Category: LIFESTYLE

Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace: the December exhibition you need to see

Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace

This December, the Queen’s Gallery at the inner sanctum of Buckingham Palace is opening its post-Corona doors again, putting on a show that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Her Majesty’s collection. Bringing together 65 of the most spectacular paintings in the Royal Collection, which usually hang in the Picture Gallery, one of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, guests will view paintings widely acknowledged to be among the highlights of the Royal Collection, including spectacular works by Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Dyck and Canaletto. The exhibition has been made possible by the removal of the paintings from the Picture Gallery to allow for essential works to take place as part of the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Programme. These works will include the replacement of electrics and pipework, some of which has not been updated since the 1940s. A team of art handlers and conservators have spent four weeks carefully emptying the Picture Gallery of paintings and decorative arts from the Royal Collection. Old Master paintings have hung in the room since it was first created for George IV in the 1820s. While the display of paintings is occasionally refreshed, the Picture Gallery has not been entirely emptied of its contents since it was last redecorated in 1976.  For more, to book a visit and explore more, visit the Royal Collection Trust’s website.

Lake Club summer pop-up coming to Albert Park in Melbourne

Lake Club 1

Lakeside bars around the world, eat your heart out; there’s a new pop-up in town. Melbourne’s newest lakeside social, Lake Club by The Smith Prahran X Power House is the summer destination Melburnians didn’t know they were missing! It’ll launch this 9 December and can be found right above Albert Park Lake. Open seven days a week, Lake Club is the perfect destination for casual cocktails and delicious snacks – whether it is drinks with friends while enjoying the sun-drenched deck, or grabbing some favourite dishes to-go for the ultimate lakeside picnic. The menu is full of fresh, summer inspired food from Local Calamari to Red Coral Lobster and Prawn Rolls, Cape Grim Wagyu Katsu Sanga to Plant Based Burger and Charcuterie to salads. Contactless ordering will be available via Mr Yum to encourage safe social distancing. Find the Lake Club at Power House Deck, 34 Lakeside Drive, Albert Park and at the website

Trouble sleeping? Wireless earbuds are the way to go

Man sleeping Bose

Whether you’re sleeping alone with next to someone, had a big day or a long night, there are a million things that keep us up at night, preventing dozing off and getting that all-important eight hours’ sleep each night. And getting rid of them is hard. Until Bose introduced their latest addition, the Bose Sleepbuds II. They’re small wireless earbuds and a simple app, which when combined, provide one of the best solutions to noisy urban living, stressful news of the day and anything else that keeps you tossing and turning. The app gives you access to all the sleep sounds you need, lulling you off to slumber, combined with passive noise blocking, they’re optimised to play consistently and at just the right mix of frequencies to make unwanted noise less perceptible to your brain. And the best bit? They’re so small and have been designed so snuggly to your ear that switching sides and general tossing and turning during sleep won’t knock them out during the night. Find out more and get your own for $379.95 from Bose

The London Bridge Rooftop: making it worth going outside this winter

London city

With bottomless fondue, 360-degree views and a cosy set-up, the London Bridge Rooftop and its newly launched ‘Winter Heights’ pop-up is officially one of the best reasons to leave home this winter. It’s a brand new alfresco rooftop bar in the heart of London Bridge, only a two minute walk from the station, serving you breathtaking sights of the dazzling Shard lit up at night alongside hot cocktails, live DJs, Ginger Pig BBQ and more. You’ll find it nestled on top of a 60s-style office block building six storeys high, the light grey concrete and brutalist architecture of the rooftop mingles with twinkling fairy lights and 12-foot Christmas trees to create a stunning festive oasis. Open now, grab five friends and catch up to make up for lost time, while still keeping safe in the heated outdoor setting. The 180 cover venue will be open from midday until 11pm daily with tickets available from £17.50 – £25 per person including entry, a mulled wine and a hearty meal of hot cheese fondue, gourmet ginger pig hot dog gourmet barbecued halloumi hotdog and more! Find the rooftop at Colechurch House, Tooley Street, London SE1 2SS or visit the London Bridge Rooftop website

Sydney’s Icebergs Botanical Terrace is back at the beach

Icebergs Kettel One terrace 1

Beachside drinks are on this summer: the Ketel One Botanical Icebergs Terrace is back, serving up views and potent bevs to keep you going all weekend. The terrace is a stunning outdoor spot to drink in vodka as well as oceanside views all the while chucking back drinks with botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences. Located at the crest of Sydney’s famed Bondi to Bronte walk, Icebergs Terrace x Ketel One Botanical overlooks Bondi’s spectacular coastline and the endless horizon of the Pacific Ocean, and will be serving each Ketel One Botanical varietal, topped with Santa Vittoria soda, alongside Ketel One mixed drinks including the No. 930 (Ketel One, Passionfruit, Aperol, Thai Basil and Prosecco) and No. 152 (Ketel One, Peppermint Gum, Lime, Clarified Coconut Milk and Soda).  Icebergs Terrace x Ketel One Botanical is open Friday-Sunday, 12.00pm to 8pm. For the menu and to make a booking, go to the Icebergs Kettel One Botanical Terrace website.

