With the launch of a brand new Japanese-style menu, The Rook Rooftop is transforming into a cherry blossom garden for the season. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to 'seeing flowers,' The Rook has launched a dining experience that is aesthetically pleasing all around. As you walk through its doors, you'll be immersed in a world of pastel pink, artful cocktails and funky dishes — all while being surrounded by wonderful views of Sydney's CBD. Some must-try bites include its loaded gyoza, served with furikake, tonkatsu sauce, kewpie and bonito flakes ($17), and the fried chicken burger, which comes with golden curry mayo and lettuce ($22). The Rook is also offering a bottomless dumpling special on Saturdays from June 6. For $30 (or $59 with bottomless tap beers and wine), you can eat as many dumplings as your heart desires for two hours. Sittings are at 11.30am and 2pm on Saturday and 12pm and 2pm on Sunday. Images: Jasper Ave
The Mayflower, one of Darlinghurst's favourite cafes, is an opulent affair. Located in a 90s art deco building just down the block from East Village Sydney, it offers great breakfast and lunch options along with a classy range of cocktails designed to light up your afternoon. The venue is by Christian Lee and Kevin Ly (formerly Brewristas), who pay homage to the building's former florist with the greenery-filled, floral-themed cafe. Expect a millennial pink interior that's accented with onyx stone tables, resin pendant lights, abstract murals and lush installations. The food offering at The Mayflower starts with the breakfast menu, with all the hits, including granola with fig jam and berries; eggs on toast with miso butter; smashed avo with coriander and lime and a big breakfast with eggs your way, chorizo, streaky bacon and baked tomato. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find a yellowfin tuna tartare, a croque monsieur with jamon serrano, and a wagyu cheeseburger. For dessert, you can choose between an affogato or mochi ice cream. The Mayflower hits the mark every time a new seasonal menu lands, and the stunning pastel surrounds never fade. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
The Art Gallery of NSW's current exhibition, Tang: treasures from the Silk Road capital, presents exquisite objects from a period (618-907 CE) seen by many as the golden age of Chinese culture. Sitting at the start (or, more to the point, the end) of the Silk Road trade route, which wound across the Asian continent all the way to modern day Turkey, the Tang capital Chang'an was a true cosmopolitan hub. Its residents had a particular taste for international haute couture and they had the coin and position to indulge it. Tang China offered women unprecedented political and social freedoms: they could own property and divorce their husbands; and it was in this period that Wu Zetian reigned as Emperor (the only woman in China's history to have done so). The garments worn by Tang women reflect this shift in power dynamics, as women experimented with transgressive styles that shocked some contemporary observers. Tang gives us a glimpse of the incredible fashions that emerged in this context. Here are some highlights. WHO WEARS THE PANTS? Tang China was a period of unprecedented freedom for women of a certain class and the fashions of this period really reflect that. Traditional strict Confucian dress codes were flouted by some women who began to show off their arms, back and (the horror!) decolletage. But perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that Tang women sometimes wore men's clothes, both foreign and Chinese in style. A mural in the exhibition actually shows one such badass woman wearing a white robe over striped trousers. BROW DOWN The period's extravagant hairstyles and makeup also reflect the wealth and splendour of Tang China. Many of the coifs depicted in Tang look like feats of engineering (bringing to mind the hairdos rocked by Marie Antoinette some centuries later), with hair arranged in tall sculptural shapes on top of the head. And when it comes to eyebrows, Tang China had it down to a fine art. Indeed Emperor Wenzong (who seems to have been quite the stick in the mud) decreed in the 9th century that women had to cease removing their eyebrows, a practice which made it easier to paint on intricate designs. The different styles of these painted eyebrows were given the most delightful names imaginable. As you walk through the exhibition try and look out for the "mandarin duck", "drooping pearl" or "dark fog" eyebrows. IF YOU'VE GOT IT... As is often the case, clothes were a means by which Tang elites could demonstrate their wealth and sophistication. There is no denying the grandeur of the clothes depicted in Tang, not to mention a particularly stunning jade pendant that is on display. Showing off through fashion was not without its risks however; one Tang princess was punished by Emperor Wenzong for wearing excessively long sleeves. Admittedly, the Emperor does seem to have been pretty generous, considering his decreed sleeve limit was 2.65 metres (large enough to please a few Ellery fans out there). Various sumptuary laws were enacted throughout the Tang dynasty — Emperor Xuanzong for example actually ordered the burning of jade and pearl goods as a rejection of extravagant palace tastes. But you get the sense that the buzzkillers were fighting a losing battle. One Tang princess commissioned the imperial workshop to create her a skirt made of feathers. The skirt was such a hit that other elites copied the look, creating a huge trend for the feathers of exotic birds. Luxury items were a prominent feature of life in the Silk Road capital, and there was no shortage of new and more ostentatious goods to be consumed. WHAT'S OUT IS IN Thanks to the power of trade, the Tang dynasty China delighted in adopting fashions of both foreign cultures and Chinese ethnic minorities — what was literally outside the Tang dynasty found itself very in fashion during this time. Referred to as hufu, foreign dress was accessible in Tang China because of the influx of international goods, people and ideas into its capital. The AGNSW exhibition is peppered with gorgeous examples of this foreign influence — if you know where to look. Luckily, we have the exhibition's curator Yin Cao to guide us. What I had taken for a pair of soggy baguettes on the back of a ceramic pack horse figurine, are in fact bolts of the silk fabric that were China's most significant luxury export during in this period (it ain't called the Silk Road for nothing). Men's fashion borrowed from external influences, with several earthenware figurines in the exhibition depicting horse riders wearing prints reminiscent of Persian patterns. Palace women also adopted foreign fashion while riding, and, to the chagrin of some contemporary writers, they abandoned traditional modest face veils in favour of hats made of felt, a nomad fabric. And while fashions come and go, fusty old men are eternal, as one Tang politician lamented, "Our women are acting like foreigners' wives, studying foreign makeup." The exotic fashions worn by the elite filtered down to the masses in what some feared was a sign of a 'corrupted empire'. Despite these concerns, men and women of Tang China continued to seek out new styles that came through the Silk Road, dressing themselves in clothes that could be Turkish, Tibetan, Persian or Uighur in style. Some of these clothes saw their wearers branded 'barbarians' by their more conservative compatriots, an indication of conflicting attitudes to China's unusual openness to other cultures in this period. Tang: treasures from the Silk Road capital runs until July 10 at the AGNSW and there's more info right here.
We don't know what you got out of your last road trip, but odds are it wasn't a 432-page cookbook profiling 100 food heroes and shot through with gush-worthy photography. Acclaimed food writers Helen Greenwood and Melissa Leong are different that way. After six months on the road with a production crew, they've emerged with The Great Australian Cookbook, a document that features recipes from leading chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou but also from farmers and producers such as Tathra Oysters, Bruny Island Food and the Pyengana Dairy Company — as well as Australia's original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. And how do you visually communicate this breadth of Australiana so the book might be judged by its cover? With a specially commissioned illustration from Mambo artist Reg Mombassa, of course. Topping off this love fest, royalties from the book will go to OzHarvest, the Australian charity distributing unwanted food to people in need. It's a pretty special project, one that meant figuring out what constituted Aussie cuisine in the first place — the modern version, not just sausage rolls and prawns on the barbie. For Greenwood and Leong, former collaborators on The Good Food Shopping Guide, it was a natural progression of their work in recent years. After the success of The Great New Zealand Cookbook, the pair were approached to do the same for Australia. They jumped at the chance. "We loved the idea of a cookbook that reaches into many regions of Australia, showcases many different kinds of cooks and presents a snapshot of how Australians eat today," says Helen. It was also an opportunity to present a contemporary and inclusive picture of Australian cuisine. "Australia has a great reputation overseas for its food," she says. "If we have any problem representing Australian cuisine, it’s that we struggle to define it." The pair set out to speak with foodies both familiar and lesser known. Considering the successes of Australia's produce and cooking on the international food scene, whittling down the 100 contributors to include was not easy. "We had to cover a lot of ground [in the road trip] ... and had to ask ourselves a lot of questions," says Helen. "Have we represented the regions and the cities? Have we covered the country and the coast? Do we have classic Aussie dishes? Do we have people who reflect our Indigenous and migrant heritage? Do we have the legends and emerging talents of food? When we’d answered these questions, we’d check and check again, and fine-tune it some more." The end result marries the recipes with personal reflections from each chef and photos taken in their private homes and gardens. While the co-editors are reluctant to name an all-out favourite recipe in the book, their personal highlights include superstar Aussie chefs like David Moyle (Tasmania's Franklin and Peppermint Bay), Nick Holloway (far north Queensland's Nu Nu Restaurant) and Scott Huggins and Emma McCaskill (South Australia's Magill Estate, the home of Penfolds). But Helen is quick to point out The Great Australian Cookbook is not just about chefs. "This book is about Australians who grow, harvest, cook and eat food for a living — chefs, cooks, bakers, fishers, farmers and more," she says. "It’s a snapshot of Australian food culture today." It's also a personal document in some ways, reflecting Helen and Melissa's years of gustatory discovery. "A lot of my first-time experiences as a food writer are in this book. The first time I tasted Jim Mendolia’s sardines and was transported back to a glorious holiday on a beach in Portugal," evokes Helen. "My first visit to Darwin when I ate at Jimmy Shu’s Hanuman restaurant and experienced his fusion Asian cooking ... My experience of being on the receiving end of a fork loaded with great food, and meeting the people who’ve grown or cooked or sold that great food, has shaped The Great Australian Cookbook." The Great Australian Cookbook is published by PQ Blackwell and distributed by The Five Mile Press. It's in bookstores now for RRP$49.95. Get a taste of what's inside by trying out this spring roll recipe from Angie and Dan Hong. ANGIE AND DAN HONG'S VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS Makes: 60 | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 20–30 mins | Skill Level: 2 (Moderate) FILLING INGREDIENTS 500g minced pork neck 1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped 1/2 cup of each of the following, all shredded: -wood ear mushrooms -shiitake mushrooms -carrot? -onion -mung bean thread ?(1cm lengths, softened in cold water) METHOD In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients with the seasonings and mix thoroughly. Carefully pour hot water into a shallow, wide dish along with the soy sauce. Stir to combine. Take a rice paper wrapper and quickly immerse it in the hot water, then place on a clean, dry plate. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into the centre of the rice paper in a sausage shape. Fold the top and bottom ends in, then roll the rice paper up like a cigar. Set aside and repeat until all of the mixture has been used up. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot until it reaches 180°C. In small batches, fry the spring rolls for 7–10 minutes or until the outside is crisp and golden. Drain onto paper towel and serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce. Images by Lottie Hedley Photography.
Obelisk Beach has great views and not just because it's one of the only legal nude beaches in Sydney. While the walk down to this Mosman beach is not for the faint of heart — you'll have to scramble down a rocky track and down a long set of stairs — it's more than worth it for the stunning views over Sydney Harbour. Despite its cult status, Obelisk is usually rather tranquil, so it's a great spot to head for a quiet little skinny dip.
Longstanding Bondi favourite Da Orazio has reopened in its original home, complete with a new accompanying bar, Orazietto, joining it next door. That's the news since March 2022, and comes with hallmarks of the original venue — including its red door and a heap of fan-favourite dishes — alongside inventive new additions to the venue's array of Italian eats. In 2023, Da Orazio was even awarded a chef's hat by the Good Food Guide. "In Italian we say, 'il primo amore non si scorda mai', which means the first love you never forget," says the restaurant's renowned owner and head chef Orazio D'Elia. "Da Orazio was my firstborn, my first love, so to be able to bring the venue back to life means so much to me and my team. I can't wait for all our Da Orazio friends to return, and welcome new friends." Inside, the 90-seat restaurant has undergone a makeover, sporting a fresh new look, but classic dishes like rotisserie porchetta with focaccia and antipasti share plates haven't changed. Alongside these mainstays a fancy new pizza menu is among the new additions. The restaurant uses a new contemporary pizza dough recipe for the bases that they promise make the bases "lighter and more digestible". Next door, Orazietto seats up to 40 people and doesn't take reservations. The atmosphere is more casual and you can swing by for a quick drink, but all the food from Da Orazio is still on offer. Da Orazio Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
Somewhere in Los Angeles right now, there’s a pretty good chance that Johnny Depp is getting fitted for an elephant costume. Proving once again that nothing in Hollywood is sacred, Walt Disney Pictures has recently revealed that they’re working on a live action Dumbo remake, with director Tim Burton at the helm. For those of you who didn’t have a childhood, the original Dumbo tells the story of a young circus elephant whose oversized ears made him the subject of ridicule, until it was revealed that they allowed him to fly. Released in 1941 (really), the film was a major hit for the then-fledgling animation studio, and is regularly listed amongst the greatest animated movies of all time. The Burton version will be the latest in a string of Disney reboots, a trend that, fittingly enough, began when Burton’s own Alice in Wonderland grossed more than US$1 billion at the worldwide box office. Since then, the House of the Mouse has scoured its own back catalogue for properties to exploit, with recent releases like Maleficent and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice paving the way for further films including upcoming remakes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. While we’re pretty sceptical about the idea of a new Dumbo film, we have to admit that if the movie has to happen, the man who made Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice isn’t necessarily the worst choice. Although his recent track record has been somewhat hit-and-miss, Burton certainly knows how to put an interesting spin on otherwise child-friendly material. And let’s not forget that the original cartoon contains some pretty out there stuff, including this amazing scene when Dumbo gets hammered and hallucinates dancing pink elephants. We're also interested to see what Elfman does with Dumbo's long-recognised and controversial racial stereotyping. No news yet on a release date or casting, although we’re willing to bet money that Danny Elfman will work on the score. Burton's most recent film, Big Eyes, hits theatres on March 19. Via WSJ.
Sydney will become another star in British chef Jason Atherton's culinary constellation; Kensington Street Social opens today in The Old Clare Hotel. Yep, just when you thought Chippendale's snazziest destination couldn't fit in another eatery, the hotel has managed to loosen its belt for one, final mouthful. The Social is the third venue to open at The Old Clare, and keeps the esteemed company of degustation extraordinaire Automata and Silvereye's deluxe open-plan kitchen. Of the three, it's the biggest (with 120 seats) and the most casual. An all-day menu invites diners to eat any way they like, whether they're after a snack and a matching cocktail or a mega, multi-course feast with premium wines. Atherton, who has a Michelin star to his name, is acting as culinary director, with Rob Daniels (ex-Maze London) taking on the role of executive chef. Between them, they've come up with an ever-changing array of share plates, influenced by British and Mediterranean flavours and to the availability of quality produce. Samples on the opening menu include 'English breakfast tea and toast' (read: wild mushroom tea served in a teapot with relish and bone marrow toast), sea urchin risotto with Moreton Bay bug tail, and Zokoko alto beni chocolate soufflé with macadamia ice cream. Meanwhile turophiles (aka cheese piggies) will be over the moon. Atherton is promising a stack of tasty, cheese-focused morsels, such as Holy Goat La Luna goats' cheese, served with pickled fennel, bitter orange jam and cress. And breakfast will keep health-nuts happy, with dishes like organic seed and grain oatmeal porridge with pineapple, chilli and mint, and a lightly smoked flathead baked omelette with bacon and spring onion. Drinks have been planned by the man taking care of them everywhere else in The Old Clare, Matt Fairhurst, who’s been working with Atherton for years at City Social, London. He's been busying imagining, mixing and testing signature cocktails for every venue in the hotel. Kensington Street Social-ers can prepare themselves for the Fruit Looped Cereal Killer (vodka, Fruit Loop milk, apricot and Aperol served in a milk carton) and the Kahuna Colada (pineapple rum and Batch Brewing's coconut brown ale), which is already served in The Clare Bar. "I'm so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Sydney," says Atherton. "I'm all about sourcing the best produce, and here the ingredients are just incredible – Australian black truffles, the seafood – so I'm looking forward to using them to reinterpret a few of the signature dishes from my London restaurants." "I’ve had many Australian chefs in my brigade over the years, including my executive chef Rob and pastry chef Adrian Crabb, so it seemed like a natural step to come to Sydney and get the team back together." Shanghai's Neri & Hu came up with restaurant's design and Matt Darwon made it happen. It's a split-level affair with a feel that's contemporary, while still acknowledging the building's history as the long-time home of Carlton United Brewery. Kensington Street Social is open The Old Clare Hotel from Wednesday, January 13. For more information, head to their website. Image: KSC.
