup of shows. Sunny's closest equivalent hails from beyond the brand, bringing Charlie Brooker's Channel 4-started, now Netflix-made Black Mirror to mind, but even then it's far more interested in its characters than their relationship to technology. That said, that people and how they use tech remain the real enemy, not gadgets and advancements themselves, hums at the core of both series. Sunny streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. Futurama Good news, everyone — yet again. Futurama keeps returning, following an initial 1999–2003 run, then another from 2008–13, with a new comeback that began in 2023 and has not just this 2024 season locked in but also two more in years to come. Across the quarter of a century so far that Matt Groening's iconic show that's not The Simpsons has been on and off the air, much has changed about life off-screen. As a result, the details that it can project onto 31st-century existence have evolved as well. Squid Game parodies and NFTs would've made zero sense during the animated comedy's past stints, for instance. But whether satirising Y2K or chatbots, Futurama has almost felt adrift from time, blowing its own TV bubble to spoof the specifics of the day in its far-flung setting while consistently retaining the same vibe. Watch an early 00s-era episode, then one from the new batch, and it seems like nothing has passed between them. That's a skill that deserves all of the appreciation. For many other series, including ones that've existed for a far shorter duration, it's the stuff that dreams are made of — and, if he were real, that only someone like Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (Billy West, Spitting Image) could've managed. Futurama's longevity is a testament to its smart writing, sharp sense of humour and a setup that can keep pinballing in all directions. Where former 20th-century pizza delivery guy Philip J Fry (also voiced by West) can venture with the Professor and the crew of the latter's Planet Express cargo company — so, also with ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal, Dead to Me); robot Bender Bending Rodríguez (John DiMaggio, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts); and fellow employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr, Craig of the Creek), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom, Dragons: The Nine Realms) and Zoidberg (also West agin) — is limited only by Groening, fellow guiding hand David X Cohen (Disenchantment) and their team's imaginations. In the latest episodes, sometimes art heists come their way. Sometimes book clubs beckon. Bender's ancestry and the Martian equivalent of bullfighting all pop up, too. Layered in each is a mile-a-minute feast of jokes and a reflection of humanity's chaos today through a highly fictitious future. Long may it continue. Futurama streams via Disney+. Time Bandits If you're a history-loving kid who adores learning about existence before you popped into the world, doesn't fit in at home or at school thanks to that fascination, and regularly has your nose buried in a book, what's your ultimate fantasy? Time Bandits first explored that idea back in 1981, and now it's back to do it again in 2024. It takes bravery to go where Monty Python members Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin first did, remaking the pair's beloved movie — which The Man Who Killed Don Quixote's Gilliam directed and The New Incomplete and Utter History of Everything's Palin co-wrote with him — decades later. Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris are three such courageous folks. Together, the trio add a television take on the family-friendly flick to TV resumes that already include Wellington Paranormal, What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs, Our Flag Means Death, Flight of the Conchords and The Inbetweeners, and do so while giving audiences a gloriously entertaining time. Forget wondering if this second spin was necessary, aka the usual line of thinking when anything earns a new look; instead, the question is why didn't it happen earlier? Again, the focus is a boy called Kevin (Kal-El Tuck, Andy and the Band). Again, his parents (Wakefield's Felicity Ward and Deadpool & Wolverine's James Dryden) don't appreciate him or his interests. And again, the past demands even more of his attention when it suddenly and unexpectedly bursts out of his wardrobe. Cue zipping between different chapters of times gone by, via a scenario that the Bill & Ted franchise clearly owes a debt to, with the eponymous group (Better Nate Than Ever's Lisa Kudrow, Shardlake's Tadhg Murphy, You Don't Know Me's Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, The Riot's Rune Temte and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities' Charlyne Yi) reluctantly taking Kevin in. Waititi (Next Goal Wins) directs a few episodes, too, and appears on-screen. Clement (Avatar: The Way of Water) also does the latter. They're having a ball both in front of and behind the lens, a sense of fun that infuses every episode whether it's taking a trip to Troy, making a visit to the Mayans or dwelling in medieval times. Cue spotting more familiar faces along the way, such as Waititi regular Rachel House (Heartbreak High), Wellington Paranormal's Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary, Next Goal Wins' Oscar Kightley, the What We Do in the Shadows movie's Jonny Brugh, Our Flag Means Death's Con O'Neill, plus Shaun Micallef (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe) and Ross Noble. Time Bandits streams via Apple TV+. Recent Big-Screen Gems to Watch (or Rewatch) Now That They're Streaming Perfect Days When Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' enjoyed its initial sublime movie moment in Trainspotting, it soundtracked a descent into heroin's depths, including literally via the film's visual choices. For three decades since, that's been the tune's definitive on-screen use. Now drifts in Perfect Days, the Oscar-nominated Japan-set drama from German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence). This slice-of-life movie takes its name from the song. It also places the iconic David Bowie-produced classic among the tracks listened to by toilet cleaner Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho, Vivant) as he goes about his daily routine. Fond of 60s- and 70s-era music, the Tokyo native's picks say everything about his mindset, both day by day and in his zen approach to his modest existence. 'Perfect Day' and Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' each also sum up the feeling of watching this gorgeous ode to making the most of what you have, seeing beauty in the everyday and being in the moment. Not every tune that Hirayama pops into his van's tape deck — cassettes are still his format of choice — has the same type of title. Patti Smith's 'Redondo Beach', The Animals' 'The House of the Rising Sun', Otis Redding's '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay' and The Rolling Stones' '(Walkin' Thru the) Sleepy City' also rank among his go-tos, all reflecting his mood in their own ways. If there's a wistfulness to Hirayama's music selections, it's in the manner that comes over all of us when we hark back to something that we first loved when we were younger. Perfect Days' protagonist is at peace with his life, however. Subtly layered into the film is the idea that things were once far different and more-conventionally successful, but Hirayama wasn't as content as he now is doing the rounds of the Japanese capital's public bathrooms, blasting his favourite songs between stops, eating lunch in a leafy park and photographing trees with an analogue camera. Perfect Days streams via Stan. Read our full review. Love Lies Bleeding In Love Lies Bleeding, a craggy ravine just outside a dusty New Mexico town beckons, ready to swallow sordid secrets in the dark of the desert's starry night. Tumbling into it, a car explodes in flames partway through the movie, exactly as the person pushing it in wants it to. There's the experience of watching Rose Glass' sophomore film emblazoned across the feature's very frames. After the expertly unsettling Saint Maud, the British writer/director returns with a second psychological horror, this time starring Kristen Stewart in the latest of her exceptionally chosen post-Twilight roles (see: Crimes of the Future, Spencer, Happiest Season, Lizzie, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Clouds of Sils Maria). An 80s-set queer and sensual tale of love, lust, blood and violence, Love Lies Bleeding is as inkily alluring as the gorge that's pivotal to its plot, and as fiery as the inferno that swells from the canyon's depths. This neon-lit, synth-scored neo-noir thriller scorches, too — and burns so brightly that there's no escaping its glow. When the words "you have to see it to believe it" also grace Love Lies Bleeding — diving into gyms and in the bodybuilding world, it's no stranger to motivational statements such as "no pain no gain", "destiny is a decision" and "the body achieves what the mind believes" — they help sum up this wild cinematic ride as well. Glass co-scripts here with Weronika Tofilska (they each previously penned and helmed segments of 2015's A Moment in Horror), but her features feel like the result of specific, singular and searing visions that aren't afraid to swerve and veer boldly and committedly to weave their stories and leave an imprint. Accordingly, Love Lies Bleeding is indeed a romance, a crime flick and a revenge quest. It's about lovers on the run (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Katy O'Brian pairs with Stewart) and intergenerational griminess. It rages against the machine. It's erotic, a road trip and unashamedly pulpy. It also takes the concept of strong female leads to a place that nothing else has, and you do need to witness it to fathom it. Love Lies Bleeding streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Rose Glass. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May and June this year — and our best 15 new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming films of 2024's first six months. There's also our highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. And, you can also scope out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer. Top image: Apple TV+.
It has been the training ground for Olympians and a cool escape from the summer heat for many little (and big) Sydneysiders for 39 years, but as of next January, the Macquarie Ice Rink will be no more. It will be demolished to make way for multimillion-dollar upgrades to the Macquarie Centre. The announcement was made earlier this week in a press release sent out by the owners of the ice rink, who revealed that AMP Capital, the owners of the shopping centre, would be ending the ice rink's lease on January 31, 2020. "It is a devastating blow to the many thousands of people who use the ice rink," it said in the statement. The ice rink's owner Dr Frank Gregg said the timing was particularly bad, with the ice rink given a $3.5 million upgrade just last year. "We recently spent millions of dollars refurbishing the ice rink and laying new ice for the athletes and the public," Dr Gregg said in a statement. In response to the announcement, a Change.org petition was launched, and has since garnered 17,165 signatures. Dr Gregg is hoping this will help convince AMP to reverse its decision, saying, "We are still in negotiations with AMP and hopeful that they will their mind". According to News Corp, the shopping centre's $195 million redevelopment would include improved links from the shopping centre to the train station and bus interchange as well as a public plaza, which would impact the space where the ice rink is currently located. https://www.facebook.com/macquarieicerink/posts/2513306518686394 In the meantime, you still have 12 months to visit the Macquarie Ice Rink, which is open to the public at various times throughout the week and all-day on Sunday, as well as for disco sessions on Friday nights. Macquarie Ice Rink is slated for closure on January 31, 2020. We'll let you know if anything changes.
There are heaps of Thai restaurants across Sydney, but Macquarie Park's Khao Pla is in a league of its own. The restaurant serves up modern dishes that span culinary regions from all over Thailand. Chef Pla Rojratanavichai uses only the freshest produce, much of which is sourced locally. The kitchen regularly turns out a menu of inventive specials, including king fish sashimi with tom kha dressing and deep fried whole fish with green mango salad. Some of the fan-favourites include twice-cooked pork ribs tossed in tamarind sauce and topped with a generous amount of spring onion as well as the raw beef larb with roasted chillies and ground rice. We also can't overlook the spicy and rich tom yum goong with prawn and lemongrass and the wok-fried crispy pork belly with curry paste and kaffir lime leaf. These are must-orders. The classic stir fries also make the cut, as do pad thai, pad see ew and staples like duck red curry, braised beef massaman and chicken green curry. Basically, come with a bunch of mates and order one of everything. Like any good restaurant, the desserts are especially exciting, with the black sticky rice with Jasmine tapioca, jack fruits, Thai milk tea ice cream and sugarcane sauce a highlight. The Roselle is also damn good — a lime curd and coconut meringue with lychee and roselle syrup. You've also got the roti banana served with Nutella and smoked coconut sorbet for those wanting something special. Enjoy your family-style dinner in bustling surrounds with exposed brick walls, hanging greenery and old black-and-white photos as wallpaper. It's a popular spot, so be sure to book ahead — or check out Khao Pla's second location in Chatswood.
Remember the days when the only meat-free options on menus were side salads, fries and sad-looking garlic bread? Us too. While some days definitely still call for carb-loading, Sydney's growing list of plant-based cafes means the options available now are anything but beige. And to help you find your new favourite, we've create this round up of Sydney's very best vegetarian and vegan cafes — home to tasty grain bowls, vege burgers and plant-based pastas and pizzas. [caption id="attachment_798216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] DAILY GREENS, PADDINGTON If veggie-packed shakshuka on hearty, homemade bread, fresh pastries, and vanilla-whipped ricotta with raspberry preserve sound like your thing, make sure you visit Daily Greens in Paddington. Feeling creative? There's also an option to build your own bowl, complete with an extensive list of ingredients for you to customise your own warm or cold dish — here, selections include baked tofu, charred cauliflower, spiced crispy chickpeas and dressings like avocado ranch or miso caramel. When the sun is out, soak up the rays in the plant-based cafe's leafy courtyard which has a tree growing right through its centre. [caption id="attachment_707088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Ali[/caption] KHAMSA CAFE, ERSKINEVILLE The inner west is arguably Sydney's ground zero for plant-based dining, and Khamsa Cafe is the kind of place you'll want to visit more than once. At this all-day diner, every plate of photo-worthy Palestinian food is generously packed with fresh, flavoursome ingredients. Must-tries include the signature Jerusalem Bowl, stacked with hummus, baba ganoush, quinoa, fattoush, falafel and cauliflower and a mushroom-packed shawerma pastry. There's also a range of traditional sweet and savoury pastries — think a musakhan with sumac, mushroom and onion and semolina cake with orange blossom syrup — as well as a rotating daily lunch special of a traditional Palestinian dish. The best part? You can take your dog along with you, too. It is a clear front-runner for the best vegan and vegetarian cafe in Sydney. CORNERSMITH, ANNANDALE This thriving, family-run casual dining spot is living proof that from little things big things grow. Starting as a humble eatery, the Cornersmith empire now includes cooking classes, cookbooks and plenty of homemade pickled and preserved goods to take home. The Annandale plant-based cafe has a simple, seasonal menu which includes decadent toasties, fresh salads and a particularly delicious tahini granola bowl with roasted pears. You'll can sit down and enjoy your meal in the friendly, laidback surrounds or preorder an adorable picnic box to enjoy in one of the nearby Sydney parks. SHIFT EATERY, SURRY HILLS Surry Hills locals love Shift Eatery. Office workers and city dwellers alike frequently crowd the pavement waiting for a lunchtime pick-me-up from Sydney's first meat-free deli. The Sydney vegan cafe's ethos is simple: it's all about making the shift to a plant-based diet as easy as possible. And that's exactly what it does. Known for its meat-free takes on popular dishes — think a plant-based reuben and meatball sub — this cafe will have even the biggest sceptics converted. Sample the self proclaimed 'best vegan bacon and egg bagel in the whole world' and find out if it's as good as a traditional one. Spoiler alert: it's better. [caption id="attachment_613611" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] TWO CHAPS, MARRICKVILLE Two Chaps is the kind of place you can visit on the reg and yet dine on something different every visit. The cosy Marrickville plant-based cafe and bakery has an ever-changing, seasonal menu designed to reduce food waste, support local producers, and keep its hungry customers coming back for more. While the dinner menu's fresh, homemade pasta packed with nuts and vegetables has amassed a cult-like following, things during the day are just as delicious thanks to some of Sydney's best plant-based doughnuts and homemade pies. And did someone say dulce de leche-filled brioche? Whether you stop in for a little pick-me-up or a full-blown feast, you'll walk away feeling satisfied. RUBY LONESOME, PETERSHAM This little local cafe has a whole lot of heart — and a simple menu featuring meat-free versions of all the classics. The Cheeze Burger will have you asking why you didn't try plant-based earlier, while specials might include the melt-in-your-mouth Sloppy Jocelyn — it will get all over your face but is so tasty you won't mind. Order the Big Boi for breakfast if you're hungry or a Buddha Bowl if you're looking for something lighter, then peruse the countertop for super cute and tasty take-home goodies like pickled veggies, relishes, cashew cheese and daily-made baked goods. Heck, even order yourself an entire fairy bread cake, really indulging at one of Sydney's best vegetarian and vegan cafes.
