Category: FOOD & DRINK

The new menu at Cafe Del Mar, Sydney offers a bit of Mediterranean magic

Group Executive Chef Damien Brassel Cafe Del Mar Sydney

Cafe Del Mar is one brand name known around the world for al fresco day parties, good eating and quality drinks and this season, alongside VIVID Sydney, their new menu at the Darling Harbour location is one to be more than well-received. The a la carte menu offers staples you’d expect from an oceanside venue with large-but-stylish interiors and a balcony with a view of one of the city of Sydney’s most frequented tourist venues. With a menu inspired by the local cuisines of the Mediterranean basin, coupled with refined techniques befitting a kitchen that can cater for hundreds in any one session, the new winter menu at Cafe Del Mar Sydney ticks all the boxes. It’s been developed by the executive chef, Damien Brassel, whose 20+ years’ experience has contributed to a stellar line-up of quality fare. Couple that with the man at the pass, head chef Peter Hutchinson and it’s over decades’ experience that adds to the renowned vibe of the waterside restaurant and bar. MEET THE CHEFS! We have an exciting new team of Chefs who have worked in some outstanding restaurants around the world, and are bringing their skills and creativity to the kitchen at Cafe del Mar Sydney! . Our Group Executive Chef Damien Brassel has created an exciting new food direction for Cafe del Mar, delivering premium casual dining with taste inspiration from around the Mediterranean basin. . Head Chef Peter Hutchinson is leading the pass, and brings his classical French training along with years of working in the… Read More

Sshh… Promise Bar is the High Street secret you need to know about

Promise Bar

Tucked behind a coffee shop on High Street in Prahran, and unidentifiable for anything but a neon blue arrow in the direction of the door, Promise Bar is there, waiting for you to discover it. The 7-month old project of Vaughan Marks, Promise Bar is aptly named so because it promises good times and quality drinks, always. It’s the kind of place only the who’s who of cocktail bartenders would want to work, with the lack of menu and wide range of spirits from all over the country and the world on offer. An exciting thought for the customer; a challenge for the man behind the bar whose skills are put to the test. With each newcomer to the land of Promise, the bartender’s mission – and he must accept it – is to create any style of cocktail that encompasses the drinker’s very own desires. Sweet or dry? Bitter or sour? Strong or mild? Dark or light? All these and more are options, open to the interpretation of the customer and the interpolation of the bartender whose skill means anything can be turned into a literal ‘box-ticking’ cocktail, worthy of seconds… or thirds. It’s prohibition bar themed, honing-in on the omission of alcohol from Australians’ needs (yeah, turns out it wasn’t only the Yanks who weren’t allowed a tipple) from around 1910 to 1928. After that, four referendums regarding the prohibition of alcohol were conducted in Western Australia, including one in each of the years 1911, 1921, 1925 and 1950. It obviously didn’t last. For those who’ve… Read More

Good Food Month with Melbourne’s awesome Italian restaurant Tipo 00

Tipo pasta

It’s Melbourne Good Food Month this June, and if the likes of Mister Bianco and what they’re doing for it isn’t your flavour, then perhaps the likes of Tipo 00 will do the trick. Presented by Citi, the festival returns with favourites like Let’s Do Lunch, presented by Peter Lehmann Wines of the Barossa, and Friends of Good Food Month now added to the exciting event programme. This year, Melbourne Good Food Month features heaps of foodiful events, showcasing the very best of Australia’s restaurant industry over 30 delectable days. We spoke with Andrea Papadakis of Tipo 00 of Little Bourke Street in Melbourne, who this year is serving-up some quality activity for the month-long celebration. As for why Melbourne has something special to offer this Melbourne Good Food Month Andreas agrees Melbourne is where it’s at, saying, “Melbourne is home to a host of cultures and ethnicities, the product of waves and waves of immigration, especially in the post-war period. These communities have all made their own mark on Melbourne’s cultural and culinary landscape, which, combined with the unique layout of our city, has made for a wonderful mix of food offerings.” And Melburnians agree. With a penchant for pasta, their menu of a very generous variety of it – “done well, with love,” Andreas assures – means Tipo 00 is where it’s at this year. A post shared by Tipo 00 (@tipo_00) on Apr 19, 2018 at 7:00pm PDT A post shared by Tipo 00 (@tipo_00) on Nov 8, 2017 at 6:22pm PST “Melbourne Good Food Month allows restaurants like ours… Read More