Brisbanites, you’d best start the coffee percolating and put a cherry pie in the oven, because David Lynch is coming to town. Yes, the filmmaker with some of the most strangely sublime sensibilities in the business — and the best hair, too — is making his first trip to Australia, with Brisbane his sole stopover. We know how lucky we are. He’s here to launch the Gallery of Modern Art’s David Lynch: Between Two Worlds exhibition, and though most might know him from his movies and that one certain TV show that some rightfully say is the best thing to ever grace the small screen, this is a whole-of-building affair. You can watch his films, as well as films about his films. You can hear renditions of the music that helped make much of his work so great. You can buy his signature blend coffee from the gift shop. And you can look at paintings, sculptures, carpet and more that only a mind like his could come up with. By now you hopefully have tickets to his sold-out in-conversation event, a busy film viewing schedule mapped out and plans to stare at his artwork more than once. We’ve got a few other things for you to do, too. Let’s call this your David Lynch homework. WATCH TWIN PEAKS We’ve said it before (just above!), and we’ll say it again: Twin Peaks is one of the best shows that has ever been on television. Sadly, GOMA’s program doesn’t currently include the chance to watch its first and second seasons in full, likely due to rights issues, but anyone with even the tiniest bit of interest in Lynch owes it to themselves to do so at home. You can see the pilot as part of the lineup, as well as the scariest horror film ever made — in the form of movie follow-on, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me — but they’re just not enough. Once you enter Twin Peaks’ world of diminutive dancing men and ladies with logs, you won’t want to leave. And if you need any more convincing, consider it preparation for the third season due out next year. LISTEN TO HIS MUSIC Lynch’s movies are inextricably linked with music; what would Blue Velvet be without Bobby Vinton’s title track, Wild at Heart without Chris Isaak’s 'Wicked Game', or Twin Peaks without Julee Cruise’s 'Falling' and composer Angelo Badalamenti’s haunting themes, after all? The director has been instrumental in the creating distinctive soundscapes for his on-screen work, so it should come as no surprise that he has also released his own albums. His 2001 release, BlueBob, was an experimental rock record. His 2011 effort, Crazy Clown Time, featured the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O on one track and favoured experimental electronica. His 2013 album, The Big Dream, was inspired by blues and pop, combining for a dreamy, experimental sound. Noticing a trend here? So are we. And you’ll also notice that listening to his music — much of which can be found on Spotify — feels just like bathing in his film scores. WATCH LOUIE In 2012, Louis CK pulled off what will likely be his best-ever casting feat. Plenty of familiar faces and recognisable names have popped up in his fictionalised TV series, Louie, but when the comedian pursued an arc in season three that saw his on-screen alter ego considered to replace David Letterman as the host of the Late Show, there was only one person to turn to. Well, several actually, because Lynch wasn’t his first choice (Jerry Lewis, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese all turned him down); however, it is now impossible to see anyone else as the plain-talking Jack Dall, the man who attempts to guide Louie to success over two episodes. It’s as if Twin Peaks’ Gordon Cole left the FBI and got into the television talk show game — and it is just as glorious as that sounds. READ HIS COMIC STRIP From 1983 to 1992, Lynch wrote and illustrated a comic strip. The Angriest Dog in the World appeared in the LA Reader, the Village Voice and other alternative US publications, inspired by a time in the 1970s when Lynch himself was seething with rage. No, we’re not kidding. Yes, Lynch’s life is filled with the kind of stuff that sounds made up, but isn’t. The image in the comic strip never changed, and always featured the same introduction, explaining that the dog is so angry that he cannot move, eat or sleep. Thought bubbles then delivered existential musings as well as puns and jokes, such as “If everything is real… then nothing is real as well.” Only selected strips can be found online, but even a quick glance proves that they’re pure Lynch. WATCH HIS TV COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS When he’s not making films, albums, TV shows, comic strips and artwork, or popping up in ingenious acting roles, Lynch also dabbles in the world of television commercials and music videos. Okay, okay, so do many other filmmakers – but we guarantee Lynch’s creations are unlike anyone else’s. You might have seen the Japanese coffee ads that tie in to Twin Peaks, but he has also spruiked everything from home pregnancy tests to perfume to Playstation, and even made a spooky public service announcement denouncing littering. In the music video realm, among others he directed an alternative video for Chris Isaak’s 'Wicked Game', an animated clip for Moby’s 'Shot in the Back of the Head', and a video for Nine Inch Nails' 'Came Back Haunted' that comes with a seizure warning. David Lynch: Between Two Worlds is on at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art from March 14 to June 7. See the full program of exhibition-related events at the gallery website.
If your day could use a little colour and liveliness from one of the best artists that ever lived, you're in luck — because the Art Gallery of NSW is delivering exactly that. For four months from November 2021–March 2022, the Sydney venue is hosting the huge Matisse: Life & Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris exhibition. It'll feature more than 100 of Henri Matisse's pieces spanning six decades of his artistry. Whether you're keen on Matisse's early efforts, including from his Fauvist phase, or you're more fascinated with how his talents progressed over his considerable career, you'll see something suiting your interests on display — with the exhibition running from November 20, 2021–March 13, 2022. Standouts include Le Luxe I 1907, if you're after one of his first pieces; Decorative figure on an ornamental ground 1925, from the middle of his career; and The sorrow of the king 1952, a self-portrait. Visitors to the exhibition can take a free immersive audio experience using their phones which takes them around the artworks with narration from the exhibition's co-curator Jackie Dunn and music from Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier. If it all sounds a bit familiar, that's because it was originally due to happen in 2020 as part of AGNSW's Sydney International Art Series, but was postponed for obvious reasons. As well as Matisse's paintings, sculptures and cut-outs — all from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which boasts quite the collection — AGNSW is also be hosting Matisse Alive, which reflects upon Matisse in a modern context. The gallery-wide event will kicked off in October, letting art lovers indulge in a free festival of Matisse. Think: art, music, performances and dance, all delving into his life, his creations and how his works have inspired artists today. Textile environments, huge paintings and video works are all on the lineup, including by artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Sally Smart, Angela Tiatia and Robin White. Matisse: Life & Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris will display at the Art Gallery of NSW, in Sydney, from November 22, 2021–March 13, 2022. Matisse Alive will run from October 2021–2. For more information — including about AGNSW's full 2021 lineup — visit the Art Gallery of NSW website. Images: Installation view of ' Matisse_ Life & Spirit Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris' exhibition, on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 20 November 2021 – 13 March 2022 . AGNSW, Mim Stirlig Updated Monday, November 22, 2021.
Bondi's Jewish deli Lox in the Box is serving up babka, cured fish, all the schmears and some of the best bagels our city has to offer. Owner Candy Berger even got her Polish and German grandmothers' ticks of approval for all her recipes — and an ever-growing fan base of Sydneysiders approve, to. Especially now that Lox in a Box is delivering its bagels directly to your doorstep. While the Bondi delicatessen is only open on weekends, you can order a box of bagels for delivery any day of the week. Choose from the signature bagel with pastrami-spiced lox (salt-cured salmon), capers, tomato and schmear; the hot salt beef with mustard and pickles; or the loaded 'salad bagel' with vintage cheddar, pickles, grated carrot, sliced beetroot, rocket and jalapeño schmear. [caption id="attachment_763499" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Kimberley Low[/caption] Each box comes with pickles, chips and drinks. You can also build-your-own box, with bagels, babka scrolls, schmear and even kombucha. And, on Fridays, the Shabboxes are up for grabs — they come with braided challah bread, lox, pickles, Pepe Saya butter and a range of dips, and serve between 4–14 people ($80–168). You'll want to grab extra of that tasty house schmear — it's cream cheese whipped with lemon, dill and shallots. The only catch is that there's a minimum of six bagels per order, and you need to get your order in by 2pm for next-day delivery. In store, you'll also find the herb egg salad bagel with caramelised onions and sliced tomato, plus filtered coffees using Reuben Hills coffee, Minor Figures nitro cold brew and iced chai. But, the deli is only open Friday through Sunday from 8am until sold out — and you can bet they do sell out, so best get in early. Images: Kimberley Low Appears in: Where to Find the Best Bagels in Sydney for 2023
The gardening bug is a hard one to shake. What might start off as some Woolies parsley growing in the windowsill above the sink can quickly evolve into obsessively spraying Seasol on your asters and getting elbow-deep in dirt to dig up this month's potato harvest. Whether you're wanting some tips on affordable places to get a start on your own patch of green or you're wanting to know where you can find the best variety of natives and endangered plants to splurge on, here are the top ten places to buy plants in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_573248" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Albert Melu[/caption] RANDWICK COMMUNITY NURSERY One of your first ports of call should be your local council nursery. Councils (like Randwick) are interested in keeping the plants endemic to the local area in people's gardens and front curbs, so they're a great place to pick up natives and cheap saplings. This also means the plants you'll get from your council nursery will usually grow well in your yard soil, because they're suited to the conditions of the area. Local councils, including the City of Sydney, also often run free plant giveaways from time to time, so keep an eye out. But be warned — the lines at these things are longer than you'd expect, so get their early or prepare for at least an hour wait. GROWING FRIENDS' NURSERY Did you know you can buy plants straight out of the Royal Botanic Gardens? The Growing Friends' Nursery sells plants that have been propagated using living collections from the gardens, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah. Not only does this nursery offer a range of native, exotic, rare, hard-to-find and endangered plants, but the money you spend here goes straight to supporting Botanic Gardens projects, which are largely run by volunteers. MARRICKVILLE MARKET Marrickville Market always provides an amazing excuse to spend a few hours gorging on fresh produce, fresh bread and homemade fudge, but they're also a great place to find some really beautiful plants for a reasonable price. They've got a stunning range of established plants and seedlings, including natives, and usually have some great deals on herbs and small potted flowers. Head to the food stalls first and get your fill — chances are, you'll find your hands full once you've stocked up on a crate of leafy bargains. NEWTOWN GARDEN MARKET This small nursery is absolute magic. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in charm — and its finely curated selection of plants, which include everything from orchids to cacti. The staff are great and always ready to help when you just can't figure out what you've done to make your indoor rubber tree look so sad. They understand that shoppers come from all levels of green experience, offering hard-to-kill Zanzibar Gems (the magic plant that thrives on neglect and only needs watering once every three months) for those with black thumbs as well as being able to talk through the intricacies of garden layouts with the pros. Possibly the most welcoming on the list, the Newtown Garden Market also has great standing deals — like four flowering plants for $10 and six herbs for $25 — meaning you can build your own flowerbed or herb garden in one trip. SYDNEY'S PLANT MARKET If you're looking for a bigger selection to choose from, Sydney's Plant Market out in Annangrove is a great choice. They've got a huge range of established trees and shrubs and, best of all, an excellent selection of carnivorous plants. It doesn't get much cooler than having a plant that will go all Little Shop of Horrors and devour the bugs in your house. HONEYSUCKLE GARDEN Honeysuckle Garden, in both Mosman and Bondi Junction, is definitely worth considering if you're going to take the plunge into landscaping a large garden. They get bonus points for sourcing most of their beautiful selection from the delightfully named Honeysuckle Park, a five-acre production nursery in Dural which is worth visiting in itself — particularly if you're looking for more mature trees, including magnolias and camellias. And for aspirational plant daydreaming, you may want to check out the Plantspiration section of their website, where you can open yourself up to the world of magnificently camp plant names. My favourites include the Teddy Bear magnolia, the chain of hearts, fiddle-leaf figs and flapjacks. It's a world you never knew you never knew. EDEN GARDENS A visit to Eden Gardens is a day in itself, and probably best suited if you're a pro wanting a large selection — if you're just a plant lover it can be a bit overwhelming. Either way, it's a great adventure; the centre is designed to work as a series of themed gardens in itself, so it's lovely just to wander through and gather ideas. Plus, you can finish up with a coffee at the Dragonfly Café. [caption id="attachment_573255" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Matt Montgomery[/caption] BUNNINGS Although we'd rather support small, local businesses, don't discount Bunnings altogether. The home improvement chain not only offers all the higher end gardening paraphernalia you'll need if you're going to go full Costa, but you can also find good terracotta pots of all sizes for a reasonable price. We've got word from a gardening old-hat that Bunnings restocks on Thursdays and Fridays, so Wednesdays are usually the day to grab things on sale. FLOWER POWER Flower Power garden centres are located all across the state, and again have the benefit of a large range and good display (as well as a café to keep you caffeinated). Best of all, the Mascot store runs terrarium workshops, so you can get access to all their tools and knowhow to make magic little gardens trapped in glass. Their website is also worth a look for info on seasonal plants, handy DIY tips for the garden and even recipes for the harvest from your veggie patch. They frequently have great sales and they'll even deliver bigger purchases to you don't have a car and/or upper body strength. [caption id="attachment_573261" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Benjamin Combs[/caption] NEIGHBOURHOOD SHARE Last — but certainly not least — don't forget all of the free options available to you for filling out your garden. Say you see a beautiful rosemary bush sprawling across your neighbour's front path, why not lean across the fence and — after some obligatory weather chat and maybe some flattery — ask if you can take a small clipping to plant in your garden? Or break out of the food economy entirely and start growing your own veggies from kitchen scraps. Never underestimate the power of the four Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, Rihanna.
Bondi's beachfront is about to get a whole lot busier — and it's not because of that postcard-perfect beach. Taking over the old Swiss Grand Hotel site, there's a huge new development erupting on the beachfront, dubbed Pacific Bondi Beach. We've been peering through the dusty construction and newly-installed windows to have a sticky beak into what's happening with the space, and now we've got a little bit more of a clue as to what's actually going into that prime piece of real estate. Sporting a Bondi-meets-Miami art deco style, the complex will combine one of Australia's most expensive apartments and residential lofts with a high-end boutique hotel, food outlets and retail stores. Already announced features of the complex include the QT Bondi, a highly anticipated new venture for the hotel group set to open in November 2015. Featuring lobby artworks by celebrated Australian artist Shaun Gladwell, QT Bondi will see 69 individually-styled luxury guest suites designed in collaboration with renowned hotel designer Nic Graham. It'll be the only the only boutique, high-end hotel on Bondi Beach, and guests will have access to Pacific Bondi’s services and amenities. But you won't have to stay at the QT or live in a crazy expensive 'Lighthouse Loft' apartment to check out the Pacific Bondi Beach, with a dining and retail precinct planned for the openair atrium. Good Food is reporting new foodie tenants confirmed for the space: the north shore's Scoop Wholefoods and Central Park Sydney's Anita Gelato. There's apparently a small bar operator set to join the party, with details yet to be revealed, and there'll be restaurants and an espresso bar of some capacity. And a grab-and-go, deli-focused Woolworths has already been announced for the space (quite the coup), so this space looks set to cater for locals and hotel guests alike. Retailers must be fighting tooth and nail to get a spot in the new complex, but Pacific Bondi Beach has only revealed one tenant so far. Back in September, we told you about Saturdays NYC opening their first Australian store in Bondi, and this will indeed be opened within the PBB space. Nice pull. Pacific Bondi is due to be completed by 2015, with concrete opening dates TBC. Saturdays NYC will open in Bondi this October, while QT Bondi will open in November 2015. Via Good Food.
