It may be a new name on the Sydney dining scene, but Gogyo is already a well-established ramen chain back home in Japan. The specialty is, of course, the ramen, and one ramen in particular — the kogashi (burnt) variety. For those thinking, "whoa, hold up, I can burn my own dinner at home thank you very much", let me assure you — there's much skill to the Gogyo method. Burnt fresh to order, the kogashi ramen is made by cooking lard at extremely high temperatures (over 300 degrees) until the substance turns black and bursts into flames. Miso or soy is then added, followed by Gogyo's slow-cooked pork broth, then springy noodles, chashu pork belly, nori and an unami egg. By the time it reaches the table, the ramen is resting at a comfortable 80 degrees. As for the taste, it's unlike anything you've ever had before. The scorched soup is thick with oil and swirling with thousands of charred black flecks, the flavour is rich, smoky and sweet, not bitter or acrid as you may have expected. It's an intense dish, so if you haven't tried it before, perhaps share it with a mate — that way you can leave room for some of the other dishes on the menu. Despite the celebrity status of the burnt ramen, Gogyo isn't a one-hit-wonder. There are plenty of other impressive dishes on the a la carte menu. We love the goma kingfish sashimi, which gets a spicy shake-up with the fresh fish bathed in a peppery marinade of Japanese tahini, red shiso and shichimi spice. Other highlights include the nasu dengaku — miso-glazed eggplant — which has crunchy charred edges in place of the usual caramelisation; and the wagyu flank doused in shiso butter and seared to perfection on the robata grill. Unlike many other ramen chains in Sydney, Gogyo isn't your usual wobbly-chaired slurp-and-dash lunch spot. Rather it's a well-dressed, contemporary space fitted out with exposed brick and concrete, timber detailing and moody lighting. It's the kind of place that screams ~date night~. The room features private and communal dining spaces, as well as counter spots and a dedicated bar, which serves up Japanese cocktails, beer, sake, whiskey and wine. From the drinks list, we recommend trying one of the fruit wines (kajitsushu). A stand-out is the Uzenshiraume Umeyusui sake-based plum wine which has sweet apricot and honey flavours (and tastes a a bit like a rice-spiked botrytis sémillon). Gogyo Surry Hills marks the fifth outpost for the Tokyo-based ramen chain, and, right now, it's the only one in the world without lines out the door. We can tell you one thing: it won't stay that way for long.
Whether you're shopping for Christmas gifts, birthday presents or simply treating yourself for surviving another shitty year, the inner west has it all. This diverse and thriving creative community sells everything from handmade pickles and First Nations art to craft beers and ethically-made clothing. And they've never needed our business more. In partnership with Inner West Council, we've rounded up the area's top shops to visit. Peruse the stores in person, sample some of the tasty treats and locally made booze, take part in creative workshops or buy yourself a new scented candle. Go on, you deserve a bit of retail therapy.
Anyone in the arts knows that getting projects off the ground is a notoriously difficult task. From finding the time to create outside of paid work to simply keeping a roof over your head, following your dreams isn't always easy. Melbourne-based director, animator, and stop-motion specialist Sammy Lewis knows this reality all too well. "I'd been struggling to find work for most of last year and was on the verge of a career shift or at least finding a day job outside of animation," they told Concrete Playground. Over three and a half months in their studio, Sammy created Garbologist, a stop motion short film inspired by Specsavers' iconic "Should've Gone to Specsavers" ad format. Garbologist was submitted as part of Specsavers' annual competition in partnership with the leading short film festival, Flickerfest. A judging panel selected five finalists before the public voted on their favourite. The creativity and dedication of Garbologist stood out and Sammy was crowned the winner, scoring a $70K cash prize as well as a screening of their film at Flickerfest. "The prize has changed everything, and now I'll be able to focus on my own ideas full-time and hopefully develop a short film or series concept," they said of the career-changing prize money. We spoke with Sammy from the UK, where they're working at famed animation studio Aardman (the team behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep), to learn more about their prize-winning animated short film and what's next for the artist. Concrete Playground: Your winning entry reimagines the Specsavers ad through stop motion animation. What was the original creative spark behind Garbologist? Sammy Lewis: The idea for Garbologist came from a mix of things and is actually quite nostalgic for me. I was a truck-obsessed kid who would wait on the footpath to watch the bins get collected. My life peaked at three years old when I got to sit in the driver's seat and operate the claw. The first bin that gets collected in Garbologist is 22, which is the number of my childhood home. I also grew up with classic stop motion shows like Fireman Sam and Postman Pat and wanted to pay homage to their influence on my animation career. How did you get started in your career? A childhood obsession with plasticine turned into studying a Bachelor of Animation at The Queensland College of Art. That then led to moving from Meanjin/Brisbane to Naarm/Melbourne to find anyone else who was doing stop motion. That seems to have worked out, and I've animated on music videos, commercials, short films, kids' television and two feature films. How did you approach balancing brand storytelling and constraints with your creative voice? My whole aim for this ad was to tell a good joke, and I kept refining ideas until I thought I'd landed on a solid visual gag. Time was my biggest constraint, as stop motion is a notoriously slow process. I tried to keep things as simple as possible at every stage, but unfortunately, this meant cutting out a bin chicken character from my original draft. Tell us about the production process for this film. How long did it take, and what were the challenges? From initial idea to final export, the whole process took about three and a half months. My studio at the time was very small, and I had to fit everything on a set that was only 1.2 metres wide, and the scale of the puppets had to be about half the size of what I usually work [with]. I didn't have much of a budget and tried to recycle and reclaim as many materials as I could. 90% of Garbologist is cardboard and acrylic paint. The puppets have oven-bake clay heads with plasticine hands, the grass is made from two painted bath towels, and the garbage truck is a toy I bought second-hand and added the claw. Building all the puppets and sets took two months. Animation was two weeks and I outsourced music and sound design at the last minute so I could focus on editing and compositing. Everything is real, handmade and full of hot glue. What do you love about working with stop motion and animation? I love how stop motion and animation in general force you to collaborate or otherwise be lonely and sad and take four times longer to complete anything. I had a wonderful little crew of creatives in Lucy (Art Department), Mack (Art Department / Crochet Artist), Goldy (Colour Grade), Ryan (Sound Design/Music) and Seamus Spilsbury (Development). Check out their work. Flickerfest has long been a launching pad for emerging filmmakers. How important is this platform to you? I've been incredibly lucky to have worked on some amazing productions in my career, but it feels like I'm still searching for my own voice as a filmmaker. Flickerfest is such an important festival in providing a platform to do this, as well as opportunities like the Specsavers competition. I really hope to come back in the next few years with a film in competition. Often, creators don't want to touch commercial work for fear it's not "real" art. What do you say to these people, and what are the pros of commercial filmmaking? I understand why some people would feel that way about commercial gigs, and it can be stifling to work for brands when they give you minimal creative freedom. As a freelancer, I've never really had the luxury of picking and choosing what I work on and just try to catch the next thing that falls out of the sky. I've certainly learnt a lot from working on commercial jobs, and it's improved my communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills. What's your advice for filmmakers wanting to break into the industry? I'm not really one to give career advice, as everyone's path will be different. For me, it was finding my people, persistence and quite a bit of luck. What's next for you? What are you working on at the moment? I'm currently in the UK at Aardman, working on the new Shaun the Sheep movie, The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which is a dream come true, and after that, I'll be back to my default of making it up as I go. Image Credit: Supplied
Settled into the upstairs space of The Warren View Hotel is another one of the Damianakis family's ventures, a cosy neighbourhood bar called Teddy's. Following a revamp, this elegant addition to the Enmore corner pub has an attractive fit-out with exposed brick walls, timber beams and mid-century design inspiration. The star of the upstairs space is a bar that runs the length of the room wall to wall, and a fireplace fit for braving chilly winter nights in the Inner West. Head in for a drink and you'll be met with a stellar lineup of independently-owned Australian beverages. The Teddy's menu features fresh, fruity takes on classic cocktails, as well as all-Australian beer and wine lists — supporting local is at the forefront of the venue's ethos — alongside an array of non-alcoholic beverages to pick from. For bites, you'll be able to pair your beverage of choice with a selection of elevated share plates. Take your pick from Aussie pub classics like calamari, sausage rolls and focaccia made in-house, as well as charred octopus, heirloom cherry tomato panisse and tuna crudo. And if you opt to swing by in a group of four or more, you'll be able to select the 'Feed Me' set menu for $55 per person to enjoy a no-fuss and no-thinking-required option that serves up the best that Teddy's has to offer. All in all, Teddy's makes for a great addition to the neighbourhood and a new treat for local punters who've been patronising the pub for years.
Sydney CBD mainstay Mordeo has reopened in a larger new space after a $2.5 million renovation, bringing its previously separate Bistro & Bar and Pasta & Panini Bar together under one roof. The Martin Place venue has launched with a new menu led by former Restaurant Hubert chef Jean-Baptiste Legrand. The eats are inspired by dishes of Southern Europe, spanning hand-stretched pizzas, fresh pasta, larger share plates and a faster lunch menu aimed at hungry (or procrastinating) CBD workers. Among the signature dishes are Goolwa pippies cooked with garlic, white wine and parsley and served over chips, plus an impossibly tender barbeque chicken dish that's brined for 24 hours, sous vide for four hours and finished on the chargrill and served with tzatziki and caramelised grapes. For weekday lunches, there's also a shorter express menu focused on quicker versions of Mordeo's pizzas and pastas. One of the new additions is the piegata, a folded Italian pizza made using the same slow-fermented dough as the regular pizzas. Fillings include jamón with provolone and confit tomato, and pork and fennel sausage with crème fraîche and rocket. The venue shifts throughout the day, serving coffee and breakfast in the morning before moving into lunch, dinner and after-work drinks service later on. The redesign took six months and expanded the restaurant to 150 seats. Interiors feature terracotta tones, bentwood Thonet chairs, timber tables and a five-metre marble communal table positioned at the centre of the space. There's also a private dining room available for group bookings. Owner Nick Aspros says combining the two neighbouring venues into a single operation was intended to create a more flexible all-day dining setup, with options for both quick meals and longer sit-down dining "For years, we've had two venues operating side by side, so bringing them together under one roof felt like a step in the right direction for our next chapter. We wanted to provide the flexibility of a full dining experience or something quick for those short on time, while ensuring the offering remains consistent from day to night." Images: Leigh Griffiths Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Light the beacons: we've found Sydney's best potato wedges … on an industrial estate in Marrickville. If that strikes you as odd, don't worry. Once you cross the threshold of 20 Chapel — the pyro-powered, pigeonhole-defying neighbourhood bistro now occupying the former warehouse digs of Stix Cafe — you'll soon forget everything you thought you knew about how elite dining in Sydney should look and feel. At first glance, the well-lit 66-seat dining space looks normal enough – indeed, regulars at the cafe that preceded it will find the room uncannily familiar. Little has been done to update the existing decor, save for having the dining chairs powder-coated black (conveniently at a neighbouring warehouse) and the addition of a sprawling marble-topped bar along one wall, also sourced from around the corner — one of the advantages of opening a restaurant surrounded by builders' merchants. [caption id="attachment_968249" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 20 Chapel's potato wedges with Coppertree Farm creme fraiche and caramelised chilli[/caption] Linger longer, however, and the curiosities begin to mount. You'll notice a Sichuan-spiced duck with a smashed cucumber and sesame salad being carried to one table while a glossy bowl of pumpkin-stuffed agnolotti, topped by a glistening amber orb of almond-dusted yolk, is being ushered to another. A lick of flame from the open kitchen catches your eye as the scent of woodsmoke teases your nose. The waitstaff laugh and joke with their customers — no stoney service sentinels here. And is that a Poor Toms negroni being poured on tap? Chef Corey Costelloe, the former Culinary Director of Hunter Street Hospitality including Rockpool Bar and Grill, is the man behind this refreshingly different diner. To make his first independent venture a reality, Costelloe has assembled an all-star team, who also all happen to be close friends. The bricks and mortar come courtesy of David Allison, the chef and owner of Stix Farm, a much-lauded grower of organic produce located near the banks of the Hawkesbury just north of Sydney. In the kitchen, Costelloe's former protege from Rockpool, Owen Okada, joins him as Sous. And finally, managing front-of-house matters, there's Anthony Qalilawa, Rockpool's former maître d' and Costelloe's best mate since the age of 13. [caption id="attachment_968250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (L-R) Owen Okada, David Allison, Corey Costelloe and Anthony Qalilawa[/caption] As skilled as this hospitality super group undoubtedly is, it isn't just the combination of their talents that has created such a uniquely winning energy here, but also the combination of their shared experiences. What 20 Chapel offers is not so much a menu as it is a collective memoir, told through stellar food and heart-warming service. Subtle storytelling is an ingredient you'll find in every dish and beverage, from personal winks such as the nostalgia of childhood pub visits that inspired an elevated take on wedges, to neighbourhood nods, like a bread course of crusty white banh mi-style baguettes as an homage to Marrickville's Vietnamese community. Even the kitchen's custom-built woodfired grill is a tribute to Costelloe's past working with Neil Perry at Rockpool. "We could cook on a regular gas burner, but you can't change that — there's no hot spot, no smouldering spot, no cooler spot, you've just got flat heat, nothing else," Costelloe shares. "You need to be able to work with the flame — we've got like ten zones on our grill, where you can get that smoke or that char or you can deal with steaks that are harder or softer. Without that flame, everything just tastes the same." [caption id="attachment_968252" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Corey Costelloe[/caption] But I digress — back to the wedges. After an overnight brining, each identically sized sliver of spud is parboiled, blast-chilled and then deep-fried in tallow rendered from offcuts of Blackmore wagyu steaks until the golden outsides are perfectly crisp and the creamy innards are pillow-soft. Each rich, beefy bite demands a generous scoop of Coppertree Farm creme fraiche mingled with house-made caramelised chilli, lofting the pub-grub classic of wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce into another dimension of texture and taste. The steaks donating their unwanted fat to these heavenly wedges are another star of the menu. Inspired by David Allison's low-impact practices at Stix Farm (where the bulk of the restaurant's fresh produce is sourced), little goes to waste from the beef carcasses processed on-premises, from the four butcher's cuts of 9+ marble score wagyu and the 17-day aged bresaola to the mince in the intriguing tomato-free cavatelli "white bolognese". And the low-waste principles don't stop with the meat. When possible, salvageable fruit and veg trimmings find a second purpose, such as the leftovers from a sticky quince tarte tatin used to flavour one of the signature cocktails. As I step out of the restaurant and back onto Chapel Street, it strikes me as apt that the name of this restaurant is simply its address. The vision behind it is so emotionally rich, so difficult to pin down, no pithy adjective or made-up moniker could possibly do it justice. The personality-led service, the unconventional location, the mercurial food, the laidback yet refined spirit – all of it confounds categorisation. But while the 'what' remains elusive, the 'why' is much easier to grasp. The inspirations behind the menu are not explicit, nor do you need to be aware of them to appreciate the finesse on your plate, but these intimate histories offer a through line that binds together what is otherwise a menu that refuses to colour within any clear culinary lines. It's an approach to creating a restaurant that feels in a league of its own, with friendship and memory rather than cuisine or convention calling the shots.
As the weather begins to cool down, it's easy to turn your mind to autumn travel plans. With Aperol Spritzes behind us and cosy, quiet weekends ahead, planning a city escape can be tempting. But where to go? Just two hours from both Canberra and Sydney lies the South Coast region of Shoalhaven. From the white sands of Jervis Bay to the misty rivers surrounding Kangaroo Valley, Shoalhaven is built for weekends dedicated to rest, retreat and renewal. If you're looking to swap city stress for ocean air and indulge in long lunches and restorative experiences, here's how to spend a wellness-focused weekend in the region. Rest Your restorative getaway is only as good as your accommodation choice, and Shoalhaven has no shortage of quiet and restful retreats. Bay and Bush Jervis Bay is designed for switching off in nature. The boutique eco-retreat offers self-contained cottages and safari glamping tents on acres of lush Australian bushland. Wellness is woven into your stay at The Nest, the on-site studio featuring yoga and soundbath sessions. There's also an on-site day spa featuring massages and treatments, and a brand new cafe that's open to the public. With Jervis Bay just a short drive away, as well as bushwalking, whale watching, breweries, and galleries all nearby, Bay and Bush Jervis Bay has everything you could need for a restful weekend retreat. [caption id="attachment_1083654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Motel Molly, Mollybrook[/caption] Motel Molly in Mollymook is a luxe update on the beach motel of many Australian summer road trips. The oceanside motel has recently been revamped with a Mediterranean-inspired look and features handmade ceramics, mosaic tiles, and sunken bathtubs. It also offers a pool, sauna and massages to help you lean into relaxation and renewal. Rooms range from one-bedroom king suites to three-bedroom apartments for larger groups. Alongside its wellness offerings, Motel Molly is a great spot to get out into nature by hiring a bike or surfboard and soaking up the surrounding beaches. [caption id="attachment_1081431" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Appleye Silver, Berry[/caption] Outside of accommodation options, Shoalhaven urges you to rest through creativity. Get off your screens and use your hands in local workshops such as Appleye Silver silversmithing, or meet (and paint) some Highland Cows at Abergail Farm with their Coos & Colour art experience. If you prefer to soak up the art rather than make your own, head to Bundanon Art Museum, gallery and homestead for world-class contemporary art set amongst a stunning South Coast landscape. Retreat [caption id="attachment_1081432" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Valley Outdoors[/caption] One of the best parts of a city escape is retreating into nature. Paddle the region's calm waterways in canoes with Valley Outdoors. If you really want to feel the serenity, book in for a half-day guided tour with Valley Outdoors Mindful Canoeing Nature Experience. You'll enjoy a mindful reset as your guides help you to connect with Shoalhaven's beautiful nature, including the Shoalhaven Gorge's pristine waterfalls and abundant wildlife. Your tour will involve a moderate level of activity while paddling, but there'll be ample time to pause and enjoy the moment throughout. Another outdoor activity is Shoalhaven's horse riding school. Saddle up for a scenic trail ride through bushland with Regal Riding School, where you can trot along a stretch of shoreline that's waiting to be discovered. In the evening, book a magical Jervis Bay Stargazing experience and lie under vast starry skies. Here, astronomers share stories of the cosmos as you pause and reconnect with nature. [caption id="attachment_1081433" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jervis Bay Stargazing[/caption] When it comes to local restorative spaces, Worrowing Estate's new wellness pavilion, Melaleuca, will help your mind to slow down through flowing movement. Here, you can practice yoga, pilates, sound healing, reiki and breathwork, all in a peaceful studio that overlooks farmland, bush and curious kangaroos. [caption id="attachment_1081434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Life Centre, Bewong[/caption] If you're after something more indulgent for your Shoalhaven retreat, make a trip to Berry and visit Sol Organic Facialist. Focusing on Australian-made organic and natural products, facialist Alexandra has over 20 years of experience in her field and offers restorative luxe facials and treatments that include Reiki. In Bewong, Life Centre is your chance to switch off through hot and cold therapy. With saunas, ice baths, floatation tanks and breathwork sessions, you'll feel rejuvenated as soon as you set foot in the wellness space. If you're after something a bit more rigorous, Bowline Remedial Massage and Recovery combines evidence-based remedial massage with recovery-focused treatments to prevent injury, support rehabilitation, and your overall wellbeing. Renewal Renewing in Shoalhaven means connecting more deeply with place. There are First Nations–led experiences across the region that offer opportunities to learn directly from local Indigenous custodians. At Mirritya Mundya in Culburra Beach, guests can experience Indigenous food culture through native ingredients and storytelling. Dishes connect directly to Country for a dining experience built on thousands of years of knowledge. [caption id="attachment_1081437" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mirritya Mundya[/caption] In nearby Nowra, Blak Cede Gunyah is a First Nations, women-led cafe and social enterprise that showcases bush foods and produce from the Kareela Ngura community garden. The menu highlights ingredients and knowledge passed down through generations, offering a meaningful way to experience local culture through food. Across the region, produce-driven experiences continue the theme. There are several fresh farmers' markets throughout Shoalhaven that showcase the area's strong connection between land, sea and plate. Enjoy fresh seafood from local producers like Jervis Bay Mussels and Jim Wild Oysters. For fruits, vegetables and artisan produce, make a trip to Milton Village Showground Market, visit the weekly Berry Farmer's Market, or enjoy the monthly Kangaroo Valley Farmer's Market that's located in the heart of town. No matter where you stay, you'll most likely be able to find a local farmers' market. Whether you're looking for an offline luxury bush retreat or a road trip through country towns and beaches, Shoalhaven is a destination designed for switching off. Build your Shoalhaven wellness itinerary here.
