Food & Drink

Following the very infuriating and deeply upsetting announcement that Kings Cross icon World Bar was going under, a very welcome announcement has popped up indicating that the renowned nightlife venue will be reopening this week as Cali Club. Turns out the institution has been saved by hospitality duo Dane Gorrel and Matt Weir, who most…

Love Game of Thrones? Love whisky? Then we have good news for you. Johnnie Walker and HBO have partnered up to release White Walker by Johnnie Walker – a new, limited edition Scotch whisky for fans to celebrate with, in anticipation of the eighth and final season of Game for Thrones, recently announced to return…

At first sight, with its minimalistic interior design complete with cool pastel walls and plywood furniture, the Grand Lafayette feels just like any other Melbourne café. And in many ways, that’s exactly what it is. The breakfast and lunch menus consist of popular western dishes infused with Asian flavours and ingredients, resulting in dishes like…

It would take years, maybe even a lifetime, and a strong will to fully explore and learn about the many winemaking regions of France. The country is packed with some of the most legendary, and delicious, wines in the world, and constantly serves as a source of inspiration for the many sommeliers and wine retailers…

Christmas lunch is sorted, with the Carriageworks Christmas Farmers Markets having all the ingredients, produce and gifts you need this festive season. This year’s Carriageworks Christmas Farmers Market is bringing the best of food and produce to one free festive event on Saturday 22 December form 8 am to 1pm. Not only will you get the fantastic food…

Hospitality group Applejack known for producing unconventional yet elegant venues (The Butler Potts Point, The Botanist Kirribilli, SoCal Sydney, Della Hyde) have launched a new restaurant and bar at their first Sydney CBD location, just a stone’s throw from Wynyard station on Carrington street. Dubbed Bopp & Tone, founders Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll’s latest…

Rockpool’s energetic Mexican concept El Camino Cantina has expanded to a spacious waterfront eatery in Manly, with promises to equal the good vibes that made The Rocks original such a hit when it opened. Making the rooftop on Manly Wharf its new home, the Tex Mex joint promises frozen margaritas, taco Tuesdays and sunset soirees just…

Impressive new openings will always be a thing in Sydney. Whether it’s a new bar, a restaurant from a well-known chef, or a light and bright café, those who live in the sunny harbour city are spoiled for choice when they go out to dine. There’s been a whole heap of new ones popping up…

Our nation’s capital has been a discerning foodie destination for years now. The region produces some excellent ingredients, used by inventive chefs who have propped the scene up as one of the finest on Australia’s East Coast. It’s worth a road trip just to hop around the many restaurants that spread across Canberra for a…

Now more than ever, the Cook Islands are an accessible destination to soothe your cold, stressed-out city-oriented lives thanks to a new direct flight service to Australia. Of the Cook’s 15 islands, Rarotonga is its capital and largest island where we spent a week-long voyage. Enclosed by a continuous sky-blue lagoon full of fish and…

As we steamroll towards summer, and Sydney’s temperature really ramps up, some of the city’s most festive annual – and inaugural – events are being readied for crowds of locals and visitors to get across. Whether it’s watching a provocative Japanese film in the air-conditioned comfort of Event Cinemas, indulging in exclusive dishes by renowned…

Head along to Waterloo from 8th to 10th November and you’ll find Sydney’s latest pop-up, inspired by none other than Mamma Mia. Designed to celebrate the home release of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the temporary space will be themed towards the movie and host Retrosweat and Cork & Chroma classes (soundtracked by ABBA…

Sydney’s new luxury boutique hotel is kicking off the warmer season by celebrating with summer’s most beloved spirit – Gin. West Hotel, a collection from Hilton that launched in February earlier this year, have teamed up with the local distillery, Archie Rose Distilling Co., to bring a gin-infused bar menu and summer cocktail list to the…

Chophouse, Sydney CBD’s beloved contemporary steakhouse which turns 10 years year, has officially expanded to Parramatta with their second restaurant. It marks the first ever expansion for the stylish restaurant, bringing their quality cuts of meat to Parra’s Centenary Square, gutting out the former digs of Jamie’s Italian. Recreating their sleek, moody atmosphere with a…

Merivale have stepped into the widely underutilised (in Sydney) realm of Cambodian cooking with the new Kingdom of Rice, the group’s latest pop-up packed with flavour and colour. It follows the widely acclaimed Dirty Italian Disco as Merivale’s second pop-up at their Tennyson Hotel in Mascot, helmed by the same culinary minds behind ACME –…

