Much has changed at popular Italian restaurant Popolo, but thankfully not in it’s infectiously laid-back atmosphere; it’s still got that same piazza-style cool about it, offering an incredibly relaxing dining experience that flows throughout the outdoor and indoor dining areas. Established as one of the most popular restaurants in the area, now three years into…

Long-established as an Italian dining institution, Sydney’s Machiavelli now enjoys an extended reach throughout the city, with their second sister restaurant, another incarnation of Mach2, propped up right before customs at Sydney International Airport T1. It’s part of the re-focused dining options at airports around Australia, bringing in more reliable and popular outlets to up…

Okay, aside from that FREAKIN’ TORNADO earlier this month, Sydney is still one of the best cities in the country when it comes to idyllic summer days. Something about that sun spreading across Sydney Harbour is enough to fill you with the desire to go out and make the most the most of your day,…

The first night of the Falls Festival was brought to a thrilling end with Art vs Science closing out what was Lorne’s scheduled night at Mt Duneed Estate, just outside Geelong. With just a few days to relocate an entire festival due to recent bushfires, the Falls crew wrangled something spectacular for their first night….

For Brisbane singer songwriter Ben Forbes, aka BANFF, 2015 has been a bit of a rollercoaster. From writing songs at home to progressing on to more stages down the east coast and the surrounds through this year as one of triple J Unearthed’s most exciting new artists of the year, he’s not had much time…

As fans gear up for the return of beloved series The X-Files, a 21 minute feature has been released giving us a mix of behind-the-scenes, new footage, interviews, and even some bloopers ahead of the big comeback. While the return of the show will be short-lived, at only six-episodes, this newly released preview has given…

The various branches of Taste of Shanghai around Sydney are consistently sticking to the standard of inexpensive, good quality Shanghai cuisine, but also bringing in influences from various other Chinese cuisines to offer a comprehensive, share-focused dining experience. Their newest outlet is on the ground floor of World Square, adding greatly to the improved dining…

This year’s Falls Festival will be bringing a high number of people through the gates with eclectic music tastes and the desire to not only stumble on their new favourite bands, but also roll with the party that the New Year’s event is always guaranteed to provide. This year is no different, with the opening…

With devastating fires sweeping the Great Ocean Road area on Christmas Day, the Lorne leg of Falls Festival has been in question. Since then, festival organisers have been keeping the public updated on the status of Falls via social media, partaking in emergency services meetings to ensure that all angles are considered. Initially, it was…

As far as Gastropubs go, few venues can match up to the perfectly positioned Tilbury Hotel in Woolloomooloo, which doesn’t just have location on its side, but a reputation as one of the best dining options outside of the suburb’s iconic wharf; one which has just received a refreshed and refocused makeover, slightly switching up…

Imagine that tentacle-heavy opening title for Spectre but with Sam Smith’s painfully average theme song replaced by a stirring, orchestral Radiohead original. Better, right? Thankfully, Thom Yorke was in the festive spirit this year, gifting us the band’s previously unreleased song, “Spectre”, which they had penned for this year’s blockbuster Bond only to be benched…

Two new songs have sprung up for Christmas today, both from some very reliable names. First, LCD Soundsystem give us their first new material for years, adding fuel to the rumours of a reunion, crafting a hopeful Xmas tune that’s as poignant as one would expect from the title “Christmas Will Break Your Heart”. On…

Christmas themed rap songs have been a part of hip hop culture since the early 80’s, and from The Treacherous Three and Kurtis Blow to Kanye West and Run the Jewels, there are actually some really good ones out there. To soundtrack your Christmas family get together we’ve gone through and counted down what we…

Though it’s just 30 seconds, there’s a new international TV spot for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice revealing a heap of new footage that further shows the intense battle between these two iconic superheroes. There’s that certain feeling of darkness and doom to it as well, indicating that The Dark Knight Returns may have…