When work, traffic and life get to be too much, there's only one answer: a good, old-fashioned beverage. But, if you want a genuine piece of peace with your drink, then you need to know where to go. Some bars are too rowdy. Some are too close to the road. Some play really bad music. To make your life easier, we've tracked down ten of Sydney's most oasis-like spots in partnership with the Hahn Brewers. In these hidden-away havens, you can retreat from the noise and the chaos, surrounded by lots and lots of greenery and maybe some beautiful harbour views. Ah, the serenity. THE FORRESTERS Step into The Forresters in Surry Hills and you'll feel like you've been transported to a western movie. Once you've unsaddled your horse, slip into the open beer garden, slide onto a stripey banquette and relax among lush ferns and hanging terracotta pots. A pitched glass roof, supported by exposed wooden beams, lets in bucket loads of light. At lunch on weekdays, you'll be tucking into $12 specials, including steaks and pizzas. LIGHT BRIGADE Atop Woollahra's dearly-loved 1920s Art Deco hotel, there's a rooftop bar that's 83 metres above sea level. Think cool Pacific breezes and pretty views of more rooftops, backdropped by Sydney Harbour. Oversized plant pots, yellow-and-white umbrellas and wooden decking add to the casual feel of the Light Brigade. Should you work up a hunger hole, order a wood-fired pizza. LONDON TAVERN Anytime you want a piece of London, but can't afford the flight, swing by the London Hotel Paddington. The tables are plastered with Union Jacks and you can chow down on great English pub classics, including fish 'n' chips and chicken in a basket. For something posher, pop upstairs to the East London restaurant (opened in June 2016) for Shanghai- and Sichuan-inspired dishes. The London's beer garden is a sweet escape on hot days, thanks to its retractable canopy, comfy banquettes and rambling vines. Dogs are welcome. SINCE I LEFT YOU Need a close-by spot to recover from your working day? Drape yourself over a bar stool in Since I Left You's courtyard. This magical space is a slice of Sydney's history: its borders are the walls of three heritage-listed storehouses dating back to the 19th century. This industrial past life is respected in the design, yet softened by splashes of green and The Torch Carrier, an 18-metre tall mural by Fintan Magee. Come evening, the fairy lights switch on and musicians move in. DARLO BAR The most densely populated location in Australia, Darlinghurst offers lots of fun and surprises. But, every now and again, a dose of quiet is of the essence. That's why drinkers have been taking five on the Darlo Bar's rooftop for years. If you're with mates, claim the central communal table; if you're travelling as a solo or duo, flop onto a lounge chair. The beautiful vertical garden brings the outside world in. HENRY DEANE If 360-degree views are important to your patch of peace, then make tracks to Henry Deane. This two-part cocktail lounge covers level fours and five of the Hotel Palisade. And, in case you're wondering, it's named after the architect and engineer who designed the building. Sink into a dusky pink couch or wicker chair — wherever you are, you'll be copping an eyeful of harbour and sunshine. THE BUTLER From the outside, you'd never guess what was waiting for you inside The Butler. The door opens to a welcoming foyer, which leads onto a wide, airy room, offering an epic perspective on the city skyline. On cold days, enjoy it while protected by glass doors; on nice days, they're pushed aside, creating an indoor-outdoor effect. Tall bamboo plants in green pots and fairy lights complete the picture. EL LOCO Ola, chicas and chicos, we're off to Mexico for one hot minute. This delightful, brightly coloured bar is tucked away in the Slip Inn. It's a Merivale adventure, so you can expect lashings of the unexpected. Canary yellow and fire truck red stools crowd around benches wrapped in patterned wallpaper. Trees tower over you, potted in 44-gallon drums. There are DJs occasionally. There is tequila and beer always. EAST VILLAGE HOTEL The adored, 100-year-old East Village Hotel opened its new rooftop bar in November 2016. Named The Terrace and designed by Alexander & Co., it gives you 100 square metres of purple stools (with, bless, backs, so you can hang around all night long pain-free), lounges, plants and hand-cut terrazzo slabs. There's also a dedicated rooftop kitchen and bar, serving casual, summery dishes, such as gazpacho soup with marinated blue swimmer crab and basil. SWEETHEARTS ROOFTOP Dotted with park benches, palm trees and cable reels-turned-tables, Sweethearts Rooftop is the most laid back oasis on this list. You'll find it atop Sugarmill, one of Kings Cross's best-known nightclubs. Do be warned: there's a five-flight stairwell standing between you and outdoor bliss. That said, sunsets, multi-coloured fairy lights and all-around good times make the climb worthwhile.
If anyone knows the recipe for an highly talked-about hospitality venue, it's the Merivale crew. As always with the Hemmes empire's new openings, there's been a whole lot of buzz surrounding the launch of the group's two latest ventures — and now they're set to open tomorrow on Oxford Street. Seasonally-focused restaurant Fred's and intimate basement bar Charlie Parker's are as ambitious as you'd expect, with some big guns at the helm and an exciting, produce-driven food philosophy at their core. Both venues have been designed by Justin and Bettina Hemmes, Vince Alafaci and Caroline Chocker of ACME & Co., and styled by Amanda Talbot. Inspired by provincial French manors, Fred's sees a light-filled, pared back interior detailed with old French oak timbers. Downstairs, Charlie Parker's cocktail bar is more of a cosy den of exposed sandstone. Steering the ship at Fred's, head chef Danielle Alvarez comes by way of the USA's acclaimed Chez Panisse and French Laundry, bringing a passion for sustainability and some serious farm-to-table flair to her new kitchen. She's spent the past year been scouting out the very best local producers (as well as likeminded chefs), and will be using a combination of old-world and innovative techniques to make those ingredients sing. Cooked on free-standing Tuscan grills and a large hearth, the menu's set to change regularly, based around whatever seasonal goodies Alvarez can get her hot little hands on. First up, leg of lamb a la ficelle with laver bread, broad beans and mint, or handmade cavatelli with rabbit and peas, or rhubarb and beaumes de venise mille feuille. Fred's also boasts handmade crockery, carefully handpicked artwork, and a carefully curated, 120-strong wine list from head sommelier Caitlyn Rees, boasting small-batch labels aplenty and a hefty lineup of pouring wines — the 'wine by the glass' list will change daily according to Alvarez's menu. Downstairs, the Charlie Parker's offering is similarly thoughtful. Duo Sam Egerton and Toby Marshall are throwing down an innovative, produce-driven cocktail list, backed by an Alvarez-designed menu of clever bar snacks — think Willowbrae feta with grapes and pickled chilies baked on lemon leaves. Find Fred's and Charlie Parker's at 380 Oxford Street, Paddington. Fred's is open for lunch Friday to Sunday 12pm-3pm and dinner Tuesday to Saturday 5.30pm-12am and Sunday: 5.30pm-10pm. Charlie Parker's is open Tuesday to Thursday 5pm-12am, Friday 3pm -12am, Saturday 12pm-12am and Sunday: 12pm-10pm.
You'll be able to get up close to world conqueror, fearsome Bridesmaid and actual ray of sunshine Rose Byrne in 2016, when the actor makes a return to the Australian stage. She'll play the wildcard, Karen, in Speed-the-Plow, a satire on Hollywood studio dealings by David Mamet (esteemed American playwright most recently admired for his work fathering Girls’ Zosia Mamet). Byrne's appearance is part of the new season from the Sydney Theatre Company (her first role there since 2001's Three Sisters). The season is the final one from artistic director Andrew Upton, who is wrapping up eight years at the helm of the company, including five alongside wife Cate Blanchett. STC will spend 2016 handing over to incoming artistic director Jonathan Church. "Though it is my last program, it is Jonathan Church’s first, and I think inheriting and overseeing it will be an opportunity for him to get to know the Company and our audience across its full range," says Upton. "He’ll work with some of our great writers, directors, designers and actors in work showcasing them and the STC at their best." What else is in store in 2016? Some of Upton's all-time favourite playwrights, an award-winning international production that imagines Prince Charles finally ascending to the throne, five premieres of new Australian works, and the return of one of our 2013 favourites. Here's the breakdown. The Golden Age (14 January – 20 February) As Upton sees it, "injecting life" into great Australian plays of the past, particularly ones we've not seen enough of since, is one of the missions of the STC. The 1985 play The Golden Age by Louis Nowra falls into that category, and with its unbelievable yet inspired-by-a-true-story premise — that a group of people living in isolation since the 19th century and abiding by Regency customs is found in the wilderness of Tasmania (okay maybe that's not unbelievable) — it looks like a fascinating exploration of colonialism. The Secret River (1 February – 20 February) We picked this as one of our top five shows of 2013, and it's one we're happy to welcome back. The concurrent look at a white settler family and a family from the local Dharug people sharing the same riverbank is necessary viewing. Kate Grenville's empathetic storytelling, Andrew Bovell's effective adaptation, Neil Armfield's epic direction — it's become the stuff of Australian legend. Arcadia (8 February – 2 April) This is one of those Tom Stoppard head trips — in fact, a favourite of Upton's, who rates it even above Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It's set in one home, across two different time periods 200 years apart. In 1809, a libidinous tutor and his precocious protege explore chaos theory — and each other. In the present day, two feuding academics try to piece their story together. Cerebral good times ensue. Ryan Corr, Blazey Best, Andrea Demetriades and Josh McConville all star. Machu Picchu (3 March – 19 April) Upton describes playwright Sue Smith as creating serious, adult dramas, but with a touch of whimsy. This one stars Lisa McCune as a successful woman forced into reassessing her life. Where the Incan citadel comes into it, we'll have to wait and see. Golem (16 March – 26 March) 1927 are one of those companies that smush together live actors and lush animated projections and create the kind of show that renders adults open mouthed and mostly nonverbal. The Brits were last here in 2010 with The Animals and Children Took to the Streets and this time they're back with a Frankenstein tale about modern technology. King Charles III (31 March – 30 April) The STC has a tradition of bringing out one international production each year, and this one's a doozy. Olivier Award-winning, Broadway-bound, King Charles III is set in a near future where Queen Elizabeth II has passed and Prince Charles finally ascends to the throne. Written in iambic pentameter a la Shakespeare, the play, by Mike Bartlett (Cock), cloaks today's light-hearted royals in dynastic intrigue. Hay Fever (11 April – 21 May) We go to Noel Coward plays to see people destroy each other with words. This is a fun one, set in a British country manor to which every member of an outwardly respectable but actually eccentric family has invited a single guest. Actors Heather Mitchell, Harriet Dyer, Tony Llewellyn-Jones and Helen Thomson are along for this crazy ride, along with director Imara Savage. Disgraced (16 April – 4 June) This is a new American work that made waves in 2012 and won the Pulitzer Prize. It explores prejudice in contemporary New York through the character of an American-born, Muslim-raised corporate lawyer whose dream run at work comes to an end. Like so many good theatrical dramas, it all blows up one night over dinner. All My Sons (4 June – 9 July) If there's an Arthur Miller play out there that can just carry on and do its thing without punching you in the gut, we're yet to see it. Big guns John Howard and Robyn Nevin will star in this one, about an all-American family whose successes are threatened by the emergence of secrets from the past. We've previously called Arthur Miller the 1940s' Breaking Bad, so there's that. The Hanging (28 July – 10 September) Master of theatrical creepiness Angela Betzien (The Dark Room) is back with a play about two missing Melbourne schoolgirls, whose disappearance may have been inspired by Picnic at Hanging Rock. This crime thriller will be directed by Sarah Goodes and stars Ashleigh Cummings of Puberty Blues. A Midsummer Night's Dream (12 September – 22 October) You think you know this play, but director Kip Williams sees a side to it we haven't explored (and if you saw his Romeo and Juliet, you'll know these sides can be very illuminating). His imagining will focus on the forest as a site and a symbol of sexual exploration for the young lovers. Power Plays (17 September – 15 October) Upton admires the "particular energy" that short plays have — bold and immediate — and here he's programmed a collection of five new such works by Melissa Bubnic, Michele Lee, Nakkiah Lui, Hannie Rayson and Debra Thomas. Bound together by the theme of 'power', this show is one for all the theatre lovers with short attention spans. A Flea in Her Ear (31 October – 17 December) "Come for the sex, stay for the farce", reads the STC program. We couldn't have put it better or more clickbaitily ourselves. Simon Phillips directs a new adaptation by Upton, based on the work of Georges Feydeau. Speed-the-Plow (8 November – 10 December) Here's that glimpse of the beneficent Rose Byrne we promised you. Hopefully her own experiences do not too closely resemble Mamet's cutting depiction of Hollywood life. Lachy Hulme (Offspring) also stars and Upton directs. The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark (16 June – 17 July) Although you no doubt lolled at this title, this play is not strictly for you. If you can find a small person to take with you, however, it might be the best introduction to theatre you can give them. Crafty and crass Sisters Grimm member Declan Greene teams with kids company The Listies for this one, an add-on to the STC main stage season. The Wharf Revue 2016 (19 October – 23 December) You've either been going to this annual political send-up every year for 15 years, or you've not heard of it. Whichever it is, continue as you were. 2016 season tickets are on sale from 8 September. To explore the season and to book, visit the STC website.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, you can't go on a holiday (locally or overseas). But, you can start dreaming. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. Winter is (almost) here. You could sit about, piling on jumpers, moaning and crying into your hot chocolate. Or you could calmly pack your bubble bath and your pyjamas, then drive to an irresistibly cosy winter cabin to soak in a spa bath and drink your favourite bottle of wine by an open fireplace. Ultimately, the choice is yours. But just in case you're opting for the latter, here are seven getaways that will have you daydreaming about frosty mornings and reading books by the fire. We've got an an off-grid log cabin, a dog-friendly tiny house and a farmstay with donkeys for petting — all of which offer a soaking tub and/or a fireplace. Is that the sound of you collecting your things? Go on. [caption id="attachment_717175" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kirk Richards[/caption] HEE HAW HUT, GOULBURN VALLEY, VICTORIA Located in remote farmland just two hours northeast of Melbourne, Hee Haw Hut is a rustic one bedroom cabin built from upcycled materials. Its homey interior features a wood-burning fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen. Outside, there's a deck and double hammock overlooking the barbecue and outdoor fire pit area. If the winter weather gets especially blustery while you're here, there are plenty of board games, books and videos to keep you occupied while you keep warm by the blazing fire. Plus, you have the added (and rare) benefit of snuggling up with the many donkeys that are raised on the adjacent Hee Haw Farm. How much? From $180 a night. [caption id="attachment_717178" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alexandra Adoncello[/caption] KOOKAWOOD FARM, BLUE MOUNTAINS, NSW This 200-acre property in Rydal offers breathtaking views of the Blue Mountains. Kookawood Farm is a stone farmhouse that took ten years to build, and its interiors house antiques from years gone by. The space boasts both a large open fireplace inside and a fire pit outside, so you'll never feel the winter chill here. If the temperature isn't too low, you can even enjoy a hot bath in the outdoor bathtub, which offers views aplenty. Plus, the indoor bathroom features underfloor heating and yet another claw-foot tub for soaking in. And, as it's a two bedroom cabin, this getaway is suitable for groups, too. It's on the expensive end, but, if you've got it, so worth the extra cash. How much? From $390 a night. FOREST VIEW BUSH CABINS, CRADLE MOUNTAIN, TASMANIA Highlanders Cottages offers self-contained cabins right smack in the middle of Cradle Mountain National Park — which is, coincidentally, where one of the ten Australian mountains you should climb at least once in you life is located. Each Forest View cabin has been hand-built using local Tasmania timber. It offers two bedrooms, den lounges and a log fireplace, plus a private deck and a fully stocked kitchen. The bathroom features both a soaking tub and a shower, too. It's an ideal spot to unwind after your gruelling 13-kilometre hike up to the pristine views at Cradle Mountain Lake. How much? From $215 a night. MOONBAH HUT, SNOWY MOUNTAINS, NSW This requires some extra driving, but the stunning rewards are well worth it. Moonbah Hut is located on private frontage on the Moonbah River, the Snowy Mountains' cleanest, most unspoilt home for trout. Give your fishing muscle a flex from your front doorstep, while keeping an eye out for wildlife, from wombats to deer to brumbies. Or bunker down inside, with a huge, open stone fireplace for company. Previous guests have taken the experience next level and even invited personal chefs along for an evening. How much? From $245 a night. [caption id="attachment_717182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cameron Watts[/caption] THE SIMPLE LIFE CABIN, MOUNT TOOLEBEWONG, VICTORIA This off-grid log cabin is as rustic as it gets — and it's a great budget option, too. At The Simple Life Cabin, there's no television or wifi to speak of. Instead, expect an old-school record player and vinyl collection, a wood-fire heater to keep you warm and a cast iron bath to while your afternoons away in. The cabin was created as a ceramicist's studio and remnants of this past life can be seen in the kitchen tableware and the polished concrete workbench that's been converted into a dining table. Set within four-aces of forest, the cabin is completely secluded and lets you forget all the woes of that cold, wintery city life — for a few days, anyway. How much? From $130 a night. THE BOWER, SUNSHINE COAST HINTERLAND, QUEENSLAND It might not get that cold in Queensland, but this little wood-panelled cabin in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland will have you hoping for chilly days and nights. That's because The Bower — located near the little township of Maleny, about an hour north of Brisbane — has lots of wintry amenities that you'll most definitely want to make the most of. Like the antique claw food bath, the fireplace and the fairy light-lit deck that's prime for stargazing with a glass of wine and a blanket. It's secluded and surrounded by trees — in other words, it's the perfect Queensland winter escape. How much? From $120 per night. CABN, KANGAROO VALLEY, NSW Sydney locals have their own off-grid retreat to look forward to, and it's luxurious as. Despite some of the connotations the term 'off-grid' may have, Cabn is a far cry from roughing it. This solar-powered tiny house sits on 140-acres of bushland, on the site of a former dairy farm in the Cambewarra Range, just a 15-minute drive from Kangaroo Valley and about three hours south of Sydney. The secluded location is perched high above the valley and overlooks a sea of endless clouds on the right day. The cleverly designed timber fit-out includes a loft with king bed, a fully stocked kitchen and indoor gas heater. A big wintertime draw is the glass-walled, 'outdoor' soaking tub, which is set in the bush adjacent to the house and offers a rare occasion to (sort of) bathe in the great outdoors — with all of the warmth of bathing inside. Outdoor amenities include a gas barbecue and picnic area, as well as an adjacent fire pit. And it's dog-friendly to boot. How much? From $289 a night.
