They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why not treat it as such? One Sydney spot that's letting you break your fast in style is Altitude Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, which is offering a luxe feast every day of the week. Better yet, it's serving it up with a side of sweeping harbour views — so you can take your brekkie game to the next level, literally. Altitude's breakfast takes place daily from 7–10.30am. Book yourself a table on the hotel's 36th floor and settle in for a sumptuous spread. You'll get an a la carte dish, which you can choose from the likes of waffles with poached autumn fruits, french toast or eggs benedict with smoked salmon. For $49, you'll get your brekkie, plus coffee, teas and juice. And, if you're looking to add a little libation to your meal, you can sip bloody marys, mimosas, spritzes and bottles of fine French bubbly for an additional cost. Altitude's Breakfast in the Sky takes place every day of the week. To make a booking, head this way.
Motherhood is often framed as a beginning — the arrival of a child, the start of a new chapter. Increasingly, though, psychologists and writers describe it as something closer to transformation. The word for it is matrescence: the physical, emotional, and psychological transition into motherhood, a process many now compare to adolescence in its scale of physical impact on the body. For Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, the concept offers a language for a shift they were already experiencing. The Melbourne-based founders of wellness platform KIC have spent the past decade encouraging women to rethink their relationship with movement, food and self-worth. Now, both navigating early motherhood themselves — Steph for the second time, Laura for the first — that philosophy is evolving again. Not in theory, but in real time. Henshaw first encountered the concept while reading Lucy Jones's book Matrescence before the birth of her son Atlas. It was (deliberately) the only book she read in preparation for motherhood, but it proved to be an unexpectedly grounding one. "Matrescence is essentially the transition into motherhood and how it affects our mind, brain and body," she explains. "I read the book before Atlas was born, and it helped me understand what was happening scientifically — how our brains actually rewire when we become parents." View this post on Instagram A post shared by @kicbump That neurological shift, she says, reframed experiences that might otherwise have felt unsettling. Understanding the science behind motherhood didn't make the process simple, but it helped her contextualise the intensity of it. "One thing that really stuck with me was intrusive thoughts," she says. "I used to have anxiety earlier in life, and I was prepared for that to come back when I became a mum. But reading about how your brain becomes more protective of your child helped me understand why those thoughts can happen. I could separate that from myself and think, 'Okay, my brain is doing this because it's trying to protect my baby.'" The book also made something else clear: that motherhood is rarely the singular, all-encompassing identity people expect it to be. Instead, it tends to expand a person's sense of purpose rather than replace it. Before Atlas arrived, Henshaw says much of her identity was tied to her career. Building KIC alongside Smith had been the defining project of her adult life, and she worried that motherhood might fundamentally alter that drive. "I think for a long time my main purpose in life was my career," she says. "I'd come to terms with that being a really big part of my identity, and I was actually quite scared of losing it." Instead, she found that motherhood didn't displace that ambition so much as widen it. "I still feel like that career person," she says. "But my purpose has expanded. It now also includes caring for Atlas and loving him. And something I didn't expect was contentment — that feeling is something I realise I'd never really experienced before becoming a mum." For Smith, mum to son Harvey (four) and Billie (nine months),who has spoken candidly online and on the KICBump podcast about the realities of parenting, matrescence has also reshaped her relationship with movement. Before children, workouts followed the sort of structured routines familiar to many in the fitness world — longer sessions, consistent programming and clearly defined goals. "My routine just can't look how it used to," she says. "Some days it's a five- or ten-minute Pilates class on the mat while Harvey's watching Bluey and Billie's crawling around on the floor. That's just the reality of this stage of life." At other times, movement becomes something shared rather than solitary. Recently, she went for her first run with both children in tow — Billie in a pram, while Harvey rode alongside on his bike. It was less about performance than about proving something to herself. "I just needed to know it was possible," she says. "Of course it won't look like that every time, but being able to do it once felt really empowering." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stephanie Miller (@stephclairesmith) The shift has also expanded her motivations. While she still values the physical benefits of exercise, she is increasingly aware of the example she is setting. "It's really important to me that Harvey grows up seeing movement as a normal part of life," she says. "I was very into sports growing up and it gave me so much confidence and connection with other people. You can't mould your children into who you want them to be, but I do hope my relationship with movement sparks that curiosity in him." Henshaw's own relationship with movement is entering a new chapter as well. A committed runner who completed the New York Marathon in 2024, she found that pregnancy temporarily erased the desire to run altogether. "While I was pregnant I would see people running and think, 'I must be allergic to running,'" she says, laughing. "I just couldn't imagine doing it." Now, twelve weeks postpartum, the urge is slowly returning. That process has become part of the inspiration behind KIC's newest program, Run for Joy, an eight-week running challenge developed in partnership with New Balance that encourages participants to focus less on pace or distance and more on reconnecting with the enjoyment of movement."I love that the challenge is centred around joy," she says. "That's really what I want to rediscover in my own running journey." View this post on Instagram A post shared by KIC | Health and wellness (@kic) Hers will begin with the program's postpartum pathway, a physio-designed training plan that builds safely from zero to three kilometres over eight weeks. "[KICRun Postpartum] is designed for returning to running after having a baby," she explains. "Your body goes through so many changes, so it's really important to ease back into it in a safe way." The logistics of fitting exercise into daily life now require a little more planning than they once did. "I can't just head out the door whenever I want anymore," she says. "My husband and I are actually writing out the schedule together so that time is protected. Otherwise it's very easy for the days to just go by." That negotiation between ambition and adaptability is something both founders recognise from another part of their lives as well. Building a business in their twenties meant navigating uncertainty, setbacks and the constant pressure of public scrutiny — experiences that Smith believes have unexpectedly prepared them for motherhood."There are similarities between leadership and being a founder and motherhood," she reflects. "You face challenges and hurdles that force you to build confidence and resilience. In that sense, the experience of growing a business has definitely helped." At the same time, motherhood has reshaped how she approaches leadership itself. The arrival of children has sharpened her empathy and expanded her understanding of the experiences people carry into work and life. "It's given me more compassion and curiosity about what people might be going through," she says. "I think having a child just opens your eyes to so many different perspectives." In many ways, the evolution mirrors the trajectory of KIC itself. What began in 2015 (named 'Keep It Cleaner' at the time) as a 'clean' eating recipe e-book has gradually expanded into a broader wellness ecosystem encompassing movement, mindfulness, sleep, mindset and community. The philosophy behind it has always been that wellbeing should feel supportive rather than prescriptive, something that adapts alongside the lives of the people using it. Motherhood, in that sense, represents simply another season in the same ongoing journey. Wellness is no longer about rigid routines or aesthetic outcomes but about flexibility, resilience and the freedom to redefine what strength looks like at different stages of life. For Smith and Henshaw, that season currently includes prams, nap schedules and the occasional Pilates session squeezed into a living-room floor between episodes of Bluey. Yet the underlying philosophy that built their business remains intact. Movement should feel joyful, ambition should coexist with compassion, and growth — whether in business, identity or motherhood — is rarely linear. Enrolments for the New Balance x KICRun challenge are now open via the KICApp, with the first session beginning on Monday, 9 March. For more on KIC, visit kicwellness.com. Images: Supplied
This kilometre-long stretch of sand is an ideal spot for group hangs. You won't get the crowds that take over some of the other nearby beaches, like Bondi and Coogee. Here, you can really spread out and take on larger-form games like soccer, or even dodgeball, without worrying about disturbing a nearby sunbather. After you've got your heart pumping, take a short stroll to Mahon Pool, which is tucked away on the beach's northern headland, for a secluded dip. Friends who love a surf should bring their boards, too. Not only is this one of Sydney's great surf spots, it's also one of only 21 National Surfing Reserves in the country. Image: Destination NSW
Bondi already boasts a fantastic array of restaurants and takeaway spots, and it can now add viral sensation Tommy Panini to its selection of sensational venues. Following the success of their Brookvale store, the owners of Tommy Panini have transported their concept from the Northern Beaches to Bondi Beach, but with a special addition. Come evening, the lunchtime sandwich shop will transform into Pizza Laundry, a pizza and wine bar housed in a New York-esque laundromat. You've likely seen (and salivated over) these viral sandwiches on your FYP. Tommy Panini claims to be "Not another sandwich shop", which is owing primarily to the signature, woodfired, charry and fluffy panini bread, folded straight from the pizza oven and stuffed with your filling of choice. The chicken cotoletta with spicy vodka sauce, pesto, torched provolone, and pickled chillis found fame on TikTok, as did the mortadella with pistachio praline, rocket, parmigiano and ricotta. To celebrate the opening of the Bondi store, the new beef and pickles panini was unveiled. It has layers of slow-cooked beef, sauerkraut, dill pickles, torched Swiss cheese and a sauce so good it's known as Marry Me Sauce. Owner Tom Morrison (who famously worked for Mariah Carey) says they wanted to "create sandwiches that feel indulgent but approachable…with a bit of fun and flair." While Tommy Panini will operate from Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 3pm, Pizza Laundry will take its place from 5 to 9pm. Co-owner Kyle D'adam (former bar manager at Mr Wong and Old Mates) says the evening venue is "about creating something compelling and thought-provoking, pizza that's thin, crisp and light, paired with a space that's casual, fun and uniquely Bondi." Designers CoffeyHallett have created a playful space with a sense of nostalgia, but a coastal, Bondi feel at its core. With outdoor dining and the option to BYO, Pizza Laundry is set to become a summer hot spot. Images: Supplied.
Australians will never be torn apart from their love of an 80s power ballad by one of the nation's most-successful rock bands: that's what the first-ever Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs revealed. First announced in June 2025, open for voting for a month and unveiling its countdown on Saturday, July 26, the public-voted ranking of the country's favourite homegrown tunes of all time culminated with INXS topping the poll with the yearning refrains of 'Never Tear Us Apart'. The Michael Hutchence-crooned song was one of two by the band to make the list. The other: 'Need You Tonight', also from their 1987 blockbuster album Kick, which came in at number 59. Although Triple J advised that the largest number of voters hailed from the 18–29-year-old age group, everyone took the task of truly surveying classic Aussie tracks seriously, with more than half of that demographic's picks going to songs released before they were even in high school. Nothing in the top ten initially hit airwaves before 2011. After 'Never Tear Us Apart', the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs featured Hilltop Hoods' 2003 release 'The Nosebleed Section' in second place, followed by The Veronicas' 2007 track 'Untouched' in third, then 'Scar' by Missy Higgins from 2004 in fourth and Crowded House's 1986 tune 'Don't Dream It's Over' by Crowded House in fifth. Next came 2000's 'My Happiness' by Powderfinger — the highest-ranked former annual Hottest 100 winner — then a Cold Chisel double with 1984's 'Flame Tree's and 1978's 'Khe Sanh', Paul Kelly 1996 Christmas favourite 'How to Make Gravy', and Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 smash 'Somebody That I Used to Know'. As well as 'My Happiness' and 'Somebody That I Used to Know', a heap of other prior yearly Hottest 100 victors made the all-Aussie ranking: Powderfinger again with 'These Days', Angus and Julia Stone courtesy of 'Big Jet Plane', Jet's 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Flume featuring Kai with 'Never Be Like You', Augie March's 'One Crowded Hour', Vance Joy with 'Riptide', Bernard Fanning's 'Wish You Well', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', 'Confidence' by Ocean Alley and The Whitlams with 'No Aphrodisiac'. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' also featured after winning the Hottest 100 of the 2010s. Indeed, only Spiderbait's 'Buy Me a Pony', Alex Lloyd's 'Amazing', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Say Nothing' and The Wiggles' cover of 'Elephant' didn't make the Hottest 100 of Australian songs after previously topping the yearly poll. A range of artists ranked up multiple appearances in the countdown, starting with Fanning with four — three courtesy of Powderfinger. Hilltop Hoods, Crowded House, Jimmy Barnes, AC/DC, Silverchair, Midnight Oil and Gang of Youths all picked up three, while not just INXS but also The Veronicas, Higgins, Cold Chisel, Kelly, Gotye, Angus & Julia Stone, Empire of the Sun, Hunters & Collectors, The Church, Icehouse, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Avalanches and Spiderbait nabbed two places apiece. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact tied into one big caveat with the poll, with voters needing to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Stats-wise, the chosen 100 tunes came from 2,655,826 total votes, the fourth highest that have ever been received for a Triple J Hottest 100. Also, more tunes sprang from the 2000s than any other decade, while 24 artists on the list championed the benefits of Triple J Unearthed, because that's where they got their start. Daddy Cool's 'Eagle Rock' from 1971 is the oldest tune that made the cut, while 2021's 'Hertz' from Amyl and The Sniffers is the most recent. And yes, both 'You're the Voice' by John Farnham and 'The Horses' by Daryl Braithwaite earned a place. Here's the full Hottest 100 of Australian Songs list: 1 'Never Tear Us Apart', INXS 2 'The Nosebleed Section', Hilltop Hoods 3 'Untouched', The Veronicas 4 'Scar', Missy Higgins 5 'Don't Dream It's Over', Crowded House 6 'My Happiness', Powderfinger 7 'Flame Trees', Cold Chisel 8 'Khe Sanh', Cold Chisel 9 'How to Make Gravy', Paul Kelly 10 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Gotye featuring Kimbra 11 'Sweet Disposition', The Temper Trap 12 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again', The Angels 13 'Thunderstruck', AC/DC 14 'These Days', Powderfinger 15 'You're the Voice', John Farnham 16 'Innerbloom', Rüfüs Du Sol 17 'Tomorrow', Silverchair 18 'Beds Are Burning', Midnight Oil 19 'The Less I Know the Better', Tame Impala 20 'Big Jet Plane', Angus & Julia Stone 21 'Down Under', Men at Work 22 'To Her Door', Paul Kelly & the Messengers 23 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Jet 24 'Walking on a Dream', Empire of the Sun 25 'Throw Your Arms Around Me', Hunters & Collectors 26 'Never Be Like You', Flume featuring Kai 27 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', Kylie Minogue 28 'Straight Lines,' Silverchair 29 'Under the Milky Way', The Church 30 'The Horses', Daryl Braithwaite 31 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC 32 'Torn', Natalie Imbruglia 33 'One Crowded Hour', Augie March 34 'Booster Seat', Spacey Jane 35 'Great Southern Land', Icehouse 36 'Treaty (Radio Mix)', Yothu Yindi 37 'Back in Black', AC/DC 38 'Better Be Home Soon', Crowded House 39 'Reckless', Australian Crawl 40 'Covered in Chrome', Violent Soho 41 'Prisoner of Society', The Living End 42 'Magnolia', Gang of Youths 43 'Joker & the Thief', Wolfmother 44 'Into My Arms', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 45 'Eagle Rock', Daddy Cool 46 'Shooting Stars', Bag Raiders 47 'Solid Rock', Goanna 48 'Riptide', Vance Joy 49 'It's Nice to Be Alive', Ball Park Music 50 'Holy Grail', Hunters & Collectors 51 'Brother', Matt Corby 52 'The Special Two', Missy Higgins 53 'Better in Blak', Thelma Plum 54 'I Touch Myself,' Divinyls 55 'My People', The Presets 56 'Working Class Man', Jimmy Barnes 57 'Wish You Well', Bernard Fanning 58 'Frontier Psychiatrist', The Avalanches 59 'Need You Tonight', INXS 60 'Let Me Down Easy', Gang of Youths 61 'Talk Is Cheap', Chet Faker 62 'Australia Street', Sticky Fingers 63 'I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)', Redgum 64 'Cosby Sweater', Hilltop Hoods 65 'Confidence', Ocean Alley 66 'Power and the Passion', Midnight Oil 67 '! (The Song Formerly Known As)', Regurgitator 68 'Chemical Heart', Grinspoon 69 'Weather with You', Crowded House 70 '(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind', Powderfinger 71 'Jimmy Recard', Drapht 72 'Freak', Silverchair 73 '1955', Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum 74 'London Still', The Waifs 75 'The Unguarded Moment', The Church 76 '4ever', The Veronicas 77 'Weir', Killing Heidi 78 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', Eskimo Joe 79 'Hello', The Cat Empire 80 'We Are the People', Empire of the Sun 81 'Berlin Chair', You Am I 82 'High', Peking Duk featuring Nicole Millar 83 'Cigarettes Will Kill You', Ben Lee 84 'Streets of Your Town', The Go-Betweens 85 'Delete', DMA's 86 'Hearts a Mess', Gotye 87 'The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows', Gang of Youths 88 'Chateau', Angus & Julia Stone 89 'Hertz', Amyl and the Sniffers 90 'Black Betty', Spiderbait 91 'No Aphrodisiac', The Whitlams 92 'Electric Blue', Icehouse 93 'Since I Left You', The Avalanches 94 'Clair de Lune', Flight Facilities featuring Christine Hoberg 95 'Calypso', Spiderbait 96 'Evie', Stevie Wright 97 'I Want You', Savage Garden 98 'Red Right Hand', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 99 'Blue Sky Mine', Midnight Oil 100 'Better', The Screaming Jets Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs was unveiled on Saturday, July 26, 2025. For more information, head to the Triple J website. Top image: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images.
