Chippo’s new eatery marks two firsts. Named Automata, it’ll be first hotel to open at the revamped Old Clare Hotel and it is chef Clayton Wells’ first solo venture. “I wanted to create a restaurant with the intention of showcasing local produce in a way that combines fine dining style food that I love to cook, with a casual restaurant feel that I enjoy eating in. I want people to be able to dictate the dining experience themselves, whether a leisurely lunch on a Sunday or a quick post-work dinner,” Wells said. This might be Wells’s first solo ride, but he’s a man of experience. He’s worked at Tetsuya’s, London’s Michelin-starred Viajante and Quay (under Peter Gilmore), and used to be sous chef at Momofuku Seiobo. Set to open on September 16, the 60-seater will be serving dinner Wednesday through to Saturday and lunch on Sunday. Five ever-changing courses ($88 + $55 for optional matching wine) will be on offer, with the focus on unusual ingredients, put together in a modern, innovative manner, without too much fuss. To give you an idea, the opening menu is promising storm clam, rosemary dashi, cream and dulse; steamed bass groper, cured roe emulsion, seaweed; partridge, witlof, burnt apple and caper; and pumpkin seed, tangelo and sea buckthorn. Meanwhile, designer Matt Darwon (aka Matt Machine), The Rag and Bone Man’s Paul Firbank and Lizzie Gosling (UK) consulted on Automata’s 6-metre high interior that plays with the theme of machinery. Expect aircraft piston lights and a stunning chandelier made of a former aircraft radial engine. Automata is one of three high-profile restaurants opening at the new hotel on the Old Clare/Carlton United Brewery site. UK chef Jason Atherton will open the 120-seater Kensington Street Social, and Briton Sam Miller (former executive sous chef at Copenhagen’s Noma) will also open his first solo restaurant, Silvereye, on the second floor.
The much-adored Bondi institution China Diner launches its latest ultimate dining experience — Bottomless Bondi Brunch — on Saturday, April 6. From 12.30–4.30pm every Saturday, you can indulge in a Cantonese-inspired feast, including some signature China Diner dishes, endless drinks and the Bondi Beach ambience — perfect for a weekend celebration. For just $65, dive into the Wok N' Roll package, including their 'chiko' spring rolls, xiao long bao, chicken hokkien noodles and more. Enjoy bottomless house wines, beer and seltzer for 90 minutes. Feeling extra indulgent? Upgrade to the premium banquet for $85, featuring the five-spice duck pancakes with specialty cocktails, including the iconic yuzu spritz — a perfect refreshing beverage to wrap up your delicious lunch. Bookings are essential, so gather your friends and secure your table for a laidback Saturday session filled with great food and endless drinks.
After decades of revolving buffet and dining experiences that catered more to tourists than Sydneysiders, Sydney Tower (or Centrepoint Tower, for those with longer memories) has unveiled a bold new culinary direction for its 81st-floor dining room. Infinity by Mark Best is the new sky-high fine diner overlooking the city, bringing one of Australia's most celebrated chefs to one of Sydney's most iconic locations. Infinity marks a return to the kitchen for Best, whose internationally acclaimed Surry Hills fine diner Marque shuttered in 2016. At Infinity, he'll lead the kitchen daily, overseeing a menu of exclusively Australian produce. Best's opening menu is a showcase of the creativity and precision that are synonymous with his name — snacks and starters include South Coast sea urchin crumpets, potato and duck liver fritters and Abrolhos Island scallops with parmesan gnocchi and a zingy hot and sour sauce. Mains are just as inventive — grilled trout from the Snowy River is served with cultured cream and horseradish, while the gentle marbling of roast Margra lamb neck is given an earthy, umami edge with new potatoes, wakame and pickled radish. "Infinity by Mark Best is an opportunity to define what Australian dining can truly be: delicious, contemporary, culturally resonant, and grounded in ingredients and identity," says Best. "I want to tell a story of place, memory and innovation — to express who I am, and who we are — on a plate. I want to explore the evolving story of Australian cuisine, drawing on memory, transforming the familiar, and crafting a dining experience that connects land, culture and imagination in a setting unlike any other, 81 floors above the city that shaped me." The chef has also had a hand in curating the wine list alongside sommelier Polly Mackarel — and this, too, is an all-Australian affair, with picks spanning legacy vineyards and new-wave producers, as well as a generous selection of pours by the glass. Cocktails also have an Australian accent, from the Karu gin-backed martini garnished with olives from Toolunka Estate, to a sweet and smoky margarita featuring Act of Treason blanco agave, wild honey from the Blue Mountains, Geraldton wax and finger lime. The fitout is deliberately restrained — after all, the view does much of the heavy lifting here. The 90-seat dining room is anchored by subdued navy, charcoal and timber notes, accented with polished brass and soft amber glass. It's all designed to let the food — and that view — take centre stage. And with one of the country's most acclaimed chefs at the helm, there's no doubt that the dining room at the top of the town is now firmly back in the spotlight.
For residents of the Greater Brisbane area, plus folks who spent some of your Christmas and New Year break in the region, 2021 has gotten off to a hectic start. The city's Grand Chancellor hotel cluster sparked six COVID-19 cases — all of the new, more contagious B117 coronavirus strain — resulting in a three-day lockdown, increased local restrictions, and changes in domestic border rules between states as well. The cluster also saw Prime Minister Scott Morrison declare Greater Brisbane a COVID-19 hotspot at the commonwealth level — a decision that came out of the first Australian national cabinet meeting for 2021, and covered the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas. Now, just over a week later — and 14 days since local transmission is thought to have occurred — Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has announced that the hotspot status has been revoked. That new status became effective at 12.01am today, Sunday, January 17. "This hotspot was declared out of an abundance of caution because we saw for the first time a case of this new more transmissible strain in the community," said Kelly. "Like so many instances throughout the pandemic, we've now seen another success story in our response." When Greater Brisbane was deemed a federal-level hotspot, every state and territory across Australia implemented border restrictions with the area — and in some cases, the entire State of Queensland. As the situation has settled, those rules have been changing again. In New South Wales, folks who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 were required to isolate during the Queensland region's lockdown. Now, however, there are no restrictions in place. Victoria closed its borders to Greater Brisbane, and implemented a new traffic light-style system to cope with domestic outbreaks and corresponding restrictions on entering the state in general. Greater Brisbane was initially classed as a 'red zone', which meant anyone who had been in the area couldn't head to Victoria. As at 6pm on Saturday, January 16, it became an 'orange zone' instead — so entry is now allowed after applying for a permit, then self-quarantining, getting a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arrival and remaining in isolation until a negative test result is received. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350229906488102913 Tasmania declared the Greater Brisbane region a high-risk area. Anyone who had arrived in Tasmania after spending time in Greater Brisbane since January 2 had to immediately self-isolate, while anyone who had been in the area and wants to travel to Tassie isn't allowed to enter without an exemption. That's still the case, although the rules will be reviewed and updated on Monday, January 18. In the Northern Territory, a hotspot declaration meant that anyone entering the NT from Greater Brisbane area had to go into quarantine for two weeks. That declaration was revoked on Monday, January 11. South Australia brought in a quarantine requirement, too, requiring arrivals from Greater Brisbane to to isolate for two weeks. That was revoked at 12.01am on Sunday, January 17, although anyone entering SA from the area must now have a COVID-19 test on day one, five and 12 of their trip to the state. The Australian Capital Territory required anyone who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 to go into isolation for 14 days from when they were last in the area; however, that was revoked at 2pm on Monday, January 11. Over in Western Australia, a hard border has been brought back in with all of Queensland, with WA closing to anyone who has been in the Sunshine State since January 2. That's still in effect — so anyone who receives an exemption to still enter WA has to go into quarantine for 14 days, and undertake COVID-19 testing within 48 hours of arrival and again on day 11 of their quarantine. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Blessed be your streaming queue one last time, or at least until a TV version of The Testaments arrives. The Handmaid's Tale is finishing in 2025, concluding with the page-to-screen hit's sixth season. As both the first teaser trailer and the just-dropped full sneak peek at the award-winning series' last run illustrate, June (Elisabeth Moss, The Veil) is again up for a fight. Since 2017, watching The Handmaid's Tale has meant wishing for one thing: the end of Gilead, the totalitarian, male-dominated society that rules the show's dystopian version of the United States. In the award-winning series adapted from Margaret Atwood's 1985 book, that outcome is finally coming in a way, at least for viewers for now. When June says that "this is the beginning of the end" in the new trailer, ideally she means for the way of life that she's been forced to endure — but whatever happens, this specific Gilead story will wrap up. "Now it's time for them to be afraid of us," June also states. For the show's protagonist and her fellow red-wearing women, revolution is coming. Rallying against the oppressive status quo however possible has sat at the heart of this series since day one — and in its last season, June is back waging war. As the initial teaser trailer for season six had June note, outlining the ways that the regime has tried to push her and her fellow women down, including via their restrictive attire, "the dress became a uniform — and we became an army". If you haven't read The Testaments, and therefore have no idea where Atwood has guided her franchise on the page from here, it's set 15 years after the events of its predecessor and also includes familiar characters. How that'll play into the end of The Handmaid's Tale on-screen obviously hasn't been revealed. Season six's plot will chart June's battle to take down Gilead, though, plus Luke (O-T Fagbenle, No Good Deed) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County) joining the resistance, Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Teacup) efforts to change Gilead, tests for Nick (Max Minghella, Maximum Truth), and reckonings for Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, The Madness) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, The Friend). The sixth season of The Handmaid's Tale debuts on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Down Under, it streams via SBS On Demand and Neon. Praise be for what looks like one helluva last hurrah for the show. Madeline Brewer (Space Oddity), Amanda Brugel (Dark Matter), Sam Jaeger (Wolf Man) and Ever Carradine (The Neighbourhood) also all return among the cast, with Josh Charles (Moss' The Veil co-star) a new addition. Check out the full trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season six below: The Handmaid's Tale season six debuts on Tuesday, April 8, streaming Down Under via SBS On Demand and Neon.
The Sydney CBD's historic Macquarie Street is set for a landmark revamp as the NSW Government has announced it will dedicate $119 million towards revitalising the precinct. The multimillion-dollar investment in the area is part of the NSW Government's 2021-22 budget which was handed down on Tuesday, June 22 and also includes funding for cultural institutions statewide and for a seven-day New Year's Eve festival on the Cahill Expressway. Stage one of the redevelopment will include creating a public plaza in Macquarie Street situated between the CBD and The Domain. The plaza will create a gateway to The Domain and will restore the original heritage architecture of the Registrar General's Building that was covered by a modern annex in the 1960s. "The revamped precinct will create a vibrant destination for people to enjoy during the day and well into the evening at the southern end of Macquarie Street, allowing the city to showcase some of its historic treasures such as The Mint, Hyde Park Barracks and The Domain," NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said. [caption id="attachment_816712" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Artist render supplied by Committee for Sydney.[/caption] The revamp comes after a NSW Government-commissioned precinct review led by Paul Keating and Lucy Turnbull made recommendations to revitalise the area into a space that could cultivate culture and showcase Sydney's history. "This funding is a great step forward to begin the work of breathing new life and energy in to one our city's most precious historic and architecturally significant precincts," Turnbull said. The cultural revitalisation of Macquarie Street has slowly begun over the past six months with the NSW government supporting nighttime music, art and cultural events at the Hyde Park Barracks, St Mary's Cathedral and the Sydney Living Museums. Under the government's arts funding, cultural institutions in and around Macquarie Street including the Australian Museum, Sydney Living Museums and Hyde Park Barracks will also receive financial incentives to provide free general admission. The plan has been met with positive feedback from key Sydney stakeholders. "This decision will open up the quiet treasure that is Sydney's Macquarie Street to all of Sydney," Gabriel Metcalf, CEO of the Committee for Sydney said. "The government's announcement of a major injection of funds into cultural institutions, including free entry to the Australian Museum and others in the Macquarie Street precinct over the next 12 months, is an incredible opportunity for Sydney as we look to attract people back into the city - from around the world and across the city." [caption id="attachment_736575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australian Museum[/caption] For more information about NSW's newly announced cultural funding, head to the NSW Treasury website. The NSW State Budget was handed down on Tuesday, June 22.
