Food & Drink

2016 was one of the best 12 month periods for new restaurant and bar openings in Sydney (lockout laws withstanding; on that note, good riddance Mike Baird), but just because the year is over doesn’t mean the momentum is slowing. Case in point: just a few weeks into 2017 and we’re already getting a shiny…

Free tea? That’s always a good thing, especially when it’s a brand new blend that’s not yet been released by top selling brand Twinings. Drawing on the essence of their iconic London flagship, Golden Lyon, Twinings will be temporarily taking over the space at 17 Oxford Street in Paddington, offering anyone free samples of their…

Feel like running out and grabbing a burger in this heat? That’s obviously a no, but your answer may change with this beautiful little brand name: In-N-Out. That’s right, the famous U.S burger chain has once again popped up in Sydney without any warning at all, with very few details. We assume it’ll only be…

Yep crowd sourcing start-ups aren’t going anywhere anytime soon as people are heavily influenced by the innovative model of services like Airbnb. It’s led to some creative ideas in the past, and Melbourne-based start up CaterNow seems to be no exception, allowing users both corporate and consumer to easily find local caterers without having to…

As we reach the heat-wave bringing centre of Australia’s summer, Swiss ice cream brand Mövenpick has announced a range of signature Ice Cream Sandwich to be sold at their dessert boutiques. The sandwich will be made up of their high quality creamy ice cream and two rich chocolate cookies as the outer layer, giving folks…

Double Bay’s iconic restaurant and bar Mrs Sippy has launched a brand new menu just in time for Summer, celebrating their fifth year with significant changes that should see the popular hotspot charge through these holidays with style. The new additions feature light, fresh and summer-ready dishes aimed at pairing with your midday heat right…

Streets Ice Cream are about to unleash their latest step in building upon one of their best ever inventions, the Golden Gaytime. It’s a curiously named “crumb shed” pop-up, coming to both Sydney and Melbourne Topshop Topman stores later on this month, pushing five new flavours for the beloved ice cream. We aren’t talking standard…

Just when you thought Sydney’s overcrowded burger scene couldn’t get any bigger, renowned Japanese chef Chase Kojima, who is responsible to the Sydney’s highly regarded Sokyo and Gold Coast’s equally superb Kojima, has officially thrown his reliable hat in the ring and purposely hit left of centre. Kojima has gone for bun-less burgers, but you’d…

Sydney’s legendary Machiavelli Ristorante has been standing proud for over 27 years now, a mature, powerful presence for classic Italian, and a shining example of an endearing dining institution. Some may have noticed that the business has been slowly expanding in these past few years, some recent openings being the streamlined Mach2 in Sydney Airport,…

Back for the second year in a row, the Victorian Cider & Pork Festival will be held over the weekend of January 21 – 22, 2017, this time at the Flemington Racecourse.  It’s aiming to be the biggest feast of cider and pork that has hit Victoria.  Running from 11am -10pm, festival admission is from $30.00 per person, per day including…

Wildly popular Melbourne restaurant, The Meatball & Wine Bar, is adding another location to its impressive roster, this time opening up at 150 Chapel Street, Windsor. The recently opened expansion joins a family of venues in Flinders Lane, Richmond and Collingwood, all speaking to a love of good, hearty meatballs and even better wine. When it first opened…

The hip surrounds of Carlton have welcomed a fresh face with the few-weeks-old Henry Sugar, a food, wine and cocktail bar that marks the first joint venture by Kiwi chef Michael Baker and ex-Cookie bartender Daniel Mason. Setting up on Rathdowne Street, what started as a planned dessert cocktail bar has evolved to pushing an…

Look we can get pretty crazy down here in Australia with our hybrid foods and pop-culture themed eateries, but our love for food that shouldn’t exist is nothing compared to what’s going on over in the States. The latest is Taco Bell, who through last year have been trialing taco shells made out of fried…

A huge lineup of Australian talent is set to score the pristine surrounds of the Morning Racecourse as The Peninsula Picnic presented by Infiniti returns this April. Melbourne locals and visitors will be able to head along to the boutique music, food and wine festival on Saturday 1st April as the fail-safe life philosophy of…

With the peak of summer underway, you only have to go so far in Melbourne for that perfectly delicious and light meal, which 9 times out of 10 is the ever-reliable option of sushi. Open across two locations – Abbotsford and Sunshine – Sōko is one of the best choices out there for simple, flavoursome…