Serving high quality chicken shop meals since 1992, this family-owned chain has been Sydney's go-to destination for peri-peri lovers for nearly 30 years. Known for its Portuguese flavours and chooks barbecued over natural charcoal fire pits, Frangos Charcoal Chicken now has five locations sprawled across Sydney. The menu stretches from whole charcoal chickens and vibrant salads to Portuguese-style rice and barbecue sweet corn, however the star of the show is the burgers. It's hard to go past the OG Portuguese burger combo, covered in mayo and Frangos' beloved chilli sauce. And if you like you takeaway with a real kick, the recently added Fiery Lover Burger is a delight, piled high with jalapeños, bacon and grilled red onions. If you're still hungry after polishing off a burger and a mountain of chicken-salted chips, treat yourself to a pick from Frangos' dessert menu, featuring creme caramel, chocolate mousses and Portuguese tarts. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Burgers in Sydney for 2023
Camperdown locals have a new old local to revisit. Parramatta Road mainstay Deus Bar and Kitchen has opened its doors after a massive refurbishment. After ten years in the same spot, this epic revamp has been a long time coming. The once Deus Cafe has been completely re-imagined by Andy Ruwald (founder of Bucket List) and James Prier, who were brought on board by Deus Ex Machina founder Dare Jennings. Deus's new digs embrace their corner location on Parramatta Road, with big airy, bright, road-facing windows unveiled this week. Don't worry, you won't have to stare at traffic during your brekkie, the leafy shrubs placed at each window make for a hidden oasis. The biggest change at Deus, of course, is the dinner and bar service, which is a hard find in Camperdown. The concrete bar and open kitchen both have seating for casual patrons. The custom-made, comfy bar stools are designed to withstand long conversations over a few drinks and bar snacks — think eggplant fritters ($12), chicken crackling served with raw kingfish ($14) and mini braised lamb pita ($14). On the restaurant side of things, table service is available from morning until night, with a distinct emphasis on hospitality. "Our customers should have a great, friendly interaction with our servers and bar staff, while also receiving really professional and knowledgeable service," says Prier. The day is run as three extremely distinct services. While breakfast and lunch are kept simple to cater to the busy work crowd, the dinner menu is where head chef Tom Walton (ex-Bistro Moncur) really flexes his culinary muscles. The dishes stem from Walton's high-end training, along with the Middle Eastern flavours that seasoned his upbringing. As the menu currently stands, Walton recommends starting with the pickled cucumber with black olive labna ($7) and roasted tiger prawns in shellfish butter ($24). For mains, go for the whole roast chook ($39), which is perfect for sharing over a bottle of wine. "It's just good, honest food," says Ruwald. "We're trying to create a really nice neighbourhood vibe," adds Walton. On the drinks side, Prier curated the menu to feature classic cocktails done well. The Scorpio VI looks the best to us ($18) – it's a cold-weather spin on a jalapeno margarita using homemade 'winter syrup' of spiced rhubarb stalks from the kitchen. Taps (of course) include local legend Young Henrys and the wine list will soon include a Deus house label. Find Deus at 98 Parramatta Road,Camperdown.
They've kept us in suspense for an age, but one Sydney's most talked about developments, Tramsheds, has finally announced an opening date. The Tramsheds project, built in the bones of the heritage-listed Rozelle Tram Depot in Harold Park, has announced they'll be open to the public at the end of August. Developers Mirvac also announced the precinct will house a European-inspired market hall, lined with small, high quality and bespoke food retailers, alongside a 2440 square metre IGA Supamart supermarket (try saying that ten times fast). Now, in your mind, a giant grocery chain might not mesh well with local providores, but the Supamart is less like your local Woolies/Coles than you might think. It's a family owned and run business — by brothers Andrew and Vasilli Karellas — with a focus on organic and local produce . Several other foodie bigwigs have announced their involvement over the last few months as well, including Butchery and The Farmer (a deli/butcher/restaurant triple threat run by Jared Ingersoll); sustainable seafood restaurant Fish and Co; tapas restaurant Bodega 1904; ice cream kings Gelato Messina and Flour Eggs Water, a new establishment run by Eugenio Maiale. We can expect a dozen more foodie announcements over the coming months, giving fellow rosy suburb Rosebery a run for its money. There's also a medical centre, gym, hairdresser and nail bar planned for the Tramsheds, and a number of cycle paths are currently under renovation — with plans for over 80 bike racks to be installed across the site. It hasn't all been smooth sailing however, as the tram depot structure has been uninhabited since the 1950s and has since been granted heritage status so the renovations have been rather tricky. But they've managed to retain many of the OG features of the sheds — including the saw tooth roof which was first constructed in 1904. We can't wait to see it for ourselves. Tramsheds will be open late August 2016.
Forget the flowers: brothers Charlie and Roy El Hachem are giving us all a brand new reason to head down to the Royal Botanic Garden. The creators of popular Sydney cafe chain Piccolo Me recently opened their latest store at the garden's Palace Gates entrance, bringing their total number of locations to an even dozen. And what better way to entice potential customers than by serving...wait for it...the world's largest Nutella deep-fried ice cream. The decadent dessert, made from a litre of Nutella and vanilla ice cream topped with crushed Maltesers and a syringe full of warm salted caramel sauce, is one of a number of insane creations hungry punters will find on the menu. Other options include Nutella cookies served with ice cream and an espresso, a cookies and cream milkshake covered in Cadbury flake and 100s and 1000s, and warm chocolate brownie served with ice cream, coconut shavings, popping candy and peanut M&Ms. They've also used the launch as a platform to unveil their latest winter drink, a minty hot chocolate topped with Oreo pieces, ice cream and rich chocolate sauce. Or you could just order a flat white. Your call. < Choc Mintolo > Mint hot choc with Icecream topped with choc sauce & crushed Oreos. STARTS WEDNESDAY 😱😱😱😱💞💞💞#chocmintolo #piccolome #ivebeenpiccolod #dubai #sydney #melbourne A photo posted by Have You Been Piccolo'd Yet? (@piccolome) on Jul 9, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT "We are so thrilled to be working with the Garden in its 200th year," said Roy El Hachem. "Come and see us, grab lunch or a treat, and head into the Garden to explore! Just look for the yellow umbrellas."
Sleepovers at IKEA are one thing, this is a little more intense. Inspired by similar epic events held in Europe stores, there's a giant game of hide and seek planned for the IKEA store in Tempe; with this Facebook event generating huge interest over the last few days and Sydneysiders upping their yoga quota to more effectively fit into tiny storage bins and blue bags. And with over 34,000 attending on Facebook, this was going to be one seriously huge game, locked in for May 23 at 1pm. But after days of waiting with baited breath for an IKEA response, we've finally got one — and it's predictably naysaying. In a statement on Facebook yesterday, IKEA has warned against playing hide and seek in store as it apparently raises security issues for both customers and co-workers. "As many of you may have heard, there are a couple of large hide-and-seek games being planned for IKEA stores in Australia. While the prospect of seeing many of you trying to camouflage yourselves among the meatballs has its appeal, we are unfortunately unable to host or support these games. Due to the level of interest these games attract we would not be able to guarantee everyone’s safety and the threat this poses to our co-workers, customers and game participants is just too great. We would still love to have you visit — no need to hide!" The Swedish furniture giant hasn't yet declared whether they'll be kicking people out for smooshing themselves into the store's display kitchens (would definitely aim for a cushy bedding spot). IKEA have held officially approved games in the past. Last year, about 500 people participated in a storewide hide and seek in Wilrijk, Belgium. But IKEA have also banned games in Holland after tens of thousands of people geared up to attend in Eindhoven, Amsterdam and Utrecht in April and May — IKEA found out about it on Facebook and shut it down. Hopefully this doesn't happen to the Sydney edition. Apparently IKEA called the police on a Melbourne game in 2010, according to Huffington Post. We're hoping the Man looks the other way this time around. According to the Facebook event, meet-up is at the food court. Every player will receive a paper collar connected to their yellow fluro hat, and you'd better look out for the five people in orange — they're in. The game will commence at 1pm, within ten minutes of starting time you will be allowed to hide. It's a dollar coin entry fee, and goes to the last one found. If, by the end time, there's still more than one person left unfound, the prize pool money will be divided respectively to the number of players left — or donated to a charitable cause if everyone's unearthed. Rules? Don't create a public nuisance, run, be loud, break anything or steal. No hiding in fire escapes or toilets. Fingers crossed guys.
In the lead-up to the festive season, Sydney's weekend nights are set to become that little bit safer with the introduction of a volunteer-run 'Safe Space'. Between 10pm and 4am on Fridays and Saturdays, the World Square-based area will be staffed with Salvation Army volunteers, who'll provide help to anyone who needs support — be it in the form of water, first aid, telephone calls or advice on how to get home. At the same time, the volunteers — who’ve been dubbed Take Kare Ambassadors — will be patrolling CBD entertainment precincts. They’ll keep an eye out for vulnerable individuals, offering assistance on the spot and, if need be, directing them towards the Safe Space. The initiative is a collaboration between the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, the City of Sydney and the New South Wales Police. It will be piloted for three months, before its permanency is determined. "There are currently no prevention services in place to assist young people who are ejected from venues due to being too intoxicated, and they can end up on the street in a vulnerable state with the potential of becoming either a victim or an offender," Mr. Kelly said in a media statement. "Tonight all that changes. Many parents will owe so much to the Take Kare Ambassadors, but few will ever know that their son or daughter got home safely because a team of people volunteered their time to come to their children’s side when they needed it the most." "It’s vital that we do everything we can to calm Sydney’s streets and curb alcohol-related violence," added the Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "The City will continue to work with NSW Police and the NSW Government to create the safest possible environment we can for young people out at night. This program will play a pivotal role in helping intoxicated young people in the city sober up, seek assistance from a responsible adult and get home safely late at night." The Safe Space trial is one of several moves by the City of Sydney to boost safety. Others include temporary toilets at Town Hall, Whitlam Square, Taylor Square and Springfield Mall, which will be open between 10pm and 6am on Friday and Saturday nights until next March; extended opening hours for the City’s info kiosks (until 9pm); the addition of crowd control barriers to the Bayswater Road taxi rank between 9pm and 6am on Saturday nights; and the installation of variable message signs in the CBD and Kings Cross, conveying safety and transport information. Image: Luke Reynolds.
It’s hard to imagine a better show at the Spiegeltent this year than Meow Meow’s, in which cabaret’s international woman of mystery sings about her quest for love while gabbing away like the third member of Ab Fab. Meow was created by Melissa Gray, one-time law student and graduate of WAAPA. She’s appeared in the West End, at Bowie’s High Line Festival, and on the ABC in their recent The Divorce. She co-starred in that made-for-TV opera with Katie Miller-Heidke, who has provided songs for The Little Mermaid, as have the likes of Megan Washington and Amanda Palmer. Meow is joined in The Little Mermaid by Australian actor Chris Ryan, who appears in hi-vis midway through, calling a halt to the show because the building is unstable. There’s a clog, and in lieu of a plumber he must get up in there – cue all the requisite jokes. As a stand-up comedian, Meow has the audience in the palm of her hand from the beginning. The quality of her chat disarms you, making the power and pathos of her voice all the more arresting. Barry Humphries brought Meow out to Adelaide last year, and it almost felt like an anointment. I’d say she deserves to be better known in her own country if her unknowable-ness wasn’t part of the point. Image: Prudence Upton.
Sick of being turfed out of rentals, but no idea how you'll ever afford your own home in Sydney? Let Big World Homes architect Alexander Symes come to your rescue — he's created Australia's first flat-packed 'tiny home' that's entirely off-grid. You heard us. Flat-packed homes. And they're going for a cheeky $65K each. Big World Homes are self-described as "a transitional housing product that offers a solution to people currently unable to get into home ownership" — that means most of us living in Australia's capital cities. To check out this highly unique housing solution for yourself, get along to the 2016 Sydney Architecture Festival. On Thursday, September 29, Symes and a bunch of vollies will put the house together in just 2.5 hours, using only a hammer and a drill. Then, they'll drive it to the Festival Hub in Central Park, where it'll stay on display until October 3. Never been in a tiny home? You'll be able to explore the structure's many mod cons, including running water, electricity, a bathroom with plumbing, a living room and a comfy bed. Power comes from solar panels, while water is sourced via inbuilt rainwater tanks. "Big World Homes seeks to bridge the gap between renting and home ownership, offering a transitional housing product that is affordable and also rethinks the way people live," said Symes. "We're excited to be launching at the Sydney Architecture Festival one of the most progressive, socially oriented, community driven housing projects that Australia has ever seen. This comes at a time when the need for new options in affordable housing has never been greater." You can buy your very own tiny home for $65,000, which is a significant improvement on the cost of a studio apartment in Sydney right now. Get together with a group of mates and start your own, eco-friendly community. For more small house inspiration, take a wander over here. Check out Big World Homes at the Sydney Architecture Festival Hub at Central Park, Chippendale from September 29 to October 3.