It's International Nurses Day on Monday, May 12. And, to mark the occasion, 4 Pines is giving nurses 49% off their bill. Any nurse who drops into 4 Pines between Monday, May 12–Sunday, May 18, will get the discount. It applies to everything – that is, all food and drink – ordered in-house. Seven of 4 Pines' venues are in on the deal. On the Northern Beaches, head to 4 Pines Brewpub or Bonsai by 4 Pines in Manly, 4 Pines Truck Bar in Brookvale, or 4 Pines Public House in Newport. Beyond Sydney, visit 4 Pines in Charlestown and Gracie's at 4 Pines in Orange. "Our nurses are always going the extra mile for us and so we wanted to do our bit to say thank you," said Adam Dearing, General Manager of Hospitality. This is the latest in a series of discounts that 4 Pines has brought to nurses over the past few years.
An Aussie riff on the izakayas of Japan and bars of Korea, Surry Hills' Tokki is a fun, relaxed spot primed for dinner, drinks and everything in between. As you'd expect, Japanese and Korean flavours star throughout the food and drink menus. A raw bar is plating options like salmon sashimi and a kingfish ceviche teamed with white soy-infused vinaigrette, while the small plates might see you tucking into the likes of Korean-style pork or miso butter-glazed roasted cauliflower. There are fluffy bao and a trio of Korean fried chicken (KFC) options, including one lathered in spicy Korean chilli paste. Or, you can go large with plates like the wagyu short rib with wild berry umeshu and miso butter prawns. A couple of feed me menus will save you the decisions. As Tokki is run by David Bae of Market City's Kogi Korean BBQ, you'd assume the Surry Hills restaurant would have some barbecued meets on the menu. And it does. We suggest you order the Tokki BBQ tray — a hefty mix of beef rib, pork belly, gochujang chicken and baby pork ribs. The matching drinks lineup spans a strong selection of Japanese whisky and sake, Korean soju and a concise wine list that focuses on minimal-intervention Aussie drops. You'll also find a mix of imported brews and local craft beers, and you can have a bit of fun with cocktails like the Merry Soju — a fresh blend of yuzu, soju, Suze, St. Germain and lavender — and a smoky bourbon number dubber Oboolau. Located on the corner of Foveaux and Belmore streets in Surry Hills — you'll spot the four bright light boxes through the large front windows — Tokki's isn't the only izakaya in the area. It's a two-minute walk from the long-standing Tokyo Bird and three minutes from the raucous Goros, so we suggest you hit them all up and make a bar crawl out of it.
The first half of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby is every bit its director, and is to be endured rather than enjoyed. Set during America's economic boom of the 1920s, the action is cartoonish, the dialogue is almost devoid of nuance and the lavish parties appear dull despite all the sparkles in the world — a regrettable triumph of impeccable style over substance. Apologists may argue this merely reflects Gatsby's time and theme: a shallow, superficial facade to reflect its characters and their unapologetic opulance, but that is too convenient. Simple regard to Luhrmann's history reminds us that exaggerated spectacle is every bit his custom, not a carefully chosen device, and his fondness for juxtaposing period drama with modern music (the soundtrack was produced by Jay-Z) proves more distracting than entertaining. Matters improve immeasurably, however, in the second half when Luhrmann begins to explore his favourite theme of forbidden love twixt star-crossed lovers. Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom and Romeo & Juliet all hit their highest notes when the pagentry gave way to the intimate, and Gatsby is no exception. The stolen moments between its protagonist Jay (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Daisy (Carey Mulligan) are appropriately tender but ominous, presided over with a mix of fascination and regret by the film's narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). To borrow from Fitzgerald, these few quiet moments are — compared to the 'rotten crowd' of the first hour — worth more than the lot of them put together. From a performance standpoint, the women definitely come out on top. Mulligan is utterly charming as Daisy, consistently allowing her character's fragility to worm its way to the surface before masking it with a disarming smile, and Isla Fisher is unrecognisable as the mistress of Daisy's husband Tom (played by Joel Edgerton in yet another impressive turn). Most captivating of all, however, is the statuesque Elizabeth Debicki, who commands the eye in every frame of film she occupies. In terms of the men, Maguire's doe-eyed exuberance is endearing enough, though at times it strays almost to the point of clowning, and Jason Clarke provides a nice cameo as Fisher's dim-witted husband. In the role of Gatsby, DiCaprio looks every bit the man whose smile "was one of those rare [ones] with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you come across four or five times in life", yet his performance feels largely wooden and unnatural. It's as if the words and accent are not his own, particularly in the first half where they seem so apart from his body as to invoke uncomfortable memories of Tom Hardy's Bane. Ultimately, it's far from the disaster indicated by some of its early reviews, particularly those that labelled it a 'two-hour music video', and there's no denying Luhrmann has a flair for engaging the senses with his extraordinary vision. That said, The Great Gatsby largely departs from the memory almost as quickly as it arrives, an impermanent and largely uncritical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's beloved take on the infirmity of the American Dream. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ozkOhXmijtk
We're all guilty of visiting the same old haunts week in, week out. Given that Sydney is teeming with new places to while away a summer's day, it's time to get out and explore. Next destination: Coogee. Even if Coogee Beach is your local, when's the last time you've paid a visit to some different spots from your norm? To help you out, we've curated a sunrise to sunset itinerary to show you how to pack the most into a day-long Coogee frolic. From sunrise boxing on the beach to lounging on the rooftop at Coogee Pavilion, outdoor yoga at the Baths to dog-spotting on the foreshore, you can have an active, ocean-drenched, food-filled (and sun-safe) day all at once down at one of Sydney's most laid-back eastern suburbs beaches. Grab your sunnies, slip into some clothes that'll protect that delicate skin of yours, slap a hat on your head and slop some SPF 30+ sunscreen all over — it's time to explore. 6AM: GO BOXING ON THE BEACH Book one of Beachfit and Wellbeing's outdoor boxing classes to kick-start your day with the zest of a lifestyle blogger. Coogee Beach itself gets fairly packed on your average summer's day, so the best way to enjoy the sand between your toes is to get down there early. Like, sunrise early. Meet at the centre of Coogee Beach, watch the sun come up and smash out a workout before most of Sydney has even registered that it's a new day. 7AM: GRAB COFFEE AND BREKKIE AT THE LITTLE KITCHEN Rinse off the sunrise sweat at one of the council's outdoor showers, and walk towards the south end of Coogee to The Little Kitchen. A family-run cafe open from 7am daily, you'll find modern Aussie cafe food in a relaxed, freshly refurbished setting. Pick a seat at one of the long tables inside away from the sun. Double Roasters coffee or cold drip takes care of all your caffeine needs. Keep brekkie simple with a humble order of fruit toast and ricotta, or have the grilled chorizo with roasted peppers, herb salad, hummus and labne for a more substantial feed. Don't forget to bring a book or the paper — anyone who gets up before 8am truly earns the right to savour that morning coffee. 8.30AM: ENJOY SOME PRIME DOG-SPOTTING Scientific fact: dogs are freaking cute. But you can test this hypothesis for yourself if you must. Grab a coffee to go, meander along the boardwalk towards Trenerry Reserve and you'll be in the heartland of peak dog-spotting action. Remember to wear a hat, some SPF 30+ sunscreen and sunnies as those UV rays start to strengthen. 9.30AM: PRACTICE YOUR SUN SALUTATION AT OUTDOOR YOGA Keep the active-wear on for a relaxing outdoor yoga session. From the dog park, just wander 100 metres back towards Coogee Beach to the historic Wylie's Baths for a wholesome al fresco Hatha Flow. Run by Wylie's Wellness, classes take place in the shade of a marquee overlooking the sea. But even so, remember to reapply sunscreen before practising. 12PM: FISH AND CHIPS AT CHISH N FIPS After an active morning, it's time to chill. Lunch from Chish N Fips is a local favourite. It's a reasonably priced, no-frills joint reminiscent of grabbing a feed on a South Coast camping car trip with the family circa 1998, but, more importantly, it's very tasty. Order calamari and chips to take away and find a seat in the shade. 2PM: COOGEE PAVILION Unequivocally the best place to scout a prime view overlooking the whole of Coogee Beach is from the rooftop balcony of Coogee Pavilion. With UV radiation still very strong at this time of day, under one of their balcony umbrellas is also a good place for enjoying a summer afternoon wind down overlooking the beach — without the sun damage. 4PM: SNORKELLING AT GORDONS BAY You don't have to travel to the Great Barrier Reef to live out your marine biologist dreams — check out the teeming aquatic life down at Gordons Bay, the coastal inlet just north of Coogee Beach. The word that comes to mind when describing the bay is 'magical'. This might sound like the overzealous puffery of a high-end Maldivian resort guidebook write-up, but when you're floating in the water looking up at the surrounding cliffs, you will second this assessment. Wear some kind of rash vest and reapply the SPF 30+ sunscreen — the water reflects those UV rays, even in the afternoon. 6PM: DINNER AT SUGARCANE RESTAURANT Conclude your Coogee adventure with dinner and drinks at Sugarcane. It's a contemporary Asian dining experience with Japanese, Malay, Thai and Chinese cuisines all featuring on the menu. The decor has Balinese Seminyak vibes, but the ocean view from the restaurant's balcony tables is pure Sydney. As you explore Coogee Beach this summer, make sure to stay sun safe — slip, slop, slap, slide on some sunnies, don't forget to reapply and seek out that shade. For more information on how to protect your skin from the sun visit Pretty Shady and join the generation that's putting an end to skin cancer.
Yes, you read that correctly — Sydney's favourite heritage pub, The Taphouse, is coming back to Flinders Street. Thanks to renowned hospitality group Applejack, Sydneysiders will be able to enjoy the popular watering hole again, as well as its stylish new additions. Applejack's M.O. is to rejuvenate retired local haunts while maintaining the integrity and history of these community institutions, putting its own spin on 'something new and something old'. After resurrecting Surry Hill's famed Forrester's pub back in 2020, the Sydney-based hospo group set its sights on The Taphouse, the ninth venue under Applejack's ownership, now set to reopen the three-level pub on Wednesday, September 13. In the case of The Taphouse, Applejacks has retained its three core driving forces — its taps, tunes and the Chinese menu offering. "Pat, Benny, and I were on the rooftop one sunny arvo and thought how good it would be to put a spin on the food by serving up a delicious Chinese menu to enjoy whilst making your way through the 20 odd taps which will feature Sydney's favourite breweries. It's an all killer no filler approach to beer," said Applejack co-owner, Hamish Watts. The revived venue's fit-out consists of newly added terracotta tones and dark timber, creating an invitingly intimate atmosphere paired alongside the familiar timber paneling and pressed tin ceilings. The rooftop terrace, however, juxtaposes the cosy interiors with its complete revamp — featuring neutral umbrellas for maximum shade, a fully retractable roof and coastal white and blue tones. To top it all off, there's also a brand-new sound system primed for use. Applejack's decision to shine a spotlight on Cantonese cuisine pulled inspiration from the inner-workings of English pubs. "We were inspired by the great English tradition of leasing out pub kitchens and serving a style of food not normally associated with a pub," said Watts. Patrick Friesen (ex-Queen Chow, Stanley Brisbane & Ms.G's) leads The Taphouse's kitchen as Directory of Culinary alongside the newly appointed Head Chef Sam Ng (ex-Ho Lee Fook, Praya and Stanley), hailing from Hong Kong. The Taphouse's menu has been given the Asian-fusion treatment, offering up an array of exciting dishes to complement the taps available. "Derived from our love of Hong Kong, Cantonese food, and Australian Chinese food, you can expect classics featuring local produce with a few local Hong Kong favourites," Friesen said. Expect to see the likes of Jangs egg noodles paired with crisp pork belly and Chinese broccoli and chilli on The Taphouse's menu selection. Plus, classics like a seasonal stir-fry, cruller prawn toast, Shandong crispy skin chicken legs and steamed barramundi accompanied by pickled chilli and black beans to round out the menu highlights. You'll find The Taphouse at 122 Flinders Street in Darlinghurst. It'll be open from Wednesday, September 12, 4–11pm Monday–Wednesday, 4pm–midnight Thursday, 11.30am–1am Friday–Saturday, 11.30am–11pm Sunday.
