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Bangkok is one of those great paradoxical cities of the world where the only time you should be surprised is when nothing is out of the ordinary. It’s a place of the unexpected, and the hotel bar of the Four Seasons in the riverside district of Sathon illustrates my point to a tee.

As we disgorge from the taxi into the sweltering heat of the Bangkok afternoon, Christina and I breathe in the warm air before stepping into the delicately scented air conditioning of the hotel’s beautiful lobby.

We’re here to check out the watering hole of the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River: the BKK Social Club, recognised as one of the world’s best bars.

Since 2022, this bar has won a swathe of awards: 14th best bar in the world, 10th best bar in Asia, number one in Thailand… an impressive haul, but we’re curious to see what the best bar in a city like Bangkok looks like.

BKK Social Club, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River

We pass slowly through the hotel, elegantly decorated and interestingly furnished. The gleaming white marble floors give way to occasional water features that trickle and tinkle behind subtle music and the muted chatter of other guests.

Winding our way to the back of the hotel where the broad milk tea waters of the Chao Phraya River sweeps by.

On our right are tiered pools that step down towards the riverbank, but on our left is the bar itself: the BKK Social Club with its grand dark doors flung wide for us.

Check out our other stories that explore Bangkok, its nightlife, food scenes and accommodation here!

This is our favourite food tour to do in Bangkok!

Click here for the best prices on Bangkok accommodation!

Once we’re welcomed in and seated in a comfortable booth, we take in the majesty of our surroundings.

Hugely vaulted 5m ceilings hold up beautiful art deco lights. Hanging from scalloped pendants that glide into gilt geometric patterns, this pairing of colonial Latin America and traditional Southeast Asian architecture is so striking.

From the ceiling, towering columns glimmer in the low light, while the bar gleams golden along the back wall. Along both sides of the room, booths like ours sit under high-arched facades, and the middle of the bar are tables and comfortable lounges.

Food and Drink at BKK Social Club

As we sit down, a non-alcoholic welcome drink and some snacks arrive on our table. The drink seems to be chilled rosella but with a flare that gives us an insight into the wonders within the pages of the cocktail menu.

As for the food, the bowl of crisp veggie chips and mini tacos of corn and chipotle make us realise that we’re actually quite hungry.

Round 1

Soon, our cocktails come out: a Carratera and a Jimador. The Carratera is a smoky yet balanced mezcal negroni blended behind a wall of coffee vermouth and the sweetness of pineapple Campari.

The Jimador, a tequila cocktail, is fresh and perfectly balanced with its flavours of citrus and pistachio.

To go with our delicious cocktails, we have beef tartare on wonderful little discs of purple corn tostada that crumble rather than crunch. The beef is diced to finely it’s almost a paste then mixed with smoked capsicum and eggplant, cipolline onion and guacamole.

We also have some soft tacos filled with the most incredibly tender barbecue pork belly. The dish is smoky and moreish, and the hint of spice from chimichurri goes perfectly with our tequila and mezcal cocktails.

Round 2

For our second round of drinks, we go barrel-aged with the Pique and the Since 1942, Don Julio Old Fashioned.

Named after the World Cup mascot from Mexico 1986, this clever cocktail is like biting into a crisp apple, bringing out all the rich flavours of the Japanese whisky while the touch of heat from the Ancho Reyes chilli liqueur warms you from the inside.

Using decedent Don Julio Extra Anejo tequila, Since 1942, the Don Julio O.F. is easily the most expensive cocktail on the menu and the most opulent too. Along with this exquisitely balanced old fashioned style drink comes some serious food theatre flex that only the Four Seasons could think of.

Borne on a silver platter, the cocktail’s only garnish is a perfectly clear ice block with the bar’s insignia melted into it. Next to the thick crystal tumbler is an amuse bouche of pandan jelly and a bump of beluga caviar. It’s a crazy drink, but the flavours gallop and party in your mouth for days.

We’re not finished yet!

Just as we’re about to leave, we’re told there’s a leaving drink. We should finish with a frozen margarita. The fruit changes every day (today’s is strawberry) and — to quote our server — it’s “the tastiest, booziest frozen marg you’ve ever had!”

I tell you what, she was right.

And while we’re quoting people here, these are some of the snippets of conversation we overhear during our visit to BKK Social:

• “That’s the best cocktail I’ve ever had.”
• “Every cocktail tonight has been perfectly balanced.”
• “That’s one of the best smelling bathrooms I’ve ever been in.”

If that’s not enough to convince you that this is the best bar in Thailand, I don’t know what will.

The BKK Social Club is a superlative bar, completely in tune with Four Seasons’ ability to create a bar worthy of any world-class city’s drinking scene, but that fits with this city’s identity perfectly.

We visited the BKK Social Club as media guests, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post World’s Best Bars To Visit — BKK Social Club, Bangkok appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Sydney’s Inner West has long been synonymous with craft beer. Its Inner West Ale Trail has processions of thirsty pilgrims marching the streets of Marrickville, Enmore and St Peters every weekend.

