Category: CITIES

Iconic Surry Hills Italian restaurant Mille Vini relaunches this October

Mille Vini Sydney food 1

Stop what you’re doing. Italian wine, cocktail and dining venue, Mille Vini will reopen its doors on Crown Street this Thursday, 21 October, after an extensive interior facelift and new menu and drinks offering. With a new menu and fresh new name and look, Mille Vini’s new menu has a strong emphasis on classic recipes from all Italian regions, with handcrafted pasta. Some of the signature dishes include poached octopus salad, battered zucchini flower, truffle pecorino with blossom honey and a selection of freshly made crostini stracciatella. The food is genuine, simple and beautiful, with the goal for the venue to create an evocative combination of culinary philosophies and techniques from around the globe, while respecting the Italian classics. Mille Vini is set within a historical building from 1840s. It has received fresh interiors and beautiful design to compliment the completely reinvented food and drink offering. The ambient and elegant moody dining area layered with velvet drapery and brass and crystal chandelier, creating a luxe and romantic European aesthetic. The overall look and feel is nostalgic, sophisticated and cultured. For more and to make a booking, head to the Mille Vini website. Find it at 397 Crown Street, Surry Hills Monday – Thursday: 5pm – late Friday – 4pm – late Saturday – Sunday: 12pm – late

What to expect this Christmas at Kew Gardens in London

Christmas lights Kew Gardens

From Wednesday 17 November 2021 to Sunday 9 January 2022, Kew Gardens in London is doing Christmas and it needs to be on your list of things to do to end the last two years of nightmare. Now in its ninth festive year, this year’s trail features a host of seasonal favourites alongside pioneering new light installations, illuminating Kew Gardens’ UNESCO World Heritage landscape with vibrant bursts of colour and over a million twinkling lights. Standouts at-a-glance: New installations feature stunning video design and scenescapes inspired by Kew collections Highlights include 12 Days of Christmas tree installation, Christmas Cathedral, and LED light spheres illuminating night sky 200 metres over-head Visitors can keep warm with seasonal street food, mulled wine and hot chocolate, or enjoy a Christmas dinner at newly refurbished The Botanical Brasserie restaurant Trail is supported by Montezuma’s Chocolate This year and kicking off next month in November 2021, we’ll be gifted with a first-time selection of spectacular trees from Kew’s arboretum as their canvas. Creative studio Novak will create a brand-new piece for Christmas 2021, using a stunning combination of video design, projection mapping and light to bring botanical illustrations from Kew’s archive to life, alongside a host of heart-warming festive imagery. Further, a brand-new installation, Spheric, which is a fifteen-metre-wide dome of light covered in over 2,000 individually controlled LED pixels, will sit on a reflective water pool, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in this unique mirrored illusion as they cross the lake. And as we’d hope, the favourite Christmas Cathedral returns for 2021, affording guests the perfect opportunity to capture this quintessential… Read More

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is back in 2022 at Sydney Cricket Ground

Sydney Mardi Gras SCG parade 2

The Mardi Gras parade in 2021 was a success! Sure, it was no one way parade to the biggest after party the country knows, instead more circular in nature, but it worked so well, we’re doing it again. The parade falls on Saturday 5 March 2022 in Sydney and this year, the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras will be bigger and better than ever! Next year’s Festival will feature a packed program of events spanning theatre, visual arts, parties, community gatherings, panel discussions and more. The full festival program will feature a host of beloved events as well as some new surprises to be announced in November. Themed UNITED WE SHINE, it’s all about signifying that LGBTQI+ communities shine brighter together and by standing up against hate and inequality as a collective, the message of love and inclusion is heard louder. Tickets for the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade go on sale Monday 15 November. Join the waitlist at www.mardigras.org.au  to receive notifications when tickets go on sale.