In 2016, Bar No 5 opened in a repurposed Alexandria warehouse with a clear vision: keeping things local. The long unused building has its roots as a gemstone processing facility and the owners — siblings Sarina, Sarah, Stephen and Sime Jackson — maintained that warehouse fitout and worn-out character. The bar focused not only on seasonality and sourcing local ingredients, but also enacting a closed-loop policy — think foraging, beekeeping, solar panels and a composting worm farm to boot. And, to really solidify its position as a neighbourhood champion, it had an alcove dog area with leash hooks and a gas fire for winter. Four years on, a few things have changed. It's now No 5 Restaurant and Bar and, though much of the aforementioned features remain true, there is a much bigger emphasis on the food offering. With Head Chef Emry Jones at the helm, the kitchen now serves up a tight a la carte menu of share-style dishes, ranging from snacks to larger plates. It changes seasonally but an emphasis on simple, balanced flavours is the through-line. Right now, Japanese influences are evident in the likes of scorched kingfish with lemon emulsion and shiso, cauliflower with truffle yuzu dressing and wagyu with romano beans, burnt soy and peanuts. Set menus are available for $65 per person or $40 for weekend lunch bookings. Drinks-wise, you can expect a decent sake and umeshu offering, plus cocktails, wine and locally brewed craft beers from Yulli's Brews and One Drop. The best day to drop by is Sunday afternoon, when it has live music from 3–5pm. Or keep an eye on its social channels for themed lunches and dinners. Images: TJ Edwards, 1oh1 Media 1
There's no denying that Bondi is loaded with excellent lunch spots. But being spoilt for choice can make selecting the ideal dining destination difficult. Don't get it twisted, we know this is a good problem to have — we're simply firm believers that finding the best lunch spot truly depends on who you're sharing your meal with. Whether you've got a mate from interstate you want to impress with quintessential views of Bondi Beach or you're after a venue that will cater for a group of your best mates with ease, we've found a spot that'll tick all your lunch box requirements. Read on to find out where we take our favourite humans for a foolproof feast by the beach.
Celebrated Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens is bringing her powerful Embracing Shadows exhibition to Gosford Regional Gallery this winter. This survey exhibition takes in Dickens' distinguished 30-year career and explores themes of female identity and racial injustice. Over her career, Dickens' work has been featured in major exhibitions across Australia and internationally, including at the Adelaide Biennial and the Biennale of Sydney, and her artwork is held in numerous public and private collections worldwide. She was also selected to create a new commission for the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Sydney Modern project. [caption id="attachment_960790" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] 'For Sale' by Karla Dickens — Embracing Shadows[/caption] The profound body of work on display at this new exhibition draws from Dickens' reflections on Australian culture as both a woman and a First Nations person in the post-colonial era. Through diverse mediums, she offers a highly personal and politically charged interrogation of Australian history and culture. Embracing Shadows is coming to Gosford Regional Gallery from Saturday, June 22 to Sunday, August 11. For more information, visit the website. Top image: 'Cuddling Bones' by Karla Dickens — Embracing Shadows
He might hail from the UK, but internationally renowned artist Bruce Munro is leaving quite the impression Down Under. He's the creative mind behind Uluru's stunning Field of Light installation – which has pulled over 450,000 visitors and been extended three times since launching in mid-2016 – and, more recently, he illuminated Albany's tree-lined Avenue of Honour for ANZAC-inspired work Field of Light: Avenue of Honour. Now, the artist has taken on the Top End for Bruce Munro: Tropical Light, his third Australian installation and first-ever city-wide exhibition, which opened in Darwin last week. Free to visit and running until April 2020, the Northern Territory installation features eight large-scale illuminated sculptural works, inspired by Munro's own travels across the region. Peppered through the CBD and Darwin's waterfront precincts, they make up a self-guided 2.5-kilometre sculpture trail audiences can enjoy at their leisure. Bruce Munro, Pukul Lima Expect to find plenty of pieces referencing the Top End's vivid sunsets and native creatures, along with many an ode to Mother Nature, all showcasing Munro's strong affinity for light. There's Light Shower, Wave Lagoon Canopies, which features 3000 drops of light; the spherical Green Flash in the Old Town Hall Ruins; and Time and Again, Palm Tree Grove — a waterfront piece made up of 37 radiant, stainless steel lilies. Munro's sculpture trail is accompanied by works from five local artists, including acclaimed aerial photographer Paul Arnold and a series of solar jellyfish lights by Bev Garside. Bruce Munro: Tropical Light runs until April 30, 2020, across Darwin. It's illuminate from 7–10.30pm every night.
The Stoned Crow has been a fixture of Willoughby Road for many years and, as such, has undergone several transformations in its time. Situated in the middle of a bustling restaurant district, this local favourite offers a slick interpretation of the classic local watering hole. The interior features long wooden tables and plenty of hanging plants in a dimly lit setting. Stop by for a beer — there's a great mix of entry-level craft brews, including jugs of Young Henrys for $20. The menu has staple pub feeds and includes $18 specials from Monday to Wednesday, including rump steak, schnitty and parmy respectively. An impressive cocktail list of in-house specials and classics is also available, with a cocktail happy hour available from 9–11pm Friday and Saturday nights. In the past there has been both live music and DJs and, COVID restrictions permitting, we will hopefully see them returning soon.
Ichi-ban is a well-known ramen in Sydney for a reason. It's cheap, it's delicious and you have it in front of you just minutes after ordering — which is handy given the queue you can expect at peak times. While there are plenty of options on the menu, including some great gyoza, the ramen is the real hero here. The noodles are made fresh and cooked al dente and we recommend the karaage ramen, which is topped with melt-in-your mouth fried chicken. Having said that, their miso ramen is also worth your money, particularly if you want to stick to the cheapest $18.90 option. While there are a few Ichi-bans now in Sydney, head to their flagship restaurant at The Galeries for the best. As of just recently, the restaurant now takes card.
Whether you're currently in lockdown or not, a lot of the world's most exciting and wondrous attractions are off limits right now. Thankfully — in these self-isolating, social distancing, closed borders times — many of the globe's top museums, galleries and landmarks offer virtual tours. Want to ogle the National Gallery of Victoria's collections? See the Smithsonian's dinosaur fossils? Check out the Sistine Chapel? That's all as easy clicking a few buttons. Whether you're eager to experience Japan's luminous digital art museum or peer at cute critters in a zoo, you can spend a night — or day — at a museum, gallery or other culturally significant spot from the comfort of your couch. Here are ten highlights to get you started — and if you're keen on others, Google Arts and Culture will point you in the direction of even more. THE LOUVRE Nothing really compares to visiting The Louvre and standing in front of the Mona Lisa yourself, your eyes roving across the Leonardo da Vinci-painted artwork's enigmatic smile. Now, for the first time, the Parisian venue is allowing you to experience it virtually with a Mona Lisa VR experience. If you are equipped with a next-level VR setup, you can explore a bunch of the gallery's exhibitions online. Via its virtual options, wander through exhibitions exploring the relationship between art and political power, Renaissance artworks and myths told through art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRDEmb5Eo_Y&t=7s VAN GOGH MUSEUM If you missed out on Van Gogh Alive's first run of Australian shows, Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum is home to the largest collection of the artist's work in the world, including more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750 letters. That's a hefty array, which you can peer at yourself via Google Arts & Culture's virtual tour. Yes, Sunflowers is one of them, although there's plenty of inimitable artistry also on display in his other still life pieces, landscapes and other painted scenes. Rove around at your own pace, then zoom in to see the detail and read the accompanying descriptive plaques. And if you're eager for an overview first, you can check out the museum's YouTube tour as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmVeh4fS2HQ&t=14s TEAMLAB BORDERLESS DIGITAL ART MUSEUM The word 'immersive' gets thrown around much too often these days, but if anywhere deserves the term, it's TeamLab's Borderless Digital Art Museum. Sprawled across a Tokyo warehouse, this eye-catching venue fills every available surface with moving, changing and interactive artworks — so you can watch flowers bloom across the floor, wall and ceiling; then sit and stare at the ocean's waves crashing through a room; then roam through lit-up lily pads. Or, thanks to its hefty array of YouTube videos, you can get a taste of its vibrant installations from home. TeamLab's online archive also includes materials from its many other exhibitions beyond its Tokyo base's borders and, while they're each only a minute or two long, there's plenty to choose from. Make sure you have your sound on, too. THE SMITHSONIAN As you live through a historic global event, why not spend some time exploring the planet's natural history? That's what The Smithsonian is all about, with more than 145 million specimens and artifacts in its collections. And while you can't see them all in its online tour, you can virtually mosey through its current, previous and permanent displays. That means dinosaurs, of course. Peering at a stegosaurus' spikes or a tyrannosaurus rex's face is still just as impressive when you're doing it via your phone or computer. It also means everything from butterflies and bones to gems and humanity's origins — and, if it isn't too grim for you at present, there's also an exhibition dedicated to outbreaks, epidemics and the spread of diseases. NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA Maybe you're a Melburnian who has been keen to visit the National Gallery of Victoria's current big exhibitions. Perhaps you live elsewhere, but had a trip to the Victorian capital in your future — including to the NGV. With the gallery currently closed, that's obviously off the cards; however you can still take a gander at last year's blockbuster Triennial, the Tiwi Islands off the coast of Darwin and Japanese Modernism. Just head to the new NGV Channel, where curator-led tours are being added to the online library on an ongoing basis. A whopping 75,000 pieces from the NGV Collection are also available as well, so you'll really feel like you're actually there. [caption id="attachment_765593" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sturm via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] MUSEU DE ARTE DE SAO PAULO Think you know what all museums and art galleries look like in broad, general, overall terms? Think again. Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or MASP, doesn't simply put its many artworks on its walls. Instead, it places them on crystal sheets anchored by concrete blocks, in a design that's meant to emulate an artist's easel — and then spreads them through large, cavernous rooms. That makes looking at the site's paintings, sculptures, photographs and other objects a completely different experience, even when you're doing so online. If you take the tour via the Google Arts and Culture app for iOS or Android, you can also explore a virtual reality component to really make you feel like you're there. [caption id="attachment_765594" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jean-Christophe Benoist via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] THE SISTINE CHAPEL The Sistine Chapel boasts as much stunning artwork as any other gallery or museum. More than some, in fact. And, via the Vatican's online tour, you can scope it for as long as you like — and take in the immense detail on Michelangelo's wall-to-wall frescoes, of course — without crowds or time limits. These pieces have glistened for more than five centuries and, as absolutely everyone knows, they comprise quite the sight. After you're done perusing, scrolling around and zooming in, you can also explore other museums, wings and chapels in the Vatican thanks to the rest of its virtual offerings. If you're keen not just on art and sculpture, but on architecture, prepare to be in your element. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hunddVoMjo SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE When it comes to visiting the Sydney Opera House without physically visiting it, you have multiple online viewing options. Take the 360-degree tour, and you can jump around Australia's most iconic landmark at your own pace — and check out a number of online exhibits, too. You can watch the YouTube video tour accompanied by a the soundtrack that usually echoes through the opera houses' halls, or steam a range of gigs and talks on its new streaming service. No matter how you explore, you'll see the venue as you've never seen it before, which is one of the joys of going virtual. You mightn't peer into every nook and cranny while you're actually there but, via remote means, who's going to stop you? BLARNEY CASTLE Who doesn't wish they were holed up in a castle right about now? Dating back to 1210 originally and 1446 in its current form, Ireland's Blarney Castle is up there with the best of them — and, as its name gives away, it's home to a very famous attraction. Located at the top of its tower, the Blarney Stone is supposed to bestow anyone who kisses it with the gift of eloquence. You can't lock lips with it virtually, of course, but perhaps staring at the site in general will do the same thing? On the castle's online tour, you'll also explore its stony interiors and sprawling gardens (and likely feel like you've stumbled into an episode of Game of Thrones). SAN DIEGO ZOO Sometimes, you just need to watch adorable animals go about their business. Actually, as the internet's never-ending stream of cat and dog videos firmly shows, there's never a bad time to lock your peepers on a cute critter. Absolutely everyone feels this way, because of course they do — which is where San Diego Zoo's live webcams, which peer into several animal enclosures all day long, come in. Check out majestic elephants as they swing their trunks, watch African penguins scamper around and see polar bears snoozing happily. You can also catch apes and baboons for your monkey fix, see condors fly about, and get a dose of big cats in the tiger enclosure. Oh, and if you want to spend some time staring at an Australian animal, there's also a koala cam as well.