We’ve all heard that old adage “what’s been said, can’t be unsaid”, most of us having experienced that feeling of dread about the night before at one time or another. When the booze is flowing freely, tongues tend to get looser as inhibitions slide away, but the damage cannot always easily be undone. This is the theme of Thirty Three, the latest play from Ray Cathode Tube , written by Michael Booth and Alistair Powning, on at TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst. In a terrace house in trendy Newtown, the beautiful Saskia is welcoming her friends to a low-key dinner in celebration of her 33rd birthday. However, the unexpected arrival of her estranged brother, Josh, throws a spanner in the works and things take a turn for the debaucherous. Suddenly what should have been a civilised evening is careening off in an entirely different direction, as the guests become increasingly intoxicated, and it’s not just alcohol being consumed. The volatile recipe for disaster is finished off with a couple heading for divorce, an uninvited narcissistic cokehead and a lesbian flower child. Underlying tensions and secrets are all revealed, but will they be able to pick up the pieces in the morning?
Celebrated Middle Eastern fine diner AALIA has opened an intimate, wine-first offshoot right next to its main dining room. Overlooking Harry Seidler's modernist MLC Centre on Martin Place, AALIA Wine Room is a walk-ins-only destination in its own right rather than a scaled-down restaurant, offering a more relaxed way to explore the flavours and philosophy that have earned AALIA its two hats. As the name suggests, the focus here is firmly on the wine. An expansive list curated by sommelier Sarah O'Dwyer features more than 230 bottles from emerging and established producers around the world, while a 30-plus by-the-glass selection encourages exploration of lesser-seen varietals and contemporary winemaking techniques. For those keen to dig deeper, Discovery Hour invites guests to settle in for a series of sommelier-selected pours revealed tableside. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Paul Farag distils AALIA's produce-driven Middle Eastern cooking into a tight menu of wine-friendly snacks and small plates. Expect refined, pared-back dishes that echo the flavours of the main restaurant without attempting to replicate the full experience, from basturma, pickled chilli and quail egg gilda to kibbeh nayyeh with rhubarb and buckwheat, and pickled kokotxas with tamarind and Aleppo pepper. A weekday lunch service takes an even more casual approach, reworking familiar favourites through an AALIA lens. Dishes like Murray cod shawarma with toum and pickles, steak frites with café de Cairo butter and a classic beef cheeseburger make AALIA Wine Room a solid option for a smart midweek lunch. Split across two levels, the 42-seat venue mirrors the existing AALIA aesthetic — warm timber, banquette seating, mood lighting and eye-catching tiles all feature — with subtle nods to the modernist masterpiece just beyond the windows. Images: Jiwon Kim.
For many Sydneysiders, the CBD was synonymous with two things: tourists and office workers. This year, things changed. With those two elements stripped right back, we can see more clearly than ever what makes the CBD such a special part of Sydney: its small businesses. We're talking about the hole-in-the-wall joint that serves your life-giving morning latte, the reliable boutique shop that's become your go-to for last-minute gifts, and the bar you head to for a post-work cocktail and boogie. Every encounter you have with a local vendor contributes to why you love living in Sydney. And they need your patronage more than ever. So, we teamed up with City of Sydney to ask you — Concrete Playground readers — what businesses you love to visit in the CBD, from the beating heart of the city to the harbourside, Barangaroo and The Rocks. And you came up with some absolute gems. 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.
This May, genre-bending US artist Beck is returning to Australia for three unforgettable performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Taking place at the Sydney Opera House, the shows will dive into Beck's three-decade-spanning catalogue, reimagining some of his most beloved songs through sweeping orchestral arrangements. From the multi-platinum 1996 album, Odelay, to the Grammy Album of the Year winner Morning Phase, Beck will take audiences on a journey through his work — all reimagined with a live orchestra. The performances will be arranged and conducted by Australian composer and conductor Nicholas Buc, who will lead the orchestra through new interpretations designed specifically for the concert hall setting. The result promises to be something different from a typical Beck show. Think lush strings, cinematic swells and orchestral textures layered beneath the artist's unmistakable vocals and lyricism. Alongside orchestral versions of fan favourites, audiences can also expect a few surprises. These concerts will reportedly feature rare covers and unexpected moments woven into the setlist. The limited run of performances will take place across three nights: Thursday, May 7, Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9, offering fans a rare chance to hear Beck's expansive catalogue in a completely new light. If you've ever wanted to hear songs like Loser, Where It's At or Devils Haircut backed by a full orchestra inside one of the world's most iconic concert halls, this is your moment. Tickets are on sale now, so be sure not to miss out on this unforgettable concert experience. Book your tickets now. Image Credit: Supplied
Auburn scores a new tasty hang-out with the opening of FRO-BOWL. Proving that the froyo craze continues, this new, sleek spot offers premium frozen yoghurt made in-store daily, with signature toppings and sauces aplenty. Owner Haydar Rady, who grew up in Auburn, says he knows "what it's like to want something fun and fresh in your own neighbourhood, a place that gets you, I'm there every day, handing out samples, chatting to locals". Rotating froyo flavours include mango, toasted coconut, and pistachio, with a dairy-free option always available. Load up with crumbles, cookies, fruit, fudges and syrups. In an unexpected collab, FRO-BOWL offers Australia its first taste of Brooklyn Beckham's popular Cloud 23 Hot Habanero Sauce. Rady says the fiery citrus tang of the hot sauce pairs surprisingly well with the creamy froyo. "It's the kind of flavour that surprises you, and then becomes a craving. It's the winter kick you didn't know you needed." Images: Supplied.
Every year during our wintertime, so many lucky folks jet off to Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere seeking sin-filled holidays, but there are still stacks of Aussie destinations that are warm and summery throughout the year. If you're seeking a coastal vacay, there's no need to get on a long-haul flight — especially with the likes of Byron Bay being a short trip away. In northern NSW, this dream destination boasts sun, sand and rainforest in abundance. Plus, it's full of romantic studio spaces and quaint coastal bungalows, ideal for unwinding with your significant other or favourite travel buddy. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up 20 of Byron Bay's greatest couples' escapes. Book a favourite, pack your bags and prepare for that well-deserved beach retreat. Recommended reads: The Best NSW Glamping Spots The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Beach Camping Sites in NSW The Best Luxury Stays Near Sydney WOLF BEACH RETREAT, BYRON BAY A sleek, modern take on the classic beach shack, complete with open-plan living and secluded backyard. Cocktails on the deck are a must. How much? From $295 a night, sleeps two. THE STUDIO, BYRON BAY Decked out in soothing whites and natural finishes, this serene hideaway is primed for maximum relaxation. Check in and recharge in style. How much? From $263 a night, sleeps two. THE BUNGALOW, BYRON BAY It's hard not to embrace the Byron lifestyle at this relaxed coastal retreat, featuring modern boho styling throughout and a tropical garden out back. How much? From $427 a night, sleeps four. BEST LOCATION IN BYRON, BYRON BAY This stylishly minimalist studio space is the epitome of a calming getaway. It's filled with natural light and located just a quick stroll from the beach. How much? From $271 a night, sleeps two. LUXURY LOFT, BYRON BAY New York loft meets tropical bungalow for this breezy Byron hideaway. Get set for daily soaks in the outdoor tub, surrounded by nature. How much? From $395 a night, sleeps three. HILLSCAPES STUDIO, BYRON BAY Escape the hustle at this serene studio space, among the trees. A fireplace promises cosy nights and the deck boasts panoramic views. How much? From $242 a night, sleeps two. CACTUS ROSE VILLA, BYRON BAY With chic white interiors, a palm-fringed pool and a romantic loft-style bedroom, this private villa will have you living the holiday dream. How much? From $548 a night, sleeps two. PACIFIC EDGE, BYRON BAY Want to wake to the sound of the waves? This self-contained couples' escape is newly built and perched just minutes from the beach. How much? From $220 a night, sleeps two. BYRON BAY STUDIO, BYRON BAY A designer retreat for two, complete with glass-walled bathroom, secluded terrace and roomy outdoor tub. All just a quick hop from the beach. How much? From $379 a night, sleeps two. BAM STUDIO, BYRON BAY The luxurious self-contained hideaway you'll never want to check out of. Destress with the help of a private leafy garden and sun-dappled deck. How much? From $292 a night, sleeps two. EAST COAST ESCAPES STUDIO 105, BYRON BAY A contemporary coastal abode boasting a sun-drenched deck and beachy white colour palette, this one's handily located between the shops and the sand. How much? From $262 a night, sleeps two. JADE STUDIO, BYRON BAY Swap city life for some time spent recharging at this bright, breezy studio. It's got a sunny courtyard, outdoor shower and cracking location close to the shoreline. How much? From $297 a night, sleeps two. THE LOFT, BYRON BAY This beautifully restored cottage has cruisy coastal vibes on tap, just a ten-minute walk from Byron's Main Beach. The ultimate couples' hideout. How much? From $633 a night, sleeps two. THE APOLLO STUDIO, BYRON BAY Your own Mediterranean-inspired paradise, in the heart of town. With luxe fixtures and a leafy courtyard, this self-contained bungalow is a true holiday gem. How much? From $252 a night, sleeps two. THE TREEHOUSE, BYRON BAY A light-filled hilltop escape, with sweeping views across the trees. This designer space boasts a leafy terrace and ten acres of lush green backyard. How much? From $283 a night, sleeps two. SCANDINAVIAN SIMPLICITY, BYRON BAY Filled with luxe touches and boasting its own sunny green courtyard, this Scandi-inspired studio has holiday charms aplenty. An ideal escape for two. How much? From $180 a night, sleeps two. BASK & STOW SEA, BYRON BAY A cheery splash of Palm Springs style, by the beaches of Byron. This whitewashed villa features resort-worthy interiors and a sparkling plunge pool. How much? From $448 a night, sleeps two. PARADISO PROPERTY, BYRON BAY Embrace beachside living with a stay at this quaint bungalow for two. It's a breezy, open-plan situation, flanked by two grassy, sun-drenched courtyards. How much? From $339 a night, sleeps two. BOUTIQUE RETREAT, BYRON BAY A cheery self-contained apartment that's sure to win you over with its plush linens, palm-filled courtyard and pink stone outdoor tub. How much? From $275 a night, sleeps two.. ARTFUL WAREHOUSE CONVERSION, BYRON BAY Swap the beach shacks and bungalows for a stay at this lofty converted warehouse, featuring mod-industrial styling and some primo mountain views. How much? From $344 a night, sleeps two. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In the midst of the bustling business epicentre that is Macquarie Park, you'll find a secluded rooftop bar offering sanctuary from the streets. Ess, short for The Governess, is the sky-high counterpart to The Governor — an expansive multifaceted venue which sits below — and comes equipped with panoramic views of the suburb, al fresco dining options, comfortable banquette seating and foliage aplenty. From the same group behind renowned establishments like the Bella Vista Hotel and Hillside Hotel — that's the Momento Group helmed by the Colosimo family — The Governor and Ess offer a little something for every occasion. Given the venue's locale and design, the greenhouse-inspired aesthetic, with bucket loads of natural light and verdant plant life, will make you forget all about your 9-to-5 woes. Menu wise, Head Chef Luke Lashford has put together a broad food offering — Ess boasts a rooftop bar and kitchen of its own. Tuck into Asian-inspired fare centred around a Japanese charcoal grill, with dishes such as wagyu beef skewers, pork ribs with wasabi chimichurri and portobello mushroom katsu baos. The drinks list covers all the classics but, since you're chilling in her hood, why not try namesake cocktail The Governess, with gin, lemon, raspberry, marshmallow milk and ginger float. Images: Kai Leishman
If you're looking for an intimate spot in the Northern Beaches where you can catch up with friends over a glass of white, red or even skin-contact wine, look no further than Manly Corso's small bar Henry G's. Designed to look like a pint-sized library or a wealthy family's reading room with over 2000 antique books on the shelves, the bar comes from the Saga Group — the crew behind Northern Beaches mainstays Donny's Bar, InSitu and the Market Lane Live series. The bar is named after Henry Gilbert Smith who built Manly Wharf and contributed to the Corso, Hotel Steyne and St Matthews Church in the 1800s. Henry G's honours the local legend with a drinking and dining experience specialising in all things vino, as well as pintxos and tinned fish. The 170-strong wine list includes more than 20 drops by the glass, ranging from Mumm Champagne and Provence rosé to a skin-contact sauvignon blanc and a chilled red from France's Comte Tolosan. Accompanying the pinots and rieslings on offer is a Bentspoke-heavy beer menu, a handful of wine-fermented beers, and a sizeable selection of cocktails with a focus on sours. The Vauxhall Gardens sour is particularly attention-grabbing, combining Buffalo Trace, machine rosso, fig and raspberry sherbert, and citrus. Feeling peckish? Start with a serve of gildas before moving on to the Henry G's specialties: the pintxos. Load your slice of thick-cut bread with cured pork tartare, crab salad, crushed spicy tomato and sardines, or torn burrata and padron peppers. Tinned fish also feature heavily on the snack menu, with sardines, scallops, mussels, squid and tuna belly all on offer. Plus, Henry G's is an ideal nightcap spot, with the ability to pair your Manhattan with a sweet treat like the burnt Basque cheesecake.