Toruk: The First Flight, a Cirque du Soleil show inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar – which is the highest grossing film of all time… for now – just premiered in Cirque’s hometown of Montreal. And in anticipation of the show, Cameron sat down with the Montreal Gazette to talk about it – and give out…

If you thought the race between Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens was going to be a tight one, early indications would have agreed with you. Reports early in the weekend were predicting the film would not overtake Jurassic‘s worldwide opening weekend gross. But they were wrong. In fact, Star Wars smashed just…

Accompanying The Good Dinosaur in cinemas this week is Sanjay’s Super Team, a short film which sits on the other end of the spectrum as one of the most original Pixar shorts to date. In the film, which is the first animation from Pixar to focus entirely on Indian culture and religion, a young boy, Sanjay,…

There was a time when we would only get a new Pixar movie every few years. Now, for the first time ever, we’re getting three in a 12 month period. This started with the box office smash Inside Out earlier this year and will end with the most anticipated animated sequel since Toy Story 3…

If we keep Accidental Love out of the conversation (and he’d wish everyone would), David O. Russell has had an incredible few years. A man who struggled to get films made for almost a decade (following the successful Three Kings in 1999, his only release until The Fighter in 2010 was the underrated I Heart Huckabees…

When it comes to reviewing a film like Daddy’s Home, one must take a moment to put things in context. You know from the outset – be it the trailer, the poster, the cast, the Director (Sean Anders, Horrible Bosses 2) or any of the other warning signs – that this is going to be…

By the end of 2016 there are expected to be around 80 permanent food, drink, and retail options at the site of Barangaroo, one of the biggest developments Sydney has ever seen. To give us a taste of what a day and/or night out at the precinct would be like we currently have the Wulugul…

Peter Gilmore’s stunning new Bennelong has been the biggest of big deals as far as restaurants go in Sydney this year, settling into it’s nice, spacious nook in Sydney Opera House and becoming one of the most sought after culinary experiences in the city. The team behind the restaurant are planning a bit of a…

Potts Point’s popular Waterman’s Lobster Co. have announced that they’ll be bringing their juicy Maine and Connecticut styled lobster rolls, as well as all the other favourites, straight to Bondi Beach this summer, opening up a temporary front in Hall Street’s food hub. Located at the former site of Mexican small bar Mr Moustache, the…

It’s New Years Eve in Sydney, of course you’re supposed to kick on. Summer in the city often means that an outdoor party – whatever the size – is the only way to spend the first day of the year, and 2016 will be no exception when it comes to some of biggest events of…

Boxing Day is often reserved for the cinema or the beach in Sydney, but there are quite a few parties on around the city which you should get across, should you want to compensate for the whole obligatory family Christmas thing by getting turnt up with your squad, that is. Here are our top five…

London’s Pure Youth have only been around since 2014 but they’ve wasted no time in building an impressive rep for themselves through this year. Demonstrating that the indie scene that flourished under the wing of bands like The Maccabees, The Wombats and more recently, The 1975 and Circa Waves, is certainly not done in unearthing…

As we welcome Summer and the New Year, we welcome the horrid sight of fake tans gone wrong, gym junkies parading the streets shirtless, long lines to use (much to our dismay) port-a-loos or to buy an overpriced beverage, sniffer dogs guarding entry gates and in the distance; a giant stage which will be home…

It’s that time of the year again; we’ve already rounded up the full AU crew’s Top 40 Songs of 2015, but here’s something a bit different. The AU’s Chris Singh looks at the best hip-hop and R&B tracks of 2015 after countless hours (probably days; who knows) of picking apart the year’s best releases and…

If you’ve ever wondered what a Mexican Elvis-centric show would be like to attend, wonder no more – El Vez is in Australia to answer the call. A world renowned entertainer, the ‘real Rey Del Rock ‘n’ Roll’ has been bringing his eclectic hybrid of Americana and Mexicano music to crowds throughout the US, Europe…

Following on from our countdown of the 40 best records from around the world in 2015, we wanted to expand on that list and shine some light on some more of our favourite Australian records of the year. The top 15 albums on this list also appear in the same order in the international list…