The team responsible for revamping The Norfolk, The Flinders, The Carrington and The Oxford Tavern – who went on to sell all four pubs in 2016 – are back in the game. This time, James Wirth and Michael Delany have turned their hand to The Duke of Edinburgh, a much-loved pub next to Enmore Theatre, in Sydney's inner west. Now known as The Duke of Enmore, the pub will reopen on Tuesday, December 11. Rather than overhaul the entire interior, the team has gone for a light-handed reno. Among the new features are tartan carpet, stained glass lighting and, most importantly — with summer coming up — lots of windows. Meanwhile, original timber features have been given a refresh and brick surfaces have been exposed. In the kitchen, you'll find Toby Wilson (Bad Hombres, Ghostboy Cantina), who, in keeping with The Duke's culinary history, is serving up pub classics and snacks — but on another level. Choose from two steaks ("cheap" and "expensive"), porchetta rolls, bologna sandwiches and plates from LP's Quality Meats. There will be plenty of vegetarian and vegan dishes — Wilson's known for serving up top-notch vegan fare at Bad Hombres — too, including a whole roasted cauliflower. Meanwhile, Joel Amos (founder of natural wine retailer Drnks) is taking care of the beverages. His selection will cover a heap of funky, skin-contact and natural wines (look out for regular wine tastings), some of which will also be available in the attached bottle shop. The cocktail list will cover classics and new concoctions, such as The Golden Pear Spritz, a summery drink of golden pear, prosecco and soda, and the Robert Mitchum (the pub's house special), a mix of Jack Daniels, whole egg, orange juice and maple syrup. If you're around on weeknights, you'll be getting down to 70s hits, but the weekends will be dedicated to disco DJs, which will play through till the wee hours. The Duke of Enmore will open at 148 Enmore Road on Tuesday, December 11. Opening hours are Monday–Wednesday, 11am-12am; Thursday–Saturday, 11am-2am; and Sunday, 11am-10pm.
The flavours of Southeast Asia are heading to the beach. Chef Milan Strbac has launched the second site of his upscale eatery Sugarcane in Coogee. Occupying the Carr Street site previously held by Nissaki Greek Taverna, the new 100-seat restaurant and cocktail bar starts service tonight, Thursday, July 21 at the south end of Coogee's beachfront. The venue feels similar to its Surry Hills sister restaurant, but with a decidedly more seaside feel. Along with the open terrace that looks out on to the beach and a great roof-hanging greenery arrangement, the Coogee menu has a big focus on seafood with the addition of a raw section on the menu. Expect bites like scallop ceviche with lime and chilli, kingfish with toasted rice and a sashimi platter. Of course there will be all your favourites like pad Thai, Sumatran curry and some melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef. So why Coogee? Well, Strbac is a local and he wanted to create a place the local community could come and dine any night of the week. "I want the restaurant to have a casual feel where you could walk in off the beach, have a few snacks and a drink, and feel comfortable in your beach gear," says Strbac. "Or the ideal venue for a casual date night." In addition to Strbac himself, the kitchen team at Sugarcane Coogee will include ex-Mr Wong chef Tristan Balian and sous chef Yoshi Fuchigami (ex-Catalina). Flynn McClellan, who used to be at Uncle Ming's, will be looking after the bar and creating cocktails, like their twist on a Vietnamese iced coffee and a piña colada. Not a half-bad roster, we think you'll agree. Sugarcane Coogee will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday at 56 Carr Street, Coogee. For more info, visit sugarcanerestaurant.com.au. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
There's nothing worse than being weeks out from payday and feeling like you need to resort to two-minute noodles and canned goods, particularly when Sydney is flaunting such damn fine food in front of you. When it comes to the calibre of food in Sydney, missing out is not an option. Thankfully, some of Sydney's top restaurants understand that fancy food shouldn't require a savings plan or be reserved solely for special occasions. Here are ten fancy spots that you can get to without breaking the budget. LUNCH AT AUTOMATA Keeping up with all of Sydney's best restaurants can be exhausting, not to mention expensive. But thanks to Automata's three-course lunch degustation ($60) you can indulge without blowing in excess of $200 Wednesday to Saturday. The dishes at Automata are one-of-a-kind, intricate and experimental, and ever-changing based on what's in season. Set in an industrial warehouse space, Automata offers fancy food with an edge. It's the kind of place where the beer list – which features some different contenders, like the Rodenbach Flemish Red Ale from Belgium ($12) — is given just as much emphasis as the cocktails or wine. DINNER AT MOMOFUKU SEIOBO Momofuku embraces the best part of fine dining — fresh, unusual and inventive dishes cooked expertly — but leaves the formalities behind. While the best seats in the house wrap around the kitchen, giving you a full view of Paul Carmichael's creative Caribbean flair, they don't come cheap at $185 for the degustation (and $105 for the wine pairing). Hardly a budget option. The loophole is that there are five coveted seats at the bar that give you access to fried chicken or black pudding sangas ($18), lamb tartare with mango hot sauce and black eye peas ($18) and the intriguing option of fish head with chickpea and hot sauce ($24). LUNCH AT LUMI With a long list of awards and a picturesque waterfront location, LuMi has real clout in the Sydney dining scene. And it treads its own unique path — chef Federico Zanellato adding a Japanese twist to modern Italian cuisine. Offering degustation-only menus (ten courses for $150, or seven courses for $120), the $85 Friday lunch menu is your best bet if you're on a budget. But don't think for a second that you're missing out, there's not a better time of day to be sitting by the water discovering how these unlikely pairings come together in dishes, like miso-strone, for example. LUNCH OR DINNER AT MERCADO With the care and energy that goes into making everything from scratch, you'd expect Mercado to come with a sizeable price tag. An opulent setting hidden below street level, Mercado does all its pickling, curing and smoking on-site and boasts an ever-changing seasonal menu that offers a modern take on Moorish food. Head in during the day — Monday to Wednesday — for the express lunch ($35), which includes John Dory, barbecue rump or a vegetarian option, and sides. At dusk, grab a table before 6pm and order the pre-theatre menu ($55) for three courses and the restaurant's famed dulce de leche ice cream with candied bacon. [caption id="attachment_660591" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] CURED & CULTURED AT BENNELONG When it comes to getting value for money, it doesn't get better than a meal and a show. Sit at the Cured & Cultured counter for a full view of the chefs at work, and for a meal that'll cost you less than the main restaurant. Drop in for a glass of Priory Ridge, Sauvignon Blanc ($18 a glass) and a not-so-quintessentially-Aussie suckling pig sausage roll ($24). You can try a bit of everything – including the Tasmanian-inspired scallop pie, black pig ham and polenta and five textures of raspberry — for $65 with the chef's tasting menu. Not bad considering three courses in the restaurant will set you back $140. LUNCH AT PENDOLINO Boasting a dedicated pasta kitchen, Pendolino takes pride in its traditional approach to regional Italian cuisine and the quality of its ingredients. Tucked away on the second floor of The Strand Arcade, Pendolino has all the marks of a sophisticated fine dining venue, right down to the white linen tablecloths. Dining at Pendolino usually costs, at minimum, $90 for an entree and a main, but if you're in town Monday to Saturday head in for an express lunch, it'll only set you back $57. Enjoy a main — the milk-braised pork belly with sage, the char-grilled quail or the Piemontese-style mushroom pie, to name a few — and a side (green beans, say, or the savoy cabbage salad). DINNER AT THE GANTRY Waterfront views rarely come cheap, unless you get in early for The Gantry's pre-show menu. Overlooking Walsh Bay, this lauded restaurant celebrates Australian produce in an intricate and intriguing way. To snag the bargain meal, head in before 7pm and choose from either two ($60) or three courses ($75) — and, if you have the money to spare, end end the evening with a cocktail at The Gantry bar. You can start with spanner crab, move on to Berkshire pork neck or snapper, and end with one of three desserts. LUNCH AT NEL. Given that the restaurant is housed in a bunker, nel. starts off on the right foot when it comes to its promise to deliver an experience like no other. Committed to keeping things interesting, nel.'s degustation-only menu changes every six weeks, meaning it always maintains the element of surprise. Not just a case of switching up what they serve, chef Nelly Robinson loves to experiment with seasonal Australian ingredients. While the dinner degustation costs $118, dropping in for lunch will set you back a surprisingly affordable $69 for four courses and snacks. DINNER AT ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL Rockpool is a Sydney institution, which is why no budget should stand in the way of you experiencing it. The more relaxed of all of Neil Perry's Sydney venues, you can get away with spending a fraction of the price by sitting at the bar — the only requirement being that David Blackmore's wagyu burger with bacon, gruyere cheese and pickle ($26) be eaten with two hands. Not fancy enough for you? Start with some freshly shucked oysters and build your meal from the range of small plates. If you're a seafood lover, go for the tuna tartare with moroccan eggplant ($13), Don Bocarte anchovy with smoked tomato ($7 each) and king prawn cutlet with aioli ($11 each). Offering a detailed list of wines by the glass, it's easy to walk away from Rockpool Bar and Grill without racking up an exorbitant booze bill. BAR PINCER AT RESTAURANT HUBERT Restaurant Hubert may specialise in fancy French fare, but it's a setting fit for a meeting of Italian Mafiosi. Equally as impressive a space as the main dining room, the adjoining Bar Pincer is heavy on the timber with lashes of red in the booth seat upholstery. It's moody and deserving of a quintessential French meal of escargot with Hubert XO sauce ($24) or wagyu topside beef tartare with fries ($24), and of course a good glass of plonk — described as broad, dark, weighty and handsome, the '15 Della Staffa 'Rosso' Sangiovese Blend, Italy ($16) is a perfect match for Bar Pincer. As well as being a touch cheaper than the main dining room, it's also a lot easier to snag a table in Bar Pincer.
Sydneysiders love a market — especially one that specialises in top-notch pre-loved clothing. There's nothing like finding a quality item at a clothing market. There's the thrill of searching through the racks to stumble upon the piece, plus shopping secondhand and upcycled clothing is more sustainable than buying your clothes new. If this all sounds entirely relatable, Second Life Markets are a must-visit for you. Usually, this hub of independent designers and secondhand clothing stalls pops up in Sydney once a season; however, with its autumn edition scheduled in May, it has just announced a one-off sundowner market on King Street in collaboration with Newtown favourite So Familia. Known for its 2000s-style pre-loved and deadstock clothing and accessories, So Familia is a go-to in the Inner West for those looking towards naughties-era Paris Hilton and Nicole Scherzinger for fashion inspo. Over 30 stalls are lined up to take place as part of the mini market which, will run from 3–8pm on Sunday, April 2 at 426 King Street. There will also be pizza, drinks and tunes, ensuring the markets are a vibrant Sunday afternoon experience. Plus, it's dog-friendly, so make sure to bring along your fluffiest companions so they can stretch their legs before you head back to work for the week. Entry is $5 and, in the sustainable spirit of the market, you're asked to bring your own reusable shopping bag(s) with you on the day. The Second Life Markets run successful quarterly events across Sydney, Perth and, as of October, Melbourne. The seasonal events bring together local sellers and independent designers, as well as a heavy dose of good vibes. You can stay up to date with when each new city's next market is arriving at the Second Life Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Second Life Markets (@secondlifemarkets)
As NSW's COVID-19 restrictions start to ease and more Sydneysiders are heading back to work, commuters are once again piling onto the city's public transport network. But, with buses only able to fit 12 commuters and train carriages 35, under the country's physical distancing rules, you may've found it a little more difficult to get to work. To help, the NSW Government has temporarily added an extra 3300 services across the network from Monday, June 1. An extra 3100 weekly buses will provide 37000 more socially distant spots, while 250 weekly train services will add up to 59000 additional spaces — totally almost 100,000 more seats for bums across the city. While the new services will ease some transport tension, the NSW Government is continuing to encourage commuters to avoid travelling during peak hours. Last week, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, "We recommend people who aren't already on the system in the peak, especially on buses and trains, to travel in the off-peak, so after 10am or before 2pm." NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance reiterated this sentiment, saying "please don't travel in the peak — walk, ride your bike or drive instead". With the new capacities, Constance said the city's public transport is only able to carry 550,000-600,000 commuters compared to its usual 2.2 million, which is about 25 percent. [caption id="attachment_772030" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The new decals encouraging socially distancing on a Sydney bus. Photo by Natalie Ratcliffe.[/caption] To help ease some of the congestion, the Government has also launched a pop-up car park in Moore Park, where commuters can catch a shuttle light rail service to the city, and six pop-up bike lanes heading into the city. The real-time public transport apps — including TripView, TripGo, Google Maps and the Opal App — now also show the safe capacity for each service and 400,000 green dot decals have also be rolled out across the public transport system this week, showing commuters where safe, socially distant spots to sit are. To plan your journey and for more information about Sydney transport options, head to the Transport for NSW website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Backhands, beats and artisan eats will converge on Rose Bay's Lyne Park Tennis Centre on Saturday, March 17. That's when social tennis event Social Serve returns to raise money for The Primary Club, an Aussie charity that helps people with disabilities to play sport. If your activewear hasn't had more of a workout than a stroll to the cafe at the end of your street, then here's your chance to put it to work. The good news is you'll only have to work as hard as you like. The sporty part of proceedings will take the form of friendly mixed doubles match from 3.30pm, with champs who kill it on the court heading into the finals. The whole thing will be capped off with a preso and rink from 7–9pm. Not so keen on joining the game? That's more than fine. Instead, relax on the sidelines, listen to local DJs, eat some snacks and drink some cocktails by Poor Toms.
