Travel & Lifestyle

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at one of Sydney’s most popular, long-running Japanese restaurants, Masuya, or trendy Surry Hills gem Toko, then you’re familiar with the considerable touch of Sushi Master Toshi Oe. With three decades of experience, the chef is rightfully considered Sydney’s original Sushi Master, and he’ll be popping up…

Sydney’s most potent mix of pizza, beer and smoky rock ‘n’ roll, Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice, has officially reopened. Due to eased restrictions, the city’s favourite rock bar will once again buzz from 4pm to 3:30 every single day, with an epic return to live music via long string of shows planned for August….

In the fifth episode of the second season of Jetlag The Podcast, our ongoing series looking at how travel has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we sit down with Lisa Catron from Memphis Travel. The International & Domestic Sales Manager provides a surprisingly positive outlook on the state of tourism for her city, even…

If diving into rich and creamy French onion soup, sending your tastebuds on a vacay to Rhône Valley, and crunching the juices out of duck confit sounds like your idea of a good time, then you’re going to love Bastille Day this year. France’s national day is always an exciting time across the world, but…

With talk of a Trans-Tasman travel bubble still floating around – and looking promising – Aussies’ attention is split between their own magnificent backyard and the equally gorgeous landscapes and cities that await across the ditch. Auckland should be front-centre of that vision, with its big-city lifestyle, dynamic dining scene gorgeous harbour, and wine-filled Waiheke…

Announced to coincide with World Chocolate Day (that is, today), Mars Wrigley Australia has upped capacity to their chocolate factory in Ballarat in order to start producing one of the most popular flavours of M&Ms. That’s the salty and sweet Pretzel variant of the famous chocolate, which currently Australians would have had to import online…

This month, the legendary “Queen of the Skies” will be officially retired from Qantas’ fleet, with the airline bidding a final farewell to its last remaining Boeing 747. Though the iconic aircraft won’t be leaving without considerable fanfare, as Qantas responds to demand with announcement of several “farewell jumbo joy flights” for Australians. Qantas will…

You may not be able to jet off the Italy anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean your taste buds can’t soak up the splendour of a region as pristine and diverse as Piemonte. This bountiful northern Italian seat of typically rare and celebrates wines will be the subject of a special one-off wine dinner at…

Acclaimed Australian-born brand QT Hotels & Resorts has finally lifted the lid on QT Auckland, their first New Zealand property after a successful trans-Tasman debut with QT Queenstown and QT Wellington. Located in the city’s Viaduct Harbour, and set for a grand opening on 1st November 2020, the property is now accepting bookings and, from…

Ever-creative Chef Nelly Robinson of treasured Surry Hills underground restaurant nel. has doubled-down on the Disney inspiration that kicked off last year’s limited edition “Once Upon a Time” degustation. The menu, which made global headlines and sold out in a matter of weeks when it was first released, will return as a celebration of that…

Reopened restaurants have been putting their best foot forward to celebrate the fact they can welcome dine-in guests once again, and this popular Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney’s Marrickville is not holding back. The team at the formidable Hello Auntie on Illawarra Road has created what they are claiming as the world’s first pho-brined fried chicken….

Virgin Australia put 125,000 fares on sale for 12 hours yesterday, with prices dipping to as low as $69 between select destinations “because everyone loved a comeback”. Though the flights were picked up quickly, the airline is promising more Happy Hour sales every week as domestic tourism ramps up. The sale included business class fares…

A 65-seat Middle Eastern style chicken shop has now opened in Surry Hills, a sister venue of neighbouring Nour on the inner city suburb’s iconic Crown Street. Going by the name of Hanrietta, the dine-in and takeaway concept centres around free range charcoal chicken accompanied by numerous sides like breads, dips, pickles and salads. Owned…

Rockpool Dining Group has slowly begun a phased reopening of their many restaurants across Sydney, which has now included the famed Spice Temple. The popular ode to to Chinese flavours and all levels of heat has now started welcoming dine-in guests. RECIPE: Spice Temple’s Kung Pao Chicken Executive Chef Andy Evans’ will be serving up…

Which U.S city has the best cocktail culture? That’s a bit hard to judge. Is it NYC? San Fran? Chicago? New Orleans? LA? Who knows, but one things for sure – you can’t talk about cocktails without mentioning Las Vegas. The well-heeled oasis of entertainment is often seen as the proving ground for some of…

