Travel & Lifestyle

Take your taste buds to the middle of the French Riviera and plant yourself in one of the world’s most luxurious destinations. That’s Monaco of course, the iconic city-state of every well-heeled traveller’s dreams and home to some of the ritziest bars in Europe. Don’t let the elegance fool you though; Monaco is serious about…

After months of binge-watching Peaky Blinders and only wearing pants with elasticised waists or let’s be honest, no pants at all. I knew it was time to start salvaging my beach bod. After all, how could I expect Cillian Murphy to run away with me when I’m sat on the couch eating dry noodles and…

Etihad Airways has announced a new travel voucher system that may save big on future flights when international travel (hopefully) ramps up later this year. The UAE carrier has introduced the new concept to encourage travellers to start planning their next trip, where prospective passengers who purchase an “Etihad Travel Voucher” between 10th and 24th…

With the complete lifting of domestic travel restrictions in New Zealand, the country’s flagship carrier has revealed what to expect when flying Air New Zealand at “Alert Level 1”. The new measures have been shared to prep passengers for the months ahead and the “new norm” on board, and hopefully let Aussies know what to…

With intrastate travel opening up for New South Wales, intrepid travellers keen to explore their own backyard are starting to look further afield when it comes to road trips and staycations. With the state having so much to offer, a new platform has been put together by Destination NSW highlighting 213 ways to explore this…

As with many cities all over the world, Sydney hosted a Black Lives Matter protest on Saturday night. It’s estimated over 20,000 attended the march, with approval being granted for it to proceed by the NSW Court of Appeal just prior to it commencing. The NSW Government initially banned the rally on grounds of public…

After success in Sydney and Melbourne, high-end hotel brand The Langham has announced the opening of a 169-room Gold Coast hotel in addition to 170 serviced apartments slated for 2021. Located in the tallest of the three landmark towers of the gemstone-inspired Jewel development, the properties will offer direct beach access and are being described…

It’s been five years since the man who literally wrote the book on burgers opened up an the ambitious Easey’s in the eternally hip Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. The multi-storey building, topped by sightly repurposed train carriages, has since become the preeminent spot for no-fuss burgers in the city and has remained so until this…

Following the resumption of numerous Emirates services last month, the UAE carrier is planning to restart even more routes from the 15th June. This includes Brisbane and Perth, adding to the Sydney and Melbourne services currently in operation. The returning services will fly on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft between Dubai and 16 cities, adding Singapore,…

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…

Anyone who has taken a river cruise through Vienna with Avalon Waterways may have stopped at Andante, the city’s culinary stage and a cooking school offering classes, workshops and presentations around classic Austrian dishes. Where better to look then when searching for the ultimate freshly baked apple strudel? Here, Avalon and Andante have supplied us…

One of the most reliable truths in Australia’s busy scene of casual eats is that Gelato Messina will always manage to tease out that wide-eyed child inside of you. You know, the one that acts as if they’ve just discovered dessert for the first time and hence goes all weak at the knees over just…

Although domestic travel is picking up, there are still many of Australia’s best experiences which won’t be in full operation anytime soon. Once such as the Shortest Lunch in iconic Yarra Valley, an annual winter solstice event designed to take wine lovers on a gastronomical journey across the famed region. It won’t be happening this…

If you’ve ever wanted to hike to the top of Sydney’s emblematic Sydney Harbour Bridge, now is the time to do. In response to loosening lockdown restrictions, quintessential Sydney experience BridgeClimb has reopened and will resume their sky-high expeditions from June 27th. What’s more is that BridgeClimb will now be offering significant discounts on the…

This one is for the cheese and beer lovers out there. Vancouver’s popular Trading Post brewery has crafted the unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable combination of beer and cheese into a soup. Featuring local ingredients from Birchwood Dairy’s cheddar cheese and cream, Johnston’s bacon and beer. The contrasting flavours are said to complement each other, creating a…