Pucker up, fans of 90s teen flicks — whether you were the exact right age at the time, have discovered them since or found yourself looking backwards thanks to recent films like Do Revenge. After finally bringing its song- and dance-filled take on one of the most influential movies of the era to Australian stages this year, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is making a comeback along Australia's east coast in 2023. It seems that we can't get enough of this bittersweet symphony. We can't stop praising it, either. This time, audiences in Sydney will get a second chance to get nostalgic — at Parramatta's Riverside Theatre from Thursday, February 2—Sunday, February 12. To answer the most crucial question, yes, the musical's soundtrack is filled hits from the period, including The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' and Placebo's 'Every You Every Me'. In fact, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is a jukebox musical, so it's overflowing with a heap other tunes from that late 90s–early 00s time. Think: *NYSNC's 'Bye Bye Bye', Britney Spears' 'Sometimes', No Doubt's 'Just A Girl', Jewel's 'Foolish Games', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me', for starters. The story remains the same, just without Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair (and Joshua Jackson's blonde locks). If you've seen the movie — the original, not the direct-to-video 2001 and 2004 sequels, one of which starred a very young Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) taking over Gellar's role — then you'll know how it goes. Based on 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, which was also been adapted in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, Cruel Intentions follows step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Manipulating each other's love lives is their main hobby, a pastime that levels up a few notches when Kathryn places a bet on whether Sebastian can sleep with Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter at their exclusive prep school.
If sitting on the couch is a regular part of your viewing schedule, we now know which big-name films you'll be streaming in 2022. Get ready for eagerly awaited whodunnit sequels, all-star action flicks, Jamie Foxx fighting vampires, futuristic Korean sci-fi and Jennifer Lopez as an assassin — and, because the list of brand-new movies that Netflix will add to its platform this year tallies up at a whopping 86 titles, to see plenty more where they're all about to spring from. As it did for 2021, Netflix has just unveiled its full slate of new films for 2022. It's a something-for-everyone kind of lineup, which the streaming service's catalogue always is, but the rundown of newcomers is also stacked with highlights. One instant standout: Knives Out 2, Rian Johnson's follow-up to his glorious Daniel Craig-starring whodunnit from 2019. Yes, the now-former 007 is back as Detective Benoit Blanc, this time in Greece, and interrogating suspects played by a cast that includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr and Kate Hudson. Netflix subscribers can also look forward to The Gray Man, which sees Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans team up in a thriller about CIA mercenaries; Day Shift, where the aforementioned Foxx plays a seemingly ordinary dad whose pool-cleaning job is a front for staking the undead; JUNG-E, the latest dystopian vision out of Korea from Train to Busan, Peninsula and Hellbound's Yeon Sang-ho; and Lopez's maternal John Wick-esque stint in The Mother, where she's a killer forced to come out of hiding to protect her daughter. [caption id="attachment_841834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Helen Sloan/Netflix © 2022[/caption] Or, there's also Blonde, a fictional portrait of Marilyn Monroe featuring No Time to Die's Ana de Armas as the real-life figure; acting-focused comedy The Bubble, with writer/director Judd Apatow amassing one of his usual all-star casts; the Jason Momoa-led Slumberland, about a space between dreams and nightmares; and Wendell & Wild, with Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key voicing a stop-motion animation. Fresh from Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro has a stop-motion animation musical version of Pinocchio in the works as well — and, for something completely different, Adam Sandler turns astronaut in Spaceman, from Chernobyl director Johan Renck. Also, White Noise reunites filmmaker Noah Baumbach with both Marriage Story's Adam Driver and Frances Ha's Greta Gerwig in an adaptation of Don DeLillo's book of the same name, while a new take on Roald Dahl's Matilda features Emma Thompson and Lashana Lynch, and springs from Tim Minchin's musical. And, Last Christmas' Paul Feig helms a fairytale fantasy starring Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington with School for Good and Evil. Because we're into February already, some of the flicks on Netflix's list already have release dates, if you're the type who likes plugging things into your calendar. They span films such as The Adam Project, a time-travel effort with Ryan Reynolds and Mark Ruffalo that hits on March 11; Against the Ice, which sends Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to Greenland from March 2; Choose or Die, the April 15-releasing horror flick about a curse includes Robert Englund (aka the OG Freddie Kruger) among its cast; and Senior Year, which drops on May 13, features Rebel Wilson and Alicia Silverstone, and follows a cheerleader who awakens after a 20-year coma. There's also a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre arriving on February 18, too. Among the movies that don't yet have set dates, Enola Holmes 2 will get Millie Bobby Brown to do more sleuthing, Interceptor sees Chris Hemsworth dealing with a nuclear missile attack, a new adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover stars The Crown's Emma Corrin, and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello is the executive music producer on Metal Lords, about two kids starting a metal band. Plus, Dev Patel stars in and directs Monkey Man, Dakota Johnson leads a new version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, and Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood heads back to the summer of 1969. Netflix usually gives some of its new films cinema runs, as it did with the likes of The Harder They Fall, Passing, Red Notice, The Power of the Dog and Don't Look Up in 2021. So, while we see oh-so-much couch time in your future, you may be able to watch some of these flicks on the big screen as well. Check out Netflix's trailer for its 2022 films below: New movies will hit Netflix every week throughout 2022 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Top image: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
Those who are familiar with the Zetland log cabin-style eatery will be delighted to hear that it has finally made its way to the north shore, taking up residence in the dining strip of Willoughby Road. In its own words, the second outpost is 'more restaurant like', with the bright, airy interior once again brought to life by Otto Design Interiors. If you're craving a simple (but delicious) meal at a reasonable price, you'll want to make tracks here. Practically all bases are covered with offerings of seafood, salads, steaks, burgers, tacos and poke bowls on the menu. Standouts include the classic fish and chips, fish pie and the Ora King salmon. Featuring a concise list of mostly Australian wines and beers, as well as a solid children's menu, it's a great spot for a family meal out.
After one (long) year without a permanent place to call home, Surry Hills favourite Nomad has finally returned to its Foster Street home. A devastating fire back in September 2019 forced Owners Rebecca and Al Yazbek to shut up shop and temporarily open Nomad Up The Road, before a global pandemic threw another spanner in the works. Now, the restaurant has returned to its OG digs with a larger kitchen, more seating and a brand-new deli to boot. Thanks to extensive renovations, the open kitchen is back in action, with the addition of wraparound counter seating — allowing 30 diners to sit up-close and watch the chefs in action. The venue's signature woodfired oven is back, too, as is a double-sized charcoal grill. That oven will once again be the focus of Executive Chef Jacqui Challinor's menu, which will include plenty of new additions for patrons to try. But the fan-favourite dishes have returned as well, such as the smoked ocean trout basturma, date-glazed wagyu tongue and the olive oil ice cream sandwiches (topped with sesame, pistachio and honeycomb). Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find wood-roasted mushroom and XO empanadas, lamb neck with brik pastry and broad beans, smoked mussels with hashbrowns and, for dessert, a banana tart with pine nut brittle ice cream. [caption id="attachment_789146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Alongside the restaurant's reopening is the launch of a brand new Nomad Deli, which officially swings open its next week. It will be stocked with a rotating selection of takeaway items and smallgoods, including duck mortadella, freshly made haloumi and the brand's famed cannellini bean hummus. For bakers, there will be chocolate fudge brownie batter and cookie dough on offer, too. Nomad's cellar has also expanded, with more back vintages available than ever before. The list will continue to focus on small Australian producers and will be available for both takeaway and home delivery (in addition to dine-in). Otherwise, expect the same Nomad vibes you know and love. The team has even restored the restaurant's original chairs and tables, while adding some new touches like plush green banquettes. The venue now has room for 200 all up, but is limited to 110 under the current COVID-19 restrictions. And it's sure to be as popular as ever, so we highly recommend booking ahead. Also on the horizon for the Nomad crew is the opening of its first Melbourne outpost, which has been pushed back to early 2021. Keep an eye on this space for the latest updates. Find Nomad at 16 Foster Street, Surry Hills from Images: Nikki To.
Mama Lor is a family-owned and operated restaurant dishing up traditional Filipino food with the care and love that you'd expect from a home-cooked meal. This Rooty Hill restaurant is a local favourite and dishes up the best of The Philippines' cuisine straight from the charcoal pit and onto your plate. Of course, like all good Filo restaurants, there's also lechon (suckling pig). Choose from regular, large or family sized, then add some rice and dipping sauce, and you've got yourself a killer meal. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
A weekend at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre is the ultimate way to start the summer. One stage, two nights, three days: that's the setup when the regional Victorian town that gives both the venue and Meredith Music Festival its name welcomes the warm weather. For more than three decades now, this event has become a tradition — and it'll be back in 2024 to do it all again. When Meredith returns across Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, it'll celebrate its 32nd festival. Who'll be helping, aka the lineup, hasn't yet been revealed. But something just as important is on the cards already: the ticket ballot opening as at Wednesday, July 17. Book that long weekend now, pop your name in the running, then cross your fingers that you'll be spending three days at The Sup. Meredith has long stopped being the kind of festival where attendance is dictated by whoever is taking to the stage. Whatever the bill holds, it's a must-attend event anyway. So, now's your chance to attempt to nab your ticket. To obtain a pass to the beloved three-day BYO camping festival, you've got until 10.32pm AEST on Monday, August 12 to enter the ballot. And as for the lineup, anything could happen. 2023's festival featured Kraftwerk, as well as Caroline Polachek, Alvvays, Alex G, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Flowdan, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Sneaky Sound System, No Fixed Address and Souls of Mischief — and more. In 2022, Meredith's first festival since 2019 due to the pandemic, Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett led the roster. The full lineup is usually announced in mid-August. We'll update you when details drop. Meredith Music Festival will return to Meredith from Friday, December 6–Sunday, December 8, 2024. To put your name in the ballot to get your hands on tickets, head to the festival's website before 10.32pm AEST on Monday, August 12. Images: Chip Mooney, Ben Fletcher, Chelsea King and Steve Benn.