You can throw out your gym routine. On the lower north shore, keeping fit doesn't have to be a chore. If you don't want to spend a cent, there's a massive array of outdoor spaces — from national parks to beaches — where you can walk, run, cycle or paddle. With a few bucks to splash around, you can get moving in places like North Sydney's harbourside olympic pool, or Taronga Zoo's famous Tarzan course. In partnership with luxury Australian property development company Aqualand and its new Blue at Lavender Bay development, here are the top ten ways to train, tone and transform yourself on the lower north shore. [caption id="attachment_617827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NSW National Parks[/caption] BRADLEY HEAD TO CHOWDER BAY WALK If you don't mind cracking harbour views with your workout, then set off on the Bradley Head to Chowder Bay Walk. This beauty starts at Taronga Zoo and follows the shoreline for four kilometres, winding up at Chowder Bay, where you can celebrate with a dip in a harbour pool or a glass of wine at East Coast Lounge. Along the way, don't be surprised to find yourself sharing the path with Eastern water dragons. To extend your adventure carry on to the Spit Bridge, or if you're going the other way, the Harbour Bridge. NORTH SYDNEY OLYMPIC POOL For anyone who's struggled with the monotony of the black line, the North Sydney Olympic Pool provides an antidote. Keep motivated by rewarding yourself at the end of each lap — you couldn't get a better perspective on the mighty Harbour Bridge. What's more, Luna Park is just next door, so you can wrap up your session with a ferris wheel ride. Go hard enough at your training and you might add to the 86 records set at the pool since it opened in 1936. Along with the pool, there's a gym, sauna and spa. [caption id="attachment_617801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @hkogekar[/caption] CYCLE LANE COVE NATIONAL PARK With its trails, steep concreted drops and sealed sections, the Lane Cove National Park has cycling options for everyone. If you're after something mid-range, go for the Pennant Hills West Fire Trail, a three-kilometre journey through gum trees. There's plenty of easy rolling, as well as a scattering of hilly bits. To turn the ride into a loop, return along the Comenarra Parkway. Lane Cove National Park gives you 372 hectares of bush, waterways and fresh air. On top of the cycle paths, there are loads of walks and picnic areas. [caption id="attachment_617742" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Just Run Lah[/caption] HARBOUR BRIDGE RUN Knock over your workout and your sightseeing in one go with this run. It's a ten-kilometre circuit that connects both sides of the Harbour via the Bridge, taking in McMahons Point, Lavender Bay, Luna Park and Observatory Hill along the way. You'll hug the coast most of the time and get cracking views of the Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay. With all that beauty around you, you won't even know you're getting fit. Once a year, in September, expect to share the path with thousands of others when the Sydney Running Festival hits town. NORTH SYDNEY YOGA When the weather turns — or if you prefer to get flexible when there's a roof over your head — there's North Sydney Yoga. The focus is Ashtanga Vinyasa and the school is one of the oldest in Sydney. It's been running since 1985, with Angelika Knoerzer in charge since 1987. A bunch of classes are available, for everyone from school kids and beginners, to yoga junkies. If you've never done Ashtanga Yoga before, an excellent place to start is the Essentials Intensive course. You'll go to class twice a week and learn all the basics. North Sydney Yoga is at 144 Blues Point Rd, McMahons Point — not far from the water for a post-class stroll. LANE COVE BOWLING CLUB Combine your workout with mates and a couple of beers at Lane Cove Bowling Club, founded in 1952. Barefoot bowls are a steal at ten dollars per person — including gear and tips from the club's handy onsite experts. On Sunday, the social games kick off from midday. Should you work up an appetite, pop into the bistro. PILATES INTERNATIONAL Pilates International isn't limited to the North Shore, of course, but it's an excellent choice for a workout because the standard of teaching is so high. Since opening in 2000, the organisation has pretty much stuck to teachers with at least a decade's experience. The North Shore studio is in Pymble and you can count on shiny floors, lots of light and air, splashes of greenery and top-notch gear. There are classes of all types and sizes, from one-on-ones and duet lessons to sessions dedicated to the Pilates mat and pregnancy. [caption id="attachment_617810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anton Leddin[/caption] KAYAKING BALMORAL Balmoral and surrounds offer some of the most beautiful paddling scenery you'll find on Sydney Harbour. If you're serious about building up some strength and endurance, then join Sydney Kayaks on their Group Fitness sessions. There are mixed classes, high intensity triathlon classes that include running and swimming, and sessions that combine paddling and yoga. If you prefer to take things at a slower pace, then all you have to do is hire a kayak and set off on an adventure of your own making. After conquering Balmoral, check out these sparkling spots. TARONGA ZOO ROPES COURSE Since opening in April 2016, Taronga Zoo's Wild Ropes has been inundated with would-be Tarzans. It's difficult to think of a more fun way to tone up. All in all, there are 40 obstacles, including bridges, tunnels, aerial rock walls and a hover board. While you're proving your mettle, soak up new perspectives of the water, Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and expect to meet koalas, kangaroos, emus and wallabies. The obstacles are divided into four courses, so you can start off easy and work your way up to the scary, challenging stuff. It's a good idea to book ahead online. Surround yourself with everything the lower north shore has to offer at Aqualand's Blue at Lavender Bay development. The best restaurants, cafes, bars and activities are all on your doorstep.
While days of daiquiris, afternoons of sunbathing and evenings of sizzling summery barbecues aren’t completely gone, there’s a slightly cooler breeze in the air. But there's plenty of autumnal goodness to look forward to with the changing of the seasons: several new bars have opened their doors just in time for falling leaves to clog up their front stoops and daylight savings to finish up and make things a little cosier around here. Autumn’s that unexpectedly indulgent season when neither crisp, frosty bevs or warm, hearty nosh are completely ruled out. From 17th-century Dutch-inspired pub fare in Darlinghurst to cigarette-inspired cocktails and homemade salmon jerky in Enmore, we've rounded up your go-tos this season. So break out your preppiest cardigan, don fingerless gloves without social judgement and get among autumn’s best new bars.
Proving that causing the internet to lose its mind by delivering adorable puppies to offices around Australia is simply not enough for them, Uber has moved yet another step closer to total world domination. The ridesharing service will launch UberEATS in Melbourne today, Tuesday, April 19 at 11am. Because who needs multiple apps when you can use one for just about everything? Melbourne is the first city in Australia to be bestowed the food delivery platform, and only the third in the world. It basically allows restaurants to get their food delivered to customers between 11am and 10pm by a wide access of ever-available drivers — much like (and in direct competition to) other food delivery apps like Foodora/Suppertime, Deliveroo and Menulog. The list of Melbourne restaurants exceeds 80, including the likes of Supernormal, Gazi, Pidapipo and Jimmy Grants. Oh, and delivery will be free for the launch. So you only have to pay the cost of your Jimmy Grants feta-covered oregano chips, and not a cent more. UberEATS launched in select US cities last year, allowing users to order lunch or dinner from an ever-shifting menu that includes options from a number of different restaurants. UberX is still technically illegal in Victoria, although that hasn't stopped the service's meteoric success. Assuming UberEATS proves a hit in Melbourne, it's safe to assume it may expand to further cities in the future. You can download the UberEATS app here from 11am. For all the details, visit ubereats.com/melbourne. Updated: April 19, 2016.
Year on year, Sydney's weather is becoming more unpredictable. Cold snaps and untimely rain can decimate your outdoor workout plans just as often as heatwaves and unbearably humid evenings. But, fear not, because fitness never sleeps. From boxing to pole dancing, it may be chilly outside but the burn is real in here. We've got ten refreshing indoor workouts to get you up and moving even when it's gross outside. And, don't worry — they're are nothing like your average treadmill slog. SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY, ULTIMO If you've ever gone down a dance-related YouTube rabbit hole — for the uninitiated, begin your binge with videos of the renowned Royal Family Crew — it might be time to hit up a dance class and test out your moves away from the screen. Ultimo-based Sydney Dance Company is one of the heaviest hitters in this arena, offering drop-in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, JFH, lyrical and tap in spacious professional studios. Check the timetable to find out when classes are on for your particular level. The teachers are excellent and lay down straight-fire choreography to the latest Drake, Travis Scott, Ariana Grande and Cardi B on the regular. So, channel your inner-Beyonce and slay away. NOMAD BOULDERING GYM, CAMPERDOWN Hone a new skill whilst sculpting some serious abs at NOMAD Bouldering Gym, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Bouldering is like rock climbing but it's done without a harness or rope and you climb shorter routes — also known as 'problems' — close to the ground. But don't confuse 'shorter' for 'less intense' — boulderers are always looking for new ways to push their minds and bodies to the max. It's very sociable so it's also a great workout to do with a small group of friends. HUMMING PUPPY, REDFERN Humming Puppy is a spiffy (bougie) inner-city yoga studio in Darlington. Enjoy a complimentary coconut water pre-practice, then settle down onto your preassigned mat for class. Everything is provided, including towels, mats, blocks and belts — so you can just jump on the mat and sink into savasana. That weird humming noise coming from the concealed speakers? Yeah, that's kind of Humming Puppy's thing. At first, you won't know what to make of it — but by the end of class, you'll be used to it and so relaxed you may as well have been hypnotised by the mystery hum. Also, the shower facilities are some of the best any gym in Sydney has to offer. Once you're sufficiently sweat free, head to the adorable Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar for an after-class treat. XTEND BARRE, DRUMMOYNE If you don't feel the burn, you're not doing your barre workout right. At Xtend Barre, hit your glutes, quads, triceps, abs, those other abs, inner thighs, and what feels like literally every muscle in your body in a 60-minute ballet-pilates hybrid workout. The studio also offers reformer pilates classes, if that's your thing. Grip socks are required for class, which are available for purchase. So, go ahead and enjoy your classy ballet moment — by which, of course, we mean grace on the outside, low-key crying on the inside. SKY-LAB, SURRY HILLS Nestled several stories up in the unlikely location of Hibernian House is an oasis of calm known as Sky-Lab. Here, stretch like you've never stretched before in an aerial yoga class. Suspended yoga helps to strengthen your core muscles and increase spinal and shoulder flexibility. You will feel a satisfying elongation of your spine difficult to achieve in other stretch classes, and may even walk out of class feeling a little taller. If you're looking for a super chill class — maybe you're just getting back into exercise or you're having a recovery day — the Aerial Yoga Melt class is a good option. It's a low- to no-sweat workout that focuses mostly on releasing and relaxing different aspects of your musculature and fascia. MY BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, CAMPERDOWN What do Wiz Khalifa, Milla Jovovich and Demi Lovato all have in common? They all train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Really. Try your hand at this martial art-combat sport mix at My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While it looks a bit like wrestling, it's actually super technical and challenging. BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves or another against a bigger, stronger, heavier person by using proper technique, leverage and, most notably, by taking the fight to the ground. The ethos behind BJJ makes it a particularly empowering sport for women, or smaller folk in general, as it challenges traditional notions of strength and power. SYDNEY POLE, CAMPERDOWN, PARRAMATTA OR GLADESVILLE Pole dancing is having a well-deserved moment in the fitness sun at the moment. And rightly so — the fun and liberating strength-based training combines dance, music and gymnastics-style tricks to get you moving. Sydney Pole regularly runs free intro classes and the welcoming studio is inclusive of all ages and body types. Ready to expand your horizons? Try Hip-Hop Pole, Sexy Floorwork or 80s Pole to really start feeling yourself. Shorts and sports bras are recommended instead of full-coverage leggings as you need exposed skin to grip to the pole properly. But, for your first time, wear whatever you feel most comfortable in. Also, don't lather yourself in body lotion beforehand, you'll slide right off the pole if your skin isn't dry — which is not ideal. AERIALIZE, CANTERBURY Concept: hula hoops, suspended mid-air, with tricks. Yes, things just got real. Your fledgling circus career awaits you at Aerialize — the Canterbury studio's drop-in classes cover a range of pursuits from Lyra, Static Trapeze, Silks, Acrobatics and more. The skill-based nature of these classes will help you to channel your energy into focusing on learning a new move rather than worrying about burning calories or how you look as you contort your body. It's all about having fun and, maybe, just a little bit about getting sweet shot for Instagram. BOXING WORKS, SURRY HILLS Boxing has been ranked the number one sport for increasing overall athleticism. And, adding boxing to your fitness regime can sometimes be the shock your system needs to stay engaged and receptive. At Boxing Works, you can sample Muay Thai, kickboxing and regular boxing to see which style has you feeling most like Michael B. Jordan in Creed. Unlike running on a treadmill or doing the same old squats, again and again, you won't be looking at the clock every ten seconds. Boxing requires total focus and, once you get into it, it's so much fun you'll only notice how much your shoulders are burning at the end of the session. Probably. THE MOVEMENT ACADEMY, ROSEBERY Go from 'master of none' to 'master of at least one cool thing': handstands. That's right — that move you spent hours perfecting as a kid is about to saunter back into your adult life in a big way. This time, place yourself under the tutelage of trained gymnasts — rather than your obliging sibling — and sign up for handstand classes at The Movement Academy. You'll improve alignment, balance and shoulder health, strengthen your core, condition your wrists and increase overall body awareness with training and drills suited to your level.
Chippo Creative Precinct is ushering in the Year of the Monkey with a Kensington Street takeover. There'll be everything that a new year deserves: piles of delicious food, epic art installations, live performance and heaps of chances to dance. More specifically, the celebrations will embrace various elements of Chinese culture. Prepare to meet lion dancers and shadow puppeteers, hear future predictions from a fortune teller and see poetry in motion at the hands of calligraphy masters. As you've probably guessed by now, all the food action will be happening in Spice Alley. In fact, the cobblestoned laneway's resident vendors are throwing a massive lunar feast. Watch their clever, clever chefs whipping up spicy dishes, while traditional dancers whirl past, responding to ballads performed by live erhu players.
With the beginning of Art Month coming up on March 1, the program of one of Sydney's foremost art festivals is one of the more impressive in its history. The program includes a wild array of exhibitions, talks, tours and experiences that celebrate the vibrant art scene in Sydney, from the artists to the galleries and creative spaces. The 2017 program includes the return of Art at Night (presented by your friends Concrete Playground), a series of after-hours parties and gallery takeovers in the creative spaces in Paddington/Woolahra, East Sydney, and Chippendale/Redfern. Some of Sydney's best galleries will open their doors after closing time to wanderers of the Art Map trail — a journey that culminates in a trip to the Cake Wines Art Bar. Inner west renegades The Bad Bitch Choir (BBC) will be performing. Architect Tao Gofers will give a special tour of the contentious Brutalist Sirius building in The Rocks. Artist Chris Fox will be attached to a large steel drawing machine in Redfern. Sri Lankan-born, Sydney-based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran will take over Paddington with his large scale sculptures. Intellectual disability-supporting Studio A will be creating a colourful courtyard site-specific work in Chippendale. And Nothing to Lose creator Kelli Jean Drinkwater is commissioning a new work that explores trends in representations of women's bodies. Sticky beaks will get their nosey fix at Art Month as usual, as private collections and home studios open up to the public. The private collection of the legendary Margaret Woodward will be on display inside the home of Wagner Contemporary director Nadine Wagner. The works will be for sale, so if you're in the market, this would be the time to snap up something that'll be priceless one day, if not already. Plus, Guy Maestri, Laura Jones, Julian Meager and Louis Pratt will open their impressive Marrickville studios to the public. Or pop into the Collectors Space, where the personal collections of Archibald winning artists Del Kathryn Barton and Nicholas Harding, among others, will be on display. Want to hear directly from an artist? Sam Holt will be on hand at the Artereal Gallery in Rozelle, where he'll be delivering a talk on his latest exhibition, The space between… The artworks on display are comments on the life of the individual versus the need of society, reflections on the choices that we all make along our very unique paths. There'll be forums surrounding Myuran Sukumaran's posthumous exhibition, Another Day in Paradise, and two members of the boundary-pushing Ikeyan group, Aoki and Yokoyama, will discuss contemporary Japanese ceramics at the Japan Foundation. Tours throughout living creative spaces are on offer, too. Art walking tour crew Culture Scouts will take groups on artistic adventures through Sydney's suburbs, including a saunter through the bohemian borough of Redfern. Those in attendance will be treated to the tales of local artist Randal Arvilla, as well as an expert on Indigenous art and culture. That's just a snippet of the Art Month program. Check the website for the whole month-long lineup.