This art deco pub in a corner spot on Erskineville Road is rarely seen without an assorted bunch of people merrily enjoying afternoon happy-hour sips, a quick-drink-turned-late-night or classic local feed. Family run and having sat in this place since 1932, it's no wonder there's an inherent sense of community. You'll find spots aplenty for you to perch, no matter the size of your party, spanning two floors. A soft brown-leather couch runs the length of the ground-floor space, a sports bar hosts sporting fans and fanatics alike, the rose garden makes room for anyone after an al fresco situation and the first-floor cantina (pictured below) delivers a funky fit-out and fresh menu. There's daily happy hours, a beverage list that celebrates local beers and vinos and a menu that serves everything from classic parmies and burgs, chocked salad bowls and steaks how you like them, to fancier small share plates — think eggplant yakitori, kangaroo tartare and grilled octopus. The Rose is a top-notch Inner West pub, well worth a visit on your next trip out for a beer.
It's a decades-old inner-west tradition: watching the Newtown Jets' home footy game from up on the hill at Henson Park, that is. But things have been dialled up a few notches over the years with the introduction of The Beer, Footy & Food Festival. After a two-year pandemic-related hiatus — and then multiple weather-related postponements — the beloved festival is finally returning on Saturday, April 23. A yearly ritual for footy lovers, foodies and everyone in between, the event is set to dish up a huge afternoon of family-friendly fun. As well as the match-up between the Jets and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, expect a celebration of another inner-west triumph: craft beer. Keep that thirst in check with drops from more than 20 different brewers, including Grifter, Wayward, Batch, Yulli's Brews, Young Henrys, Hawke's, Willie The Boatman and a heap more. Doom Juice and P&V Wine + Liquor will also be onsite pouring glasses of natural, minimal-intervention wines to enjoy while you watch the game. And, organisers have roped in a good number of food vendors, too. Get ready to enjoy snacks form the likes of Bush, Antico, Happy as Larry, Chillato and Yulli's, among others. Topping off the whole affair will be an inflatable world, pro-wrestling between matches and a post-match kick around on the hallowed turf of Henson Park.
The team that made Sydney fall in love with the Taiwanese street food gua bao have a new home. Following jaunts on the food market scene and at Hudson Ballroom, Belly Bao have settled at a standalone shop on King Street. With a bigger kitchen up her sleeve, owner Sylvia Tran has expanded the menu. Whereas, at Goodgod/Hudson Ballroom, there was just one baoger offered each night, four options are now available all the time: The Baoger (Angus beef patty, cheese, cos lettuce, onion, pickled radish, Baoger sauce), as well as one with eggplant, chicken and chopped cheese. A baoger, in case you're unfamiliar with it, is a Western hamburger, but served Asian-style, with bao as bread. Newtown's vegan crowd are well-catered for across all menu categories, including the bao noodles. "They're made with exactly the same recipe as bao, but rolled out, shaped into noodle form and boiled," says Sylvia. "We're serving them with house-made satay chill oil,". For dessert, the famous Gaytime bao makes its return alongside pandan baonuts. Its liquor licence is pending so for now, the venue is BYO. Regardless, the food bill won't be a shock: the namesake belly baos are only $7. The space itself is warm and inviting: think browns, oranges and greens. There's an L-shaped bar, a banquette for large gatherings and round tables for twos and threes, surrounded by old-school Chinese restaurant chairs, newly upholstered. Keep an eye out for the Mahjong table and the dreamy, tropical-inspired feature wall by local artist Simon Wheeldon.
As Vivid Sydney turns five, it's vastly extending its brightly coloured reach to cover more physical ground and generate more creative ideas. In 2013 Fort Dennison, Walsh Bay and the Inner West will also get a heavy splattering of neon light and artistic innovation as the festival adds more precincts to the Vivid family. Sydney's own Spinifex Group will be the artists behind the Lighting of the Sails, the jewel in Vivid's dazzling crown, with the rest of the foreshore welcoming a global assemblage of lighting designers to the walkable stretch spanning Campbells Cove to Walsh Bay. Interactivity is key this year, with Customs House featuring a dance floor so visitors can make the building move. The festival's LIVE section will celebrate the Opera House's increasingly enthusiastic approach to popular music, populating the Kraftwerk-headlined lineup with homegrown and international acts. Empire of the Sun are premiering their second album Ice on the Dune, which was announced in true theatrical style with a bizarre video last week. Other acts include legendary soul crooner Bobby Womack, Underworld's Karl Hyde, the Sunnyboys, Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon, folk-rock tribute Sounds of the South and the 45-piece Heritage Orchestra — performing the Bladerunner score. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks. And hosting a mammoth 136 events this year is the Jess Scully-curated Vivid Ideas. Level six of the MCA will be taken over by 100 of them, with further talks and workshops spread through the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Seymour Centre, Sydney Museum and more. Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Australian International Design Festival are getting involved in 2013, along with a slew of events supporting this year's film and photography motif. Reportage and Sydney Film Festival are two exciting additions, and a talk by Chris Ying of Momofuku-McSweeney's foodie mag Lucky Peach should give discerning ramen enthusiasts plenty to get psyched about. Want more Vivid? School up on our ten best ideas to visit at Vivid Ideas and read what Vivid Ideas festival director Jess Scully told us about Sydney living. And of course, check out the Vivid website for the full program of events.
Adding to the wave of exciting new venues that seem to just keep popping up in Potts Point, this lavish hideaway on Kellett Street comes from accomplished hospitality group Milpa Collective. The team behind crowed-pleasers like Carbon, Calita and Circular Quay's Londres 126 has ventured out into new territory with this latest addition, a Spanish-focused and female-led wine bar and tapas restaurant named Bar Lucia. "It will be the next 'pop in for a glass of wine' hot spot, the perfect date location, dinner with friends, long ladies lunch or 'settle in the for the evening' cosy wine bar," Milpa Collective co-founders Pablo Galindo and Liber Osorio say. With the aim of maintaining a sense of Spanish flair within the venue, the fitout includes Madrid-inspired architecture. There is also an atmosphere of elegance with gorgeous oil paintings adorning the walls, paired with moody lighting and a stunning chandelier centrepiece — perfect for a romantic date night. Complimenting the dining room is an indoor courtyard boasting a glass roof and atrium-style design, making it a crowd-pleasing, weather-proof spot for your next get-together. Head Sommelier Kasia Sobiesiak boasts a wealth of knowledge as a wine educator and a Master's in environmental engineering. As a result, she's curated a considered wine program with a large selection to pick from. Spnoesiak and the Bar Lucia team have made it their mission to focus on women within the industry. The wine offering features over 50 drops, from the reliable classics to newer, innovative winemakers if you're looking to explore something a little different. The equally varied by-the-glass list features vino almost exclusively made by women and has a strong local focus. "Promoting female winemakers and supporting local wine regions is a priority for me," Sobiesiak says. "I like to foster a balance between fine, modern classics and artisan and low-intervention leads." Head Chef Alberto Palacios has created a menu inspired by the tapas bars of Spain executed with top local Australian produce and is designed to pair with whatever wine your heart desires. For a starter, opt for the roasted sea scallops with saffron butter ($9 each) or the jamon serrano croqueta ($8 each). For a sweet addition, you can opt for the figs marinated in sherry with aged goat cheese and basil montadito ($8 each). When it's time to dig into a heftier meal, take your pick from the Catalan-style cannelloni ($25), the sauteed wild mushrooms with aged manchego ($15) or the "El Vermut" — potato chips with sardines, mussels, anchovies and salsa Spinader ($16). You can then finish things off with something a little sweet in the form of a vanilla custard doughnut ($6 each). Images: Kitti Gould
Our city is constantly changing and evolving, with taller skyscrapers being erected, new 'Opera Houses' being built and construction on the light rail seemingly never ending. And amongst all these big infrastructure changes, small, carefully designed spaces popping up. The backstreets of Zetland has a shiny new six-storey library — complete with underground garden and piano room; Paddington is now home to Australia's first fish butchery; and in the CBD, a laneway filled with top eateries and stores has arrived. These are the spaces that are really catching our attention, the ones that are quietly evolving the community — through innovation and sustainability — and are accessible to you. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Sydney to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new spaces were nominated for Best New Space in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.
Airport accommodations are normally pretty drab but the lively 150-room Citadines Connect (formerly the Felix Hotel) is bucking this trend with a truly first-class stay. Yes, we're as surprised as you are. Inspired by the golden age of air travel in the 60s — that is, before budget airlines made you pay for water and wearing leggings as pants became the norm— the seamless experience starts from the get-go with guests heading straight to the top-level penthouse to check-in. Expect bright pops of pastel colours alongside smooth woods and polished metal finishes. They do a pretty good job of blending modern chic and retro cool design features. From here, overlooking the runway, guests can enjoy the rooftop cinema, dining area, heated outdoor terrace and colourful cocktail bar — the latter of which will undoubtedly be a departure from the usual monotonous airport watering holes. It's a surprising inclusion to our choice of the best hotels in Sydney.
For local residents, the Paddington Reservoir Gardens is a serene pocket of green sunken beneath busy Oxford Street, but there was a time when the reservoir served as just that, a water reservoir for a growing Sydney. Once Paddington's main water supply, it's now an idyllic park inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Located in the ground floor of a heritage building (that was the former headquarters of Red Cross Australia), Cross Eatery has been offering up healthy eats and superb coffee since 2016. And with former-Mecca barista Marcelo Sota heading operations, it's easy to see why it's so popular. Early birds can start their day with a coffee and brekkie from 6.30am every Monday through Friday. Plus, there's kombucha and cold-press juice on-tap. The chalkboard menu changes seasonally but reliably features healthy dishes from breakfast through to lunch. Currently on offer is the broccolini, Frekeh and goats chevre salad from the salad bar, a house-cured salmon and horseradish tartine, and a breakfast bowl packed with veggies, slaw and a poached egg. Or, you can grab one of its signature Cross brekkie rolls, made with ham, poached egg and brussel slaw. With communal tables and a bright, minimalist aesthetic, Cross Eatery is a hotspot for health-conscious city folk.
If Gelato Messina's cult following in Sydney wasn't already at boiling point, the dessert lords just took things to a whole new level with the launch of an expansive headquarters in the heart of Marrickville. The flagship Inner West store works as a kind of Wonka-esque one-stop shop for all things Messina. Two years in the making, the Marrickville HQ is now officially open on the corner of Victoria Road and Rich Street, directly next to the Factory Theatre. And with this impressive addition to the Messina family, the team has gone all-out. There are 40 gelato flavours on offer — 35 signature flavours and a rotating selection of limited-edition varieties. Alongside the classic scoops, you'll find eight styles of gelato cakes, thickshakes, farm-fresh Jersey milk and an entire wall stocked with merch. A new range of take-home desserts is also on the menu at Messina HQ. Why not forgo the Woolies mud cake for your next birthday and opt for a Bavarian cream pie — with Iced Vovo, malt chocolate, lemon meringue and tiramisu flavours all available. There's take-home cookie dough here, and nostalgic cookie pies that can be ordered in the flavours fairy bread, peanut butter and dulce, OG choc chip or Messinatella. If all of this wasn't enough, the headquarters also functions as a chocolate shop with a range of Messina-made bars and blocks created using single-original cocoa and cocoa butter from Ecuador and Peru. Before you head off with your arms piled high with next-level desserts, you can also take a look at the production facility which is encased in floor-to-ceiling glass. This peak behind the curtain gives you a glance at the process behind all of the one-of-a-kind flavours and sugary creations that the Messina team ships off to its stores around Sydney and Australia. To celebrate the opening, Ricos Tacos is popping up in the carpark this weekend from 5pm on Friday, April 14 and midday on Saturday, April 15 to sling its beloved Mexican street eats, and the first 50 customers into the store on each of these days will be given a Messina goody bag. Gelato Messina's Marrickville HQ is now open at 1–9 Rich Street, Marrickville. It's open 12pm–late Monday–Sunday.