With big food precincts the norm in Sydney these days (see: Tramsheds and Maker's Dozen), the Porteño crew decided to start its own. Owners and hospo legends Elvis Abrahanowicz, Ben Milgate and Joseph Valore (Bodega X Wyno, Bodega 1904) have opened two neighbouring venues along Holt Street. Bastardo trattoria and Humble Bakery are the newcomers to the 'Porteño precinct'. With five of the team's sister venues now side-by-side, Surry Hills has become a true food-filled haven. At Bastardo, expect a menu of homey dishes that change daily and focus on seasonal produce. For the venue, the team bought an old-school pasta extruder to make as many different shapes and sizes of pasta as possible. The menu is vego-heavy, similar to the way the gents eat at home. Think dishes like the gem lettuce salad with Gorgonzola, pecans, pear and quince dressing, the burrata with broccoli, garlic, chilli, lemon and pangrattato, or the eggplant parmigiana. For pescatarians and carnivores, there's kingfish crudo with mandarin and lemon oil or the casarecce with braised duck and porcini mushrooms. [caption id="attachment_809278" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] "The concept [behind Bastardo] is in the name — it's a bastardisation of Italian food," says Abrahanowicz. "[Ben, Joe and I] are all mongrel Italians in one way or another, and the restaurant will be a reflection of that. It's pretty much how we eat on the weekends. It's not going to be traditional Italian cooking or from a specific region, it'll be our interpretation of Italian food." While the menu is simple comfort food at its best, the fit-out is quite loud. Think a 60s Italian vibe with green terrazzo tables and colourful paintings by artist Mikey Freedom — plus a standing aperitif bar with a foosball table that's been resurrected from the Gardel's Bar days. Images: Caroline McCredie Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
You could've been forgiven for thinking that Bentley's former Crown Street shopfront was a corner pub. Of course, once you walked inside the darkly lit, restaurant-bar with designer Pascale Gomes-McNabb's famous wire mesh petal light shades, it was evident you were in one of Sydney's best fine diners. At their new digs in the heritage-listed Radisson Blu Hotel building with its grand entrance off O'Connell Street, there's certainly no mistaking Bentley for your local. Gomes-McNabb has been at it again, painting over a perfectly good ceiling rose with black and grey triangles straight out of a marvel comic strip. She's flung a bunch of black metal scaffolding through the space and has lit it with an assortment of diamond frosted shades, as well as a large revolving cube light installation at the entrance. In fact, walking into Bentley feels like you're stepping into a cubist painting to find, serendipitously, that freeze-dried foie gras with scallops is the order of the day. It's not a bad way to finish off the working day, which is what hordes of punters, solo and in groups, are already doing on a Monday night. So Brent Savage's food can be fussy, and who needs to freeze-dry foie gras anyway? Well, someone who wants to pair it with an otherwise texturally unsuitable Queensland scallop ($14). Foie gras crystals, brioche crumb and raspberry powder comprise the necessary contrast to make the scallop shine. A bowl of cold pea soup with frozen buttermilk and hidden spanner crab ($24) is oddly out of step with the rest of the excellent tasting menu. Quail with smoked celery and white soy ($28) is a neat little number and the pork cheek with jamon crumb that follows has a classic sweet match not in fruit but with charred leeks and crispy radicchio. A main of kangaroo ($42) with purple carrot has a kind of Australian Christmas feel to it, with a riberry jus that's all cloves and booze. The star accompaniment of the meal is Iggy's bread, the kind of sourdough that will make your teeth happy, with its chewy crust and tangy, savoury wholesomeness. There's been a delicious efficiency gain in the pastry section, with the replacement of finicky petit fours with one large honeycomb crunch landing on the table at meal's end. I don't speak French but if this is 'petit' I'll eat my mini oven. The service at Bentley 2.0 is decidedly friendlier than the Crown Street haunt, which had a bit of a Nick Cave Appreciation Society vibe. With Yellow and Monopole well and truly established as late-night Potts Point favourites, the addition of Bentley in the city means the Savage-Hildebrandt combo have this city covered for smart, grown-up dining. Photo gallery by Lindsay Smith.
Following a big night out, scrolling through your snaps may be part of your morning-after routine, letting you bask in the glory of all those photos immortalising all that fun. Or, hitting up a gig, bar or party just mightn't be complete unless you're filling your socials while you're there. Whether one or both of the above apply to you, neither is out of the ordinary — so much so that heading to a shindig without being able to access your phone is now a novelty. That's exactly the kind of situation that Lane 8's record label This Never Happened is embracing, however, when it tours Australia's east coast with for a series of gatherings. At This Never Happens Presents, you won't have a screen in your hand — or face. You won't be swiping, texting or doing anything else with the gadget we're all addicted to, either. Attendees will have their phones taped upon arrival, because these dance music get-togethers are all about connecting IRL and in the moment. The tour has three stops over one July weekend, starting on Friday, July 14 at 170 Russell in Melbourne, then moving to Sydney's Metro Theatre on Saturday, July 15, before wrapping up at Brightside Outdoors in Brisbane on Sunday, July 16. In each city, you'll enjoy tunes from Le Youth, Sultan & Shepard and PARIS on the dance floor — and you'll just have to rely upon your noggin to remember all the highlights afterwards. These will be This Never Happen's first shows in this part of the world, after launching in 2016, signing artists who've toured with producer and DJ Lane 8, and first hosting parties in 2017 and 2019 elsewhere around the globe. Pics or it didn't happen? Not here. THIS NEVER HAPPENED PRESENTS 2023 DATES: Friday, July 14 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Saturday, July 15 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sunday, July 16 — Brightside Outdoors, Brisbane THIS NEVER HAPPENED PRESENTS 2023 LINEUP: Le Youth Sultan & Shepard PARIS This Never Happened Presents tours Australia's east coast in July, with ticket pre-sales from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, May 10 and general sales from 12pm on Thursday, May 11.
Inside a stately 19th-century building, you'll find the longstanding Establishment Bar. You won't miss the centrepiece of the room — a 42-metre-long marble bar, which perfectly exemplifies the vibe of this joint. This is an elegant and sophisticated establishment, and it knows a little something about drinks and dining. The menu for the main bar and the garden space outside runs the gamut from modern Australian cafe breakfasts and pub classics to traditional Thai fare, right through to a bar food menu after 10pm. For brekkie, there are simple nibbles like freshly baked pastries, fruit, muesli and toast with artisanal jams, or if you're after something more substantial, try the quinoa bowl with poached eggs, avocado and kale ($20) or scrambled eggs with prawns, shellfish oil and broccolini ($25). From midday till 3pm, Monday to Friday, there's a full menu of Thai favourites including lamb massaman ($20), geng khio gai ($25) and som tum pla salmon ($23), so you'll find plenty of business workers enjoying their lunch break here during the week. Otherwise, there's a pretty classic list of small plates, salads and mains, available until late. All this can be paired with plenty of wine from Australia, France and beyond, or step out for a seasonal cocktail in the garden. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Sydney loves all things bottomless — from bao at Bondi's Easy Tiger to lunch at RAFI overlooking URBNSRF and brunch at Balmain's Casa Esquina. We can't blame you. Paying one price, then eating and drinking to your heart's content – surrounded by mates doing the same — makes eating out simple. So, it's no surprise that bottomless steak and frites at Surry Hills' French brasserie Armorica has been a big hit. And, because it's incredibly popular, it's not going anywhere. That's right — now there's always the option to pop down to Armorica any Monday night and swap 59 bucks for as much steak and as many fries as you can handle. Why not get a head start on your working week with a massive protein hit? While you're there, you'll have more than 400 wines to consider trying. Plus, there's every chance you'll be sorely tempted by the dessert menu (even after all that meat), especially the divine Armorica chocolate bar — an explosion of Valrhona chocolate mousse with salted caramel and choc chip cookie.
Wedged between Bridge Street and the heritage-lined laneway of Underwood Street, on the ground floor of an otherwise unassuming office tower, Ette is the kind of place you could easily miss — but you definitely shouldn't. The sleek CBD dining room brings a new perspective to Sydney's dining scene, thanks to a 'fast fine dining' model that provides finesse without the fuss — and a tight menu of hearty, produce-driven mains all priced at $39. Pairing the precision of fine dining with the pace and price point of a weeknight drop-in, Ette's menu revolves around ingredients sourced directly and daily from trusted local suppliers, ensuring the kitchen has the day's best produce at its disposal. These ingredients are showcased in its inventive snackEttes: small share plates all priced at $9.50 and designed to hit the table within five minutes. You might find the likes of pork crackling paired with a spiced apple dipping sauce, a seaweed cracker cone loaded with tuna tartare, Calabrian chill and whipped avo, or baked scallop with nduja, avocado and pineapple. Those after something larger can take their pick from the Steak, Land, Sea and Grain menu. These hearty dishes are all priced at $39, with current highlights including the yuzu beurre blanc-topped fish of the day, wild mushroom linguine finished with black truffle, marsala and pecorino, and coq au vin jazzed up with pancetta and shimeji mushrooms. Whether you go for small or large dishes, you can whet your appetite with complimentary house-made focaccia and olive oil served on arrival. The dining room itself is just as flexible. With opening hours of 11.30am–2am, the venue has been designed to easily transition from a restaurant by day to a buzzy bar by night and a fully equipped event space on weekends. On one side of the sleek, mood-lit space is a theatrical open kitchen helmed by Adam Grimsley (ex-Icebergs, Jacksons on George, two-Michelin-starred Oxford restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons), whose modern European training and love of local produce meet over a Scheer adjustable lava rock grill — the centrepiece of the kitchen and the key to Ette's clean, fire-backed flavours. The other side of the space is home to an equally considered bar, with house infusions and creative twists in tipples like the seasonal sorbet-topped Sgroppino Affair or the South by Southwest, a rob roy and negroni love child featuring Woodford Reserve and Laphroaig. A standout feature is the restaurant's climate-controlled wine room that's maintained at 16 degrees celsius and equipped with internal fridges, ensuring wines remain at precise drinking temperatures ranging from 3–15 degrees celsius. On the list, you'll find a tight selection of half-bottles and full bottles by boutique Australian producers and prestige winemakers. Open from Monday to Friday only, Ette is a smart new option for the city crowd, whether for a fast solo lunch, a slow night of cocktails and snacks, or a low-fuss, post-work dinner. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Even megastars get hungry — which is where chef to the stars Tom Morrison steps in. This seasoned kitchen pro has cooked for the likes of the elusive chanteuse Mariah Carey, Sk8ter Boi songstress Avril Lavigne and occasional elf Orlando Bloom, but Morrison's skills extend beyond merely feeding A-listers. Now, everyday Sydneysiders will be able to sample his food as he turns his talents to that most universal of morsels, the humble sandwich. These, however, are no ordinary sangas. From Tommy Panini, his hole-in-the-wall pop-up venue in Brookvale, Morrison is serving up his version of the Campanian street food staple, the panuzzo — an Italian sandwich featuring bread made from pizza dough. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Panini (@tommypanini) "We wanted to offer something different," Morrison explains. "Not just another sandwich, but a culinary experience that combines the best of pizza and sandwiches." These pizza-sandwich hybrids have been enjoying a viral moment on social media recently, but Morrison has gone to great lengths to ensure his panuzzi stand out from the digital crowd. Rosemary and garlic-infused oil is used to make the dough, which is then combined with rich and creamy fior di latte, produced by Marrickville cheesemongers Vannella. The bread is then baked in much the same way as a Neapolitan pizza — in a woodfired pizza oven, heated to around 400 celsius — to achieve that tell-tale bubble and char. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tommy Panini (@tommypanini) The fillings take their cues from hearty Italian flavours, such as the chicken cotoletta (the Stivale answer to a schnitzel), spiked with Calabrian chilli mayo, sundried tomato tapenade, zippy hits of zucchini pickle and finished with a generous shaving of parmigiano. There's also a classic mortadella panini on the menu, stuffed with layer upon layer of the ever-popular Italian luncheon meat, dressed with fresh pesto, ricotta and a sweet surprise — house-made pistachio praline. Salami also gets a shout, combined with a roast carrot and capsicum tapenade, nduja, silky fior di latte and peppery rocket, and for meat-free option, there's a Lebanese twist featuring green-pea falafel. However, be warned: should you acquire a taste for these celeb-worthy sandos, you'll need to make the most of them while you can. Morrison's pop-up will only be offering its takeaway panuzzi until the end of spring. Find Tommy Panini at 4/515 Pittwater Road, Brookvale, open Tuesday–Friday, 10:30am until sold out, until the end of spring. Head to the venue's Instagram account for details.