For the first time in 15 years, Qantas will introduce daily services between Sydney and Byron Bay (Ballina) airport, opening up what should be an enormously popular route as interstate travel ramps up. The popular coastal town isn’t the only destination to see a new route open up though, with Qantas also adding its first…

As of 1st July, Qantas will begin reopening a number of its domestic and regional lounges across Australia, following restrictions on travel and venues being loosened and demand for domestic flights increasing. Importantly, this will be a phased opening that will only include a limited number of lounges in first wave, specifically eleven including Qantas…

Australia’s beloved Koko Black has teamed up with Tokyo-based dessert shop Tokyo Lamington for what will surely be one of the most delicious collaborations of the year. That’s three decadent and unique twists on the timeless lamington – limited-edition treats that will be available for one day only at Koko Black stores on Tuesday 7th…

Although historically an airline exclusively serving regional Australia, Rex is now enacting plans which could see the carrier compete with Qantas and Virgin Australia with the creation of a new domestic operation. Capital cities could now be on this the radar for Rex’s planned expansion, pending successful fundraising of at least $30 million, which is…

Millett Group, the team behind Lord Byron, have officially opened doors to The Surf House – Byron Bay’s newest accommodation with its own distinctive rooftop bar. Seeing as the Millett Group are also behind the award-winning Wake Up! Byron Bay hostel, this boutique, design-forward property should be an attractive option for the the inevitable influx…

Those in need of a delicious break (everyone) should start stretching their queuing-up muscles because Sydney’s getting its first ever KitKat Chocolatory flagship. Opening on 6th July, the debut store will stretch it’s legs at Mid City Sydney, offering up a sizable collection of personalised, premium chocolate experienced inspired by and dedicated entirely to the…

Domestic travel is on the cusp of a resurgence with states across Australia beginning to relax lockdown measures. International travel? That’s a different story. With many countries around the world struggling in the fight against COVID-19, we’ve been given conflicting information on when international travel will resume to a sense of normalcy anytime soon. Some…

Premium Scandinavian outdoor and lifestyle brand Fjällräven has officially launched its new Kånken Art collection in Australia, bringing expressive designs to their reliably high-end gear. The art-forward collection is a limited edition offering in collaboration with Swedish artist Moa Hoff, focusing on playful designs and unique patterns to stand out in a crowd. With domestic…

The sound of creaking hinges echoes around Sydney as restaurants reopen their doors to brunch starved patrons looking for a quality foodie experience once again. With new menus, weekday specials, live performances and scrumptious food, your grand debut back into society will have been worth the wait.  This should be obvious but if you do…

Restaurateur Maurice Terzini, best known for Icebergs and The Dolphin Hotel, is set to launch CicciaBella Trattoria + Bar’s second restaurant in the new Parramatta Square Precinct.  Following in the footsteps of Bondi’s venue, CicciaBella Parramatta will encapsulate the spirit of robust Italian cuisine and hospitality. The restaurant will focus on classic food inspired by traditional…

Neil Perry’s stalwart Spice Temple is back. After a few weeks of having Rockpool transform the basement venue, the popular Sydney restaurant has fired up the wok for diners to explore the wonders (and heat) of regional Chinese. And that, of course, means 10-dish Golden Banquets, lunchtime Yum Cha, and also signature dishes like Executive…

The ice cream lords of Ben & Jerry’s have teamed up with Sydney’s Bennett St Dairy to take their cookie dough to the next level with a new limited edition range. The popular Bondi bakers have been amplified through select B&J stores, supplying their Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough so Ben & Jerry fans can…

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that homemade bars can be just as special as your favourite speakeasy, and a good beverage doesn’t need to be reserved for the pub or restaurant. Anyone is capable of creating and enhancing their mixology skills, whether it’s making a nice cocktail for virtual work drinks or whipping…

On this week’s episode of Jetlag, we talk to radio presenter Nic Shields who has just returned to Australia after a stint living in the U.A.E. He takes us through the experience of passing through the airport in Dubai, what the flight was like, what it was like landing in Australia and what happened when…

With hotels now throwing their doors open for guests, we’ve made the very hard choices to narrow Sydney’s excellent spread of hotels down to ten we’d recommend for a post-iso staycation. From a luxurious restoration in the leafy suburb of Mosman and a Double Bay mansion, to the CBD’s best design-forward luxury hotels, book into…