After giving ramen its own t-shirt range last year, casual-wear retailer Uniqlo has set its sights on another Japanese culinary staple. This time, you can wear your affection for the boozy beverage that goes oh-so-well with a big bowl of brothy soup: sake. The fresh designs showcase prestigious Japanese sake breweries with a long history in making the drink in question, with each brand collaborating on the design. If names such as Suigei, Tengumai, Dassai, Tsukino Katsura and Kenbishi sound familiar from sipping their wares, now you can show your love for them in another way. Eleven different shirts are available — some, like the black option for Dewazakura, feature a green bottle of sake, while others take inspiration from different brewery logos. The sake items all retail for $19.90 as part of Uniqlo's pop culture-focused UT line, which aims to turn simple t-shirts into something more exciting by highlighting different characters, trends, brands and artists. Also currently on offer are a range of super geometric prints, two Mickey Mouse collections, one dedicated to Peanuts, an ode to Dutch typographer Pieter Ceizer, a shirt by Tokyo-based Australian illustrator Grace Lee and a Hokusai-inspired selection. Uniqlo's Sakagura t-shirts are available now for $19.90 each. You can purchase them from all Australian stores or online here.
Let them entertain you: with Better Man, the Robbie Williams biopic that takes its name from one of the British singer's tunes, filmmaker Michael Gracey and actor Jonno Davies have a clear mission that's shared with the man in the spotlight himself. The Australian-made, 16-time AACTA-nominated movie tells the warts-and-all tale of the boy from England's Midlands who has become an international superstar. It charts Williams' path through a complicated childhood, teen boy-band fame, relentless press attention, struggles with drugs and alcohol, tabloid-fodder relationships, a well-publicised reputation for partying, going solo, huge hits, sizeable scandals and plenty of reinvention — and, while never shying away from the tumultuous times that its subject has endured, it matches its unflinching view of his ups and downs with his love of monkeying around and putting on a show. The simian aspect of Better Man is literal. More than 20 years after 'Me and My Monkey' was a track on Williams' fifth studio album Escapology — a record that skewed personal to explore his experiences with pop stardom, and made hits out of 'Feel' and 'Come Undone' — his story reaches the screen with the former Take That member portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. The approach renders Williams both a cheeky monkey and a performing monkey, and also reflects a journey that's had him swinging from limb to limb in life's jungle. The conceit was Gracey's choice, but based on the musician's own descriptions when chatting the Australian filmmaker through his existence. Better Man's helmer and subject first met when the director needed the singer's assistance with the former's debut feature. One of The Greatest Showman's original tunes won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar; however, star Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine) had doubts about the songs going in — and, because the actor kept referencing Williams as a touchstone for his lead portrayal in the movie, Gracey hit him up for his thoughts and powers of persuasion. From there, the pair kept talking, then started recording Williams recounting his life story in the latter's studio. Next sprang the idea to make Better Man, which is how an Aussie talent came to craft a homegrown flick about one of the UK's biggest music figures of the past three decades. The film was initially announced in 2021, and news of Davies playing Williams arrived in 2022. That Better Man was going ape remained a secret until initial viewers cast their eyes on the flick at its world-premiere at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, which was no easy feat. "I was astounded, because we really didn't want people to see any images from the film, and it blew me away that we managed to keep that under wraps for so long — just because we did scenes where we had 2000 extras, so at any point someone could've even given away shots of Jonno in the motion-capture suit. Or some image from the work that Wētā were doing could've found its way online. And it just didn't," Gracey tells Concrete Playground. "We tried really hard to make that the case because we wanted it to land in a way that was a very unique way to lens this story. And also having pitched it unsuccessfully for many years to financiers, I also knew that it would never make sense until people got to watch it," the filmmaker continues. "So there was really no point having chatter about an image and the conversation of whether that looks like Robbie or doesn't look like Robbie. I think that the most overwhelming response has been from people who are even sceptical about the conceit, that once they watch the film, they understand. And so I just desperately wanted to get in front of people before the conversation about 'why the monkey?'." [caption id="attachment_985602" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] A decade on from his screen debut in British TV's Casualty, Kingsman: The Secret Service and Hunters alum Davies has notched up what might prove the most-unique role of his career: playing Williams via motion-capture, and also voicing him in his younger years (Williams lends his own vocals to the movie, too). For his efforts, he's among the AACTA contenders for Best Actor. A fan going in of the man that he's portraying and of The Greatest Showman, Davies was instantly keen to take on the part, and has been revelling in the reactions that the movie has been earning since. "What's brilliant is seeing different audiences respond to the movie, whether that's an age thing, whether it's different continents, people that are Robbie Williams fans, people that have never heard of Robbie at all, and seeing how different people respond to it in different ways," Davies shares. "And seeing it being universally accepted — I think that was something we always wanted to focus on, is that Robbie is an everyday man. There's something in him, whether it's the relationship he has with his nan, whether it's his fear of imposter syndrome, there's something in him that anyone can relate to. There's something there that people connect [to]. I know Michael's had people coming up to him and saying 'I spoke to my dad for the first time in seven years' or people watch it and go 'you know what, it's made me want to ring my mum more or get in touch with the people I love'. Having those different connections and different responses is why you want to make cinema, why you want to make a film — is to affect people. It's been a joy." Down Under, Better Man was already making a splash before it reached Aussie cinemas on Boxing Day 2024; breaking the record for the most AACTA nods in a single year will do that. In a country with well-known fondness for Williams — if a biopic wasn't going to come out of Britain, Australia always seemed the next logical place for it — its main man has been popping up headlining the ABC's New Year's Eve coverage and doing a free gig in Melbourne's Federation Square, helping to give the movie a push, too. For viewers not instantly enticed by its subject or approach, the flick's biggest enticement sits within the feature itself, though. When 'Rock DJ' breaks out in a sequence filmed on London's Regent Street, it's a spectacular movie-musical moment. Gracey and Davies are relaying the tale of another great showman, after all, although that standout scene almost didn't happen. We also spoke with Better Man's director and co-writer, plus its star, about that unforgettable segment of the film, stepping into Williams' shoes — or a chimpanzee's feet, to be more accurate — and why monkeying around was the best way to tackle Williams' tale, as well as fandom, resilience and the full impact of Hugh Jackman's Williams obsession on The Greatest Showman. On Davies Playing the Man Responsible for One of His First Music Memories Jonno: "I was definitely a fan growing up. I saw him concert when I was nine with mum and dad. It's one of my earliest music memories, really. And when you're a child, you have no idea what your identity is, you're just in for a good time — and seeing this rock star on stage, peacocking about like he does, connecting with an audience, seeing how he's there to entertain the crowd rather than entertain himself. So then to 25-odd years later to be the one to play him is quite a pinch-me moment. I think it helped being from the UK, understanding the peak of his fame, how heavily, heavily documented his life was — much to his detriment, the lack of privacy there when he was suffering — I think that was a nice insight to have. But then also meeting in-person when we were in Melbourne when we first started, and then getting the rest of the story and sitting down with him, and him sharing some of his more vulnerable parts of himself — because he wants to make sure that this was an honest depiction. It takes someone very brave to allow themselves to be painted in quite a bad light a lot of the times in the movie. And so the fact that he then gave us his trust to collectively tell his story in a very honest and truthful way, I think it shows a calibre of a person." On How The Greatest Showman and Hugh Jackman Helped Bring Better Man About Michael: "It all stems back to working on The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman. Whenever we would talk about PT Barnum and what it was to be a great showman, he would always reference Robbie Williams — which used to make me laugh, and then after a certain period of time really annoyed me, because it was just always his go-to reference. Whether he was talking about music, whether he was talking about his swagger, or his charisma, or whether we were talking about choreography, he's like 'you know, the way that Robbie sort of moves' and I was like 'you know, every reference can't be Robbie Williams'. So at a certain moment when we were close to going into production, Hugh had a lot of voices in his ear about the music not being good enough, and he started to question the music. And at that point, we'd been working on the film together for six years, so I'd lost a lot of weight in my voice — because I was always the boy who cried wolf, who was like 'no, it's going to be great. This'll be the year we make it'. After six years, people start losing faith a little bit. So in a moment where Hugh felt that we should start again on the music, and I knew that that would mean the end of the film — and this is the music that is in the final film that Benji Pasek and Justin Paul wrote — I got in touch through my lawyer, because his daughter is friends with Ayda [Field], who is married to Robbie Williams. You know how you're always just like three people away from the person you want to get to? So I got a meeting with Robbie on a Sunday at his house, where I told him the story of The Greatest Showman, and then I played him the music. And at the end of the meeting, I said 'look, the only thing more bizarre than me showing up at your house on a Sunday is what I'm about to ask you now. It's one thing for me to tell Hugh Jackman what you think of the music. It's another thing for you to tell him entirely. So if you don't mind, can I just video you and you just talk into the camera as if you're talking to Hugh Jackman?' And that's what he did. He did this video message, which, to this day, if I'd written the script and said 'can you please read this to convince Hugh that this music is going to be great?' — what he did off the top of his head with ten-seconds' notice is why he is such an amazing showman. He was so compelling, the way he spoke about the music, he basically said to Hugh 'I've spent the last year working on my new album. I would scrap that album to sing these songs'. He literally was that effusive about how great the music was for The Greatest Showman. And he was right. The music was great. And history went on to prove that. But in that moment, that's exactly what Hugh needed to hear to have the confidence to move forward and make the film. So in many regards, there would be no Greatest Showman if there wasn't that video message from Robbie Williams. That's how we started then talking, and I just really enjoyed whenever we would talk, when he would tell me stories about his life. And with no intention to make a film — because unlike Jonno, I didn't grow up a Robbie Williams fan. Obviously growing up in Australia, you can't escape him. He's everywhere, but it's not like I listened to him. [caption id="attachment_985603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures[/caption] But what I really did love is I loved the way in which he talked about his life — and not just the events, but actually his delivery. I really enjoyed the manner in which, whether he's writing lyrics as a storyteller or telling you a story, he's a great storyteller. So I then just asked, knowing that he had a recording studio, when I was in LA, I would just drop over to his house and we would just sit in his recording studio and just chat. And those conversations took about a year and a half, and at some point during that, I started thinking 'wow, I could probably chop these up and make a radio play'. Then I went from there to 'actually this could make a really powerful film'. And in fact, those some of those recordings are in the actual voiceover of the film — those original recordings. But it was never the intention to make the film. It all stemmed from him and me just sitting in a studio just talking." On Why Portraying Williams as a Chimpanzee Was the Right Way to Tell His Story Michael: "I think that creatively, I just wanted to come at it with a unique angle. And also, I knew that narratively I wanted to explore both his internal life and his external life. So it was trying to find a device that would allow us to step between those two worlds, the world of the imagination and the world of reality. I think in a musical you're already in a heightened reality, because people are breaking into song, but I wanted something creative that would allow us to see more of Robbie than if it was just an actor playing him. And when I went back to those original recordings and I was listening to them, just time and time again Rob would refer to himself as a performing monkey. He would just say things like 'I was just dragged up on stage to perform like a monkey' or 'I'm up the back dancing around like a performing monkey'. And he said enough times that I was like 'there's definitely something to this performing monkey'. And when I looked at his story, whether it's him pretending to be tougher than he is in front of the kids in Stoke-on-Trent, where he grew up, or whether it's jumping up in front of the TV hoping that his dad would look at him the same way that he looks at Sinatra, there were just all these moments within the story that I was like 'he's always been that little performing monkey'. And the moment that I framed the entire film in that conceit, it just made me smile. I just thought 'this is going to work and it's going to work unbelievably well'. Convincing other people of that was the difficult part, but not convincing Rob. Rob was onboard in two seconds. I literally went to him and said 'if you're an animal, how would you see yourself?'. And he immediately said 'lion' and looked very proud. Then I sort of went 'really?'. And after about 30 seconds, he went 'nah, more of a monkey'. On Davies' First Reaction to Such a Unique Part Jonno: "There are so many challenges in this thing for an actor that every one is like 'oh my god, another reason to do it, another reason to do it'. One: motion-capture. Two: you are telling someone's story that's still alive, and someone that has many predetermined opinions on them, and so it's kind of up to you to try to shift those things. And I think that's what's useful about the monkey, is it separates people from Robbie Williams, and you follow this monkey story rather than necessarily this global superstar that people think they already know. But I was blown away by the concept. And I was I was blown away by the dream of it really. That's one of Michael's best assets, is he sells you the dream — but unlike many others, you get to actually go along with it. You get to join it. I was a massive fan of The Greatest Showman. I have always loved musicals. I love dancing, I love singing, but never thought I really had the chops to be a part of that world — certainly not a Broadway or a West End singer. So to be able to have Rob do the singing and me do the dancing, I was like 'how could I possibly not try to make this mine?'." On the Film's Celebration of Resilience and Persistence — and What That Concept Means to Davies and Gracey Jonno: "Resilience certainly comes in with the life of an actor. You are told 'no' many more times than you are told 'yes.' And you often value yourself on your last job, or the last job you did not get. I think it's about trying to stay resilient and trying to remember that you are authentically you, right? And so even though you're getting your nos, it doesn't mean you're crap, it means that you're just not right for this opportunity. It's a hard memory to keep inside, but I think it's one that is premier above all else. Otherwise you start to lose your identity. If you start thinking that 'I'm getting nos because I'm not good enough' or 'I'm not the right person', you start shifting your identity. Then you don't become what makes you, and that's essentially your best asset. And so resilience for me is about staying true to yourself, and if you're going to do something — Guy Chambers says it in our film, he says 'own it'. If it's crap, make it your crap. And I think that's a form of resilience that we can all take onboard." Michael: "Resilience is my entire life, because you have these grand ideas and it's up to you to continue to believe in them year after year after year. Showman took seven years to make, and at one point or another every single person involved in that project gave up hope — and you as the director cannot. Everyone else can lose faith, and you just have to keep on, you have to stand in that burning building and tell everyone it's going to be okay. This took six years. It was a high-concept idea that scared a lot of people, because the concept of the monkey immediately doubled the budget of the film. It made it a much more risky prospect. And it scared a lot of financiers away. The number of meetings that I had to do where people would just flat-out, the moment the monkey was mentioned, were like 'what are you talking about?' — and 'this is the end of the meeting'. That was the much more common response to that idea. And yet, I knew if there was a way to bring it into reality, it would be unique and it would be something that I'd be incredibly proud of. And so resilience is my entire career, and I would not be a director if I did not have that resilience. I think the joy you get as a director is finding other people to believe in that impossible dream, who stand alongside you and make it a reality, and that is the greatest privilege that you have as a director." On What It Took to Make the 'Rock DJ' Scene a Reality Jonno: "A lot of pogo-stick practice. It was the pinnacle of joy, right, in the film. It's the one moment that Robbie and the audience gets to really just live in dreamland, and there's no darkness that encases it, there's no version of himself telling him telling him he's rubbish. And so we were determined that when we arrived on Regent Street, that would be the feeling that we would feel. And, of course, you can only have that joy if you've put in the graft beforehand. And that's not just Michael. It's every department. It's Ash and Jen [Ashley Wallen and Jenny Griffin, both returning from The Greatest Showman], the choreographers, making sure that not only us, the Take That boys, but the 500 dancers were drilled so that we were never getting a bad take because of the dancing. You only have a set amount of time on Regent Street, so everyone had to just be shit hot, for want of a better term. We taped out a hangar, so the minute details, so every bush, every lamp post, was in its exact spot, so that when we arrived on the street, we were ready to go. It wasn't figuring out any proximity, etcetera. But it was a joy. It was one of my favourite experiences on set. I think you see it on our faces when we when we do Regent Street. I think you can probably see it in our pupils as well. There's kind of joy, combating a bit of 'we've got to get this done'. But it's such an iconic street, and it demanded an iconic routine — and I think Michael has delivered with that. Michael: "The practicalities of pulling that off were enormous. It was a year and a half in the planning. As Jonno mentioned, we rehearsed in a hangar the week before with the entire cast and crew, and double-decker bus and taxi, all those elements — only because the moment we got on the street, we had to start shooting, and we had very limited time overnight where we could lock down the entire street and film. It was shot over four nights, but after that week of rehearsal in the hangar, literally the day before we were about to start filming, the Queen passed away. And so we got shut down. There's ten days of mourning after the death of the Queen. Regent Street is crown land. So it was devastating because we paid out all of the costs to shoot. We'd locked down all those stores for those dates. We'd booked all of those dancers. So we lost all that money. There was no insurance for the death of the Queen. At that point, there were a lot of very serious conversations about cutting the number from the film. And I was like 'we've got to go out, we've got to raise that money again, we've got to get back onto Regent Street and we have to shoot this number — it is absolutely a cornerstone of this story'. It took another five months to find a window where we were allowed back on the street, and to raise the money again. And so every time that number plays, I just go in my head 'we were this close to that never happening' — but that comes back to your question about persistence. Better Man opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 26, 2024. Michael Gracey will chat about the film at the 2025 AACTA Festival, which runs from Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9, 2025 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast.