Bellboy cafe is opening in Melbourne East Brunswick Village this December

Bellboy cafe Melbourne

Brunswick in Melbourne is getting a new cafe this December: Bellboy, your friendly neighbourhood venue that’ll bring to life the East Brunswick Village development and will offer a brunch style menu with dedicated bagel section and coffee roasted on site. The menu’s quality brunch items created from nice produce, including house-made sourdough crumpets and flat bread. Complete with its own bagel section, Bellboy offers a refreshing break from the low-quality standard Instagram café dish norm with delicious fillings ideal for breakfast, brunch, lunch or a mid-afternoon feed. Supplied by Savion and available in plain or sesame, the bagels will be great for both eat in and take away. Menu highlights include Muffuletta Bagel $15 (with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, red pepper, olive salad and mustard), Eggs Cacio e Pepe $17 (soft scrambled eggs, pecorino, guanciale and zucchini pickle on seeded sourdough) and Chop Chop Salad $17 (wild rice, seasonal greens, avocado, tomato, beetroot, sweet corn, house pickles, soft boiled egg, everything bagel seasoning and buttermilk ranch dressing, with the option to add chicken, haloumi or salmon). Contactless ordering and payment is available. Of course, coffee is roasted on site by former Golden Bean winner Mark Leo. The café’s ‘Penthouse’ blend is called Ding Ding and the filter blend is called Wake Up Call. Check out more and plan your first visit at the Bellboy website.

A new Mexican restaurant lights up Pink Alley in Melbourne

Mexican restaurant Melbourne

Life’s back to (almost) normal and now, it’s time to get back into the groove. Melbourne’s Pink Alley is welcoming a new resident: Meijco Melbourne! Think: tableside gauc, late-night margaritas and over 260 varieties of tequila and mezcal – the largest selection in Melbourne – all while open until 3am on weekends. You’ll find it in the courtyard and glasshouse space of the existing Collins Quarter Building right in the middle of the city. Mejico is a place inspired by a love of life, flavour and festivity, bringing the streets of modern Mexico to Melbourne with colour, music, aroma and of course, margaritas. With courtyard dining and an upstairs tequila bar and margarita lounge, Mejico is serving delicious market-to-table lunch and dinner daily, uniting regional flavours and techniques from the city with influences from coastal towns. And it wouldn’t be a new Melbourne restaurant without an artistic collaboration, so the Sydney-cum-Melbourne foodmasters have opted to team with Ash Keating, who’s created a large neon pink and black, hand-painted mural in the entryway and other artworks entire two-storey space. Find Mejico Melbourne at 1 Pink Alley, Melbourne.

You can now find Bar Rosella in The Domain Melbourne

Bar Rosella

Renowned northside restaurant, Bar Rosella, is bringing its Italian-inspired food and summer drinks menu southside for a limited edition pop up in The Domain. The Bar Rosella x 31 Coventry Italian Bar and Café pop up is thanks to a collaboration between Bar Rosella and the new 31 Coventry Street project that will one day house a permanent Bar Rosella Tramezzini Bar in its lobby. Find it there from 10am – 6pm every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Bar Rosella team will also be offering their limited edition picnic boxes for 2 – 3 people, which includes Italian antipasti, cheese and nibbles, and can be pre-ordered and enjoyed in the Botanical Gardens across the road. Check it out at the website.

4 hotels to stay at in Queensland now the borders are open

Queensland beach

We’re taking any good news we can get these days and with the latest revelation that Queensland’s going to open its borders to Victoria and NSW, that’s about as good as it gets! With trips being planned and flights being booked, let’s take a look at four of urban Queensland’s top hotels to really throw the wallet at and spend some of those hard-saved Covid dollars. Riley, Cairns Crystalbrook Collection’s Riley is the pinnacle of five-star luxury in Cairns. The resort’s incredible food offerings include the highest rooftop bar in Cairns at Rocco, as well as Asian fusion at Paper Crane. For those looking to unwind guests can choose from the Eleme Day Spa, or simply relax by the pool with a beautiful view of the Coral Sea.  Bailey, Cairns Modern, innovative and with an appreciation for the arts, Bailey celebrates originality and individuality. Guests can choose between the 5-star luxury of Bailey’s rooms and suites, and the equally luxe home-away-from-home oasis at Bailey Residences, featuring 1,2 and 3 bedroom residences. Culinary options include the reimagined steakhouse CC’s Bar and Grill.  Flynn, Cairns The youngest sibling in Crystalbrook’s Cairns family, Flynn has just opened its doors to guests for the first time as of November 10. Boasting two glass-bottomed pools, casual eatery Boardwalk Social and 311 stylish suites, with the top three floors of the Esplanade tower offering guests the ultimate-luxe tropical escape, with large balconies to laze the day away. Flynn is the perfect new destination for those wanting to be in the heart of the action…. Read More

Why it’s not your face that picks a pair of sunnies – it’s your star sign

Black man sunglasses headphones

Gone are the days of checking your face in the mirror at Sunglass Hut! All you need’s your star sign. Helping us find #TheSunWithin, Sunglass Hut has teamed up with astrologer Natasha Weber to come up with a style guide for faces according to what’s written in the stars. Why? All so your inner style matches your outer. We had a chat with Natasha about zodiacs, faces and sunnies and discovered a bit about how can you discover your inner personality and bring it out in bold new ways using the constellation. “Each planet and zodiac sign represent a unique part of yourself. In astrology, the sun reveals your character and how you shine your light. This new campaign is a perfect match with astrology because a person’s style choices reflect their inner spark and confidence, much like their sun sign does. This summer, you can choose frames to shine your sign, from the inside out,” she explained. When it comes to how well your sign(s) know you, it turns out there’s a reason that your astrological sign can be represented in frame shape. Natasha explains that it’s just as specific personality traits are associated with the signs, so too are colours, styles and fashion trends. Aries are sporty, so Rams are drawn to frames that suit an active lifestyle. As the romantics of the zodiac, Cancers love subtle shapes that can be worn with pretty dresses or pastel shirts. It’s all about being true to your sign, right down to the fashion details. She… Read More