Strolling through stunning lights as far as the eye can see, moseying beneath a canopy of glowing multi-coloured trees, wandering between ribbons of flashing beams, taking the most luminous 1.8-kilometre stroll through nature that you can imagine — you'll be able to do all of this again when Lightscape returns to Sydney in 2024. If you went to the 2023 version, this second Lightscape stint in the New South Wales capital will also take place during Vivid Sydney. For two years in a row, one dazzling event hosts another, then, with 2024's iteration running from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15. Once more, the after-dark light festival is taking over the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, beaming away from 5pm each night. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along that almost two-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like giant flowers and glowing tunnels, both of which will make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. But don't go thinking that you'll just be repeating what you saw last year, because 2024's Lightscape in Sydney has been reimagined. Standouts this year will include Winter Cathedral, which is made out of glowing bulbs; Light a Wish, where dandelions will appear to defy gravity; Floraison, complete with suspended flowers; the blooming Blossom; the self-explanatory Neon Outline Trees; and the geometric Trapezoid. Lightscape first hit Australia in 2022 after initially taking over gardens across the United Kingdom and the United States. Developed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK, it's understandably proven a huge success — and more than two-million people wandered along its glowing trails in a single season overseas. In the Harbour City, pop-up food and drink stalls will be scattered throughout Lightscape at Royal Botanic Garden Sydney — selling, we hope, mulled wine to keep hands warm during the chilly winter nights. "Vivid Sydney 2024 is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human, designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives," said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. "We are so excited to welcome back Lightscape to Vivid Sydney 2024 to showcase this through the reimagined activation at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney." Lightscape will light up the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Queen Elizabeth II Gates, from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15 during Vivid Sydney. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Vivid Sydney website.
Overwater dining, meals and sips with a waterside view, taking dinner and drinks up a few levels: around Brisbane, none of these are new experiences. That said, grabbing a bite or a beverage at a restaurant that's not only perched over the water — ten metres above the Brisbane River, in fact — but is also part of one of the city's bridges is something that the Queensland capital has never seen before. Meet Stilts, which is now open on the Kangaroo Point Bridge. The modern-Australian eatery is not just Brisbane's first-ever restaurant on a bridge, but also Queensland's first of its kind — even if it's the second that hospitality company Tassis Group has launched with ties to the River city's newest river crossing. Mulga Bill's Kitchen & Bar, which is sat at the foot of the structure on the Alice Street side, opened before it. Where that venue is a casual all-day diner, Stilts is all about an elevated experience (including literally) in unique surroundings. "Stilts is more than just a restaurant — it's a destination in itself, where guests can experience firsthand the things that make our city so unique. I wanted to create a place where every last detail celebrated the spirit of our community, from the people, culture and lifestyle to our access to some absolutely incredible produce," said Tassis Group's Michael Tassis. "Not only is it raised to capture the stunning views, it's designed to share with loved ones, create memories, and to enjoy the best produce and talent Queensland has to offer." If the 100-seater restaurant's design looks familiar, that's because it takes inspiration from a Sunshine State staple: Queenslander homes. Of course, most such structures around Brisbane don't boast a 180-degree vantage peering out over the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point Cliffs and Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, including through floor-to-ceiling windows. Also key elements of Stilts: an alfresco balcony, a casual bar area and an indoor dining room that allows ample light in, as well as a 12-person private dining room. Under Head Chef Dan Hernandez (formerly of fellow Tassis venture Fosh, and also ex-Restaurant Dan Arnold and Agnes), the Queensland-focused menu starts with beef tartare in cannelloni shells and potato pavé, serves up caviar three ways — in blinis and beef tartlets among them — and then spans everything from Australian wagyu dumplings and Moreton Bay bug linguine to pistachio gelato and yuzu curd. If you're keen on a surf-and-turf option, Stilts' version features 28-day aged sirloin and swordfish steak, and will set you back $135. Diners can also treat themselves to angus and wagyu steaks from the grill, charcoal or miso-yuzo glazed lobster, and a wagyu tasting experience with three cuts of meat. For those feeling spoiled for choice, three different banquets will make your picks for you, ranging from $155–240 in price — the latter with the three caviar options. Drinks-wise, more than 180 drops are on the wine list, alongside beer, spirits and non-boozy sips. As well as Mulga Bill's, Stilts joins Tassis Group's growing lineup of Brisbane restaurants; see also: Opa Bar + Mezze, Yamas Greek + Drink, Massimo Restaurant and Bar, Longwang, Fatcow on James St, Fosh Portside, Rich & Rare, Pompette and Dark Shepherd. Find Stilts Dining at 147E Alice Street, Brisbane CBD, on the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge — open from 11am–9.30am Sunday–Thursday and 11am–10pm Friday–Saturday. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Allo Creative / Markus Ravik / Brisbane City Council.
With 35 hours worth of footage uploaded to YouTube every single minute, it's easy to get lost wading through all of the new content. Instead of wasting your time searching through crappy homemade videos, check out this list of 10 channels actually worth watching. 1. Vlogbrothers, Crash Course, and Sci Show Created by brothers John and Hank Green in 2007, Vlogbrothers was initially used as a way for the two to stay in touch. Today, it has become popular enough to have acquired its own fandom and spin-offs and is definitely worth catching up on. Check out the Green's other channels as well: Crash Course, which features the brothers' entertaining lectures on history and biology, and Sci Show, Hank's show on anything and everything scientific. 2. Ill Doctrine Jay Smooth takes a creative turn from his New York WBAI's Underground Radio show to discuss all aspects of modern culture on his YouTube channel. His thoughts on politics, race relations and music are incorporated with his great sense of humour. 3. BriTANick Comedy Two announcers from Cartoon Network, Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, got their start with this YouTube sketch comedy channel. Irreverent and hysterical, their video spoofs poke fun at everything from cooking shows to Shakespeare. 4. TED Education The TED media empire originated as a not-for-profit conference to discuss technology, design, and education. Today, their YouTube channel offers tonnes of different lectures and lessons, covering diverse educational topics and incorporating animation. 5. My Drunk Kitchen For those of us who have drunkenly stumbled into the kitchen after a night out to cook a very necessary bowl of mac 'n' cheese, there is My Drunk Kitchen, Hannah Hart's show dedicated to making sure "you don't puke your guts out". Be thoroughly entertained by Hart's drunken, yet somehow charming, kitchen antics. 6. College Humor 240 Jake and Amir videos, the College Humor Originals series and Hardly Working series are filled with enough crazy stupid shenanigans to keep you laughing for hours. 7. Julia Nunes For Julia Nunes, YouTube has been the vehicle to musical fame, but also the means to entertain us with her goofy ukulele covers of the likes of Justin Bieber. 8. Smart Girls at the Party Amy Poehler proves that smart girls can have a good time too by interviewing a different woman on every episode. These young women share their hobbies with Poehler and show the YouTube world that internet intelligence does exist. 9. Wheezy Waiter Craig Benzine's outlandish videos feature amazing production quality and not a whole lot of rhyme and reason. Posted almost every weekday, these quirky videos are ever-random and always entertaining. 10. Belated Media Dedicated to providing high-quality film reviews, Michael Barryte's channel features a green screen which allows Barryte to comment on the film as it happens. His reviews are carefully thought-out and well broken-down for his audience. [via Flavorwire]
This editorial is sponsored by our partners, The Rocks. The Hole in the Sky could well be Sydney's first birds-only bar. That's birds in the feathered, rather than the female, sense. In other words, both men and women are admitted, but only if they're incognito, disguised as a winged creature. Before you get yourself into a tizz with feathers, chicken skin, glue and flying contraptions, rest assured that the Village Bizarre team will be the ones providing the costumes, in the form of masks that they'll be giving out at the event's info booth. All you have to do is swoop down to The Rocks, grab a mask, pop it on and follow the feathers, which will lead you to the Hole in the Sky. Open between 6.30pm and 10pm every Friday night for the duration of the Bizarre, the pop up is a bar disguised as the firmament, complete with nests, cocoons, twinkling stars and a 'room in the clouds'. The birdlike beverage attendants will be offering beer, wine and cocktails from the Rocks Brewery. Just in case, at any point, you feel the pull of gravity drawing you earthward, a steady stream of ethereal DJ beats, dreamy projections and celluloid snapshots will keep your senses and imagination airborne. If you happened to be lured anywhere by a white rabbit around this time last year, you might have an inkling of what to expect, though, like Alice, you can't be sure that even your weirdest and most wonderful experiences won't be trumped. To watch the teaser video, click here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nv9-R9V7Uoo
Jessi Singh, the mind behind some of the country's best Indian restaurants is back with a brand new opening in the heart of Sydney's CBD. With restaurants in Melbourne, Byron Bay andAdelaide the acclaimed chef has built a cult following throughout Australia through his rule-breaking eateries Don't Tell Aunty and Daughter in Law. Now, he's recruited the help of former Chin Chin chef Johann Jay to open his latest outpost, Pinky-Ji. "Pinky-Ji is the younger, sassier, and more independent version of our much-loved Daughter In Law," says Singh. "The menu in our new venue will bring all of the fun and unauthentic food that Daughter in Law is synonymous with to Sydney with a slightly more elevated twist." Design-wise, Pinky-Ji is Singh's most flashy venue yet. The restaurant is decked out in neon lighting and red velvet furniture, while the walls are adorned with images of Bollywood stars and light projections. The menu is divided into seven sections — snacks, raw, street, grill, wok, tandoor and curry — plus bread, sides and drinks. Kick things off with a snack like a curry crab croqueta. From there, you'll find plenty of crowd-pleasers across each section, many of which can be shared around the table. The Mumbai Corn comes with chilli lime yoghurt, paneer and curry popcorn, and there's a half lobster on the menu covered in Sri Lankan coconut curry. From Pinky-Ji's wok you can order crab fried rice with chilli oil, while the curry selection spans from inauthentic butter chicken and fragrance yellow vegan dahl to coconut prawns and lamb organ josh, all of which can be paired with aged basmati rice, garlic or sesame naan, and roti. Indecisive groups can opt for the Chef's Selection which includes Balls of Happiness for entre, kingfish ceviche, cauliflower, shakarkandi chaat, tandoor chicken, an array of curries with rice and naan, plus a pistachio dessert for just $65 per person. When it comes time to select a drink to pair with your curry, you can opt for a cocktail or peruse the help-yourself craft beer fridges for a hoppy treat. And, topping off all of the unorthodox fun of Pinky-Ji is the private dining room featuring a karaoke machine loaded up with songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Pinky Ji is located at 89 York Street, Sydney. It's open 11am–late seven days a week.