Muogamarra Nature Reserve, a hidden oasis of native wildflowers located near Cowan, is closed to the public for most of the year in order to protect its fragile ecosystem and its First Nations cultural heritage. But every now and then, it opens for everyone to enjoy for a limited time. That time is about to arrive for 2024, with the reserve welcoming guests for six weeks from Saturday, August 17–Sunday, September 22. The reserve is a thing of beauty, playing home to more than 900 species of native wildflowers that fill the area with a sea of vibrant colours when they bloom. Waratahs, angophoras, old-man banksias, pink boronias and native orchids — they're all here among the site's expansive bushlands and rainforests. [caption id="attachment_962237" align="alignnone" width="1920"] J Spencer[/caption] You can also catch a glimpse of First Nations rock engravings, and take in expansive views of Hawkesbury River, Berowra Creek, Bar Island, Milson Island and Spectacle Island. If this all sounds right up your alley, you've got a couple of options when planning a trip to Muogamarra Nature Reserve. You can book one of four different guided tours led by experienced NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) volunteers, who will take you through the reserve, teaching you about the floral wonders surrounding you. [caption id="attachment_962239" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pan Goldie[/caption] The tours each cover different sections of the park, and range from three to ten kilometres of walking. Or, if you want to tackle the reserve by yourself, you can also reserve a time slot for a self-guided tour. Slots for both are limited, so the NPWS is encouraging anyone keen to explore the wildflower haven to get in quick. Each of the four guided tours and the self-guided tours are available to book at different dates and times. Head to the NSW National Parks website to see the selected dates and to make a booking. [caption id="attachment_962236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] J Spencer[/caption] Muogamarra Nature Reserve is located three kilometres north of Cowan Station, on the western side of the Pacific Highway. It will reopen to the public for 2024 across selected dates between Saturday, August 17–Sunday, September 22. Head to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website for more details. Top image: J Spencer.
When a bakery has earned fame around the world from chefs and publications alike, and lines outside its stores are a common sight, it probably doesn't need to give customers any additional motivation to drop by. But Lune — home of "the croissant that should act as the prototype for all others" according to Yotam Ottolenghi, and "the finest you will find anywhere in the world" as per The New York Times — has never been one to rest on its laurels. Monthly specials, seasonal treats, a cookbook: they've all helped extend the brand's experience. Now Lune's new loyalty program is giving pastry fiends another reason to head in. The Kate Reid co-founded bakery wants you to not only keep enjoying its croissants, pains au chocolat, cruffins, morning buns and more — it wants to reward you for doing so. Enter the Lune passport, which launched on Monday, April 7, 2025, and works on zont miles. You'll collect one for every dollar that you spend on food in a Lune outpost — which are located in Armadale, Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne; South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane; and Rosebery and Martin Place in Sydney. Rack up those zont miles and you'll be eligible for discounts, with each 200 points reached giving you $10 off your next purchase. The program also gives members exclusive perks and bonuses, as well as priority access and gifts. Double days and double hours will see you earning twice as many zont miles, for instance, and you'll also score a free traditional croissant on your birthday. To sign up, you have options. Hop online, or scan the QR code at Lune's stores or on the top of your receipt if you've just made a purchase. There's no physical card, with the passport operating digitally. To use it, you just tap it at the counter when you're making an order. Everyone receives 50 zont miles for signing up and making their first purchase, plus 25 points for subscribing to Lune's newsletter. While you'll nab one point per $1 spent on dishes from the food menu, you'll get two points per $1 on Lune retail items. "We're super excited to finally announce the Lune passport loyalty program. It feels like a fitting way to reward and thank all our guests who have supported us over the years, and also a lovely way to introduce those that are brand new to Lune," said Reid, announcing the initiative. For more information about the Lune passport, head to the brand's website — or to its stores at Armadale, Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne; South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane; and Rosebery and Martin Place in Sydney. Images: Peter Dillon.
As a tourist, it's easy to get swept away by Sydney's inner-city galleries, restaurants, and bars. But just 25 kilometres south of the capital lies the Sutherland Shire — a destination known for its lush nature — including stretches of beaches (and Sydney's only beach directly accessible by train, Cronulla), as well as the Royal National Park. To learn more about the Sutherland Shire, we spoke with local restaurateur and owner of Hazel Kitchen and Bar, James Lancaster. Located within the Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea (a historic cottage that transformed into an arts haven), Hazel Kitchen and Bar is a cafe-restaurant and events space showcasing the best in local produce and Sutherland Shire dining. We asked James for the best-kept secrets in the local area for you to save next time you find yourself south of the city. CP: What do you love the most about the Sutherland Shire? James: Natural beauty, beaches, forests, waterfalls, and an abundance of incredibly talented people in our community: artists, chefs, musicians, and actors. The Shire really has something for everyone to enjoy. [caption id="attachment_1078693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Harrison[/caption] CP: Why should someone make a trip to the area? James: The coast has some incredible beaches, whether you enjoy calm water swimming at Gunnamatta Bay, Boat Harbour aquatic reserve, Wattamolla Beach, or Jibbon Beach. There are so many waterfalls, wonderful swimming holes, and bushwalks for all fitness levels, making it [somewhere] everyone should explore. There's a great food scene, from casual cafes to wonderful restaurants. The nightlife is vibrant with cool bars, a funky live music scene, and an incredible depth of talent across music, theatre, and visual arts. CP: If you only had one day in the Sutherland Shire, where would you go? James: I'd start with a swim at North Cronulla, followed by breakfast up the road at Rushi. Then I'd head up to Hazelhurst Gallery to check out an exhibition, before a delicious lunch at Hazel Kitchen and Bar. Next, I'd head to the Royal National Park for an afternoon walk and a freshwater swim at Olympic Pool, just past Karloo Pools. I'd pop into Audley Dance Hall Cafe on the way to grab a great coffee and takeaway for afternoon snacks. After sunset (and listening to birds in the forest), I'd head out to Brass Monkey to listen to some live music and have a few cocktails. CP: What do you think is the Shire's best-kept secret? James: The Royal National Park. Though large and commonly known, there are many secret waterholes, trails and endless adventure. For food, my favorite secret spot is tucked down the side of the Coptic Church in Kirrawee and is almost impossible to find. In Paradise is a gem for real Napoletana style wood-fired pizza. Super thin, great ingredients, charred crust, and, if you like chilli, ask Alfonso for his harrissa sauce… it's delicious. CP: Hazel Kitchen and Bar sits within the Hazelhurst Arts Centre. What's it like having a cafe and restaurant in a location with such rich Australian art history? James: The art and artists have really taught us to be more free and flexible in what we do. The inspiration from watching the art change around us all the time is liberating. The community that participates in the Arts Centre, the studios, the exhibitions, and the wonderful gardens brings us joy. We are very blessed to a view of art on one side, a beautiful garden on the other and a kitchen making delicious food in the centre — perfect combinations really. CP: Talk to us about Hazel Kitchen and Bar: what's your top menu recommendation? James: For breaky, I love the breakfast roll with its streaky bacon. For lunch, I often eat the green goddess salad, or if I'm in more of a dining mood, I'll have a grass-fed Scotch fillet and spice-roasted cauliflower with one of our sommeliers' wines from around the world. That lunch can morph into dinner and a few cheeky cocktails. CP: What's Hazel's philosophy? James: Being a public space, we really wanted a comfortable restaurant, a place you can relax and ponder the art you've just experienced over a coffee, scones and jam, or with a martini if you've really been thought-provoked and need to deep dive. We've curated a space for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and those moments in between. The peaceful gardens and the running creek provide the perfect backdrop to the ever-changing art inside the gallery and on your palette. CP: What does the Sutherland Shire do differently from Sydney City? James: So much diversity is accessible in a relatively small area. All your senses can be ignited in a few hours, and there's always more to explore and experience. It's adventures for all your senses. Images: Supplied.
