Travel & Lifestyle

I first tried Singapore restaurant Porta during my stay at Park Hotel Clarke Quay and while I didn’t say so in the small paragraph I wrote about it, I did immediately notice the lack of diversity on their menu in terms of dietary options. I mentioned that I was a pescetarian quite immediately when I sat…

On Saturday 8th June 2019, Iconic chanteuse Celine Dion will finally bring her run of Las Vegas residencies to a definite close, sixteen years after she first began performing at The Colosseum. The powerhouse vocalist, now almost forty years into a storied career, is currently working her way to a historical moment for Las Vegas’…

After opening their first ever expansion in Chatswood, Bondi-born favourite Shuk has now revealed their third store, smack bang in the heart of breezy Elizabeth Bay. Located on the back street of Roslyn Gardens, a short walk from Rushcutters Bay and Potts Point, the 50-seat venue fits into the brand new Trebartha Apartments (those lucky,…

All 46 Gelatissimo stores across Australia are now stocking a very summery limited edition flavour, which is perhaps the brand’s strangest – and possibly best – yet. The new release is a partnership with Bundaberg Brewed Drinks to capture the profile of the company’s most successful drink, that being their craft brewed Ginger Beer. “We…

As if a festival with Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Alice in Chains and Judas Priest (and those are only the headliners) wasn’t enough, a supersized food program packed with some of the East Coast’s finest eateries has been announced for both the Sydney and Melbourne legs. As was the case last year, Jake Smyth and Kenny…

The first big Australian brand collaboration of 2019 is here, teaming Peters Drumstick with Gelato Messina for a limited edition collection of four drumstick ice creams. Launching around Australia from mid-January, the collection reimagines four of Messina’s most popular flavours as the classic Aussie drumstick as we steam towards what is usually the hottest month…

Positioned near the CBD end of Chapel Street, The Olsen remains one of the favourites of Art Series Hotels’ ever-expanding portfolio of gallery-like, boutique-minded properties. It owes much of its understated elegance to the works of John Olsen, whose delicate landscapes feel a world’s away from the group’s first property, nearby The Cullen, where the…

With 671 rooms/suites and an overall aesthetic that has been finessed by three different firms – Rocco Design Architects for the building, AFSO for three dining spaces and public areas, and Hirsh Bedner Associates for guest rooms – the stunning Hotel VIC on the Harbour is certainly an ambitious undertaking, even for Hong Kong. Operated…

There has been some juicy flight sales coming out of Australia as of late, and we’re not even two weeks into 2019 yet. The latest is coming from Jetstar who have launched their “International Resolutions Sale”, running from now until the 16th January (or earlier if sold out – which is looking highly likely). So…

Heading to FOMO Festival in Sydney or Melbourne this weekend? Well, this is just a reminder to enter on an empty stomach because both legs have a very tempting food line-up planned alongside live music from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Rae Sremmurd, Kali Uchis, Mura Masa and more. Like all boutique festivals nowadays, the…

The Nike Epic React Flyknit was one of the most popular running shoes of last year, so its no surprise that a line-up expansion is coming so soon. Set to release later this month, the Epic React 2 doesn’t do much to dramatically change the successful silhouette, but eagle-eyed sneakerheads have noticed that the heel…

The QT Hotels & Resorts brand has now firmly established its own distinctive language, without coming across as formulaic. The quirky, off-kilter designs and high-concept luxury boutique approach has given the brand a unique way of interpreting and translating location, whether it’s bringing in just enough of Surfers Paradise to brighten the grand QT Gold…

West Hotel Sydney, Hilton’s recently opened designer boutique from their Curio Collection, is offering a sweet sensual summery experience for guests with the temporary ‘Sleep Amongst Botanics’.  The botanical room take-over is part of their second ‘Meet the Creatives’ collaboration, where they team up with local design gurus to bring a unique and exciting flair…

multi-award winning chef, caterer, restaurateur and lecturer Darren Taylor is bringing a special pop-up restaurant to Carriageworks over the next few weeks, inspired by the buzzing energy of Sydney Festival. From tomorrow until 27th January, COSECHA will be bringing inspired Spanish dishes to the art institution, operating from lunch right through to dinner. With Carriageworks…