Unless you've spent the past few years north of the wall, you'll know that House of the Dragon is coming — the long-in-the-works prequel series to Game of Thrones, that is. HBO wasn't going to completely say goodbye to its huge fantasy hit when the original show wrapped up, of course, and plenty of other spinoffs are under consideration (including a Jon Snow-focused sequel); however, the first of the bunch starts airing on Monday, August 22 in Australia. House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of GoT, and focuses on House Targaryen. Yes, that means that dragons are obviously part of the series, and so is a Succession-style battle over who should sit on the Iron Throne. Always thought that you should park your butt on the hefty chair yourself? Thanks to Binge, which'll stream House of the Dragon when it starts, that's about to become a reality. No, you won't be making a trip to the show's sets — rather, the Iron Throne is coming Down Under. And yes, you really will be able to sit on it when it makes its way to your city. [caption id="attachment_864676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ollie Upton[/caption] House of Dragon's version of the Iron Throne looks a bit different to the OG — newer, you'd expect, given it exists two centuries before the seat seen in GoT — and is covered in 1000 swords. This full-scale replica isn't small, either, measuring 3.7 metres wide, 2.8 metres high and 3.3 metres deep, and weighing 226 kilograms. Sydneysiders will get to live out their House Targaryen dreams first, with the throne first appearing at Sydney Town Hall, from 9am–5pm on Friday, August 19. It'll also head to the University of Sydney, in front of The Great Hall, from 9am–4pm on Wednesday, August 31–Thursday, September 1. Melbourne dates have been locked in as well, at Westfield Southland, on level one near Brioche by Philip, from 9am–5pm on Saturday, September 10 and 10am–5pm on Sunday, September 11. [caption id="attachment_864683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ollie Upton[/caption] If you're a Game of Thrones fan elsewhere around Australia, start hoping like Arya crossing off her list that the Iron Throne will come your way — we'll update you when further dates are announced. And if you've forgotten the throne's backstory, it was forged from the blades of Aegon Targaryen's defeated foes, which were melted together by a dragon — of course — after he conquered Westeros. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: IRON THRONE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES: Friday, August 19 — Sydney Town Hall from 9am–5pm. Wednesday, August 31–Thursday, September 1 — University of Sydney, in front of The Great Hall, from 9am–4pm. Saturday, September 10–Sunday, September 11 — Westfield Southland from 9am–5pm on Saturday and 10am–5pm on Sunday. House of the Dragon's Iron Throne will tour Australia from mid-August. House of the Dragon will start airing on Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge.
While Messina's main jam is crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer. Back before the pandemic, the cult gelateria would team up with a savoury-focused culinary hero every couple of months, then throw a big ol' food party in the car park at its Rosebery headquarters to celebrate the collaboration. While the series has been less regular lately (thanks COVID), one collab that hasn't fallen by the wayside is regular team-ups with Melbourne's Filipino barbecue masters Hoy Pinoy. After a hugely popular pop-up in 2021, the two teams are again congregating at Messina's Roseberry HQ for two nights of barbecued meats and inventive gelato creations. On Instagram, Gelato Messina announced the return with the message: "Considering last time probably brought more people to Rosebery than ever before, we figured it was only right to bring back the Filo street food and BBQ kings to Syd for more people to try it." Hoy Pinoy's skewers are always a big hit at the Night Noodle Markets, however, with the markets suffering yet another postponement (this time due to rain), this weekend pop-up will be your best chance to get your hands on them. The team will be grilling up the skewers (both chicken and pork belly) as well as cheese pork belly loaded fries, steamed rice with papaya pickles and a next-level barbecue plate. Those that opt for the plate will be treated to bistek tagalog-glazed beef short rib, smoked inasal wings, sweet pork sausages steamed rice, Filipino pickles and spicy banana ketchup. For dessert, Messina will be whipping up monay milk buns filled with your choice of ube, leche flan, cheese or pandan gelato. And, to drink, there'll be a combination of sweetened coconut milk and pandan jellies. The whole thing will go down over Friday and Saturday in the car park at Messina's Rosebery HQ. It'll be open from midday for lunch and dinner until sold out.
After 35 years of serving soulful Lebanese food from its hand-built masonry oven in Guildford, Yum Yum Bakery has unveiled a second home in Concord. The new flagship showcases Yum Yum's creative approach to classic Lebanese flavours in a polished fitout with a state-of-the-art kitchen, and the same warm hospitality that's made it a community go-to since 1989. Founded by Lebanese refugee Toufic Haddad and now run by his son Najib, Yum Yum leans into tradition but isn't afraid to break away from it. Many of the recipes and baking methods remain unchanged from Haddad Senior's time at the helm — and these classics take equal billing alongside decidedly next-gen creations. On the menu, you'll find highlights like golden haloumi spring rolls drizzled with honey, lamb shawarma tacos and Yum Yum's signature woodfired awarma and egg manoush, with its gently spiced, full-flavoured minced lamb confit. There's also a generous spread of brunch platters made to share. It's all prepared with meat from a halal-certified butcher and a commitment to the handmade, heartfelt approach that's defined Yum Yum from the start. The breezy Concord site features indoor-outdoor seating, a private dining room and sleek finishes by B Spaces and Regera Group. Fans of the original will recognise the same flavours and heart they've known from Guildford — but no doubt Yum Yum is set to win over a legion of new fans as it enters its next chapter.
When London's The Palomar opened in Soho in 2014, it was an instant hit. Spotlighting the flavours of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Levant with energy and warmth, it quickly cemented itself as one of the city's must-visit dining rooms, having held a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since. Now, more than a decade on, Studio Paskin — the London hospo group behind The Palomar and Michelin-starred Evelyn's Table — has chosen Sydney as the site of the brand's first international outpost. And local diners have every reason to be excited. Set within the former Grand Pacific Blue Room — the 90s it-nightclub now reborn as part of the 25hours Hotel The Olympia — the Sydney iteration of The Palomar carries the DNA of its London predecessor while feeling distinctly its own. Culinary direction is led by Mitch Orr, whose playful yet refined approach has shaped some of Sydney's most influential dining rooms, including Kiln and Acme. Alongside Head Chef Luke Davenport — who began his career at The Palomar London before stints at Noma, The Ledbury and, most recently, helming the kitchen at Potts Point's Franca Brasserie — Orr has crafted a considered, produce-driven menu that riffs on the London original while putting Australian growers and ingredients front and centre. That means dishes like grilled Abrolhos Island scallop with zhoug butter, butterflied line-caught blue mackerel with chermoula and Westholme wagyu tartare with amba and celeriac. A woodfired grill drives much of the menu, giving plates an earthy, smoky edge while also laying the groundwork for a cleverly restrained approach — grilled southern calamari is lifted with preserved lemon, whole flounder is finished with ras el hanout butter and flame-licked CopperTree Farm ribeye arrives with a punchy burnt chilli salsa. For dessert, the pistachio ice cream baklava sandwich, a favourite on the London menu, has all the makings of a future Sydney classic. The wine program echoes the restaurant's global reach and local focus. Georgian, Turkish and Lebanese bottlings share the stage with standout Australian producers, while a tight edit of sparkling and skin-contact drops highlights Mediterranean and New World varietals. Design-wise, the 110-seat space mirrors The Palomar London's intimate, timeless charm. Heritage bricks from the original site are offset with rich navy leathers, timber flooring and marble mosaic tile inlays, themselves nods to the London venue. The pink quartzite-topped kitchen bar, a signature of The Palomar experience, is a focal point here, too, inviting diners to watch the kitchen in full flight while soaking up the energy of one of Sydney's most anticipated openings of the year.
Bar Patron has undergone its fair share of evolution since launching in 2018. Originally opened by Neil Perry and the Rockpool Dining Group, the Mexican-inspired restaurant sat dormant for three years during COVID times before it was revamped under hospitality group Pacific Concepts, now rebranded as Hunter St. Hospitality (The Collective, El Camino Cantina, 24 York). Yet the world's only Patrón-dedicated tequila bar has decided to embrace its name, shifting away from its Mexican dining focus to become a fully-fledged tequila bar. From its airy home in Circular Quay, guests can now expect cocktails to be front and centre, while a tightened food menu complements, not overshadows, what's shaken and stirred behind the bar. The drinks list goes far beyond the basics. Led by Bar Manager Andori Sanchez (El Primo Sanchez) and Hunter St. Hospitality Beverage Director Ali Toghani, a thoughtfully assembled selection of seven signature cocktails draws from varied regions of Mexico, with each designed to showcase a specific area's standout produce and character. For instance, the El Mariachi draws inspiration from Jalisco — the birthplace of tequila — offering a zesty, tropical blend of Patrón Reposado, hibiscus, Campari, blood orange liqueur and mango. Oaxaca, the heartland of mezcal, sets the tone for La Llorona, featuring a smoky, spicy base balanced against pineapple sweetness — another regional staple. There's also El Cielo De Mayo, where the light agave flavours of Patrón El Cielo mix with fresh lime, pomegranate grenadine and apple juice to reflect Puebla's fertile farmland and citrus trees. While the new direction for Bar Patrón has reduced the focus on food, don't assume what remains lacks the same punch that came before. Overseen by Hunter St. Hospitality Culinary Director Santiago Aristizabal, each dish showcases regional Mexican touches and premium Australian produce, ensuring lunch or dinner remains a delight. Order a round of tacos to start, choosing from options like wagyu cheek, grilled prawn and pork barbacoa. Snacks like salty chicharrones and tuna tostada also won't go amiss. For something larger, favourites like Glacier 51 toothfish with adobo, and braised short rib birria are still on the menu. With long lunch specials and happy hours offered throughout the week, swing through Bar Patrón for a cocktail, a casual bite and front-row Sydney Harbour seats. Bar Patrón is open from Tuesday–Thursday from 12–10pm, Friday–Saturday from 12–11pm, and Sunday–Monday from 12–9pm at 2 Phillip Street, Sydney. Head to the website for more information. Images: Steven Woodburn.