Every year, once gifts have been given, turkey and prawns devoured, drinks sipped and backyard games of cricket played, the festive season delivers another treat. Whatever you spend your Christmas Day doing, Boxing Day is just as exciting if you're a movie buff — or even simply eager to escape the weather, and your house, to relax in air-conditioning and watch the latest big-screen releases. 2020 might've seen cinemas Down Under spend months empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading; however, the country's picture palaces are well and truly back in business. And, they're screening a wide array of Boxing Day fare as always — so at least one thing about this chaotic year is proceeding as normal. If you're wondering not only what's screening, but what's worth your time, we've watched and reviewed the day's slate of new titles. It spans superheroes, sublime dramas, documentaries about spectacular desserts, animated sequels, spy films and more, so don't say you don't have anything to see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFpK34lfv0 NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It'll earn her another Oscar nomination. It could see her nab a third shiny statuette just three years after her last. Both are highly deserved outcomes because hers is an exceptional performance, and this is 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dINWTUPkLqs WONDER WOMAN 1984 When it hit cinemas three years ago, the first movie about Princess Diana of Themyscira — also known as Diana Prince — stood out. Even though the DC Extended Universe started five years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC bested its rival by focusing on a female character in its fourth film (for Marvel, it took 21 movies, only achieving the feat with 2019's Captain Marvel). DC didn't waste its opportunity, either. Wonder Woman isn't a mere cookie-cutter superhero flick, just focusing on a character of a different gender. It champions understanding and emotional intelligence, handles its engaging origin story with sincerity and warmth, and unfurls an adventure where both strength and vulnerability exist in tandem. It also relays a fulfilling tale; a sequel was inevitable, but the initial movie didn't just whet the audience's appetite for the next, plus all the other caped crusader films certain to follow. That second effort is now here but, sadly, it doesn't continue its predecessor's best achievements. No matter how much returning director Patty Jenkins and the powers-that-be behind the DCEU hope that Wonder Woman 1984's viewers sport an expression of wonder — and how much they believe that simply making a sequel to their 2017 blockbuster is enough to cause it — the movie doesn't earn much more than a resigned sigh. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana (Gal Gadot, Justice League) tells everyone again and again that being truthful is far more important than anything else. That, and taking a more-is-more approach, are the feature's main driving forces. Jumping forward almost seven decades within the Wonder Woman films' timeline, Diana has taken up an anthropologist job at the Smithsonian, and turned swinging through malls on her Lasso of Truth to fight crime into her side hustle. But then insecure archaeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) starts working beside her, gets tasked with assessing a mysterious gem, and lets Donald Trump-esque infomercial salesman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) take the strange object home with him. It's no ordinary rock, however. It grants wishes, so Maxwell wants to take advantage of that power — and, unknowingly, both Diana and Barbara have already uttered their dreams aloud while holding the stone. These fantasies come at a cost, of course, even before Maxwell uses his to try to take over the world. Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't spin the most complicated story, but it's so repetitive and meandering across its 151-minute running time that it's needlessly bulky, muddled and weighed down. It also pushes Gadot to the side far too often; this sequel certainly knows how to trot out well-worn beats packaged as part-upbeat heroism, part-social satire, but it just doesn't realise where its true strengths reside often enough. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uan6MDxf3wU OTTOLENGHI AND THE CAKES OF VERSAILLES Marie Antoinette didn't actually say "let them eat cake", no matter how often the statement is misattributed to the 18th-century royal before her date with the guillotine. But New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art was surely hoping she would've approved of its hedonistic June 2018 food gala, which tied into the venue's Visitors to Versailles exhibition in the same year — and, in line with the place and period under the grill, put decadence on the menu. Overseeing the spread of desserts fit for a queen: renowned Israeli English chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi. He didn't make the Feast of Versailles' lavish cakes himself; instead, he trawled Instagram to source and select five pâtissiers known for delicious, innovative and aesthetically appealing wares. He found them, too, enlisting Dominique Ansel, the NYC-based French pastry chef who invented the cronut; Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, the London food artists known for their striking jellies and unique food events; architecturally trained Ukrainian Dinara Kasko, who approaches her desserts with the same design principles; Ghaya Oliveira, an award-winner and veteran at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel; and Singapore's Janice Wong, who aims to turn chocolate into edible art. The exacting theme that views art and history through an untraditional lens, the melding of varying creative arenas, the roll call of significant names in their field, the theatricality on display, the iconic setting — if it all sounds a bit like a culinary version of The Met Gala, that was undoubtedly the intention, too. This was no ordinary serving of sugar. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that, as the venue's fashion-focused event did before it, Feast of Versailles has also earned the documentary treatment. Where The First Monday in May chronicled the preparations for 2015's Met Gala, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles does the same with the quest to recreate the Palace of Versailles' gardens with chocolate and multi-coloured fondant, whip up a tiered mousse cake that resembles the French castle's sculptured detail, and pair them all with swan-topped pastries, wobbling palace-shaped jellies and a cocktail-filled whirlpool fountain. Viewers of cooking-focused reality television will know what's in store. That may not be the comparison one expects with a doco about a Met event, but it fits, with documentarian Laura Gabbert (City of Gold) taking a superficial and straightforward approach. That seems to be what happens in docos about Met events, and it's always noticeable. Accordingly, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is glossy, gleaming eye candy for those with a sweet tooth. It never feels like a full meal, though. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEUWGWMsMQk HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE After starring in High Life, Who You Think I Am and The Truth, all in just the past two years, Juliette Binoche adds another eclectic role to a resume that has deserved that term for decades. How to Be a Good Wife takes its radiant star back to 1967, to Alsace in Eastern France, and to a school designed to mould bright-eyed teenage girls into dutiful and subservient future housewives. Binoche's casting is a sign, thankfully. The film starts out following her character, the prim and proper Paulette Van der Beck, as she runs Van der Beck's School of Housekeeping and Good Manners for her husband Robert (François Berléand, Someone, Somewhere). She preaches the seven pillars required to ensure all her pupils fit her ideal vision of womanhood, with her single sister-in-law Gilberte (Yolande Moreau, The Summer House) assisting as the facility's cook, and superstitious nun Marie-Thérèse (Noémie Lvovsky, The End of Love) helping keep the girls in check. Of course, with the school part of Robert's family for decades, it isn't actually Paulette's own picture of feminine perfection that she's espousing. She might not have realised that fact, however, if her current cohort of students — the site's smallest for years, arriving with the 60s in full swing and as protests are beginning to sweep the nation — weren't instantly bristling against the notion that their lives should be spent in service to men. An unexpected tragedy also complicates matters, with an uprising soon threatening not just France in general, but one of the places that has upheld and instilled the patriarchal status quo and the conservative stereotypes that go with it. As directed by Martin Provost (The Midwife), and co-written by the filmmaker with Séverine Werba (Spiral), How to Be a Good Wife flits between playfully satirical and earnestly rousing as it charts Paulette, Gilberte and their students' journey — and yes, the fact that two of the main characters have feminised versions of male names as their own is emblematic of the movie's knowing approach. Binoche is the lynchpin, stepping into Paulette's shoes with sincerity as well as winking, nudging spirit; she's well aware of exactly the kind of woman she's playing, and the attitudes she's parodying as well. But, while the talented actor is posed and poised in a purposeful and often amusing way, the film itself doesn't always strike the same balance. It's easy to smile and internally cheer along with How to Be a Good Wife (and to revel in its period costuming and decor, too), but it's also just as easy to see when and where it overplays its comedic hand. One such example: the film's out-of-left-field climax, which is both glorious and clunky all at once. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49o54i3OGI END OF THE CENTURY Memories and dreams are our brain's version of time travel; escape into either, and you can relive the past and ponder a possible future without the need for a Delorean or a telephone booth. New York-based Argentinian poet Ocho (Juan Barberini, Penelope) experiences that sensation in End of the Century, a queer romance that takes Weekend's lusty meet-up, combines it with Call Me By Your Name and Monsoon's passion abroad, and turns it into an evocative contemplation of love, sex, connection, choices, and roads both taken and forsaken. After more than ten minutes of dialogue-free, naturalistically lensed footage, watching Ocho rove around Barcelona, check into his holiday rental, sun himself at the beach and notice Javi (Ramon Pujol, Gran Nord), the film jumps into a vacation romance. Ocho and Javi strike a chord quickly, both physically and emotionally, and get deep just as swiftly in their post-coital conversation. To Ocho, there's a familiarity about the situation, as there should be. First-time feature writer/director Lucio Castro then leaps back 20 years earlier — before Ocho was fresh into a break from his partner of two decades, and before Javi had a daughter with his husband of four years — with the two men also crossing paths at the prior time. From the outset, one certainty is apparent: End of the Century favours understatement. That's true in how it unfurls the different parts of its narrative, and how they connect together; in the movie's performances, including from the beguiling Barberini when he's alone and surveying Barcelona; and in the feature's choice to peer on at Ocho and Javi's multi-layered story, and find both intimacy and distance depending on whatever the mood and scene calls for. As a result, it's a film that can seem slight, but also heaves with feeling at every moment. Castro knows the difference between unnecessarily complicating a narrative, and mining a situation's inherent complexities. He puts that awareness to excellent use, and draws viewers further into the movie's tale as a result. And, he benefits from his excellent casting choices — because making a feature that's both stripped bare and has its own authentic twists requires much of the folks within its frames. There's a slipperiness to End of the Century, too, as Ocho's experiences play out in various time periods. As this tender movie moves seamlessly back and forward, the audience is so enraptured with Ocho that they take the emotional journey with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZgLKjrdnA A CALL TO SPY "I want you in charge of recruiting some ladies," Vera Atkins (Stana Katic, Castle) is told in one of A Call to Spy's early scenes. The film's title makes it plain exactly what her colleague is referring to, and this specific piece of dialogue — and many more like it — demonstrates just how overtly the movie intends to proceed. This isn't a nuanced drama. It's inspired by true stories, but it rarely even flirts with the type of depth and detail that reality serves up. Still, by telling the tales of three women who became British spies in France during World War Two, all as part of Winston Churchill's ongoing effort to use unexpected means within the government's newly created Special Operations Executive to defeat the Nazi regime as it strengthened across Europe, it plunges into an important part of history. This chapter from the not-too-distant past springs from a familiar pile, after all. If you haven't heard of Atkins, Virginia Hall (played by Sarah Megan Thomas, who also penned the screenplay) and Noor Inayat Khan (The Wedding Guest), that's understandable; their lives, like those of many other women who've achieved commendable and crucial feats, haven't received the attention they should. That feeling ripples through A Call to Spy and, while it can't lift this Lydia Dean Pilcher (Radium Girls)-directed movie alone, it definitely leaves an imprint. Initially, Atkins is A Call to Spy's focal point. Charged with enlisting women who are "passionate about stopping Hitler" (another of the movie's needlessly clumsy lines), she finds several. Because she has a Jewish Romanian background, Atkins also receives more scrutiny within her own organisation than she should — an experience shared with Hall, who has a prosthetic leg; and Khan, who is of Indian Muslim heritage; and also heightened because of stereotypical opinions on gender anyway. Pilcher follows her three determined protagonists as they are initiated into their new roles, and into the field, while always viewing the many obstacles in their way. In the process, her film doesn't overcome the usual war-movie tropes that countless others have relied upon over the past 75 years, but it always endeavours to see them through Atkins, Hall and Khan's shared and individual ordeals. Even though it lacks in subtlety, A Call to Spy is nonetheless workmanlike that way, recognising that the stories it's relaying are important and moving enough, and that it can convey plenty by honing in on its characters' professional activities. It helps that Katic, Thomas and Khan all turn in involving performances, although Thomas wrote herself the best role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6EXulQHjA THE CROODS: A NEW AGE Cavemen (and women) were people, too, and there was more to their lives than simply dwelling inside rocky crevices. That's an overly simplistic summary of 2013's animated hit The Croods, of course. Intricacy wasn't a big part of this big-screen successor to The Flintstones, though, or its messages of togetherness, seeing past immediate perceptions and rising to face all challenges. The film took a family of neanderthals — including teenage daughter Eep (Emma Stone, Zombieland: Double Tap), her overprotective father Grug (Nicolas Cage, Color Out of Space), far more carefree mother Ugga (Catherine Keener, Kidding), siblings Sandy (debutant Kailey Crawford) and Thunk (Clark Duke, Veronica Mars), and grandmother (Cloris Leachman, Mad About You) — then disrupted their literally sheltered existence. Not only were the titular characters pushed out of their comfort zone, but they were thrust into the orbit of homosapien Guy (Ryan Reynolds, 6 Underground), who Eep quickly fell for with a teen's intensity. Everyone had to adjust, naturally, and an average all-ages friendly comedy ensued. So did big box office numbers, sparking sequel The Croods: A New Age, the return of its predecessor's high-profile voice cast, and a new storyline that stresses the same sentiments. This time around, in a film directed by feature first-timer Joel Crawford, (a storyboard artist on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Trolls and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part), The Croods are well-acquainted with roaming the big, wide, wild and dangerous prehistoric world. But Eep and Guy start thinking about a different kind of life — one that doesn't involve sleeping on the family pile, for starters — so the still controlling Grug tries to find everyone a new permanent home. And he thinks he has done just that in the vast walled-in gardens inhabited by Phil (Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones) and Hope Betterman (Leslie Mann, Blockers) and their daughter Dawn (Kelly Marie Tran, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker). Alas, this seeming paradise isn't everything that it appears. Once again, this franchise opts for narrative and thematic simplicity and even crudeness, and for a zippy pace and onslaught of colour and movement designed to excite younger viewers. Once more, it's a standard affair all-round, and delivers little other than Cage and Stone's to-type voice work for the adult members of the audience. It's entertaining to hear Cage's voice bellow from Grug, in the same way that it's entertaining to see and/or hear him to anything (like swear in Netflix's upcoming series), but it doesn't help an over-energetic, giddily lively rehash of a past hit exceed its basic template, or do more than merely hit its marks. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been throughout the year — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, and December 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky and The Furnace.
Here are your Friday night plans sorted: grab your best eating partner and head to the Chinatown Markets, making its return to a temporary new location this Friday, September 5. The markets will set up shop next to the Paddy's Market Light Rail stop in Chinatown, and will operate every Friday from 5 to 10pm. The new temporary location offers the perfect opportunity to explore the restaurants and stores along Dixon Street, which forms the heart of Chinatown, before heading to the markets. Expect over 40 stalls selling food and handcrafted goods, with cultural experiences throughout. With a selection of food from street vendors who have honed their recipes over decades, and from emerging young chefs creating new takes on old favourites, you won't leave hungry. Past favourites include dumplings, noodles, takoyaki, roti, pho, and curry. To the dismay of regular visitors, the markets had been closed for several weeks due to major infrastructure works upgrading the Chinatown precinct. However, the exciting announcement of the reopening of the markets means locals and newcomers alike can still enjoy all that the markets have to offer while the upgrade works continue. The vendors of popular Dragon Bearded Candy are "excited to be able to trade in this new location. We're not just selling food — we're sharing our culture and story with every creation." The Chinatown Markets return on Friday, September 5. While nearby parking is available, the new location offers convenient direct light rail access. Images: Supplied.
Sure, hiring out a dedicated function space can be fine, but if you're looking to host a party that stands out from the rest, you want a space that has the buzzing atmosphere and the high-quality food and bevs you're after too — not just the capacity limit. That's why, if you really want an exceptional party, we wholeheartedly recommend that you opt for one of the standout bars and restaurants in this city — one with the good vibes and stellar menu built in. At one of the following joints, all the hard work is done for you. You simply need to pick the one that best aligns with your party needs. Whether you want to party in the ocean breeze, dance under a disco ball with a stellar cocktail in hand, sit down to a fine meal or have a party with everyone you know, we've got the spot for you.
Within Darling Square's stunning new food complex lies a haven for all things brewed, distilled and made in small, limited batches: Bucket Boys. Having established their roots in Marrickville in the form of a bottle shop before expanding to a bar, then adding a co-op bottle-o in a Petersham pub to their belts, the boys behind Sydney's craft beer go-to are now in the city. You'll find this is not your run of the mill watering hole. The bar has 20 taps, each pouring wonderful and 'weird' beers, from a locally brewed raspberry and guava gose to ales, porters, the occasion Belgian brew and a range of BB's own attempts. Not a beer drinker? You'll also find specialty, natural wines and small-batch spirits aplenty. If you're just passing through and looking to pick up a six-pack (or few), the adjoining bottle-o is just as impressive as the bar. It more closely resembles a sort of art gallery for alcohol, and houses just about everything a new-age drinker could ask for. Sours, saisons and stouts? Of course. Limited runs of Tasmanian gin and wine on skins? You bet. Aussie and Kiwi craft brews are extensively represented as are wines (including BB's own) and spirits, with a carefully selected bunch of international alcohols also available. Basically anything BB deems worthy (which may as well be doctrine) has made it onto the shelves. Images: Kimberley Low
This haphazard little produce market has some of the friendliest staff you'll ever meet, and it's sort of a classic Aussie corner fruit shop and Asian grocery rolled into one. Redfern Fruit Market stocks some impressively diverse items, so it has a reputation as the go-to place if you can't find an uncommon ingredient. As well as fresh, well-priced fruit and vegetables, they also offer a wide range of spices, nuts, organic goods, ready-to-eat Asian meals, and some luxe gourmet goods. Image: Trent van der Jagt.
Campbell Parade mainstay Hotel Ravesis has muscled its way back onto Bondi's new cocktail spot radar, reopening with a bold new look and completely revamped offering. Gone are Ravesis' dated silver trimmings and stark grey walls, the hotel's new summery shake-up capitalises brilliantly on its beachfront address, showcasing panoramic ocean views from its Art Deco windows, and a coastal-chic fitout of flamingo pink and dazzling white. The two-storey stunner's sprawling wraparound terrace has been spruced up, and the space's assortment of breezy dining and bar spaces adorned with a healthy dose of wicker and greenery. Hotel Ravesis is currently restyling its collection of 12 boutique suites and rooms. The hotel will remain open throughout the process with all rooms due for completion by mid-2017. Chef Peter Streckfuss (The Lemon Tree, Catalina) is on the pans, delivering a Mediterranean-accented menu full of fresh, lively flavours. He's letting the top-notch local produce do all the talking, throwing down a variety of great seafood options, and shucking oysters fresh to order. The perfect match to some post-beach cocktails, we'd say. Even the entertainment program has been given a big old overhaul, pulling together a rotation of midweek solo artists and bands, and DJs throughout the weekend. On Wednesday nights an eight-piece superband of Sydney musicians called The Elements, made up of artists from The Whitlams, Skunkhour and the Bernard Fanning band, has the stage. Images: Nikki To and Katje Ford.
