Travel & Lifestyle

Australia’s premier craft beer festival, Good Beer Week is returning to Melbourne from 12-21 May for its seventh year, celebrating the best of Australian and International brews. To help punters choose their own Good Beer Week adventure, this year’s program has been streamlined into four main categories: Beer Lover, Foodie, Beer Geek, and Good Times….

Easter AKA the longest public holiday of all time, is upon us once again. While chocolate is definitely what the doctor ordered for the four-day weekend, there’s going to be plenty of special menus and events offering all kinds of savoury and sweet deliciousness. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites in Sydney for you,…

Co-founded by Chris Lu (Happy as Larry Pizza Truck, Bondi Hardware) and Adam Choker (The Grounds of Alexandria) newly launched cafe, garden and eatery the Flower Child Cafe lends itself to Warringah Mall’s ‘world class design’ philosophy whilst providing a tropical oasis from the exhausting business of retail therapy. ACME & Co (The Grounds, Drake…

If you hadn’t noticed already, pop culture inspired parties are very popular. There’s something about dressing up and stepping into an IRL RPG-like world where you down cocktails named after cultural touchstones and quote things in badly imitated voices without getting awkward stares. So Wizardfest should go down a treat. What’s Wizardfest? Well as you…

By day, fast-casual chain Saké Jr is a health-focused Japanese inspired smorgasbord of fresh DIY Japanese bowls and sides. With an injection to their menu from renowned chef Neil Perry, the increasingly popular chain has introduced a “Jr By Night” menu that pushes into a different kind of vibe, with a special night-only offering including…

Sunglass stalwarts Ray-Ban have decided to kick their successful “Ray-Ban Remix” concept up a notch and tap further into the social media generation by allowing customers to personalise new pairs of sunglasses with their Instagram or Facebook feeds. The enormously successful, visual-first social media platforms have come to capture users’ personalities, presenting feeds which are…

Along with Sydney’s annual ANZAC Day March, our national day of remembrance is often used to celebrate the relaxed way of life credited to this country. In other words, it’s always an excuse to spend the day with mates at one of Australia’s most beloved institutions: the pub. The harbour city’s seemingly endless collection of…

Bob Hawke, former Australian Prime Minister, has announced to opening of his very own beer brand, putting his name to the new Hawke’s Brewing Co., a Port Melbourne brewery founded by locals Nathan Lennon and David Gibson, brew. To celebrate, they’ll be rolling out their very first product, a Hawke’s Lager, across several iconic Sydney…

With the second Guardians of the Galaxy not too far away Marvel have partnered with beloved party-style Doritos to launch some very oddly coloured limited edition chips, going by the name of Doritos Supernova. The snack has now landed in shelves across the country, bringing with it a flavour description that promises a zesty blast…

It was revealed last month that passengers either coming from, or transiting in, a slew of Middle Eastern countries, would have to adhere to strict new conditions when it came to the sorts of electronics they were able to bring on board. Basically, any electronics larger than a smartphone (larger than 16cm (6.3in) long, 9.3cm…

Last year respected website Haute Grandeur named ANA InterContinental Tokyo “Best Business Hotel” in the continent and “Best Lifestyle Hotel” in Japan; in addition, the property was also named “Japan’s Leading Business Hotel” by the prestigious World Travel Awards that same year. It’s certainly hard to argue with those accolades after witnessing first hand just…

Successfully servicing the Australian market for 50 years is a true accomplishment for any business, let alone one of the most awarded airlines in the world. Known for their commitment to quality, Singapore Airlines have introduced something special for their Australian passengers, a specially-designed on board menu for all classes, one which celebrates Australia’s rich…

Over the last decade, San Francisco’s Outside Lands has set itself up as one of the world’s biggest and best festivals, delivering an incredible event year after year, with stunning lineups to boot. And it’s not just music, with San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate Park also filling up with food, wine, beer, art and comedy…

Last year when I was in Orlando, I had the opportunity to spend a night at Medieval Times – a themed restaurant I had heard so much about growing up, but never had the opportunity to enjoy. The concept is rather simple, and brilliantly executed – you travel back to Medieval Times as you feast…

The anticipation was at an all time high this past Wednesday at a special ceremony held at Melbourne’s historic Royal Exhibition Building. With the highly authoritative World’s 50 Best Restaurants already announcing their 100-51 positions last week, with some very fine entries, discerning diners all across the world were speculating as to which destinations would…