Hear ye, hear ye. Bondi has landed a new, classic British pub just in time for the long, warm summer ahead. The Beekeeper has opened on Hall Street, in the heritage-listed Fellworth Flats, bringing British nostalgia and cosy, inviting energy to the beachside. The Beekeeper is an ode to the Northern English heritage of owners Ben Campbell and Brendan Darcy. The boys behind the Northern Hospitality group are well-versed in operating welcoming and lively spaces, with their much-loved dive bar Chuck Trailer's recently expanding to a second location in Sydney's CBD. The boys want their new venue to serve as a hub of community activity where people can gather over a Guinness and some classic pub fare. Head Chef Kevin Davis intends to bring a taste of his English roots to Bondi, serving dishes such as scotch eggs, fish and chips, Ploughman's Lunches, and traditional Sunday roasts, accompanied by all the usual trimmings. There will be steak sandwiches, gammon and eggs, a Cumberland pinwheel with mash and chicken chop, which will take any English expats right back to their roots. In strong contention for Bondi's best happy hour, running Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm, you can grab house beers from $6, house wines from $7, spritzes from $10 and Tommy Margaritas for $16. In addition to these damn good deals, check out the Thinkin' Drinks mini cocktail menu that is available all day, featuring mini martinis and negronis for just $10 — now that's adorable and affordable. Ben and Brendan explain, "The name The Beekeeper is a nod to Manchester's worker bee — a symbol of hard work, resilience, and community. We want The Beekeeper to be the heart of Bondi, a place where locals can drop in for a pint, a roast, or a cheeky cocktail and always feel at home." Images: Supplied.
Winter is when Aotearoa really turns it on. There's snow on the mountains, clear skies over Lake Tekapo and hot pools to warm you up on freezing days. Whether you're hitting the slopes, exploring the wine regions, or just settling in somewhere cosy, New Zealand is all about slowing down, clearing your head and enjoying every moment. To help you plan the perfect escape, we've rounded up eight of the best winter stays across the North and South Island – and every one of them is ten percent off when you book via our dedicated travel platform, Concrete Playground Trips using your Visa card. From boutique gems to lakeside luxury, these are the hotels worth checking into this season.
One of Sydney's most storied dining spaces has officially entered the next stage of its life, with 134A Glebe Point Rd — previously home to pioneering farm-to-table eatery Darling Mills, an Indian restaurant and moody cocktail lounge Becketts — now reborn as Darling Glebe. A labour of love for its creators, the subterranean space is now divided into a martini bar just past the entrance, a main dining room, an omakase-style chef's table and two private dining spaces, including one with a purpose-built wine cave that can hold up to 2800 bottles. There's a distinct heritage feel throughout, thanks to convict-cut sandstone blocks that meet vaulted ceilings and brick sourced from the remains of Edmund Blackett's original St John's Church. But that doesn't mean it's dusty and aged — those surfaces combine with a polished floor, velvet-wrapped colonnades, silk Hermès scarves and vintage cut-crystal and hand-etched glass detailing. It's the physical manifestation of the influences for Chef and Restaurateur Jeff Schroeter, a Riverina native whose CV spans The Savoy in London, Manhattan's Royalton Hotel, Sydney institutions Bistro Moncur and Bayswater Brasserie (and a stint as a co-owner for the site's previous life as Beckett's), as well as cooking for high-profile figures including Queen Elizabeth II and Madonna. The menu is rooted in the tradition of classic French brasseries, with signatures including a revived 130-year-old oyster Rockefeller recipe, escargot en cocotte with a puff pastry lid (essentially, a gloriously buttery escargot pie), foie gras with poached strawberries (born from a delicious kitchen accident) and duck à l'orange with zingy Archie Rose Sunrise Lime gin and orange kumquat glaze. Save room for desserts such as Little Marionette coffee crème brûlée and chocolate fondant with burnt honey cream and chocolate shavings. Schroeter has also assembled a top-shelf operations team, with two-time Diageo World Class Australian Bartender of the Year Charlie Ainsbury overseeing the drinks program and Sarah Biswas (Odd Culture Group, Restaurant Hubert, Banksii) stepping in as venue manager. In a nod to the site's origins, Schroeter sources produce from Darling Mills Farm — the still-thriving property owned and run by the Adey family, Darling Mills' founders — and plans to revisit elements from their decades-old recipe book, reinterpreting dishes that once put the venue on the map. "The room has always told me what it wants me to serve," says Schroeter. "I'm just here to listen." Top images: Christopher Pearce.
In a world of convenient but unremarkable chain bottleshops, community-centric retailers like P&V Merchants are a welcome change of pace. The Paddington outpost of this small business opened in 2017, bringing a new face to Oxford Street that is one part bottleshop and one part community bar. Unlike your average bottleshop, P&V focuses on unique and less-recognised brews and bottles from producers around Australia and the world. From unusual wines to hoppy craft beers and spiced spirits, there are no boring drinks on these shelves. There's also a fair share of tinned, jarred, pickled and preserved food to be purchased, plus bits and bobs to be used and worn. Another unique offering of P&V is that you can enjoy your purchase in-store, simply take your purchase to the back courtyard and enjoy, or skip the decision-making first and enjoy some pre-determined by-the-glass options. There are some bar snacks to be enjoyed in the courtyard, but most of the food can be found upstairs in the independently-run Porcine bistro. Keep an eye on the P&V channels, as when Porcine isn't using the space, you can expect tastings, masterclasses and more. Images: Byron Martin for PADDO(Collective)
Some walks are superior to others. The walk into work on a Monday morning? Obvious pass. And you're probably not that keen on taking yet another walk around your block either. So, if you're looking for a few walks or hikes that are further from your front door (or place of employment), consider the Port Stephens region. Based just a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney, this stunning coastal region offers many epic tracks to conquer. They range in difficulty, but they all promise splendid views of the New South Wales coast, native forests and wildlife — and, if you're there at the right time of year, glimpses of sea life, too. Here is a handful that you should add to your to-do list next time you're planning a weekend escape to the region — plus, a couple of routes that you can do on two wheels, too. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
Oxford Street's legacy as a go-to street for Australian designer boutiques and independent stores may have seen a few changes in the recent decade, but it's still a shopping destination for many Sydneysiders, weekend after weekend, for its range of intimate shops, art galleries and bookstores. Life is extra sweet when you combine that experience with dipping in and out of charming cafes to keep you caffeinated as you shop. Whether you're eyeing up a new dress or looking for new plant pots for your home, the streets of Paddington (and its fringes) are the place to spend a leisurely afternoon browsing. With so much ground to cover, it can be tough to know where to start. With a little help from American Express, we've compiled a list of places sure to meet your shopping needs — and you can shop small here with your Amex Card.
You're in the supermarket, everyone's preoccupied with getting their shopping and getting out. You walk up to the avocados, not wanting to waste your hard-earned cash on something that's more rock than fruit. So, what do you do? You pick one up and give it a quick squeeze. It's okay, you can admit it — you're certainly not the only one. But it's time to change these habits. According to Australian Avocados, more than half of Aussies admit to squeezing the middle of the avocado to test ripeness. At the same time, two in three say they'll handle up to three avocados every shop. It might seem like no big deal, but all these squeezed, bruised avocados that no one wants add to the huge amount of food waste in Australia. While your everyday awareness campaign was an option, the team at Australian Avocados have come up with something slightly different to get people to stop squeezing the good stuff. Joining forces with two-time Australian Strongman champion Eddie Williams, also known for his soulful appearance on Australia's Got Talent, a new jingle is helping educate the masses. Titled "Are You Bruisin' While Choosin'?" Williams has taken a break from pulling monster trucks and lifting gigantic rocks to deliver this crucial message on the mic. And it comes with a little advice too, perfect for when you're next tempted to squeeze an avo in the supermarket. Just remember this one simple rule: "don't squeeze the middle, the neck is where to check." "I spend my time competing all over the world, lifting hundreds of kilos, so I know what real strength is. But avocados don't need that kind of force. Squeezing the middle of the fruit is actually what can bruise them before they're even eaten. It's a simple mistake, but an easy one to fix," says Williams. Who are we to keep up our bad habits? And let's be honest, you wouldn't want to let Eddie catch you squeezing one, either. Instead, the correct way to pick an avocado that's ripe to eat is to gently press the neck near the stem. This is where the fruit naturally softens first, with ready-to-eat fruit yielding slightly under gentle pressure. Better avos and less food waste. What's not to love? Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from July's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Fake A drive to the airport in a rideshare is one of life's mundane experiences, whether or not you're en route to a wedding, and also regardless of if you're meant to be collecting your partner and their dry-cleaned suit along the way. In Fake, this routine journey on an average Melbourne day is a masterclass in tension, a portrait of an unravelling and an unwanted realisation unfurling with no escape. With journalist Birdie Bell (Asher Keddie, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) sitting in the backseat as much that she's trusted melts down, it's a stunning episode of television, arriving five instalments into this eight-part Australian thriller that tells a page-to-screen and reality-to-fiction tale. Viewers spend the preceding four episodes of Fake waiting for a moment like this. For those who haven't read Stephanie Wood's memoir of the same name, charting her time dating a former architect-turned-grazier who pairs his grand romantic gestures with erratic behaviour, there's still no doubt that it's coming. It has to, and not just because series creator Anya Beyersdorf (The Twelve) and her co-scribes Jessica Tuckwell (Year Of) and Hyun Lee (Born to Spy) have Birdie's beau Joe Burt (David Wenham, Elvis) note in voiceover that she was onto him from the get-go. While Fake is a love- and lies-fuelled saga, it's also about how someone gets taken in not by the kind of narratives that Joe spins but by the emotions that they prey upon, even when their intuition tingles at the outset — and how deceptions like this, from someone manipulating others and someone fooling themselves alike, always shatter. The words "Joe, 51, grazier" on a dating app introduce the ex-property big shot to Birdie; however, everything that he utters on their first date almost halts their romance there. When the pair meet at a sleek bar, he has a business acquaintance (Yuchen Wang, White Fever) in tow and talks only of himself, grandstanding with the recognisable arrogance of someone who refuses to believe (or simply hasn't stopped once to consider) that they aren't the most-interesting person in the room. She cuts and leaves quickly, despite his insistence to the waitstaff that they'll share more wine. Then she ignores his persistent follow-ups afterwards, until she doesn't — but really should've. Fake streams via Paramount+. Read our full review. The Devil's Bath Suspense and tension, how to cultivate such a strong atmosphere of unease that it feels as if it drips from the screen, the darker side of human nature, sheer existential exasperation: writer/directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala know these things. The Austrian filmmakers are just as well-aware of how to make movies that crawl under your skin as much as distress does with their characters. For that sensation at its very best, see: Goodnight Mommy, their Oscar-submitted 2014 debut (which was then remade in America in 2022). The Devil's Bath earns the same description, too. The duo's first feature since 2019's Riley Keough (Under the Bridge)-starring English-language horror flick The Lodge, it needles deep as it follows new bride Agnes (Anja Plaschg, Axolotl Overkill), who is thrilled to be starting her married life to Wolf (David Scheig, Heribet), even if that joy doesn't seem completely reciprocated. Relationship disharmony bubbles at the heart of this 18th century-set film, but that's not the only force bearing down on a woman that no longer has any agency — and, soon, little hope left simmering as well. Franz and Fiala begin The Devil's Bath with a different scene of domestic struggle. They haunt their viewers from the outset, too. First up, a woman throws a baby over a waterfall, then turns herself in for punishment, knowing that she'll meet her end via decapitation. With that scene as a prologue, it hardly appears strange that Agnes is thrilled to receive a severed finger as a wedding gift — a digit that's meant to bring luck for starting a family. But nothing in the way of good fortunes spring when she's soon away from her other loved ones, left alone in a woodland cottage as Wolf works by day, stuck navigating his disinterest in the bedroom each evening and frowned upon constantly by her new mother-in-law (Maria Hofstätter, Andrea Gets a Divorce). There's history to Franz and Fiala's screenplay, which draws upon real events, and the mood of despair that seeps from returning Goodnight Mommy cinematographer Martin Gschlacht's grey-toned frames sports a can-only-be-true bite to it. There's little sunshine shed on the imagery, or on the way that people treat each other — and there's even more terror in realising that the lines between this arresting picture's vision of the past, even as set within a deeply superstitious and puritanical community, and today are far from faint. The Devil's Bath streams via Shudder and AMC+. The Imaginary Since Studio Ponoc made its feature debut in 2017 with Mary and the Witch's Flower, a question has remained: when is its next film coming? That query was answered in 2023 in Japan, and has now arrived in 2024 on streaming — and The Imaginary is a delight worth the wait. If you didn't know when sitting down to either of the company's movies that they hailed from an animation house founded by a Studio Ghibli alum, you'd guess while watching. A producer on The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There — and also The Boy and the Heron since — Yoshiaki Nishimura scripted Studio Ponoc's second picture, too. His source material is the AF Harrold-penned, Emily Gravett-illustrated British children's book that gives The Imaginary its name, just as Mary and the Witch's Flower found its story on the page as well. Prepare to be enchanted, even as viewers beyond the film's homeland get their third flick this year about imaginary friends. Not just Blumhouse horror movie Imaginary but the John Krasinski (A Quiet Place Part II)-directed IF have nothing on this, though, despite sharing more than a few plot details. This'll sound familiar, then: imaginary friends exist, but can't always be seen as children grow up and forget about their buddies. When they're no longer a kid's best friend, they dwell in their own space, eager to have a flesh-and-blood pal again. So discovers Rudger (Kokoro Terada, Tokyo Poltergeist), companion to Amanda (Rio Suzuki, Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!). He's been dreamed up, she's human, and they spend every moment of her spare time in the attic above her home — which is itself above her widowed mother's (Sakura Andô, Godzilla Minus One) closing-down bookshop — going everywhere that she can conjure up. Alas, thanks to the sinister Mr Bunting (Issei Ogata, Kotaro Lives Alone), the one exception to spying imaginaries as an adult, they're torn from each other's side. Bringing Nishimura's screenplay to life with vivid and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, director Yoshiyuki Momose's (Ni no Kuni) feature doesn't just cast aside the other recent pictures that served up spins on a similar situation. He does that as well, of course, but also achieves what Japanese animation manages so splendidly and consistently: dives into the fantastical with a wellspring of genuine emotions. The Imaginary streams via Netflix. Omnivore What does it take to get a world-famous chef out of their kitchen? Every time that a new culinary series reaches the screen, that should be the audience's question. Why has someone so skilled in the art of cooking — a talent that they've meticulously and passionately honed for years, to great success and also to the immense benefit of grateful diners — stepped out of their favourite place and in front of the camera? In plenty of such instances, chefs remain chefs on-screen. They talk. They cook. They give viewers the lowdown on how to prepare their dishes at home. Getting René Redzepi out of Noma and onto streaming wasn't about following that well-thumbed recipe, however. Rather, in the David Attenborough- and Planet Earth-inspired Omnivore, he branches beyond the three-Michelin-starred Copenhagen eatery that's been voted the planet's best by The World's 50 Best Restaurants a whopping five times — from 2010–12, and also in 2014 and 2021 — to instead tell the tale of some of the staple ingredients that humanity wouldn't and couldn't exist without. Eight types of foodstuffs receive Omnivore's attention in its first season, starting with chilli, then moving onto tuna, salt, bananas, pigs, rice, coffee and corn. A certainty while watching, and listening to Redzepi narrate the journey: never thinking about any of these ingredients the same way again. Expect to yearn to taste different spicy meals, to visit Japan's tuna markets, to cook with the best of the best salt and to try kinds of bananas that you didn't previously know existed. Expect to gain a greater appreciation of the entire ecosystem that gets each one of the show's chosen foods to your plate — and the impact of the world's ecosystem upon them, and vice versa. Alongside Redzepi and Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown alum Matt Goulding, filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die, Beasts of No Nation, True Detective season one) is one of Omnivore's driving forces, and it shows visually. Also evident: the care and dedication that Redzepi has put into sharing the series' slices of life, including the intimate portraits of those involved in the production of everything from pork products to corn's many edible uses. Omnivore streams via Apple TV+. Read our interview with René Redzepi and Ben Liebmann. Abbott Elementary The Parks and Recreation comparisons were there from the start with Abbott Elementary. This Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning comedy charts the hustle and bustle at the titular underfunded school in Philadelphia, rather than a government department in Pawnee, but the similarities have always been glaring. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson, Miracle Workers) is the eager-beaver second-grade teacher keen to do everything she can for her students. Ava Coleman (Janelle James, Monsters at Work) is the principal content with coasting by on the bare minimum. There's even a newcomer in substitute Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams, The United States vs Billie Holiday), with whom sparks fly on Janine's part. It might seem a bold move to use one of the greatest-ever — warmest-ever, too — sitcoms as a template, or even just follow closely in its footsteps, but Abbott Elementary is up to the task. Those awards, which Parks and Recreation also deserved but rarely received, are well-earned by a series that is all heart, kindness and affection for one of the most-important careers there is, as well as appreciation for the obstacles facing US public-school teachers today. In its third season, Abbott Elementary knows that even a winning formula that's been proven elsewhere needs shaking up. So, it does the equivalent of Parks and Recreation sending Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler, Inside Out 2) to Washington by having Janine work for the school district to attempt to bring about change for her pupils at a higher level. It's a move that brings in the always-welcome Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize) as her new boss, and also Keegan-Michael Key (IF) as the Superintendent that's his boss — and disrupts the status quo at the educational institution that she adores, including for her idol Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ray Donovan), plus colleagues Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter, The Right Mom) and Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti, Sound of Metal). The idea that one person can and does make a difference, no matter the recognition they do or don't receive, beats strongly in this good-natured series, which Brunson created and co-writes. So does a sense of humour about grappling with whatever the day throws your way, be it professional or personal chaos. Abbott Elementary streams via Disney+. Arcadian Filmmakers love imagining the world once life as we currently know it ceases to be. Even if some scenarios no longer play like hypotheticals — anything about pandemics, obviously, a realm that Contagion perfected with prophetic skill years in advance of COVID-19 — post-apocalyptic stories help us sift through the what ifs that plague our worst nightmares about humanity's possible unravelling. Accordingly, Arcadian doesn't unfurl a unique scenario, as a family endeavours to endure 15 years after the bulk of civilisation has been eradicated. But as it fill its duration with a father and his teenage boys as they eke out as happy a life as anyone can under such circumstances, or attempt to, all while needing to avoid monsters that strike by night and fear the light, this film has a few key components that make it stand out. Director Benjamin Brewer (The Trust) taunts his characters with foes that prove a striking feat of creature design, instantly carving their own place apart from the hordes of prior movie monsters. Also, the patriarch doing whatever it takes to protect his sons is played the one and only Nicolas Cage, who continues to hop between vastly dissimilar roles in the same month in Australia that's also delivered Longlegs to cinemas. Cage's Paul could be pals with John Krasinski's Lee from A Quiet Place, although he's parenting solo in Arcadian. Giving his kids as normal a routine as one can in the circumstances is his aim. The script by producer Mike Nilon (Braven) also gives him offspring curious about their reality, and insistent critters who aren't going to leave anyone alone. While there's a little convenience to parts of the plot, Cage, plus Jaeden Martell (Barry) and Maxwell Jenkins (Dear Edward) as Paul's sons Joseph and Thomas — and also Sadie Soverall (Saltburn) as a survivor from a nearby farm that isn't fond of outsiders — all give weighty performances that convey the emotional toll of fighting for every second and deeply realising that you'll never know if your next moment will be your last. And don't discount what affecting portrayals and unnerving beasts can do when combined. It isn't easy to craft creatures that not just startle but surprise as much as Arcadian's do. Trust Cage's latest genre effort, which also brings his work in Mandy, Color Out of Space and Pig to mind, to achieve that feat. Arcadian streams via Stan. Skywalkers: A Love Story When it comes to scaling great heights on-screen, viewers often fall into two camps if they're not real-life daredevils themselves. Some appreciate the spectacular sights and stunning feats safe in the knowledge that all that they're viewing is filmed footage, even in a documentary. Some still feel the need to virtually peer through their fingers, riding the same nerve-shredding fear that'd rush over them if they were confronted with the scene IRL. Whichever is your go-to, expect one of those reactions to arise while sitting down to Skywalkers: A Love Story. The movie played Sydney Film Festival 2024 in IMAX, but seeing it on a small screen doesn't rob it of its visual impact. Russian couple Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau are rooftoppers, starting out solo, first joining forces when he asked her to collaborate on a sponsored trip, then climbing higher and higher around the world — and the recordings of their gravity-defying ascents up buildings, along sky-high ledges, onto cranes on towering building sites and wherever else they can clamber up to is jaw-on-the-floor material for those who'd much rather remain on the ground. With 2018 documentary Momentum Generation about the era of surfers that Kelly Slater came up in, director Jeff Zimbalist unpacked an insular world for the masses with its main players as guides. Sharing the same credit with producer and first-time helmer Maria Bukhonina on Skywalkers: A Love Story, he takes the same approach with a different pastime. As a subtitle, A Love Story doesn't merely describe Beerkus and Nikolau's fixation with rooftopping, though, with