The blue windowpane shopfront has become a Newtown favourite for cuts, fades, beard trims and shaves. Exposed brick walls, unframed mirrors and ebony dressing tables give the place its retro vibe, while a lightshade of faux deer antlers and a forest mural add a wild air that seems appropriate for the before photo of a woodsman's hair transformation. It's first come, first groomed at this walk-in barbershop, but in recent years it has started using the SLIKR app which lets you check waiting times and hold your place in a digital queue rather than line up out front. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Holy smoke! A latecomer to the US-style dude food party is serving some of the best American barbecue in town. Forget the flame, this is 14-hour slow smoked brisket, ribs and pork shoulder that pull apart into meltingly soft shreds. Get the bibs out and let the meat sweats begin. Restauranteur Brody Petersen (Riley Street Garage, The Stuffed Beaver) and chef Brendhan Bennison have transformed the former Table for 20 site, in Surry Hills near Taylor Square, into an all-American beer bar. The decor is drenched in American memorabilia — think neon signs, old school beer ads and 6 football-blaring TVs competing for limited wall space. A break from the city's dark and moody cocktail scene, Surly's is a loud and boisterous tavern serving no-nonsense drinks and a diet-be-damned menu. Steering clear of boutique brews, the on tap selection features a few big shots from Colorado, including Coors lager, or better yet Blue Moon, a Belgian-like witbier spiced with orange peel and coriander. There's a list of cocktails too, but don't expect fancy glassware and elaborate garnishes. The Old Pal ($14.50) — which is described by the menu as "nothing fancy" — combines Jim Beam, Campari and sweet vermouth, while the Margarita ($15) is dead strong, served in a short tumbler with a 2 inch salt rim. No mucking about there. The menu is a collection of every dish you've ever wanted to eat but forbidden yourself to. For a hands-on bar snack, try the Buffalo hot wings ($12), battered onion rings ($12), cheesy jalapeno nachos ($10) or crinkle cut fries covered in melty cheese and bacon ($10). There's also a good-looking Handsome Mike's ($16) sandwich, which is stuffed with tender brisket shreds and a scoop of gooey mac 'n' cheese, which is as soft and creamy as rice pudding. Don't expect any respite from the menu; even the salads are packed with blue cheese, smoked bacon and creamy ranch dressing. The house specialty are the slow-smoked American barbecue plates, which come in beef brisket ($18), pork and beef spare ribs ($20/$25), pulled pork ($15) and chicken thigh ($11). The ribs have a thick layer of succulent meat topped with a juicy strip of white fat, while the crispy skin has been dry rubbed in a peppery spice mix. If you find your chicken is a little pink in the middle "calm down for chrissakes" reads the menu, "it's just the meat's reaction with the smoke." Duly noted. The barbecue plates come with a golden muffin of buttery, crumbly cornbread, plus your choice of two sides. Take your pick from mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, beans, potato salad and crinkle-cut fries. With no desserts on the menu (not even one sugary doughnut), the evening comes to a sticky end. Photos by Bodhi Liggett.
Hotel William, a historic four-storey hotel on Darlinghurst's William Street, has reopened after a big round of renos as Hyde Park House — and it now boasts a public bar, cocktail parlour and lounge. But we're already heading up to the hotel's top level, where Slims Rooftop offers views across Hyde Park, izakaya-style eats and Asian-inspired drinks. The bright fit-out starts with retro frilly orange and pink umbrellas covering all-white furnishings, which include a mix of low and high tables, along with a few picnic-style benches. Heaps of tropical greenery and potted cacti add to the lush surrounds. It's no secret that cocktail-sipping and rooftops go hand-in-hand, and Slims follows suit with a selection of classics like Aperol spritzes and margaritas ($16–$18), sitting alongside signatures such as the Million Dollar Mermaid (vodka and lychee liqueur) and the Social Call (grapefruit vodka, Cointreau and dragon fruit) for $19. A mostly Australian wine list and local brews by Balter, Modus Operandi and Young Henrys are also up for grabs. The menu focuses on modern Japanese-inspired small plates — think sushi rolls and poké bowls, along with snacks like truffle oil edamame ($9), pan-fried pork or veggie gyoza ($10) and wasabi karaage chicken ($17). If you're looking for larger dishes to share, there's a traditional teppanyaki slinging grilled goods like salmon teriyaki ($30), miso eggplant ($19) and barbecued prawns ($29).
At this point, Saint Peter almost needs no introduction. The renowned seafood-focused restaurant from Josh Niland and his wife, Julie, has entirely reimagined how Australians consume and consider fish and seafood. After several iterations, Saint Peter now lives at The Grand National Hotel, where Mr Niland continues to embody his nose-to-tail (scale-to-tail?) philosophy, experimenting with every possible piece and part of the produce to create truly innovative and mind-blowing dishes. Mr Niland's fascination with fish began many years ago while working in the fish section across many restaurants, where he was struck by the sheer volume of waste. Encouraged by his mentors to pursue this curiosity, Josh began to create alternative ways to use fish, not just the prized fillets, but every part, from the scales to the bones to the liver to the eyes. From this evolved a deep and profound philosophy of striving to reduce waste, which has transformed the way Australians cook, transport, age and store fish. In 2016, at just 27 years old, Josh and Julie dug deep into their pockets to open Saint Peter, the small fish eatery that introduced whole-fish cookery to Sydney. While a risky venture, the couple ended up creating a vibrant, entirely unique neighbourhood favourite that went on to achieve many awards and attract significant global interest within its early years. Fast-forward to 2025, and the couple took things up a notch, opening The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter. The 14-room boutique hotel rehoused their restaurant, which also boasts a chef's table, private dining room and an independent bar and lounge. And that's not all. In the same year, Josh and Julie launched Catseye Pool Club at The Sundays, a new luxury hotel on Hamilton Island. Josh's seasonal menus are based on what's available and are often changing, but should you secure a coveted reservation, one of his tasting menus will transform the way you consume fish and seafood forever. One of Josh's signature tricks has been to utilise fish in ways that replace meat. For example, his beloved tuna burger, which has made many question why they would ever go back to a beef patty, or his famed fish charcuterie, which has completely reinvented the concept of dried and cured meats as a way to utilise seafood. On the menu, you might be lucky enough to try the likes of salt and vinegar Blue Mackerel with sourdough and cultured butter, calamari with tuna 'nduja, or coral trout with roast garlic and shishito peppers. The Sweets of the Sea is the perfect way to wrap up the mind-blowing experience that is dining at Saint Peter, with the likes of caviar canelés, tuna bone marrow fudge, and blackberry jellyfish altering your brain chemistry and leaving you longing for your next visit. Images: Supplied. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Dog owners have to roll the dice one too many times when it comes to property. What if your furry companion doesn't take to the space? Is it pet-friendly by design or by legal requirement? It makes a big difference, and our pets deserve to be just as comfortable at home as we are. It's an ethos at the heart of HOME Parramatta — Sydney's first renter and pet-friendly apartments that are so dog-friendly, they can even come to the inspections. In Parramatta, 42 percent of households own a dog, but only one in six Sydney rental properties allow pets. This Parramatta property is HOME's first in NSW, but with 2500 residents and 300-plus pets in Victoria's Docklands, Southbank and Richmond developments, the brand is looking to bring its blend of comfort, wellness and elevated amenities to two and four-legged residents in Sydney's second CBD. [caption id="attachment_1054116" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hugo Agency[/caption] The Doggy HOME Tours are the first taste of that, inviting prospective residents to explore the built-to-rent property with their dog in tow (or the other way around, if the dog is really enjoying it). Accompanying pooches will also get to visit the rooftop lawn, enjoy some pampering at the on-site pet spa, pick their own pet perfume, and sample some of the finest treats for the best boys and girls — joint supplement chews from Dog Years. HOME Parramatta is a 1932 square metre property, built of 435 residences, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments. You might have seen the 48-storey tower when passing through, and residents inside can see as far as the city to the east and the Blue Mountains in the west. Human amenities (because you're living there too) include an indoor pool, gym, spa, coworking space, and a landscaped lawn with an outdoor projector screen. [caption id="attachment_1054117" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hugo Agency[/caption] Should you choose to join the community, there'll be more special offers to come for you and your dog. In FY25, HOME hosted over 250 events for residents, many of which were pet-friendly, along with a dedicated program of pet events — including pet obedience tips, a pet cartoonist, meet-ups at local parks, and pet treat sampling opportunities. HOME Parramatta is located at 116 Macquarie Street, Parramatta. For more information or to book a tour, visit the website.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is over. Sadly, the Matildas didn't win. But the Sam Kerr-led squad just kept making history, including scoring Australia's best-ever placing by coming in fourth and notching up the country's most-watched TV event since 2001 — and likely ever. Those are all phenomenal feats. They're statue-worthy achievements. Also, they're the kind of accomplishments that've deservedly had the whole nation talking. And, in great news for fans of the world game, captain Kerr isn't done inspiring everyone yet. No one will ever forget the champion striker's stunning goal against England. No one will ever forget the entire Australian national women's soccer team's efforts throughout the whole competition. And, plenty of Aussies now want to be just like Kerr, Mackenzie Arnold, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Steph Catley, Hayley Raso and their fellow footballers. Enter Kerr's own football school for kids. First, the key point for all Kerr-adoring adults: this football academy is only for children, both girls and boys, aged 3–14. Of course, seeing an Australian sporting champion helping to bring about the next generation of football heroes is truly excellent. Every kid is probably trying to recreate that spectacular goal now anyway — and now they can learn how to at Kerr's own academy. If Kerr did decide to lend her name to a version for women, it'd be huge. Who wouldn't sign up? Unsurprisingly, the replies to the Matildas and Chelsea star's Instagram post announcing the venture are filled with adults wanting their own Kerr academy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) "Sam Kerr Football will provide players with a world-class program to be delivered by high-quality coaches, all with a focus on ensuring that young players fall in love with football the same way I have," said Kerr in a video announcing the school. Participants will not only level up their soccer skills, using training plans and sessions that've been whipped up by top Aussie soccer experts, but will take part in a holistic initiative that also covers health and wellbeing. Developing self-awareness, learning to overcome adversity, regulating emotions and understanding the importance of mindset will all be covered, as well as nutrition, rest and recovery, and injury management. There'll also be digital and media training — age-appropriate, of course — including preparing players for the kind of off-field press attention that Kerr has become used to. [caption id="attachment_913581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The program will launch for enrolments in 2023, with a 2024 start date. Exactly where it will operate is yet to be announced, but there'll be multiple sites. Right now, the academy is open for expressions of interest for players — and for coaches, partners and franchises, with the latter meaning that you can own your own Sam Kerr Football School. If you have or know a child that'd love to be involved, the academy will do free trial sessions — one lesson only — and charge a fee after that. Kids will also need to don a Sam Kerr uniform, which might be the easiest uniform to get them to wear. Training days are yet to be finalised, and will vary per school, but some centres will offer holiday programs. [caption id="attachment_913019" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] And if your child wants to meet Kerr — don't we all? — the school advises that "Sam's expertise and oversight is an integral part of Sam Kerr Football; however, as a star athlete, opportunities for her to meet young players are limited". "There may be some events and opportunities through your child's journey with Sam Kerr Football where Sam will be available to participate. Details of these occasions will be shared as they are known." Sam Kerr Football will open for enrolments later in 2023, and launch in 2024. To register your interest or for more information, head to the Sam Kerr Football website.
Missing the vibrant flavours of the Med? Mezepotamia is a new spot in Redfern, bound to satisfy your cravings. Founded by hospitality veterans Enes Yakan and Jessica Paatiño, this upbeat restaurant is bringing a contemporary blend of Turkish and Middle Eastern flavours that not only showcase centuries of culinary heritage, but invite guests to become immersed in the region's enriching spirit. While the restaurant launched in Leichhardt during the tumultuous times of 2021, it forged a dedicated customer base thanks to its signature share plates and welcoming atmosphere. Having made the move from the inner west to the inner south, the restaurant's new home presents an equally alluring space brimming with heartwarming food, wine and communal good vibes. Drawing inspiration from Turkey and throughout the Middle East, Mezepotamia's menu is primed to feed a crowd. Featuring mezze and grilled specialties prepared using traditional charcoal grilling and slow-cooking techniques, the restaurant's respect for culinary heritage translates to vivid dishes where the pleasure of getting together with loved ones is just as important as what's served on the plate. "We wanted to create a space that celebrates the warmth and generosity of Middle Eastern dining," says co-owner Enes Yakan. "Mezepotamia isn't just about food, it's about the experience of coming together, sharing, and enjoying the moment." Leading the kitchen is Mezepotamia's Head Chef Burak Yildirim, who has 30 years of experience serving authentic Turkish, Greek and Italian cuisine, with a few modern additions. Shaping the menu is a range of bright and zesty highlights, from smoky eggplant dip to onion dolma, featuring seasoned beef, currants, pine nuts and aromatic spices. There's also Ali Nazik, where grass-fed aged steak is served over a velvety eggplant purée and finished with chilli butter. Meanwhile, signature cocktails like the Anatolian Highball offer a refreshing mix of raki, pear liqueur, mastic, lemon and soda. Mezepotamia's design is as thoughtful as the cuisine, with a sophisticated blend of traditional and contemporary touches evoking the warm hues of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Expect earthy tones, soft lighting and details that speak to ancient architecture. Perfect for intimate one-on-one dinners or bubbly affairs with friends, the restaurant's bold flavours and lively mood will make this Redfern arrival a bustling spot for an easygoing feast. Mezepotamia is open Wednesday–Thursday from 5pm–10pm, Friday from 4pm–11pm and Saturday–Sunday from 12pm–10pm at 99 Redfern Street, Redfern. Head to the website for more information.