With three properties across Tokyo it’s safe to say that, as far as high-end accommodation goes, the InterContinental brand is a dominant force in one of the world’s most famously vibrant cities. All three have had their fair share of awards and nominations, no less The Strings by InterContinental Tokyo which is positioned a stone’s…

The 50th anniversary of Festival d’été de Québec features one of the more eclectic stomper line ups we’ve seen for 2017 so far, with a run of headliners including Kendrick Lamar, Death From Above 1979, Muse, P!nk and Gorillaz. The Who will also perform at the festival this July, the iconic band’s only Canadian festival…

Between sand, dirt, grass and hours of freeways – we put this city-oriented 2017 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L TDCi AWD through its limits for a week. Asphalt was merely the beginning for this vehicle. View this post on Instagram A post shared by the AU review (@theaureview) What immediately impressed us was the generous 1603L…

With spectacular harbour views and the Sydney cityscape as a backdrop, Carmen at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is a delight for the senses with vibrant costumes, spectacular fireworks, and as a result Spanish-inspired dining. Five different restaurant and bar areas, ranging from casual to fine dining, are on offer for pre-performance experiences. Casual options…

Maker’s Mark, the Kentucky company behind the handmade whisky, are showcasing an “old-fashioned” pop-up in one of Sydney’s oldest buildings. From the 27th of March to 23rd of April, Maker’s Mark will transform the courtyard of The Argyle in The Rocks into an open-air bar that will have more than just an extensive range of…

One of our favourite craft breweries here over at the AU is the consistent and imaginative White Rabbit. The sister brewery to Little Creatures, both occupying the same space in Geelong, have impressed with recent experiments like their red wine infused craft beer, so it stands to reason that this latest release is going to…

Gone but definitely not forgotten, AMC’s now iconic Breaking Bad series is still making waves through pop culture, largely in thanks to currently running spin-off Better Call Saul, the third season of which will be premiering in Australia in Stan come April 11th. Cause the celebrate? You’re god damn right. After popping up at SXSW…

Mjølner (pronounced Mjol-near), Asgard and Valhalla: three terms one would associate with storied Viking culture and the legend of Thor, and possibly some of the last things you’d associate with Sydney’s dining scene. That’s changed now that The Speakeasy Group, the same team behind Eau de Vie (both Sydney and Melbourne), Boilermakerhouse and The Roosevelt,…

Under The Green apartments at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills is where you’ll find the recently opened Super Combo, a burger bar that looks to Arcade classic Street Fighter for inspiration. Co-owned by Hao Vu and Michael Nham (of Melbourne’s NSHRY), who both grew up mashing buttons on Street Fighter II at their local…

Air New Zealand have just taken a big, comfortable leap forward for passengers hopping on the popular direct route between Sydney and Cook Islands hub Rarotonga. As of this past week the highly regarded airline have upgraded their aircraft on the route to operate a 787-9 Dreamliner, bringing a superior option for those looking to…

Walking into a luxury hotel is almost always accompanied by a dramatic, and instantaneous, sense of freedom. As such, the lobby – the face of any hotel – is one of the most important steps for any property, so grand design is almost a given. That idea is built upon even further for those heading…

I’m constantly impressed by just how damn successful Chef’s Gallery is. The restaurant, which has a flagship at Town Hall but has expanded in recent years to places like Parramatta and Hurstville, is constantly one of the busiest dining spots in the area, always commanding a wait list that can stretch to an hour if…

Each year dominant ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s thank their many fans for a year of support with a day entirely dedicated to free ice-cream. They’ve been doing this public service since 1979, etching a nice little tradition for themselves and watching as demand piles up – last year they handed out over 103,000 scoops…

Positioned in the middle of Adelaide’s CBD is one of two Mantra Group hotels. Overlooking Hindmarsh Square, a stone’s throw from the historic Rundle Mall and King William St is the Mantra Hindmarsh Square – a much anticipated sojourn for us on a heated summer weekend. Upon arrival at the hotel, the friendly concierge staff…

“Every dish has a story”, offers chef Chris Connolly (ex-Top Paddock) who spearheads the attractive new Abacus Bar & Kitchen with owner Dylan Whitmore. The new venture, which is positioned on Chapel Street nearby Prahran Market, is promising something new and innovative for the area, touting modern Australian with flourishes from Spain and North Africa….