Have you spent the last 15 years popping your colleagues' staplers in jelly, or covering their desks in gift wrap? When someone makes a comment — any comment — do you answer "that's what she said"? Do you have a soft spot for paper company employees, or for anyone who gets married at Niagara Falls? As soon as you meet people who work in HR, do you expect them to be called Toby? If so, then The Office — the US version — has changed your life, and now it's time to put your secret skills to the test. Michael Scott won't call a virtual conference on Thursday, April 16; however Isolation Trivia will dedicate its next online trivia night to the beloved sitcom, so it's almost the same thing. Because Australia loves trivia evenings based on sitcoms that Mike Schur had a hand in (think Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine) more than it loves pulling pranks, it's certain to be a popular evening — even when you're just taking part from your couch. The quiz session will run from 6.30pm, and you'd better be ready to break out Jim and Pam's wedding dance — and eat something beetroot-flavoured, ideally from Schrute Farms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryxUeWEcUqE Playing is free, and there's no need to register. Just head to the event Facebook page on the night. And if ever you needed an excuse to hit up Stan and binge your way through the whole series again, this is it.
Some of the world's very best cocktail bars and makers will be in Sydney this month, as the Maybe Cocktail Festival returns for its third edition. Taking place from April 7–13, the event will see 20 of the world's best bars, including seven bars ranked in The World's 50 Best Bars 2024 list, taking over some of Sydney's very best bars for Australia's biggest international cocktail event. With these noteworthy cocktail shakers hosting 25 events over the festival's seven days, you won't have to look far to discover signature cocktails, exclusive collabs and world-class hospitality. So, who's on the lineup this year? Landing at #9 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2024 (and #2 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024), Seoul's Zest will take over Prefecture 48 for a headline event, while Barcelona's Paradiso (#10) will get down to El Primo Sanchez to showcase its creative libations. Also in attendance are a host of high-profile names from around the globe, including Connaught Bar (#13) and Satan's Whiskers (#29) from London, Buenos Aires' CoChinChina (#22) and Florería Atlántico (#46) and Milan's Moebius (#38). They'll be landing at world-class Sydney venues including Little Cooler, Dean & Nancy on 22, Whisky Thief and more. This edition of the Maybe Cocktail Festival boasts the event's most gender-balanced lineup to date. Among the acclaimed bartenders making the trip, there's Sarah Dawn Mitchell from Teresa Bar (Napier, New Zealand), Gan Kwok Yee from Cosmo Pony (Jakarta), and Daniela Negrete Leal and Gina Barbachano from Brujas (Mexico City). "In its third year, Maybe Cocktail Festival has become a must-attend event for cocktail lovers, and I'm incredibly proud that so many of the world's best bars are eager to be part of it," says festival director Stefano Catino. "These bartenders aren't just flying in to make drinks — they're showcasing their expertise, creativity, and the unique hospitality that has made their bars world-renowned." Whether you're a Sydney local or just visiting, the festival is a stellar opportunity to experience the best of international cocktail culture. You can sip agave-centred cocktails from Mexico City's top bars, discover what makes New York hospitality so special and experience the bold flavours driving Singapore's bar scene from strength to strength. You can RSVP to any guest shift, workshop or party of your choosing via the event's website, and you can buy two tokens at the door of each venue — $50 will get you two cocktails from visiting bartenders. The Maybe Cocktail Festival is happening from Monday, April 7–Sunday, April 13, 2025, at various venues across Sydney. Head to the festival's website for more information.
Steel yourself for some seriously heavy drinking, Sydney. You're about to get your first new commercial distillery in more than 160 years. Set to open their doors on Wednesday, March 18, the Archie Rose Distilling Company will bottle and sell a selection of home-brewed sprits, while doubling as an eat-in bar. The distillery will operate out of a refurbished warehouse in Rosebery, just down the block from the likes of Da Mario, Black Star Pastry and Kitchen by Mike. While their food menu is yet to be released, their drink options will include gin, vodka and rye whisky — all of which will be made on site. According to Archie Rose's website, the last distillery serving Sydney closed in 1853, which sort of begs the question: why hasn't anyone thought to resurrect this clearly awesome practice sooner? Archie Rose co-owner Will Edwards told Good Food it has to do with stringent government legislation – presumably intended to keep unsavoury characters from cooking up moonshine in their bathtubs. Keep in mind that Australia has a long, proud history of illicit hoochery, dating all the way back to the first settlement. In 1796, NSW Governor John Hunter expressed concern over the increasing number of "illicit distilleries of spirituous liquors" that he feared would shortly "ruin the good health of the settlement." Booze was so rampant at one stage that we were actually using rum as a form of currency. Although in retrospect, that actually doesn't sound too bad. In any case, boutique breweries (legal ones) have enjoyed a resurgence in recent times, with operators in Tasmania leading the way. Four Pillars have been distilling gin in their Yarra Valley home for years. Combination distillery restaurants have also proven popular in the United States. Here's hoping Archie Rose enjoys similar good fortune. Find Archie Rose at 61 Mentmore Avenue, Rosebery. For access to the bar, enter via 85 Dunning Avenue (around the block). Distillery hours and tours are by appointment only, but the bar is open seven days a week, midday - 10pm. Via Good Food. Image: Nikki To.
When the ABC announced that Spicks and Specks would return in 2024 after sitting 2023 out, it was big news, as anything to do with the hit Australian take on the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks always is. IRL, here's something just as exciting: the Brisbane-born and -based Not On Your Rider is also back for this year, although it didn't take a year off. On the agenda: playing a music quiz show filled with well-known faces live — and yes, the audience gets to play, too, including in Sydney in May. You'll be peering at a stage, rather than a screen. You'll be answering questions, of course. And if it has you thinking about pub trivia nights, they don't include The Creases' Aimon Clark — who is also behind Isolation Trivia — hosting, or Patience Hodgson from The Grates and Jeremy Neale from Velociraptor captaining the two teams, let alone a heap of entertainment-industry guests. At past events, guests have included Murray Cook from The Wiggles, Broden Kelly and Mark Samual Bonanno from Aunty Donna, Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton, Agro, Cal Wilson, Ben Lee, Steven Bradbury, Kate Miller-Heidke, Robert Irwin, Ranger Stacey, Craig Lowndes and Tim Rogers. Among the other musicians who've featured, Powderfinger, Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays, Ruby Fields, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants and The Go-Betweens have all had members take to the stage. Sydneysiders can join in on one 2024 date: Sunday, May 5 at Factory Theatre. The event is coming to town for the Sydney Comedy Festival. Here's how it works: Not On Your Rider takes something that everyone loves — showing off their music trivia knowledge — and dials it up a few notches. While the two on-stage teams are always filled with musos, comedians, drag queens and other guests, anyone can buy a ticket, sit at a table and answer questions along with them. The quiz element is accompanied by chats about the music industry, plus other mini games involving attendees. Images: Dave Kan / Bianca Holderness.
For eight years, Pilu Kiosk — the café-shack at Freshwater attached to the eponymous double-hatted restaurant — has been a Northern Beaches go-to for coffee and panini. Now, it's closing its doors for a revamp, before reopening in March as Pilu Bar and Kiosk. For you, that'll mean Italian wines, cocktails and just-cooked, Sardinian dishes within view of beautiful Freshwater Beach. "We've been thinking for a while about how cool it'd be for people to come straight off the beach and sit down to Negronis, spritzers, oysters and salumi," says Marilyn Annecchini, who operates Pilu alongside her husband and business partner, Giovanni Pilu. "It's the perfect location and we've been working on it for a couple of years." Pilu Bar and Kiosk will continue to serve the café-style fare for which it's so popular – takeaway included – but will be redesigned to offer a "more extensive menu". Most importantly, the shack will score an onsite kitchen. "In the morning, it'll still be an espresso bar, serving coffee and muffins and the like, but we'll have cooked breakfast options, too," Marilyn says. "For example, we already have egg and pancetta rolls on the menu, but they'll be made to order." At lunch and dinner, you can expect oysters, salumi and traditional Italian dishes with a twist, as well as fresher, fancier panini. Match your choices with Italian wines by the glass, craft beers and creative takes on classic cocktails. Design-wise, the kiosk will keep its beach shack look and feel, with the addition of a copper-topped bar, timber surfaces, greenery and seating along the existent hedge, overlooking the water. There'll be room for about 35 people. What's more, hours will be extended. Pilu Bar and Kiosk will open from 7am seven days a week all year round. During daylight savings time, and between Thursday and Monday outside of daylight savings, it'll stay open till 9pm. Image: Pilu at Freshwater.
Striking a balance between fun and serious dining can be difficult. Some restaurants lean one way, offering affordable meals, karaoke and 'Ring for Tequila' buttons. Others nail the full-blown fine dining experience. But Barangaroo's new Korean barbecue and steakhouse joint SOOT manages to provide a mix of both, pairing vibrant communal dining and shots of soju with top-notch cuts of wagyu. Each table at SOOT is fitted with smokeless and odourless DIY charcoal grills ready to sizzle some high marble-grade beef for you and your friends. Hero dishes include the MBS9+ chuck eye roll steak, short rib cooked using a 50-year-old family recipe, on-the-bone rib-eye steak which can be ordered by the gram and marinated Kurobuta pork ribs. Pickled and fermented items also feature heavily on the menu, with SOOT making its own kimchi, sesame bean sprouts, pickled onions, jalapeños, okra, asparagus or radishes in-house. Rounding out the extensive list of eats is Korean fried chicken or cauliflower, seafood pancakes, a raw bar featuring rock oysters and sashimi, minced wagyu bibimbap, tofu clam soup and truffle mashed potatoes. SOOT lands next to NOLA Smokehouse and The Butcher's Block on Barangaroo Avenue from the hospitality group Kolture, led by David Bae (Tokki, Kogi), whose father introduced Australia to Korean barbecue in 1992. "I know Korean barbecue like the back of my hand and learnt from the masters. I want to take the experience up a notch for Sydneysiders," says Bae. "We want to take the time to educate and guide our guests on how to have the ultimate experience, showing them aspects of our cultural heritage, and Korean barbecue and drinking etiquette." While the food menu features cuts of meat and truffle-infused veggies that could rival Sydney's new wave of omakase experiences, the drinks list is a joyous celebration of Korean spirits and sake. Cocktails range from miso sours and soju spritzes through to grapefruit highballs and Hennessy, lemon, jasmine and minted honey tea, but the extensive range of sake, soju and Korean ju are the real highlights. Ask the staff for recommendations and expand your soju palette with a variety of flavours, strengths and rarities. If you want to sample your way through the best of SOOT's menu and leave the decisions up to the chefs, turn your attention to The Butcher's Table set menu. This $109 journey through the various sections of the restaurant's offerings features a banchan set, wagyu tartare, seafood pancake, shallot salad, assorted veggies, gyeranjjim, the dessert of the day and four carefully selected cuts of meat: the 240-gram SOOT steak, the 120-gram deckle steak, the ox tongue and the family-recipe short rib. SOOT is located at Shop T1.05, 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo — open 5.30pm–late Tuesday–Saturday.