Spooky season has returned, a time of ghosts and ghouls, flirting with lolly-based diabetes and getting into the spirit by bingeing all things horror. Generally the impulse is to line up a movie marathon of monsters and murderers, but why not mix a little interactivity into your goosebump-inducing genre consumption this year? With horror being such a beloved creative territory there's a boundless wealth of frightening indie games around, but to help you dip your toe into the terrifying here's a list of six (aka 1/111th of the spookiest number possible) to try… if you dare. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3ZIJccpj8[/embed] MUNDAUN Folk horror is not a genre that shows up much in the gaming world which seems to have an overwhelming preference for sci-fi scares and general supernatural gore. Swiss developers Hidden Fields decided to buck trends with Mundaun, a first-person exploration game rendered in hand-pencilled fashion. You play as Curdin, a man visiting a small village in the alpine foothills to pay his post-funeral respects to his grandfather after the old man perished in a barn fire. Only problem is, grandpa's grave is empty. As you delve into the mystery of what happened to gramps, you uncover a historical deal made under the duress of war that has cursed the village, and it's up to you to do something about it by poking around the town of Mundaun and its surrounds, speaking with its inhabitants, and indulging in some light puzzle solving. There's a pinch of survival horror mixed in too, so you'll need to manage limited ammo and weapons to deal with a variety of enemies, from animated straw men to undead soldiers. The game's striking aesthetic lends an uneasy air that feeds excellently into the surreal, foreboding setting, steeped in a confluence of Christianity and Paganism. There's nothing else quite like it, so make sure you play with the lights off for the best experience. Spookiness Rating: 7/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBuh9afznMg[/embed] YUPPIE PSYCHO If you've ever drawn a salary as a corporate wage slave, Yuppie Psycho is going to speak to you on another level. This survival horror game, developed by French/Spanish team Baroque Decay, puts you in the shoes of Brian Pasternack, a nervous young man on his first day at Sintracorp. His job? Kill the witch that has cursed the company for years. You'll spend your time roaming the 10 floors of the company's headquarters, rendered in gloriously retro pixel art. Almost from the get-go, it's clear that something is deeply, deeply wrong. Most of your coworkers are slack jawed and dead eyed, responding with gibberish when you try to talk to them. Someone keeps painting messages on the wall in blood. There's a cemetery in the woods on the 8th floor, and a spider monster in the archives. Alongside all of this standard horror, the game deftly mixes in the anxiety and imposter syndrome that accompanies starting a new job, as well as the existential despair that comes from mandatory motivational meetings, dealing with the spectrum of irritating co-workers and navigating the forced, two-faced jollity of a professional environment. With multiple endings based on choices you make, and even two vastly different paths to get to the end, it's a game you can pick up and play again and again. Spookiness Rating: 6/10 Available on: PC/Mac, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe4gVfZ1Q2I[/embed] WORLD OF HORROR 'A little bit of HP Lovecraft, a little bit of Junji Ito' is a great recipe for the vibe of a horror game. WORLD OF HORROR by Polish solo dev panstasz takes place at the cusp of the apocalypse. The Old Gods are awakening, panic and madness are spreading, and monsters are stalking the streets of Shiokawa, the small Japanese town where the action takes place. The primary thrust of the game sees you investigating a series of strange occurrences. It's a roguelike, so the changing raft of cases means no two runs are exactly the same which gives the game great replayability. The turn-based combat leans towards the challenging side (hey, no one said the end of the world would be easy), but an RPG-esque upgrade system will help ease the stress of late-stage runs — provided you make smart choices. Plus it's primarily an adventure game, so if you fear fast-twitch gameplay there's nothing to worry about here... beyond everything else happening. The Junji Ito inspiration comes through heavily in the lineup of monsters, mirroring the manga artist's off-putting creations in throwback 1-bit graphics that look like they came straight off the page. Fans of Japanese horror will definitely want to give this one a whirl. Spookiness Rating: 9/10 Available on: PC/Mac, Console release coming October 26th [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naCeKfdPbTs[/embed] CRITTERS FOR SALE Critters For Sale is weird, man. No other way to put it. Created by solo developer Sonoshee, this blend of point-and-click adventure and visual novel is a heady, paranoid time, as compelling as it is mildly repulsive. Play through five nonlinear short stories linked by broad themes of good vs evil, time travel and black magic, with woozy, grainy 1-bit graphics that help to heighten the general feelings of discomfort and discombobulation. Some feature multiple endings based on choices you make, which encourages multiple playthroughs supported by quality-of-life features that skip you to key story points so you don't have to start at the beginning every time. Others hide secrets that will only make sense once you've explored all the stories. Each tale comes from the perspective of a different character, so you're never quite able to find a stable narrative footing as you navigate between them, boosting your sense of unease. It's a highly-advanced horror game that bucks the modern trend of blood and brutality for an ineffable surrealism, leaving an impression on you long after you've completed its twisted paths. The faint-of-heart need not apply. Spookiness Rating: 9/10 Available on: PC [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrRWb7tFxR8[/embed] DREDGE Oceans are terrifying. Out where the water is an almost-black blue, where anything could be lurking below... that's nightmare territory. This is the niche in which Dredge, by New Zealand's Black Salt Games, floats. You're a nameless fisherman, freshly arrived to the island town of Greater Marrow after a shipwreck left you with no memories. The mayor gives you a boat and a job as the community angler and off you go to complete missions for a variety of characters, some with more sinister motives than others. The crux of the game is its day/night cycle. When the sun is up, you can roam the waves with relative impunity. Once the dark arrives your panic metre starts to fill, which can lead to reality-altering hallucinations and death if you push your luck. That's not to mention the sea monsters that inhabit the archipelagos you'll visit, which will have you navigating coastlines in frenzied fear, searching for escape. Mix all the above with a raft of compelling gameplay mechanics, such as a variety of fishing mini-games, the Tetris-like cargo management system and 128 different types of fish to catch and catalogue, and you've got an experience will truly hook you in. Spookiness Raiting: 6/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9zBBTyX-E[/embed] LITTLE NIGHTMARES II The decision to include a sequel over the original game took a lot of soul searching. But ultimately, since the focus here is spooks and scares, Little Nightmares II takes the cake (it's also technically a prequel, but let's not get bogged down in details here). Developed by Swedish team Tarsier Studios, Little Nightmares II is a 2.5D puzzle platformer that is packed with peril. You're Mono, a young boy in a paper bag mask who, along with a mysterious young girl as a sidekick, must make your way through the decrepit, dank Pale City to uncover what lies inside the Signal Tower at its heart. Along the way you'll have a lot to deal with, such as the television-addicted inhabitants who fly into an incoherent rage if you sever their connection to the cathode ray tube. The strength of the game lies in its set pieces, each of which is a polished jewel of terror. Talk to anyone who has played Little Nightmares II previously and they can wax lyrical about the School, the Hospital, or the end sequence, which features a twist that will slap a gasp out of you. The character design is also outstanding, with the adult inhabitants of the world represented as twisted grotesqueries, exactly what you'd expect from the point of view of a child. With a gameplay loop centred on dying, learning and dying again, and an atmosphere that will keep your anxiety levels at a roiling boil, Little Nightmares II is a key addition to the game library of any horror fan. Spookiness Rating: 8/10 Available on: PC, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Nintendo Switch
It's safe to say, restaurants like Meu Jardim don't come around every day. After all, this dramatic new Skittle Lane venture from restaurateur Ussi Moniz Da Silva not only boasts a heady $4.1 million dollar fit-out, but also a huge firepit and a three-metre-high indoor waterfall. A futuristic nod to the natural elements of fire and water, the two-level, 330-seat space delivers a striking vision of glossy white angles and turquoise neon finishes. White pearl walls supposedly pull inspiration from the Dordogne Valley in France, while an impressive curved block staircase connects the two floors. Upstairs is dedicated to a high-end contemporary French restaurant, its entrance marked by that flowing sheet of water and an oyster shucking station, and its open kitchen set artfully behind glass. Here, Executive Chef Jason McCauley (Banc Restaurant, Carpaccio Leichhardt, Eatalia) is plating up modern reworkings of classic fine French flavours. It's a lineup that's both considered and totally decadent, kicking off with bites like escargot in garlic, butter and champagne, Western Australian lobster tail and a wagyu tartare starring quail yolk and Tasmanian summer truffle. Mains might include a duck a l'orange featuring turnip, green olive and an orange gelee, or the blue eye trevalla and mussels done with plenty of white wine and cream. There's even a 1.2-kilogram grass-fed tomahawk steak, which you can pimp out even further with the addition of some gold leaf for an extra $60. [caption id="attachment_764757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] If decisions aren't your strong point, a five-course degustation is also on offer for $100 a head, which will take you from scallops with caviar through to fillet and an apple tarte tartin served with smoked honey yoghurt ice cream. A more casual (and affordable) affair awaits you downstairs, where snacks, shared plates and bistro fare take centre stage. Expect to tuck into creations like the chicken liver parfait served with a port gel and sesame lavash, salt cod beignets and the restaurant's signature 'crodogs' — a croissant-hot dog hybrid — filled with the likes of pulled pork, lamb and mint or strawberries and cream. You can also pull up a seat by that 40-person firepit to settle in with a cosy tipple. There's a wine selection heroing drops from across Australia and France — go for a glass of the 2018 Domaine Paul Blanck pinot blanc from Alsace, perhaps — and a cocktail lineup starring forgotten classics alongside signature creations. Stay on theme with something lush, like the Vuju De — a fusion of Monkey 47, sherry, Dom Benedictine, Lillet Blanc, creme de violet and orange bitters. Images: Kitti Gould
What activity combines an upper-body workout and getting your hands nice and dirty? Minds out of the gutter please — we're talking about pottery. Give the throw a go at Clay:Sydney's wheel-throwing classes in her Marrickville studio. If you're looking for some wholesome (but not clean) weekend fun, the taster classes run every Saturday morning. The 90-minute class will take you through how to throw clay on the wheel, as well as how to fire and glaze once you've created something with your clay (even if it is a little wonky). A nice little dip-your-toe-in before signing up for a full course, the class is ideal for those with no experience. You might not be master of the wheel by the end, but you and the wheel will at least be tight enough for you to have earned your learner's plates. The classes run every Saturday from 9am–10.30am, plus every Wednesday night and second Saturday afternoon. If you're a little throw-shy, you can opt for a private class — or try out one of the wine-fuelled hand-building workshops, instead. Updated: May 14, 2019.
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix. fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll and chocolate fudge gelato. Most recently, it made a bubble tea variety, and a gelato featuring Belgium's Lotus Biscoff cookie butter spread, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is taking inspiration from other well-known sweet treats hailing from overseas — in case you've always wanted some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Hershey's Kisses in your ice cream. Yes, those very combinations are now on the menu, all as part of Gelatissimo's new American-inspired Flavours of the USA gelato range. Just launching this week, the lineup includes three new flavours — so if you needed an excuse to treat yourself to multiple scoops, you just might've found one. First up, it's pretty easy to guess how Gelatissimo's Peanut Butter Cup Made With Reese's flavour will taste. It uses peanut butter gelato, plus some Hershey's cocoa powder, then adds a ripple of chocolate that features roasted peanuts and big chunks of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Not feeling quite so nutty? Chocolate Kisses Made With Hershey's is basically an excuse to eat chocolate, some more chocolate, and then even more chocolate. It's made with chocolate gelato — and the gelato itself is made with Hershey's kisses and Hersey's cocoa powder — which is then drizzled with more melted Hersey's Kisses. Lastly, Gelatissimo is pairing crushed candied pecans with bourbon caramel swirls in a flavour called, unsurprisingly, Bourbon Caramel and Pecans. While this is a US-inspired range, the boozy flavour comes via a collaboration with West Australian distillery Whipper Snapper, infusing its Upshot Whiskey into the gelato. Gelatissimo's new range just hit stores on Friday, October 9, with the three new flavours currently available nationwide. That said, they're only on offer for a limited time, although the chain hasn't specified an exact period — but you can nab them either by going into a shop or via delivery. Gelatissimo's Flavours of the USA range is available from all stores nationwide for a limited time.
Popular Redfern eatery and sandwich palace Scout's Honour has welcomed a new addition into the family. Meet Morris. He's entered the world on the corner of Albion Avenue and Selwyn Street in Paddington — and he promises to be just as popular as his chicken 'n' chip sanga-lovin' big brother. Morris's menu is a sandwich lover's dream and, similar to Scout's Honour, focuses on good, clean basics and wholesome ingredients. You'll find a combo of sandwiches, salads and bowls, all full to the brim with ingredients your nutritionist would approve of (think fresh veggies, seeds, nuts and lean meats). The spicy fish tacos with shredded cabbage, corn and cucumber salsa, avocado, toasted pepitas, harissa sauce and fresh lime ($16) are a clear standout. The comprehensive sides and additions menu means you can freshen up your toast or tailor your meal to your taste. Although you may find yourself stuck on the sides, with options like with an avocado, coriander and walnut salsa with sesame and lemon ($6), labneh and hazelnut dukkah ($5) and bacon and house pickles ($6). Wash it down all with a freshly squeezed juice, chai or smoothie. For the winter months, we've got out eye firmly trained on the mug of hot Milo with textured milk ($4). The cute new eatery is a summer-time haven with shady outdoor eating and large street front windows to complement the fresh menu. They've taken a few cues from Scout's Honour and kept the interior design and colour palette warm and simple, with yellow and cream finishes throughout and a rough concrete finish on the exterior. Morris has all the qualities we've come to love about Scout's Honour, while still managing to be his own person (er, cafe).
Each year we anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and the arrival of Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. This year, the gelato chain is bringing back its version of the quintessential Australian dessert: the trifle. Yes, The Christmas Coma, which made its debut last year, is back. But this year it'll even more decadent. The epic ice cream creation will feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina has switched out the vanilla gelato for a rich chocolate number, and will be slathering it with its house-made dulce de leche mousse. Then it will be layered with — here we go — red velvet cake, vanilla Chantilly cream, chocolate-coated biscuit crumbs, meringue, sour cherry jelly and lime gel. Plus, it'll come with some chocolate-coated nuts and Messina brandy custard to douse all over the mess. The trifle, which serves 18–20 (or less if you really commit), costs $150 and can be ordered for pickup between December 20 and 6pm on Christmas Eve. In Sydney you can pick one up from Rosebery, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Miranda, Penrith, Tramsheds and Parramatta. If you're in Melbourne, you can get one from the Fitzroy or Windsor outposts — and the South Brisbane store will be making them too. Hopefully nan won't take it personally. The Christmas Coma will be available to order from Wednesday, November 14 — you can add your name to the waitlist here.