Skywalkers laying bare their relationship from its beginning to the climb that threatens to send them on their separate ways: making it to the the tip of Merdeka 118, the Kuala Lumpur structure that reaches 678.9 metres into the heavens, ranking second on the world's largest skyscrapers list only to Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Nikolau doesn't just stand atop lofty properties, either, but busts out gymnastic and acrobatic poses, adding even more peril to their endeavours. Folks with a need to conquer such buildings aren't always worried about the legalities of their feats, making such a mission doubly tense — and giving this doco a heist-film feel as well. Beerkus and Nikolau smartly earmark the date of the 2022 World Cup final, when Argentina beat France on penalties, as their moment to go where no one had before on the just-built structure. Watching the outcome is nail-bitingly riveting. Skywalkers: A Love Story streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Sunny It doesn't matter what the weather holds for Suzie Sakamoto: with her husband and son missing when Sunny begins, the series' titular term can't apply to her days. An American in Kyoto (Rashida Jones, Silo), she's filled with grief over the potential loss of her Japanese family, anxiously awaiting any news that her spouse Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car) and their boy Zen (debutant Fares Belkheir) might've survived a plane crash. She'd prefer to do nothing except sit at home in case word comes; however, that's not considered to be mourning in the right way according to custom and also isn't appeasing her mother-in-law (Judy Ongg, Kaseifu no Mitazono). When Suzie soon has a robot for company — a homebot, an artificial-intelligence domestic helper that's an unexpected gift from Masa in this ten-part series, which adapts Colin O'Sullivan's 2018 novel The Dark Manual for the small screen — dwelling in her sorrow doesn't appear to be what he'd want in his absence, either. In this near-future vision of Japan, homebots are everywhere, aiding their humans with chores, organising tasks and plenty more — everywhere other than the Sakamoto house with its firmly anti-robot perspective, that is. Amid asking why her husband has not only sent the eponymous Sunny her way, but also why it's customised specifically to her, questions unsurprisingly spring about his true line of work. Has Suzie been married to a secret roboticist, rather than someone who designs refrigerators? What link does his job have with his disappearance? How does someone cope in such an already-traumatic situation when the person that they're possibly grieving mightn't be who they've said they are? Often with a science fiction twist, Apple TV+ can't get enough of mysteries. That truth is as engrained as the service's fondness for big-name talent, including across Severance, The Big Door Prize, Hello Tomorrow!, Silo, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Constellation, Sugar and Dark Matter. Thankfully, there's no content-factory feel to this lineup of shows. Sunny's closest equivalent hails from beyond the brand, bringing Charlie Brooker's Channel 4-started, now Netflix-made Black Mirror to mind, but even then it's far more interested in its characters than their relationship to technology. That said, that people and how they use tech remain the real enemy, not gadgets and advancements themselves, hums at the core of both series. Sunny streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. Futurama Good news, everyone — yet again. Futurama keeps returning, following an initial 1999–2003 run, then another from 2008–13, with a new comeback that began in 2023 and has not just this 2024 season locked in but also two more in years to come. Across the quarter of a century so far that Matt Groening's iconic show that's not The Simpsons has been on and off the air, much has changed about life off-screen. As a result, the details that it can project onto 31st-century existence have evolved as well. Squid Game parodies and NFTs would've made zero sense during the animated comedy's past stints, for instance. But whether satirising Y2K or chatbots, Futurama has almost felt adrift from time, blowing its own TV bubble to spoof the specifics of the day in its far-flung setting while consistently retaining the same vibe. Watch an early 00s-era episode, then one from the new batch, and it seems like nothing has passed between them. That's a skill that deserves all of the appreciation. For many other series, including ones that've existed for a far shorter duration, it's the stuff that dreams are made of — and, if he were real, that only someone like Professor Hubert J Farnsworth (Billy West, Spitting Image) could've managed. Futurama's longevity is a testament to its smart writing, sharp sense of humour and a setup that can keep pinballing in all directions. Where former 20th-century pizza delivery guy Philip J Fry (also voiced by West) can venture with the Professor and the crew of the latter's Planet Express cargo company — so, also with ship captain Turanga Leela (Katey Sagal, Dead to Me); robot Bender Bending Rodríguez (John DiMaggio, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts); and fellow employees Hermes Conrad (Phil LaMarr, Craig of the Creek), Amy Wong (Lauren Tom, Dragons: The Nine Realms) and Zoidberg (also West agin) — is limited only by Groening, fellow guiding hand David X Cohen (Disenchantment) and their team's imaginations. In the latest episodes, sometimes art heists come their way. Sometimes book clubs beckon. Bender's ancestry and the Martian equivalent of bullfighting all pop up, too. Layered in each is a mile-a-minute feast of jokes and a reflection of humanity's chaos today through a highly fictitious future. Long may it continue. Futurama streams via Disney+. Time Bandits If you're a history-loving kid who adores learning about existence before you popped into the world, doesn't fit in at home or at school thanks to that fascination, and regularly has your nose buried in a book, what's your ultimate fantasy? Time Bandits first explored that idea back in 1981, and now it's back to do it again in 2024. It takes bravery to go where Monty Python members Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin first did, remaking the pair's beloved movie — which The Man Who Killed Don Quixote's Gilliam directed and The New Incomplete and Utter History of Everything's Palin co-wrote with him — decades later. Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris are three such courageous folks. Together, the trio add a television take on the family-friendly flick to TV resumes that already include Wellington Paranormal, What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs, Our Flag Means Death, Flight of the Conchords and The Inbetweeners, and do so while giving audiences a gloriously entertaining time. Forget wondering if this second spin was necessary, aka the usual line of thinking when anything earns a new look; instead, the question is why didn't it happen earlier? Again, the focus is a boy called Kevin (Kal-El Tuck, Andy and the Band). Again, his parents (Wakefield's Felicity Ward and Deadpool & Wolverine's James Dryden) don't appreciate him or his interests. And again, the past demands even more of his attention when it suddenly and unexpectedly bursts out of his wardrobe. Cue zipping between different chapters of times gone by, via a scenario that the Bill & Ted franchise clearly owes a debt to, with the eponymous group (Better Nate Than Ever's Lisa Kudrow, Shardlake's Tadhg Murphy, You Don't Know Me's Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, The Riot's Rune Temte and Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities' Charlyne Yi) reluctantly taking Kevin in. Waititi (Next Goal Wins) directs a few episodes, too, and appears on-screen. Clement (Avatar: The Way of Water) also does the latter. They're having a ball both in front of and behind the lens, a sense of fun that infuses every episode whether it's taking a trip to Troy, making a visit to the Mayans or dwelling in medieval times. Cue spotting more familiar faces along the way, such as Waititi regular Rachel House (Heartbreak High), Wellington Paranormal's Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary, Next Goal Wins' Oscar Kightley, the What We Do in the Shadows movie's Jonny Brugh, Our Flag Means Death's Con O'Neill, plus Shaun Micallef (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe) and Ross Noble. Time Bandits streams via Apple TV+. Recent Big-Screen Gems to Watch (or Rewatch) Now That They're Streaming Perfect Days When Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' enjoyed its initial sublime movie moment in Trainspotting, it soundtracked a descent into heroin's depths, including literally via the film's visual choices. For three decades since, that's been the tune's definitive on-screen use. Now drifts in Perfect Days, the Oscar-nominated Japan-set drama from German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence). This slice-of-life movie takes its name from the song. It also places the iconic David Bowie-produced classic among the tracks listened to by toilet cleaner Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho, Vivant) as he goes about his daily routine. Fond of 60s- and 70s-era music, the Tokyo native's picks say everything about his mindset, both day by day and in his zen approach to his modest existence. 'Perfect Day' and Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' each also sum up the feeling of watching this gorgeous ode to making the most of what you have, seeing beauty in the everyday and being in the moment. Not every tune that Hirayama pops into his van's tape deck — cassettes are still his format of choice — has the same type of title. Patti Smith's 'Redondo Beach', The Animals' 'The House of the Rising Sun', Otis Redding's '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay' and The Rolling Stones' '(Walkin' Thru the) Sleepy City' also rank among his go-tos, all reflecting his mood in their own ways. If there's a wistfulness to Hirayama's music selections, it's in the manner that comes over all of us when we hark back to something that we first loved when we were younger. Perfect Days' protagonist is at peace with his life, however. Subtly layered into the film is the idea that things were once far different and more-conventionally successful, but Hirayama wasn't as content as he now is doing the rounds of the Japanese capital's public bathrooms, blasting his favourite songs between stops, eating lunch in a leafy park and photographing trees with an analogue camera. Perfect Days streams via Stan. Read our full review. Love Lies Bleeding In Love Lies Bleeding, a craggy ravine just outside a dusty New Mexico town beckons, ready to swallow sordid secrets in the dark of the desert's starry night. Tumbling into it, a car explodes in flames partway through the movie, exactly as the person pushing it in wants it to. There's the experience of watching Rose Glass' sophomore film emblazoned across the feature's very frames. After the expertly unsettling Saint Maud, the British writer/director returns with a second psychological horror, this time starring Kristen Stewart in the latest of her exceptionally chosen post-Twilight roles (see: Crimes of the Future, Spencer, Happiest Season, Lizzie, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Clouds of Sils Maria). An 80s-set queer and sensual tale of love, lust, blood and violence, Love Lies Bleeding is as inkily alluring as the gorge that's pivotal to its plot, and as fiery as the inferno that swells from the canyon's depths. This neon-lit, synth-scored neo-noir thriller scorches, too — and burns so brightly that there's no escaping its glow. When the words "you have to see it to believe it" also grace Love Lies Bleeding — diving into gyms and in the bodybuilding world, it's no stranger to motivational statements such as "no pain no gain", "destiny is a decision" and "the body achieves what the mind believes" — they help sum up this wild cinematic ride as well. Glass co-scripts here with Weronika Tofilska (they each previously penned and helmed segments of 2015's A Moment in Horror), but her features feel like the result of specific, singular and searing visions that aren't afraid to swerve and veer boldly and committedly to weave their stories and leave an imprint. Accordingly, Love Lies Bleeding is indeed a romance, a crime flick and a revenge quest. It's about lovers on the run (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Katy O'Brian pairs with Stewart) and intergenerational griminess. It rages against the machine. It's erotic, a road trip and unashamedly pulpy. It also takes the concept of strong female leads to a place that nothing else has, and you do need to witness it to fathom it. Love Lies Bleeding streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Rose Glass. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May and June this year — and our best 15 new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming films of 2024's first six months. There's also our highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. And, you can also scope out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer. Top image: Apple TV+.
When London's The Palomar opened in Soho in 2014, it was an instant hit. Spotlighting the flavours of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Levant with energy and warmth, it quickly cemented itself as one of the city's must-visit dining rooms, having held a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since. Now, more than a decade on, Studio Paskin — the London hospo group behind The Palomar and Michelin-starred Evelyn's Table — has chosen Sydney as the site of the brand's first international outpost. And local diners have every reason to be excited. Set within the former Grand Pacific Blue Room — the 90s it-nightclub now reborn as part of the 25hours Hotel The Olympia — the Sydney iteration of The Palomar carries the DNA of its London predecessor while feeling distinctly its own. Culinary direction is led by Mitch Orr, whose playful yet refined approach has shaped some of Sydney's most influential dining rooms, including Kiln and Acme. Alongside Head Chef Luke Davenport — who began his career at The Palomar London before stints at Noma, The Ledbury and, most recently, helming the kitchen at Potts Point's Franca Brasserie — Orr has crafted a considered, produce-driven menu that riffs on the London original while putting Australian growers and ingredients front and centre. That means dishes like grilled Abrolhos Island scallop with zhoug butter, butterflied line-caught blue mackerel with chermoula and Westholme wagyu tartare with amba and celeriac. A woodfired grill drives much of the menu, giving plates an earthy, smoky edge while also laying the groundwork for a cleverly restrained approach — grilled southern calamari is lifted with preserved lemon, whole flounder is finished with ras el hanout butter and flame-licked CopperTree Farm ribeye arrives with a punchy burnt chilli salsa. For dessert, the pistachio ice cream baklava sandwich, a favourite on the London menu, has all the makings of a future Sydney classic. The wine program echoes the restaurant's global reach and local focus. Georgian, Turkish and Lebanese bottlings share the stage with standout Australian producers, while a tight edit of sparkling and skin-contact drops highlights Mediterranean and New World varietals. Design-wise, the 110-seat space mirrors The Palomar London's intimate, timeless charm. Heritage bricks from the original site are offset with rich navy leathers, timber flooring and marble mosaic tile inlays, themselves nods to the London venue. The pink quartzite-topped kitchen bar, a signature of The Palomar experience, is a focal point here, too, inviting diners to watch the kitchen in full flight while soaking up the energy of one of Sydney's most anticipated openings of the year.
We could list the awards and accolades, describe the beautiful menu, recite his impressive CV, or show you enticing pictures of gorgeous food (we might still do some of these things) — or we could simply just tell you how much we love Neil Perry's restaurant Margaret in Double Bay. However, to truly appreciate its greatness, we would say: you must try it for yourself. And now, there's about to be even more to try, as the acclaimed restaurant is set to expand with all-day eatery Cafe Margaret, to open this weekend. Cafe Margaret will take the place of Perry's more casual venue, Next Door, which, as expected, is directly adjacent to the main restaurant. The venues are already connected internally, sharing certain back-of-house facilities, and now they will be further connected by their food, their vibe and importantly, their brand. Where Margaret remains the coveted fine-diner it has grown to be, Cafe Margaret, Perry says, "will be a simpler, more easygoing way of easing into the quality ingredients that Margaret uses…we wanted it to be a different price point and a different opportunity for the community to drop in", and whether its for a cake, a sandwich, a brekkie roll or quick dinner, Perry's assurance is that "we will cook it really beautifully for you." While Perry has led a slew of renowned restaurants over his many decades in the industry, it was his Double Bay masterpiece that had the honour of carrying his mother's name. When asked why he chose this venue as one special enough to bear her name, Perry explained that, because Margaret was his first independently owned venue — something truly his — "it felt like the right time to really honour [her]…the right moment to make it very personal." Perry says that while he talks a lot about the influence his dad had on his cooking style, his "mum had this incredible sense of hospitality", which was the kind he hoped to embody when opening Margaret. And now he's doubled down on the name, because this venue is where he intends to stay. "I almost feel like I've kind of retired to Margaret," he says. Margaret has proved worthy of its moniker, winning a string of impressive awards, including being crowned the second-best steak restaurant in the world. That seems like an accomplishment too big to skirt by, particularly when you consider that Margaret is as much of a specialty seafood restaurant as it is a steak house. That Perry does both so impeccably well really dispels that old 'jack of all trades' adage. Perry's new spot will feature traditional breakfast dishes, including seasonal fruit with Meredith yoghurt and hazelnuts, eggs your way, daily in-house-baked cakes, and a four-cheese toastie that Perry often cooks up for himself at home. However, Perry says he hopes it'll be the egg and bacon roll that finds the same popularity as his famous burger. He describes the smoky and tangy roll with the excitable fervour of someone who has eaten a good many of them. With a runny fried egg layered with double smoked bacon, gyuyere, caramelised onions, chipotle mayo, spring onion and rocket, Perry says he knows this one "is a cracker." And for lunch? We, and the rest of the world, all know Perry knows how to flip a burger, considering Next Door's much-loved version — a stacked combination of American cheese, onions, pickle, rose mayo and a brisket and chuck patty on a milk bun — was ranked as the tenth best burger in the world. So it's with great joy that we can confirm, straight from the source, that Perry's famed burger will maintain its central position on both the lunch and dinner menus at Cafe Margaret. And the best bit is, for the first time, you can even get them to go. Perry says he has intentionally increased the venue's capacity for pumping out burgers, noting that "instead of 100 burgers a day, we'd love to sell 200", especially with the park across the road, the perfect place to picnic. Perry has cleverly decided to expand his burger offering with a crispy fish version, amped up with gochugang and kimchi, and a caramelised onion smash burger (which he is still working on) and aims to add to the rotation in the coming weeks. If we had you at smash burger, wait until you hear about Perry's take on a steak sandwich. He says that while dinner will be for the likes of fresh grilled fish, hearty fish stews, and seared minute steaks, at lunch, he'll stuff that steak into a roll with chips and lots of cafe de Paris butter, because they are just "trying to have a lot of fun with it." An essential part of Cafe Margaret's purpose is to offer Perry's beloved customers a place to hang out from the early hours, because even though he has won many impressive awards and accolades, more importantly to him, he has won over his community. Double Bay really is his darling, and he is deeply embedded in the community, spending almost every day from 7am, until 10pm, at his venues. "Sam and I love being part of the community, and opening breakfast was an important part of that, to connect with the community through coffee and a sweet treat". This technically means you could spend an entire day drinking coffee, eating brunch and sipping a bellini, enjoying an early evening drink and snack before settling in for a truly world-class dinner, without having to leave Perry's special, sun-soaked Double Bay corner. We can think of many worse ways to spend a day. Images: Petrina Tinslay.
One of Australia's leading art galleries has announced its next major exhibition, Avatar: Forms of Vishnu, which will be the largest collection of South and Southeast Asian art shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) in over 20 years. The focus? The Hindu god Vishnu, as depicted through centuries of different works taken from different times, places and mediums that reimagine the central mythological figure and the stories surrounding him. In Hindu tradition, Vishnu is a central figure, responsible for preserving order, peace and justice throughout the universe. Over the last 1500 years, Vishnu has been represented in at least ten forms, or avatars, which he takes when descending from the heavens into the mortal world. Often combining human and animal forms, including fish, tortoise, boar, lion and horse, all of his avatars share a common goal in ending disorder and restoring harmony. [caption id="attachment_1095275" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cambodia, Battambang, Tuol Baset, Pre-Angkor period (c100–800) 'Lintel depicting Vishnu reclining on the serpent Ananta Shesha (Anantashayin) and the birth of Brahma' mid 600s, sandstone, 63 × 158 × 28 cm, Battambang Provincial Museum, transferred from National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource, NY[/caption] In Avatar: Forms of Vishnu, AGNSW has gathered over 200 works to tell the story of the deity, combining historical and contemporary works of paintings, sculptures, textiles and photography. The featured works have been borrowed and commissioned from artists and museums in Cambodia, India, Germany and England, many of which have never been seen in Australia before. Some of the most exclusive historical works include paintings that illustrate ancient Indian literary epics from 1594 AD, a sixth-century Cambodian statue and a recently restored seventh-century sculpture of a horse-headed Vishnu avatar. Among the works commissioned for the exhibition are twin paintings depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk creation legend by Desmon Lazaro, and an intricate lace installation by New Delhi-based artist Sumakshi Singh that depicts Narasimha, a man-lion Vishnu avatar. [caption id="attachment_1095274" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] East India/Nepal 'Figure of Vishnu in the lotus' 1100s, bronze, 13 × 20 (diam) cm, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, presented by Mrs Hoey, photo © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford[/caption] On the exhibition's subject material, AGNSW's Senior Curator of Asian Art, Melanie Eastburn said, "Across South and Southeast Asia, tales of Vishnu's avatars have inspired contemplation and devotion, as well as entertainment. Vishnu's avatars are responsive, dynamic and shaped by the cultures and communities that embrace them – whether in centuries past or today." Avatar: Forms of Vishnu will run at AGNSW from Saturday, June 20, until October 2026. Tickets are on sale now via the Art Gallery website. Top image: Mahesh of Chamba, India active c1730–75 'Varāha avatar' c1750–75, folio from a 'Dashāvatara' series, opaque watercolour on paper, 16.3 × 24.1 cm, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, purchased with funds from Balthasar and Nanni Reinhart
Nature's Energy is gearing up to reveal the newly renovated Balmain Bathhouse on Friday, September 12, bringing a whole new level of relaxation to the inner west. Primed for post-gym recovery or pre-work clarity, there are few better ways to treat yourself. And with the brand named 'Australia's Best Day Spa' by the World Spa Awards three years running, it's safe to assume the new-look bathhouse will offer myriad indulgent experiences ready to reawaken your spirit. In terms of facilities, it's hard to beat. No matter your idea of rest and recuperation, delving into a magnesium-enriched mineral pool, a traditional Finnish sauna or stone-carved ice baths will have you feeling new again. Meanwhile, copper showers with sea salt scrub, a dedicated steam room and red light therapy space adorned with medical-grade panels take your experience to even greater heights. The recovery lounge doesn't skip a beat either, featuring complimentary herbal teas and Celtic hydration salts. Alongside the reimagined amenities, the Balmain Bathhouse has also upgraded its service. For instance, the standard 60-minute bathhouse has now been upgraded to 90 minutes, ensuring guests get the full experience with every visit. The team is also introducing new Sunrise Sessions, where early birds are invited to enjoy 60 minutes of complete access to the bathhouse every day from 6.30–9.30am. Priced at $40 per session, it's difficult to envision a better start to the day. Nature's Energy Balmain Bathhouse will reopen on Friday, September 12, at 312 Darling St, Balmain. Head to the website for more information.