Any plans for Bali escapes, treks across Mexico or food-filled Japanese getaways have been put on ice for 2020, but that doesn't mean you can't indulge in a bit of escapism. And, no, we're not just talking about daydreaming and spending hours scrolling through Pinterest. Australian Venue Co is helping to ease the wanderlust a touch by transforming more than 20 of its pubs and restaurants into some of the world's most popular holiday destinations for summer. So, you'll be able to sip frozen margaritas surrounded by cacti, eat dumplings under cherry blossom trees and wear flower crowns (if that's your thing) on Coachella-inspired rooftops. Called Summer Staycations, the transformations will be taking place from November to February at the likes of the The Provincial Hotel and The Smith in Melbourne, Manly Wine and Bungalow 8 in Sydney, and Kingsleys and Riverland in Brisbane. Of course, the visual makeovers — which will include giant teepees, citrus trees and flowers aplenty — will be paired with appropriate food and drink menus. On the Amalfi Coast, you'll find bottomless pizza and sorbet spritzes; in Mexico, there are unlimited tacos and many margaritas; and in Bali, you'll find brunch and many frozen cocktails. For a taster of what to expect, look to The Rook. The Sydney rooftop has been filled with cherry blossoms and bottomless dumplings since March — but, come November, it'll become an Italian summer haven. More information about the staycations is set to drop on Monday, October 19, with pop-ups set to go live on Friday, November 2 in all states but Victoria. Melbourne's will kick off — restrictions allowing — in December. [caption id="attachment_785121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] SUMMER STAYCATION LINEUP Amalfi Coast Prince Alfred, Vic Provincial, Vic The Rook, NSW Kingsleys, Qld Payneham Tavern, SA Spring in Tokyo The Smith, Vic The Duke, Vic Manly Wine, NSW Fridays, Qld Sweetwater Rooftop, WA Mexico Fiesta College Lawn, Vic Perseverance, Vic Riverland, Qld Cleveland Sands, Qld Waterloo Station, SA Coachella, Palm Springs Fargo and Co, Vic Cargo Bar, NSW The Aviary, WA Hope Inn, SA Beach Club, Bali Bungalow 8, NSW The Globe, WA For more information about Australian Venue Co Summer Staycations, head to the website. Top image: The Rook by Jasper Avenue
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from June's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now The Bear Serving up another sitting with acclaimed chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw), his second-in-charge Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2) and their team after dishing up one of the best new shows of 2022 and best returning shows of 2023, the third season of The Bear is a season haunted. Creator and writer Christopher Storer (Dickinson, Ramy) — often the culinary dramedy's director as well — wouldn't have it any other way. Every series that proves as swift a success as this, after delivering as exceptional a first and second season as any show could wish for, has the tang of its prior glory left on its lips, so this one tackles the idea head on. How can anyone shake the past at all, good or bad, the latest ten episodes ruminate on as Carmy faces a dream that's come true but hasn't and can't eradicate the lifetime of internalised uncertainty that arises from having an erratic mother, absent father, elder brother he idolised but had his own demons, and a career spent striving to be the best and put his talents to the test in an industry that's so merciless and unforgiving even before you factor in dealing with cruel mentors. Haunting is talked about often in this third The Bear course, but not actually in the sense flavouring every bite that the show's return plates up. In the season's heartiest reminder that it's comic as well as tense and dramatic — its nine Emmy wins for season one, plus four Golden Globes across season one and two, are all in comedy categories — the Faks get to Fak aplenty. While charming Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson) is loving his role as a besuited server beneath Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings), onboard with the latter's commitment to upholding a Michelin star-chasing fine-diner's front-of-house standards and as devoted to being Carmy's best friend as ever, he's also always palling around with his handyman brother Theodore (Ricky Staffieri, Read the Room). They're not the season's only Faks, and so emerges a family game. When one Fak wrongs another, they get haunted, which is largely being taunted and unsettled by someone from basically The Bear equivalent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Boyles. For it to stop, you need to agree to give in. In Storer's hands, in a series this expertly layered as it picks up in the aftermath of sandwich diner The Original Beef of Chicagoland relaunching as fine-diner The Bear, this isn't just an amusing character-building aside. The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Hit Man The feeling that Glen Powell should star in everything didn't start with Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You. Writer/director Richard Linklater (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) has helped the notion bubble up before as early back as 2006's Fast Food Nation, then with 2016's Everybody Wants Some!! — and now he riffs on it with Hit Man. When viewers want an actor to feature everywhere, they want to see them step into all sorts of shoes but bring their innate talents and charm each time. So, Linklater enlists Powell as Gary Johnson, a real-life University of New Orleans professor who wouldn't be earning the movie treatment if he didn't also moonlight as a undercover police operative with a specific remit: playing hitmen with folks looking to pay someone to commit murder, sting-style. Johnson doesn't just give the gig the one-size-fits-all approach, though. Once he gets confidence in the job, he's dedicated to affording every target their own personal vision of their dream assassin. So, Powell gets to be a polo shirt-wearing nice guy, a long-haired master criminal, a besuited all-business type and more, including the suave smooth-talker Ron, the persona he adopts when Madison Figueroa Masters (Adria Arjona, Andor) thinks about offing her odious husband. Hit Man is as a screwball rom-com-meets-sunlit film noir, and an excellent one, as well as a feature based on a situation so wild that it can only stem from fact. Alongside charting Gary's exploits in the position and the murkiness of falling for Madison as Ron, it's also an acceptance that the kind of darkness and desperation needed for a person to want to hire a stranger to kill to make their life better isn't a rarity — if it was, Gary's services wouldn't have been needed. Linklater has been in comparably blackly comic but also clear-eyed territory before with Bernie, the past entry on his resume that Hit Man best resembles. The also-ace 2011 Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda 4)-led picture similarly told a true tale, and also sprang from an article by journalist Skip Hollandsworth. This time, Linklater penned the script with Powell instead of Hollandsworth, but the result is another black-comedy delight brimming with insight. Hit Man is a movie about finding one's identity, too, and Powell keeps showing that he's found his: a charismatic lead who anchors one of the most-entertaining flicks of the year. Hit Man streams via Netflix. Fancy Dance Lily Gladstone might've won the Golden Globe but not the Oscar for Killers of the Flower Moon, but her exceptional resume shows every sign of more awards coming her way. Fancy Dance, the other movie to join her filmography in 2023 — it premiered at Sundance that year, but only makes its way to streaming worldwide now — is yet another example of how the Certain Women and First Cow star is one of the very-best actors working right now. Where Gladstone's time in front of Martin Scorsese's lens showcased her mastery of restraint, playing an aunt trying to do what's best for her niece and a sister searching for her absent sibling benefits from her equal command of looseness. Jax, her character, is a pinball. When she bounces in any direction, it's with force and purpose as well as liveliness and determination, but the choice of where she's heading is rarely her own. All she wants is to find Tawi (debutant Hauli Sioux Gray) and protect 13-year-old Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson, Three Pines), but set against the reality that law enforcement mightn't look as enthusiastically for a missing Indigenous woman — or treat one with a record attempting to do right be her family with consideration — that's far from an easy task. Writer/director Erica Tremblay hails from the Seneca–Cayuga Nation, where much of Fancy Dance is set. As Gladstone is, she's also an alum of Reservation Dogs — including helming two episodes — and so is experienced at depicting everyday reservation life with authenticity. Accordingly, her first fictional feature after documentaries Heartland: A Portrait of Survival and In the Turn takes a social-realistic approach in its details, especially when it's simply surveying the space and empathy that First Nations versus white Americans aren't given. Because Jax has a criminal history, child services deems her unfit to look after Roki, or even to take the teen to the powwow where the girl is certain her mum will attend to again steal the show in the mother-daughter dance competition; instead, Jax's white father (Shea Whigham, Lawmen: Bass Reeves) and stepmother (Audrey Wasilewski, Ted) are their choice of guardians. Fancy Dance's protagonist isn't one to simply acquiesce to that decision, and Gladstone makes both her fire and her pain palpable — and her tenderness for Roki, who is weightily portrayed by her Under the Bridge co-star Deroy-Olson, as well. Fancy Dance streams via Apple TV+. Exposure When the words "DO NOT MESSAGE" greet someone that's looking through their friend's phone, curiosity kicks in. When that mysterious contact is spied, plus a list of deleted texts and apologies for unintended hurt, immediately after your best mate has taken her own life and left you to find their body, uncovering the person on the other end of the thread becomes an obsession. Twenty-seven-year-old photographer Jacs (Alice Englert, Bad Behaviour) is all impulse and immediate gratification when Exposure begins, when she's at a rave hooking up with a stranger and dancing with her lifelong BFF Kel (Mia Artemis, Anyone But You). The next morning, everything changes forever, except a haunting truth that no one likes realising when tragedy strikes: our worst moments alter us forever, but they can't fix our worst traits or paper over our other traumas. So Jacs keeps being Jacs as she heads home from Sydney to Port Kembla, where she'll barely let her mother Kathy (Essie Davis, One Day) and Kel's ex Angus (Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High) lend their support, and where her self-sabotaging spiral only gains momentum as she attempts to turn amateur, fixated, dogged detective. Pain ran in the family in the aforementioned Bad Behaviour, the 2023 New Zealand film — not to be confused with the 2023 Australian miniseries that streamed via Stan, as Exposure also does — that Englert made her feature directorial debut with, plus penned and co-starred in. The movie told of a former child actor (Jennifer Connolly, Dark Matter) and her stunt-performer daughter working through their baggage around the former's attendance at a new-age retreat. Filmmaking talent also ran in the family, given that Englert is the offspring of Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). While she's solely on-screen this time, with Lucy Coleman (Hot Mess) scripting and Bonnie Moir (Love Me) helming, Englert is superb again, including at excavating life's agonies once more. Exposure's moniker applies in multiple ways, spanning the controversial contents of an award-winning snap, facing past distresses, playing sleuth and confronting your own chaos — and it equally fits the raw and rich performance at the centre of this six-parter, which also showcases Davis and Weatherall's typically excellent work. Exposure streams via Stan. Under Paris Creature features are often humanity-did-wrong features. Under Paris doesn't have Godzilla stomping around as a scaly, fire-breathing, Tokyo-destroying embodiment of nuclear devastation's reach and impact, but it does set a giant shark on the loose beneath the French capital due to pollution, specifically the Great Pacific garbage patch, making its natural saltwater terrain uninhabitable. This genre of film doesn't restrict its badly behaving people to merely causing the source of their misery, either, often surveying a range of terrible reactions that exacerbate the issue as well. Underestimating the situation is one such response, which has a well-known history in flicks about killer sharp-toothed fish. The mayor of New England's Amity Island in Jaws wasn't great, and now the the City of Light's equivalent (Anne Marivin, Rebecca) is just as uncaring when she refuses to shut down the city's waterways — despite the pleas of marine researcher Sophia Assalas (Bérénice Bejo, The Movie Teller), police chief Angèle (Aurélia Petit, Saint Omer) and law-enforcement diver Adil (Nassim Lyes, All-Time High) — because it'll disrupt a billion-dollar triathlon with its swimming leg in the River Seine. The chomping shadow of Steven Spielberg's (The Fabelmans) summer blockbuster lingers over Under Paris heavily, as it has over all shark movies for almost five decades now. Rare is the film that lives up to the Hollywood great as well as this, however, even though oh-so-much of the story plays out as expected. As Sophia first witnesses calamity when her research crew falls victim to Lilith, the shark they've been tracking, and then is forced to help save Paris three years later when environmental activist Mika (Léa Léviant, Mortel) advises that the creature has made its way to the city, it helps immensely that this shark-in-the-Seine picture isn't a Snakes on a Plane-esque comedy. Fresh from directing episodes of Lupin, Farang and Budapest director Xavier Gens is firmly making a thriller, not playing the scenario for laughs. The setpieces, many in the Parisian catacombs, are both efficient and effective. The film's visuals overall earn the same description. And while nodding to Free Willy as well is a touch clunky, The Artist Oscar-nominee Bejo is never anything less than committed. Under Paris streams via Netflix. Am I OK? The question in Am I OK?'s title is indeed existential: is Lucy (Dakota Johnson, Madame Web) coping with being a thirtysomething in Los Angeles treading water emotionally, romantically and professionally? From there, more queries spring. Can she — or, more accurately, will she — shoot for more than not quite dating the smitten Ben (Whitmer Thomas, Big Mouth), right down to shaking his hand at the end of their evenings out together, and also for something beyond working as a day-spa receptionist while putting her passion and talent for art on the back burner? Is she capable of breaking free of a comfort zone padded out with spending all of her spare time with her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno, House of the Dragon), including being so predictable that she always orders the same thing at their brunches at their favourite diner? Regarding the latter, she gets a push when Jane agrees to a lucrative transfer to London, splitting the pair for the first time since they were teenagers. Am I OK? is an arrested-development coming-of-age movie, then, and a film about being honest about who you are and want to be. Change comes for us all, even when we've built a cocoon to protect our happy status quo — and, at the heart of this romantic drama, change clearly comes for Lucy. She's forced to consider a path forward that doesn't involve solely being defined as half of a platonic duo. She also confronts the feelings for her coworker Brittany (Kiersey Clemons, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) and the truth about her sexuality that she's never previously admitted. Am I OK? is a coming-out tale, too, but it treats Lucy's stuck-in-a-rut existence and at-first-tentative attempts to embrace how she truly feels holistically, seeing how life's passage inevitably shifts how we see ourselves. If the movie feels more honest than it might've been, that's because screenwriter Lauren Pomerantz (Strange Planet) spins a semi-autobiographical story. Also, the directing team of real-life couple Tig Notaro (2 Dope Queens) and Stephanie Allynne (who helmed Notaro's 2024 special Hello Again) — who met making 2015's In a World… — demonstrate the ideal light-but-delicate touch. Plus, Johnson and Mizuno exude genuine BFF chemistry, with the former again showing why fare such as this, Cha Cha Real Smooth, How to Be Single, The Peanut Butter Falcon, A Bigger Splash, Suspiria and The Lost Daughter, a diverse group of pictures, is a better fit than the Fifty Shades trilogy or a Spider-Man spinoff. Am I OK? streams via Binge. Lumberjack the Monster Spanning big-screen releases, TV and straight-to-video fare, Takashi Miike has notched up 115 directorial credits in the 33 years since making his helming debut. Lumberjack the Monster isn't even the latest — it premiered at film festivals in 2023, which means that miniseries Onimusha and short Midnight have popped up since — but it is Miike back in horror mode, where 1999's Audition and 2001's Ichi the Killer famously dwelled. Here, the inimitable Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter Hiroyoshi Koiwai (Way to Find the Best Life) adapt the eponymous 2019 Mayusuke Kurai novel. Its namesake character also exists on the page in the movie itself, in a picture book. This is a serial-killer picture, though, and with more than one person taking multiple lives. A mass murderer wearing a bag over their head and swinging an axe is on a rampage, and lawyer Akira (Kazuya Kamenashi, Destiny) and surgeon Sugitani (Shôta Sometani, Sanctuary) aren't averse to dispensing death themselves. A clash is inevitable, not that the slick Akira expects it, or that his costumed attacker anticipates that their current target will survive his blade, sparking a cat-and-mouse game. Lumberjack the Monster doesn't just weave in fantasy boogeyman stories, offings upon offings, and characters with dark impulses going head to head. The police are on the case, giving the film a procedural layer, as well as Akira motivation to hunt down his assailant first. Science fiction also washes through, with brain-implanted