Escape the hustle and bustle of city living and stay in the beautifully restored terrace house, the White House in the gorgeous town of Molong in the Orange region. All the heritage elements you would expect can be found in this quaint house on the heritage-listed main street: timber floors, throughout, high ceilings with pressed tin and large timber windows. The well-equipped two-storey property has plenty of space for those travelling in a group. Downstairs you'll find the kitchen, living room, toilet and laundry with views out onto the courtyard with a large lemon tree — a perfect spot for your morning coffee if the spacious terrace verandah doesn't take your fancy. There are three bedrooms (one queen and two doubles) and a bathroom upstairs. Molong is a quiet town a 25-minute drive from Orange and close to the region's standout wineries. If the great outdoors is on your itinerary, Molong is also a short drive from Lake Canobolas Reserve and Mount Canobolas. As with many of the small towns in the region, you can find numerous boutique shops, pubs, grocery stores and cafes. Images: David Brodie
If there's been a big, White Night-shaped hole in your social calendar since the famed Melbourne after-hours fiesta wrapped up its last edition in February 2018, you'll be happy to know it's making a return this August. Just be prepared for a very different experience, as the immersive festival makes some serious changes to its programming and farewells part of the late-night fun. As well as making the move from summer to the deep of winter, organisers have revealed that White Night Reimagined will swap its previous one-night format for an expanded three-night affair. Interestingly, it's also scrapping the all-nighter aspect in the process. Instead of the usual 7pm–7am program, which has been in place since the festival's inaugural 2013 edition, White Night will this year run from 7pm until midnight on Thursday, August 22, and again on Friday, August 23, followed by a 7pm until 2am session on Saturday, August 24. The new curfew means punters will no longer get to experience what some might argue is one of White Night's biggest pulls — the adventure of roaming around town soaking up art and installations, right through until the wee hours. Although, frosty August probably isn't the best time of year for pre-sunrise wanderings, anyway. [caption id="attachment_728542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky[/caption] The new-format event will also expand in scope, held across three key precincts with each boasting its own distinct theme. Treasury Gardens will take the form of the 'Sensory Realm', showcasing dazzling projections, lighting and audio installations, and interactive artworks inspired by the five senses. Here, you'll find British artist Michael Pinsky's immersive Pollution Pods, which represented the different environments of global cities; a musical and calming SongCloud; a colourful light and audiovisual installation called Cluster; as well as a giant floating Cocoon made from 1000 lights tied together by ropes. Carlton Gardens will be transformed into the mystical 'Spiritual Realm', featuring a huge ten-metre lion puppet by Melbourne artist Joe Blanck, along with illuminations sharing the stories of Indigenous Australia. And the 'Physical Realm' descends on Birrarung Marr, showcasing the Aussie debut of internationally acclaimed street theatre performance Globe, from a troupe of 41 acrobats, aerialists, singers and actors. [caption id="attachment_728540" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Globe by Gerard Dubois[/caption] Other famed Melbourne spots coming to the party include the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Library Victoria, all hosting their own programs of art, food and music. The rest of White Night Reimagined's extended program, including the music component, is set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Starting from 2020, White Night will also form part of a new and bigger winter festival, in conjunction with the Melbourne International Arts Festival (MIAF). White Night Reimagined runs from Thursday, August 22 to Saturday, August 24. Top images: White Night 2018, SongCloud by Amigo & Amigo and Cluster by Playmodes Studio.
Cycling seems like it's never been more popular in Sydney, and though the city hasn't always been the friendliest place to ride a bike, local councils are working to change that with free bike tune-ups and skills and maintenance courses available across suburbs like Glebe, Erskineville and St Peters. Plus, the City of Sydney has introduced six new temporary cycling lanes to make it even easier to adopt two wheels for your commute, or to simply explore more of Sydney while avoiding public transport. When you're new to cycling, or looking to invest in a new helmet, tyres or cycle wear, you may want to chat to the experts to make sure you're on the right track — and best place to do that is in store. So, we've partnered with American Express to bring you a list of boutique bike shops that have the latest road bikes, mountain bikes and electric bikes, plus cycling equipment, so you can find the one that best suits your needs, and shop small with your Amex Card. Once you're saddled up, check out these Sydney bike rides for leisurely city rides and stunning bush cycles.
An afternoon spent in a big Sydney beer garden with your mates is most definitely an afternoon well spent. There will be laughs, possibly a few jugs or bottles emptied, some good food and (hopefully) plenty of sunshine. But the most important thing is spending time with your buddies — ALL of your buddies. You wouldn't leave Dave at home would you? Or Sarah? Think how devastated they'd be if they found out you hadn't invited them. Your best friend — aka (hu)man's best friend — would also get seriously hurt feelings if left at home, so the trick is to choose a venue where Rover is welcome, grab him a dish of water and sneak him a couple of bites of nachos under the table. The bars mentioned here are happy to have canine guests as long as they don't make too much noise or mess (so it's just like the deal they have with you and your mate Dave really...).
When Ron's Upstairs opened on Redfern Street last year, the team left the space — which was previously occupied by longstanding Thai restaurant Pron Prohm — largely untouched. The panelled walls, the carpeted stairs and the (albeit altered) original sign out the front remain. The decision to keep these flourishes is a reminder that Redfern has changed rapidly in the last five years. Where dining options were limited to takeaway joints, there is now a rooftop bar, a corner wine bar and a ramen joint with a line snaking out the door. While some small bars like Arcadia Liquors and The Dock have been around for a while now, plenty of Redfern's restaurants and bars are brand spanking new. Here are the places worth checking out for dinner or a drink. Extra points to those that support the local arts community and erase the suburb's history altogether — even if it's just by keeping the sign out the front.
Sebastian Goldspink was born and raised in Kings Cross, Sydney. In 2011, he opened ALASKA Projects in an abandoned mechanic's office in the basement of a Kings Cross Car Park. In its first year of operations ALASKA Projects has shown the work of over 100 artists, and is committed to showcasing emerging art in disused or under-utilised spaces. In December 2012, ALASKA Projects will tour its first exhibition internationally to artist run space Good Children in New Orleans, USA. In 2011, Sebastian was asked to speak as part of Creative Sydney's lecture series of Australia's most influential image makers. He regularly contributes to panels as a speaker, most recently as part of the SAMAG panel ‘Thinking outside the white cube’. As an administrator, Sebastian has worked for various organisations including the Biennale of Sydney, MCA, MoNA, and now, in his current position, Art Month Sydney. We asked him to tell us about his five favourite spots in Sydney that are a little off the beaten path: the hideaways that have always been just around your corner. 1. Garden Island Board the Watson's Bay ferry from Circular Quay and casually tell one of the ferry guys that you wish to get off at Garden Island. The ferry will make a stop just for you and chances are you'll be the only person getting off. On Garden Island you'll find a cafe and some of the best views of Sydney Harbour, and there is also a strange little naval history museum. Great to take visitors to Sydney. 2. 21 Espresso Double Bay Since 1958 this Double Bay Jewish soul food emporium has been serving up amazing Hungarian food to homesick Eastern Europeans and their children, grand children, great grand children… I like the gypsy platter for two, the lemon pancakes, the mish mash coffee, the sides of creamed spinach and, when I'm sick, the matzo ball soup dusted in paprika. 3. Domain Car Park Travelator The longest moving walkway in the Southern Hemisphere is hidden underground between St Mary's Cathedral and the Domain Car Park. Super scary at night. You can pretend you're in Luc Besson's film Subway. 4. Woollahra Library, Double Bay/Bellevue Hill Amazing library in Bellevue Hill with beautiful gardens and grounds right next to the glamourous Seven Shillings beach and Redleaf pool. Wander around the gardens which are filled with great hidden areas. Fantastic for kids. Take a swim at Seven Shillings beach or year round at Redleaf pool. 5. Alaska Projects Hidden within the Kings Cross car park, Alaska Projects is a contemporary art space built in a disused mechanics workshop. The space has a busy program of exhibitions of Sydney's top emerging artists as well as interstate and international artists. Alaska also holds regular music nights and film screenings and is embarking on a theatrical program. Upcoming at ALASKA: Anything, Everything and One Other Thing (Parts 1-5)Curated by Tom PoloFeaturing Dan Bell, George Egerton-Warburton, Leahlani Johnson, Kenny Pittock and Kate Smith.Exhibition Opening: Wed 25th Jul 6-8PM. Continues from Wednesday 25th July to Sunday 5th August.alaskaprojects.com
Ikea products are notoriously frustrating to assemble, and the lack of words in their assemble instructions doesn't make it any easier. While their commitment to sustainability and not wasting paper is admirable, surely a few words here and there wouldn't kill too many more extra trees. But have you ever been tempted to just throw the instructions out and see what happens? Italian design firm Teste Di Legno did just that, although more out of curiosity than frustration. While assembling some new office furniture, they came up with the idea of "enriching" one piece of furniture with bits of another, which led to the creation of their 'Lato B' collection — four pieces of multipurpose Franken-furniture made entirely out of reimagined Ikea products. For instance, their 'Unacucina' ('one kitchen') piece combines a coffee table, toy storage and flower pots with an island bench to create a quirky, one-off piece of furniture that even has space for a herb garden. On Teste di Legno's website, they describe the process of making the collection as being "like moving around a body to discover the less visible parts (from side A to side B), or illuminating with a ray of light the dark part — not of the moon — which forces a design to have a fixed, rigid, defined identity: a table is a table." Although 'Ikea hacking' is not a new idea, this is definitely among the more creative attempts we've seen. Via PSFK.
The face mask is about to enjoy a peak in popularity, after the NSW Government strongly suggested Sydeysiders start wearing face coverings, at a press conference over the weekend. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has outlined four key situations where masks should be worn: if you're in an enclosed space and can't social distance, such as at a supermarket or on public transport; if you're working a customer-facing job, such as hospitality or retail; if you're attending a place of worship; and if you're in an area where there is high levels of community transmission. At this stage, masks aren't compulsory for NSW, but as the state continues to record daily new case numbers in the double digits, many locals are stocking up on those face coverings. And if you want to jump on board, you'll find plenty of locally made options to choose from. You can pick up affordable, one-use face masks from major retailers like Officeworks, Chemist Warehouse, Kmart and Bunnings. Some are offering delivery and click-and-collect options, though you'll need to check individual stores to see what's available and who's got stock. Alternatively, crafty folk Australia-wide are whipping up a variety of reusable cloth masks, available either to purchase in-store, or to buy online and have sent straight to your door. Keep in mind, however, that some may be experiencing slower manufacturing and delivery times thanks to the rush in demand, but most are restocking regularly. Here are a few local options to check out if you're masking up: [caption id="attachment_779425" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Masks from Ford Millinery[/caption] THE ECO MASK This Sydney company is slinging a huge assortment of face masks through its online store, starting from just $15 a pop. You'll find options here for both kids and adults, with designs ranging from bold block colours to lively prints, and new gear landing weekly. Each mask is handmade with two layers of cotton and a top wire to fit to your nose. The Eco Mask's masks are available online for $15 PAPINELLE You'll likely know this Paddington-based label for its luxurious sleepwear designs, but in keeping with the times, it's now having a crack at some swanky face coverings, too. Papinelle has got you protected in style, with washable masks made from silk. They've got adjustable elastic straps, interior filter pockets and even wire bridges to fit your nose. Due to demand, stock is being sent out in batches. Papinelle's masks are available online for $39.95 FORD MILLINERY Chantelle Ford's Sydney-based millinery business has turned its talents to stylish face coverings, even launching new initiative Masks 4 Mates. Shop this fab range of reversible printed fabric masks and five percent of each sale will go straight to charity. The designs are made from washable, pleated cotton and come in three different sizes. Ford Millinery's masks are available online for $29.95 LOVE, LAUGH AND LIGHT COLLECTIVE If you're after some eye-catching designs to wrap your face in, take a squiz at the latest range of masks from Love, Laugh and Light Collective. The medical supply company is stitching brightly hued face masks to order, available in both plain colours and snappy prints. The multi-layer designs are made by hand, each with a mouldable nose guard to ensure minimal facial squishing. Love, Laugh and Light Collective's masks are available online for $25.50–28.50 (single), or $46.55 (two-pack) THE SOCIAL OUTFIT This fashion-focused social enterprise is not only making face masks, but its new initiative B1-G1 will match each mask purchase by donating another to someone in need. The designs are double-layered, with elastic ear ties and wire nose bridging. And there are heaps of fun prints to choose from. The B1-G1 online store is currently waiting on stock, but in the meantime you can find a selection of masks at The Social Outfit's Newtown HQ. The Social Outfit's masks are available online and in-store for $27 BREATHE EASY Newcastle-based company Breathe Easy has your back with its collection of plain cotton washable face masks. Each multi-layer mask features adjustable ear straps and a filter for extra protection. You'll even score four new filter inserts included with any item purchased. Breathe Easy's masks are available online for $39.95 BUNDARRA This Australian clothing manufacturer makes stylish threads featuring artworks by First Nations artists and its extensive line of face masks is no different. Colourful prints from a range of contemporary artists have been transformed into face coverings, each made from three fabric layers and featuring a removable filter. New stock is arriving daily. The company also donates a percentage of all sales to non-profit The MaraWay. Bundarra's masks are available online for $24.95 SCOUT THE LABEL A local designer fashion brand with a conscience, Scout The Label has released a nifty new collection of face masks crafted in various natural fabrics. Each of the four-layer coverings come with an internal filter compartment and adjustable ear elastics to ensure comfy noggins. There are three sizes available, currently with five neutral hues to choose from. Scout The Label's masks are available online for $25–30 [caption id="attachment_779426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A mask from KITX[/caption] KITX Ethical fashion label KitX has expanded its collection to include a range of reusable face masks made from fabric remnants. There are single-layer and triple-layer varieties on offer, all pleated for comfort and with elastic loops to secure at the ears. Go for a stylish print, or a plain hued version, like the blue hemp number currently in stock. KitX's masks are available in-store and online for $25-35 WHITE RABBIT GALLERY Its main focus has always been celebrating contemporary Chinese art, but the renowned White Rabbit Gallery is now dabbling in the face mask biz as well. The talented Rondah McKellar has been busy crafting a variety of colourful kids and adults masks for sale in the gallery's shop. They're super soft, reversible and feature three layers of fabric in a range of different prints. The larger sizes are currently sold out, but more are set to arrive in the coming days. White Rabbit Gallery's masks are available in-store from $20 (once restocked). To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top images: Ford Millinery