Pyrmont's Quarrymans Hotel was on our radar when it had a facelift back in 2017. Now, it's had another upgrade — this time, though, the craft beer den has expanded upward, opening The Rooftop, a Palm Springs-inspired bar and lounge, on the hotel's top level. Designer Matt Woods (Bloodwood, Devon Cafe) is channeling poolside, resort feels with pastel pink walls, textured timber flooring and bright, airy spaces. The indoor section better resembles a posh beach house with multiple rooms filled with plush leather couches and chairs, coffee tables and bookshelves, along with modern globe lamps and large-scale artwork on the walls. Venture outside for a mix of bar, bench and table seating, checkered umbrellas and hanging greenery, plus a cacti garden and succulents on each table. While downstairs focuses on craft beer, The Rooftop is more of a cocktail affair. The list starts with creations like the house spritz, made with grapefruit vodka and lemon myrtle kombucha, and the Palma Rosa — a combo of tequila blanco, rosé, ruby grapefruit juice and ginger syrup. You'll also find a selection of wines by the glass, here, and a few taps dedicated to the likes of Young Henrys, Balter and Stone & Wood. In terms of food, the rooftop menu combines pub grub with a touch of Baja California — think chicken tacos with salsa fresca and guacamole, or a salmon poke salad with ginger and mentsuyu sauce. Fried chicken burgers with Old Bay fries and buffalo wings make the menu, too.
There's no denying that the United Kingdom has given the world a lot in the way of music. The nation is steeped in musical culture, from The Beatles to Bonobo; Oasis to One Direction; Elvis Costello to Elton John. It's given us The Spice Girls and 'Careless Whisper'. In short, its veins run thick with musical wealth — but there's more to it than just strolling through The Beatles museum in Liverpool. With the European summer just around the corner, we've been thinking about seminal musical experiences you can tick off your bucket list in the UK. And luckily, Contiki has launched a tour that covers exactly that. Dubbed Contiki Sounds, this ten-day journey includes stops in England's major cities — London, York, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool— and culminates in a VIP experience at long-running rock and pop extravaganza Reading Festival. This Aussie winter, pack your guitar (probably sacrificing some undies for space), head over the water to (somewhat) sunnier plains and prepare to pay homage to some legends. Tell your mum you love her and let her know you're off to find your inner John Lennon. ABBEY ROAD CROSSING, LONDON There's no getting around the Fab Four's reputation as paving the way for modern pop music and music fandom. Speaking of paving the way, the Abbey Road crossing in London's St John's Wood neighbourhood is certainly one of the enduring symbols of the band. The crosswalk is traipsed by countless fans of The Beatles daily in a bid to recreate the iconic Abbey Road album cover — undoubtedly frustrating traffic to no end. You can join the crowds and stroll your way across the road in tribute to the fallen members, John and George, and enduring larrikins Ringo and Paul. Sneak a peek at the current musical talent who might be ensconced inside the famous Abbey Road Studios across the way, where many of The Beatles' hits were recorded. [caption id="attachment_717739" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image: David Dixon via Wikipedia Commons.[/caption] DENMARK STREET, LONDON Another London road worth a visit is Denmark Street. Traipsing this patch of pavement will have you walking in the boots of the ghosts of the London music scene founders. Somewhat of a musical mecca in the mid-20th century, the street is even referenced in a song of the same name by The Kinks. Here, many bands quintessential to the British music world either rehearsed or recorded, and David Bowie even lived on the street in a campervan. Bowie has passed but the street's resonance lives on. Today it's a hotspot for musical instrument sales and repairs, as well as being home to famous grungy livemusic venue Crobar. READING FESTIVAL, READING There's no greater musical experience than packing up a tent, dancing to live music in your gumboots with your best friends for a few days and coming back having had the time of your life. If you're seeking a definitive musical experience and are up for a good time, an all-in UK music festival is a must — and this is one of the best. Reading is the longest-running pop music festival in existence and serves up a jampacked lineup of pop, rock and alternative heavyweights each year in conjunction with its partner festival in Leeds. It also boasts a number of important moments in musical history, including Nirvana's first ever UK show and Arctic Monkey's launch into superstardom in 2005. And if you're going tick this musical mecca off your bucket list, you'll want to do it in style. If you hop on board the Contiki Sounds trip, the on-site crew will take care of all the logistics — from setting up your tent and mattress to making sure you've got brekkie every day — so you can concentrate on donning your boots and moshing in front of the main stage. [caption id="attachment_717914" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: travelmag.com via Flickr.[/caption] SALFORD LADS CLUB, MANCHESTER Made famous by the sleeve art of The Smiths 1986 album The Queen Is Dead, Salford Lads Club has been on the scene since 1903, when it was still a boys club. Over 100 years later, the club has had a whole fleet of musical legends as members (The Hollies also used to practise there). A decade or so ago saw some necessary refurbs, partly financed by Morrissey himself. These days, it's often used as a film and TV location for the likes of British series Coronation Street and hosts a variety of sports and talks geared towards young people. While that might sound like a far cry from The Smiths posing moodily outside, true fans need not fear — there's still an entire room dedicated to the band inside. The Salford Lads Club's musical pedigree is impossible not to acknowledge. [caption id="attachment_717753" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image by Hens Zimmerman via Wiki Commons[/caption] CAVERN CLUB, LIVERPOOL A guide to the British music scene wouldn't be complete without Liverpool — the epicentre of a huge part of the UK's music roots. And yep, it's generally down to The Beatles. Every year thousands of people flock to the harbourside town, many wanting to explore The Beatles Story museum. The Cavern Club is equally as important and just as drenched in musical history. Step inside and take a deep breath — you'll be inhaling the atmosphere of years of musical history (along with beer). Still an important live music venue to the town, The Beatles made a name for themselves here, playing their first gig in 1961. Over the years, countless other British bands have followed suit, including The Wombats and The Rolling Stones. Pay your respects to this holy stage. Travel around the best spots in the UK with Contiki at Reading Festival. Unearth the UK's musical heritage, then experience an unforgettable party at one of the world's best and biggest music festivals. Contiki wants to take you there — all you have to do is choose from the 7- or 10-day trip. Plus, if you bring a mate, it'll give you both $200 off. Find out more here.
They like jumpsuits, one name and living in the same suburb. That's The Kates' quick description of themselves, and of their fame as The Kates, as they've been known ever since The Katering Show proved the funniest thing on the small screen in 2015. Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney didn't start their careers together, but they've become Australia's comedy queens by proving a razor-sharp, whip-smart duo — first while satirising cooking shows in a webseries that was picked up by the ABC for its second season; then by taking on morning television with fellow pitch-perfect two-season parody Get Krack!n; and now with Prime Video's Deadloch, which started streaming its Tasmania-set comedic murder-mystery on Friday, June 2. "There were so many Kates in the show," McCartney notes of their latest project, which The Kates originally gave the working title Funny Broadchurch. One such Kate: Wentworth and Rake's Kate Box, who plays one half of reluctant detective duo in Deadloch's titular small town opposite The Breaker Upperers' Madeleine Sami. "Kate Anderson was our special makeup effects artist. Katie Robertson, Katie Milwright — Katie Robertson is on the show, Kate Milwright was one of the cinematographers — and we had another Kate, Kate Fox, doing locations," McCartney continues. "It was basically if your name was Kate…" adds McLennan, "then you got a job," finishes McCartney. Sami "is in the process of getting her name changed to Kate," McCartney keeps joking. "She hasn't started the paperwork yet," pipes in McLennan. No matter how many other Kates had a hand in Deadloch, the series is instantly recognisable as the work of The Kates. Within seconds of a man being found dead on a beach in the first episode's opening moments, the corpse's penis is on fire. When Box's small-town sergeant Dulcie Collins informs the next of kin, he bellows that he loved him like a brother — but has to be reminded that, yes, the deceased was his actual brother. And when Sami's Eddie Redcliffe blows in like a whirlwind of swearing and Hawaiian shirts, she's the stereotypical arrogant outsider cop, but satirically so. Indeed, with their male victim and female investigators, The Kates gleefully riff on the cop-genre status quo, flip the script to focus on the characters usually robbed of a voice and, although it wasn't originally their aim, balance sidesplitting laughs with making an excellent crime procedural. Deadloch is also an inescapably Australian murder-mystery series in its Tasmanian gothic look, its excavation of the nation's treatment of its First Peoples and, as frequently dropping from Sami's mouth, its love of cursing. The latter gave rise to The Cunt Essay, The Kates explain, to justify why its use of language couldn't be more ordinary on an Aussie-set show. From responding to the standard treatment of women in dead-girl crime thrillers to getting that homegrown vernacular over the line — and scrapping their own filmed cameo in the series, too — we chatted with McLennan and McCartney about all things Deadloch. ON THE NUMBER OF DEAD-WOMAN CRIME SHOWS SOMEONE NEEDS TO WATCH BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO RESPOND McCartney: "Roughly 800, I reckon. I just don't know if there is a single crime show that — if it's not in the first two minutes of a murder show, then you will still eventually see a dead woman." McLennan: "And once you're aware of it as well, you'd watch them and, sure, they're showing you the body of a dead woman, but they would always show a gratuitous shot of her boob. You would always see a nipple. You've got these very serious detectives standing over a body, and you just don't need to see a blue nipple. You don't need to see it." McCartney: "There's always that one at the crime scene. But then you go to the morgue and they have another conversation with the forensic pathologist, and rather than putting a sheet up, they're always completely nude on the slab as well." McLennan: "So we just thought what would be really interesting is if you actually gave those victims a voice. To us, we wanted to know about the backstories of these people that would normally be portrayed as victims in these types of shows. Also, we're just terrible at writing men, so it was easier just to have a dead one instead of writing dialogue for him." ON DEADLOCH'S STARTING POINT AS "FUNNY BROADCHURCH" McCartney: "We thought of the idea in about 2015, when we had just had kids, and the kids were newborns. So we were at home at 3am, in that witching hour of not quite knowing if you exist — and sort of knowing, 'well, I think I do exist because I have a Twitter profile, but I think that's the only thing that tethers me to this realm now because it's so late and I have spent so much time by myself as a tit machine with the baby'. During that time, we both, for whatever reason — and I don't really know what this says about our mental health at the time — but we just gravitated towards crime shows. There was a lot at that point as well, there was a bit of an explosion of Scandi noir. You know, like.. I can't think of a single one. What's that one with jumpers? What's the jumpers? You know, jumpers?" McLennan: "The jumpers?" McCartney: "Jumpers. The Scandi jumpers one." McLennan: "Do you mean The Bridge?" McCartney: "No, The Killing." McLennan: "The Killing." McCartney: "And then The Bridge, and then there was…" In unison: "The Return." McCartney: "And then there was…" In unison: "The Fall." McCartney: "The Fall. Yeah, silk shirts. Gillian Anderson. Silk shirts." McLennan: "And you told me to watch Broadchurch, and I thought it was a comedy because Olivia Colman was in it and I knew her from comedy. So I'm like 'oh, it's a comedy'. So I strapped myself in to watch this funny comedy show. And I'm like 'yeah, this is not a comedy'. But we thought 'what if we did take a show that had that small town, lots of secrets, lots of characters, and you just nudge the comedy". You just nudge the needle up a little bit. We had the idea just after we made The Katering Show. We were pitching Get Krack!n overseas, and we would do the spiel about Get Krack!n and then people would sometimes say 'do you have any other ideas?'. We'd just throw in the Deadloch idea as this last-minute 'we've also got this other show with the working title Funny Broadchurch'. And people just really grabbed onto it. McCartney: "Like, they got it." McLennan: "So we knew that it had legs. We made Get Krack!n and then we thought we'd pitch this other show, and luckily Amazon Prime were ready to jump on board with this." ON MAKING A COMEDIC MURDER-MYSTERY THAT ALSO WORKS AS A MURDER-MYSTERY McCartney: "It wasn't actually [the initial plan]. When we first conceived of it, this was at The Katering Show, that's where we were at in terms of what we were working on. And we did originally conceive of it as being a 30-minute show. And then, we just grew in confidence and ambition as we got into Get Krack!n — and then by the final season of Get Krack!n, we started to really experiment with using that interplay of something dark, then something funny. I think that informed us and bolstered us — that may not be a word — in our confidence and our ability to to be able to pull off something like this. And also having that experience. We'd done a few series. And the things we're trying to emulate, they are a lot longer because of the moodiness and the cinematic quality of it — and you just need more time. And because we're not in it — personally, I'm a terrible actor, so there's only so much I can do — but if you get someone like Kate Box or Madeleine Sami or Alicia Gardner, or anyone like that in your show, you can ask them to do a lot more with the characters. You can actually have proper characters." McLennan: "We wanted the space to tell the story and to do it justice, and to do in a way that felt like it was a rich, rewarding experience for the audience. I think around the time that we going through this creative process with it, Killing Eve had just come out — and I don't know if it did necessarily break the mould, but it made it pretty clear to us that you could tell a story that was longer than half an hour and there was an appetite for that from the streaming services as well." McCartney: "It was the appetite, really. Because we'd already thought about it, we'd already gone 'oh, I think I think this is how it needs to be, this is the kind of show we're looking at, I think we want it to be a proper show'. But the fact that people were watching it and responding to it, there was a precedent that we could go 'people will hang in there'." McLennan: "It certainly made us — when we knew that we had the hour up our sleeve, it's like 'well, we'd better made this crime story really good'." McCartney: "It's a lot. It has to be interesting. Because people aren't going to watch something for an hour if they don't care about the characters, if there aren't actual stakes. You can't just do cop jokes. You can't sit above it and laugh, going 'aren't we clever'." McLennan: "You've got to be invested in it. And play the stakes of the crime." ON DECIDING NOT TO APPEAR ON-SCREEN McCartney: "With Get Krack!n, by the end it was a challenge to have the kind of control over what we were doing that that we like to have, and to make sure that our voice is all-encompassing, and also be on screen. It's a very different brain, and you necessarily have to kind of let things go by the wayside if you're in that role — if you're trying to do those two roles together." McLennan: "I remember being on the couch when we were filming Get Krack!n, and I had my phone and I was answering emails, and then we'd have to go for a take and I'd shove the phone under…" McCartney: "Always shoving it under our legs." McLennan: "And it just felt like the acting was getting in the way of the other job." McCartney: "And we wanted to do the other other job more, because we were pretty done with being on camera as it was." McLennan: "I think audiences were pretty…" McCartney: "They were probably pretty done with us as well." McLennan: "But we did cast ourselves in a cameo in the show. And we filmed that cameo." McCartney: "Probably about half a day, I'd say. So not only did we spend half a day on it, like the production spent half a day filming our cameo, but we also took time out of our personal, very busy showrunner schedule, to do it. So it was like a loss in two ways." McLennan: "Because we were watching rushes, and assembly edits were happening as we're going, we got to see that scene pretty quickly in the edit — and we were so bad that we cut ourselves and recast." McCartney: "So it does exist, but it's in the vault. It's in the Amazon vault. It's in one of those seed things that are in Antartica." ON CASTING KATE BOX AND MADELEINE SAMI McCartney: "Mads was actually a writer on the show. We knew her from quite a way back. We knew she's an extremely funny physical comedian and we've been fans of hers for ages, and obviously we've been massive fans of Kate Box as well." McLennan: "The whole casting process was done over Zoom. I mean, interestingly, we were working with Mads writing scripts with her when the audition process was happening, but we pretended that we didn't know that we were getting her into this." McCartney: "We were secretly in love with her and really hoped that she would play this part." McLennan: "We wanted to keep things very separate, because obviously if we didn't cast her, then that would maybe be a little bit awkward. So we're like 'let's just keep this as two separate streams'. She's like 'guys, did you know I've got an audition?', 'And we're like 'great!'. And the more we worked with Mads, the more that we could see that she was a pretty good fit." McCartney: "In fairness, she was a perfect fit. Setting down a self tape at the best of times is the pits, and really one of the key reasons why I stopped being a performer — but, but, doing it via Zoom, auditioning over zoom…" McLennan: "So Mads and Boxy had both done their separate reads of their characters, and then we got them to do a chemistry test — which again, you can imagine how we that is over Zoom." McCartney: " Zoom chemistry, just you can feel it pinging off the screen, can't you?" McLennan: "But you kind of could with those two." McCartney: "You could, yeah." McLennan: "I remember that day of getting them to do the callback, and to do these scenes together. It was like this immediate calm came over us, like 'this is going to be okay'." McCartney: "Yeah, this is going to be really good." McLennan: "Yeah, they're really good." McCartney: "Boxy is so fucking smart — not the Mads isn't — but Boxy is so smart, and so good at her job. On the page, you don't necessarily see that Dulcie is as funny as she is. And she just got it. So it was the moment she started saying those words, we were like 'not only is this what we hoped the character would be, but it's so much more'. She can do anything, so it seems a bit cheeky to be like 'hey, in this comedy, can you be the straight woman?'. But we needed someone that good at comedy and drama to play that part because everyone else can be a bit silly, but we needed someone to have the stakes all the time, because the audience needs that person." ON KEEPING DEADLOCH'S DIALOGUE UNIQUELY AUSTRALIAN McLennan: "To be honest, we wrote all of the scripts and we did not receive a note on the language in the scripts. And then, just as we're going through the process of getting the show happening — you go through this process where people look over everything, just to make sure that everything's okay — there was just a question on the the volume of swearing. And there is a lot. It opened up a conversation, so we responded to that with what's now known as The Cunt Essay. Our setup director Ben Chessell wrote a thesis essentially on Australians' relationship to the word cunt and other swearing." McCartney: "The local usage of it, and how that differs from overseas usage of it. And how, within this context, it's actually not really even a swear word — in fact, it can be a very nice term. And it's used in advertising campaigns! So we just talked about it in its context in the Australian vernacular, and its cultural context. And also, I think he talked about how it speaks to Australianness as well, that we've taken this word — there's no hierarchy, there aren't bad words, we're not as puritanical because we don't have that secretly underpinning our constitution and our heads of government. He also then tied it into something else, he was talking about reclaiming it — which was a bit more of a stretch, I would say, if we're honest about it, and I think he knew it was a bit of a stretch. But it was very wordy. It was about seven or eight pages." ON MAKING MORE SEASONS OF DEADLOCH McCartney: "You always think about things being more than one series, but we'd always thought of it as being an anthology series. So, retaining some of the characters and moving them to a different location, probably — it was always going to be set around Australia. So, that's the hope. That's the plan. That's the secret mutterings between us." Deadloch streams via Prime Video. Read our full review of season one.
Lunar New Year is famously a food-focused holiday. With celebrations traditionally stretching over about a two-week period, Lunar New Year dinner is one of the holiday's highlights. The dinner, which typically happens on the eve of Lunar New Year, is more accurately described as a feast — one where families gather, and the table teems with mouth-watering, home-cooked dishes. [caption id="attachment_987282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] We love a celebration at home centred around good food, so, in partnership with Oriental Merchant, we sought out expert advice from chef Jason Chan on what essentials to stock our pantries with for Lunar New Year and beyond. Not only is Chan the owner of Rice Kid, a newly opened pan-Asian restaurant inspired by the flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine, but he's also clocked up well over a decade as a chef in leading Chinese restaurants in Sydney. He snuck us into his pantry to show us exactly what he'll be cooking with come this Lunar New Year. Our best discovery? His go-to essentials aren't reserved exclusively for Lunar New Year — they're versatile ingredients that are just as invaluable for special celebrations as they are for midweek meals. [caption id="attachment_987274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Surprisingly, Chan reveals that despite going all out on premium ingredients for Lunar New Year, he'll season them during the cooking process with everyday pantry staples. "Lunar New Year is more about the family gathering. You'll splurge and have things you don't normally have everyday, I think that's what makes it special. For our Lunar New Year feast, we usually have e-fu noodles, mudcrab, pipis — we go all out." On Capturing the Essence of Asian Cuisine The flavours of Asian cuisine though, are achieved with familiar products like "soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing [wine]." "Asian — Chinese — flavours [are] bold. I wouldn't use the word heavy, but it's flavoursome. It's every bite that you take. There's sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami, you get the taste of all that." "I think that's what Asian cooking is all about, especially Chinese cooking, where there are so many different ingredients and so much variety [to choose between]. It's just packed with flavour." "In my pantry at the moment, I've got the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce." [caption id="attachment_987275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] He also showed us his stash of Hakubaku noodles and Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. "It's about what you can do with the ingredients out of the pantry to create something amazing," explains Chan. Some staples are genuine must-haves for Chan. "You can't cook without soy sauce, that's what I say. I think every household should have [it]." Meanwhile, others he believes are slept on. "I think oyster sauce is amazing ... it gives more body and more depth [to dishes]." [caption id="attachment_987280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Ultimately though, it's not about a single ingredient. "It's more about how you incorporate everything together. I think every dish has a different element to it and every ingredient in our pantry, I think, works with a certain dish to enhance its flavour." On Making the Most of Pantry Essentials Chan says the special dishes of Lunar New Year can easily be translated into everyday dishes too." Let's say we did a lobster, for example, for Lunar New Year. How do you tone it down and still use all the pantry ingredients that you have? You choose a different protein. You might use fish, you might use prawns." The same applies to the e-fu Lunar New Year noodles he calls out. [caption id="attachment_987276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] "[You could substitute] egg noodles — thin egg noodles, thick egg noodles. If you're [feeling] brave, you can use ramen noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles. It's how far you want to explore, but they're all good." Experience the flavours of Lunar New Year everyday with Oriental Merchant authentic Asian ingredients.