If Morissey was Mexican, his tunes would sound pretty much like you’re going to hear them at this show. Yep, as you can guess by the name, this is a Mexican act performing the Morissey songbook. But it's not just any old band, it's seven of the best musos in Mexico performing arrangements by Calexico’s Sergio Mendoza, all in Spanish. Expect every Latin rhythm you can think of — from ranchera, mariachi and danzón to mambo, norteño and cha cha cha. Mexrissey plays the Enmore Theatre on January 23 at 8.30pm. $69/$62 + bf. This is just one of our ten picks for Sydney Festival's best gigs. Check out the whole list.
Fans of Roald Dahl who find themselves in London are in for a gloriumptious surprise. To mark the release of Steven Spielberg's adaptation of The BFG, giant six foot dream jars are popping up around the city, filled with the hopes and aspirations of famous human beans. The jars will appear at iconic landmarks around the British capital, from Trafalgar Square to St. Paul's Cathedral to the Tower of London. Inside, you'll find the childhood dreams of prominent artists and celebrities, including director Steven Spielberg, paralympian David Weir, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and The BFG illustrator Quentin Blake. The jars will be on display from July 8 until August 31, after which time they'll be sold at auction. Proceeds from the sale will go to Save the Children and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, which provides specialist nurses to seriously ill children. "I'm excited to join The BFG Dream Jar Trail so we can all share our dreams together," said Spielberg. "The best part of this project is its support of the valuable work that Save the Children does in giving kids across the world their own chances to dream big." For more information about The BFG Dream Jar Trail, go here. The BFG hits cinemas on June 30. https://youtu.be/VG5MtenlP-A
Trade in your rollerskates for a knife and fork and your protective pads for a napkin. The old Majestic Roller Rink on New Canterbury Road in Petersham is set to be reborn as the latest hotspot for Sydney gourmets. According to Good Food, owners Warren Landsman, Carlos Ascencao and Tim and Cheryl Reen plan to transform the ground floor of the heritage-listed building into a full-blown gastronomic hub, starting with a European-style market complete with fresh fruit and veggies as well as a deli, a baker and a florist. The grocers is set to open next week, with a Mediterranean restaurant and separate wine bar tentatively slated to begin trading in July. Originally opening in the 1920s, the historic venue has undergone numerous overhauls in the past nine decades, enjoying stints as a cinema, a nightclub and a roller rink before sadly slipping into disuse. The current owners acquired the building a few years back, working with Hill Thalis to transform the upper levels to accommodate 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments while keeping the art deco exterior intact. The ground floor was also developed for potential retail opportunities at the time. The Majestic building is located at 49 New Canterbury Road, Petersham. Via Good Food. Images: Hill Thalis.
When the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards descended on Australia earlier in the year, we were lucky enough to not only have the world's best chefs on our shores, but also the world's best sommeliers. Over April, Wine Australia took 50 talented wine professionals on a tour of our best wine bars, restaurants and wine regions — starting in Sydney before moving on to Melbourne and visiting bars including Embla and Bar Liberty, then stopping to experience wine regions in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra, South Australia and Western Australia. For one of their first stops at Newtown's Continental Deli, established wine writer Mike Bennie took the sommeliers on a wine-tasting journey. We couldn't lose an opportunity to get all patriotic, so we asked them for their thoughts on Australian wine. A pattern appeared in their answers: Australia, once known only to produce bulk, heavy wine varieties like Chardonnay and Shiraz, is going through a renaissance of sorts. A new generation of winemakers are jumping in and producing unique vintages with a true expression of the Australian terroir. All that small-batch, natural wine you've been hearing about is finally garnering the interest it deserves from international sorts. Sitting at the table was Alessandro Perricone of Copenhagen's relaxed, fine dining establishment Relae, Heidi Nam Knudsen, a wine buyer who works closely with Yotam Ottolenghi in the UK, Fahara Zamorano, head sommelier at Curtis Stone's restaurant Gwen in Los Angeles, Ambrose Chiang, of Australia's own Momofuku Seiobo, and Hiroshi Ishida, a multi award-winning sommelier from L'aube (an established restaurant in Tokyo with little online presence). Over the morning, each of them tasted around ten different Australian wines — they remained controlled and professional at all times, but make no mistake, they were drunk. [caption id="attachment_619886" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fahara Zamorano.[/caption] What did you know about the Australian wine industry before coming to Australia? Alessandro Perricone: I knew little. While working in Italy at the beginning of my career, I came across some famous Australian brands which, in my opinion, speak more for themselves rather than talking about a territory. Now in Copenhagen, some of the new-generation winemakers are getting more and more popular, but my knowledge was quite confused before I arrived. Hiroshi Ishida: I know quite a lot about Australian wine as I've visited before. Australian wine is really diverse, it honestly offers the A-to-Z. I am more familiar with established regions such as the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Barossa, Clare Valley and Margaret River. These are all sophisticated and sustainable wine growing regions, with well-known large wineries that we are familiar with in Japan. Fahara Zamorano: My knowledge about the Australian wine industry was limited to the wines I had been shown in the US. I do have the privilege to taste some beautiful Aussie wines in California, but the selection is quite limited in comparison to everything that's happening in Australia right now. Heidi Nam Knudsen: To be honest I didn't know a lot. I stopped paying attention a few years back because I felt that all the wines I tried were too big and heavy. It was all about Shiraz and Chardonnay, but without much terroir-driven personality. Only recently did I start taking notice again, when I tried the wines from a new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills. [caption id="attachment_619884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hiroshi Ishida.[/caption] How has your perception of Australian wine changed? Ambrose Chiang: This program has shown me how physically big Australia is — Portugal to Poland is almost as far as Perth to Sydney. Imagine the different micro and macro-climates! The Australian wine industry has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. From internationally recognised as a single wine region for big, bold, alcoholic Shiraz and cloying, toasted Chardonnay, to establishing a country with a diverse range of terroirs which produce wines not only reflective of place, but good farming, skilled winemaking and dedication toward quality wines. FZ: My perception changed immensely, I was extremely surprised in the best possible way to find a renaissance happening in Australian wine right now. The energy is contagious, the collaboration between winemakers within regions is inspiring, and the unification of the country to elevate the world's perception of Australian wine is just a wonderful thing to witness. AP: Yes! I certainly went deeper regarding some territories. I see a change in style with the last vintages and in general a much better approach to winemaking with less intervention. Different to what my thoughts of Australian wines were. Many of the wines in Australia have a hard time talking about a terroir, as the approach to agriculture and viticulture is wrong, but this new wave of producers makes me hope for a better future. HI: On this trip to Australia I felt dynamism. There is much more diversity in the styles that winemakers are crafting, from conventional to funky. It's obvious there is some great talent within the new generation. There are new, emerging regions and I saw a lot of potential. [caption id="attachment_619905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alessandro Perricone.[/caption] Describe Australian wine in one sentence. AP: Australian wine is a total lack of rules and pure freedom. It can easily turn into something marvellous, or just as easily, into a mess! FZ: Renaissance. HNK: There's more history to Australian wine than one might think, and judging from what I've seen on this trip there's a big, bright future ahead of it. I guess the biggest difference is that Australia is such a large country and almost every climate and soil type can be found. That means Australia can produce all of the major wine types from red, white, fortified to sparkling wines. AC: I believe that it's almost impossible to describe Australian wine in one sentence. Our freedom of viticulture and vilification and the dedication of so many producers, along with the multiplicity of terroirs, drives us to be one of the most diverse and innovative wine industries in the world. [caption id="attachment_619888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heidi Nam Knudsen.[/caption] What were you looking forward to seeing the most, and did it live up to your expectations? HI: I wanted to see the potential in new regions and explore the Victorian High Country and Tasmania. Absolutely, this trip lived up to more than I expected. All the sparkling wine from Tasmania was fantastic. We tried sparkling wines from House of Arras, Josef Chromy, Pipers Brook. FZ: I was very excited to visit Tasmania because not much of their wine makes it out of Australia (thanks Melbourne and Sydney). The little exposure I had prior to this trip left me wanting more. Tasmania lived up to and surpassed my expectations. For such a young wine growing region, there's some serious talent that's 'put all their eggs in that one basket' as we say in America. That alone is an indication of the potential of the region. Now they just need to make more juice so we can get some too! HNK: I was really excited about visiting Adelaide Hills and visit some of the vineyards there. On my last day I went to Manon Farm up in Forest Range. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Spending time with Tim and Monique on their beautiful farm was very special indeed and their approach to farming really inspired me. [caption id="attachment_619907" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ambrose Chiang.[/caption] What was the most notable wine you've tasted, or thing you've seen on the tour? FZ: The wine that left me speechless was Henschke Hill of Grace. There's a lot of high end/expensive wines out there and I've been fortunate enough to taste many, but not many have the soul that wine has. Every vintage I tasted, from 1986 to current vintage was absolutely stunning. That kind of depth is only developed with the wisdom of time and those vines have attained it and pass it along in their fruit. It's hard to describe in technical notes. Like I said, it left me speechless. AC: Out of the 1000-plus wines tasted, the most notable wines were 2014 Si Vintners Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Yarra Yerring Chardonnay and 1996 Henschke 'Hill of Grace' Shiraz. They were wines that displayed incredible flavour. One of the best trips in the program was visiting Western Australia. The sunset at the White Elephant Cafe was out of this world. What are you taking back home? AP: The passion of the people, organisers and winemakers who worked so hard and beautifully showed me their jobs, their produce and their land. I'm taking home Australia, as it deeply touched my heart. I will start importing some of the young and small producers I met during my trip. I look forward to coming back to Australia. FZ: Love. HI: I'll be taking a huge amount home. I use Australian wine very often in wine pairings in my restaurant, and I'd really like to showcase more Australian wine so Japanese diners can recognise its diversity. HNK: The energy and excitement of the new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills and Basket Range and the outstanding quality of food on display everywhere we went. Celebrate Australian wine by attending Aussie Wine Month over May — there are events and tasting opportunities happening across the country. Images: Kimberley Low.
There's a newish café on the Redfern end of Bourke Street and it's the answer to our prayers. St Jude, taking its tag from the patron saint of lost causes, is already a firm favourite among locals and far from its namesake. According to owners and long-time friends, Kate Thomson and Grant Piper, this trendy, welcoming breakfast and lunch joint is quite the opposite. In fact, it's somewhat of a saviour. Not only because the Surry-Redfern border residents now have a genuinely great place to go for a bite and a barista brew come weekend mornings, but, if these two hospitality heroes (who first worked together at the old DOV, yes, on the corner of Forbes and Burton) hadn't nabbed this place, a real lost cause would have taken up shop offering nothing but greasy pizza slices and pissheads. Thank you, St Jude, thank you. Designed by Surry Hills architect, Arthur Koutoulas, it's no surprise every inch of space has been carefully considered. From the monstrously heavy iron-framed railway sleeper share-table to the collection of creepy dolls playfully positioned alongside religious iconography and old photography across the back wall, this place is unique. Even the chairs embrace 'the different' with swivelling backrests inside and cork wood stools out while the salt and pepper is served in mini green faux-marble ramekins. Too cute. The menu is equally appealing. You have your brekkie classics as well as plate pleasers like the avocado smash with salsa, fresh spinach and feta ($14.30) or the daily breakfast Sanga ($13). Lunch offers the likes of potato gnocchi with lemon and herb pesto and slow roasted cherry tomatoes ($17.50) or crispy chorizo, roasted Mediterranean vegetables and giant couscous salad ($17.50). But the absolute deal breaker, the fritters, are a perfectly crafted concoction of sweet corn and pumpkin, shallow fried and served with soft poached eggs, hollandaise, avocado cream and baby spinach ($14.50). A success since get go, maybe St Jude's been sent from foodie heaven. It's unpretentious, it's comfortable, it's tasty and it's one of the best café's to open its doors for a long time. Praise be.
Chuck Close is lauded as a photorealist painter, but he is much more than that. In fact, he rejects the term “realist”, even when painting delicate wrinkles and wisps of hair. As described by consulting curator Glenn Barkley, he is a magician bent on revealing his tricks. Close, who always wanted to be a magician, couldn’t resist breaking this cardinal rule of illusion. In this way, many of the 'finished' works in this huge solo show at the MCA are accompanied by a number of process works. Like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, this exhibition maps the gradual blossoming of Close's impossibly intricate portraits. Describing his artistic beginnings as crawling out from under abstract expressionism, Close took up portraiture at a time when it was notoriously untrendy. Unlike the spontaneous brushstrokes of his contemporaries, he took a more methodical tack. With an insatiable capacity for new materials and new techniques, he radicalises what has traditionally been a conservative art form. Many of his works are the product of intense manual labour and are mathematically precise. One reason Close goes to these lengths is because he suffers from face blindness, or prosopagnosia. By repeating the same portrait again and again, he is drumming his subjects into his long-term memory. Of the various techniques used, Close rescues some from obscurity, such as the Jacquard Loom (those whopping tapestries), a 19th-century punch-card system used to weave complex patterns. In other works, he uses a felt hand stamp to patch together his portraits and moulds paper pulp into the contours of a face. And then there’s the classic Japanese form of woodblock printing, or ukiyo-e, which he uses to create warbling layers of colour. Emma is a striking example of this; a work which captures the luminosity of infancy. Of course, the grid is one of the key foundations of Close’s practice. Using a horizontal or diamond axis, these individual squares guide the steady unfolding his work. This comes back to the fraught idea of realism — it is an illusion from afar and abstract up close. Some of his more recent portraits, such as those of the artist Zhang Huan, are composed of watercolour gradients. But it is a loose grid, as if Close is allowing his painting to breathe. There are specks of raw canvas that shine through at the corners of each square like little diluted rainbows. Of the thematic triad that holds this exhibition together, 'process' is perhaps the most fascinating. It seems the strength of the big picture is in seeing the tiny pieces which constitute it. The formal inventiveness of Chuck Close really does take time to be appreciated. Not only is this exhibition a comprehensive survey of a truly unique artist, it is also a whirlwind education in printmaking and colour theory. Attend more than once.