chips and modifying human behaviour both for worse and for better part of the narrative. There's also a moral-redemption element weaved in. Consequently, it's no wonder that this tale is Miike joint. As well as being prolific, Miike loves making his resume the ultimate mashup. To name just a few examples, see: the yakuza action of Dead or Alive, superhero comedy Zebraman, titular genre of Sukiyaki Western Django, samurai efforts 13 Assassins and Blade of the Immortal, period drama Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, video-game adaptation Ace Attorney, romance For Love's Sake, thriller Lesson of the Evil, vampire movie Yakuza Apocalypse and the crime-driven First Love. Unsurprisingly, Lumberjack the Monster is specifically the engrossing — and bloodily violent — Frankenstein's monster of a flick that Miike was always going to relish making when splicing together such an array of elements came his way. Lumberjack the Monster streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Fantasmas With Fantasmas, creator, writer, director and star Julio Torres welcomes viewers into a world that couldn't have been conjured up by anyone else but the former Saturday Night Live scribe, who then became the co-guiding force behind Los Espookys and filmmaker responsible for Problemista. Torres also leaves his audience grateful that they exist in this particular world, where HBO has given him the means and support to make a comedy series so singular, so clearly the work of a visionary and so gloriously surreal. Fantasmas has no peers beyond Torres' work, other than the patron saint of spilling the contents of your mind and heart onto the screen with zero willingness to compromise or hold back: David Lynch. That said, even that comparison — and the utmost of praise that comes with it — can't prepare viewers for a show where clear crayons are one idea whipped up by the on-screen Julio, another sees Steve Buscemi (Curb Your Enthusiasm) playing the letter Q as an avant-garde outsider, Santa Claus is taken to court by elves (including SNL's Bowen Yang), and series-within-a-series MELF riffs on 80s and 90s hit sitcom ALF but starring Paul Dano (Spaceman) and featuring quite the twist on its alien-adopting premise. As the sets appear like exactly sets but with a DIY spin, star-studded cameos stack up, and absurdist vignettes pop in and out to flesh out Julio's mindscape as much as the futuristic realm imagined by the IRL Torres, there is an overarching narrative at the core of Fantasmas. The series' take on Julio trades in concepts, plus in being unflinchingly himself, but doing anything is impossible without a Proof of Existence ID card in this dystopia. He's on a quest to secure one, which isn't straightforward. In the process, he's also searching for a tiny gold oyster earring, and pondering whether to upload his consciousness and jettison his body. By his side: robot companion Bibo (Joe Rumrill, The Calling) and agent Vanesja (Martine Gutierrez, returning from Los Espookys and Problemista), who is really just a performance artist playing an agent. As phantasmagorical as everything that the show flings at the screen can get, which is very, it also tears into relatable issues such as societal status, class clashes, housing, capitalism's many woes and inequities, and the treatment of immigrants. As purposefully eager as it is to show its crafting and creativity, too, it does so to stress the fact that it's being made by people chasing a dream rather than corporations bowing to an algorithm. Fantasmas streams via Binge. Presumed Innocent When Presumed Innocent begins, Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal, Road House) has devoted his career to putting away Chicago's criminals. He isn't expecting to be soon treated the same way. Audiences with an awareness of both film and literary history know what's coming, though, with the eight-part Apple TV+ series the latest page-to-screen show from David E Kelley — and also another program with a story that already made the leap from bookshelves to the big screen before getting the television treatment. In recent years, Kelley has ushered A Man in Full, Anatomy of a Scandal, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Big Little Lies down the first route. He's taken The Lincoln Lawyer down the second as well. His pedigree spinning legal narratives dates back to LA Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, too. Now, he's adapting author Scott Turow's debut 1987 novel, which initially became a hit 1990 Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)-starring feature. Turning the tale into a series and the passage of more than three decades are a gift to Presumed Innocent's complexity; there's more time, obviously, to fill out the intricacies of a scenario where a hotshot prosecutor is now a suspected murderer, and to ensure that the misogyny of the 80s and 90s doesn't still shine through. At a time when being chief deputy under District Attorney Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp, who also appeared in A Man in Full) is already a fraught scenario — aka an election year — Sabich's life is turned upside down when his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve, 2021's Cannes Best Actress-winner for The Worst Person in the World) is found dead. The circumstances closely resemble a case that the two had previously worked on, so Rusty takes the lead. What only his supportive wife Barbara (Ruth Negga, Good Grief) knows is that the pair had an affair, which almost tore apart the Sabichs' marriage. A secret like that doesn't stay quiet for long, though, especially with Horgan's adversary Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle, Loot) and Rusty's ambitious counterpart Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard, Memory) looking to appease the electorate, and quickly. Presumed Innocent hasn't skimped on casting, to its benefit — in a show that isn't painting its protagonist as a hero or anything as clearcut, Gyllenhaal is at his slippery best, while both Reinsve and Negga flesh out the women caught up in his mess, and Sarsgaard eats up the screen, especially when Rusty and Molto face off in court. Presumed Innocent streams via Apple TV+. The Boys "Superheroes, they're just like us" has been an unspoken refrain humming beneath on-screen caped-crusader tales in recent decades. Possessing great powers doesn't mean knowing how to wield power, or greatness, or how to navigate the daily elements of life that don't revolve around possessing great powers, as movies and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe and beyond have kept stressing. Even as it dispenses a much-needed antidote to superhero worship's saturation of big- and small-screen entertainment — even as it has made distrusting the spandex-clad and preternaturally gifted its baseline — The Boys has also told this story. Across the entire extent of human history, what's more recognisable than power and dominance bringing out the worst in people? As adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name by showrunner Eric Kripke (Supernatural) since 2019, this series has stared at the grimmest vision of a world with tights-adorned supposed saviours. It's a show where murder at the hands of supes, which is then covered up by the company profiting from elevating them above the masses, is an everyday reality. It's a dark satire. It's gleeful in its onslaught of OTT violence and sightings of genitals. What it means to grapple with the struggle to hold onto humanity has firmly been at The Boys' core since its first episode, however, making it a mirror. It has never been hard to see where art imitates life in this account of its namesake rag-tag crew (Thor: Ragnarok,'s Karl Urban, Oppenheimer's Jack Quaid, Wrath of Man's Laz Alonso, One on One's Tomer Capone and Bullet Train's Karen Fukuhara) saying "enough is enough" to the US' downward spiral. With flying, laser-eyed, super-strong, supernaturally speedy and otherwise-enhanced beings commercialised by a behemoth of a company called Vought International, The Boys has never been subtle at pointing its fingers at the many ways in which pop culture and the corporations behind it hold sway. The show's parallels with American politics in its portrait of a factionalised nation torn apart over a polarising leader who considers himself above the law are equally overt. Of course, the series is just as blatant in unpacking the consequences of letting the pursuit of power run riot. In its narrative, in chasing supremacy above all else, humans and supes really are just like each other — a truth season four doesn't ever let slip from view. The Boys streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. House of the Dragon It's a chair made out of swords. So notes Daemon Targaryen's (Matt Smith, Morbius) description of the Iron Throne. Not one but two hit HBO shows have put squabbles about the sought-after seat at their centre so far, and the second keeps proving a chip off the old block in a fantasy franchise where almost everyone meets that description. If the family trees sprawling throughout Game of Thrones for eight seasons across 2011–19 and now House of the Dragon for two since 2022 (with a third on the way) weren't so closely intertwined in all of their limbs, would feuding over everything, especially the line of succession, be such a birthright? Set within the Targaryens 172 years before Daenerys is born, House of the Dragon keeps the black-versus-green factionalism going in season two, to civil war-esque extremes over which two offspring of the late King Viserys the Peaceful (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) should wear the crown and plonk themselves in the blade-lined chair. The monarch long ago named Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) as his heir. But with his last breaths, his wife Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Slow Horses) claims that he picked their eldest son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney, Rogue Heroes) instead. In King's Landing, the response was speedy, with Rhaenyra supplanted before she'd even heard over at Dragonstone that her father had passed away. Based on George RR Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon has also long painted Rhaenyra as the preferred type of chip off the old block. She too wants peace, not war. She also seeks stability for the realm over personal glory. If Viserys spotted that in her as a girl (Milly Alcock, Upright) when he chose her over Daemon, his brother who is now Rhaenyra's husband, he might've also predicted the dedication that she sports towards doing his legacy, and those before him, proud. Conversely, Aegon, also the grandson of Viserys' hand Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), sees only entitlement above all else. Martin's tales of dynasties trade in the cycles that course through the bonds of blood, especially in House of the Dragon. Everyone watching knows what's to come for the Targaryens in Daenerys' time, right down to an aunt-nephew romance as the counterpart to Daemon and Rhaenyra's uncle-niece relationship. (No one watching has started this prequel series, the first spinoff of likely many to Game of Thrones, without being familiar with its predecessor). Ice-blonde hair, ambition that soars as high as the dragons they raise and fly, said flame-roaring beasts of the sky, the inability to host happy reunions: these are traits passed down through generations. Some are a matter of genes. Martin continues to explore why the others persist. House of the Dragon streams via Binge. Read our full review. The Acolyte When you've just made two seasons of a time-loop TV show about reckoning with the past, what comes next? For Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, another jump backwards beckons. The Star Wars franchise has been telling tales set not just in a galaxy far, far away but also a long time ago for almost five decades; however, across its 11 movies and five live-action Disney+ TV shows until now, it hasn't ever explored the events of as long a time ago as Headland's The Acolyte brings to the screen. Welcome to the High Republic era a century before Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace — and into a thrilling new angle into one of pop culture's behemoths. Stepping through the events before the events that it has already relayed to audiences isn't new for Star Wars, as went the prequels, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor, but so now goes The Acolyte as well. The key aspect of the latter isn't just that this eight-instalment series gains the space to jettison familiar faces and spin its narrative anew — it's also that it's traversing more of the world that George Lucas first envisaged in the 70s, and what the force means to more than the usual faces and those tied to them. And, it isn't afraid to question the heroes-versus-villains divide that's as engrained in all things Star Wars as lightsabers, having a bad feeling and droids. Taking place in a period of peace and prosperity — well, for some — The Acolyte is still home to heroes. Villains are part of the tale, too. But the idea that the Jedi always fall into the first camp and their enemies can only sit in the second is probed. Similarly queried is the notion that anything in the Star Wars realm, let alone everything, is that binary. The premise: Jedi are being eliminated by a mysterious warrior, a setup that is pushed to the fore immediately and initially aligns its emotional response as audiences since 1977 know to expect. But as gets uttered three episodes in, "this is not about good or bad — it's about power and who gets to wield it". The Acolyte's opening showdown unfolds in the type of cantina that's hardly new to the saga, but the battle itself is. From beneath a mask, a warrior (Amandla Stenberg, Bodies Bodies Bodies) isn't afraid to throw down, throw knives and throw around her ability to use the force, with a Jedi her target. In the aftermath, the robe-adorned head honchos have ex-padawan Osha in their sights. Now working as a meknik, which entails undertaking dangerous spaceship maintenance tasks that robots are legally only supposed to do, she fits the description. Her old Jedi mentor Sol (Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game) isn't so sure, though, especially knowing her past. The Acolyte streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April and May this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer. Top images: FX, Brian Roedel/Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO and Stan.
Whether you're a groover and shaker yourself or your favourite posi is in a comfortable seat in a dark theatre, witnessing beautifully controlled bodies seamlessly transition through shape after shape is a sight to behold. We've teamed up with LG SIGNATURE and Sydney Dance Company to gift two lucky Sydneysiders a prize that will see them moving that body with beats in their ears, stat. Down in Walsh Bay, Sydney Dance Company's large airy studios await students of all levels. The lineup of studio classes includes beginner hip hop, ballet and contemporary, pilates and conditioning classes — plus heels, tap and Latin funk. And taking the company's art a step further? Technology. With the support of LG SIGNATURE premium technology, 16 in-studio classes are livestreamed from the harbourside studios each week. Dining chairs become ballet barres, pilates mats rolled out in living rooms, as famed and favourite teachers instruct from afar. It's a happy marriage of technology and art that delivers the chance to express yourself — no matter where you are. A pass to one of these innovative at-home dance classes will set you back $18 (or score a saving with a 10-class pack). Though, if you're red-hot keen to bop your way to greater strength, flexibility and sky-high moods, the Livestream Plus+ membership is for you (providing unlimited access to both livestream and pre-recorded classes — many headed up by Sydney Dance Company's leading talents). At CP, we're keen appreciators of the creative excellence born from fusing art and technology, so it's exciting to partner up with LG SIGNATURE and Sydney Dance Company to gift two prize packs that celebrate that very same fusion (with the tech courtesy of the LG F9P wireless earbuds). Looking to get groovy? Enter below. LG SIGNATURE is a proud partner of Sydney Dance Company and a supporter of the wider arts community. Head to the website to learn more. [competition]864614[/competition]
An impressive 300-seat restaurant has arrived in Parramatta Park, offering hearty breakfast and vibrant lunch dishes until 4pm, seven days a week. Misc. comes from a trio of Sydney mainstays — Executive Chef Sebastian Geray, Menu Collaborator Joel Bennetts and Restaurateur Jad Nehmetallah, the last of which you may recognise from Gogglebox. Together they've created an approachable all-day menu inspired by Mediterranean dishes and flavours. Misc. arrives at an exciting time for Parramatta, bringing another top-notch hospitality offering to the bustling suburb that's seen a slew of restaurants open in recent years including the sleek new dining precinct Parramatta Square. Boasting both indoor and al fresco dining and a bright white beachy fit-out, the glossy Western Sydney restaurant is hoping to differentiate itself by offering a one-stop-shop for your morning coffee, your next group lunch booking or an afternoon drink. "Western Sydney has been waiting for a spot to proudly call their own. At Misc., we offer an unmatched dining experience, partly due to our wine cocktail list never seen before in the western suburbs, as well as a beautiful retail section with curated products from local and international providers alike. Whether you desire a picnic in the park or bottomless brunch, Misc. can make it happen," says Nehmetallah. Whether you're here for breakfast or lunch, the team highly recommends that you start with bread. The house-made focaccia is a star of the breakfast menu, ready to be paired with dips like hummus or labneh, or sides like bacon, fritters and mushrooms. On the lunch menu, you'll find plenty of shared starters to pick from, including oysters, mortadella, burrata or wood-fired pita bread. From there you can add in the likes of beef tartare, king prawns, barramundi, zucchini chips and angus sirloin. "The focus is on the food and what it means to different people," Nehmetallah continues. "It's in my blood to bring people together; to create family, fun and full stomachs. Now I'm doing it on a larger scale." Misc. is located at Bynes Avenue, Parramatta Park, Parramatta. It's open 8am–4pm Monday–Sunday.