Born out of a dislike for sexy cabaret shows, Circa's Peepshow isn't quite what it seems on the surface. Its posters suggest seduction and saucy movement, but creative director Yaron Lifschitz says it's part of the company's "post-cabaret" work, which takes cabaret motifs and ideas and runs them through a circus filter, turning it on its head. "My theory has been that cabaret has been stealing from circus for many years, so we're stealing back," he says, over the phone from Brisbane, where Circa is based. Peepshow isn't Circa's first work in this style — and it's not a new show, either — but it is making its Sydney Opera House debut right now, running until February 14. We spoke with Lifschitz to find out what audiences can expect from the 80-minute performance. And what surprises they might encounter, too. [caption id="attachment_798985" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] IT'S NOT YOUR STEREOTYPICAL CABARET SHOW Peepshow was created for a six-month run in Berlin and the show is divided into two parts: "The first half is set within this post-cabaret world and the second half is like a nightclub," says Lifschitz. It begins with the voyeurism expected from a cabaret show. "For the first half, everyone and every act is acutely conscious of — and distorted by — the act of looking and knowing you're being looked at and being seen," he says. Then, after the interval, the show becomes more like an "ecstatic rave". "Lights move in and out, no one is performing for anyone, and they're just moving with the gritty abandon of performance and of the true body." [caption id="attachment_798993" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] IT'LL MAKE YOU WANT TO MOVE Lifschitz tells us audiences are taken on a journey from acting and responding to what's on stage like they're in a cabaret to "being filled with music and body, light and smoke, and energy and skill. It almost bypasses their eyes and talks directly to their guts and their bloodstream," he says. So you might find yourself moving along to the music from your chair. "Almost the whole second act is one continual mixed track by an Israeli DJ. It doesn't apologise for going to the ends of bodies and energy — and I love that about it." [caption id="attachment_798988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] IT HAS HUMAN CONNECTION AT ITS CORE "Going from a sexy, cool exterior to something with authenticity and emotion is the exciting journey of the show," says the creator. Yes, you can expect exceptional circus skills — from aerial and tissue sequences to group acrobatics — but human connection is what makes Circa's work stand out from the pack. "The revelation for me during Covid times was that I don't go to the theatre to be entertained. I hope it does entertain me, but I go to the theatre for meaning and connection. Entertainment for me is like the function of skills in circus: it's the thing you do to be able to connect with the audience. It's like the price of admission, not the ultimate pay off." And its sexiness isn't all lingerie and lipstick either: "I think sexiness is not young people grinding against each other; I think it comes from confidence and strength and authenticity of the body." [caption id="attachment_798987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] IT'S NEVER BORING As a circus maker, Lifschitz and his team have a mantra: 'thou shalt not bore'. "I would say this show takes audiences into some very unexpected places," he says. "The show is overtly fun, because it talks directly to its audience. It plays with the audience. You get to clap. And we allow release, whereas in most of our stage shows we try to hold a lot of tension in and on stage." And, like in all circus shows, bodies morph and connect with each other in different ways. "The line between skill and presence is constantly blurred and challenged," he says. [caption id="attachment_798986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] IT'S SURPRISINGLY FAMILY FRIENDLY "Teenagers would blush, for sure," says Lifschitz. "But grown ups will be fine." Peepshow is suitable for ages 15-plus, which means it's both a show you can take a date to and and night out for families. In its six-month run in Berlin, Lifschitz tells us they performed for families and hens parties alike. "We're all united by the fact we have bodies, which is one of the powerful things the show reminds us," he says. "It's a great date show, partly because it'll give you a lot to talk about. It's sexy, it's playful, it's funny. And on the other hand, it takes something you admire from the outside and then you internalise it; you move and groove with it, too" 'Peepshow' is running at Sydney Opera House from February 2–14. Tickets start from $49. Find out more and book your tickets, here. Top images: Prudence Upton
You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Sydney, as well as current restrictions, at NSW Health. Taste of Shanghai are adhering to social distancing measures and providing masks throughout this event. Taste of Shanghai's franchise Lilong will be opening up two new locations this year at Wetherill Park and Mount Druitt. To celebrate, Taste of Shanghai have decided to spread the love by offering $1 dumplings at their flagship Burwood location this Thursday, June 24. That's right, one of the ultimate comfort foods for only a dollar apiece, for one day only. The dumplings on offer come in two varieties — the crispy pan-fried dumplings and the steamed soup-filled xiao long bao. So if you're someone who's madly in love with dumplings or after a cheap meal, head down to the Burwood branch from 5pm tonight.
When Yellowjackets begins, it's with an instantly intriguing mystery, a killer cast — led by the always-watchable Melanie Lynskey (Mrs America), Juliette Lewis (Breaking News in Yuba County) and Christina Ricci (The Matrix Resurrections) — and a deep valley overflowing with trauma. Streaming via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, it starts with eerie forests, bright-eyed 90s teens with their whole lives ahead of them, devastating plane crashes and what looks like cannibalism, too, plus the unhappy adult lives endured by the tragedy's survivors 25 years later. In their high-school prime, Shauna (Lynskey, and also The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (Lewis, plus The Tomorrow Man's Sophie Thatcher) and Taissa (Billions' Tawny Cypress, and also Scream's Jasmin Savoy Brown) were key players on the titular high-achieving New Jersey soccer team, while Misty (Ricci, as well as Shameless' Samantha Hanratty) was the squad's frequently bullied student manager. Then, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private plane in 1996, they entered Lost territory. That accident saw everyone who walked away from the accident stranded in the wilderness — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. As established in a stellar first episode that's directed with the utmost precision by Destroyer filmmaker Karyn Kusama, Yellowjackets isn't simply interested in inherently disturbing events that'd change anyone forever, however. There's a reason that it flits between two time periods from the outset, rather than laying its dramas out in a linear fashion and teasing out how things end up. From the get-go, creators and showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches From Elsewhere) ensure that all that time in the woods, cabin and all, is tough, rough, savage and creepy, and that its complications and swerves into the supernatural only grow. That said, their immediately addictive series is just as obsessed with the transformation that springs after such an experience. As struggles arise in both the 90s and now — including weird symbols in both, and deaths, plus blackmail plots in the present — Yellowjackets examines how, after falling from the sky, learning to cope in such remote surroundings and plummeting into a horror movie, anyone manages to go on. As set to a top-notch 90s soundtrack, it also faces the fact that for some, normality won't just come calling nicely afterwards. Actually, for everyone, each and every second spent back in civilisation will always be coloured by that time in the wild. A series about misfortune weathered, paths taken, necessities accepted, friendships twisted and grief endured, as well as the reverberations that linger from all of the above, Yellowjackets boasts a searingly smart and savvy concept, which lets tragedy echo as all tragedies do — because facing an ordeal isn't just about the terrifying experience right there in the moment. Back in 1996, when an at-any-cost survivalist mindset begins to fester amid an embrace of woodland spirituality, grappling with the crash, teammates who don't make it, being cut off from normal teen life, and finding food and shelter is all immensely difficult. In 2021, the adult Shauna is an unhappy housewife embarking upon an affair, Natalie has just come out of rehab for the umpteenth time to shattering news, Taissa is running for state senate and having problems with her wife and son, and Misty is a nurse but still nobody's favourite, and little feels easier. It's no wonder that the show became a chilling, perceptive, resonant and potent must-see from its very first episode back in November, and that it only grew bolder and stronger as its ten-episode first season kept going. It quickly proved one of 2021's best new series, and is the absolute standout drama of the past few months as well. If you already watched it week-by-week, it was appointment viewing, aka the kind of show you plan your nights around and couldn't stop theorising about in the week afterwards (and the type that gets its pitch-perfect opening-credits track lodged in your head non-stop, too). If you're new to all things Yellowjackets and you're planning to check it out now, it'll make one helluva binge. And, in news just as exceptional as the series itself, it's returning for a second season. Given that Yellowjackets' first run of episodes kept deepening its mysteries moment by moment, persistently embraced every up and down thrown its complex characters' ways, never took the easy or obvious route, and found the ideal balance between survivalist horror, coming-of-age antics and midlife malaise, its new batch really can't come sooner. Check out Yellowjackets' first-season trailer below: The first season of Yellowjackets is available to stream via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Season two doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when it does. Images: Kailey Schwerman/Showtime.
Art Pharmacy is all about getting emerging artists’ works on sale at affordable prices. They’ve done a number of pop-ups over the last couple of years, and for this year’s Fringe they’re throwing up the Lab for two weeks on the edge of Oxford Square. The Lab will feature free artist talks and an introduction to starting your own art collection, but the highlight of the Lab is likely to be the art itself. The Fringe selection includes work from Mulga the Artist and Will Coles, probably best known for his ambulant, grey mobile phone sculptures. The Lab is one of our picks of the Sydney Fringe Festival. Check out our other highlights.
When Parrtjima — A Festival in Light announced its 2025 program, the numbers were impressive, with the event's tenth edition featuring works by 20-plus First Nations artists, plus more than 100 performers and special guests. But nothing sells this Australian celebration of Indigenous arts more than the spectacular end results each year, when the fest lights up the Northern Territory. For 2025, that time is now, and it's once again a dazzling sight to behold. Parrtjima — A Festival in Light has so firmly established itself as a highlight of Alice Springs, the Red Centre and Australia's cultural scene that it's hard to imagine a time before it. Getting a 2.5-kilometre stretch of 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges glowing every evening is the reliable star of the show; however, that's just the beginning. Heading along this year also means being welcomed by The Gateway at Parrtjima's entrance, for instance, where towering poles by artists from Antulye, Irlpme, and Mparntwe groups are greeting guests. Also, Balanggarra and Yolŋu artist Molly Hunt's Three Generations of Station Women is an animated comic strip that honours Aboriginal stockwomen, with actor Mark Coles Smith (Apple Cider Vinegar) on soundtrack duties. Then there's Bobby West Tjupurrula's Hypnotic Reverberations, creating a moving dreamscape out of beams of light, mist and reflections on a shallow pool. From Lyall Giles, Transforming Light & Country isn't just about sand dune patterns — it gets festivalgoers playing with them, using drums to create rings of light. 2025's Parrtjima kicked off on Friday, April 4, and runs until Sunday, April 13. The MacDonnell Ranges Light Show is among past favourites on the bill, again pairing its eye-catching display with classical music and Arrernte language. Another: Grounded, asking attendees to look down instead of up. A festival of lights in the NT was always going to incorporate the red earth, too, which is where large-scale projections turn the soil into a canvas. This year's version features six artworks. Budgerigar Dreaming Ngatijirri Jukurrpa is also back, using shapes from Wirliyajarrayi artist Myra Nungarrayi Herbert Patrick's paintings in neon-hued abstract bird sculptures — and so is Johnny Young and David Wallace's four-metre-tall The Language of Stockmen. While the fest's first weekend has been and gone, the program still has the Darwin Symphony Orchestra to come, in what'll be Parrtjima's first-ever orchestral performance. Gigs by Dem Mob, Dobby, Desert Divas and Warren H Williams & Western Wind are also part of the upcoming lineup, as is the festival's debut comedy night, with Andy Saunders and Sean Choolburra sparking laughs. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until Sunday, April 13, 2025, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light / Che-Chorley. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Getting a top-notch slice might just be right around the corner, as Divide 8 spreads its wings further across Sydney with the launch of two new locations in Stanmore and St Leonards. Following on from the OG locales in Bronte and Gymea, this expanded offering means ordering a pizza that comes with a side of community goodness is even more within reach. First up, the Stanmore store is nestled into a convenient spot on Percival Road. Seating 20 patrons indoors and out, the decor is a familiar but inviting affair, as exposed brick walls combine with Divide 8's signature orange branding. Perfect for a casual sit-down with friends or a takeaway pit-stop on the way home, expect an authentic and communal aesthetic. The menu is decked out with fan favourites, like the Miss Marg with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella and 16-month aged Grana Padano topped with fresh basil. There's also the Marrickville Mercedes, featuring lemon and garlic-marinated lamb, heirloom tomatoes, Spanish onions and feta on an eggplant base, topped with golden peppers and fresh cucumber dill yoghurt. With these new locations carrying on Divide 8's reputation for top-quality ingredients, trust that everything on your pizza is made and prepared in-house. For instance, the pizza dough is made using a protein-enriched flour produced in NSW. You also won't find a canned good in the place, with fresh local ingredients taking your slice to the next level. Sustainability is also central to Divide 8's thoughtful operation, from packaging and ingredient sourcing to production. Here, the ovens, equipment and benches are repurposed from previous pizza stores, plus your pizza box is biodegradable. You might even notice the shelving is made from an old brick fireplace. The brand is also known for its support of the local community. If you're getting down to the Stanmore location, Divide 8 has teamed up with Hearthe – a cafe and cake shop just a few steps away – to use their fresh sourdough for a garlic bread base. In St Leonards, there's a similar collab happening with Fiore Bread. This way, you can feel extra good about your next slice. Open Sunday–Thursday from 4pm–9pm and Friday–Saturday from 4pm–10pm, find Divide 8 Stanmore at 104 Percival Road, Stanmore, and Divide 8 St Leonards at Shop 1/48 Albany Street, St Leonards. Head to the website for more information.