T2 has a new wintry range of tea to add to your collection

T2 tea

Winter is the perfect time to ramp up your hot tea intake and to switch things up in the loose leaf department to help get you through those cold, dull days. Luckily, T2 has just released three new teas to pimp up your pantry – Cherry Cha Cha, Supercharger Matchaberry and Myrtle’s Mate loose leaf tea. Cherry Cha Cha is beautiful blend of black tea, cacao powder, cinnamon, sour cherries and rose petals. The best part is when the hot water hits the loose leaf and you catch the first scent of that gorgeous combination of cacao, sour cherries and rose petals. It’s the perfect brew for those moments you feel like a little chocolate hit, but you’re still trying to behave. With honeybush as a base, Supercharger Matchaberry is a flavour explosion with the addition of sweet pineapple, apple, cocoa husk, sweet blackberry leaves and powdered green tea. And the aroma this tea emits while it brews is next level, transporting you to a tropical paradise for a brief moment. A word of warning if brewing at work – if left unattended, it may not be there when you return as the fragrance from this tea is seriously hard to resist. Then there’s Myrtle’s Mate, a refreshing, earthy loose leaf tea made with cocoa husks, lemon myrtle and South American yerba mate powder. Full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, yerba mate is most definitely your friend. Wellness in a cup! The good people at T2 are always looking to develop flavoursome brews with wellness… Read More

Three Williams cafe in Redfern is bringing back truffles this winter in a big way

Three Williams Mandarin & Honey crumpet (2)_preview

Three Williams has been around for a while since it burst onto the scene back in around 2013, and this winter, they’ve found a way to keep the lust alive with a bit of a an addition to their already wildly popular menu. Following on from last year’s successful ‘Celebrating Truffle’ menu, Three Williams cafe has now launched a new, extended truffle menu for the 2018 season, which features truffled waffle fries and two new truffled desserts. Head chef Jacquie Ektoros (formerly of Devon Cafe?, Guillaume at Bennelong) has created a menu of seven truffle dishes which includes five new dishes as well as tweaked versions of two of last year’s best sellers – roasted peking duck angel hair pasta and crispy truffle skin chicken breast. An avid truffle fan, Ektoros has been planning this truffle menu since last year, aiming to incorporate classic truffle flavour combinations as well as some inspired creative concoctions. He wanted this year’s menu to surpass last year’s way of being bigger, better and more innovative than the previous attempts, covering-off  breakfast, lunch and in-between with a breeze. Three Williams 613a Elizabeth Street, Redfern threewilliamscafe.com

Surry Hills Sydney is getting a new Basque restaurant: Ortzi

Ortzi food

From the people behind Sagra in Darlinghurst, Ortzi has opened in Surry Hills this month, serving-up the best of Basque in a flash new venue. On Hunt Street in Surry Hills, chef and co-owner Michael Otto is behind the menu with the support of fellow co-owner and chef, Edward Saxton, together bringing a wonderful blend of traditional and Basque-inspired pintxos lead a shared-concept dinner menu that reflects the flavours of the Basque region. They’re all about dishes that adapt, changing the menu throughout the week to cater to every element of the whole beasts butchered on site so no part is wasted. “My aim is to let the ingredients shine and ensure that each dish is more than just a sum of its parts. For us to adapt the menu on almost a daily basis, we must be intuitive cooks. We’re fostering a creative environment for the chefs to take what is available in front of them in terms of a beast, seafood and vegetables, and create something that not only does the produce justice but is also is reflective of the Basque region”, says Otto. Find them at: Ortzi 6 Hunt Street, Surry Hills ortzi.com.au Monday to Saturday: 12pm – 3pm Monday to Wednesday: 6pm – 10pm Thursday to Saturday: 6pm – 12pm

Where to get bottomless rose this Queen’s Birthday long weekend in Sydney

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel Sydney view 2

God save the Queen. As long as our supreme regal overlord keeps churning out birthdays, we’ll keep churning out annual long weekends and nobody’s mad about it. Especially when you consider things like this Queen’s Birthday long weekend bottomless rose at the Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel in Sydney’s east, turning it out on 9 and 10 June for the whole day. After a sell out for October Long Weekend’s brunch, they are back with more Rosé, a delicious menu, DJ’s all afternoon and the Watsons famous frosé and Rosé sangria is also included. As you sit in Watsons Bay’s Hamptons style Sunset Room with tables made to fit up to fourteen, this is the perfect change to get your favourite group of girls and boys together to wine, dine and get boozy. Details here… What: WBBH Bottomless Rose Brunch When: June 9th and 10th Ticket: $89.00 Sort it out: watsonsbayhotel.com.au/love-rose-brunch

