Travel & Lifestyle

Glebe is about the get a new dynamic retail space with the launch of The Works Showroom, a micro-leasing concept store on the suburb’s main strip just a stone’s throw from the legendary Glebe Markets. Launched just last week, the space is set to showcase and facilitate locally-made goods providing small businesses the opportunity to…

Punch in ‘2’ on an obscured automated phone at the entrance of The Store Room and request entry before this bar’s opening appears. Melbourne’s latest vintage-minded drinking hole, taking over a former barber shop on St Kilda Road, is dialing up a bygone era and borrowing a few tips and tricks from traditional speakeasys, including…

19 traditional flavours are on the menu at new Alexandria Italian restaurant Made In Italy, which opens this weekend and is celebrating by giving away free pizzas to anyone with the good sense to rock up between 12pm and 2pm (Saturday 19th May). Adding to their existing locations across Pyrmont, Sydney CBD, Annandale, Rose Bay…

A retro-inspired dive bar has opened up not far from Kings Cross’ iconic Coca-Cola sign, transforming what was formerly The Old Growler and bringing Sydney the vibrant 80’s-minded Chachi’s. Described as a “fully immersive eighties bar”, the brightly hued watering hole has gone through the dark and grungy space with a serious itch for nostalgia,…

Popular Greek fast food chain Zeus Street Greek is officially moving into Northpoint in North Sydney as of today, and is celebrating by giving away free pitas. Over the years, the rapidly expanding brand has proven to be one of the more reliable fast-casual options in Sydney, featuring a sizable menu full of modern twists…

James Squire will release what is being said to be their more rare and special beer to date, giving new life to one of the world’s oldest surviving recipes using 220 years old yeast discovered in the depths of Australia’s oldest merchant shipwreck – Sydney Cove – which ran aground in the waters surrounding Tasmania’s…

Popular German dining spot Munich Brauhaus has officially made its debut in Brisbane, bringing the city a massive 900-seat, two storey beer hall located in the renovated, heritage-listed Allgas Building in Stanley Street Plaza. Positioned in the heart of South Bank, this one should easily get over well with fans of hearty schnitzels, pork knuckles,…

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced a new property for Koh Yao Yoi, the largest island of scenic treasure Phang Nga Bay. Home to the famous James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay is located between southern Thailand’s mainland and Phuket Island, remaining a popular destination for locals and tourists with limestone cliffs, mangrove forests and pristine…

Spearheaded by ex-Vine chef Drew Bolton, Été Restaurant takes on contemporary French-Australian cuisine with finesse and plenty of flavour.  One of the newer additions to Barangaroo, the restaurant plays on the notion of seasons (Été translates to summer). The menu is, of course, seasonal, but even the interior changes with the décor and installations transforming according…

Justin Hemmes and Merivale are feeling the festive spirit across Sydney and June. And why wouldn’t they? We’ve got Vivid Sydney and Sydney Film Festival coming up, plus there’s loads of other things to do (except stay out really late, we’ve still got those shitty lock out laws) during those 30 days, so the hospitality…

Hilton Sydney has launched a new Culinary Cocktail Experience program up at the fabulously moody Zeta Bar, headed by Executive Chef Kruno Velican and Head Bartender Christian Comparone to showcase a range of artisanal “farm-to-glass” speciality cocktails using fresh produce and complex cooking techniques. It’s fairly straight forward. Guests get a menu that reads like…

We all know BL Burgers pretty much own the Sydney game when it comes to weekly burger specials. The non-stop revolving list of recipes, often themed, they sling from their various locations even inspired a special concept venue in Newtown and it has surely guaranteed them cult status over the years. Now they’ve gone and…

The highly anticipated Australian return of the W Hotels brand is upon us. Brisbane’s W Brisbane has been confirmed to open on the 1st June 2018, bringing the city its first five-star hotel in 20 years and re-introducing the country to W’s energetic, bold aesthetic and playful sense of luxury. Located at 81 North Quay,…

D-grade Sydney celebrity Donny Benét is set to tour Europe in July in support of his new album, The Don. Travelling to 9 different countries including France, Austria and United Kingdom over the span of 22 days, Benét seeks to guide his audience through the journey of his album, from the smooth and spiritual “Konchiwa” to…