The headline says it all really. Across five days during the week starting 15th Jan there will be a food truck pulling up to various locations around Sydney, giving away free sliders. Popular ex-Masterchef contestant Hayden Quinn and Hellmann’s have teamed up to man the vehicle, taking two of the chef’s recipes and hitting the…

Healthy fried chicken? That’s the claim surrounding new St Kilda’s Clucked, moving away from the southern fried chicken trend and pushing something a bit less understood and loved. “Happy, healthy fried 100% free range boneless chicken” describes a press released for the recently opened diner, a family-owned business located on busy Carlisle Street with signature…

After a successful pop-up Butterbeer Bar last year, it seems the team of South Yarra hotspot Good Things are dipping back into Harry Potter lore. Set for this week, the beloved bar will be transformed by a special Polyjuice Potion party, tasking the highly skilled witches and wizards behind the venue with providing Harry Potter…

One of Woollahra’s most beloved dining spots, Buzo, has just taken a big step in their continual evolution, saying goodbye to the tail end of 2016 and greeting 2017 with a new menu and a refocused cocktail list at their late-night bar. Moving from just Italian to Modern European cuisine, new Head Chef Jason Dean…

Welcome to Burger Watch, where we acknowledge the constant creativity bursting from all sides of the epic burger wave that sweeps Australia every week. The highest of high demand is reserved for this timeless food staple and just about every interpretation of it, whether it to be an over-the-top glutton-fest or a focus on simple…

Following their massive 160-stall deep Christmas markets the good folk at Carriageworks have announced that they will be hosting a Chinese New Year market curated by Kylie Kwong in partnership with Sydney Festival. And the renowned chef has gone all out for her part in the market, bringing in over 50 stallholders from Neil Perry’s…

Prahran’s The Cullen Hotel, a member of the acclaimed Art Series Hotel Group, is regularly referenced as one of Melbourne’s very best and brightest properties. For years now, the youthful hotel has thriving on not only a high standard of boutique accommodation, but in-house dining as well, an aspect which has taken a recent leap…

The popular Surry Hills restaurant and bar, Salaryman, quickly became known for seasonal left-centre takes on traditional ramen when it first opened in 2015. Glowing reviews and booming business sustained the concept for a year, but as a strong following built it became clear that a focus on ramen just wasn’t enough, hence a thorough…

The count down to christmas is fast approaching, and for foodie enthusiasts it is one of the best times of the year, for obvious reasons: lots of freakin’ food. If it is your turn hosting this year’s Xmas lunch, or you’re in need of a head-turning dishes to add to to the table, then Bondi Harvest…

Technology has well and truly collided with our hunger for food and cravings for convenience. The emergence of food delivery applications like Foodora, Deliveroo and the latest, Ubereats, are making life incredibly easy: we can now scroll through hundreds of colourful, enticing food options from a huge range of cuisines, and have our choices hand-delivered straight to our…

Sydneysiders who have fond memories of dining at Saigon Street in Bali will be happy to know that the popular eatery has been brought across the waters to four locations across Sydney, all opened recently by Aki Kotzamichalis (co-founder of the island’s famed Ku De Ta). Local chef Phil Davenport, who was Ku De Ta’s…

Fratelli Fresh’s fast-casual pizzeria spin-off, Fratelli Famous, has been very well received in Sydney and Melbourne this year, expanding as part of Rockpool Dining Group’s (formerly Urban Purveyor Group) ambitious plans that have seen the hospitality group grow immensely in 2016. Now it’s Brisbane’s turn to get the city’s first Fratelli Famous, and where better…

Popular Asian dessert chain Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart, which originated in Malaysia earlier this year, are said to turn over around 20,000 baked cheese tarts pet day. It’s this kind of popularity that has allowed for an easy and rapid expansion into other markets, and the latest to benefit is Australia with four stores in…

Revealed just a few weeks out, Kingsford favourite The Regent has thrown open their doors to the public following an extensive makeover that has seen changes to both the interior and the pub’s food and bev offerings. The popular student haunt now sports a restored heritage ceiling and a design that has gone street-level with…

Newly appointed Head Chef George Fowler ha brought a sharp focus on seasonal and sustainably sourced produce to make some changes at Potts Point favourite The Butler. Now with a team that also includes Danish-born Executive Chef Kasper Christensen (ex-Quay) and regular foraging sessions with forager and chef Elijah Holland (who worked with Kasper at…