These days, many of us remember to grab our reusable coffee cup or water bottle before heading to our local cafe or gym. While there's lots more work to do, reducing our dependence on single-use items can only be a good thing. However, a new and improved collaboration between frozen yoghurt legends Yo-Chi and Melbourne-born reusable drinkware pioneer KeepCup is working to make reusables an increasingly ordinary part of our daily lives. Enter the Yo-Chi x KeepCup Icy Go Bowl. Strictly limited in numbers, this newfangled reusable creation is designed to keep cold things cold and hot things hot. Made from 90% recycled double-walled stainless steel for top-notch temperature performance, it also comes with a 50% recycled Tritan spill-proof vacuum seal lid that keeps your meal locked in. Plus, at 550 millilitres, you'll have plenty of space to pack in more froyo. What's more, the design is stackable, so keeping bowls neat in your kitchen cupboard or tucked away in your fridge is easy. BPA/BPS-free and non-toxic, you can also choose from four Yo-Chi-inspired colourways: Strawberry Mochi, Choccy, Acai and Black Sesame. For those familiar with KeepCup's Go Bowl Luxe, this special edition — exclusively available at Yo-Chi stores nationwide — is made just a little bit more special with Yo-Chi branding. Of course, having a reusable bowl that seamlessly slots into everyday life is a big part of the waste-free equation. But this collab goes a step further by incentivising you to make the most of it. Take it along to any Yo-Chi store around Australia to score ten percent off your order every time you use it. What's more, every purchase comes with a $10 Yo-Chi voucher, so you have the perfect excuse to take your new bowl for a test run with a sweet, frozen treat. "We know reusing a bowl isn't the most convenient thing in the world," says Yo-Chi Brand Director Oliver Allis. "But we're trying to make it as enticing as possible with ten percent discount every time you reuse, beautiful yet functional bowls, and even giving people a free $10 Yo-Chi voucher that they need to use with the Go Bowl, to help create that habit change." When you're done scooping up that last spoonful of froyo, you're also welcome to hand your bowl to a staff member to give a quick rinse, ensuring it's good as new for whatever on-the-go meal comes next. And you're helping Yo-Chi achieve its sustainability goals, now on a mission to elevate its reuse rate from one to three percent. "These are genuine attempts to make reusing at Yo-Chi as normal as reusing at a coffee shop," says Allis. The Yo-Chi x KeepCup Go Bowl Luxe is available for a limited time for $35 at Yo-Chi stores nationwide and via the online store. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
You don't have to travel far to experience the best luxury stays in Sydney, even one right on the beachfront. Having welcomed its first guests in December, the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach's landmark reveal offers an indulgent 198-room stay less than ten kilometres from the CBD. However, the hotel is now ready to unveil its final sunlit sanctuary, featuring an ocean-facing infinity pool and terrace, now open to guests. Perched right above the coastline, the launch of this centrepiece pool deck will undoubtedly elevate your stay. Featuring sweeping ocean views, the water is heated all year round, so you won't have a problem diving in even when Coogee gets a little nippy in the wintertime. Meanwhile, surrounding private cabanas, sun lounges and softly layered seating invite guests to take a dip, then linger as long as they please. What's more, you can spend hours comfortably enjoying the pool and terrace thanks to adjustable screening and pergola elements that filter the light. Helping to keep guests cool when temperatures soar, carefully considered plantings include canopy palms, coastal grasses and native species that bring spurts of greenery to the pool deck and contrast with its whitewashed hues and tactile textures. When you need a break from the sun, an adjoining poolside dining offering is made for beachside bliss. Featuring a light menu stacked with inviting options, crispy beer-battered fish burgers and Morton Bay bug rolls are served alongside a lineup of nourishing bowls, including a tuna dish featuring sashimi-grade fish, brown rice, avocado and more. For a larger feed, head to Shutters or Rick Stein at Coogee to discover the renowned British chef's produce-driven seafood cuisine. "These new experiences reflect our vision to create a refined yet relaxed coastal retreat where guests can connect with Coogee's natural beauty while enjoying a truly elevated stay," says Melinda Lampier, General Manager of InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach. "From the year-round heated pool to the ocean-facing terrace, we have designed spaces that invite both locals and international visitors to linger, unwind and experience the rhythm of the coastline." While the arrival of the infinity pool and terrace is big news for the hotel, there are still more exciting updates just around the corner. In May, the Èliva Spa will open, featuring magnesium pools, salt saunas, a crystal steam room and tailored restorative treatments. In addition, Club InterContinental will bring a discreet escape to the property, offering private luxury lounge access and a members-only open-air terrace. Oh, and some pickleball courts will get you warmed up before heading to the pool. InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach is located at 242 Arden St, Coogee. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
To say 2021 was a massive year is a bit of an understatement. But with the the new year in full swing, it's officially time to let go of the trials that last year brought and start afresh with a relaxing holiday. If you, like us, are keen to extend your summer this year, consider locking in a trip to Tropical North Queensland to enjoy some much-needed time in this balmy paradise. From private island retreats wreathed in the Great Barrier Reef to secluded treehouses poised in World Heritage-listed rainforest, we've uncovered ten luxury stays to check out. These spots are not only champions of ecotourism, with initiatives like water recycling and single-use plastic and amenities bans evident across most properties, but will also tick the box if you want to wake up immersed in nature. [caption id="attachment_827699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] BEDARRA ISLAND If you're looking for somewhere to truly disappear to, put Bedarra Island at the top of your list. The secluded tropical haven is part of the Family Islands National Park, approximately two hours drive south of Cairns. To get to the island, you can take a helicopter transfer from Cairns Airport or a 30-minute boat ride across the Coral Sea from the idyllic coastal village, Mission Beach. With just 11 private villas on the island (all with ocean views), Bedarra is ideal for travellers looking for secluded, laidback luxury. The island is totally off-grid and uses solar power for energy. The best part? It's an all-inclusive experience. Here, you'll have unlimited access to snorkelling gear, sea kayaks, motorised dinghies, stand-up paddleboards, tennis equipment and stunning rainforest walks. Plus, all your meals, snacks, cocktails and celebratory champagne will be organised for you. Want to take a gourmet picnic on your personal dinghy to a deserted island? How about enjoying a candlelit dinner on your private deck? At Bedarra, you can have both. [caption id="attachment_828271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SILKY OAKS LODGE If you've ever wondered what it's like to live in a treehouse, just like Brendan Fraser in George of the Jungle, Silky Oaks Lodge in Mossman is the place to bring that foliage fantasy to life. Wedged between the breathtaking Daintree Rainforest and peaceful Mossman River, Silky Oaks Lodge has six treehouse-inspired stays to choose from so you can sleep among the treetops of the tropics. Each accomodation option has been designed to embrace the property's natural surrounds and will indulge your senses in the lush rainforest when it comes alive in autumn. If you want to wash off under an outdoor shower, wake up to floor-to-ceiling rainforest views and relax in a bath on your very own private deck while overlooking a cascading river, look sharp to Silky Oaks Lodge. THE REEF HOUSE BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND SPA If spending your holiday lazing opposite a palm tree-lined beach sounds like something you have to go overseas to do, guess again. The Reef House Boutique Hotel and Spa is an award-winning luxury beachfront stay in Palm Cove where you can experience that balmy (and palmy) escape without needing to dig out your now dusty passport. Your stay here includes a drink on arrival, complimentary twilight refreshments, poolside cocktail service and access to the fully stocked Honesty Bar where you can help yourself to your favourite drinks. The adults-only retreat also offers cocktail classes, wine tasting, beachfront yoga, a tranquility pool, jacuzzi, day spa, unlimited bicycle use and a library to keep you occupied in case you get tired of oscillating between the pool and the impressive Reef House Restaurant. [caption id="attachment_827698" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] THE CANOPY TREEHOUSES If you're planning a tropical holiday with a group, look no further than The Canopy Treehouses. Set on a lush 100-acre property, this place is ideal if you want to steer clear of other holidaymakers as you venture — quite literally — off the beaten track. The two-bedroom Riverfront Treehouses sleep six guests and, as the name suggests, are built on the banks of the river surrounded by ancient rainforest. Or, if you're after something a little larger, the three-bedroom Bower House can accommodate up to eight guests and overlooks the rollings hills of the Atherton Tablelands. Both are fully self-contained and come equipped with barbecue facilities, spa baths and, most importantly, rainforest views. [caption id="attachment_827697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] LIZARD ISLAND RESORT If you want to see the Great Barrier Reef without spending hours on a boat, Lizard Island Resort is the ideal place to base yourself. This luxury lodge is quite literally surrounded by the reef meaning you can roll out of bed and right into one of the world's natural wonders in minutes. But it's not just its proximity to the reef that lures people to the island. The all-inclusive accomodation helps take the guesswork out of holiday planning with meals, drinks, snorkelling gear, paddleboards, sea kayaks and more included in your stay. The toughest choice you'll make during your trip will be deciding which of the opulent day spa treatments will make you feel the most relaxed. If you do want to explore a little further, the resort has an on-site naturalist that hosts guided walks to share the island's cultural heritage, particularly that of the Traditional Land Owners, Jiogurru of the Dingaal Aboriginal people. [caption id="attachment_827693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] CRYSTALBROOK RILEY If you want floor-to-ceiling ocean views at a centrally located hotel, Crystalbrook Riley is for you. This five-star luxury resort is perched on the Cairns Esplanade, placing you within walking distance of many of the tour operators, restaurants and bars that Cairns has to offer. For a picturesque waterfront wake up, check in to a Panoramic Sea room or Riley's Suite and you'll awaken to uninterrupted views of the Coral Sea and beyond. There's a lush pool that wraps around the entire resort, a day spa to destress at and two in-house restaurants to try — Paper Crane and rooftop bar Rocco. The resort makes an effort to reduce food miles by sourcing 80 percent of ingredients from within a 3.5-hour radius of Cairns, including all of its beef products which come from Crystalbrook's own 85,000-acre cattle station. [caption id="attachment_828717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wilson Archer[/caption] MT MULLIGAN LODGE When you think of Tropical North Queensland, the outback probably doesn't come to mind. But if you drive 160 kilometres northwest of Cairns to Mt Mulligan Lodge, that's exactly what you'll find. As the name suggests, this boutique accomodation overlooks the immense tabletop mountain that is Mount Mulligan. Here, you can experience an all-inclusive luxury outback stay featuring hikes, all-terrain vehicle adventures, barramundi fishing, stargazing and more. The sprawling 28,000-hectare property ensures all 20 guests it can accommodate have ample privacy during their stay. Plus, each guest room gets a buggy to buzz around the property on, so you can get from your bed to sunset drinks at the bar with ease. Mt Mulligan Lodge has lots of worthy initiatives in place, too, from a waste minimisation program to a partnership with Ganbina to help local Indigenous students secure employment after school. NIRAMAYA VILLAS AND SPA Port Douglas is a favourite for folks travelling to Tropical North Queensland. If you want to find out what all the fuss is about, take a scenic one-hour drive north of Cairns and stay at Niramaya Villas and Spa to experience the laidback coastal town for yourself. This luxury accommodation features a number of rooms that vary in size from couple-friendly one-bedroom villas to much larger options that can cater to groups of ten. Regardless of the size you need, the soaring ceilings will make you feel like rainforest royalty. Throughout the property, you'll have access to a fully equipped gym, day spa, tennis court, bike hire, saunas, pools and a restaurant and bar to keep you refreshed. [caption id="attachment_828743" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Liam Brennan, Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] DAINTREE ECOLODGE Situated in the heart of the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, about 90 minutes north of Cairns, is Daintree Ecolodge — boutique accommodation with just 15 bayans (treehouses) perched beneath lush tropical canopies. For the adventurous traveller, this secluded rainforest retreat has its own dedicated walks and a private waterfall to explore. And for those needing something more relaxing, the on-site bar, swimming pool, wellness spa and rainforest restaurant overlooking the lagoon will provide ample opportunity to unwind and disconnect. If you want to discover more about the First Nations people in the area — the Kuku Yalanji people — book into the Culturally Curious package which includes your accommodation, a full-day Walkabout Cultural Tour, a Daintree River cruise and more. The property also assists in the reforestation of the area through a partnership with Rainforest Rescue. [caption id="attachment_828745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Philip Waring, Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] MT QUINCAN CRATER RETREAT If you're seeking somewhere romantic for your next holiday, check out the couples-only luxury accommodation on offer at Mt Quincan Crater Retreat. Elevated 2500 feet above sea level on the edge of an extinct volcano in the Atherton Tablelands, this award-winning escape boasts breathtaking views that look over the volcanic crater and beyond. Each treehouse has its own private spa that captures these vistas. and some even have an al fresco shower for you to enjoy under the stars. Plus, there are in-room dining options available for fuss-free cook ups and tailored packages to help you celebrate special occasions. Ready to book your tropical escape? For more information and to discover more about extending your summer in Tropical North Queensland, visit the website. Image: Lizard Island, Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Three Blue Ducks long ago found itself a third nest to call home. Adding to its eateries in Bronte (that is now sadly closed) and Byron Bay, the team opened within the heritage-listed Koskela warehouse in Rosebery back in 2016, formerly known to locals as the beloved Kitchen by Mike. Since then, it has become a Sydney institution and a mainstay of the Sydney culinary scene. If you've not been before, then prepare to be blown away by the grandeur of the venue. There's a front deck, two dining spaces and a courtyard, and they're all fitted out with an industrial chic design you can't help but love — even though it's all been done before. With its exposed bricks, beams and ceiling insulation, garage roller doors and concrete floors, it feels like you're walking into a very fancy garden shed. This is all well and good — but much like your ordinary backyard shed, it's quite cold and draughty in the evening, which, while it's still chilly at night, takes away from the relaxed vibe it's going for. Aesthetically, yellow tints dancing beneath huge woven basket light shades help warm the enormous space — but if you're one to feel the cold, we recommend you request to sit next to one of the few gas heaters they've got fired up. [caption id="attachment_834387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Three Blue Ducks, Rosebery[/caption] The heating situation might not be quite worked out (Kitchen by Mike never figured it out either), but the dinner menu is a different story. You're in good hands with chefs and co-owners Darren Robertson, Mark LaBrooy and MasterChef 2012 winner and judge Andy Allen looking after things in the kitchen. There's a real focus on seasonal produce and sustainability, while its smoke and fire theme — fuelled by its woodfired oven, charcoal pits and Argentinian grill out in the garden — is represented throughout each course. But even if you're not in the mood for rich, smoky flavours, there are plenty of other dishes that'll impress. Keep it light and simple with some fresh-as-they-come oysters with ginger and shallots and perhaps yellowfin tuna with tostada, lime, cucumber and pickled ginger. Of the small share plates, the Schezuan pepper and salt squid with roast chilli and lime is a must-order. Wash it down with a schooner of Young Henry's Newtowner pale ale or a Welder Dog's 'Farmhouse' ginger beer if you're after something sweeter. If you're really hungry, we recommend tucking into a few extra starters because a potential 45-minute wait between entree and main course is a long time to ponder on your hunger pangs. Luckily, top tunes play in the background, which makes the wait for your slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pickled red cabbage and charred herb salsa an enjoyable one. A side of crispy potatoes with confit butter and rosemary salt completes the meal in style. Finish with one of the cocktails, like a spicy margarita, and there you have a mighty fine dining experience. Images: Monica Buscarino. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
We're all familiar with the joys of popping into one of Sydney's cafes for a late morning (or, let's be real, afternoon) brunch on Sunday. But during the week, it's sometimes overlooked in favour of a few more snoozes and a couple of extra minutes in a warm bed. We're all about those zzzs, but it's no excuse for skipping the most important meal of the day — especially if you work or study in the city. Brekkie options are boundless in the CBD, with cafes opening early during the week, ready to ply you with good food and even better coffee to start your morning. So for the sake of nutrition, productivity, and your tastebuds, we've put together a list of Sydney CBD's best breakfast spots during the week. Take a moment to sit down, read the news and digest before you get locked into the weekday grind. Recommended reads: The Best Coffee Shops in Sydney's CBD The Best Cafes in Sydney The Best Bagels in Sydney The Best Bakeries in Sydney
A Gold Coast getaway often means sun-soaked beaches, surf breaks and seaside cocktails. But just a short drive inland lies an entirely different world, one of ancient rainforests, misty waterfalls, boutique wineries and luxurious accommodation that will reshape how you holiday. If the Hinterland's on your radar, now's the time to Get Up and Gold Coast, with exclusive accommodation and experience deals to help you plan your trip. Waterfalls and Walks Worth the Drive If your idea of a holiday is getting out into nature and stretching your legs, the Gold Coast Hinterland has a number of UNESCO-listed rainforests and parks for you to enjoy. Twin Falls and Purlingbrook Falls in Springbrook National Park are must-do walks, offering dramatic waterfalls and shaded paths that feel worlds away from the coast. For those craving grand scenery, Lamington National Park delivers on all fronts. Think ancient trees, panoramic lookouts and natural beauty that make this Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area a must-do. [caption id="attachment_1069322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Purlingbrook Falls[/caption] If you'd rather leave the logistics to someone else, Paradise Tours offers 10% off its Springbrook day tour, complete with free professional photos, when you book with the code GOLDCOAST2026. Southern Cross Tours also sweetens the deal, with $50 off a Scenic Rainforest & Vineyard Escape for Two using the code GETUP. Adventure Time The Hinterland caters just as well to thrill-seekers as it does to slow travellers. Soar through the rainforest canopy on Australia's largest guided zipline tour at Canyon Flyer in Mount Tamborine, or tackle the aerial challenges at Happitat, a world-first cliff park where high ropes and ziplines are set against jaw-dropping scenery. Both adventure tours will get your heart pumping whilst you enjoy the stunning scenery of the Scenic Rim surrounds. Meanwhile, the Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk offers an elevated perspective of the forest, with steel bridges suspended high above the canopy. Perfect for those who like a little adventure without the need to abseil. [caption id="attachment_1066281" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Happitat[/caption] If you're planning a romantic adventure, the Historic Rivermill's private, scenic horse ride for two lets you slow down and take in the Hinterland's scenery. Book the Historic Rivermill private scenic horse ride with the code FREEPICNIC, and you'll receive a complimentary riverside picnic. Or use code GETUPGC to enjoy 10% off at Happitat. Where to Stay While the Gold Coast's beaches have holiday apartments and five-star hotels, luxury in the Hinterland means quiet mornings surrounded by nature. There are a number of boutique accommodation options for you to indulge in. The Beechmont Estate is a boutique country retreat with five-star luxury accommodation and a hatted on-site restaurant, The Paddock, while The Tamborine offers a boutique hotel experience perched above the escarpment of Tamborine Mountain. If you love to glamp in style, Tamborine Mountain Glades is a five-star glamping experience that's set within the surrounds of Thunderbird Park, offering you a chance to rest and reconnect among the greenery. [caption id="attachment_1066289" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tamborine Mountain Glades[/caption] For a luxe stay, Verandah House Country Estate lets you create your very own wellness retreat on Mount Tamborine. Relax among the trees in a barrel steam sauna and magnesium hot baths. And for a truly immersive nature stay, O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat features views overlooking the western McPherson Ranges, architecturally designed villas, walks (both guided and solo), and waterfalls on your doorstep. Book Tamborine Mountain Glades with the code EGC2026, and you can receive a late checkout and breakfast for two included. O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat's Best of O'Reilly's package includes two nights' accommodation, daily breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea. Where to Eat Food is a major drawcard in the Hinterland thanks to paddock-to-plate dining, boutique distilleries and cellar doors dotted throughout the region. Start your day at Franquette Bakery, where flaky pastries and excellent coffee are king. From there, head deeper into the Hinterland to Cauldron Distillery and try their award-winning gin range that's inspired by the Gold Coast's native botanicals. Bring along a picnic rug or camp chairs and sprawl amongst the vineyards with friends. [caption id="attachment_1066288" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cauldron Distillery[/caption] For lunch, Canungra Valley Vineyards delivers the full slow-afternoon experience. It's perfect for a long lunch featuring wine tastings and strolls through the cellar door to try local produce. Canungra Valley's Homestead Picnic Basket experience is a great option for a romantic date in the Hinterland. [caption id="attachment_1066282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peddly Picnics[/caption] For laidback afternoons, Peddly Picnics (where your electric bike hire is paired with a bespoke hamper) creates curated picnic experiences that turn any scenic spot into a long lunch. There's even the option to bring your dog along for the ride with Peddly Picnics' dog carrier. Enjoy the perfect day at O'Reilly's Canungra Valley Vineyards with a Homestead Picnic Basket for two with any bottle of wine for only $120. So jump in the car and enjoy a short drive away from the coastline to experience the Gold Coast unlike ever before. Whether you're chasing waterfalls, sipping wine among rolling hills or unwinding in a rainforest retreat, these hinterland experiences are waiting for you to experience them. Image credit: Supplied
Approaching its 100th year in Darlinghurst, The Strand is set to have a huge makeover, with the longstanding corner pub being transformed into a multi-venue hotel, bistro and rooftop bar. Part one of this transformation is already complete, with the French bistro occupying the pub's ground floor now open to the public. At The Strand Bistro, you'll find all the trimmings of a classic French diner. Inspired by 1920s Paris, the venue boasts a sleek wood and gold fit-out with a menu that rolls out expected favourites from the region's cuisine. There's caviar service ($30-260), steak frites with bearnaise sauce ($38-46), creamy garlic mussels ($26) and a French leek tart ($24). It's a far cry from standard pub fare. The mussels are a real highlight, presented swimming in sauce, as is the steak tartare ($22), anchovy and caramelised onion pissaladiere ($8 each) and the roasted magret duck breast paired with grilled radicchio and plum ($42). There are also two midweek specials available for anyone looking to add some Parisian charm to their work week. The first is The Strand's le burger gruyere, served with fries and a beer for $30 for lunches Monday through Friday. Alternatively, come in on a Tuesday and you can order the duck pie with a glass of pinot for $40. As with the food, the drinks menu has undergone a similarly dramatic change. There is still a selection of standard beers on tap, but diners looking for something more adventurous can take their pick from the bistro's expansive Australian and French wine list, or opt for a selection from the aperitifs and cocktails. A 49-strong whiskey list is also on hand, featuring highlights from Japan, Scotland and Ireland. The bistro is set to be joined by a second new space inside The Strand. Head up to the William Street building's rooftop and you'll discover a casual al fresco bar. Expected to open during winter, the rooftop will facilitate snacks and cocktails with sunset views and DJ sets.