Just in time for the summer months to come and drive Melbourne’s locals towards St Kilda beach, Piccolina Gelateria have unveiled a new store on nearby Aceland Street. Marking the third store for the business, often referred to as the best gelataria in the city, the new space channels the surrounding street scape and the…

Whether you engage with the race itself or not, Melbourne Cup is always a good excuse to get out of the office and sneak a long festive lunch in with the colleagues. Sydney’s best restaurants and bars always put their best food forward when it comes to “the face that stops the nation”, putting together…

Delicious World Pasta Day is upon us, an open celebration of what is quite possibly (definitely) one of the top 10 things ever created. And since today is the best time to show appreciation for the diverse Italian-born food, we thought it best to have a quick chat with Aussie chef Dario Manca (well known…

Renowned chef Jessi Singh has returned to Australia to bring his “unauthentic Indian” cuisine to Sydney, opening Surry Hills’ newest restaurant Don’t Tell Aunty. The space, which replaces the old 4Fourteen, is marked by Singh’s fun and casual atmosphere, inspired by the home of a traditional Indian aunty – that being a place where you…

Applejack, the group behind beloved Sydney venues like The Butler and The Botanist, will finally be making their way into the CBD for the first time with a new restaurant and bar on Carrington Street. Named Bopp & Tone for the Applejack founders’ grandfathers – Keith “Bopp” Evans and Anthony “Tone” Adams – the Mediterranean…

It has been two years since U.S fast-food giant Carl’s Jr opened their first ever Australian store in Bateau Bay on New South Wales’s Central Coast. It was a success, as was the steady roll out of stores that followed as part of a very ambitious expansion set to see around 300 stores open across…

The final three months of 2018 bring plenty of opportunities for gastronomic tourism (the best kind of travel), whether you’re heading over to North America, travelling around Asia or just keen on a road trip in your backyard. These six highly curated food festivals are well worth getting off the couch for, from historic long-running…

Chatswood burger joint Royal Stacks is celebrating a whole two years since it’s first shop in Sydney, moving up from Melbourne to great acclaim with a total of 130,00 burgers and 3000 liters of frozen custards sold to date. On Saturday 27th October, those celebration will hit their peak with a huge party, featuring a…

Melbourne’s watery rooftop oasis is almost here, ushered in with the launch of Reunion Island Pool Club, re-shaping the former open-air digs of St Jerome’s – The Hotel into a breezy mecca of swish plunge pools, pop-ups from local hospitality heroes, and more. The sprawling and highly anticipated venue, a first for the Australia, officially…

Some of the Inner West’s greatest culinary minds have come together to open a pizzeria on King Street, Newtown. This is a big deal. Talks of Bella Brutta (meaning “Beautiful Ugly”) began earlier this year, speaking of a pizza diner spearheaded by co-owner Luke Powell of Chippendale institution LP’s Quality Meats along with the crew,…

Australia’s first premium online cocktail subscription service has launched, paving the way for Cocktail Porter to deliver bartender-designed cocktail kits directly to front doors across the country. A concept birthed in Sydney, Cocktail Porter was founded by Cameron Northway of Sweet&Chilli and Bondi restaurant Rocker, aimed at pushing a modern, on-demand product for those wanting…

Craft beer rockstars Young Henrys have hooked up with Byron Bay clothing brand and hemp advocates Afends to release one of the first legal hemp beers in Australia, and the first to use brand new water soluble hemp oil technology. Simply dubbed the Hemp IPA, the beer was brewed to reinforce Afends’ initiative of promoting…

Out of all the excellent new openings populating Sydney’s hospitality scene before 2019 kicks off, few are as high-profile as this one. Employees Only, the award-winning speakeasy born in New York’s West Village and often referred to as one of the world’s best, is finally ready to open it’s doors in Sydney’s CBD. It will…

Supplier of Australia’s second Scotch of choice Grant’s Whisky have launched a brand new blended scotch sporting a fresh new look and name as part of a global re-branding exercise. Grant’s Triple Wood Blended Scotch Whisky was unveiled this week at Grant William & Sons offices in North Sydney, its eye catching amber colour and…

Fancy a giant squid on a stick? Get on down to Footscray where new quick service restaurant IKA8 is hoping to add their take on South East Asian street food to the suburb’s already diverse casual dining scene. Giant squid dishes cooked openly on the fire grill or fried in oil will be the signature…