We could list the awards and accolades, describe the beautiful menu, recite his impressive CV, or show you enticing pictures of gorgeous food (we might still do some of these things) — or we could simply just tell you how much we love Neil Perry's restaurant Margaret in Double Bay. However, to truly appreciate its greatness, we would say: you must try it for yourself. And now, there's about to be even more to try, as the acclaimed restaurant is set to expand with all-day eatery Cafe Margaret, to open this weekend. Cafe Margaret will take the place of Perry's more casual venue, Next Door, which, as expected, is directly adjacent to the main restaurant. The venues are already connected internally, sharing certain back-of-house facilities, and now they will be further connected by their food, their vibe and importantly, their brand. Where Margaret remains the coveted fine-diner it has grown to be, Cafe Margaret, Perry says, "will be a simpler, more easygoing way of easing into the quality ingredients that Margaret uses…we wanted it to be a different price point and a different opportunity for the community to drop in", and whether its for a cake, a sandwich, a brekkie roll or quick dinner, Perry's assurance is that "we will cook it really beautifully for you." While Perry has led a slew of renowned restaurants over his many decades in the industry, it was his Double Bay masterpiece that had the honour of carrying his mother's name. When asked why he chose this venue as one special enough to bear her name, Perry explained that, because Margaret was his first independently owned venue — something truly his — "it felt like the right time to really honour [her]…the right moment to make it very personal." Perry says that while he talks a lot about the influence his dad had on his cooking style, his "mum had this incredible sense of hospitality", which was the kind he hoped to embody when opening Margaret. And now he's doubled down on the name, because this venue is where he intends to stay. "I almost feel like I've kind of retired to Margaret," he says. Margaret has proved worthy of its moniker, winning a string of impressive awards, including being crowned the second-best steak restaurant in the world. That seems like an accomplishment too big to skirt by, particularly when you consider that Margaret is as much of a specialty seafood restaurant as it is a steak house. That Perry does both so impeccably well really dispels that old 'jack of all trades' adage. Perry's new spot will feature traditional breakfast dishes, including seasonal fruit with Meredith yoghurt and hazelnuts, eggs your way, daily in-house-baked cakes, and a four-cheese toastie that Perry often cooks up for himself at home. However, Perry says he hopes it'll be the egg and bacon roll that finds the same popularity as his famous burger. He describes the smoky and tangy roll with the excitable fervour of someone who has eaten a good many of them. With a runny fried egg layered with double smoked bacon, gyuyere, caramelised onions, chipotle mayo, spring onion and rocket, Perry says he knows this one "is a cracker." And for lunch? We, and the rest of the world, all know Perry knows how to flip a burger, considering Next Door's much-loved version — a stacked combination of American cheese, onions, pickle, rose mayo and a brisket and chuck patty on a milk bun — was ranked as the tenth best burger in the world. So it's with great joy that we can confirm, straight from the source, that Perry's famed burger will maintain its central position on both the lunch and dinner menus at Cafe Margaret. And the best bit is, for the first time, you can even get them to go. Perry says he has intentionally increased the venue's capacity for pumping out burgers, noting that "instead of 100 burgers a day, we'd love to sell 200", especially with the park across the road, the perfect place to picnic. Perry has cleverly decided to expand his burger offering with a crispy fish version, amped up with gochugang and kimchi, and a caramelised onion smash burger (which he is still working on) and aims to add to the rotation in the coming weeks. If we had you at smash burger, wait until you hear about Perry's take on a steak sandwich. He says that while dinner will be for the likes of fresh grilled fish, hearty fish stews, and seared minute steaks, at lunch, he'll stuff that steak into a roll with chips and lots of cafe de Paris butter, because they are just "trying to have a lot of fun with it." An essential part of Cafe Margaret's purpose is to offer Perry's beloved customers a place to hang out from the early hours, because even though he has won many impressive awards and accolades, more importantly to him, he has won over his community. Double Bay really is his darling, and he is deeply embedded in the community, spending almost every day from 7am, until 10pm, at his venues. "Sam and I love being part of the community, and opening breakfast was an important part of that, to connect with the community through coffee and a sweet treat". This technically means you could spend an entire day drinking coffee, eating brunch and sipping a bellini, enjoying an early evening drink and snack before settling in for a truly world-class dinner, without having to leave Perry's special, sun-soaked Double Bay corner. We can think of many worse ways to spend a day. Images: Petrina Tinslay.
Before getting a glimpse into everyone else's lives was as simple as logging into your social-media platform of choice, a game arrived that let its players do something similar with computerised characters. A spinoff from SimCity and its city-building follow-ups, The Sims allows whoever is mashing buttons to create and control virtual people, then step through their existence. First hitting in February 2000, it has spawned three sequels, plus a whole heap of expansion and compilation packs for each — and online, console and mobile versions as well. A quarter of a century since its debut, The Sims still keeps dropping new releases. To mark its 25th birthday, there's now The Sims: Birthday Bundle. That's one way to celebrate the game's latest anniversary. Here's another: stepping inside a three-day Australian pop-up dedicated to the beloved life simulator, which is heading to Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23, 2025. Despite The Sims' more-recent titles, thinking about the game usually means thinking about the 2000s. So, this pop-up is taking that truth to heart by celebrating the Y2K era, too. Going along involves entering inside a 2000s-era pre-teen bedroom that's been decked out by Josh & Matt Design with all of the appropriate touches. Yes, it'll be nostalgic. Yes, there'll be CD towers and blow-up couches, just to name a few decor choices. The pop-up will also feature free stations where you can play The Sims: Birthday Bundle, if the best way for you to commeroate the occasion is by diving into the franchise virtually. In addition, there'll also be a free panel about the game on the Saturday, with speakers including Josh & Matt Design's Josh Jessup and Matt Moss — who are big The Sims fans — and EA/Firemonkeys' Simulation Division General Manager Mavis Chan. "As Australia's home of videogames, ACMI is so chuffed to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims! For 25 years, The Sims has provided a platform for so many kinds of imaginative play for multiple generations, allowing them to achieve great feats of digital architecture, guide their Sims to dizzying success — or cruelly remove their pool ladders. With each new expansion and sequel, The Sims has expanded its complex social world, reflecting changes to real-life society, and facilitating even more forms of self-expression in its passionate player base," said ACMI Curator Jini Maxwell, announcing the pop-up. "As a long-term Sims player myself, I'm so thrilled to celebrate the game's cultural legacy and personal significance in this event and free talk hosted by ACMI." EA Presents The Sims 25 is popping up from Friday, February 21–Sunday, February 23 at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne — head to the venue's website for more details.
Negronis and Italian bar snacks are at the centre of Surry Hills' new aperitivo bar which opens tomorrow, Wednesday, September 14. Bar Conte is the project of Raffaelle Lombard and his partner, interior designer Victoria Hampshire who have worked together to transport you to the Amalfi Coast through a sleek bar inspired by Italy's aperitivo culture. "I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years. The negroni is my drink of choice, and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. It's bitter, strong and clean — the ultimate pre-dinner drink. We felt it deserved its own dedicated bar," Lombard says. The obvious place to start at Bar Conte is with a negroni. There are more than 20 varieties on the menu. Alongside your classics, there's a range of intriguing combinations: the Negroni Sbagliato 1972 combines Campari, Cinzano 1757 and prosecco; the Il Professore is a mix of Campari, Campano Rosso Vermouth and Kimbo coffee liqueur; and the Rhubarb is made from Glendalough Rose Gin, Cinzano 1757 and Rabarbaro liqueur. "The temperature and the quality of the vermouth is what makes a good negroni," according to Lomard. "Growing up in Italy, our family homes were always stocked with vermouth, and on special occasions I would be able to try them. 30 years on, I have grown to love those flavours, there is so much nostalgia and many memories for me when it comes to vermouth." Further along the menu and you'll find a selection of classic cocktails — martinis, margaritas, spritzes and sours — followed by European wines and beers. Accompanying the drinks is a creative array of bar snacks pulled together by Head Chef and co-owner Steve De Vecchi (ex-The Apollo). Think rosemary focaccia, wagyu carpaccio and marinated eggplant caprino. There are also menu items infusing the bar's signature drink, including oysters with a negroni dressing and negroni-infused salumi. Located on the corner of Riley and Foveaux Street, across from Forrester's, Bar Conte has transformed a corner terrace formerly occupied by a convenience store into an inviting 38-seat bar accentuated with a warm burnt red, forest green and brass fit-out. "I have always had a love of bottle green and brass, with bottle green tiles and forest green marble, complementing the warmth of the parquetry floor and the deep red walls that are a reference to our life and travels in Italy," said Hampshire. Bar Conte is located at 340 Riley Street, Surry Hills. It's open from 4.30pm Monday–Thursday and from 11.30am Friday-Saturday. Images: Steven Woodburn
Australians have beer drinking down to a fine art. First of all, we serve it cold (London, how did you miss that one for so long?). Second, we're exceptionally good at creating places to drink it that allow you to soak up the sunshine and enjoy that ice cold beer at the same time. Genius. Seeing as it's possibly the best time right now to enjoy the great outdoors, Concrete Playground has scoured the city and collected for you our pick of the best beer gardens around. This one's on us. The Courthouse Hotel Popular with students, artists and the battered men who've been frequenting it for the past forty years, The Courthouse is a beloved staple of Newtown's drinking spots. Grungy, relaxed and unpretentious with one of Sydney's finest beer gardens, I have an unabashed devotion to this place. Inside you'll find pool tables, a collection of pinball machines and a couple of vinyl couches with the stuffing falling out of them. The interior of the pub is exactly what you'd expect: dark wood on scruffy walls, well-trodden carpet and a gallery of old Sydney Swans posters. A pair of arty student types with silly beards sit at the bar alongside a bloke in a Bonds singlet, nursing a schooner, sporting an entirely un-silly beard. During AFL season expect not to be able to hold a conversation anywhere near the football-scarfed fans surrounding the televisions. 202 Australia Street, Newtown The Norfolk It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint and some mismatched furniture can do for a courtyard. Just take the Norfolk's beer garden, for example. Since it's decidedly hip transformation, the leafy backyard has become a haven for Surry Hills locals to kick back and have a drink, and you'll be hard pressed to find a seat during the packed lunch and post-work hours. It's the jewel in this redone pub's crown. There's a lot of great reasons to visit the Norfolk, and the trendy interior is just the start of it. Cocktail lovers will like the ingenuity behind drinks like the Bloody Mary, served in a Campbell's tomato soup tin, or the Ciderlicious, combining apple cider with pear vodka and smashed mixed berries. And while they still need to work out the kinks on the sharp-tasting Sangrias, the jugs are good value for groups. 305 Cleveland Street, Redfern The Rose Hotel This vibrant beer garden has provided an inner city oasis for over one hundred years. Tucked between the busy stretches of City Road and Cleveland Street, the intimate beer garden gets just as crowded as its bustling surroundings after 5pm, minus the noise and smog. Meanwhile, the low-lit lamps scattered across the garden make for a much more pleasant ambience than the glaring traffic lights beyond. Just down the road from Sydney Uni, The Rose Hotel is the watering hole of choice for students, testament to its affordable prices and lively atmosphere. The Rose boasts an extensive bistro menu, just a little pricier and a little more pretentious than its $10 lunch dishes. Exotic pizza choices provide the menu's crowning glory, with the option of tomato, garlic and chili bases plus experimental toppings, such as roasted pumpkin, blue cheese, spinach and hazelnuts. With prolonged happy hours more akin to happy days, The Rose is a great option for a few drinks amongst a vibrant crowd. cnr Cleveland and Shepherd Streets, Chippendale The Oaks Hotel Named for the oak in the courtyard which clocks in at over seventy years old, The Oaks is an institution. The pub itself dates back to 1885, meaning they well and truly have their formula down. The establishment is gigantic, so that there's plenty of bars and dining options within that are all worth a visit in their own right. Surround yourself with art deco glamour in the 'Tramway'-style Nineteenthirtysix, or relax amongst the crowd in the aforementioned courtyard. In terms of food, try one of the reasonably-priced gourmet pizzas like the Oaks Deluxe, with spicy sausage, caramelised onion, roasted capsicum and tomato. Or, if you're in the mood for a barbeque, choose a raw cut of beef, chicken or fish and cook it up yourself. 118 Military Road, Neutral Bay Slip Inn An easy stroll from your CBD office, Slip Inn is the ideal mid-week pit stop. Notorious as the place where Fredrick met Mary, the Tuscan-styled courtyard and twinkling lights make this a watering hole fit for a prince. But with prices to rival its neighbours on King Street Wharf, the Slip Inn is the obvious choice for a cheeky beverage. The Garden Bar fills up quickly weekdays and weekends alike, so get in early if you want a seat in the cushioned booths. This lazy outdoor vibe is high in demand as it provides some balance for the heavier atmosphere of the Main Bar and the chaotic beats of Chinese Laundry beneath the floor boards. 111 Sussex Street, Sydney The Beresford Hotel Popular with glamorous young things and the post-work crowd, the Beresford must be one of Sydney's hippest pubs. Building on a recent renovation, Hemmes has reinvigorated this space with fresh foliage, exceptional Italian bar food from Tuscan chef Gabriele Taddeucci, and his own certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps the most lovely part of the whole venture is the courtyard, more reminiscent of a Japanese garden than your typical Aussie beer garden. Think cobblestones, Japanese maples, low wooden furniture and lanterns dangling above your head. It's also a refreshing change from the buzzing atmosphere inside - though this doesn't mean it's not busy. The rule is to turn up early and stay late, perhaps ducking upstairs to check out a band while you're here. 354 Bourke Street, Surry Hills The Tilbury Hotel Woolloomooloo has no shortage of places to sip on a schooner. From the jazzy joints along the wharf to the old school atmosphere of Bells, there's something to satisfy every drinker. But if it's a beer garden you're after, there's only one place you need step into. The Tilbury Hotel has an outside space that few pubs can match, with long, raw wooden boards, big umbrellas to shade you during the day, and enough chairs to share with a few new friends in the evening. At night, carefully planned lighting provides just the right atmosphere to sit, chat and sink. If beer is not quite your thing, there's a wine list guaranteed to keep you entertained. 