As domestic travel begins to pick up, Qantas and Jetstar have announced 300 more inter-state and intra-state flights each week for June and July. Given demand for domestic services has shot up in recent weeks, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has said capacity will go from 5% of pre-crisis levels to 15% by late June. “We…

We could all use some indulgence right now, especially with lockdown restrictions beginning to ease. Fortunately for us it’s national doughnut day this Friday 5th June, and as expected Krispy Kreme Australia are celebrating the best way they know how. Free. Doughnuts. Although it’s not just for this week that the chain will be putting…

In light of lockdown easing further with the new rule of 50 guests at a time, Rockpool Dining Group has begun opening their many restaurants across Sydney and Melbourne in stages. Whilst the hospitality group has over 80 restaurants, venues will gradually reopen over the next few weeks. “We don’t want to rush into things…

It’s time to get in the kitchen, pack that mental suitcase, and travel with your taste buds all the way to Monaco’s most iconic five-star hotel. The famous Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, a Gold List regular and one of this writer’s long-time dream stays, has lifted the lid on how to make their super smooth…

With restrictions being lifted for our favourite food and drink spots across Sydney, it seems we are getting our very first post-lockdown opening this week. And it’s coming from the legendary team behind burger mecca Mary’s, taking their beloved burger joint and putting it right on the top of the Lansdowne Hotel. Jake Smyth and…

With the world’s major airlines set on resuming services in response to loosening border restrictions, Etihad Airways has announced a special ‘Etihad Wellness’ program to further their commitment to health and wellbeing throughout the passenger journey. This includes new roles created within the airline, fit into a programme of specially trained Wellness Ambassadors. Expanding on…

Denver, Colorado is known to have quite the range when it comes to its dining scene. The achingly hip city caters just as well to the bar-hopping hipster biting down on a rattlesnack hotdog, as it does for the beatnick revivalist tucking into some fine-dining over an afternoon jazz session in the colourful RiNo Art…

During this current global pandemic, maintaining mental health and well-being has proven essential. Digital platforms have become the new normal, so access to mindful practices online has made an enormous leap in the wellness world. Recently, that’s a space being covered quite comprehensively by the world’s best luxury hotel groups. COMO Shambhala, the wellness arm…

QT Sydney’s Italian eatery Parlour Cucina has joined a chorus of restaurants and cafes reopening in accordance with current health measures. But they haven’t just swung the doors open for dine-in guests, Exec. Chef Nic Wood has switched up the menu to sharpen focus on authentic Italian fare peppered with locally sourced ingredients. Given the…

The Australian Growers Association (AGMA) have deemed mushrooms as the antidote for maintaining a stronger immune system, and with the colder months about to sweep our country, it’s a good idea to start perfecting some hearty dishes championing this essential ingredient. Here, we’ve sourced the AGMA’s recipe for a soulful Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff. Ingredients…

During these unprecedented times, when staying at home is of the utmost importance, us here at The AU Review are going to be doing everything we can to help readers live their best lives, indoors. As with many other media companies who typically focus on getting folks out and about, we’re shifting to adapt to…

Many traditional dishes born in Japan’s formative Edo Period still endear in the country today. And they’re found everywhere, like on the central coast of Honshu Island in the historic Ishikawa Prefecture where Japan’s culinary arts are spread from Michelin-starred ryokans to 300-year old food markets. Where better to look for a recipe close to…

Following the cancellation of Primavera Sound 2020 and the announcement its accompanying conference Primavera Pro would move online, today Primavera Sound Barcelona is gearing up for 2021, by announcing the first 100 acts set to play what will now be the festival’s 20th anniversary event. The event will take the #bestfestivalforever theme that the 2020…

While Merivale continues to feed Sydneysiders with its

As one of NSW’s only remaining drive in cinemas, the vintage-minded Skyline Drive In Blacktown has officially reopened as of 28th May. With the ideal format for social distancing, it builds upon popularity of drive-in movies in the current pandemic, which has seen places like Vilnius in Lithuania turn its airport into a drive-in cinema…