It's time for another menu change at CBD cocktail haunt PS40 — and this one will transport you to ten of the world's best festivals. The PS40 Festivus cocktail menu, as it's been named, will launch for a limited time this Saturday, June 29, and we reckon that's your weekend drink plans sorted. There are ten new cocktails all up, each named for one of the team's favourite festivals. And, as usual for PS40, they sound next-level. We're particularly eager to try the Day of the Dead, a creamy mezcal concoction with mole, Chartreuse, maraschino and a whole egg. As well as the drink named for Tasmania's winter solstice fest Dark Mofo — this one is a carbonated mulled wine with cardamom, mountain pepperberry and sandalwood. Others on the list include Nevada Desert's Burning Man (gin and Seedlip Garden with smoked pea), Germany's Oktoberfest (white rum and raspberry bier mixed with cured strawberry, lime and egg white) and Japan's Cherry Blossom Festival (rum, vermouth, beetroot and orange bitters). [caption id="attachment_728682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wes Nel[/caption] Alternatively, you can grab your American friends and take a seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table by sipping on this rye whiskey cocktail that's been combined with sweet potato, sage and egg white. If you're a food-lover, the Into the Wild might be your go-to — it's inspired by a food festival run by Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann and Krug Champagne and combines macadamia-washed vodka and verjus with salt-baked pineapple and basil. In true festive fashion, the venue has also been dolled up with pops of colour and heaps of new lightly themed posters — including the cocktail menu, which will now be printed on A0 sized paper and become a feature of the bar design going forward. While there are no exact dates for how long these newbies will be available, the cocktail menu at PS40 changes every two-to-four months and these won't make a comeback, so grab 'em while you can. Find PS40 at Skittle Lane, Sydney. The PS40 Festivus cocktail menu launches on Saturday, June 29. Images: Wes Nel
Erskineville's mainstay Rose of Australia Hotel is expanding upwards, revamping their top floor into Howard's Cantina and Cocktail Bar. The two-phase launch began on May 4 with a new cocktail menu, but punters are now able to dine at Howard's from Thursday, May 11 with the launch of the cantina's food menu. The new space is named after Howard Leach, who first purchased the building 21 years ago and whose family still owns the hotel. The fitout pays a similarly retro homage with brightly patterned furnishings, contemporary artwork, a purple neon sign emblazoned with the command "name your poison", and picnic-style bench tables. The cantina's cocktail menu will focus on classics with a twist — think a traditional whisky sour topped with a Barossa Shiraz float and a Negroni garnished with a smoked hickory-chip which has been pre-soaked in Grand Marnier. Come May 11, chef Chris Bell's share menu will be up and running, and will include white wine poached lobster tail, whey-braised lamb shoulder and a head of iceberg topped with caviar. For sides, Bell is serving up cauliflower with crisp anchovies and pickled turnip, as well as smoked pumpkin wedges with whipped garlic and mint seeds. They're also combining coca-cola sorbet and buttered popcorn in a wacky dessert which is named after the politicians, journalists and generally eccentric characters that have made the Rose their local haunt over the years. Howard's Cantina and Cocktail Bar is now open inside the Rose of Australia Hotel at 1 Swanson Street, Erskineville, with the cantina food menu available from May 11.
Fast food doesn't seem all that speedy when you're sat in your car, queued nine vehicles deep and trying to get through a drive-through that's at a standstill. For folks who want their finger lickin' good fried chicken as soon as possible, with minimal waiting and hassle, KFC is set to trial a new solution — its first drive-through-only store. Moving away from the usual one-lane drive-through model — that is, a drive-through that's attached to a restaurant where you can also dine inside — the chain is launching a five-lane drive-through-only concept in Newcastle. The first spot of its kind in the world, it'll feature separate areas for online and app purchases, as well as regular drive-through transactions. Customers will be able to order in advance, then whiz through and pick up their food, or choose on the spot and and then collect their chicken. If it's successful, expect more drive-through-only sites to pop up. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the pilot store is currently under construction on Lambton Road in Broadmeadow, with a November opening slated. The idea reflects the growth on online ordering, and endeavours to respond to the rise of home delivery services such as Deliveroo and UberEats. It also admits to a blatant fact — that, for many folks, eating in at a suburban KFC doesn't often cross their minds. For Broadmeadow customers who choose to order by app, they'll receive a code with their transaction, which they'll then enter on a touchscreen when they drive up. Whichever way Newcastle residents decide to ask for their fried chook, they'll still need to wait for it to be cooked — but the whole concept is designed to speed up the time between asking for a two-piece feed and snatching those drumsticks through the drive-through window. Of course, if you need something to listen to in your car while you wait, KFC has that covered as well. Last year, it launched KFChill, a wellness website that lets you unwind to the sound of chicken frying, gravy simmering or bacon sizzling away in a pan. Yes, it'll make you hungry. Via The Sydney Morning Herald / news.com.au
These days most of us have a certain something we avoid while eating — whether it's a personal preference or an allergy. Gluten, get out. Dairy? No thanks. So, it comes as no surprise that more and more restaurants have become more tolerant of our intolerances. Now, a new health-focused, dietary requirement-friendly chain — called The Good Place — is set to open across NSW and Queensland. Former My Kitchen Rules finalist Scott Gooding has channelled his nourishing, paddock-to-plate ethos into a bricks-and-mortar example of how healthy, dietary-accommodating food can be done, launching the first Good Place in Miranda, in Sydney's south. With more stores to open in Blacktown and Central Park in Sydney and Buddina and Surfers Paradise in Queensland in the coming months, The Good Place is completely gluten- and soy-free as well as low in carbs and sugar. Plus, it's open all day, every day. Breakfast dishes such as the Kakadu Smoothie Bowl with coconut cream, MCT oil, peanut butter and Kakadu plum and the pesto omelette with chargrilled greens are evidently nutritious (and hopefully just as tasty). And while the Bubble & Squeak with pork belly, cabbage, roast potatoes, fried egg, peas and parsley with pumpkin bread is heartier and just as nutrient-packed. [caption id="attachment_717888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raspberry Floater[/caption] For dinner, there's everything from a creamy vegan curry to tender ox cheeks in a sticky sauce with chargrilled greens or the 12-hour slow-cooked lamb with roast potatoes and cafe de paris butter. Sweets are covered, too, and include a semi freddo made with raspberries, dark chocolate, coconut, macadamia and coconut kefir and the Raspberry Floater — hemp organic raspberry kombucha with house-made chocolate ice cream. There are also smoothies and coffee, health-conscious cocktails and a selection of certified organic and biodynamic wines for you to sip. Gooding's food is also made using organic produce that has been sustainably and ethically sourced wherever possible. The Good Place is conscious dining and, whether the name is a misaimed reference to the acclaimed Netflix show about a 'utopia' (that's actually hell) or a riff on Gooding's name, we reckon Gooding's done good. The Good Place Miranda is now open from 9am—10pm daily at level 4, Westfield Miranda, 600 Kingsway, Miranda. Outposts in Blacktown and Central Park in Sydney and Buddina and Surfers Paradise in Queensland are slated to open in coming months. We'll update you when they do.
You might not be able to jet off on an Italian holiday any time soon. But a luxurious aperitivo session starring top Aussie produce, a few local culinary heroes and stunning ocean vistas — well, that's yours for the taking. This summer, a lineup of guest chefs, bartenders and other industry legends will descend upon the Icebergs Terrace for brand-new event series, An Australian Aperitivo. Each will feature a new menu of seasonal sips, along with snacks cooked over wood and coals — all heroing the best local flavours and some leading Aussie talent, across two ticketed sessions (2–4pm and 5–7pm). The fun kicks off on Sunday, February 21, when Anthony Puharich (Victor Churchill, Vic's Meat), Morgan McGlone (chef-owner of Belles Hot Chicken) and Andrew Guard (Andrew Guard Wine Imports) head up the first of these oceanside affairs. Then, on Sunday, February 28, it's Momofuku Seiōbo's Paul Carmichael, restaurateur Anton Forte (Alberto's Lounge, Restaurant Hubert, Shady Pines Saloon, The Baxter Inn) and Mike Bennie (P&V Wine & Liquor Merchants) along for the ride. Secure your spot by grabbing a $50 ticket online, the cost of which will then come off your final bill on the day.
When 2020 comes to a close, it'll end exactly the way Sydneysiders expect: with the sky lighting up at midnight. The end-of-year festivities will be a little different — there'll be no fireworks at 9pm, and there'll be less hubbub around Circular Quay than usual — but you'll still be able to farewell a 12-month period we'd all rather forget by watching fireworks in all their bright and dazzling glory. That's one part of the equation covered. You know what you're going to be doing when midnight hits, but choosing where to catch an eyeful is another matter indeed. After the chaos of 2020, staying at home for another night and checking out the fireworks on TV doesn't really cut it — so we've teamed up with Bar 83 at Sydney Tower, Sydney's newest and highest bar, to highlight six stellar options. From hopping on a boat to hitting up amusement park rides, this list of choices will let you experience the luminous action from a different perspective. Of course, heading to Bar 83 — which sits 83 levels above the CBD in Sydney Tower (hence the name) and just underwent a $12 million refurbishment — is definitely one of them. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH WILDLIFE AT TARONGA ZOO Looking for a guaranteed way to have a memorable New Year's Eve? Watching the fireworks next to giraffes, tigers and more than 4000 other animals certainly fits the bill. That's what's on offer at Taronga Zoo's NYE festivities — and, thanks to the location, this laidback party comes with spectacular views. It's a picnic-style event, which means that you can bring your own food and snack on whatever takes your fancy. If you'd prefer, you can also purchase bites to eat, as well as alcohol on-site as it is not a BYO booze affair. The cost ranges from $200–600, so this isn't a cheap way to say goodbye to 2020, but you sure won't forget it in a hurry. [caption id="attachment_788794" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birchgrove Park, Flickr; Creative Commons[/caption] KEEP IT CASUAL IN A HARBOURSIDE PARK First, the great news: if you're not one for big shindigs, getting dressed to the nines or throwing down a wad of cash for a single night's shenanigans, checking out the fireworks in a harbourside park is an excellent option. Now, the obvious news: even in this time of social distancing, you're likely to find plenty of other folks with the same idea in your chosen location. Still, you can take your pick of more than a few spots — including Darling Point's McKell Park, Nielsen Park in Vaucluse and Birchgrove Park, which is an inner west favourite. CRUISE ALONG ON GLASS ISLAND Missing travel in 2020? Crossing your fingers that you can head somewhere exciting in 2021? If so, then you'll probably want to start the new year as you intend to go on: on a voyage. And, yes, cruising around Sydney Harbour still counts. Glass Island first hit the water earlier this year and the three-level boat is known for its parties. So, of course it's getting into the NYE spirit. You'll spend the night sitting on a glass-encased vessel, sipping drinks for three hours, snacking from gourmet food stations and hanging out with your mates. Tickets cost $565.95 each, but you need to buy them in tables of two–ten, so gather the gang. PARTY UP HIGH AT BAR 83 AT SYDNEY TOWER A new year is a time for looking onwards and upwards — so why not kick it off 83 levels above the Sydney CBD? At the newly refurbished Bar 83, you'll get a different view of the city and the midnight fireworks. It is Sydney's highest bar, after all. Also on offer: eye-catching decor with a retro feel, 260-degree views thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows, canapes all night, four hours of drinks from 9pm–1am, champagne at midnight and a DJ spinning killer tunes. It's a seated cocktail party with $500-per-person tickets, so expect stellar table service, next-level specialty cocktails and a hankering to head back on another date to check out sister venues Infinity and SkyFeast. [caption id="attachment_794631" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Ken Seet[/caption] HAVE AN EPIC STAYCATION You don't need to be in another city or country to enjoy a luxe hotel stay. In fact, booking a staycation has plenty of advantages over travelling further afield. You don't have to hop on a plane or drive for hours, for instance. Plus, there's no worrying about borders, which is a very 2020 problem. And, when it's NYE, you can find yourself a place with one hell of a view overlooking the harbour and fireworks — such as the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. You'll be treating yo'self, of course, but if there's ever a night to relax in a swanky spot, pop on a fluffy hotel robe, have a few drinks and soak in the sights, this is it. Obviously, Sydney isn't lacking when it comes to other hotels with a view, too. CHANNEL YOUR INNER KIDULT AT LUNA PARK In 2021, Luna Park is getting a hefty makeover, which will shut down the park for around six months and add nine new rides. That's a mighty good reason to consider a NYE trip to the historic spot before it goes on hiatus — if seeing out the year with unlimited rides while watching the fireworks isn't enough, that is. For $149, you can hop on the Hair Raiser, drive the dodgems, slip down the slides and circle around the ferris wheel as much as you like and even enjoy a stint on the carousel if that's more your style. Your ticket also includes live entertainment, which'll help keep you occupied from 7pm. It's a family-friendly affair, so prepare to have company. To book your NYE table at Bar 83 at Sydney Tower, head to the venue's website. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. Top image: Robert Walsh
Vivid Ideas festival director Jess Scully is a winner of the FBi SMAC Award for best person in Sydney (okay, officially it's 2012 'SMAC of the Year'), so we knew there was no one better to ask to contribute their thoughts for our column on the city's best places, spaces and hidden treasures. The festival she founded (as Creative Sydney in 2009) has risen to meet the demand from Sydney's growing cultural sector — or, looked at another way, is part of what's prodded that sector into being. "In the past five years I think we've seen an explosion in cultural events, particularly talks events," she says. "The growth in pop-culture has also been major, loads more temporary art spaces and events. I've also noticed a huge growth in start-up and tech culture, and more interesting co-working spaces like Fishburners, Your Desk and HUB Sydney." Sydney's busy lifestyle does have something like a downside. "It has assured that I have stayed single and able to work all the time. Ha! Srsly though, there's a great energy and enthusiasm for new events, places and ideas in Sydney that is truly inspiring. I travel a lot and I have to say today Sydney really does stack up against other global capitals." This year Vivid Ideas is colossal; looking at its program is not unlike looking up at the sky and trying to comprehend where it ends (our ten top picks, of Vivid, not space, can help with that). Though its smorgasbord of zeitgeist-defining conversations is broad, there's a common strand of seeing "how we can work together to create a more inspiring, sustainable and inclusive future." Jess found time in her hectic last days of Vivid 2013 organising (today it's apparently included radio training and giving a presentation to hotel concierges) to share her five favourite spots in this city that inspires us. 1. Jack Mundey Place, The Rocks This is a beautiful cobblestoned lane that you could easily miss in The Rocks — I spend a LOT of time down this end of town working on Vivid Ideas, and in the past on SOYA and other projects. It is home to my favourite cafe in The Rocks (shout out to Fine Foods!) aaaaand it is named after a union activist who, along with lots of other amazing activists in the 1970s, actually saved so many of the buildings and suburbs that give Sydney character — from The Rocks to Potts Point to Erskineville to Woolloomooloo. 2. Carriageworks/Eveleigh Markets A great arts venue (with free wi-fi! I spend a LOT of time working in their lobby on weekends because I'm super cool like that) that is home to my favourite Saturday markets. I love seeing Carriageworks transformed by exhibitions like Song Dong's Waste Not or last year's Rage exhibition. It's great to have flexible spaces like this and the amazing Pier 2/3 which can remain big, empty boxes to be filled by creative imaginations. 3. Redleaf harbour beach/Woollahra Library I love this little harbour beach in the summertime — I do love a Euro-style concrete-lined beach, like Clovelly — and the stunning Woollahra Library perches over the top of it, providing an awesome place to work on my work-from-the-cloud wanderings. I save this place for when I need a dose of serenity in my roaming work days. 4. Fish Markets, Pyrmont Seafood! I need to take at least partial responsibility for the decimation of fish stocks cos I eat a hell of a lot of the stuff. I love riding down to the fish markets for yum cha or a slab of sashimi or sometimes even just a frozen chocolate banana. It's the ugliest, grittiest bit of the harbour and I love it. 5. White Rabbit Gallery I love the ambition and generosity of this place. It's so amazing that this is an act of philanthropy, and it brings a bit of class to cute li'l Chippendale. I love popping in and just drifting through here whenever I can — it's brilliant to be able to get an insight into Chinese contemporary culture through this connector. I like to imagine it is the shiny cousin of little kids' plans to dig a hole through the earth to China.