It's been a year filled with drinking at home, rather than out on the town, yet Melbourne's bar scene has continued to shine. Luke Whearty's famed local cocktail haunt Byrdi has just been named among The World's 50 Best Bars' extended 51-100 list for 2021, ranked the 56th top bar on the planet. It was the only Aussie venue to make this year's secondary lineup, which was revealed overnight. The 51-100 list comes one week ahead of the release of The World's 50 Best Bars main award list, which is set to happen at a ceremony in London on December 6. The annual ranking list is a huge deal among the international bar industry, voted by a panel of over 600 drinks experts, including bartenders, writers, consultants and mixology specialists. The 2021 51-100 list was heavy on entrants from the States, with seven USA bars including New York newcomer Double Chicken Please and LA's Thunderbolt. Five London bars also ranked among the secondary list and Nairobi's Hero Bar became the first-ever African bar outside of South Africa to make the cut. [caption id="attachment_748363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Byrdi, by Kate Shanasy[/caption] Last year, on its debut entry, Byrdi came in 80th on the extended list, ranking close to fellow Melbourne bars The Everleigh (73), Above Board (84) and Black Pearl (98). Sydneysiders Maybe Sammy, Cantina OK! and Bulletin Place all placed among 2020's top 50, which means we could see plenty more Aussie representation among next week's top 50 lineup reveal. Byrdi was launched in 2019 by Whearty and co-founder Aki Nishikura, who were also behind Singapore's multi award-winning — and World's 50 Best Bars regular — Operation Dagger. You'll find the Melbourne favourite nestled within the CBD's Ella precinct, whipping up some truly exceptional, innovative drinks. Byrdi was one of the many bars sating cravings for well-crafted cocktails during lockdown this year and last, with lots of punters making use of its home-delivery service. Stay tuned and we'll share the winners of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 list when they're revealed next week. For the full 51-100 list of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 (and past years' lists), see the website. The top 50 rankings will be revealed from 8.15pm GMT on December 6, via Facebook and YouTube. Top Image: Byrdi cocktail, by Kate Shanasy
This William Street boutique has been serving well-dressed women in Sydney for the best part of two decades. Owners Nicola Lie and Juliet Kember started out with their eyes on the fashion and style of Belgium for inspiration, but time has evolved the store's range into a collection of local and overseas brands including Issey Miyake, Dries van Noten and Comme des Garçon. The overall style here is loose fitting, laidback and structural, created from premium fabrics and designed to outlast high street trends. It can be a fairly intimidating boutique to approach, so take a look at the collection online for an idea of what's likely to be in stock — or keep an eye out for Poepke's biannual archives sale for the best bargains. [caption id="attachment_779551" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] If you're browsing William Street's upmarket stores, drop by to check out the Maison Balzac glassware, Mondo Mondo jewellery and sleepwear by Deiji Studios, which you'll also find in store. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
To make the most of your adventures, you'll need a warm, comfy place to rest your head — and, ideally, one with a cracking view. You can find just that at Creel Lodge. Located at Waste Point, overlooking Lake Jindabyne, this spot has epic views with mountain chalet comforts, like an outdoor fireplace and a large dining table for red wine and card games in the evenings. It's located within the National Park, so you're right in the heart of the action for walking trails, bike rides and water-based fun. After a day of exploring, fire up the barbecue on the deck and see if you can spot any of the resident kangaroos. The Lodge has four bedrooms and sleeps up to eight people, and in the summer months you can book in from $345 per night.
When a music star drops news that they're heading Down Under on their very own podcast, believe them. Jessie Ware did just that back in May, advising that she'd be playing Australian music festival Summer Camp later this year — and now the fest has confirmed that she'll be headlining. Ware will play the event's two stops in December 2023, with Summer Camp kicking off on in Melbourne on Saturday, December 2, then heading north to Sydney on Sunday, December 3 — with inner-city venues for each city still to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. Ware initially let the news slip on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, when the singer and her mother Lennie were joined by a fellow pop icon: Australia's very-own Dannii Minogue. While the episode traverses the dynamics of the Minogue family and the delights of panna cotta, one eagle-eared Twitter user noticed that Ware dropped the unannounced goss that she'd be heading Down Under. "I'm actually going to Australia in November for this festival called Summer Camp," Ware said while discussing travel plans, and the possibility of doing a Table Manners series here in Oz. [caption id="attachment_911167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jack Grange[/caption] Summer Camp hosted its inaugural festivals in Sydney and Melbourne in 2022, combining top-notch tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride through a stacked lineup featuring Years & Years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Big Freedia, Cub Sport and The Veronicas. 2023's full plans haven't yet been revealed, other than Ware doing the honours. Who'll be joining her is among the details still to come. Ware has also just dropped her latest single, a new duet version of 'Freak Me Now' with Róisín Murphy, which you can check out below: SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, December 2 — Melbourne, venue TBC Sunday, December 3 — Sydney, venue TBC Summer Camp will play Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website.
If you've never tried the cream puffs at Emperor's Garden in Chinatown, today's the day to fix that sad situation. As soon as you escape the office, make a beeline for the outpost on the corner of Hay and Dixon streets, and join the queue waiting for a taste of the venue's famous Puffs. These hot little custard balls are sold straight from the oven and are well worth the wait. Plus, a single dollar buys you three of these babies so you can order as many as you want without putting a dent in your wallet. Craving even more sweet treats? Wander inside the bakery, where you'll find moon cakes, chocolate eclairs, egg tarts and a whole bunch of other delectable nibbles.
Record label Future Classic is turning 20 years in the business, and to celebrate, it's taking over one of Sydney's most prominent venues for one hell of a party. From small beginnings in the club scene to representing huge names in both Australia and the United States, there's plenty the label has to toast to. Spanning three stages at City Recital Hall on Friday, February 27th, the celebration will consist of hours of music, dancing, and discovery, honouring the label's two decades of fostering community, innovation, and creativity. The event is 18+. From its early days of throwing underground club nights, Future Classic has grown into an international powerhouse. Now home to a record label, management, publishing, and events team with headquarters in both Sydney and Los Angeles, they've been instrumental in the careers of acts including Flume, Chet Faker, SOPHIE, G Flip, Flight Facilities, Hayden James, Sycco, Wafia, Ta-ku, and more. They've released hundreds of records, amassed billions of streams, and earned multiple ARIA and Grammy Awards, all while remaining Australian-owned and independently run. The one-night-only show will bring together some of the label's most beloved artists for an unforgettable birthday celebration. ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter Emma Louise will deliver a rare and spellbinding performance, while Brisbane singer-songwriter and producer Sycco will appear with her slew of hits. And Italo-disco maestro Touch Sensitive will recruit his full live band for a career-spanning performance, including his recent album In Paradise. [caption id="attachment_1044374" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cybele Malinowski[/caption] Also taking the stage will be Chilean selector Paula Tape, Atlanta-based DJ and producer Nikki Nair, local hero Panama, the lush creations of Tentendo, and a customary appearance from Future Classic DJs. Plus, expect some very special surprise guests B2B during the night. Future Classic have also launched a special archival website, giving music lovers a chance to take a trip down memory lane, while we await the celebrations in the new year. Check it out here. General tickets are on sale now, get yours here.
If you're a dinosaur fan in Sydney, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. Sydney's latest: Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which roars into town with life-sized, lifelike critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this Harbour City visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto — running from Friday, September 22, 2023–Sunday, February 18, 2024. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital can get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result three decades — and five more movies — later.
UPDATE: February 28, 2019 — On Tuesday, March 5 — also known to some as Shrove Tuesday — Darling Harbour's Harajuku Gyoza will bring back its super fluffy soufflé pancakes. The five-centimetres-high Japanese meringue pancakes — which originated at Cafe Gram in Tokyo — will come in stacks of two ($16) and will be served three ways: with matcha ice cream and azuki beans, cream cheese and brown sugar pearls, or with caramelised vanilla bean custard (inspired by crème brûlée). They'll be available from 5–9pm on the Tuesday and from 11am–3pm on Saturdays and Sundays thereafter. Since arriving in Potts Point in 2013, Harajuku Gyoza has always kept things simple: gyoza and beer. Now, the Japanese eatery has opened a new 'beer stadium' — that is, eatery and craft brewery — in Darling Harbour. As the name suggests, it's a behemoth. The harbourside spot features 'stadium'-style stepped seating as well as booths, a mezzanine level and outdoor spots. Expect a Harajuku aesthetic with lots of the brand's signature red. It'll be the second 'stadium' in Australia — one opened on the Gold Coast in mid-2017. Beer is the feature here. On walking in, you'll notice four massive beer tanks behind the bar. Each 1200-litre vessel holds one of six Japanese drops brewed on-site under the watchful eye of Yoyogi, a Japanese brewery that's been operating in Australia in 2015 and in Kyoto, Japan, for over a century. Joining them at the taps will be another six brews, bringing the total available at any one time to 12. Meanwhile, the menu will be the selfsame one that's been attracting ravenous hordes to Potts Point. Among the dishes are nine types of gyoza, fried chicken, chicken ramen and salmon sashimi poke. The venue's signature desserts feature, too, including its raindrop cake and salted caramel and Nutella gyoza. The Beer Stadium will join a raft of other small breweries nearby, including the neighbouring All Hands Brewing and James Squire brewhouse at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
For the past few years, the minds behind The Beer Run have been using ice-cold beers at the pub as motivation to workout. Jog between breweries and bars, drink a brew at each one — that's how the boozy fun run plays out. No one is going to pubs, breweries, bars or watering holes at present, so The Beer Run's organisers have adapted. Meet The Virtual 5k Run, their isolation-friendly alternative. You'll still run, jog or walk briskly; however you'll do so wherever you like, be it your own street, your local park or at home on a treadmill. And if you'd like a beer afterwards, you'll need to supply your own. The run will kick off at 11am on Sunday, May 31 — and while it mentions five kilometres in the event's name, you can also hit the pavement across one or ten kilometres, too. And if you're wondering what makes this different from just getting sweaty by yourself, a live comedy host will be overseeing proceedings. Plus, there'll be prizes, including for best dressed — because dressing up and having a laugh is definitely encouraged. Keeping the beer theme going, the prizes are sponsored by breweries — and, while tickets start at $15, if you opt for the $25 option, you'll receive a Beer Run medal as well. The Virtual 5k Run is also donating $5 from each entry to a COVID-19 cause, which'll be chosen via votes from participants.