You’d be correct in assuming that San Francisco claims some fantastic boutique hotels across all price ranges. After all the city has long been known as one of the most creative and free-spirited in the U.S, and it’s hotel scene has benefited greatly from all that openness. From the beatnik throwback of Hotel Boheme and…

Every so often European budget carrier Ryanair drop their places to ridiculously low prices, opening up the continent to eagle-eyed budget-minded travellers quick enough to take advantage of the flash sales. It happened a few times last year, and these flashes are seemingly getting more and more common. There’s actually one happening right now. And…

The rumours were true! Arnott’s have officially won the great snack race of 2018, managing to (finally) funnel a classic Aussie combo into the latest flavour for Shapes. Vegemite & Cheese Shapes is being described as “the spirit of the nation distilled down into a cracker”, and has now made its way onto supermarket shelves…

You might not want the same-old go-to spirits for this year’s NYE house party, especially since there have been some new expressions released over the past few months that have really tempted drinks enthusiasts away from their regular bottles. New Year’s Eve brings the perfect time to introduce our new column, “On the Shelf”, which…

Shake off that epic NYE hangover and make it a two-day binge to bring in the New Year. Sydney’s got some of the best New Year’s Day parties in the world, so sleeping it off just ain’t gonna cut it if you want to kick-start 2019 in the most epic way possible. To help, we’ve…

Sydney may have the more famous fireworks display, but Melbourne hold their own when it comes to raucous New Year’s Eve parties well worth heading out for. Assuming you’re not house partying this year, you’re going to want to know where the best spots are to party 2018 into the past, so we’ve rounded up…

It’s that time of year again, and you can bet Sydney’s best venues are going to pull out all stops to try and top their previous New Year’s Eve celebrations. We’ve sifted through and picked out five parties we think are totally going to be worth it this year, so if you don’t yet have…

Heading north from Phuket International Airport, the streets are lined with small fields of trees that turn into the haphazard, yet charming landscape of colourful houses, tin sheds, food stalls and businesses that make up the region. There, amongst the colourful and natural landscape, appears the vividly pink Baba Beach Club sign. Its presence evocative…

Perth’s high density of hotels has dramatically pushed up competition within the city’s hospitality scene over the past few years. Quality accommodations aren’t hard to come by in the most isolated city in the world, one that is incredibly becoming one of Australia’s most exciting and creative destinations, and that sizable bank of worthy digs…

Rapidly becoming one of Sydney’s most in-demand bands, Crocodylus recently embarked on an Australian tour with fresh, coastal songs drenched in their signature sixties style. You might already be across their recent single “My Baby”. Already, the band has played with the likes of Hockey Dad, ORB, The Lemon Twigs (USA), The Bennies and more,…

Last Wednesday saw a launch night to celebrate the re-opening of trendy restaurant, Fish & Burger Co (F&BC). Located in Doncaster East just outside of Melbourne, the venue has been beautifully decorated and modified by design agency, Studio Equator. Light bulbs and greenery dangle from the ceiling, whilst natural light floods through to create an open…

You wouldn’t expect Sydney Airport to welcome a greatly finessed, high concept boutique hotel, would you? The sprawl of hotels dotted around both the domestic and international terminals has historically favoured properties which play it safe. Some are great – actually, most are – but almost all of them are in dire need of some…

Australian travellers heading off to Europe for the peak summer season next year will enjoy better connectivity between the Scandinavia and Nordic regions and the highly sought after destinations of Portugal, Italy and France. Finland’s flag carrier, Finnair has announced that they will be preparing for the peak tourist period by opening up the three…

Marriott International have taken a big step with their trendy millennial brand Moxy, opening up a brand new hotel in Washington, D.C with aims to boldly reinvent the typical lifestyle hotel experience in the nation’s capital. Built within a historic building which dates back to 1870, Moxy D.C represents a modernisation of the city’s hospitality…

Although Sydney will be getting a few patches of rain here and there this weekend, plenty of the city’s most visited beaches will no doubt be packed full of summer-loving folk. That’s why Devliveroo have launched speedboat deliveries, in partnership with Messina, to keep those lazing on the sand well fed throughout the day. Across…

The guiding light of Michelin stars have been luring people to memorable meals for decades now, but never before have so many of them been clustered under the one roof. With the recent unveiling of the Michelin Guide 2019 Hong Kong – Macau, one hotel has proudly set an impressive global benchmark for having the…