If you can remember a time before Jetstar took to Australia's skies, you clearly have a long memory, with the discount airline marking its 17th year in 2021. Today, Tuesday, May 25, actually marks the carrier's birthday, so it's celebrating in a way that could boost your next holiday. You'll just need to head to either Flinders Street station in Melbourne or Central station in Sydney before 9pm. At both sites, Jetstar has taken over the digital screens, so you'll spot images of blue skies and a plane everywhere you look. While you're peering at the promotional setup, you're asked to try to 'catch the plane'. That just means scanning a QR code on the screen with your phone, then hopefully winning a flight voucher for your efforts. The airline is giving out $10,000 worth of vouchers across the two sites, with values ranging from $50 to $500. Up to 70 are up for grabs — and, given how busy both stations usually are, there'll be plenty of fellow wannabe travellers trying to nab them. If you're not quite sure how you'd use said vouchers, Jetstar currently flies 57 routes between 20 destinations within Australia — which should give you plenty of local holiday options while overseas travel, other than to New Zealand, is still off the cards for the foreseeable future. Jetstar's birthday giveaway is taking place today, Tuesday, May 25, until 9pm at Flinders Street station in Melbourne — or Central station in Sydney.
Still haven't made any firm plans for New Year's Eve? You're in luck. In fact, you might not need to. In collaboration with the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, we're giving away a VIP experience that could see you and up to six friends kicking back Harbourside — in full view of the NYE fireworks — and drinking Heineken 3 all night long, without paying a cent. On top of all that, you'll be travelling in style, in a bona fide Heineken 3 Kombi Van with a driver, who'll pick you up from an address of your choice (within a ten-kilometre radius of Watsons Bay). So, if you happen to start celebrating early, with a sneaky Champagne or two, you won't have to worry about driving. On arrival, you'll be ushered into the Beach Club, given a spot close to the main stage and handed a bucket of Heineken 3, which should keep you well hydrated until midnight. Plus, while you're anticipating the fireworks, a stellar lineup of DJs will get the party going. Listen out for Luke Million's retro synth, indie pop band Kinder and Sydney dance duo Pluural among others. To enter, see details below. If you don't luck out, then despair not, you can still buy a ticket. The third and final release is on sale now for $139, or you can upgrade to a VIP ticket for $259 — to add exclusive bar and balcony access (where the best views are), as well as bites and beverages from 6–8pm. And they've arranged public transport, to and from the venue, so you don't need to worry about trying to book a ridiculously overpriced Uber. [competition]650390[/competition]
UPDATE, Sunday, October 22: More information about Haus of Horror's 2023–24 venues and screenings are on their way, with some details changing — we'll update you when the latest schedule is announced. How do you start a new horror movie event with a bang? Take a lineup of beloved scary flicks — or spooky-themed, but funny — to a couple of supremely eerie locations. That's Haus of Horror's setup, unleashing both The Exorcist and the OG Scream in a haunted prison with sessions at Parramatta Gaol earlier in 2023, then also taking Beetlejuice to Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown. In the best kind of creepy news, it'll be back to do the same from November through to March 2024 as well. Haus of Horror's second season is split across the two locations, with its haunted prison screenings skewing darker and its graveyard sessions showing family-friendly fare — all on Saturday nights. The first kicks off on November 2 with A Nightmare on Elm Street, which means that striped jumpers are the outfit of choice. The latter will get started on November 25 with Gremlins, plus rules about feeding after midnight. Parramatta Gaol will also show The Nightmare Before Christmas at the perfect time, then American Psycho to start 2024 with a savage satire. From there, the North Parramatta venue's lineup includes The Craft, Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Evil Dead — so an impressive roster of top-notch horror classics. Over at Newtown, Ghostbusters will scare away spirits, the original big-screen version of The Addams Family will get fingers clicking and Edward Scissorhands will close out the season with Tim Burton whimsy. There's obviously no better place to show scary-themed films than these two settings — and Haus of Horror's movie nights aren't just about the big screen. In the past, its Parramatta sessions have included two hours for attendees to explore Parramatta Gaol's morgue, cell blocks and showers; a bar serving beer and wine; vegan and non-vegan bites to eat; a live DJ spinning tunes while the sun sets; and an interactive photo booth set up like scenes from the film. At Camperdown Cemetery, attendees were also able to enjoy a cemetery tour, a DJ, a photobooth, and food and drinks. While the proper Haus of Horror season won't begin until the weather gets warmer, the horror event fiends do have something else in the works in the interim. Fancy catching the original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film in stink-o-vision, with scratch 'n' sniff cards emitting appropriate scents as you watch? That's coming up on Saturday, August 19 at Roseville Cinemas. Haus of Horror's 2023–24 season will kick off in November, screening at Parramatta Gaol, corner O'Connell and Dunlop streets, North Parramatta and Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Federation Road, Lennox and Church streets, Newtown. Head to the Haus of Horror website for further details.
We're still a far cry from jetting off to the UK, but thankfully there are plenty of Brit-style pubs around town to pop into for a pint, nip of scotch or comforting pub feed. And now, you can head to The Duke of Clarence in the CBD for even cosier English tavern vibes thanks to its new Scotch Egg Club offering. Every weekend from Saturday, October 24 right up till the end of the year, the pub will be hosting a weekly whisky tasting, with a food pairing that's a little out of the ordinary — at least, it is for Sydney. For $60, you'll get a Dewar's whisky cocktail on arrival, followed by four 15ml serves of blended and single malt whiskies — Dewar's 12 year old, Aberfeldy 12 year old, Craigellachie 13 year old, and Royal Brackla 12 year old — with a good ol' fashioned scotch egg to scoff down. The bartender will talk through the scotch tasting and, for your snack, you can pick between traditional pork, fried chicken and even a vegetarian option. [caption id="attachment_663159" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Duke of Clarence, Kitti Gould[/caption] Scotch Egg Club will run from 3–7pm each Saturday, with bookings lasting up to one hour. Round up your mates for a top-notch scotch and snack session that'll have you dreaming of your next London trip. The Duke of Clarence's Scotch Egg Club will take place every Saturday from 3–7pm until December 19. To book your spot, head here.
While we are still unable to travel to our favourite overseas destinations, venues around Australia are bringing the destinations a little closer to home. A Melbourne pop-up has promised to take you to New York, London and Paris, and Bondi Beach Public Bar is following suit, transporting you to Bali by transforming into the famed Motel Mexicola. From midday on Saturday, November 14 and again on Saturday, December 5, Bondi Beach Public Bar's regular menu, interior and playlist will be replaced by those of Motel Mexicola's, so expect tacos, tequila and colourful tiles aplenty. You can get a taste of the music here, too. The pop-up is offering two-hour sessions of Mexican eats and free-flowing margaritas, which is destined to kick you into summer mode. Slow-cooked lamb and roasted barramundi tacos will be on offer together with guacamole, pico de gallo and corn on the cob with smoked chilli mayo. To drink, there'll be lots of classic margaritas, but if you want to spice things up a touch, chilli and frozen margs will also be available alongside micheladas and sangrita. The taco and margarita feasts are available for $85 per person with sessions available at midday or 2.30pm. To make a booking, head over to the Bondi Beach Public Bar website. The pop-up was only set to take place on one day in November, but later announced a second day in December due to its popularity.
Whether whipping up butter chicken tacos or hashbrowns with curry sauce, culinary talent team ups have taken a shine to testing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation when serving up fusion cuisine — and this occasion is no different. Following the huge success of a recent collaboration between Ricos Tacos' Toby Wilson and Brendan King, owner of the new Anglo-Indian joint Derrel's and Lady Hampshire alum, the dynamic duo has decided to join forces again. Previously, the pop-up featured a limited-edition butter chicken taco that was available for one week only. This time, the pair is temporarily dishing out an exclusive menu from the newly launched Ricos Tacos cart at the Lady Hampshire's breezy courtyard. Head into the Camperdown pub from 5pm on Thursday, January 25, to try the selection of brand-new creations that blend the best of Ricos Tacos with some of the Lady Hampshire's staples. Curated by Wilson and King, the menu will star a flavour-filled jerk chicken accompanied by a mango habanero salsa, the pub's famed steak and chips in taco form topped with a pepper sauce and salsa verde, and a vegetarian-friendly taco packed with roasted squash, zucchini and salsa verde with a tahini sauce. As for sides, expect hashbrowns paired with a hearty curry sauce, plus churros with salted (and Guinness-spiked) butterscotch for a sweet treat — all of which will be on offer until sold out. And if you're not fully convinced, the majority of the limited-time menu is priced under $10, so you can score a tasty and affordable meal. But you'll have to get in quick as this pop-up is slinging its creations for one day only.
Grab your most colourful beach floatie and your most surf-friendly some out-there fancy dress — the 14th annual Manly Inflatable Boat Race returns to delight kidults on Sunday, February 25. The charity event will see participants take their makeshift boats and paddles through a one-kilometre course, starting off at Shelly Beach and ending back at shore. You must be at least 12 years old to participate and, of course, be able to swim. Following the race, the Hotel Steyne will put on a sausage sizzle while token prizes are awarded. The day isn't just for laughs though, with all proceeds going to Tour de Cure, an Aussie-based fundraiser that benefits cancer research. Even the booking fee will be donated thanks to Humanitix, Australia's first not-for-profit ticketing platform. Early bird tickets have already sold out, but you can still nab $55 tickets online up until February 24, or pay $60 on the day. Registration begins at 8.45am at the south end of Manly Beach near Manly Life Saving Club, with the race starting at Shelley Beach 10.30am. Here's a chance to enjoy yourself silly while doing some good. May the best floatie win.
Despite the public holiday, Sydney's got plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants that are opening their doors to help make your first day of the year a great one. Perhaps you had an especially celebratory New Year's Eve and a swift recovery is at the top of your to-do list. Or, maybe you're just keen to start off 2022 how you wish to continue it — with good mates, a solid soundtrack, and some top-notch eats and drinks. Either way, outsourcing your January 1 festivities — and the associated cleanup — is always a good idea. Here are all the Sydney spots open and serving up the goods on New Year's Day. CAFES [caption id="attachment_659265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Artificer, by L. Almeida[/caption] The Mayflower, Darlinghurst: 7am–3.30pm Ona, Marrickville: 9am–2pm (takeaway only) Artificer Specialty Coffee Bar & Roastery, Surry Hills: 8am–12pm (outdoor service only) RESTAURANTS [caption id="attachment_702835" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alberto Lounge, by Kitti Gould[/caption] Nour, Surry Hills: 5.30–10pm Alberto Lounge, Sydney: from 12pm Cirrus Dining, Barangaroo: from 12pm for lunch and dinner Sinaloa, Double Bay: 12–10pm Yulli's, Surry Hills: from 5pm Pilu at Freshwater, Freshwater: from 6pm Sokyo, Pyrmont: from 7am for breakfast, lunch and dinner BARS [caption id="attachment_714411" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Untied, by Daniele Massacci[/caption] Bondi Beach Public Bar, Bondi: 10.30am–late Archie Rose Distillery, Rosebery: 12–10pm Continental Deli, Newtown: 12pm–late Untied, Barangaroo: from 12pm (Brunch with Soul, featuring entertainment and bottomless sips — book one of two sessions here) The Baxter Inn, CBD: 4pm–3am Bucketty's Brewing Co, Brookvale: 12–10pm (blues jam session at 3pm) Wharf Bar, Manly: 3pm–12am (day party with tunes by Winston Surfshirt and others — grab tickets here) Tap Rooms, The Rocks: 12pm–late Beer Deluxe, Darling Harbour: 12pm–late (New Year's Brunch with bottomless pizza — book here) The Winery, Surry Hills: 12pm–late PUBS [caption id="attachment_731751" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Public House Petersham[/caption] Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Watsons Bay: (day party with bottomless drinks and DJ tunes from Touch Sensitive, Yolanda Be Cool and more — book here) Hotel Rose Bay, Rose Bay: 12–10pm The Duke of Enmore, Enmore: 11am–late Public House Petersham, Petersham: 12pm–late (day party with DJ sets, cocktails and tinny buckets — book here) Woolwich Pier Hotel, Woolwich: 11am–late Hotel Ravesis, Bondi: normal hours Barangaroo House, Barangaroo: 12pm–12am The Royal Hotel, Paddington: 11am–12am (day party with bottomless brunch sessions also running) Top Image: Barangaroo House
Sydney's iconic harbourside funfair, Luna Park, is usually a place of light, bright family thrills. But between October 25–31, a darker side shall be revealed. Luna Park's annual Halloscream festival returns to send a shiver down your spine with a program of spooky spectacles and white-knuckle entertainment. Fans of the Netflix megahit Squid Game can step through the screen and brave the life-or-death trails of the show for themselves by taking part in a round of the infamous Green Light Red Light game. This exclusive sneak peek of Squid Game: The Experience, which is bringing a whole host of mortal challenges to Luna Park's Big Top from mid-December, is exclusive to Halloscream guests. Neon Nightmare brings a new immersive light and sound attraction to Luna Park's popular rave cave, Sonic Neon. Instead of pumping beats, it'll be your heart thumping in your chest as this horrifying show sends your adrenaline through the roof. One of Halloscream's most popular attractions, the Forgotten Funhouse, invites visitors to navigate its twists and turns while braving encounters with those most terrifying of creatures, killer clowns. All ticket holders to Halloscream nights also get unlimited access to all rides across Luna Park but for those who really want to up the ante, VIP tickets are also available offering access to an exclusive lounge featuring spooky drinks, roaming performers and grid-worthy photo opportunities.