Opera Australia is hosting a New Years Opera Gala on Cockatoo Island

Opera Australia New Years Eve 1

Can’t believe we’re here again, already in 2021, but we are and now is the time to plan what you’re doing for New Years Eve 2021. Naturally, if you’re in Sydney, you’ll be by the harbour, watching the epic fireworks every year, so why not do it in operatic style? Opera Australia has added another outdoor spectacular to its program, recently announcing the inaugural New Year’s Eve Opera Gala on Cockatoo Island. The event will present some of the country’s finest performers for a two-hour concert of opera classics under the stars, hosted by the irreverent Jonathan Biggins. Tahu Matheson will conduct a full orchestra and an all-star cast of singers including Stacey Alleaume, Natalie Aroyan, Chanyang Choi, Diego Torre and Luke Gabbedy. Tickets include pre-booked ferry transfers and a ticket to the performance with the option of adding a 3-course pre-performance dinner, interval drinks and the post-show midnight party to their booking. Alternatively more casual food and beverage options will also be available. But if something a little more classic is in your sights, then Opera Australia’s annual NYE festivities at the Sydney Opera House will include a lavish production of Puccini’s La Bohème in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. Italian maestro Lorenzo Passerini conducts the Opera Australia Orchestra and a cast of exceptional singers as they perform the much-loved bohemian tale of four friends navigating their way through their shared experiences of ecstasy, jealousy and loss. With interval timed to coincide with the 9pm fireworks and the opera finishing in time for the midnight… Read More

Barangaroo’s new Mexican-inspired restaurant Tequila Daisy

Tequila Daisy

Located harbourside at Barangaroo, Tequila Daisy is the newest venture by husband and wife duo Rebecca Lines and Hamish Ingham, replacing the former Banksii Vermouth Bar & Bistro. Designed by Luchetti Krelle, the waterfront space has been transformed into a bright and bustling 200-seat eatery that is primed for good times. With colourful tones of red, yellow and blue, the extensive outdoor terrace exudes a vibe of chilled poolside meets Mexican fiesta, with its bright window decals, pastel blue picnic tables and vibrant yellow umbrellas and chairs. Inside, you’ll find a long walk-up bar with accents of blue and white daisy tiles that displays an extensive selection of mezcal and tequila. “We’ve created a long drinks list that will work regardless of if you’re enjoying a quick beer or settling in for an afternoon of margaritas,” says co-owner and award-winning Sommelier, Rebecca Lines. “We’ve really seen Barangaroo’s clientele evolve over the last few years so we wanted to mix things up and have some fun with a new concept that would work for everyone!” Tequila Daisy’s new menu takes a fresh Australian twist on the diverse cuisine that hails from Mexico. Each dish is jam-packed with colourful, rich flavours from the region, lightened by the duo’s fresh approach to food and drink and deep respect for Australia’s best produce. Divided into entradas, a selection of tacos, grande dishes and sides, diners can starting with a beef cheek empanada with black bean sour cream and kingfish tostadas before indulging in a share-style BBQ achiote spatchcock and… Read More

Picnic with the Queen: Buckingham Palace opens gardens to public

Buckingham Palace garden

Buckingham Palace, official residence and mothership of the British Monarchy is trying something new. The Palace Gardens, the largest privately owned garden in London, is now ticketed and open to the public for picnics, walks and sun-soaked (if you’re lucky) enjoyment! Alcohol’s prohibited, but picnic baskets, blankets and nibbles can be brought – or purchased at the shop – as you while away a casual afternoon with friends and family. You will be free to wander around the garden’s winding paths at your own pace and experience the beauty and calm of this walled oasis in central London. Among the many features to enjoy are the 156-metre Herbaceous Border, the Horse Chestnut Avenue, the Plane trees planted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the famous lake with its island that is home to the Buckingham Palace bees. There’s no dress code – other than comfort – and with the suggestion of sunscreen to keep it responsible, you’re welcome to while away the day amongst the grandeur of hundreds of years of British history. For more information and to book your slot, head to the Royal Collection Trust website.