Australia is well known for having some of the best dining in the world. Melbourne is a city where people happily spend an entire weekend rambling from restaurant to restaurant; from café to cocktail, on the hunt for a new favourite. And in Sydney, whether your tastes run to Frankie's Pizza or are more on the Quay side of things, you'll find bountiful opportunity to explore this foodie mecca. It doesn't matter if you're in a major capital or dining at a hidden local gem, Aussie restaurants and cafes consistently turn out incredibly fresh, vibrant and exciting tucker — inspired by access to some of the finest meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables in the world. We have two restaurants among the Top 100 Restaurants in the world (tip your hats Attica; Brae) and Aussie coffee champ Sasa Sestic scooped the World Barista Championships in 2015. With such a heady mix of talent hailing from Australia, it makes sense that the rest of the world would want a slice of our home-grown cuisine and expertise. We've partnered with Expedia to take a jaunt around the world and explore some Australian-owned restaurants in far-flung locales. Perhaps they'll inspire your next trip — they're definitely worthy of one. HARDWARE SOCIÉTÉ, PARIS The much beloved breakfast and brunch spot of 120 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, opened up shop in Paris recently and has been providing homesick ex-pats and Parisians alike with their petit-déjeuner since late 2016. You can get your 64-degree eggs with delights like ham hock (18€) or über decadent lobster (20€) and enjoy a genuine Melbourne Padre latte to sip as you dine. Aussie visitors to Paris looking for a little taste of home, and Parisians looking for a slice of Melbourne breakfast culture, will both find what they're looking for here. 10 rue Lamarck, 75018, Paris GERALD'S BAR, SAN SEBASTIAN Melbourne's long-beloved Carlton fave for wine lovers and good-time seekers has a new location. And while it's got that same Gerald's charm it's basically on the other side of the world; 17,195km away in San Sebastián, Spain. If it weren't for the fact that we have the original right here in Melbourne (thank the gods), we'd be on a plane right now for some of that exceptional wine and unbeatable Gerald's atmosphere. Eponymous proprietor, Gerald Diffey, took over an existing restaurant space in 2014 and gave it the Gerald's flourish. Now you can dine on mountain cheeses while sipping a curated list of local and international drops. If you're in San Sebastián it's a must-do. Calle del Ángel, 10, 20003 San Sebastián RUBY'S, NEW YORK CITY Visitors to Ruby's in NYC will be greeted by many things – tastes, smells, sights – but the first thing that may greet you on sighting Ruby's is a queue to get in the door. This decidedly bijoux eatery is so damn popular that people have no qualms about lining up just to take a seat inside. Enjoy nostalgic burgers like the Coogee ($12.50) with mushroom, romesco, cress, zucchini and goat's cheese; or tuck into the Whaleys ($13.50) and enjoy a classic Aussie burger complete with beetroot, pineapple and fried egg. Don't fancy a burger? No problem – order off the breakfast menu before 1pm on weekdays and 4pm on weekends. The breakfast bowl is particularly good. If you're homesick and abroad or just want to tuck into a seriously good meal in NYC, you'll find it at Ruby's. 219 Mulberry St # A, New York DA MARIA, BALI Undoubtedly set to be one of the hottest places to see and be seen in Bali, Da Maria is the latest venture for Sydney restaurateur Maurice Terzini. He's behind Sydney classic, Icebergs, and is set to provide Bali dwellers and visitors alike with North Bondi Italian food (the website says they're bringing the Amalfi Coast to Bali) in a luxe Canggu locale. The venue has only just flung open its doors, and the tasteful interior and stunning luxe layout makes for the perfect spot to get a little bit fancy at dinner. Or, dance and drink the night away with DJs every evening from 10pm. If you're hungry at night they've got you covered with their delectable lava-oven baked pizzas available til late. Jalan Petitenget No. 170, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali CHINESE TUXEDO, NEW YORK CITY Aussies Eddy Buckingham and Jeff Lam set about with a single goal in mind: to modernise Chinese dining in NYC. Their pretty spectacular venue is housed in an ex-Chinese opera house and offers its diners a broad menu which has been carefully designed to tick all the boxes. There are traditional regional Chinese dishes on offer, creatively interspersed with exciting salads and flavoursome noodle dishes. They look set to make their mark on an exciting space, with the hope being that they'll be the go-to for high-end Chinese dining in NYC. Buckingham and Lam say that at Chinese Tuxedo the food speaks for them, so if you're in New York City we recommend you go and listen. 5 Doyers St, New York, NY PARAMOUNT COFFEE PROJECT, LOS ANGELES This industrial-chic Sydney café spread its wings to LA recently, opening up a similarly bright and airy cafe in the style of its Surry Hills sister venue, in late 2015. Los Angeles diners choose from a range of 'things on toast': soft scram ($11), avocado ($12) or local burrata ($14) – to name but a few; or other ubiquitous Aussie breakfast staples. Milkshakes run from the standard (vanilla malt, $7) to the downright awesome/weird (vegemite and butterscotch, $7) and you can rest assured that the hot drinks menu is just as impressive as the food. Discerning coffee drinkers have a veritable slew of Australian brews and other hot and cold options on offer. 456 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles ST ALI, JAKARTA The much-beloved Melbourne coffee spot and all-round brunch star, St Ali, recently exploded into Jakarta and has been making diners happy with their Melbourne-style menu. Feast on the smoked salmon omelette with a cup of their delightful coffee, or tempt yourself with a matcha chai parfait as part of your 'clean eating' kick. It won't last long when there are treats like fried chicken and slaw on offer as well, but you can try. Next time you're in the Indonesian capital be sure to pop by for a coffee at St Ali's new venue – in partnership with Indonesia's Common Grounds Roastery – to get a look in at this stunning spot. RT.6/RW.7, Karet Kuningan, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta THE APOLLO, TOKYO Greek food and Japan aren't usually two things that would spring to your mind at the same time. But then, you were probably thinking of The Apollo — the contemporary Greek restaurant that opened in Ginza in the middle of 2016 — weren't you? The star of Sydney's modern Greek scene, The Apollo, has landed bringing the same beloved, succulent, smoky flavours of Greek cooking to the heart of Tokyo. Choose from lemony pan-fried saganaki, or dine on meltingly tender ten-hour slow-cooked Aussie lamb. Best to book — this is a popular spot with ex-pats and locals alike. Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo, Ginza FRATELLI PARADISO, TOKYO One of Sydney's most beloved haunts for fine Italian food is getting a new venue mid next year in a very special location: Tokyo. Owner Giovanni Paradiso decided on Japan as the spot for his expansion after exploring the idea of another venue in Sydney or Melbourne and realising that Japan ticked all the boxes. His new 90-seat venue is on track to open its doors in late April 2017. Toshi Nakayasu will helm the kitchen as head chef and will be offering familiar Italian classics as well as special local dishes too. The wine will be sourced from around the world and will be heavily based on natural wines, something that Paradiso is especially excited about. Keep an eye out for this one. HO LEE FOOK, HONG KONG Taiwan-born chef Jowett Yu has created one heck of a Hong Kong must-visit with his modern Chinese, Elgin Street restaurant in Central, Ho Lee Fook (say it out loud, you got it). Owned and operated by the team at Black Sheep Restaurants, the name literally translates to "good fortune for your mouth" and is inspired by old school Hong Kong cha chaan tengs (tea restaurants) and late night Chinatown haunts in 1960s New York. Yu's known in Australia for his Tetsuya's training and for co-opening Sydney restaurants Mr Wong and Ms.G's with Eric Koh and Dan Hong. You won't have trouble missing this highly publicised spot — just look for one of the most Instagrammed walls in the city, a clinquant assembly of waving cats. Just try and keep tipsy passersby away from this selfie trap. Downstairs, in his dimly lit, Chinese street art-adorned basement, Yu weaves contemporary Chinese magic through street food staples like French toast (Yu hides peanut butter in his version, and casually serves it with condensed milk ), prawn toast done okonomiyaki-style, and roast wagyu short ribs with jalapeño purée. But it's the roast goose that has foodies aflutter at HLF — order that bad boy 48 hours in advance. 1 Elgin St, Central, Hong Kong Become an Expedia+ member and book your food holiday in the January summer sale— you'll have access to prices that others don't see. By Laura Dawson and Shannon Connellan.
Give every one of your senses a break when you step into the Pleasure Garden. Making its world premiere at Vaucluse House, this enchanting project infuses the surrounding gardens with music and sounds. Everywhere you wander, you'll hear a new melody or discover a chance to 'play' nature, inviting you take a rest from your daily scurrying and listen as well as look. You're welcome to take on the experience as you see fit — be that walking, sitting, dozing or picnicking. Pleasure Garden is inspired by Jacob van Eyck, a 17th century musician, composer, improviser and nobleman. The music includes excerpts from his repertoire, alongside new compositions from Genevieve Lacey and Jan Bang, in collaboration with Jim Atkins, Robin Fox, Pete Brundle and Sera Davies.
The team at Golden Age Cinema & Bar have finalised their autumn program, and are celebrating with a screening of one of the greatest coming-of-age movies ever made. Fittingly set during the final weekend of a sleepy Oregon summer, Stand By Me is a bona fide modern-day classic, featuring fantastic performances from a cast that includes a young River Phoenix, with a screenplay that combines the perfect mix of humour and emotional depth. On the off chance that the film alone isn’t enough to get you out of the house on a Tuesday night, Golden Age are sweetening the deal with golden age prices ($10, just like when Stand By Me was released in 1986), live music, complimentary Stellas and a pie-eating competition inspired by the film's unforgettable campfire story. Doors open from 5pm, with screenings at 6pm and again at 8.30pm.
Bill Granger flung open the doors to his eponymous Darlinghurst restaurant as a bright-eyed (and bright-toothed) 24-year-old in 1993. Two years later, he opened Bills Surry Hills; now, 20-plus years on, his name is synonymous with Sydney's breakfast scene. The cafes are institutions. Not in the same way that fellow Darlinghurst local Bill & Toni's is an institution — but go-to's for Sydneysiders wanting creamy scrambled eggs and ricotta pancakes. But the Surry Hills location was an institution that was losing its sparkle and — as the area's brunch scene boomed — the interest of locals. Cooked breakfasts and average coffee were no longer drawcards for brunchers who were looking for a single-origin Ethiopian pour-over, perhaps, and food with a bit of character. The space also no longer shined. [caption id="attachment_688619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] So Bills relocated — just three feet away. In a stroke of luck, the team scored the former Marque space next door, which meant the restaurant missed out on only four days of service. And the new design was impressive. Despite being designed by Meacham Nockles, the same architect firm that has done all of Granger's other establishments, it got a completely different look — and even a bit of character. The space is part art deco and part Tuscan, with brown leather banquettes, marble-topped tables, terrazzo tiles and Italian glass wall lights. There are vibrant green details, too — turquoise wicker-backed chairs and lots of foliage — and Australian artworks gracing the walls. Being Australian is the restaurant chain's tagline, after all — it's now serving up 'Aussie breakfasts' in Tokyo, Honolulu, Seoul and London. While what exactly Australian cuisine has been a somewhat contentious topic for years now, Bills definitely captures what it's like to dine in this country: it has those "sunny, easy-going and generous" vibes (their words, not ours) and dishes up pavlova and British-style cooked breakfasts, or, as Granger calls it, the Full Aussie. [caption id="attachment_682634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] While it doesn't feature so much as a token finger lime, the new menu is more interesting than its predecessor. It embraces some of the diverse cultures that make up Australia with chilli miso salmon with hot and sour eggplant, crab and lemon linguine, and grass-fed beef burgers often featuring. But that's not really why you go to Bills — you go for the ricotta hotcakes. The impressively creamy scrambled eggs. The corn fritters. And if that's what you're after, you won't be disappointed — they're still the best dishes on the menu. Top images: Kimberley Low. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
The Hunter Valley is the oldest and busiest wine region in Australia. Some of the country's first vineyards were planted there back in the early 1800s, and now, more than 150 wineries are on the wagon. These vary from flashy, famous establishments to more intimate, off-the-typical-wine-trail cellar doors. Semillon is the area's classic variety, but you'll also come across some tip-top chardonnay and shiraz, among others. In between wine tasting, pop into traditional and contemporary art galleries, sample local produce in stellar restaurants and maybe set your alarm clock for a hot air balloon adventure. DRINK With 150 wineries to visit, it's not easy to nut out an itinerary. At the big-name end, Tyrrell's in Pokolbin is the place to try your first drop. It's home to one of the oldest vineyards in the Hunter — the first grapes were planted in 1858 — and, despite its commercial success, remains family-owned, so it's friendly. Next, pop along to Tempus Two, not only for its legendary wines but also for its posh, architect-designed cellar door. The Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop, Oishii Japanese restaurant and The Goldfish cocktail bar are all just a hazy stroll away. To keep things unpredictable, and avoid constant crowds, visit at least a couple of boutique wineries. Krinklewood, located in the Broke-Fordwich subregion, is one of the most interesting, with its certified biodynamic, organic, sustainably run vineyards. It's also incredibly beautiful, backdropped by the Brokenback Range and immersed in Provencal-inspired gardens. Owners Rod and Suzanne Windrim say they're committed to a "hands-on" approach, governed by the philosophy that "what you put in is what you get back". Just down the road, you'll find Ascella Wines, the Hunter's biggest organic vineyard. EAT A premium fine dining experience is to be had at Muse Restaurant in Pokolbin, which is attached to Hungerford Wines. This year, it was awarded two chef's hats. Run by husband-and-wife team Troy and Megan Rhoades-Brown, the restaurant is housed inside a stunning, airy, architect-designed building, and the contemporary Australian menu prioritises fresh, seasonally available ingredients and simple yet innovative combinations. If you're into creative dishes, book yourself a spot at Rothbury's Shakey Tables. Pretty much every plate is an art work, and the interior's designed to match, with bold, fun paintings on the walls and bright suede seating. Even if you're not interested in committing to a full meal, pop in for the desserts — they're extraordinary, in terms of both looks and taste. STAY Accommodation options are incredibly varied - from classic country pubs in tiny villages to simple yet cute cottages on rolling acreages to lush suites. On a wino's weekender, though, it's only fitting that you should spend at least one night deep in the grapes. The fanciest way to do this is at Spicers Vineyard Estate in Pokolbin, a ridiculously luxurious guesthouse set in its own private vineyard, with amazing views of the Brokenback Mountains. Each suite comes with its own fireplace, king-size bed, en suite with spa and complimentary mini bar. If you're envisioning yourself in a secluded cabin, consider the nearby Belford Cottages. A handful of private dwellings are scattered around 15 acres of beautiful, unspoilt bushland. Each has its own private balcony, for sundown wine sipping and kangaroo spotting. There's also a games room and, for hot days, a pool. The property is in a central location, with Pokolbin, Wollombi and Lovedale close by, and there's even a restaurant and a couple of wineries within walking distance. Take your torch. For winos travelling on a tighter budget (or saving bucks for bottles), the Hill Top Country Guest House in Rothbury is good value. Situated on the Molly Morgan Range, affording brilliant views of the Hunter Valley, it's housed in a colonial-style building and dressed with touches of luxury, including king-size beds, spa baths, a sauna and a pool. But with nightly rates starting at $115, it's much more affordable than similar options. DO The Hunter is dotted with art galleries and museums. For traditional Australian landscapes, decorative work and investment opportunities, visit the Morpeth Gallery. While you're there, take a wander around Morpeth's historic buildings, relax on the riverfront and sample some famous Morpeth sourdough. Meanwhile, at the Maitland Regional Gallery, you'll find contemporary exhibitions, with temporary shows changing every six to eight weeks. If you're banking on something more active, there's the Yango Walking Track, a 6 kilometre walk through untouched wilderness in Yengo National Park, which journeys past red cedars, giant stinging trees and spectacular vistas. Keep a lookout for the rare velvet wattle. Alternatively, get your adrenaline kicks with a hot air balloon ride. You'll have to wake up early, because the trip starts before sunrise, but the sun-kissed views are more than worth braving an early hangover for. Top image: Kevin Rheese.