The 2026 snow season is almost here, and the mountains might just be calling your name for the first time. Yet it's no secret that heading to a top Aussie ski resort will put a dent in your wallet. Fortunately, the crew at Vail Resorts has a new promo designed to introduce adult rookies to the slopes, whether they got caught up in the Winter Olympics or love the idea of a summit-side apres-ski experience. Available for the first time, the Epic Beginner Bundle, priced at $499, offers three flexible days of beginner lift access, lessons and rentals at Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham. Plus, if your debut on the slopes turns out to be such an unforgettable experience that round two can't wait, purchasing the bundle means you can access discounts on additional lift tickets, lessons and rentals for the rest of the 2026 season. And if that's not enough, you're also given an early incentive to lock in a 2027 winter escape, with Epic Beginner Bundle buyers scoring themselves 20 percent off a 2027 Epic Australia 4-Day Pass or an even more impressive 2027 Epic Australia Pass. The latter includes access to over 80 world-class overseas resorts, so you can take your newfound obsession to Canada's Whistler Blackcomb, Japan's Hakuba or Switzerland's Verbier 4Vallées, with loads more to choose from. "We created the Epic Beginner Bundle to make it easy for adults to learn how to ski or snowboard and set them up for future success," said Nathan Butterworth, General Manager of Perisher Resort. "We've seen that three days on the slopes with expert instruction is often the moment it clicks — when guests build confidence and start to fall in love with the sport." Equipped with the pass, you'll have everything you need to get acquainted with the slopes. That includes an adult group lesson, top-notch rental gear and lift access to green runs. While newbies should probably be steering clear as it is, just know that intermediate and advanced terrain isn't accessible with the Epic Beginner Bundle. Instead, you can spend three straight days, or three days spread throughout the season, learning at your own pace on the easy runs at various resorts. "By combining lift access, lessons and rentals into one bookable experience at an accessible price, our goal is to make it easier to say 'yes' to learning something new and provide benefits that make it easier to keep coming back for years to come," says Butterworth. Vail Resorts' Epic Beginner Bundle is now available for $499. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
Located on Cleveland Street, Kindred is the brainchild of chef Matt Pollock (A Tavola), who spent more than a year renovating the 45-seat space. The food is Italian inspired, but not strictly Italian. So, expect to find Mediterranean dishes made with a spattering of Aussie ingredients — and lots of vegetarian options. Starters such as roasted pumpkin ($11) with whipped ricotta and fermented chilli and chargrilled octopus ($17) with eggplant purée, precede heartier mains like bucatini with guanciale and agnolotti with cauliflower and sunflower seeds ($27). All pastas can be made with gluten-free pappardelle for an extra $2, too. While it's tempting to go hard on the entrees (the bread and the pastas) leaving room for dessert is rewarded. The chocolate fondant with peanut butter gelato ($13) and fig leaf semifreddo sandwich ($13) are both winners As well as having tasty fare — that keeps dietary requirements in mind — everything from the pasta to the bread and the cultured butter is made on site, and produce is sourced from local suppliers. The wine list, meanwhile, has many organic, biodynamic and natural drops, and is bolstered by a selection of local spirits, too.
The waterside suburb of Wareemba welcomes a winning new, aesthetically pleasing bakery, Martha's. The bakery offers sweet and savoury pastries created with an ode to Mediterranean flavours, fresh sandwiches and a specialty blend barista menu. Paris Nassif, the owner of the new spot, says, "Our menu is about staying true to our roots and identity, but also having fun with the classics that people know and love. With the bakery, we wanted to create a place where people could slow down, savour something, and feel that sense of renewal — a place to rise again each morning." In keeping with the trends of two-tone drinks and creative coffee on tap, Martha's showcases rotating signature drinks. You might be lucky enough to try a blackberry matcha, a nutmeg and citrus or peach and apricot cold brew, or a maple brown butter iced oat latte. When they enter the shop, customers are greeted by generous racks of laminated pastries. The usual suspects, such as crisp croissants, cinnamon scrolls and custard tarts, sit alongside Nassif's more distinct creations. There is a twice-baked almond croissant with cardamom and rose water, a za'atar knot with tahini dipping sauce, and a satisfyingly savoury eggplant and nduja pastry. There are more substantial options available for lunch, such as a spiced lamb, tzatziki, and caponata roll, a roast chicken sourdough sandwich with tomato and smashed avocado, and a focaccia number stuffed to the limit with salami, mortadella, pesto, straciatella and basil oil. Martha's eye-catching deep red awning and shining tiles have drawn crowds in from day one, and with an inviting space, quality pastries and enticing drinks, it's fast becoming a neighbourhood go-to. Images: Supplied.
Every year, no matter which movies earn Oscars — regardless of what and who is nominated, the titles and talents that miss out, the fun of the ceremony and the scandals that pop up beforehand — the best way to celebrate a great 12 months in cinema is also the easiest. Films are made to be watched, be they blockbuster musicals, deeply personal documentaries, gorgeous animation, sci-fi spectacles, top-notch dramas or anything and everything in-between. If you hadn't seen 2025's newly anointed Academy Award-winners in advance, now's the time to change that. Almost every feature that picked up a gong on Monday, March 3, Down Under time is available to watch this second. Put Flow on your list for later, when it releases mid-March — but check out these other ten winners now. Need the full list of 2025's Oscar recipients? The nominees? Our pre-ceremony predictions regarding what would and should win? A rundown of where the rest of 2025's contenders are screening in Australia? Consider that pre-movie reading, then get comfy at your favourite picture palace or on your couch. Anora Along with playfulness, empathy, and an eagerness to look beyond the usual characters and pockets of America that tend to grace narrative cinema, tenderness is one Sean Baker's special skills, as splashed across the New Jersey-born talent's filmography for more than two decades now. It's in Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket, for instance, all three of which are stunning feats. It also couldn't be more evident in his Cannes Palme d'Or-recipient and now five-time Oscar-winner Anora. The writer/director's work has always been as clear-eyed as movies get, unflinchingly seeing the struggles that his protagonists go through, though — but their troubles are never the be-all and end-all for anyone in front of his lens. No one should be defined by their circumstances, their misfortunes, their unlucky lots in life, their woes, their mistakes, their missed chances, or how their existence does or doesn't measure up to anyone else's, and no one is in Baker's features. He pens, helms and edits with a wholehearted commitment to seeing people who they are. The fact that he undertakes all three roles on his films, each of which earned him an Academy Award here, means that the credit is almost all his, too; it isn't just the use of his beloved Aguafina Script Pro font that signifies a Baker flick. Spotting Cinderella elements and riffs on Pretty Woman isn't hard in Anora, as the picture's eponymous Brooklyn erotic dancer (Mikey Madison, Lady in the Lake) meets, dances for, hangs out with and is soon wed to Vanya, the son (Mark Eydelshteyn, Zhar-ptitsa) of a wealthy Russian oligarch (Aleksey Serebryakov, Lotereya). But just as Ani is always her own person, the magnificent Anora is always a Baker film. Fairytale experiences in life don't always come with a happy ending. Failures aren't always the worst options. Following your heart or whims is rarely either solely sublime or awful. Baker knows this, and so does this feature. Assured yet vulnerable, playing a woman capable of holding her own against mobsters — and standing up to almost anything else that comes her way — but not immune to sadness and disappointment, Madison is hypnotic as Ani. Eydelshteyn, Compartment No 6's Yura Borisov as one of the henchmen tasked with babysitting Vanya: they're mesmerising as well. The spirt of Anora — the vivid and audacious way that it bounds from start to finish, the grit and heart that it sports — is equally as pitch-perfect. Oscars: Won: Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing Other nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. A Real Pain He didn't feature on-screen in his first film as a writer/director, but 2022's When You Finish Saving the World couldn't have sprung from anyone but Jesse Eisenberg. Neither could've 2024's A Real Pain. In the latter, the Fleishman Is in Trouble actor plays the anxious part, and literally. He's David Kaplan, with his character a bundle of nerves about and during his trip to Poland with his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin, Succession) — a pilgrimage that they're making in honour of their grandmother, who survived the Second World War, started a new life for their family in the US in the process and has recently passed away. David is highly strung anyway, though. One source of his woes: the ease with which Benji seems to move through his days, whether he's making new friends in their tour group within seconds of being introduced or securing a stash of weed for the journey. With A Real Pain as with When You Finish Saving the World, Eisenberg is shrewdly and committedly examining an inescapable question: what is real pain, and who feels it? Are David's always-evident neuroses more worthy of worry than the despondency that Benji shuttles behind his carefree facade, and is it okay for either to feel the way they do, with their comfortable lives otherwise, in the shadow of such horrors such as the Holocaust? As a filmmaker, Eisenberg keeps interrogating what he knows: A Real Pain's main train of thought, which was When You Finish Saving the World's as well, is one that he ponders himself. Although he's not penning and helming strictly autobiographical movies, his latest does crib some details from reality, swapping out an IRL aunt for a fictional grandmother, as well as a trip that Eisenberg took with his wife for a cousins' act of tribute. It's no wonder, then, that he keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them. With A Real Pain, he also turns in a stellar performance of his own and directs another from Culkin, who steps into Benji's shoes like he wears them himself everyday (and takes on a part that his director originally had earmarked for himself). Thrumming at the heart of the dramedy, and in its two main players, is a notion that demands facing head-on, too: that experiencing our own pain, whether big or small, world-shattering or seemingly trivial, or personal or existential, is never a minor matter. Oscars: Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) Other nominations: Best Original Screenplay Where to watch: in Australian cinemas, and via Disney+, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Jesse Eisenberg. The Brutalist Since switching from acting to writing and directing — in his on-screen days, Thirteen, Mysterious Skin, Funny Games, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, Force Majeure, Clouds of Sils Maria, Eden and While We're Young were among his credits, spanning works by quite the array of excellent fellow filmmakers — Brady Corbet hasn't lacked in ambition for a second. Still, as excellent as both Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux are, and they are, his third feature towers above them. With Adrien Brody (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) as Hungarian Jewish architect László Toth, The Brutalist is as epic as a three-and-a-half-hour drama about trying to escape life's horrors, including those of the Holocaust, by chasing the American dream can be. The buildings designed by its protagonist aren't the only things that are monumental here, career-best turns by Guy Pearce (Inside) and Felicity Jones (Dead Shot) among them. The Brutalist is a vision, too, with Corbet's ambition apparent in ever millimetre of every frame. (Shooting in VistaVision, a format used for Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and Vertigo, but last deployed in the US for an entire movie with 1961's One-Eyed Jacks: yes, that's bold as well). Crossing the world is meant to bring the Toth family a new beginning. Waiting for his wife Erzsébet (Jones) to follow, and their young niece (Raffey Cassidy, a Vox Lux alum) with her, László arrives in New York and then Philadelphia solo, however — and etching out a fresh start with help from his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola, The Room Next Door) doesn't pan out the way he hopes. Neither does scoring a job revamping the personal library of the wealthy Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce), even when it seems to, then doesn't, then sparks the opportunity of László's dreams. Given everything that its protagonist needs to wade through, as does Corbet thematically, it's no wonder that The Brutalist clocks in at three-and-a-half hours with its intermission. Not a moment is wasted, that mid-movie pause included. As it muses on what it means to leave a legacy, this is a film to sit with. It's filled with performances that demand the same. Brody, Pearce, Jones: what a haunting trio. Oscars: Won: Best Actor (Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Brady Corbet), Best Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Best Supporting Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our interview with Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones and Brady Corbet. Conclave Who knew that papal succession would become a film and TV trend? Fights for supremacy have driven three of the biggest television shows of the past 15 years, of course — Game of Thrones, Succession and Shogun — so repeatedly bringing the battle for the head Catholic Church job to the screen shouldn't come as a surprise. The Young Pope, The New Pope, The Two Popes, Conclave: they've all headed to the Vatican. The latter is quite the entertaining thriller, too. The idea behind this page-to-screen delight, as based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris: cardinals, they're just like everyone else seeking power, aka bickering, gossiping, scheming, feuding and trying to find their way to the top by any means possible. Here, when the pope passes, Canadian cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow, The Old Man), American cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci, Citadel), Nigerian cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati, A Gentleman in Moscow) and Mexican cardinal Vincent Benitez (feature first-timer Carlos Diehz) are among the contenders vying to step into their religion's ultimate position — all with differing views on social issues, ranging from liberal to conservative leanings. Voting for a new pope is a ceremony that lends itself to theatricality on-screen, which Conclave eagerly captures. The manoeuvring guiding the College of Cardinals' various rounds of choices is the movie's focus; trying to win support is an election campaign, and a heated one. At the heart of the drama is Britain's cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, The Return), Dean of the College, and also responsible for ascertaining the complete circumstances surrounding the last pope's death. Aided by a stellar cast that's answering viewers' prayers (also outstanding: Spaceman's Isabella Rossellini as Head Caterer Sister Agnes), filmmaker Edward Berger swaps World War I's horrors in fellow Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front for a pulpy and twisty but smart affair. He hasn't completely switched thematically, though: how tradition and modernity butt against each other also remains in the director's view amid Conclave's many secrets and scandals. Oscars: Won: Best Adapted Screenplay Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Supporting Actress (Isabella Rossellini), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Dune: Part Two Revenge is a dish best served sandy in Dune: Part Two. On the desert planet of Arrakis, where golden hills as far as the eye can see are shaped from the most-coveted and -psychedelic substance in author Frank Herbert's estimation, there's no other way. Vengeance is just one course on Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka) menu, however. Pop culture's supreme spice boy, heir to the stewardship of his adopted realm, has a prophecy to fulfil whether he likes it or not; propaganda to navigate, especially about him being the messiah; and an Indigenous population, the Fremen, to prove himself to. So mines Denis Villeneuve's soaring sequel to 2021's Dune, which continues exploring the costs and consequences of relentless quests for power — plus the justifications, compromises, tragedies and narratives that are inescapable in such pursuits. The filmmaker crafts his fourth contemplative and breathtaking sci-fi movie in a row, then, after Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 as well. The vast arid expanse that constantly pervades the frames in Dune: Part Two isn't solely a stunning sight. It looks spectacular, as the entire feature does, with Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (The Creator) back after winning an Oscar for the first Dune; but as Paul, his widowed mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo), and Fremen Stilgar (Javier Bardem, The Little Mermaid) and Chani (Zendaya, Euphoria) traverse it, it helps carve in some of this page-to-screen saga's fundamental ideas. So does the stark monochrome when the film jumps to Giedi Prime, home world to House Harkonnen, House Atreides' enemy, plus Arrakis' ruler both before and after Paul's dad Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) got the gig in Villeneuve's initial Dune. People here are dwarfed not only by their mammoth surroundings, but by the bigger, broader, non-stop push for supremacy. While there's no shortage of detail in both Part One and Part Two — emotional, thematic and visual alike — there's also no avoiding that battling against being mere pawns in an intergalactic game of chess is another of its characters' complicated fights. Oscars: Won: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Other nominations: Best Picture, Best, Cinematography, Best Production Design, Where to watch: Via Netflix, Binge, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Greig Fraser. Emilia Pérez As it follows its namesake character's (Karla Sofía Gascón, Harina) identity-swapping journey from cartel leader to trying to live her authentic life, Emilia Pérez isn't just a musical and a crime drama rolled into one. It's also happily and devotedly a melodrama — and French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (Paris, 13th District) goes bold in leaning in, and in embracing the juxtapositions of the movie's three main genres as they jostle against each other. That audacity; that willingness to be both spectacular and messy again and again; the feature's three key performances, including from Zoe Saldaña (Special Ops: Lioness) and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building): they all assist in making this vivid viewing. Also pivotal: the clear cues that A Prophet and Rust and Bone writer and helmer Audiard has taken from the work of Spanish great Pedro Almodóvar. The Room Next Door, the latter's latest, was completely overlooked by this year's Oscars, but it's easy to connect the dots between Almodóvar's immense filmography over four decades now and the look, feel and themes of Emilia Pérez. In Mexico City, defence attorney Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) begins the film languishing in her job and its grey areas. She wins a high-profile case, but knows that she shouldn't have. Then comes a proposition delivered via an unexpected phone call, plus a secret meeting that she's whisked off to blindfolded: a job to assist a drug kingpin with transitioning from Juan 'Manitas' Del Monte to Emilia Pérez. Making that mission happen isn't simple. Everyone connected to Manitas' old life, wife (Gomez), children and colleagues alike: none of them can know. As it unfurls its story largely through exuberantly staged songs, the film is still really just kicking off when it then hops forward in time, diving into what comes next when Emilia is living her new life and Rita has been well-compensated for her efforts — and, in the process, exploring the consequences of getting what you want, or seeming to. The entire female cast won Cannes Best Actress prize but, after years spent on-screen tinted green (in the Guardians of the Galaxy films) and blue (in the Avatar flicks) in big-budget fare, this is Saldaña's moment to shine. Oscars: Won: Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña), Best Original Song — 'El Mal' by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jacques Audiard), Best Actress (Karla Sofía Gascón), Best International Feature Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Original Song — 'Mi Camino' by Camille and Clément Ducol Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. I'm Still Here It came as no surprise when Fernanda Torres (Fim) won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Eunice Paiva in Walter Salles' (On the Road) deeply moving political and personal drama. Her understated yet also expressive performance as the real-life wife of Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello, Bury Your Dead), who was taken away by Brazil's military dictatorship in 1971 and never seen again, is that powerful. I'm Still Here poignantly charts the task of endeavouring to endure under such heartbreaking circumstances — under oppressive rule, when your existence crumbles, when your family is fraying courtesy of the trauma and when fighting back is the only choice, too. The film sees the early happy times for the Paivas, even as uncertainty lingers. It watches their lives by the beach, where Eunice, Rubens and their five children fill busy days. It then looks on as the military raids their home, as more than one Paiva is imprisoned and interrogated, and as the husband and father who was previously a congressman doesn't return. Also, it stares solidly as the quest for answers and justice never fades among Rubens' loved ones. Conveying the pain, the fortitude, the grief and the despair of someone in Eunice's situation might seem easy, not that relaying those emotions ever is; who wouldn't feel that way in these circumstances, or understand how someone would? It isn't a straightforward ask, though, giving a part the complexity that every role should demand when much about a character's inner life appears obvious — because the job is to dig far deeper than that, and to unpack what that natural reaction means for this person and this person only. Torres perfects the task. As a director, working with a screenplay that Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega (also collaborators on Mariner of the Mountains) based on Eunice and Rubens' son Marcelo's memoir, Salles is in superb form as well. Teaming up with the filmmaker keeps turning out exceptionally for Torres and her IRL family, with her mother Fernanda Montenegro also Oscar-nominated for Salles' Central Station back in 1999, long before featuring here as the elder Eunice. Oscars: Won: Best International Feature Film Other nominations: Picture, Best Actress (Fernanda Torres) Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. No Other Land In No Other Land, Basel Adra films what he knows but wishes that he doesn't — and what he knows that the world needs to see. Co-directing with Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham, plus farmer and photographer Hamdan Ballal and cinematographer Rachel Szor, the Palestinian activist chronicles the takeover of the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, purportedly for an Israeli military base. As a result of the latter, families with generations and centuries of ties to the land are forced to dwell in caves, battle soldiers and fight to survive. Their possessions, their homes, their lives: none seem to mean anything to those displacing the area's villagers. The suffering, the deaths, the grief, the children growing up knowing nothing but a literally underground existence: that doesn't resonate with the occupation, either, or with the trigger-happy soldiers patrolling in its name. Also falling on deaf ears: the please that gives this documentary its title, from a woman understandably asking where else these communities are meant to go. The apathy and worse that's directed towards Adra's family and other Palestinians in No Other Land, as captured in footage spanning from 2019–2023, could never be shared by this film's audience. As is plain to see by everyone watching, making this doco is an act of bravery of the highest order. It's also a downright daring feat — not only to record its contents in the most difficult of circumstances, at a potentially fatal cost, but with two Palestinians and two Israelis coming together to make the movie happen. Viewing No Other Land, and bearing witness as Adra demands, couldn't be more essential. It's as distressing as cinema gets, too, especially as the campaign of destruction against Masafer Yatta's residents just keeps repeating within its frames. While the urgency of Adra, Abraham, Ballal and Szor's film is inherent, thrumming from start to finish, so too is the thought and care that's gone into its construction. As with 2024 Oscar-winner 20 Days in Mariupol , this is truly unforgettable cinema. Oscars: Won: Best Documentary Feature Other nominations: NA Where to watch: Via DocPlay. ano The Substance If you suddenly looked like society's ideal, how would it change your life? The Substance asks this. In a completely different way, so does fellow Golden Globe-winner A Different Man (see: below), too — but when Revenge's Coralie Fargeat is leading the charge on her long-awaited sophomore feature and earning Cannes' Best Screenplay Award for her troubles, the result is a new body-horror masterpiece. Pump it up: the sci-fi concept; the stunning command of sound, vision and tone; the savagery and smarts; the gonzo willingness to keep pushing and parodying; the gore (and there's gore); and the career-reviving performance from Demi Moore (Landman). The Substance's star has popped up in Feud, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Please Baby Please and Brave New World in recent years, but her work as Elisabeth Sparkle not only defines this period of her life as an actor; even with an on-screen resume dating back to 1981, and with the 80s- and 90s-era likes of St Elmo's Fire, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal and Disclosure to her name, she'll always be known for this from this point onwards, regardless of whether awards keep rolling in. Turning 50 isn't cause for celebration for Elisabeth. She's already seen film roles pass her by over the years; on her birthday, she's now pushed out of her long-running gig hosting an aerobics show. Enter a solution, as well as another 'what if?' question: if you could reclaim your youth by injecting yourself with a mysterious liquid, would you? Here, The Substance's protagonist takes the curious serum. Enter Sue (Margaret Qualley, Drive-Away Dolls), who helps Elisabeth wind back time — and soon wants Elisabeth's time as her own. Just like someone seeking the glory days that she thinks are behind her via any means possible, Fargeat isn't being subtle with The Substance, not for a second. She goes big and brutal instead, and audacious and morbid as well, and this is the unforgettable picture it is because of it. No one holds back — not Elisabeth, not Sue, not Moore, not the also-fantastic Qualley, not Dennis Quaid (Lawman: Bass Reeves) eating shrimp, not Fargeat, and definitely not cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) or composer Raffertie (99). Oscars: Won: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Coralie Fargeat), Best Actress (Demi Moore), Best Original Screenplay, Where to watch: Via Stan, Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review. Wicked The colour scheme was always a given. "Pink goes good with green," Galinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) tells Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Luther: The Fallen Sun). "It goes well with green," the grammar-correcting reply bounces back. The songs, beloved echoing from the stage since 2003, were never in doubt, either, as both centrepieces and a soundtrack. As a theatre-kid obsession for decades, it was also long likely that the big-screen adaptation of Wicked — a movie based on an immensely popular and successful musical springing from a book that offered a prequel to a film that walked the celluloid road 85 years ago, itself jumping from the page to the screen — would have big theatre-kid energy as it attempted to ensure that its magic enchants across mediums. Enough such buzz and verve to fill every theatre on Broadway radiates from Grande alone in the two-part franchise's first instalment, beaming from someone who, as a kid, won an auction to meet the OG Wicked good witch Kristin Chenoweth (Our Little Secret) backstage. For audiences watching on, that enthusiasm is impossible not to feel. No one would ever want a muted Wicked, where the hues, in yellow bricks and emerald cities and more (rainbows of tulips and sprawling university campuses, too) weren't trying to compete with Technicolor — and where the tunes, with Chenoweth and Idina Menzel's (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) voices previously behind them in such full force, weren't belted to the rafters. Jon M Chu has a knack as a filmmaker of stage hits reaching cinemas: matching the vibe of the show that he's taking on expertly. It was true of his version of In the Heights, which is no small matter given that it's a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical. It now proves the case in its own different way with Wicked. Achieving such a feat isn't always a given; sometimes, even when it does happen, and blatantly, any stage spark can be lost in translation (see: Cats). Again, movie viewers can feel that synergy with Wicked's first part, and also feel how much it means to everyone involved. Oscars: Won: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Other nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and via Apple TV and Prime Video. Read our full review and our interview with Nathan Crowley. Looking for more Oscar-nominees to watch? You can also check out our full rundown of where almost all of this year's contenders are screening or streaming in Australia.