Sydney's newest food and drink precinct, South Eveleigh, will showcase its impressive slate of restaurants, bars and community activities as part of the city's new winter arts and food festival, Sydney Solstice. The historic inner-city site has been transformed with a slate of exciting new hospitality gems, shops and a community garden. To celebrate, the South Eveleigh team are inviting you to experience everything as part of a two-day pop-up street party. Located just around the corner from Redfern Station, the South Eveleigh precinct will come to life with performances, art installations and music while the array of high-profile openings and local eateries sling delectable culinary options. Pop-up food stalls and bars will fill Locamotive Street from 5pm until close on Friday, June 18, and 11am until close on Saturday, June 19. On hand across the precinct will be Kylie Kwong's brand new lunch spot, Lucky Kwong, and Matt Whiley (Scout) and Maurice Terzini's (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Ciccia Bella) groundbreaking new sustainability-focused bar, Re, as well as RaRa Chan, Eat Fuh, Whitton, Steve Costi's Famous Fish, Fishbowl, Bekya, Pepper Seed Thai, Sushi Hon, North Sandwiches and Yoho Loco. While you're venturing around looking at the new eateries, you can head up to the South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden where Indigenous Australian cultural and landscape design firm, Jiwah, will be running workshops educating the public on native flora integral to the land's Indigenous heritage. Plus, a bunch of beloved Sydney musicians will be in attendance over the two days to perform as part of a pop-up street party. At the Locomotive Stage, you can see the likes of PNAU, Jono Ma of Jagwar Ma, Kota Banks and exciting young Korean rap crew 1300 take to the stage on Friday, alongside Genesis Owusu, Budjerah, Pricie and Royal Otis on the Saturday. The eclectic range of musicians will be performing inside a 139-year-old locomotive workshop that will be transformed into a live music venue. Over at the FBi Stage, a slew of local musicians, DJs and performers will all take to the stage. The lineup, curated by the Sydney community radio station, will include the likes of B Wise, Stevan, Andy Garvey, Madem3Empress and Maina Doe. [caption id="attachment_813577" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Re[/caption] Top image: Kitti Gould
When it comes to this cheap way to get a bite brought to your door across Friday, August 25–Sunday, August 27, Larry Emdur and Ian 'Turps' Turpie spring to mind: the price is indeed right. Across the three days, DoorDash is bringing back its $1 Weekend. Not that you'll be paying with actual gold coins, but that's all you'll need denomination-wise for a heap of dishes. Running across the country, this weekend special has enlisted Fishbowl, Lord of the Fries, Betty's Burgers and San Churro — and Soul Origin, Pizza Hut, Red Rooster and Oporto, too. Prefer Chargrill Charlie's instead? That's also on the list, as is Rashays, Mary's and NeNe Chicken. Each state has more than 2000 offers available across the three days, including New South Wales. Of course, as there always is, there are caveats. The big one: the deal is available from 2–5pm AEST each day, so you'll either want a late lunch or early dinner. Another crucial point: there's a unique promo code for each day displayed on the DoorDash app for each store, which you need to use at checkout. And, you will 100-percent need to order via that app. Also, you can only get one $1 menu item per order — and one $1 special per day, too. Unsurprisingly, only some menu items are available for $1. And, some places will only let you get one $1 special across the whole weekend. Delivery and service fees are still applicable, and an order fee will be added if your subtotal is less than $15. Still, in this economy, a bargain is a bargain. Top image: Kitti Gould.
Lisa Mitchell is everywhere at the moment - on TV, on radio, playing in video stores... I even spotted her getting a take away coffee from my local cafe over the weekend... (can you say oversaturation?!)Oh Mercy are a Melbourne duo who are supporting Miss Mitchell on her upcoming National album launch tour. They are also much more deserving of your attention than the miniature songstress. Their pop songs are simple, catchy and heartfelt, and display real promise. People are already tagging them as "Australia's answer to The Shins" and the "new Augie March" and while I usually hate those comparisons, in this case they're quite accurate. Considered, mature indie pop for young people too often served Idol starlets for breakfast - they've definitely got my tick of approval!
UPDATE, October 22, 2023: Oops!... We didn't receive the right information about the Australian launch for Britney Spears' memoir The Woman in Me, which sadly means that the pop superstar isn't coming Down Under to hand out copies from a Britney-themed bus. We're as devastated as you are. We were specifically (and incorrectly) told that Sydneysiders would be able to "capture a glimpse of the star from 12pm, with plenty of photo opportunities to be had as she shares the news of her eagerly anticipated memoir launching that day". There was absolutely no mention of a Britney impersonator. The bus will still be doing the rounds in Sydney on Wednesday, October 25 — and this article has been updated to reflect the correct details. If your response to all things Britney Spears is "gimme more", then you'd best be feeling lucky in Sydney on Wednesday, October 25. In a big Britney week thanks to the release of her new memoir The Woman in Me, a Britney-themed bus will be driving around the Harbour City, then handing out copies of her book. Fancy being given The Woman in Me by a Spears impersonator? That's what the first 50 fans at Sydney Opera House at around 12pm will experience. There'll also be photo opportunities, too, if that's how you'd like celebrate the '...Baby One More Time', 'Oops!... I Did It Again' and 'Toxic' talent — and Crossroads star — before going home to read her tome. [caption id="attachment_923002" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rhys Adams via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The book tells Britney's tale in her own words — a story that's been covered in documentaries such as Framing Britney Spears and Britney vs Spears, both of which focused on the decade-plus that the star spent under a conservatorship, and has also received copious amounts of media and public attention everywhere. The official blurb for The Woman in Me promises that it's about "freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith and hope" as "written with remarkable candour and humour", and "illuminates the enduring power of music and love — and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last". "Britney's compelling testimony in open court shook the world, changed laws, and showed her inspiring strength and bravery. I have no doubt her memoir will have a similar impact — and will be the publishing event of the year. We couldn't be more proud to help her share her story at last," said Jennifer Bergstrom, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Gallery Books, when the book's publication date was announced. [caption id="attachment_923003" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drew de F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Woman in Me will also be available as an audiobook, with actor Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) narrating. 2023 marks a quarter century since '...Baby One More Time' rocketed up Australia's charts, and made sure that everyone in the country knew who Britney was. Before then, she'd been in the spotlight since her time on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club in the early 90s; however, it was that blockbuster pop song that truly catapulted her to megastar-level fame. In the decades since, the singer has enjoyed a slew of other hits, thanks to everything from 'Sometimes' and 'Everytime' to 'Work Bitch' and 'If U Seek Amy'. Yes, you now have at least one of these songs stuck in your head (or, let's be honest, a medley of all them). The Britney bus will drive around Sydney on Wednesday, October 25, and is expected at the Sydney Opera House at around 12–1pm. For more information about The Woman in Me, which releases in Australia on the same day, head to the book's website. Top image: Rhys Adams via Wikimedia Commons.
UPDATE: JANUARY 22, 2019 — Due to a disagreement with the Moulin Rouge in Paris, Beyond Cinema has cancelled its Moulin Rouge-themed immersive theatre night. Those who have already bought tickets should have received an email notifying them of this, and are entitled to either a full refund or a credit for the company's next Sydney event. Beyond Cinema — the good folks who brought an extravagant Great Gatsby party to a mansion in northern Sydney, the Mad Hatter's tea party to the Botanic Gardens and recreated Titanic on Sydney Harbour — are at it again. Now, Moulin Rouge is getting the immersive theatre treatment in March 2019. This time around, guests will be carried away to a cabaret club in 1899 Paris (in actual fact, an event space in Bankstown). At Harold Zidler's world-famous house of risque entertainment, fancy dress will once again be a must. If you're keen to book similar tickets right now, another Beyond Cinema is already set to transport you to 19th century France with an immersive singalong screening of Les Miserables this December.
Big names from Australia and overseas. A new stage dedicated to dance music. A health and wellness zone with guided meditation and ice baths. With the returning lantern parade, too, as well as Steven Bradbury hosting the Great Australian Pineapple Toss and the onsite ferris wheel offering a helluva view, that's how The Big Pineapple Festival is making the most of its 2025 event. Taking place on Saturday, November 1, the Sunshine Coast is marking its ten-year anniversary with Hilltop Hoods, The Cat Empire, The Jungle Giants and PNAU leading the bill, as well as Polaris, SIX60, Hands Like Houses, MKTO, Rum Jungle and Thelma Plum. Superlove Arena, that purpose-built haven for electronic tunes, will feature Baauer, Bushbaby, Anna Lunoe B2B Nina Las Vegas, KLP B2B Mell Hall, Little Fritter B2B Wongo, Paluma B2B Kessin, Shimmy and Raw Ordio. And Betty Taylor, Beckah Amani, HEADSEND and IVANA are also on the fest's lineup as well, all helping the event back up being named the Festival of the Year for the fourth time at the 2025 Queensland Music Awards. For those keen to dance in the shadow of a giant piece of tropical fruit — and one of Australia's most-famous big things — hitting Pineapple Fields in Woombye also comes with the option of camping, whether you'll be bringing your own tent, hiring one onsite or glamping. The Big Pineapple Festival 2025 Lineup Hilltop Hoods The Cat Empire The Jungle Giants PNAU Polaris SIX60 Hands Like Houses MKTO Rum Jungle Thelma Plum Baauer Bushbaby Anna Lunoe B2B Nina Las Vegas KLP B2B Mell Hall Little Fritter B2B Wongo Paluma B2B Kessin Shimmy Raw Ordi Betty Taylor Beckah Amani HEADSEND IVANA Select images: Claudia Ciapocha / Charlie Hardy.
Musicals don't get much bigger than Les Misérables. That's been evident on the stage for more than four decades. When the production has been adapted for the screen, too, it's also been clear. In Australia, next comes Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular, which is putting on a show set in 19th-century France from April 2025 in the Harbour City. Do you hear the people sing? Audiences in Sydney will when the production gets the music of the people, plus the songs of angry men, echoing. From Wednesday, April 30–Sunday, May 1, a stacked cast and a 65-plus-piece orchestra is bringing Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular to life at ICC Theatre, with the format heading Down Under after playing the UK and across Europe. What makes this an arena spectacular, other than the venues that it's playing (including in Melbourne and Brisbane, too)? The production isn't just taking the stage iteration of Les Misérables as is to sizeable sites — as a concert, it has been specifically created and designed for such locations. Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular was born to celebrate a hefty milestone for the song-filled theatre take on Victor Hugo's famous 1862 novel: the London production of Les Misérables reaching its 40th year in 2025. Yes, it's West End's longest-running musical. But the arena spectacular's origins hail back earlier, to not long after Les Mis debuted on the stage in 1980 — and also have ties to Australia. In Australia, Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular stars Tony-winner Alfie Boe and British talent Killian Donnelly sharing the role of Jean Valjean, with Michael Ball — who featured in the original London 1985 production — plus Bradley Jaden doing the same with Javert. Marina Prior plays Madame Thénardier, as part of an international cast that also includes Little Britain's Matt Lucas as Thénardier, Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine, Jac Yarrow as Marius and Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette. Images: Danny Kaan.
After a huge revamp, Manly Wharf Bar is back in action and is a top tier spot among the long list of Sydney's waterfront drinking establishments. Better yet, this summer the bar has partnered with top seltzer brand White Claw for a weekly series of live gigs throughout January so you can have tunes served up with your view. Every Sunday, you can extend those weekend vibes with some of the hottest emerging music acts in the country. Yep, Sunday sessions and live music are well and truly back and we're here for it. And you'll be sipping refreshing White Claws to top it off. Best of all? These gigs are completely free to attend. Kicking off on Sunday, January 9, the series will see electronic musician Mickey Kojak playing his signature synth-heavy, melodic jams. The following weekend (January 16) you'll enjoy disco-inspired dance-pop with the glossy vocals of Triple J Unearthed artist Chase Zera. Then, impeccably dressed electro-pop duo Barley Passable will be performing on January 23, before the series wraps up on January 30 with celebrated Sydney producer Poolclvb. [caption id="attachment_837908" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chase Zera[/caption] For more information on White Claw Weekend at Manly Wharf Bar, head to the White Claw website.