12/18 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo The Newport Arms If size is everything (and who says it isn't?), the Newport Arms wins hands down. This pub boasts the largest beer garden in not just Australia, but the entire southern hemisphere. We hear the pub's total capacity is up around five thousand people, and if you've paid a visit to the Newport Arms you won't doubt it. Add to these statistics the staggering views of Pittwater, a beautifully historic site (the pub dates from 1880) and twenty-six different beers on tap, and I'd say this is one watering hole well worth a visit. Once there, take your pick of the entertainments on offer. Work your way through the extensive wine menu. There's an 'outdoor theatre' screening sports footage. Classic pub meals are served up at the bistro and, while they're a little pricey, meal sizes are fair. Try your luck at the TAB or opt for a game of pool at the tables inside. Or if, like me, you're a person of simple pleasures, purchase a jug of beer, sit back and watch the world go by. 2 Kalinya Street, Newport Opera Bar A destination for tourists and locals alike, Opera Bar boasts the views of Sydney (the ones we all know from the postcards). If the outdoor seating could fairly be described as a 'beer garden', it would have to be one of the world's best. Behind you is the Opera House, ahead the Harbour Bridge, and between you is a table just waiting to be filled with glasses of your drink of choice. The Opera Bar's own OB pale ale is worth a taste, though the reasonably-priced wine menu, featuring a number of smaller local producers, is hard to go past. My pick? A Mojito ($17) to sip while I soak up the live jazz. You'll have plenty of time to make your choice. Unlike most outdoor bar areas, you can stay here until at least midnight every night of the week. Lower Concourse, Sydney Opera House Alexandria Hotel Known affectionately as 'the Alex', this unassuming pub is one of our favourite locals. The front bar has been left wonderfully untouched, with plenty of space to stand around and chew the fat. Once you've seen the beer garden, however, you won't want to be left standing around inside. It's the largest in the inner-city, equipped with assorted tropical plants and natives, a screen and a stage for entertainment purposes, and bucket-loads of good vibes. Aside from the drinks, there's well-priced bistro food, featuring a Veggie Burger ($15) with homemade pattie and $10 lunch specials during the week. Throughout the year, the pub hosts a program of special events. We'll be there for this year's screenings of the Eurovision Song Contest and attending Sunhaze, with the Future Classic DJs, on lazy Sunday afternoons. cnr Henderson Road and Garden Streets, Alexandria
Surry Hills has landed a new Taiwanese social-dining bar housed in a quaint converted Victorian terrace. The venue, Linla, is built around the ritual of 'raising a glass together' and named for the sound and feeling shared between friends doing just that — a moment of celebration and connection that defines the spirit of the restaurant. Behind the new venue is Taiwanese-born restaurateur and bartender Charles Chang. He is also responsible for the neighbouring Japanese fusion restaurant Moku, and was formerly a proud finalist in the Top 100 Diageo World Class Competition. "Linla isn't about one culture or one cuisine. It's about the moment when people raise their glasses together. That sound, that feeling – that's what we wanted to build the entire space around," says Chang. With Moku, Chang demonstrated his restraint and discipline, and now with Linla, he has an opportunity to present a more playful, community-led expression of Taiwanese street culture and food. The kitchen is led by Head Chef Montien Thipwongsa, whose passion for cooking began in his grandmother's kitchen. While influenced by Thai flavours, the pan-Asian concept of Linla gives the chefs freedom to experiment beyond traditions. The share-style menu is bold and creative, featuring vibrant dishes such as wagyu beef tartare with scallion pancake and yuzu olive oil, Tiger Prawn salad with tropical fruits and chilli fish sauce, and grilled scallops with green chilli nuoc cham. Hero dishes include the Cha Cha Cha chicken with corn ribs, avocado puree and fermented chilli oil, and the playful Night-Market Crispy Chicken, where crunchy chicken bites are shaken in a paper bag at your table with Szechuan seasoning, garlic chips and basil. Chang has designed an easy-drinking menu of fresh and fruity cocktails such as the Pine and Bloom with pineapple mead, elderflower, dry vermouth and MSG saline, and the Tomato Salad 2.0 with tequila, tomato, ume salt and ginger soda. Don't miss the MI-Bubble, a cheeky take on bubble tea with aged rum, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, black sugar, small tapioca, Milo, and milk. And make sure you tap into your dessert stomach to make space for the fairy bread bao — a modern take on a nostalgic classic. Images: Supplied. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
With the new Sydney Fish Market now welcoming visitors to its landmark precinct on Blackwattle Bay, the harbourfront destination has opened a dedicated all-day restaurant. Perched on a sun-soaked corner of the market complex, Touch Wood poses a simple question: what happens when classic Australian brunch is reimagined through a seafood-focused lens? The answer might arrive in the form of blue swimmer crab and XO butter sourdough crumpets topped with maple syrup. It might also look like smoked white fish bruschetta with avocado cream and fennel salt — or even a hearty fish chowder pie. [caption id="attachment_1074873" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] It's not all seafood, though — the breakfast lineup also features fish-free dishes like buttermilk hotcakes with lemon myrtle cream and even a turkey croque monsieur. The kitchen is led by Head Chef Courtney Blyde (Baba's Place, The Apollo, Cho Cho San), who leans into clean, seafood-forward cooking shaped by his Samoan heritage and upbringing in New Zealand. The menu centres on bright, balanced flavours and seasonal produce sourced from the market itself, keeping dishes familiar while letting premium seafood take centre stage. That sense of comfort carries through to a concise dinner menu featuring dishes like anchovy-topped potato cakes and fish-sausage vodka rigatoni. [caption id="attachment_1074880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Inside, the airy space pairs warm timber finishes with native botanicals and a large-scale flora mural inspired by the Australian landscape. The venue seats 150 diners, including 100 on a north-facing terrace overlooking the harbour — the only restaurant in the precinct with this orientation. Coffee also plays a central role, with industry veteran Paul Cabezas-Heathwood curating a rotating selection of beans from boutique Sydney roasters and overseeing more experimental brewing methods, including nitro coffee on tap. Created by Tyson Rowsell (Dirty Red), Touch Wood brings a neighbourhood cafe sensibility to the city's biggest seafood destination, offering a relaxed way to experience the Sydney Fish Market beyond the trading floor. [caption id="attachment_1074883" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] Top images: Leigh Griffiths.
There is a particular type of holiday-goer who makes decisions based on very specific details about the accommodation they intend to stay in. For some (more than you might think), that detail is an al fresco bath tub. Such a detail is one of many winning qualities of The Gully, one of four charming stays on the property of Budgee Budgee Farm located a 15 minute drive outside the centre of Mudgee in central west New South Wales. The Gully is an appealing one bedroom cottage nestled among the trees. The oeuvre of the lodgings is accessible antique charm — deep Prussian blue walls complement the timber floorboards and antique furnishings, vintage light fixtures and framed botanical illustrations on the walls. An antique bed frame of the cushy queen mattress is updated with fresh sheets, plump pillows and cosy throws. The cooler months are when the Mudgee is particularly compelling — when wine tastings, fireplaces and extended long weekends are all de rigueur. And The Gully is a mere ten minute's drive away from some of the best local vineyards, breweries and dining spots in the region. With that said, it's the onsite options that give this accommodation its allure. Case in point: the claw foot bath perched amid the trees on a platform, positioned specifically so bathers can take in a view of the dam and property while soaking. [caption id="attachment_904553" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The al fresco tub surrounded by bush forest.[/caption] There is also an indoor bathroom with shower, a fully stocked kitchen complete with a stove, crockery and a Nespresso machine. There's also an indoor wood-burning fireplace and an outdoor fire pit, ensuring your every move is kept flame-y and warm so long as you need the assistance of heat and atmosphere. Getting the different accommodations of Budgee Budgee Farm ready for guests was a labor of love and passion project for the group behind the property which includes the team behind Sydney-based design studio Worktones plus partners and friends. The result is as tastefully considered as you might anticipate. You can book The Gully at Budgee Budgee Farm on Airbnb. Image credit: Amber Creative Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations everywhere.
Whether you're a first-time visitor or a local playing tourist, Sydney's energy is magnetic. It's not the kind of city you can tick off in one weekend — just when you think you've done it all, there's a surprise new basement bar to check out, a pop-up art show in a back alley gallery, or an up-and-coming chef serving a dish that'll knock your socks off. Sydney always delivers — and then some. If you're planning a weekend in the Harbour City, Marriott Bonvoy is offering 10% off your stay across six hotels — all you need to do is sign up to become a member (for free). It's also the perfect excuse to extend your stay. Haven't explored Sydney in a while? We've pulled together a hit list of new buzzy restaurants and bars, bathhouses, cultural experiences, and citywide sights to make your next visit one to remember. Sweat, Soak and Reset 1Remedy, Potts Point Following in the footsteps of European bathhouses, this sleek new sauna house in Potts Point is all about the ancient trifecta: sweat, plunge, reset. Founded by Dave Darvill, Dave Veksler and Tina Cha, 1Remedy is built for physical recovery and mental clarity. Think hot rock saunas, multiple temperature-controlled ice baths, ambient beats, an electrolyte bar, and even sauna hats to dial up the comfort. It's guided, stylish and social — designed for those who like their wellness with a bit of vibe. Soak, Alexandria Spanning 700 square metres, Soak isn't your average day spa. This chic communal bathhouse invites conversation and connection, not whispers and robe-shuffling. You'll find warm magnesium pools, infrared and dry cedarwood saunas, cold plunges and aromatic steam rooms. The best part? It's designed to be social — come with friends, soak as a crew, and leave feeling restored and recharged. AWAY Spa, Sydney CBD Tucked away inside one of Sydney's most dazzling hotels, the AWAY Spa at W Sydney is as luxe as you'd expect. Found in the heart of the CBD, this five-room sanctuary offers everything from facials and body scrubs to couples massages and mani-pedis. Designed for solo escapes or social sessions, it's the perfect prelude to checking in upstairs and making a full night of it — because nothing says self-care like a treatment followed by room service and a robe. Shop Shiny, New Designer Stores Monclear, Sydney CBD Modern French outerwear label Moncler has expanded its Sydney presence with a new flagship boutique at Westfield Sydney, flaunting a luxurious monochromatic fit-out. Designed by renowned Parisian studio Gilles & Boissier, the 313-square-metre space is awash with dramatic marble finishes and punctuated by striking sculptural accents. Equal parts fashion destination and architectural marvel, it's a must-visit for the style-savvy and design-curious alike. LOEWE, Sydney CBD Part art gallery, part fashion boutique, LOEWE's second Sydney store in the CBD is a visual and tactile experience. Designed by Jonathan Anderson and LOEWE's in-house team in Madrid, the space evokes the feel of an art collector's Mediterranean home, complete with glistening emerald and cobalt tiles, textured tapestries, and sculptural ceramics. It's an idyllic setting to shop for one of fashion's most coveted labels. Hot tip: Sydney's best designer shopping is just a short stroll from Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park. [caption id="attachment_906009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter[/caption] Explore Inspiring Exhibitions and Performances Sydney Modern, The Domain One of Sydney's most significant recent cultural openings, the Art Gallery of NSW's Sydney Modern, is a must for any Sydney itinerary. While it opened just over a year ago, its ever-evolving program of globally renowned contemporary art means there's always a reason to return. Designed for art and architecture aficionados alike, it's also Australia's first-ever public art museum to earn a six-star green rating. Don't miss The Tank — a repurposed World War II naval bunker reimagined into a 2,200 sqm subterranean gallery space dedicated to large-scale immersive installations. Keen to stay locally? Check into the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel Circular Quay — just a short stroll from The Domain. 'Circle Mirror Transformation', Sydney Theatre Company Catch Circle Mirror Transformation, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker's acclaimed play at Sydney Theatre Company. Starring Aussie legends Rebecca Gibney and Cameron Daddo, the play tells the story of five strangers who sign up for an amateur acting class. What starts with awkward theatre games quickly unravels into something deeper — funny, raw, and painfully real. Directed by Dean Bryant (Dear Evan Hansen), this one-act gem playfully turns the ordinary into something quietly profound. Make a night of it with a stay at Pier One Sydney Harbour, only moments from the theatre. Phoenix, Chippendale Conceived by philanthropist and White Rabbit Gallery founder Judith Neilson, Phoenix Central Park is an architecturally striking, state-of-the-art performance space unlike anything else in Sydney. With a capacity of just 150, it delivers an intimate and immersive experience that breaks away from traditional theatre seating. Audiences spiral around the space, peering down on an eclectic lineup of performances spanning music, contemporary dance, spoken word and experimental sound. Tickets are free but allocated via an online ballot, adding a sense of exclusivity to this already elusive and enchanting venue. Head Outdoors And Soak Up The Sun Shark Beach, Neilson Park Sydney is brimming with glistening harbour beaches, but Shark Beach at Neilson Park might just take the cake as one of the city's most idyllic oases. Reopened in late 2024 after a three-year hiatus of seawall upgrades, this eastern suburbs gem boasts pristine parklands and a protected swimming area with calm water perfect for every level of swimmer. Nab a box of hot chips dusted with chicken salt from the newly revamped Kiosk, roll out a rug under the towering fig trees or hit the scenic Hermitage Walk that winds along the coastline back to the city. URBNSURF, Homebush Sure, Sydney has surf, but scoring a solid set, or even a spot on the sand, isn't always guaranteed. You might be circling for a park and bobbing around in your wetty for a while before the ultimate wave rolls in. URBNSURF, on the other hand, delivers perfect waves on demand. Set out west in Olympic Park, this high-tech surf park is a playground for surfers of all levels, offering consistent waves every single time. It's open seven days a week with eight types of surf lessons on offer, and is also home to RAFI — a coastal-inspired all-day restaurant with sweeping views of rolling, man-made swell. Dine and Dance 'Til Late Bar Freda's at The Abercrombie While Sydney's nightlife might have taken an unexpected hit a few years back (cheers to lockout laws and pandemics), it's bounced back bolder and better, thanks to a wave of hospitality heroes and community legends. Freda's at The Abercrombie is a shining example. Filling a gap in Sydney's late-night scene, Freda's serves a rotating menu of gourmet sandwiches, share plates, and pasta, all washed down with "fun drinks" like a fishbowl G&T, natty wines, and cold tinnies. And if you're partial to a dance floor? Freda's comes alive every Friday and Saturday night with DJs spinning tunes from 8pm 'til late. Ready to dance until dawn? Four Points by Sheraton Sydney at Central Park makes for a stylish base just around the corner. Book your Sydney escape before September 30 to access 10% off your stay and dining with Marriott Bonvoy. All you have to do is sign up as a member — and it's completely free. With access to exclusive member rates, your stay will also earn points towards free nights at over 30 hotel brands around the world. Find out more here. T&C's apply and vary by participating hotels including blackout dates, cancellation restrictions and more. Offer may not apply in properties not participating in the award and redemption of Marriott Bonvoy. By Elise Cullen