Lockdown in Sydney: where to get your takeaway

Coogee Pavillion Sydney food

We might not be allowed to leave home for a bit, but never fear! Merivale’s long list of restaurants and venues are making good use of online orders and takeaway. Think Peking duck pancakes from Mr. Wong, wood-fired bread from Totti’s and The Paddington’s famous roast chicken. Check out the Merivale website. Mr. Wong: Menu here Swing by Mr Wong in the CBD to pick up a Cantonese feast of their specialty steam dim sum platter, honey glazed pork, king crab rice and Peking duck pancakes.  Address and pick up hours here. Totti’s Bondi: Menu here No need to just dream of that famous Totti’s wood-fired bread and the pappardelle with lamb ragu. Order a feast online and pick-up it up with some pre-batched cocktails from The Bottle Shop while you’re at it. Address and pick up hours here. Jimmy’s Falafel: Menu here Enjoy a taste of the Middle-East from Jimmy’s Falafel, with a predominantly vegetarian takeaway menu with Sydney’s best falafel, flavour-packed pitas, delicious plates and moreish sides. Address and pick up hours here. Takeaway from store only, no online ordering.  Ms G’s: Menu here Potts Point favourite, Ms G’s, will be keeping locals well fed with favourites including tom yum fried rice, soy-glazed chicken wings and those famous cheeseburger spring rolls.  Address and pick up hours here. Coogee Pavilion: Menu here Coogee Pavilion’s extensive menu is perfect for the whole family to enjoy. With all the classics covered, parents and kids alike can take away from Vinnie’s Pizza, as well as burgers, pasta… Read More

Winter Village in Parramatta: book your igloo

Winter VIllage

This June to September, don your best winter wear and head to the Prince Alfred Square for a winter wonderland, complete with an ice skating rink, igloo village, daily snow showers and food and drink pop ups serving the ultimate cosy comfort food. Imagine what they did with winter igloos at The Winery in Surry Hills, only more wintry looking! The Winter Village has partnered with City of Parramatta’s popular Winterlight for its 10th year running, to transform Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta into a winter wonderland, complete with an ice skating rink, igloo village, daily snow showers and food and drink pop ups serving the ultimate cosy comfort food. After a blockbuster 2019 debut, in Federation Square, Melbourne, The Winter Village will finally bring its greatest hits along with new additions to Parramatta, including a new Brunch & Skate package on weekends, ice skating and daily snow showers. Read more and book at the Winter Village website

Design exhibition at the V&A: its pivotal role in our time

Design 1900 to Now installation shots , 16th June 2021

From 1900 to now, design has been an integral part of how we’ve evolved, but also existed. The latest exhibition at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London is testament to that, exploring how design shapes and is shaped by how we live, work, travel, communicate and consume.   Housed within the museum’s former 20th Century Gallery, this newly curated space brings together leading design objects alongside the first redisplay of V&A’s celebrated Rapid Response Collecting programme since its founding in 2014.   As part of the gallery, new acquisitions will go on display for the first time at the V&A, including Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir’s iconic British road signage system, Kim Kardashian’s Selfish book, Nike’s Nigeria football shirt for the 2018 World Cup and a one-of-a-kind desk designed by Future Systems for Condé Nast Chairman Jonathan Newhouse.  For more and to book your visit, head to the V&A website

A Sicilian beachside dining experience in Melbourne with Mister Bianco

Sand restaurant SYdney

Take your shoes off and enjoy a six course dinner you wish you could do more often. On Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th June Joe Vargetto and Lorena Corso will host Siciliana vs Siciliano where guests enjoy a six course degustation dinner, each course with two dishes – one from the Australian Sicilian (Joe) and one from the Sicilian (Lorena) – and vote on their favourite dish. Lorena was born and raised in Sicily and she has worked as a chef in the UK and Melbourne, currently at Napier Quarter in Fitzroy. Here’s what’s on the menu: Arancino vs Arancino – Globe artichoke on crispy bread vs Cured snapper, fried artichoke & broad bean relish – Sea snail cappalletti, sorrel & crustacean bisque vs Periwinkle, pesto trapanese, sea lettuce – Grilled pumpkin and and pickled mussel skewer, fermented honey & saltbush vs Crayfish & pumpkin schiacciata – Kelp wrapped red mullet, cumquats & native sea herbs vs Red mullet with potato scales – Sweet cacao ravioli filled with almonds & apricots vs Almond milk pudding, burnt tangelo granita & vino cotto spelt Tickets are $150 per person – book here