An all-day diner and aperitivo bar opened in Bondi in 2022 from the team behind The Shire's beloved eatery Blackwood Pantry. Blackwood Bondi is open for breakfast through to dinner seven days a week, just a short walk from Bondi Beach and a few doors down from Beach Road Hotel. The venue welcomes you in with a gentle green and grey fit-out. The food and drink menu changes throughout the day and has been created by co-owner and Executive Chef Rob Lechowicz who honed his skills at Michelin-starred establishments in London and Paris. The brunch menu is available from 7am until 4pm daily and spans from breakfast classics to more hearty options for the lunchtime crowd. Blackwood's version of smashed avo comes with lemon olive oil, goat's cheese, pickled beetroot and chilli on sourdough with za'atar, while the spicy bacon and egg roll is topped with sriracha and lime mayo as well as crispy shallots. If you had your morning Weet-Bix hours ago and you're looking for more of a midday spread, there's zucchini and corn fritters, a chicken schnitzel sandwich featuring mustard seed aioli, and a seared tuna burger with fried capers. Once the weekend rolls in, dinner is served until late. The curried cauliflower makes the cut for the night-time menu, placed alongside confit blue-eyed cod, pecorino-crumbed veal cotoletta and roasted corn-fed chicken with lemon stuffing and white wine. There's also a host of snacks for those looking to dip in and for a drink and a nibble. Oysters, warm olives, San Daniele prosciutto, wagyu bresaola and a chef's selection of cheese are all on hand to accompany the drink menu headlined by an array of signature cocktails. Spritzes features heavily across the drinks list. For example, the You Be Crazy Spritz combines yuzu marmalade, orange bitters, gin and prosecco. You can also opt for a banoffee espresso martini with spiced rum, creme de banane, salted caramel and Licor43 or the Blackwood Margarita which introduces watermelon and Tio Pepe to the classic combination of tequila and agave. Appears in: Where to Find the Best breakfast in Sydney
Melbourne knows how to make use of its space. Cafes are crammed into alleyways, high-end restaurants pop up in basements, and bars float under bridge pylons on the river. With all that, you can't be surprised that a rooftop has been snapped up and repurposed into a (somewhat) camping ground, and that you can go there on a RedBalloon experience. One of Melbourne's most unique accomodation options is glamping at St Jeromes. It's accessed via an alley near Little Lonsdale St, near Melbourne Central. The lobby is on level three. Upon arrival the campsite in the sky delivers one of those "wow" moments we're all chasing — the rooftop is surrounded by some of Melbourne's most iconic buildings, including the Melbourne Central cone tower and the façade of Melbourne Emporium. It's glam without being snooty, and it seems to be designed specifically for the Instagram generation, meaning it photographs extremely well. The whole venue, from the lobby to sauna, is decked out in lush tropical plants. That could be to cover up the functional elements required of a rooftop, but no matter, the aesthetics work with the canvas tents. The main communal area of the hotel is the General Store, which is less a store (although it does have a vending machine stocked full of toiletries and emergencies supplies) and more a bar/cantina. A free cocktail on arrival will no doubt lead to a few more and as well it should – the staff make a mean Long Island iced tea. Inside it, you'll find board games along a communal bench and most likely get distracted by them. The general store is surrounded by oversized bean bags, hammocks and bocce balls and usually inhabited by chill but chatty staff and other guests. There's a distinctly 'hostel' vibe about the way guests interact, which is a big draw card for young folk. That kind of communal vibe is often absent from fancy accommodation. If you can, move past your welcome treats and cocktails into your tepee. The Luxe Plus option is 5 metres across, giving you plenty of room to spread out and roll around on the plush carpet and/or pirouette into the soft queen sized bed. The Luxe option is 4 metres in diameter, a little cosier than its counterpart but both boast downy quilts, soft linens and, more importantly, a welcome esky stock piled with local craft beer and cider. Now that's how you check-in. When you've finished wandering your new digs in awe, you'll have noticed the little luxuries that make your stay at St Jeromes a cut above. You find locally made treats, vouchers and a killer room-service menu that features camping faves done well, like jaffles and hot chocolate. Over time, you'll find yourself not wanting to leave the rooftop as the perks keep coming throughout the day. You can have bespoke Gelato Messina dessert and T2 sleepy time tea delivered to your tent if you request it. Staying with the theme, the dessert is a reimagined s'more – and they are the richest and sweetest ice-cream s'mores you'll ever taste. Don't forget during the food frenzy to take advantage of the built-in extravagances on offer. Book in for a sauna session (remember to do it pre-booze), pop over to Strike Bowling for a free game or stop by the Melbourne Central Lion for a complimentary late night snack. Possibly the biggest game changer (all hotels should take note) is the barista-made coffee that is delivered to your tent in the morning. The smell of coffee, and the crunch of a bacon, egg, tomato and basil jaffle in the morning, combined with the diffused morning light through your tent will reinvigorate you. It's almost better than a proper holiday. Look, there are some aspects of camping that no amount of luxury can smother. You really start to appreciate how deeply privileged we are to have access to running water at all times. And a campsite toilet is a campsite toilet regardless of how lovely it smells. Strangely, waking up on the rooftop brings that same feeling that occurs when you're waking up in a forest. You feel clean, and high up above everyone. It's a confusing, relaxing sense of urban spiritualism. Maybe you're a proper outdoors person, and you can stay that way. But this is camping, with running water and a campsite toilet. You can fall asleep with a full stomach in a warm tent just above the most vibrant city in the world. The hum of traffic in the distance sounds like gentle ocean waves, who says you can't have both? Book your St Jeromes glamping adventure (or gift it to someone else) at RedBalloon. Images: Imogen Baker and RedBalloon.
First, the bad news. The Hi-Fi, as patrons in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane currently know and love, is no more. The saga that started with the company behind all three locations going into administration back in February will see the familiar name disappear. But the good news? You don't need to mourn the loss of another music venue. Boasting new owners as well as new management, the Hi-Fi is changing its name. Fans of live bands and casually excellent nights out can now head to Max Watt's. The new moniker comes from Max Watt's Operating Pty Ltd, the knight in shining armour that swooped in to stop the three music-scene mainstays from permanently closing their doors. In a new business model, bookings for future gigs and all online marketing activities will be handled by The Venue Collective. The experienced team already manages the music lineups for Melbourne's the Corner, 170 Russell, Northcote Social Club, and Shebeen, Sydney's Newtown Social Club and Brisbane's Woolly Mammoth. It might take some time to get used to calling the Hi-Fi something different, but it's a better outcome than looked likely just over a month ago. Rebranding will take place on site over the next few weeks, and in terms of shows, it's business as usual. Now, music lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. Via The Music.
It's been a while since Tramsheds Harold Park opened its doors to the public. If you haven't had a chance to check it out — we understand, life can get in the way — it really is well worth a visit. The revamped heritage-listed Rozelle Tram Depot features a European-inspired market hall lined with bespoke retailers, from butchers and bakers to fried chicken and fresh pasta makers. Basically, it's enough to make your eyes weep with sweet, sweet happiness tears (and maybe some of anxious indecision). Each of the retailers — which include some of Sydney's biggest food names, as well as some newbies — have created a stunning space to serve their nosh, with most offering takeaway as well as produce to take home and cook. There's a supermarket, a nail salon and a gym, but the food is where it's at. It's open seven days a week for brekkie, lunch and dinner, so there's ample opportunity for gorging. To help you out on your culinary journey, here's a rundown of all the things you should eat and drink. Go. BUTCHER AND THE FARMER Quasi celebrity chef Jared Ingersoll (ex-Danks Street Depot) is behind this one, and considering his last few ventures — helming the kitchen at Hunter & Barrel and Barrel and Beast pop-up — were focused on meat, it seems like a natural progression for him to open a butcher. Although this isn't your ordinary butcher. You can head in to pick up some top-quality cuts of meat, but it's also a huge all-day 300-seat restaurant which serves up whole animals roasted over coal as well as an impressive charcuterie and pickle selection. Butcher and the Farmer also has a private dining option which is inside a motherflipping tram. Open for: breakfast, lunch and dinner. What to eat: wood-smoked brisket with pickled cucumber and jalapeno cream. BEKYA This is something a little bit different for Tramsheds: Egyptian food. Bekya is doing an Egyptian-Middle Eastern menu in a mezzanine-like area filled with greenery. The venue slings homemade Egyptian flatbread, and you've got to try the koshari which is a beautiful mess of lentils, rice, macaroni, chickpeas, tomato salsa and fried onions. It's delicious. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: koshari. GARÇON Garçon is a new cafe from The Little Marionette team. It sits at the entrance so you can enter either through Tramsheds or without entering the venue proper, so it's your go-to for a takeaway or sit-in coffee — it has some really awesome amphitheatre-like cushioned seating arrangement around the coffee roaster. Best part is, they'll turn into a bar at night serving espresso martinis. Open for: breakfast, lunch and dinner. What to drink: espresso martini. FLOUR EGGS WATER BY A TAVOLA If you've been to A Tavola in either Darlinghurst or Bondi, you'll know what to expect here. But, like the name suggests, the main focus at Tramsheds is pasta. The venue has a pretty epic pasta-making setup on display to everyone walking past, and you can both sit down for a bowl of the good stuff, or take it away to cook at home. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: orecchiette with cauliflower, mint and breadcrumbs. BODEGA 1904 Bodega has some of the best seats at Tramsheds. We mean that quite literally — the custom-made stools that line the bar are really, really nice. This is an offshoot of Bodega in Surry Hills, and the teams from the restaurant and Porteño have created a tapas menu that's very well-suited to the whole Tramsheds vibe. Plus, there's a wine store. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: mussels steamed in saffron and lime with potato and roti. OSAKA TRADING CO. This one comes from the Tokyo Bird team. Like the Darlo restaurant, Osaka is doing some killer Japanese cocktails and bar food. Serving up a potentially life-changing scallop with sweet soy butter and a really, really good gin yuzu cocktail with smoked honey. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: grilled scallop with soy butter, onion and leek. FISH & CO. Tramsheds' very own fish and chippie. All the fish here is wild-caught using sustainable fishing practices, and you can eat in take away or buy your own fish to cook at home. Definitely get the beer-battered fish with the rosemary chips. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: fish and chips (duh). GELATO MESSINA Nothing new here, folks — just another notch in Messina's Sydney domination belt. The gelateria does all the regular scoops as well as cakes. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: you already know. MAMA'S BUOI This is Mama's Buoi's third Sydney outlet (with restaurants already in Surry Hills and Crows Nest) and this one is doing pretty much the same thing, serving up casual Vietnamese food and Asian-inspired cocktails. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: pulled duck pancake with pineapple. BELLE'S HOT CHICKEN Okay, everyone knows Belle's. The fried chicken masters have opened another Sydney venue, no complaints here. On offer, all the standard finger lickin' chicken as well as a slew of natural wines and ice-cold beers — both of which do a great job of cutting through the rich chicken and refreshing your palate. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to eat: The Baller Bucket complete with sixteen wings and your choice of four sides. REDLINE KITCHEN & TAPHOUSE If you're looking for a brewpub, look no further. Redline Taphouse and Kitchen is the new venue from chef Joe Slakey (Flying Fajita Sisters), which boasts ten rotating taps, a menu of Southern-style American eats and an outdoor beer garden to boot. Open for: lunch and dinner. What to drink: beer, of course. Images: Steven Woodburn.
It's getting to that time of year when the idea of putting some original thought into gifts can start to seem too noble a cause — especially when a Myer giftcard is just in arm's reach. But it doesn't have to be so difficult. Whether you've made a dent on your gift shopping list or not (because let's face it, you probably haven't), take note of these online stores perfect for uncommon and sure-to-delight Christmas gifts. SORRY THANKS I LOVE YOU Sorry Thanks I Love You is making gift-giving less torturous and more fun again with a quiz that helps you track down the ultimate gift. By asking a few questions ('What were they like a kid?' or 'What would they do with 24 hours in NYC?'), Sorry Thanks I Love You actually tailors their gift list to your loved one. It does help if your gift recipient is a fan of artisanal creature comforts as gourmet food and beverages, flowers and accessories are what Sorry Thanks I Love You does best. www.sorrythanksiloveyou.com OXFAM SHOP Regret purchases are virtually nonexistent at Oxfam's online shop, which features handmade, Fair Trade gifts crafted by skilled people from 136 producer groups in 38 different countries. Boasting a wide variety of homewares, fashion accessories and gourmet food and drink, Oxfam Shop has answered your Christmas gift shopping prayers with presents for your 96-year-old grandmother down to your two-year-old niece all neatly taken care of. And let's not forget how delicious fair trade chocolate can be. www.oxfamshop.org.au THIS IS WHY I'M BROKE Collating the wackiest gifts from all corners of the internet, This Is Why I'm Broke will perplex and amaze you, or at least, make you laugh audibly at some of the downright ridiculous things on sale. With edge-only brownie pans, suit pajamas, crystal-clear canoes and countless other brilliant inventions, it does take a bit of trawling to find just the right gift, but once you start, there's no knowing when you'll stop. Don't blame us if you forget you're not shopping for yourself. www.thisiswhyimbroke.com HUNTING FOR GEORGE Hunting for George is the project of Melbourne-based sisters Jo Harris and Lucy Glade-Wright who hand-pick local and international pieces which accord with their own brand's emphasis on quality and originality. Featuring creatively curated gift guides and product descriptions that feel less like manufacturer dribble and more like a friend's recommendation, Hunting For George is gift hunting without the headache. It's the place to go for indoor/outdoor Milk & Sugar stools, pastel-splashed Pop & Scott plant pots and Iris Hantverk's old-school birchwood house essentials. www.huntingforgeorge.com SIX THINGS Following an Alice in Wonderland guiding light — "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast" — Six Things is the prime place to shop for gifts for the friend who can quote entire movies backwards. Founded by the Queensland-based designers at j6 design, Six Things allows you to shop by theme or by type and discover people-pleasing gifts like Tea-Rex mugs, ghetto car fresheners or Pulp Fiction/Sesame Street fusion cushion covers. Alternatively, slip into the rabbit hole and treat your friend (or even yourself) to a mystery blind date… with a book. www.sixthings.com.au SOCIETY6 Founded by Justin Cooper, Lucas Tirigall-Caste and Justin Wills, Society6 is breathing new life into printed clothes, wall art and homewares. Shop for your gifts on Society6 if you think your partner's shower curtains need some refreshing, or if your best friend's wall clock is looking a bit drab. Society6 sources artwork from thousands of artists worldwide and allows artists to actually profit from sales without giving up their creative rights. A printed iPhone case never felt so morally good. www.society6.com MOMA DESIGN STORE The MoMA Design Store is a special place. One of New York City's most exciting galleries, it has a number of retail spaces where you can purchase all of the designy gifts you have ever wanted. And if you can't just fly over to New York for a shopping weekend anytime soon, they've got you covered with their comprehensive online store, which provides modest international shipping rates to Australia. www.momastore.org ETSY Cutesy might be the first thing you think of when someone says Etsy, but there's no denying that Etsy is queen of the online boutique, hosting over 1 million online handcraft and vintage stores from all across the globe. If searching for the perfect gift among Etsy's online treasure trove is a bit daunting, we recommend eyeing the Etsy Design Award Nominees, a handpicked bunch of designers that stand a little taller than the rest. www.etsy.com THE DOWNTIME AGENDA Keeping true to this website's policy of absolute zen, your Christmas shopping for those who do their downtime right — from curling up with a scented candle to finding inner peace with earthy incense — is right here at the click of a button. With selections of gift packs for mothers, gardeners and blanket enthusiasts, the Downtime Agenda has all your 'chilling' needs covered. If your zen friend is not so much the materialistic type, you can also buy 'experiences' such as yoga classes and 'blend your own gin' workshops. www.thedowntimeagenda.com HARD TO FIND This hidden Australian gem brings together all the best elements of gift shopping and makes them super easy to find, putting presents for Christmas, birthdays, friends, dads, grandmas and girlfriends together for a beautifully designed stroll through the online market. Hard To Find offers an array of treasures sourced from across Australia and around the world, with gifts from France, England and beyond sure to satisfy even the pickiest family member on Christmas morning. www.hardtofind.com.au UNCOMMON GOODS From a water bottle for your dog to personalised whiskey barrels, Uncommon Goods definitely delivers what it promises, alongside a host of more sophisticated, grandmother-approved gifts for the whole family Christmas. This website has a particular section for more fun and quirky gifts, along with a section entirely for all your festive needs, allowing you to choose personalised wares that suit everybody's individual style. www.uncommongoods.com JAPAN TREND SHOP Have you ever woken up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and realised you absolutely can't go without a Panasonic Beauty Ion Effector? Neither have we, but you can buy one at the Japan Trend Shop — if you can believe it. With a range of beauty wears including USB-heated leggings and boiled egg-shaped headbands, this kitsch online emporium really does stock whatever you can imagine. www.japantrendshop.com HIM & 1 Specialising in all that is fine and functional across household goods, art and body care products, Him & I is a wholesome Australian online store that houses the current obsessions of site creators Kara and Josh. From boldly coloured bedding by Kip & Co and sophisticated watches by The Horse to simple tableware by Made in Japan and earthy art designs by Kristina Krogh, Him&I is a feast of gift ideas by brands definitely not seen at your nearest Westfield. www.himandi.com.au By Katie Davern, Eden Faithfull and Matthew Abotomey. Top image: Basil Bangs, available at Hunting for George.