Sometimes tour news is so huge and demand for tickets is so feverish that the details change before anyone has even snapped up a ticket. It happened with blink-182's upcoming 2024 tour. It was the same with Lizzo's visit this past winter, and also with The Weeknd's forthcoming trip Down Under from November. Now, it's also proven the case with Zach Bryan's first-ever Australian gig. A Melbourne exclusive, Bryan's Aussie debut was set for St Kilda's Catani Gardens; however, organisers have swiftly realised that that space won't be big enough. So, before tickets even go on sale — with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6 — Bryan's gig has been moved to Flemington Racecourse. The date of the show is still the same: Saturday, December 9. That's when the 'Something in the Orange' singer and Oologah, Oklahoma native will hit the Victorian capital for statewide music celebration Always Live, which runs for 17 days — and also features Christina Aguilera doing a one-off Down Under show, plus exclusive Eric Prydz and Jai Paul gigs as well. Expect the biggest name in country music right now to give his 2022 American Heartbreak album a hefty spin when he takes the stage in Melbourne. Although he released two records prior — 2019's DeAnn and 2020's Elisabeth — his third album marked his major-label debut, and also the reason that Bryan has become such a sensation. Among Bryan's recent feats, American Heartbreak premiered in the top spot on America's Billboard 200. 'Something in the Orange' has now stayed in the charts longer than any single by a male country artist. In Australia, Bryan has earned that same achievement in the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart for all country artists. And his streaming numbers? In excess of 6.8 billion worldwide. As he's been taking his American Heartbreak tour around the US — including stops at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits — Bryan has been smashing attendance records, too. So, the Melbourne change of venue isn't that surprising. In his first Australian stint, he'll also have tracks from his latest album to play, with the self-titled Zach Bryan releasing in August. Among the tunes: collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell. Being brought Down Under by Untitled Group, which is also behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering, Wildlands and Ability Fest, Bryan's just-announced spot on the Always Live bill is his only currently scheduled gig in Australia. The statewide music celebration's full lineup includes more than 165 artists at 60-plus events — all, of course, in Victoria. Always Live 2023 runs from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10, with one pre-festival gig on Saturday, October 14. For more information, and to get tickets, head to the festival website. Zach Bryan will play Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, December 9, with pre sales from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, October 5 and general sales from 12pm AEDT on Friday, October 6.
You know the scene: you're standing in front of a wall of wine bottles, overwhelmed with choice and trying to cut through the wine jargon, while just wondering which bottle will actually taste good. Dan Murphy's feels your pain — but its brand-new list of Australia's best wines is here to help. The drinks giant has unveiled the winners of its first Best in Glass Wine Awards, spotlighting the best wines in the country, plus a few from further beyond — and every single one of them clocks in under $50. Better yet, two of the top picks come in at under $15, proving you don't need to splash out to sip on something great. Over 700 bottles were blind-tasted by Dan Murphy's in-house experts, who whittled down the final list to 46 winners across a broad range of categories. Each category crowned three bottles: the Best Overall, the Best Value and the Best International. To be considered for awards, wines needed to be available in Dan Murphy's stores nationally and under $50. Looking for affordable new go-tos? Margaret River winery Fifth Leg's semillon sauvignon blanc ($13.29) and Shingleback Red Knot shiraz ($12.99) from McClaren Vale both snagged the Best Value gongs in their respective categories. "Choosing a wine can be intimidating," says Andrew Shedden, GM of Premium and Luxury at Dan Murphy's. "There is so much choice on shelves, so without a clear starting point, it can be overwhelming. The Best in Glass Wine Awards are about cutting through that... The result is a line-up of Aussie favourites and international gems that cover just about every drinking occasion you can think of, from steak night to date night." South Australia claimed the most winners with a lucky 13 in total, followed by Victoria and Western Australia. Margaret River, the Barossa and Yarra Valley were the top-performing wine regions, with each scoring four wins apiece. Tasmania also had a solid showing, dominating the sparkling wine categories thanks to labels like Jansz, Devil's Corner and Clover Hill. Internationally, France led the way with the lion's share of the international awards — but a few standout drops from New Zealand and Italy also made the cut. For more information, head to the Dan Murphy's website.
You can pop along to the zoo any day, but seeing a wild thing in its native habitat is far more exciting — although, it's admittedly slightly trickier. While spiders and mozzies don't have too much trouble making themselves known, our cuter, fuzzier, more loveable creatures are shy, shy, shy. Whether you want to lunch with a 'roo, catch penguins on parade, swim with a whale shark or spot a platypus, there are plenty of places around this big ol' country of ours that will help make that dream you've been harbouring since your mum read you Blinky Bill come true. Just remember, you're heading into their territory — you can look (and make awwwing noises), but don't touch. Or feed them. Or do any shitty stuff. Basically, let them do their thing and enjoy being a quiet observer in the presence of 100% adorable animals. If you can do that, here's where to find them. FOR KANGAROOS: PEBBLY BEACH, MURRAMARANG NATIONAL PARK, NSW Finding a kangaroo in the wild isn't difficult. In fact, far too many of the unsuspecting, headlight-blinded creatures hang out on country roadsides. But if you want to meet a particularly friendly bunch, head for Murramarang National Park's Pebbly Beach, near Batemans Bay, about four hours' drive south of Sydney. But be warned: they might well expect to share your lunch. FOR LITTLE PENGUINS: SUMMERLAND BEACH, PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC Come sunset every evening, Victoria's little penguins waddle along Phillip Island's Summerland Beach to rest after a hard day's fishing at sea. These tiny guys are the smallest type of penguin on the planet. To prevent disturbance, viewing is organised by Phillip Island Nature Parks. You can jump on a platform, opt for a skybox or take a ranger-led eco explorer tour. [caption id="attachment_553183" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr[/caption] FOR KOALAS: KENNETT RIVER ON THE OTWAY COAST, GREAT OCEAN ROAD, VIC There's only somewhere between 43,000 and 100,000 koalas left in the wild in Australia, so they're not easy to spot. But one place where you're pretty much guaranteed to find them is along the Otway Coast section of Victoria's Great Ocean Road. Your best bet is to pull over in Kennett River, 174 kilometres west of Melbourne, and take the Kennett River Koala Walk, starting on Grey River Road. [caption id="attachment_552453" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Didier B via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR AUSTRALIAN SEA LIONS: SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK, KANGAROO ISLAND, SA Due to widespread hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Australian sea lion is one of the world's rarest seals. Thankfully, the surviving population is now protected in a few places, including Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay Conservation Park. Sheltered bays and beaches provide plenty of spots for seals to rest — in between fishing and teaching babies to swim. You can get amongst it with self-guided tour or one with a tour guide. [caption id="attachment_552418" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jolene Faber via Flickr[/caption] FOR QUOKKAS: ROTTNEST ISLAND, WA European invasion didn't do much for the poor old quokka, whose mainland population has suffered over the past couple of centuries. But, on Rottnest Island just off the coast of Perth, it's a different story. Thanks to a distinct lack of predators and loads of food, the cat-sized marsupial is thriving, with latest counts at 12,000 or so. However, you can't feed them, as it tends to poison them — and if you see anyone behaving like these jerks, let someone know. [caption id="attachment_552450" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Martin Pot via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR NUMBATS: TONE-PERUP NATURE RESERVE, PEMBERTON, WA In the 1980s, Australia's numbat population reached a near-extinction low of 300. The only places where they'd managed to survive were two reserves in south-west Western Australia: Tone-Perup and Dryandra Woodland. Today, they have been re-introduced to a few more sanctuaries around the country and their numbers have slightly increased — but to see them in their natural habitat, you'll need to go to one or the other. Understandably, numbats aren't particularly extroverted, so be prepared to wait. Give yourself more time with an overnight stay — there are a few accommodation options in the reserve. FOR WHALE SHARKS: NINGALOO REEF, WA Between April and July, hundreds of whale sharks head to Ningaloo — Western Australia's answer to the Great Barrier Reef — to feed their 18-metre long bodies on generous plankton feasts. Despite their mammoth size and disconcerting name, they're gentle creatures and you can swim alongside them without fearing for life or limb. It's not a free-for-all though — the human to whale shark ratio is generally limited to 10:1 and travelling with a tour group is mandatory. Every May, Exmouth hosts its annual Whale Shark Festival. [caption id="attachment_552409" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manuel Heinrich via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] FOR TURTLES: HERON ISLAND, GREAT BARRIER REEF, QLD In November every year, two of the world's most vulnerable turtle species — green turtles and loggerheads — head to the Great Barrier Reef's Heron Island to nest. If you're staying nearby, all you have to do is wander down to the beach to see them. That said, the folks on Heron Island are fiercely protective of their precious guests, so strict guidelines apply to turtle watching. Keep your distance and don't flash lights in the sweet little critters' eyes — it confuses them. FOR PLATYPUSES: BROKEN RIVER, EUNGELLA NATIONAL PARK, QLD After numbats, the platypus is the hardest animal on this list to find. You need to patient, quiet, still and willing to hang around at either dawn or dusk. To make your mission easier, try your luck at Broken River, in Queensland's Eungella National Park. Right near the picnic ground, you'll find a platypus-dedicated viewing platform. FOR CROCODILES: MARY RIVER, NEAR KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NT You won't catch any sane person swimming in Mary River — two hours' drive east of Darwin — as there are more saltwater crocodiles here per square metre than there are anywhere else on Earth. (Salties, by the way, are the killers — the freshies aren't so bad.) The good news is, you can watch them from a safe distance by taking a boat ride. Top image: Craig Siczak via Flickr.
Most recently dubbed the "A24 of theatre", Griffin is perhaps the most innovative, risky theatre company around. And Griffin Theatre Company's 2025 Season of plays is set to be a goodie, from plays exploring nuclear power to Kpop and naked performances. If you want to know more, keep scrolling. Nucleus Alana Valentine's Nucleus in the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre is about two people who have committed their entire lives to different sides of the nuclear power debate. Intrigued? One is a nuclear engineer, and the other is an anti-nuclear campaigner. With nuclear energy such a hot topic (did anyone say Federal Election in May?), this show is guaranteed to be full of explosive arguments and even more explosive revelations. Koreaboo The second production, Koreaboo by Michelle Lim Davidson is inspired by her own life as a Korean-Australian adoptee. Presented in the Downstairs Theatre at Belvoir St Theatre, Michelle herself takes to the stage for a story about culture, deep connection, family and the power of Kpop. Naturism The premiere of Naturism by Ang Collins presented in the Wharf 2 Theatre at Sydney Theatre Company is set to be anything but your usual theatre experience. Let's start with the fact that the entire cast is naked. The play follows the journey of a Gen Z eco-influencer crashing an off-grid Boomer eco-paradise. The rest we will leave to your imagination. Griffin Lookout Griffin Lookout, a program supporting independent artists, presented in association with the Old Fitz Theatre, is back after a year-long hiatus, and if you were lucky enough to see past Lookout seasons, you can understand the excitement. SISTREN The first of these productions is SISTREN by Iolanthe. Known for their infamous performance in seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner, this play marks her debut as a playwright. You can expect a story of two best friends, who their headmaster dubs a 'lethal combination'. It's also set in South London, which we love. Birdsong of Tomorrow Birdsong of Tomorrow by Nathan Harrison is one for all the avid birdwatchers out there. However, this play takes a unique angle, turning your eye to our rapidly changing environment. But don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. Get set to dive deeper into the world of birds than perhaps you ever have. Whitefella Yella Tree Griffin is presenting a return season of the acclaimed Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg. The production will enjoy seasons presented by Sydney Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre and University of Melbourne Arts and Culture. This one is at the top of our list – the script and production have won countless awards. Subscriptions The good news is that Griffin also offers great value theatre subscriptions, guaranteeing up to 20 per cent off standard ticket prices. Effectively a Season Pass, the subscription also offers perks from Griffin and friends, such as meet-the-artist nights and subscriber perks from places like Fabbrica Darlo, Penny's Cheese Shop and Four Pillars Gin. There are play packages for all theatregoers of all ages. Grab one of two core packages including two plays and three plays, with customisable add-ons that include one or both Lookout plays. And, unlike your Netflix and toilet paper subscription, this one promises real-life, tear-jerking, happy-crying, laughing-till-it-hurts kind of fun. Plus, Griffin has some of the most affordable mainstage theatre ticket prices in Sydney, as well as a strong offering for those under 35 with a dedicated ticket price. Explore the Season Brochure. Presently, only subscriptions can be purchased for 2025 plays at Griffin. Single tickets to shows will be released from 3 December. Learn more and subscribe here. Images: Supplied.