Ambience wise, QT Melbourne’s Pascale Bar & Grill hasn’t changed much since its opening back in 2016. The venue still has the same luxuriously cheeky vibe that intrigued me so much on my first visit. However, with Andy Harmer having recently taken the reigns as executive chef, the culinary offerings at Pascale Bar & Grill…

Inner-West Sydney always welcomes new craft beer bars with open arms, and the latest will certainly be no exception as the country’s fastest growing independent craft beer producer, Stockade Brewing Co, opens shop in Marrickville this month. The new fully operating brewery, tasting room and bar will repurpose an old factory space with a large…

After two iconic Mollymook locations, Rick Stein and his Bannisters brand will be opening up a new 4.5-star luxury hotel and restaurant at Soldiers Point, Port Stephens. With a total of 80 rooms, including four luxury suites and a penthouse, the new property will make full use of its location, with 50 of its rooms…

The Arctic Monkeys are back! But not in the way you may think. Sure, their newest album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino may be out today, but it’s their various pop-up stores that have gotten our attention. Based on the name of their newest album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino pop-up stores have opened in…

Earlier this month, Emirates revealed a special treat for the many discerning wine-loving Australians who are to travel with them in 2018. The highly awarded airline has uncorked some of the finest wines from their dedicated Burgundy cellar in preparation for another year of offering a high-end experience to their First Class passengers, launching the…

Local institution Raffles College of Design and Commerce will once again be enjoying a big presence at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia as they plan to showcase seven designer’s Resort ’19 collections. With an aim to lift the best emerging design talent around, Raffles will be building on an already rich legacy at the…

Inspired by the recent sell-out success of their Cretan dinner, Alpha Restaurant is planning to highlight more of Greece’s distinct regions with their regional dinner series, spanning dining experiences pulled from Peloponnese, the Ionion Islands and Central Greece. Whenever a restaurant puts on a regional dinner series it always spreads awareness of the significant differences…

Legendary chef Peter Doyle was one of Australia’s very first “hatted” chefs. The culinary veteran earned the accolade while leading his debut restaurant Reflections at Palm Beach, decades before he was to take the reigns at Merivale’s flagship fine-dining restaurant est. in 2003. Since then, Doyle has earned an outstanding reputation as one of the…

IHG Group will be opening Australia’s very first dual-branded hotel in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD, merging Hotel Indigo Little Collins and Holiday Inn Melbourne Bourke Street Mall. Slated to open doors by 2022, the ambitious property will take over from the site currently trading as The Walk Arcade, developing the space to allow both…

Lavish long lunches and fancy dinners always rule when it comes to Mother’s Day options around Sydney this year. If taking your leading lady out to experience some of the best food the city has to offer, while letting the restaurants add their own little touches to each menu, sounds like your idea of a…

Fried chicken fiends have been flocking to Wish Bone since the long-awaited restaurant opened at the former site of The Gretz on Enmore Road. Though their award-winning bar is no more, the Hartsyard team have a guaranteed winner on their hands with this new venture, which puts the focus on the jaw-droppingly good fried chicken…

Following the recent break up of long time allies Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand – in my opinion the best airlines who fly the Pacific route – it’s become pertinent for allies of the airline to pick sides. Some will stick with whichever one they have Frequent Flyer status with (Virgin’s Velocity proving miles…

IHG and Barnes Capital will be doing things a bit (actually, a lot) differently when they collaborate to open a new Holiday Inn in the increasingly trendy Melbourne suburb of Coburg. Moving away from the hotel brand’s established aesthetic, Holiday Inn Melbourne Coburg will be focused on modern unexpected design, with an eye-catching façade of…

The Okanagan Valley mightn’t be the first stop travellers think of when they are planning a trip to Canada, but in many ways it should be top of the list for any lovers of beautiful scenery, and locally produced wine. An hour flight from Vancouver – or a four hour drive – heading east across…

Australian chef David Thompson has been conquering the culinary world ever since word spread about Nahm, his multi-award winning Bangkok restaurant which is regularly considered as one of the best dining spots in all of Asia. After nearly two decades with the Nahm brand, originated in London, Thompson has decided to bid farewell to the…

As talks around legalising marijuana continue to progress in Australia, it’s becoming increasingly important to directly engage with the complexities of cannabis. While the densely layered stigma surrounding the misunderstood plant is still gradually peeling back, there remains much to understand and learn about what is now the latest superfood to be made legally available…