Maybe you've tried mixing flour, salt, a little red wine and a dollop of tomato sauce. Perhaps you can't look at the last month of the year on a calendar without hearing Paul Kelly crooning "it's the 21st of December" in your head. As a song, 'How to Make Gravy' has been an Australian classic since 1996. It's one of the tunes that the great Aussie singer-songwriter will forever be known for. As a movie, How to Make Gravy is the nation's latest festive film, after musician Meg Washington and writer/director Nick Waterman first revealed back in 2022 that they were adapting Kelly's track for the screen. The song does indeed tell listeners how to make gravy. It also unfurls a story that explores what that sauce, plus the act of sharing it with loved ones over the festive season, means to the tune's protagonist. Kelly crafts the track as a letter from Joe to Dan, reflecting on all of the things that he'll be missing that Christmas due to being in prison. "And give my love to Angus, and to Frank and Dolly — tell 'em all I'm sorry, I screwed up this time," the song advises. "And look after Rita, I'll be thinking of her early Christmas morning when I'm standing in line," it continues. "Tell 'em all I'm sorry, and kiss the sleepy children for me. You know one of these days, I'll be making gravy. I'll be making plenty, I'm gonna pay 'em all back," the tune concludes. How do you make a movie out of 'How to Make Gravy'? For the feature now streaming via Binge since Sunday, December 1, 2024, arriving wth perfect end-of-year timing, Washington and Waterman have spun a tale based around all of the folks that Kelly mentions. The brothers driving down from Queensland, Stella, Mary and Roger: they all pop up, too. The duo has also enlisted an impressive list of actors to bring those figures and new characters to life, such as Kate Mulvany (The Clearing), Damon Herriman (Better Man), Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Mr Inbetween) and Kym Gyngell (The Artful Dodger), plus French actor Agathe Rousselle from Titane making her first English-language film. Two of its biggest names — and two of Australia's best screen talents — sit at the picture's centre. Daniel Henshall (RFDS) is Joe, author of the pivotal message. Hugo Weaving (Slow Horses) plays Noel, who isn't mentioned in the song. For Weaving, "the song 'How to Make Gravy' means someone wants to be making gravy with their family, so it means someone wants to be at home with their family and they're not," he tells Concrete Playground. "But the promise of the gravy is that when I am back at home with you, I will make lots and lots of gravy. So I'll make up for time lost, and I value my family, I value you and I want to gift you this thing that I can do. And I'm sorry that I've stuffed up so badly that I'm not with you. So that's what both the film and the song mean." Henshall agrees; to him, Kelly's track is about "wanting to be home and not being able to be to" and "missing the people that you love". More than four decades since his first-ever screen credit back in 1980, Weaving's career has taken him everywhere from touring the outback in drag in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (a sequel to which is on the way) to enforcing a robot-dominated world order in The Matrix franchise and playing a half-elven leader in The Lord of the Rings saga. He's starred in Marvel and Transformers movies, too, alongside a wealth of excellent homegrown fare (see: Proof, Babe, Little Fish, Mystery Road, Healing, The Dressmaker, Hearts and Bones, The Rooster and TV's Love Me). Henshall made a chilling imprint in Snowtown, then added fellow exceptional Australian flicks These Final Hours, The Babadook and Acute Misfortune to his resume. On TV, American efforts Turn and Defending Jacob are on his filmography, as are the Aussie likes of Bloom, Lambs of God, Mystery Road: Origin and Savage River. And then there's two Bong Joon-ho movies: Okja and 2025 release Mickey 17. [caption id="attachment_983111" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Symons[/caption] How to Make Gravy isn't Weaving and Henshall's first on-screen collaboration. In 2023, The Royal Hotel also brought them together. Before that, 2019's Measure for Measure did the same. With The Royal Hotel and their current team-up especially, they're spending their shared time exploring the complexities of masculinity — in Kitty Green's (The Assistant) film as two of the menacing men at an outback pub, and in How to Make Gravy as inmates. After perpetrating toxic attitudes the last time that they co-starred together, they're now attempting to break free of harmful behaviours. Joe is angry before he starts serving an 18-month sentence. That fury and pain has played a considerable part in sparking his incarceration, in fact. A veteran lifer, Noel has been in similar shoes, but now both oversees the prison kitchen and runs a men's group to help his fellow detainees get in touch with their emotions. The movie version of How to Make Gravy also hops between the events that led to Joe being behind bars and the aftermath the following Christmas — and also between his stint inside and how his family, including Rousselle as his wife Rita, Thwaites as his brother Dan, Mulvaney as his sister Stella, Herriman as her husband Roger, and Jonah Wren Phillips (Sweet Tooth) as Joe and Rita's son Angus, are coping. We also chatted with Weaving and Henshall about their first thoughts when they first heard about the project, its many layers, starring in a movie with such beloved source material, how their paths keep crossing on-screen and digging into the feature's themes. On the Reaction When a Movie Based on an Iconic Paul Kelly Song Comes Your Way Hugo: "Brilliant idea, really excited. Read the script — fantastic version, adaptation, realisation of the source material. And thrilling character for me. So I was all in straight away." Daniel: "Yeah, the idea of being a part of something that means so much to so many was very exciting. And then meeting Nick and Megan and reading their script just made it even more palpable. It was such a visceral script. And what they had done with that, how they moved away from the song, and how they had paid respect to the song and how they'd fleshed out these characters, and how they're dealing with a lot of issues underneath everything without explicitly saying that, I think it was incredibly clever. Much like Paul's music, it's so simple in its structure, but it's so effective. And every time you come to it, you see or feel a bit more. I hope that's what this film does for people as well. I think, for me, having seen it a couple of times now, every time I see a bit more and feel a bit more." Hugo: "The mark of a good film, actually, that. I thought 'oh, is this a different edit?' — and they go 'no, it's the same film that you saw like two months ago'. I said 'I'm sure, didn't you cut that out or put that in?'. 'No, it's the same thing.'" Daniel: "You get a different thing each time." Hugo: "I think it's one of those films where when you see it, you'll see a lot each time". On Whether There's a Sense of Responsibility When You're Starring in a Film That Stems From Such Treasured Source Material Daniel: "Absolutely. And I think that's the initial fear — are you going to ruin someone else's experience of this much-beloved property, this song? But this is an adaptation, and you cross over into understanding that this isn't an imitation, it's an adaptation. So they've taken it and run with it, and now we're focused on making this work from that. We're not going to disrespect the original, but we're going to make this different version inspired by this. So you can focus on that. So the responsibility is now on the film, not to not respect the song, but not being worried about changing someone else's opinion or experience of this song. We're now focused on the film, which is a different thing. It's a fully fleshed idea that's taken from a form in its origin, and now it's in a two-hour format on the screen in real life." Hugo: "Lovely for Paul, too, because he had such a great reaction to it." Daniel: "He did." Hugo: "And I think he feels like his original, didn't he say that 'where it's moved from when I wrote it to now is so great'? And for him that's a liberation, I think. So it's great to get seal of approval from Paul Kelly …" Daniel: "From the originator." Hugo: "… with regard this version of the song. Good to hear. Good to hear." Daniel: "He was very moved, which was really beautiful to see." [caption id="attachment_983112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Symons[/caption] On Weaving and Henshall's Shared On-Screen History, and How That Helped While Collaborating on How to Make Gravy Daniel: "It's brilliant because, I mean, I'm very fond of Hugo, and so I've learned that that gives me a shorthand in communication, in familiarity, in trust, in friendship. So when we go to do something on the screen, I'm innately more open to it and I'm innately more free to play, and feel comfortable to play and not to fail. And so what a wonderful place to start off, even before we start talking about the work. If you're already coming from that, all of that work that you can only do through experiencing somebody. It's like becoming a friend with somebody. The deeper you go with them, the more the friendship grows. And that's true of the work, too. We become more familiar with each other." [caption id="attachment_983113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Symons[/caption] Hugo: "It's nice, too, being excited by the prospect of working with Dan — having seen Acute Misfortune, for example, which was just such an extraordinary performance, and then getting the opportunity to work with that actor. So you go 'well, I really like what this guy does, and so I hope I'm going to enjoy working with him'. So it's been a really good journey, from Measure for Measure, tiny little scenes we had, to being in each other's orbit on The Royal Hotel — but again, prosecuting intensely toxic male psyches together and talking about that world, the world of The Royal Hotel, and then being able to progress from that toxic world into a another, a world about a more-balanced idea of what family is, and looking at how men can heal themselves. It's been a great journey, actually." Daniel: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it has." Hugo: "A pleasure." On What Weaving and Henshall Drew Upon to Dig Into Masculinity's Complexities Hugo: "Well, the script initially, and then what that throws up for you, what work you need to do to understand that. So for me it was like 'well, if Noel's done all this work, what work have I done on myself? What sort of psychological pathways have I gone down to understand where I'm at? And what sort of work has this character done? What sort of men's-group work does he have to do?'. So there's all this prosecution of a character that you do before any film. And you can never do enough and then, of course, at some point you've got to just jump in and do it. But always do as much as you can to make that character as complex and as human as possible." Daniel: "For me, it starts with the conversation with the director, and their understanding of the character — and why the character does these things. And then through that conversation, I can state where I'm coming from or what it does for me, or how I respond to that. And I think there's always a thing where at least I try to connect something that's happened to me in my life to something that's happened to the character in their life. And once I understand what that kernel of emotional history is, then you can start to flesh out those very real responses and start to understand them without judgment. I think there's a lot to mine in this character. It's so richly written, so it does begin with the script, obviously. But there's so much more under the surface which, again, was explored through conversation and then personal experience." Hugo: "There's massive backstory …" Daniel: "For all the characters." Hugo: "… for all the characters, actually. And they're just touched on. You get a very strong sense of the father having suicided some years ago, when Joe is a kid. You get a sense of Red's [a fellow inmate] background. You get a sense of Noel's background. You get a sense of Agathe's character's background and mother." Daniel: "Just with that one conversation." Hugo: "So all of these characters, the lives are just hinted at. So you need to find the truth of all of that, and you need to create those stories." Daniel: "That's most of the work, isn't it?" Hugo: "Yeah, it is. And then that brings about 'well, this character thinks in a certain way' or there's an inner monologue happening for them which is very slow or very fast. Every character has an internal world that's significantly different from others, and it's slowly finding that, tapping into that. That's when it starts to get exciting, I think, when you start thinking like that person." Daniel: "Yes." Hugo: "And instinctively feeling like that person." How to Make Gravy streams via Binge. Film images: Jasin Boland.
Inspired by Eurovision — that all-singing, all-dancing, over-the-top, glittery European extravaganza — is Sydney's version, the Sydneyvision Song Contest. One of the main differences between the two (apart from massive geographical distance), is that Sydney's take is all about the music video rather than live performances like its European older sister. This might explain the venue, which is a cinema. With strict guidelines for contestants to up the cheese factor while singing lyrics that include a Sydney suburb, expect both those who can and can't sing to be in it. Organised by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, (with the support of Dendy Newtown), Sydneyvision suggests that you be prepared for some, quite frankly, bizarre music videos (and some musical satire), such as a Bollywood entry about Harris Park. So, go and cheer on your suburb, and lets hope there are some entries as awesome as Eurovision's. Fingers crossed there's some fine dancing like in Moldova's 2012 entry.