The chilly season has arrived, the perfect time of the year for getting cosy next to a bar's fireplace with a dram of your favourite whiskey in hand or a delicious wintry cocktail. We've got the perfect shout for you as the temperatures drop: the Gold Rush Cocktail. Maker's Mark Bourbon and Beechworth Honey have come together to create this cocktail, a sweet symphony of Australian honey and bold characters of the bourbon. It's a riff on an old-fashioned but with a locally grown twist. It's a very straightforward recipe that you can find here. At first glance, it might seem odd that an American distillery and an Aussie beekeeping family have come together. But, when you scratch underneath the surface they have a lot of similarities. To celebrate the partnership, we've rounded up a selection of cosy underground and hidden bars where you can enjoy the Gold Rush cocktail. Some venues have even made their own version of the cocktail.
One of 2023's most-anticipated films may not play in many Australian cinemas, but it will enjoy its Aussie premiere at Sydney's biggest moviegoing occasion of the year. That flick: Strange Way of Life, the latest work by inimitable Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers). It's a 30-minute short, hence the fact that it may not show on too many big screens Down Under — and it's also a queer western starring Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) and Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us). Almodóvar? Hawke? Pascal? Queer western? Yes, that's Strange Way of Life, which is why it's such a must-see. It'll make its Australian debut at this year's Sydney Film Festival, heading to our shores straight from premiering at Cannes, and joining the fest's already stacked lineup and hefty array of titles that first bowed at the prestigious French event. In this bite-sized film, Sheriff Jake (Hawke) and rancher Silva (Pascal) share a history, working together as hired gunmen a quarter-century ago. Then, circumstances bring them back together; however, a reunion isn't the only reason they've crossed paths again. "The strange way of life referred in the title alludes to the famous fado by Amalia Rodrigues, whose lyrics suggest that there is no stranger existence than the one that is lived by turning your back on your own desires," explains Almodóvar. [caption id="attachment_904684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] HyperFocal: 0[/caption] Strange Way of Life will play for one session only, on the festival's closing day of Sunday, June 18 — the same date that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which also initially premiered at Cannes, will take the official closing-night slot. "Sydney Film Festival is delighted to offer our audiences this exclusive Australian-premiere screening of Strange Way of Life. We wanted to offer something truly special to help close out our 70th anniversary Festival, and what could beat the closing lineup of the 2023 Palm d'Or winner Anatomy of a Fall, master auteur Pedro Almodóvar's much hyped western short and then finally the Australian Premiere of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny?" said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. Tickets to Strange Way of Life cost just $10, and are bound to sellout fast. Check out the trailer for Strange Way of Life below: Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18 at various Sydney cinemas — head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
"Once upon a time there was a little girl who was trapped. This is the story of her great escape." So begins the trailer for the latest version of a Roald Dahl classic, the book-to-stage-to-screen Matilda the Musical — and it's bringing its imaginative story about an extraordinary child, her impressive abilities and her horrible school to Netflix on Christmas Day. For the past few years, the streaming platform has been obsessed with one very particular golden ticket that Matilda the Musical springs from: the beloved works of British author Dahl. Back in 2018, Netflix announced that it was bringing 16 of the writer's classic novels to the service in animated form. And, it revealed that there'd be two new series from Taika Waititi based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, too. In 2021, it also advised that it had snapped up the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) itself. So, plenty of Dahl-penned tales are now getting the Netflix treatment, with the service's library set to expand in a big way. That spans everything from Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Matilda and The Twits, all as animated television shows, plus The BFG, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Dirty Beasts and Rhyme Stew. Yes, it's a long list — and yes, Matilda the Musical is obviously on it. [caption id="attachment_873641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Cr. Dan Smith/Netflix © 2022[/caption] If you've seen the Tony and Olivier award-winning show in theatres since 2010 — complete with original music and lyrics by Tim Minchin — you'll know what's in store. If you read the novel before that, you'll also already have plenty of fondness everyone's favourite book-loving schoolgirl with telekinetic abilities. In the movie as onstage, the narrative remains the same as Dahl's original 1988 text, but with songs and tunes that are all supremely on its wavelength. Once again, Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir, Darklands) is a curious, bright, quiet, observant and imaginative girl — and tiny — but has terrible parents (Venom: Let There Be Carnage's Stephen Graham and Amsterdam's Andrea Riseborough). So, she escapes into novels as they feast on TV and try to stump up cash via dodgy schemes. But that isn't welcomed by her mum and dad, in her first lesson in being bullied — something that, at school, Matilda will no longer stand for. [caption id="attachment_873640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Alisha Weir as Matilda Wormwood in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. Cr. Dan Smith/Netflix © 2022[/caption] At Crunchem Hall, Matilda finds a source of support and inspiration in Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch, No Time to Die), but it's also where the star student meets another foe. That'd be the villainous Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), who is as mean as can be — and needs Matilda to teach her a lesson. Minchin's songs and lyrics make the jump to the movie version, of course, while Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus — who did the honours with Matilda the Musical on the stage — helms. And yes, this is the second movie based on Dahl's Matilda, after a 1996 version initially adapted the book for cinema (not as a musical, though), and featured Mara Wilson as the titular character. Check out the full trailer for Matilda the Musical below: Matilda the Musical will be available to stream via Netflix on December 25. Images: Dan Smith/Netflix © 2022.
To the uninitiated, costume shops and sports might seem like an odd pairing. But to anyone who has ever been to a Rugby Sevens tournament, you'll know that there's just something about dressing up as a Smurf that makes the competitive, festival atmosphere of the event that much more addictive. This February, when the best international players of Rugby Sevens descend on Parramatta for the HSBC Sydney 7s, the last thing you want is to be the only person at the party without a killer costume. So, we've pulled together a list of seven of Sydney's most well-stocked costumeries to get you all decked out for the big event. These joints will have you covered from masks to Mad Hatter get-ups — there's no particular theme this time around, so you've got free reign on your fancy dress outfit (but let's steer clear of cultural appropriation).
Australians are eating out less often as cost-of-living pressures bite, but younger diners are helping to keep the country's hospitality industry buzzing. New research released by the Foodservice Association of Australia (FSAA) and consumer insights platform Vypr shows that while three in ten people are cutting back on restaurant visits — and one in ten have stopped altogether — Millennials and older Gen Zs continue to dine out several times a week, or even daily. The 25–34 age group is one-and-a-half times more likely to head to a cafe or restaurant compared to the population average (79 percent versus 57 percent), with many weaving breakfasts, coffee breaks and light lunches into their daily routines. "Our data shows that while Australians are being more careful with their spending, they continue to see dining out as essential to their social lives," said Vypr's International Chief Revenue Officer, Sam Gilding. He noted that socialising with family and friends (60 percent) and celebrating occasions (44 percent) remain the top reasons to head out. [caption id="attachment_1023279" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Diners line up for viral burgers at Brunswick East's Charrd[/caption] Still, diners are more cost-conscious than ever. Nearly four in five spend under $60 per week on eating out, with value for money their biggest priority. More than half (52 percent) want better portion sizes, and almost two-thirds (63 percent) prefer discounts over loyalty schemes. Consistency across venues also matters, with 45 percent of respondents ranking it as a key improvement restaurants could make. Quick-service restaurants are the most frequented (62 percent), followed by casual dining venues (47 percent) and cafes (33 percent). Delivery apps are also especially popular among younger Australians, with 25–34-year-olds twice as likely as average to order via an app. Health and sustainability are increasingly influencing decisions, too — 71 percent of respondents said they seek healthier options, while 42 percent consider sustainability when choosing meals and venues. [caption id="attachment_1018380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney's popular new Enmore bar, Deadwax.[/caption] FSAA CEO Minnie Constan said the report highlights important shifts. "We're thrilled to partner on this independent report at a time of real change in our industry. We pride ourselves on delivering accurate information that helps our members understand shifting consumer expectations and adapt to ensure foodservice remains strong into the future." Read the full Consumer Preferences & Dining Habits 2025 report here. Images: Supplied | Top image: Johnny's Green Room
Calling all extreme Nirvana fans, this has to be one of the most intensely freaky fan-out Airbnb stays yet. You can now stay the night in Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's '90s rented Los Angeles apartment, where Cobain penned 'Heart-Shaped Box' in the bathtub. Cobain and Love rented the 1500 square-feet '20s-built space from 1991-92, when Love was expecting little Frances Bean and Cobain wanted more songwriting and painting time — he did both in the apartment. Owned by a lucky dude called Brandon Kleinman, the Fairfax/Melrose area space has been cleaned up since the Cobain/Love days (thank god) and gets rented out a few times a year by super fans. So this: And this: Has been cleaned up by Kleinman to look like this: And this: For about US$250 a night, you'll have wifi, two bedrooms and take baths in the 'Heart-Shaped Box' bathtub. But apparently the listing has now been viewed 1000 times this week, so this price could very well go up. Keen for more of a sticky beak into Cobain/Love life? Check out Brett Morgen’s documentary Montage of Heck (one Sundance film we're hoping makes it to Australia.) Via Vulture. Images: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty, NY Daily News, Airbnb.
If your love language is a perfectly textured flat white, clear your calendar. The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) is back in 2026, and it's brewing up its biggest year yet. From Thursday, March 26, until Saturday, March 28, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will transform into a caffeinated haven. As the Asia Pacific's largest dedicated coffee event, MICE draws over 11,000 attendees from around the world, bringing together cafe owners, roasters, coffee innovators, and everyday caffeine devotees under one roof. This year, MILKLAB (AKA, the milk used by baristas) is a Platinum Sponsor. The brand is offering attendees a high-energy program that's packed with competitions, bean tastings, and daily DJ sets to keep you going. Here's what's happening at MICE this year. The Roaster Royale Finals Kicking off on Thursday, March 26 from 2–4pm, the MILKLAB Roaster Royale Finals will crown Australia's best blend, but with a twist. Aussie roasters have been tasked with developing the ultimate coffee blend using supplied green beans from InterAmerican Coffee, to pair with MILKLAB's Oat milk. The top contenders will go head-to-head at MICE, where a champion and runner-up will be announced. Attendees can also sample the top five blends and cast their vote for the MICE Favourite, giving coffee lovers a direct say in who takes home bragging rights and $1,000. National Barista Battle On Friday, March 27, from 2–4pm, the stakes rise with the MILKLAB National Barista Battle. Australia's best baristas will compete for the 2026 title in a high-stakes battle of the pour. Then on Saturday, March 28, from 2–4pm, the newly crowned national champion will return to the stage for the MILKLAB International Barista Battle, facing off against leading baristas from around the world. Attendees can expect high-pressure pours, technical precision, and some serious latte art theatre as global talent battles it out in front of a live MICE crowd. It's your chance to witness world-class coffee techniques up close and personal and take home a little art inspiration. Sensations Booth Beyond the competitions, the MILKLAB Sensations booth will be serving its signature drinks to attendees throughout the expo. Each year, MILKLAB curates a season-defining drop of drinks designed to satisfy your tastebuds (and Instagram story aesthetics). This year's range has been developed with specialty coffee roasters Golden Brown Coffee and includes a Glazed Doughnut Iced Latte and a Mango Matcha, among other delicious coffee creations. Swing by the booth at MICE to sample the signature drinks and see why MILKLAB has cemented its place as a premium favourite among baristas and specialty cafes nationwide. DJs to Keep the Energy High MICE may be an industry-focused event, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. A live DJ will be spinning daily sets at the MILKLAB booth to soundtrack your coffee-sipping and barista-battles throughout the weekend. Across the wider expo floor, attendees can explore cutting-edge equipment, discover emerging coffee roasters, and gain insights from industry leaders who are shaping the future of specialty coffee in Australia and beyond. All in Australia's favourite coffee city, Melbourne. Whether you're in the trade or are just chasing your next favourite cup, MICE 2026 promises three days of competition, collaboration, and of course, seriously good coffee. Purchase your tickets to MICE now. Image credit: Supplied