From Etymon Projects, the team behind the north shore's popular Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur, comes an elegant venue in an art deco building within Sydney's CBD. Much like its counterpart north of the bridge, The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar folds many different types of establishments into one multi-faceted one-stop shop. This time, the King Street spot is part-European brasserie, part-laidback café and part-bar. "The Charles celebrates the charm of old-school hospitality without the stuffiness," says The Charles Grand's Director of Culinary Sebastien Lutaud. "The grand brasserie experience is elegant and decadent, but with ambience too. A busy, open kitchen; duck press on the pass; tableside saucing and carving; and roving dessert trolleys create a wonderful sense of theatre that's reminiscent of the warm and welcoming brasseries of Europe." Taking from the tradition of many of Europe's longstanding brasseries, the restaurant boasts two must-try house specialities. The first is a MBS9+ black oak wagyu rump cap ($82), while the other is the classic French Canard à la Presse ($170), both of which are designed to be shared. The whole dry-aged Maremma roasted and dressed duck used in the Canard à la Presse is prepared in a dedicated duck and poultry room which allows The Charles' chefs to dry-age 100 birds at a time, for ten days each. From there, they're roasted until they have a perfectly crispy skin. Marinated octopus ($24) and steak and anchovy tartare ($34) are highlights from the entree menu, alongside a must for any luxurious French spot — caviar service ($140–420). As for the mains, you can opt for a grand schnitzel topped with salted roe ($55), crayfish vol-au-vent ($62), or an aged rack of lamb ribs ($58) just to name a few. "Refined, elegant food created using predominantly French techniques is how I've approached this menu. We hero the superb produce by serving it simply with a delicious sauce or consommé poured tableside, for example, rather than with overly complex or fussy garnishes," says executive Chef Billy Hannigan who will be flexing his classic French culinary training in the kitchen. There's a collection of more than 600 both French and Australian wines to sort through, with up to 50 available by the glass for those that like to sample throughout the night. Over at the bar, things are a bit more casual. Opening from 7am each day, city-dwellers and CBD workers can come in for an espresso and a freshly baked croissant ($6), crumpet ($6) or pastry. From 11am, the menu shifts to approachable French and European-inspired dining, ranging from pork crackling ($9) and chicken liver parfait ($22) through to flat-iron steak ($68) and butter lettuce salads ($14). Etymon Projects enlisted to H&E Architects, in collaboration with COX to create a venue that celebrates its building's historic art deco design with flourishes of black nero marble and brass. The venue will provide Sydneysiders with the opportunity to set into a decedent European holiday, any time of day, with both venues to remain open until midnight. Top image: Steven Woodburn
Those hobbits will go on. In JRR Tolkien's pages, they went on perilous Middle-earth adventures. On screens big and small for decades so far (and into the future, with more TV episodes and movies on the way), they've trekked, ate second breakfasts and attempted to project precious jewellery. Onstage in Australia in 2025, they'll also be marking an eleventy-first birthday, receiving a gold ring, taking a quest to Mordor and attempting to fight evil, all in The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale. Dating back to 2006, just after the original live-action movie trilogy, this stage musical was revived in the UK in 2023, opened in the US in July 2024 and will hit New Zealand this November. After that, it'll then take the hobbits to Australia from January 2025. First stop: Sydney's State Theatre. The Market Street venue will host the only Aussie season announced so far, kicking off on Tuesday, January 7, with how long it'll be playing yet to be revealed. Lord of the Rings fans elsewhere across the country, take note, too: you might need to go there and back again to discover what happens when Middle-earth gets melodic. Your guides for the show are the hobbits, of course, as Frodo and company celebrate Bilbo Baggins, then depart The Shire upon a life-changing journey. Thanks to Tolkien, what occurs from there has enthralled audiences for 70 years now, with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers initially hitting bookshelves in 1954. There's been no shortage of ways to indulge your Lord of the Rings love since Peter Jackson's features — including his Hobbit trilogy — helped fan the flames of pop culture's affection for Frodo, Samwise, Pippin, Merry and the franchise's many non-underground-dwelling characters. Cinema marathons, visiting the Hobbiton movie set, staying there overnight, hitting up pop-up hobbit houses, sipping hobbit-themed beer: they've all been on the agenda. Only The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale is combining all things LoTR with tunes and dancing, however, in a show that sports a book and lyrics by from Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Matilda the Musical, Groundhog Day the Musical), plus original music by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner AR Rahman, folk band Värttinä from Finland and Matilda the Musical alum Christopher Nightingale. The Lord of the Rings — A Musical Tale will make its Australian premiere at the State Theatre, 49 Market Street, Sydney, from Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Head to the production's website for further details and to sign up for the ticket waitlist. Images: Liz Lauren.
Twenty minutes from the heart of Sydney's CBD is a lovely Mosman village with boutique stores, harbour views, busy restaurants and cosy bars — and of course, the family favourite Taronga Zoo. Mosman is known for its always-busy Military Road, relaxed cafe culture and popular nearby bathing spots like Balmoral Beach and the clothing-optional Cobblers Beach. While you should never bypass a visit to see the elephants and giraffes, Mosman is a great place to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon browsing its independent shops and businesses. To get you started, we've teamed up with American Express to bring you a round-up of local businesses where you can shop small with your Amex Card.
Baker Bleu Double Bay is under new management, if you can call it that, as the Melbourne-born bakery's partnership with renowned Chef Neil Perry and his wife Sam has come to an end. Now, Baker Bleu founders and directors Mike and Mia Russell will take over full ownership of the location. Launched in 2022, Neil had previously described Baker Bleu's output as the "best bread in Australia," becoming part of a joint venture to lead the bakery's expansion beyond Melbourne. Yet Neil and Sam will now renew focus on their neighbouring hub of restaurants — Margaret, Gran Torino and Next Door. "Sam and I are very proud of the role we've played in Baker Bleu's growth and in making the Double Bay store the success it is today. As Mike and Mia look to expand and take the business in a new direction, we've decided to part ways and focus on our restaurants in Double Bay," said Neil Perry. "We are grateful to Neil for bringing us to Sydney in 2022," adds Mike. "During this time, we created something truly magical with Neil and Sam, and we feel privileged to continue to be in the neighbourhood alongside their world-class restaurants." With all other Baker Bleu locations owned by Mike and Mia Russell — Caulfield North, Cremorne and Hawksburn — the Double Bay location now joins the fold, as well as any future stores. That also includes the soon-to-launch South Yarra location, arriving in late September. Situated in a prime position opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens, this takeaway-only outpost has moved into the former home of Baker D Chirico. Open daily, visitors can expect the full Baker Bleu range, from sourdough breads to hand-rolled bagels, alongside Market Lane coffee and pantry staples like cultured butter and small-batch jams. Baker Bleu Double Bay is open daily from 7.30am–3pm at 2 Guilfoyle Ave, Double Bay. Head to the website for more information.
Following the success of its lively Surry Hills restaurant, Li'l Darlin has launched a northern Sydney sibling, serving inventive cocktails and share plates to a whole new side of Sydney. With a formula that has been fine-tuned for over a decade, the Crows Nest bar and restaurant has brought the same playful yet affordable vibes to a different side of the bridge. Just like its inner-city senior, Li'l Darlin's second location is doing $12.50 happy hour offers. Here, you'll also find Taco Tuesday on the menu, where patrons can grab $12 margaritas and $6 tacos; Wine Down Wednesdays, with $7 wines and beers plus $12.50 tapas; and Clocked Off Thursdays, complete with $12.50 negronis, espresso martinis, Aperol spritzes and old fashioneds. Keeping things wallet-friendly is the name of the game at Li'l Darlin, aiming to provide a night out that won't break the bank. Experienced Surry Hills patrons will recognise some familiar items on the handcrafted cocktail list, like the oh-so-popular Fairy Floss Martini. New drinks have been added to the menu, however, including Gin There Done That (with gin, lychee, kiwi, prosecco and lemon), Better the Devil You Know (tequila, coconut, chilli schnapps, lime and a chilli-salted rim) and It Takes 2 to Mango (spiced rum, mango, lemon and mango sorbet). The venue is also hosting cocktail masterclasses and bottomless brunches. Li'l Darlin's Crows Nest food menu focuses on communal plates and tapas. Order a burrata and prosciutto plate, arancini balls or Peking duck pancakes for the group, or go with sizzling chilli prawns and pizzas. Located near the new Crows Nest Metro station — which was one of the inspirations for doubling Li'l Darlin's footprint — the North Sydney venue also boasts a larger space for parties and other celebrations, catering to 60–80 guests, with a further expansion planned.
Hands up if you're guilty of repurchasing that same wine or six-pack every time you head to the bottle-o. The bigger chain stores are pretty reliable for restocking our old favourites, but if you're keen to branch out and discover some new drops by local producers, you may need to look a little further. So, we've created this Sydney bottle shop and boutique cellar guide to shine a light on some of the city's more specialised liquor stores — the ones that are passionate about new and innovative production methods, ingredients and flavours. Whether you're heading to a friend's place for dinner, joining a house party or eating out at one of your favourite BYO-friendly restaurants, these bottle shops are packed to the brim with excellent natural wines, quirky craft beers and specialty liquors. From family-owned and decades-old joints to new up-and-comers, these Sydney booze retailers will help you impress your mates on a night out (or in).