Get cheap drinks at Gin Lane for World Gin Day this Saturday

Gin Lane light bulb moment cocktail

If there was ever a bar any drinker – let alone a gin drinker – needs to go to, it’s Gin Lane on Kensington Street in Chippendale. Not only is it the ideal destination for any flatteringly mood-lit date night, but in honour of World Gin Day this week, it’s serving-up some cheap bevs for everything for a specially extended 7-hour ‘happy hour’ from 12-7pm this Saturday. Gin Lane Classic G&T’s – The Cucumber G&T and Spiced G&T will be on offer for half the going rate (at $7 each) to celebrate. Additionally, they will be launching a brand new show-stopping drink, The Lightbulb Moment (pic above) served in a light bulb and charged with prosecco and liquid nitrogen, a secret they’ve been working on especially. Check out more over here.

Hoyts takes LUX to new heights with a menu by Manu

Hoyts Lux Manu Feildel sliders

It’s one thing to watch favourite Frenchman Manu Feildel’s innovative cooking skills and judging on television, and it’s another to experience his creations yourself. So what happens when you combine his culinary style with the most comfortable and cutting edge sound and visual cinematic experience? HOYTS LUX has crafted the perfect collaboration to take your cinematic experience to the next premium level with colourful, flavoursome dishes inspired by Manu’s French heritage. As the latest 2018 Brand Ambassador, Manu shares, “My current passion is to bring restaurant quality food to a casual dining experience and what better way to do this than as part of the HOYTS LUX cinema experience”. We couldn’t agree more, because once you’ve sat in LUX and tasted the new gourmet food and wine menu, you’ll never want to watch a movie without the French twist! A mutual favourite is duck bao: a trio of steamed buns filled with crispy confit duck, house made shiitake, cucumber pickle, ginger mayo and a smoky hoisin sauce. Other starter options include Southern Style Fried Chicken (best we’ve ever tasted!) and classic Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls. Menu options also include slider trios, nam duck and grilled chicken salads for the health conscious, and for the hungry, beef bourguigon pies, encased in short crust pastry and topped with creamy potato purée and rosemary leaves. We highly recommend you don’t leave out satisfying your sweet tooth; the delectable trio of éclairs, French lemon cheesecake smash and chocolate & hazelnut Malteser sundaes with a French wine will complete the… Read More

What to eat in Barangaroo this VIVID Sydney

VIVID Sydney is the city’s celebration of light, life and love for it all, working with some of the most creative minds when it comes to creativity. But that creativity extends well past light projections and timers, knocking right on to the city’s great culinary minds and venues, serving-up some light festival-inspired delicacies befitting a city-wide celebration that only Sydney can do. Barangaroo and its best venues are working with a unique offering of things like glow-in-the-dark fairy floss, colourful sliders and flaming cocktails and more. Here’s what’s on at the Barangaroo venues… Sparks fly at love.fish with a flaming orange winter spice cocktail of Ord River rum and cinnamon. Banksii spins glow-in-the-dark fairy floss (weekends only) and mixes illuminated cocktails at its Vivid Sydney spritz cart. Untied serves up vibrant rainbow sliders stacked with fried chicken, beef and cheese, barramundi or portobello mushroom. Wash it down with a ‘Dame Edna’ Ink Gin and lychee martini; or a ‘Wizz Fizz’ Ink Gin fizz with a rhubarb and grenadine foam. 12-Micron constructs a colourful Garden of Sweet Delights dessert with strawberry quandong jam and dried pistachio cake, dark chocolate and eucalyptus mousse, a milo lollipop, a chocolate cone filled with strawberry ice cream, mandarin jellies, forest fruit fizzy sours and coloured sugar shards. Accompany your dessert with a Lemon There Be Lights cocktail of Ricard, pomme verte, lemon and orgeat. Devon Café debuts ice cream sandwiches from its Vivid Sydney ice cream cart. The bright coloured sandwiches are made with a matcha shortbread cookie, strawberry and white chocolate parfait filled with popping candy, and balsamic and strawberry… Read More