Sydneysiders can now sip some of the world's best cocktails from 22 stories up thanks to the opening of a new cocktail bar inside the A by Adina Hotel. Dean & Nancy on 22 is the latest opening from the team behind Maybe Sammy, Sydney's award-winning cocktail bar previously named one of the top 50 bars in the world. The new Hunter Street spot plays on the idea of a hotel bar. Inventive cocktails in line with the theme include the Rolling A Double cocktail, combining Havana 3, pineapple shrub coconut water and rhum agricole, with a pair of dice. Roll a double on the dice and you'll receive a free champagne upgrade. Equally as unexpected is the coffee champagne, containing champagne, Mr Black, vodka and peach wine, as well as a house-made vanilla and coffee hand cream on the side. "Apply the cream to your hands and every time you sip the cocktail, you'll be treated to a waft of the scent," Dean & Nancy co-founder and Creative Director Andrea Gualdi says. "After we take the glass away the essence will remain and every time you use the cream, we hope you'll remember your time at Dean & Nancy and smile." Inside the hotel, a curved brass staircase leads you up to the venue where patrons are greeted by a panoramic view of the Sydney cityscape and a decadent 1950s-style hotel bar designed by architect George Livissianis. Livissianis has previously designed the likes of Chin Chin Sydney, The Dolphin Hotel and Maybe Sammy's other recent CBD venture, Sammy Junior. The 120-seat space is full of gold-veined marble tables accompanied by subdued black leather chairs. Each seat offers up show-stopping city views, so no-one has to cop the dud spot. As with both Maybe Sammy and Sammy Junior, snacking is encouraged at Dean & Nancy. In fact, on the menu created by Executive Chef Jane Strode (Bistrode, Rockpool, Langton's), you'll find a special selection of mini combos if you're looking for a light drink and bite to eat. Combine the mini martini with oyster nan jim, or mini adonis with rhubarb cheesecake. Larger meals are on hand, however, including a prawn risotto made with Meredith goats cheese and harissa made in-house. Dean & Nancy on 22 is located at Level 22, 2 Hunter Street, Sydney, 2000. It's open 4.30-midnight, Wednesday–Saturday. Bookings are available online, however bar stools are not reserved so walk-ins are available. Images: Steven Woodburn
Clear your diary, grab your sneakers and prepare to get busy, boombastic and nostalgic — Shaggy and Sean Paul are heading on a tour of Australia this summer. It was revealed earlier this year that the two reggae stars would be headlining Southeast Queensland's inaugural One Love Festival, and, now, it has just been announced that they'll also be hitting up Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in January and February. Yes, the shows will be taking place in the summertime, but if there is a storm, we're sure Sean Paul will be able to shelter you. Enough of the song puns, though, you know the hits and you probably already have them stuck in your head. If not, we suggest you listen to (and get ready to relive), Shaggy's 'Luv Me, Luv Me' and 'It Wasn't Me', and Sean Paul's 'Get Busy' and 'No Lie'. The two 90s and 00s stars will be supported by US reggae-pop singer Josh Wawa White, too. So get ready for a full evening of reggae come summer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W5pq4bIzIw SEAN PAUL AND SHAGGY AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2020 DATES Melbourne — Wednesday, January 29, Sidney Myer Music Bowl Sydney — Friday, January 31, Hordern Pavilion Brisbane — One Love Festival, Saturday, February 1 (Sold Out) Perth — Sunday, February 2, Perth Convention Centre Tickets go on sale at 7pm on Wednesday, October 23 via mjrpresents.com. Top image: Jonathan Mannion
This time last year, Sampa the Great was the first artist named on the Vivid 2021 lineup; however, due to the pandemic, the Sydney festival didn't go ahead. Now, the Zambian-born musician is giving her new stage show An Afro Future another run, including setting up a new Vivid stint — and hitting up Melbourne and Brisbane as well. Sampa will tour the east coast capitals this May and June, starting at The Tivoli in Brisbane. From there, she's headed to Sydney for two Vivid gigs in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House, and then to Melbourne for two concerts at its own citywide arts festival, Rising. Joining her across all five shows will be Zimbabwe-born, London-raised, Australian-based singer KYE and Sampa's younger sister Mwanjé, plus sounds by C.Frim. And, while that's all mightily impressive, the tour will also mark the first time that audiences can see Sampa live with her full band from Zambia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sampa The Great (@sampa_the_great) Sampa's 2022's tour marks her return to Vivid after supporting Hiatus Kaiyote in 2016 and performing as part of The Avalanches' Since I Left You Block Party back in 2017. It'll also finally let her show An Afro Future to fans, after it was originally set to premiere over the summer of 2020–21 as part of Live at the Bowl in Melbourne, Summer in the Domain in Sydney and Womadelaide, but was forced to cancel due to border restrictions. As for what's in store now that An Afro Future is hitting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, attendees can expect to be treated to songs from Sampa's critically-acclaimed debut album The Return. Released in 2019, the album received universal praise at the time, winning Best Hip Hop Release and Best Independent Release at the 2020 ARIA Awards, and being named the eighth best Australian debut album of all time by Double J. And, Sampa will be playing new tunes, too — because a lot's been going on over the past few years. SAMPA THE GREAT 'AN AFRO FUTURE' TOUR 2022: Wednesday, May 25 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Friday, May 27–Saturday, May 28 — Vivid, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wednesday, June 1–Thursday, June 2 — Rising, The Forum, Melbourne Sampa the Great's An Afro Future tour will head to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in May and June. For more information or to buy tickets, visit Sampa's website. Top image: Sampa the Great, Lucian Coman.
Sydney hospitality legends Kenny Graham and Jake Smyth (of Mary's, The Lansdowne, The Unicorn, P&V Wine and Liquor, Mary's Pizzeria) have taken over the historic jazz venue The Basement and begun transforming it into a live gig space, a wine bar and a new harbourside Mary's. And the first of those three has just opened. Yep, you can now stroll on down to Circular Quay and dig into a juicy Mary's burger and fried cauliflower. Wait, what? Yep, this new Mary's has, for the first time ever, a vegan menu. Plant-based peeps, rejoice — you can now get your fill of the famed burgers and fried 'chicken'. The 'chicken' is fried cauliflower and the burgers are made with vegan patty, cheese, bun and a vegan take on Mary's sauce. As an added bonus, there's also no chance of contamination with the kitchen having its own vegan-only cool room, grills and fryers. If you were lucky enough to head along to Mary's Newtown's one-off all-vegan collab with Shannon Martinez (of Melbourne's Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli), you'll know that the boys do vegan well. Very well. As co-owner Smyth said in a statement, "it's fucking delicious plant based food, designed to make your carnivorous mates jealous." Those carnivorous mates who do prefer their burgers and fried chicken the traditional Mary's way — made with juicy beef and poultry — fear not, you'll find all the meat-filled classic here, too. As well as Mary's classic loud tunes, natural wines, local beers and raucous service. In a change of direction for the duo, though, you can also eat your burgers outdoors (in the sun) at the 30-seat Mary's Alfresco.
Across the first two months of winter — from Tuesday, June 1–Sunday, August 1, to be exact — El Camino Cantina will be pouring soft drink-inspired margaritas across all of its Sydney venues. Looking for something to pair with your creaming soda- or Mountain Dew-flavoured marg? We're guessing that salt and vinegar chicken wings will definitely do the trick. Over the same period, the Tex-Mex chain is also hosting a chicken wing festival called King of the Wing. Ten new flavours and rubs will grace the menu, including everything from chicken salt and mango habanero to teriyaki and nacho cheese. Most days, you'll nab a basket of wings in your chosen flavour, served with blue cheese mayonnaise, for $18. Wednesdays have something extra in store, however. That's ten-cent wing day, with a different King of the Wing flavour on offer each week — if you and your budget-conscious pals need an excuse to head along more than once.
The Sydney Theatre Company has done a cool thing with The Maids, which is to cast its biggest celebrity actors in its least accessible show for the year. Every night, there'll be people who came to see beloved Cate Blanchett, internationally respected Isabelle Huppert or perhaps breakthrough Great Gatsby star Elizabeth Debicki — and they'll be leaving feeling puzzled, challenged, perhaps bewildered and perhaps exhilarated. It's fabulous, and helps build a strong theatre culture. French maids are famous these days for their black-and-white uniforms (skimpier in the public mind than in the 19th-century reality in which they were common). Frenchman Jean Genet's The Maids is also famous, although in this case, the maids are the ones having the fantasies. While the mistress of the household is away, the two sisters take turns dressing in her clothes, dusting themselves in her powders and hurling entitled abuse at the other. At the height of their routine, repeated to the point of ritual, the mistress character is violently murdered. The Maids was, like so many Law and Orders, inspired by (but not technically based on) factual events. The 1933 murder by two maids of their wealthy employer stoked the imagination of a man fascinated with subversion of power, class and gender norms — themes that he powerfully brought into the theatre. French maids are the subject of sexual fantasy because they submit to dominance. What does it mean for one maid to exercise mastery over another? What happens when they assert it over their superior? This Sydney Theatre Company production is directed with thought and grandeur by Benedict Andrews. Interestingly, although the maids, Claire (Blanchett) and Solange (Huppert), are engaged in a performance, so too is their mistress (Debicki), a self-enabling parody of wealth. Debicki owns the role, and seeing the 6'2" actor tower over Huppert (5'2") is a hugely effective visual. Debicki's scenes are when the play is at its most thrilling, because, unlike the controlled moments shared between the maids, there's a sense that anything could happen. Huppert's performance, meanwhile, is enigmatic and disconnected, quite unlike the other actors on stage (on any stage, almost). It's hard to understand, until you read this, from Genet's lengthy notes on 'how to play The Maids': "The actresses will restrain their movements, each one of which will seem interrupted, or broken off .... sometimes their voice, too." Check. "The performance will be furtive so that the heavily overblown language feels lighter." It's Huppert to a T. However, a bit more consistency across performance styles could have been a benefit, as well as some delineation between the modes of performance of the ritual and the real. The Maids takes place on a flashy, luxurious set (by designer Alice Babidge) that's sure to alight any aspirational tendencies in the beholder (wall-to-wall colour-arranged wardrobe, omg). It's also equipped with a giant screen that shows vision from camera-people who prowl in the wings. They're there to capture the revealing little gestures and moments that would otherwise go unnoticed, and it's fun when they do. The best angle, however, is from the camera on the dressing table, which captures the women as they pout and preen at the mirror, each engaged in their private show. It's a familiar sight that cuts through to a contemporary audience, and touches like this make the play accessible and engaging. For a contemporary audience low on firsthand experience of the master-servant dynamic, it's a cheeky reminder of the trappings that endure. A limited number of Suncorp Twenties tickets are available for $20 each. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0-IGU_LQdU8
Avoca Beach on the Central Coast is filled with so many great cafes and eateries, but a beachside spot definitely worth a visit is Becker & Co. Located on Avoca Drive a stone's throw from the water, the pint-sized spot is serving up great cups of joe made on beans by Sydney's Single O. To eat, expect all the brunch classics — and lots of avocado. Choose from the likes of poached eggs with avocado, beetroot labneh on sourdough, Vegemite lime and toasted tamari seeds, toasties and fresh pastries. All of the ingredients used in the dishes are seasonal and organic.
Fancy a good glass of wine after a day at the beach? Coogee locals Tom Hardwick and Michelle Morales certainly do, and their new venue lets you do just that. Taking cues from the bustling wine bars of Europe, Coogee Wine Room hopes to be the new post-beach go-to for the eastern suburbs. It's opening along Coogee Bay Road today — Tuesday, September 17 — just one block up from the ocean. As to be expected, the team is taking its wine game very seriously. The 400-strong list has been created by Hardwick and Venue Manager Brooke Adey, whose resume includes time spent at Bea, Chiswick and Yellow. On the 30-page list are a whopping 28 drops by the glass, along with limited vintages and hard-to-find drops. Over 50 different varieties are represented here, too. In the kitchen, Head Chef Sandro Di Marino (A Tavola) is plating up a succinct, Mediterranean-style menu. For smaller dishes, expect smoked hummus with flatbread, Spanish anchovies and pork cheek sliders to be served alongside the requisite cheese and charcuterie. Larger plates include ricotta ravioli, chargrilled octopus with lentils and lamb rump with spring greens. [caption id="attachment_742095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Local design studio Tom Mark Henry is behind the fit-out, which spans two storeys and — as goes the trend — maintains an industrial vibe. Expect exposed brick walls, concrete floors and a black steel staircase, along with warm timber tones, wraparound banquettes and marble finishes. Downstairs, you'll find the causal front bar — perfect for post-beach wines — while the slightly larger upstairs dining room is primed for long lunches. While it doesn't seem like swimming weather just yet, it won't be long till you'll be traipsing up from the beach for a post-swim rosé or three here. In the meantime, you can escape the rain by heading indoors for plenty of cheese and warming meats. Coogee Wine Room is now open at 222 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee. It's open from Monday–Wednesday 3pm–11pm and Thursday–Sunday midday–11pm. Images: Steven Woodburn
If you're looking to treat yourself to a meal you'll be thinking about long after it's over, head to Nour in Surry Hills on Wednesday, May 25, and let two of Sydney's most renowned chefs combine their expertise on a historic trip through Arabic and Sicilian cuisines in A Taste of Siqilliya. Due to the Arabic rule over Sicily in the late 1st century, there are many ties between Arabic culture and Sicilian food. Nour's Head Chef, Luca Lonati, will be exploring these ties with the help of Lino Sauro of Olio Kensington Street through a one-off collaborative set menu. Diners will begin with a Pomegranate Americano, created using Amaro Averna, Campari, pomegranate shrub and soda. From there, the feast will open with black rice arancini, sea urchin, swordfish pastrami and chickpea panelle. Course two will feature lamb stigghiola and yellowfish tuna tartare, before the centrepieces of the set menu are brought out. These decadent mains will feature Trapani-style pesto ravioli with a butter emulsion, stuffed wagyu beef and a cheesy eggplant parmigiana made with halloumi and bandurah harrah. Concluding the affair is dessert combining almond milk couscous, saffron meringue and raisin gelato, paired with Pallini limoncello. Reservations are available for $150 per person via Nour's booking page. [caption id="attachment_839202" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lino Sauro[/caption]
Don't dig pickles on your burger? Well, that's one thing you've got in common with rap sensation The Kid LAROI. How do we know? Because the award-winning artist has just revealed to the world his go-to Macca's meal, teaming up with the fast-food giant on the first-ever Aussie edition of its Famous Orders collaboration series. It means that for a limited time, you can rock up to any McDonald's in the country, make like a celeb and order The Kid LAROI special — a cheeseburger without pickles, plus medium fries, a medium frozen Coke and a six-piece McNuggets with barbecue sauce. Hitting the menu from Thursday, May 26, the Famous Orders meal will also be available via the MyMacca's app and McDelivery. The launch of the pickle-free feed comes as The Kid LAROI returns Down Under for his sold-out Aussie tour. The Sydney-born artist and proud Kamilaroi man has made huge waves overseas in the past couple of years, thanks to a slew of chart-topping songs, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. While this marks the first local Famous Orders release, Macca's already has a swag of international versions under its belt. This time last year, the series saw famed K-pop group BTS touting their signature order — fries, a large soft drink and a 10-piece chicken McNuggets with sweet chilli and Cajun dipping sauces. The Kid LAROI Famous Order will be available at McDonald's stores nationwide, from May 26, for a limited time.