Ah, the neighbourhood bookshop. A portal that can transport anyone throughout time and space with just the power of the words on a page. They're home to worlds unlike anything we can imagine, and precious records of all the wonderful and terrible things that have happened, or could happen, here in the real world. Entire species, languages, nations and planets that don't exist in any form other than the written word. In the digital age, these Sydney bookshops are something of a sacred place — preserving a medium that, no matter what the tech obsessives say, simply cannot be replicated. Sydney is blessed with a great many bookshops, most of which have served readers from near and far for years, cementing their places in the city's creative community. If you're looking for your next read or need a shopping experience with more heart and what hitting 'add to cart' can offer, these charming stores around the city are the places for you. [caption id="attachment_653205" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Better Read Than Dead 265 King St, Newtown Where else would you find a charming local bookstore than on King Street? The Inner West's retail identity is one rooted deeply in both nostalgia and community, and Better Read Than Dead fits the bill perfectly. For 20 years now, this store has been a literary haven in the busy King St stretch, boasting floor-to-ceiling shelves of tomes and stories from every genre. The staff are always ready with a recommendation, just look at their Instagram feed to see how regularly they choose favourites and share reviews. And in the spirit of cultivating a community, the store offers memberships and is home to six themed monthly book clubs, which you can sign up for online. [caption id="attachment_785694" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kieran Gilfeather[/caption] Gleebooks 49 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe Another beloved book nook of the Inner West, Gleebooks has been in the game for decades. The moniker dates as far back as 1975, but the current Glebe Point Road store has been open since 1990, where a huge collection of new releases and bestsellers can be found alongside an impressive events program. The added benefit of those events makes Gleebooks as much a celebration of the intellectual and creative as it is a shrine to the works they've published. A monthly book club is open to anyone who buys a $15 ticket, and authors are regularly invited to discuss their books in conversation in a dedicated events space, instead of being crammed awkwardly between shelves. [caption id="attachment_739652" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Berkelouw Books Paddington 19 Oxford Street, Paddington Berkelouw Books has established itself as a literary pillar across Sydney, but the Paddington flagship store will always be special. The Berkelouw family hails from Holland, and were booksellers long before they emigrated to Australia in 1948. While the Paddington store wasn't opened until 1994, it's the oldest-operating store in the current portfolio, which collectively stocks over two million books. The Oxford Street store is a favourite for inner east readers, and doubles as a cosy cafe to keep its clientele fed and caffeinated. [caption id="attachment_777855" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Ariel Booksellers 326 Oxford St, Paddington Another beloved Paddington bookseller is also one of Australia's oldest independent stores, having opened back in 1985. The homely space stocks an impressive collection of pages and topics, but is perhaps best known for its creative collection — specialising in coffee table-compatible books on art, literature, design, film, poetry and architecture. And if you love the second-best thing a bookshop can sell (knick-knacks), Ariel has all the trinkets and doodads you could ever ask for. Bookoccino 66 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon For the bookworms of the Northern Beaches, no store is as beloved as Avalon's Bookoccino. About an hour's drive north of the CBD and in the more secluded stretch of the insular peninsula, Bookoccino has been peddling pages since 1992, now owned by a former writer for The New York Times and the New Yorker and selling a stock of some 10,000 volumes strong. It's also a cafe, and proudly computer-free, which, as the website explains, is "a small rebellion in favour of thinking, conversation and the simple pleasure of reading." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abbey's Bookshop (@abbeysbookshop) Abbey's Bookshop 131 York St, Sydney CBD When you're in the heart of the city, you do have a variety of stores to choose from, but one of the endearing favourites can be found on York St opposite the Queen Victoria Building. This is Abbey's, operating since 1968 as one of Australia's most premium literary retailers. On the ground floor, you'll find one of the largest in-store collections of crime fiction novels in the country, alongside children's books and a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction. Head up the stairs, and you'll find GALAXY Books, a dedicated Sci-Fi and Fantasy bookstore, and one of Australia's largest ESL book collections in Abbey's Language Book Centre. Kinokuniya Level 2/500 George St, The Galeries It might be impossible to be a book lover in Sydney who hasn't heard of or visited Kinokuniya. A veritable paradise for page-turners, this Sydney CBD outpost of the Japanese-based brand has one of the largest ranges of books in the city, selling well over 300,000 titles in English, Japanese and Chinese. This is the sort of bookstore you visit when you want the shop to tell you what you want to buy. Be it travel, history, art, secondhand books, games, manga, comic books, romance, horror, film or comedy, you will never, ever have a hard time finding the title for you in Kinokuniya. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TITLE (@titlestore) TITLE Barangaroo 400 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo Part library, part criterion closet and part garage vinyl store, TITLE is the place to be for the independently inclined and constantly creative. Dealing not only in pages but in discs, TITLE has two stores in Sydney, but its Barangaroo store fills a niche of creative retail in a harbourside area otherwise dedicated to hospitality. TITLE is where you go when you want to be challenged by the shelves and surprised by what's in stock. Don't expect your average front-of-store bestsellers; these shelves are home to pieces of thought-provoking physical media that deserve to come home with you on the basis of substance, not reputation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gertrude & Alice (@gertrudeandalice) Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore 1/46 Hall St, Bondi Something of a escape, perfect for the occasion when the surf and sand that normally draws a crowd to Bondi simply won't do, Gertrude and Alice has long been a top choice for a cosy respite in one of Sydney's busiest suburbs. Family-owned and operated, it's a space with a rich vintage charm and the sort of store you could easily whittle away the hours in simply by browsing. If that leaves you hungry, the cafe aspect comes in handy, allowing you to crack open a new find over all-day brekkie rolls, lentil soup, Mexican eggs and more. You'll be halfway through your book before you know it. [caption id="attachment_1094225" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] Woollahra Bookshop Spicer St, Woollahra Veteran Bookseller Michael Eyes is the mind and heart behind this Woollahra gem, one of the most beloved bookshops in Sydney's inner east, tucked neatly between Paddington and Bondi. Though it began its life in Double Bay under the name Lesley McKay's, its Woollahra Village home is representative of what it's loved for now. Woollahra Bookshop boasts a hand-picked collection of titles, from dense novels to aesthetic coffee-table books and supplementary goodies — it's a store that celebrates not just the written word, but the unspoken pleasure of browsing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Margaret Dunstan (@lovevintagebookswilloughby) Love Vintage Books 563 Willoughby Road, Willoughby If vintage is what you're after, there's no better place to find it than this highly curated collectors' haven on the lower North Shore. Love Vintage Books deals exclusively in just that: vintage, hard-to-find books that are out of print or simply one of a kind. To clarify, it's not just a secondhand bookstore and won't buy your old books. Here you'll find an abundance of first-edition treasures and antique classic literature. Take the scripts of a 1950s medical drama, 1930s recounts of the great explorers, biographies published in the late 1800s or a first-edition cookbook valued at almost $1000 — these are the sorts of books you typically won't find outside of private collections. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elizabeth's Bookshop (@elizabethsbookshop) Elizabeth's Bookshop 257 King St, Newtown We'd be remiss to discuss Sydney's vintage book scene without including the Newtown institution that is Elizabeth's. Part of a four-store family across Australia, Elizabeth's has been a secondhand book dealer for over 50 years, with a global network of suppliers and a national stockpile that at any time measures around 400,000 titles across all its physical stores. The King St store, like a green portal into a pocket dimension of the page, is its largest Sydney outpost and home to many a hard-to-find title. It's also the origin of the now widespread Blind Date With a Book, which could be hiding your next favourite read behind a paper wrap and some extremely loose clues as to what hides within. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Book Station (@thebookstation) The Book Station 356 Port Hacking Rd, Caringbah Down in the Shire, literature lovers congregate in the vintage haven and cafe that is The Book Station, a mix of a cafe, bookstore and community hub. The shelves are stocked with pre-loved titles, but it's not as curatorial as other shops in this list. In fact, The Book Station offers an exchange program, bring in your (undamaged) pre-loved books, and you'll earn store credit to go towards a new purchase. Since there's a cafe on-site, you could theoretically spend an entire day buying and reading something over all day breakfast and lunch menus, then return it to grab another title and rinse and repeat another day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Desire Books & Records (@desire_books_records) Desire Books & Records 3 Whistler St, Manly Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main Manly Corso, visitors looking for an elusive parking space inside the Whistler St car park on a sunny Saturday will like lay eyes upon this small but mighty pre-loved bookstore. Opposite the beloved antiquities and oddities store Ooli's in a miniaturised vintage arcade, Desire Books is nothing but vintage gold. Creaky wooden floors, chalk signage and precariously packed shelves contain hard-to-find and pre-loved titles from across the worlds of fiction and non-fiction, alongside a great selection of vinyl records — ideal if you're a collector of many a physical media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sappho Books, Cafe & Bar (@sapphobooks) Sappho Books, Cafe and Bar 51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe If Kinokuniya is paradise for new releases, Sappho is sacred ground for vintage and pre-loved book hunters. The three-story heritage building on Glebe Point Rd is so much more than just a pre-loved bookstore, even if it shelves an impressive 30,000 titles. Here, you can sell your own books, buy secondhand sheet music, sip on a specialty barista coffee in the courtyard, enjoy a healthy bowl or stacked sandwich or come after dark to enjoy sangria jugs in the summer, mulled wine in the winter and tapas year-round with poetry, open mic nights or live music to entertain you. Got more vintage or shopping itches to scratch? Read our list of the best vintage stores in Sydney. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Mother's Day lunches tend to fall into two camps: overthought or underwhelming. The sweet spot sits somewhere in between. Good food, a bit of ceremony, and enough structure that no one ends up negotiating over mains. Across Sydney this year, restaurants are leaning into set menus that actually make sense (we've all cringed while Dad stumbles through exotic dish names, Mum's stressed over the draught from the aircon, and your little sister is hungover and 20 minutes late). Whether it's a long Lebanese spread in The Rocks, a Greek feast by the beach, or a steakhouse lunch that doesn't pretend to be anything else, Mother's Day doesn't need to be a trial by fire. Let the professionals do what they do best and let the mother-figure in your life actually enjoy their day. Here's where to book. Recommended reads: Thoughtful and Chic Mother's Day Gifts That She'll Actually Want Five Dreamy Spots to Visit on International Women's Day for a Self-Care Moment The Nine Best Walks In and Around Sydney Ananas The Rocks The Rocks is getting a new French address just in time for Mother's Day, with Ananas opening on May 7, meaning your booking is among the first through the door. The $115pp four-course menu sticks to bistro logic: line-caught fish crudo, chicken terrine, then mains like confit duck leg or steak frites au poivre. Dessert lands as a shared table spread–rosé grapefruit sorbet, crème caramel with liquorice root custard and tarte au chocolat with Armagnac cream. A strong pick if Mum likes the idea of being early to something. Book here. Aria CBD If you're leaning formal, Aria is doing what it does best, a refined, high-touch dining experience. Executive chef Tom Gorringe has curated a five-course tasting menu ($275pp) that moves through lobster raviolo with Meyer lemon and kombu, seared scallop with leek and vin jaune, and finishes on chocolate, cherry and vanilla. Every mum gets a glass of champagne on arrival. There's a $70pp two-course option for kids (12 and under), with lunch running as a two-hour sitting. Dinner shifts gears slightly: à la carte is available for smaller groups, while parties of eight or more move onto an eight-course tasting. Book here. Vitelli's Upstairs Redfern If the brief is carbs and comfort, this is the one. Vitelli's Upstairs is running a $129pp New York-Italian lunch across eight dishes, fried lasagne bites, garlic focaccia with parm dip, pipe rigate all'vodka, chicken parm and barramundi piccata. There's cheesecake to finish, and a $49pp kids' option that includes a double chocolate sundae. Lunch only, and super generous. Book here. Sahtein The Rocks Thirteen dishes for $77pp is hard to argue with. Sahtein's Lebanese feast covers the full spread: dips, breads and pickles, then lamb and beef sausages with pomegranate molasses, skewers, batata harra, falafel and tabbouleh, finishing with baklawa and orange blossom ice cream. The kind of meal that stretches well into the afternoon. Book here. Grana CBD Grana's $139pp shared lunch is less about occasion theatrics and more about ingredient-led cooking. Expect swordfish carpaccio, shaved cuttlefish with pomegranate and finger lime, crab gnudi, roasted Bannockburn chicken with porcini cream, then panna cotta and a dark chocolate torta to close. Polished without being showy. Book here. Lana CBD Lana continues to sit comfortably between Italian and Asian without forcing the comparison. The $149pp menu runs nine dishes. Wagyu bresaola, grilled Jersey milk curd, squid ink capelli with XO clams, Black ONYX striploin with kai lan and bone marrow, and a yuzu parfait with limoncello custard. There's also a $70pp kids' menu, which makes this one of the easier CBD options for groups. Book here. Etheus Bondi Beach One of the few venues doing both ends of the day. There's a $69pp breakfast (yoghurt with preserved pear, filo pie, halloumi bagel, eggs with oregano butter) and a $159pp long lunch that shifts into grilled king prawns, saganaki with ouzo and honey, braised lamb shoulder and bougatsa. Greek, by the beach at your pace. Book here. Island Radio Redfern For something louder in flavour and atmosphere, Island Radio leans Southeast Asian. The $119pp dinner covers eight dishes including crispy pork belly with kimchi, XO longevity noodles, slow-cooked wagyu brisket with golek peanut curry, with a $35pp kids' menu to keep things simple. Dinner only, and built for a lively table. Book here. The Cut Bar & Grill The Rocks Sometimes the brief is just steak. The Cut's $139pp seven-course menu centres on a 250g Cape Grim MB5+ Black Angus with red wine sauce, horseradish cream and fat-cut chips cooked in beef dripping. It opens with tartlets and tuna, and ends with a hot fudge sundae. Straightforward, done properly. Book here. Bar Patron Circular Quay Less ceremony, more celebration. Bar Patron's $115pp set menu runs nine dishes ranging from snapper with salsa macha, to brisket birria quesadilla, Glacier 51 toothfish with Oaxacan adobo, finishing with tres leches. It's the kind of menu that pairs easily with a margarita or two. The Harbour views don't hurt either. Book here. Spice Temple CBD For the mum who finds most banquets a bit predictable. Spice Temple's $139pp menu pulls from across China's regional cuisines. Yunnan-style pink snapper, Sichuan beef, steamed flathead with ginger and shallot, dumplings and prawn toast to start. Big, bold and delicious. Book here. Saké Restaurant & Bar The Rocks & Double Bay Not every Japanese set menu finishes with steak, but this one does. Saké's $155pp contemporary menu runs from Sydney rock oyster with mandarin vinaigrette through bluefin tuna sashimi and Moreton Bay bug tempura, before landing on MB6–7+ hanger steak with miso-compressed leek. Chocolate mousse to close. Available at both The Rocks and Double Bay, and one of the more structured options going around. Book here. Touch Wood Sydney Fish Market A more relaxed option, but still with a bit of thought behind it. Touch Wood is running a $95pp three-course menu (with a $30pp kids' option) from 10.30am, with all mums receiving a complimentary glass of prosecco and a box of cookies. You can also pre-order flowers from Mayfarm Flowers to collect on arrival which neatly solves the "did anyone bring a gift?" problem. Book here. The Dry Dock Balmain At The Dry Dock, chef Ben Sitton has put together a one-day-only $145pp four-course sharing menu in the Dining Room, running from 11.30am–4pm. Start with an amuse bouche, shared entrées, then a choice of mains and desserts. Mums are welcomed with a complimentary glass of Veuve Laperrière Blanc de Blancs, while a $16 French 75 runs as the house cocktail. Downstairs in the Public House, things are more flexible. The same French 75 is available all day, alongside a dessert special of raspberry trifle, orange diplomat and pistachio dacquoise. Book here. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
Sydneysiders who call the lower north shore home are a pretty lucky bunch. Encompassing many of the city's most desirable suburbs (Lavender Bay, Kirribilli, Mosman, Balmoral), this area truly has it all: sweeping harbour views, beautiful beaches and a vibrant dining scene are just a few highlights. Considering a move across the (Harbour or Spit) bridge? In partnership with luxury Australian property development company Aqualand and its new Blue at Lavender Bay project, we've rounded up the ten best restaurants in the area to give you the final push you may need. With some of Sydney's most iconic fine dining establishments and innovative newcomers in the area, you'll always have an option for date night, weekend brunch or those evenings when you just can't be bothered to cook. CHIOSCO BY ORMEGGIO, MOSMAN Compared to two-hatted sister restaurant Ormeggio, Chiosco (kiosk in Italian) is a decidedly more casual affair set in a nautical open-air space featuring stunning water views. Think Italian street food served with a 'barefoot and BYO' ethos — this is definitely a place where you can show up salt-sprayed and wind-tousled for an excellent feed. Helmed by executive chef Alessandro Pavoni, Chiosco offers Italian classics like fried calamari, tuna tartare and creamy burrata. If you'd rather eat picnic-style, grab a panini to go, and whatever you do — dining in or out — don't miss the hot Nutella-filled bombolone ($10). AQUA DINING, MILSONS POINT Perched atop the North Sydney Olympic Pool, this quintessential Sydney restaurant boasts sweeping views across the harbour from its floor-to-ceiling windows. Don't get too distracted though — the food here deserves your full attention. The contemporary Italian menu changes with the seasons, featuring many delights like puttanesca risotto and mouthwatering eggplant topped with smoked cheddar. We should also mention that this is not the place to skimp on drinks. Their impressive wine list all but requires that you order at least a bottle (or two). ANNATA, CROWS NEST This delightful first venture by former Eau de Vie bartender Christian Blair ticks all the right boxes. Unsurprisingly, Annata boasts an excellent drinks selection, with a lengthy wine list and inventive cocktails, and the food menu is as equally impressive. With chef Jimmy Richardson in charge, the restaurant's compact, seasonal menu is designed for sharing. Start with the delectable Coffin Bay oysters topped with pickled black fungus, and don't miss the tender duck breast atop a treviso, fennel milk, plum and topaque puree. With dim lighting, exposed brick walls and tasteful metal accents, this is the perfect place to bring a date. BISTRO MONCUR, MOSMAN Fans of Guillaume Brahimi's Woollahra institution Bistro Moncur, rejoice. The iconic French restaurant now has a second location in Mosman's recently refurbished The Buena. Located in the venue's downstairs area, the space is chic yet casual, with cushioned bench seats, wooden tables and huge windows that flood the bistro with natural light. The menu is much the same as the Woollahra original, so you can expect to find all your favourites, including that oh-so-addictive French onion soufflé gratin, potato and ricotta gnocchi with sage butter and mouthwatering de-boned lamb rack. Pair your meal with a drop from their award-winning wine list, and settle in for a very indulgent evening. ARISTOTLE'S, NEUTRAL BAY This elegant new restaurant brings a taste of Greece to Neutral Bay. As expected from a restaurant named after shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, the venue boasts a glamorous, nautical interior — all white-washed walls, lofty ceilings, shiny mirrors and gold accents. Of course the food is utterly exceptional, so make like the Greeks, and share everything. You can build your own dining experience à la carte — we recommend the seared scallops and chargrilled octopus — or opt for the Aristotle's Table set menu ($60). Don't forget to save room for dessert, especially for Aristotle's Cigar, a crisp filo shell wrapped around creamy pistachio custard. SAILS ON LAVENDER BAY, MCMAHONS POINT This beautiful harbour-side restaurant has been on the scene for over four decades, so it's clearly doing something right. You'll enjoy gorgeous views wherever you sit, since the narrow dining room and floor-to-ceiling windows mean it's nearly impossible to get a bad seat. The modern Aussie menu emphasises local produce, and seafood takes centre stage with standouts like the pink snapper and mahi mahi. With an award-winning wine list and small selection of signature cocktails, the drinks don't disappoint either. Make your booking for sunset and take it all in — fresh views, fresh food and fresh drinks all in one. BATHERS PAVILION, BALMORAL A true Sydney classic, Bathers' Pavilion is one of the best places on the lower north shore to spend a weekend morning. Part cafe, part restaurant and set overlooking Balmoral Beach, Bathers' serves up a Mediterranean-inspired menu to satisfy every craving. Casual Saturday brunch at the cafe guarantees a stellar weekend, and if you're in a fancy mood, the French-inspired restaurant's elegant lunch and dinner will take your weekend to the next level. Owner and executive chef Serge Dansereau serves a seasonal menu, with favourites such as seared scallops and pan-fried barramundi making an appearance, complemented by an extensive wine list. HUNTER GATHERER, NORTH SYDNEY Hunter Gatherer — the latest venue from the team behind Bondi's The Corner House and Panama House — is a lively eatery and bar perched above North Sydney's Greenwood Plaza. The menu is excellent, and the fit-out is stunning — with high ceilings, Scandi furniture, huge windows and naked lightbulbs. Divided into 'Hunted' (mains) and 'Gathered' (sides), the menu is a celebration of all things fresh, sustainable and local. From the 'Hunted', we're especially loving the hearty farmers market steak platter and juicy chicken coated in lemon, verjus and confit garlic. From the 'Gathered', we're crunching into the complex salads like the Pitt Town beetroot, orange and endive salad with walnut vinaigrette. Hunt, gather and complete your meal with something some from the drinks list — it features craft beers, organic wines and creative cocktails. ITALIAN STREET KITCHEN, NEUTRAL BAY For a taste of Italy in the backstreets of Neutral Bay, get yourself over to Italian Street Kitchen. Steered by Mauro Marcucci of Baccomatto Osteria, the buzzy eatery offers Italian street eats at very reasonable prices. Featuring a series of interactive food stalls, you're invited to gorge yourself on all the pizza, pasta, antipasto and roasted meats you can manage. Don't go entirely overboard on the savoury options though, because the desserts — especially the tiramisu and mini Nutella calzoncini — are not to be missed. Bring your heartiest appetite to this one. THE BUENA, MOSMAN The Buena has been epically revamped and it's now far from your average local. With a new interior befitting its Mosman location, it's just the right amount of fancy. Home to Bistro Moncur, Buena Bar and Vista Bar, The Buena spoils you with choice. In the mood for a gastropub experience? Head upstairs to the sun-filled Vista Bar, perfect for a cruisy weekend afternoon. Craving those good ol' pub vibes? Slip into a leather booth downstairs in Buena Bar to catch some live sport and soak in the old world charm. Pub classics like burgers and steaks share menu space with more upscale delights like ceviche and crab linguine. You can also get your hands on some tasty woodfired pizzas. There are excellent craft beers on-tap, but if you're in the mood for a cheeky cocktail, you won't be disappointed. Surround yourself with everything the lower north shore has to offer at Aqualand's Blue at Lavender Bay development. The best restaurants, cafes, bars and activities are all on your doorstep.
Even when your boss keeps you chained to the desk till sundown, the day needn't be filed as a write-off. Sydney isn't only good for clandestine beaches, idiosyncratic water holes and splashing about under falls, it has night swimming on tap, too. Here are five spots where you can take a dip after dark, with enough light to see, while protected from nocturnal sea life. Before we dive in, though, a word of warning. While night swimming can be all sorts of fun, it can also prove dangerous. It's definitely not recommended for the intoxicated or for those lacking in swim-confidence. We've swum frequently at each of the following locations at night, but conditions can change: lights go out, surf reaches scary heights, shark nets are only nets — not concrete walls. Take people with you and keep your judgement handy. BRONTE POOL It might be a tangle of action during the day, but, after 11pm, Bronte is as tranquil as a mountaintop monastery. There's no pub or hostel to attract raucous types, so, once the eateries wind down, it's all empty streets and quiet parks. The pool, however, never closes. It makes for fantastic night swimming because you have the reassurance of four walls, yet you're close enough to the surf to experience a sense of wildness. Even better when the moon's full. Bronte Pool lies at the southern end of Bronte Beach. ROSS JONES MEMORIAL POOL, COOGEE Like Bronte, Ross Jones combines the security of solid enclosure with an absolute oceanfront position. Your swim comes with panoramic views across Coogee Bay and out to the horizon, through walls that mimic the battlements you might find on expert sandcastles. The pool was built back in 1947 and has since been photographed extensively by the likes of Ian Lever and Ken Duncan. Find Ross Jones Memorial Pool at the southern end of Coogee Beach, just next door to the SLSC. MAHON POOL, MAROUBRA For even more wildness, head further south to Maroubra's Mahon. It's one of Sydney most invigorating ocean pools – when the tide's high and the swell's raging, waves come crashing over the walls. Plus, being hidden away at the bottom of a headland and occupying an especially exposed position, it really does feel a long way from the city. Flood lighting provides visibility at night. Take care when walking around — wet rocks are slippery rocks. To reach Mahon Pool, descend the staircase on the coast side of Marine Parade car park. SHARK BEACH, NIELSEN PARK For a spangled city skyline, Sydney Harbour's Shark Beach is hard to top. The view extends all the way from the titanium glow of Sydney Tower to the Bridge, foregrounded by national park. Don't let the name frighten you off – the swimmable part of the beach is hemmed in by floor-to-surface netting in summer. Floating about freely in the deep, inky water – where I definitely wouldn't be hanging around in the absence of anti-shark protection – is kind of exhilarating. Beg your boss for an early mark, so you can catch the sunset. Shark Beach is off Nielsen Park, Greycliffe Avenue, Vaucluse. WATSONS BAY BATHS When the Watsons Bay Baths were revamped in 2010, they gained Olympic proportions. So, if you're the next Ian Thorpe, pop down here for some mean midnight lap training. Alternatively, float about at your leisure, taking in the city views, or sprawl out on a pontoon. They're intended for sunbathing but are equally effective for stargazing. Once you're done, the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is just a warming trot across the grass. Let it be emphasised that pub sojourns should take place after — and not before — swimming. You'll find the Watsons Bay Baths on Marine Parade, just opposite Tea Gardens Cafe.
Slightly hidden below Clarence Street via a winding staircase, The Lobo is a lot bigger than you'd expect. The deep red and green decor paired with recycled dark wood and floral furniture is delightfully welcoming, while the fine use of space and overall attention to detail makes this week-old newbie seem like a long-loved establishment. And what's more, the moment you step up to the bar, you're made to feel like a real regular. With a staggering collection of rums, wines and the usual favourites, there's more than just your two-bit mojito here. Negroni lovers will fall head over heels for the Short and Stout, a powerful little play on a classic, while the Million Dollar No. 9 is fruity, irresistibly drinkable and comes with its very own homemade real fruit rollup. For a little nibble, enjoy the complimentary salted plantain chips (warning: addictive) or grab the meatballs (order some snow buns to soak up the sauce). But for a real treat, try the empanadas with the flakiest, most heavenly pastry that just crumbles and crunches in your mouth, or the polenta tamale, steamed in a corn husk and dribbled with a few drops of the house-made hot sauce. Appears in: Sydney's Best Underground Bars for 2023