But now it’s our distilleries’ turn.

Running from Balmain and Rozelle to Lilyfield and Marrickville, the Inner West Distillery Trail is more than just a bar-hop around the suburbs — though you can do that if you want!

It’s more like a treasure map littered with Xs and each one has its own liquid booty (that sounded better in my head).

Check out our video of the Inner West Distillery Trail – a rendition of the video that now sits at the top of the Distillery Trail website:

Follow the Inner West Distillery Trail

Going from north to south, here are the distilleries you’ll find on the Inner West Distillery Trail.

Blackwattle Distilling Co – their Classic Dry Gin is a winner

This little ripper is secreted round the side of a courtyard in White Bay in Rozelle, almost next door to where White Bay Brewery once was.

These guys don’t have a full bar licence (yet), so front of house is not much more than a couple of barrels where you can taste Blackwattle’s delicious spirits and a shop, but this is a great start to the Trail. Blackwattle’s Classic Dry Gin is the one to look out for, winning Best in Class at the 2025 Australian Gin Awards.

Red Mill Rum – for their Stout Cask Rum

Just across the road from the Rozelle Bunnings on Mullens Street, Red Mill Rum is such a striking distillery.

Taking up an enormous warehouse that was once used as a munitions store in WWII, Red Mill’s home is now packed with barrels, rum and history lessons. Book a private tour to get down amongst the barrels, taste their goodies and learn more about this distillery that has a history going back to 1933.

My favourite rum here is the Stout Cask, packed with lovely roasted oats and chocolatey goodness, but everything here is outstanding.

I took some mates to Red Rum recently. Click here to see how it went.

Otter Craft Distilling and Bar 26 – for food and cocktails

If you want ‘tucked-away’, you need to visit OCD and its superb front-of-house bar. Hidden in the back streets of Lilyfield and through a door that feels like you’re going into an apartment block, Bar 26 gives ultimate speakeasy vibes.

While the juice here is supremely well made (limited release Shiraz barrel whisky and mesmerising Gold Leaf Vodka especially) and well mixed into meticulous cocktails, the food at Bar 26 is off the charts.

House-made woodfired pizzas, and charcuterie boards full of carefully sourced meats and cheese are a knockout.

Lily Fields Distilling Co – for G&T and a roll

While the actual still of this distillery is based elsewhere, Lily Fields’ bar is in one of the best spots possible.

Prime position on the garden side of Leichhardt Bowls Club (which in its turn is just on the Lilyfield side of the Leichhardt border), this bar is the perfect spot for a cheeky G&T or two and a barefoot roll with friends.

If lawn bowls aren’t your thing, grab a table close to the bar and work your way through the cocktail menu of this award-winning gin distillery.

Moonshiner – for a great range of gin (and people-watching)

This tiny gin bar has burrowed right into the middle of Marrickville’s brewery district. In spite of its small stature, the range of gins and liqueurs on offer here is astounding.

With so many different types of gin featuring everything from cumquats to walnuts to gin rested in ex-maple syrup barrels, it’s worth coming for a tasting session or at least a couple of cocktails.

What’s more, the tables in the little street-side courtyard make for superb people-watching while you sip!

Poor Toms – for food and their Sydney Dry Gin

Part beer hall, part ’80s disco, this distillery, pizzeria and gin bar is a perfect spot for friends to get together in the heart of Marrickville.

We met owners of Poor Toms – Jesse Kennedy and Griffin Blumer – in their first premises when they were just starting up all the way back in 2017!

Poor Toms make some delicious gins, masterfully stirred into cocktails by friendly bar staff, and the permanent collab with Oltra Pizza adds an extra highlight on the Inner West Distillery Trail.

Ester Spirits – for gin tastings and pure creativity

There’s something about Ester Spirits that makes me feel like I’m in the inner circle of hospo secrets. This cool distillery bar in Marrickville has the mix of grit and glamour just right.

Ester turns out some pretty special spirits such as its highly awarded Strong Gin to its Old Tom, which took home Best in Show at the 2025 Australian Gin Awards. Ester’s gin flight tasting is a must, where you get generous pours of four different gins and liqueurs as well as two cocktails.

Unexpected Guest Distillery – for quirkiness and their London Dry Gin

Full of fun details and artwork, Unexpected Guest Distillery and its bar is a lot of fun.

Not only does this central Marrickville bar have a wonderfully comfortable vibe, it’s home to some outstanding gins as well. Indeed, their Bobby’s London Dry Gin notched up the highest score of all Aussie gins at the vaunted London Spirits Competition in 2025.

Eureka Distilling – for liqueurs and whisky

Although these guys don’t have a visitable cellar door, the spirits they make, not far from the banks of the Cooks River and the southern border of Marrickville, are excellent.

Look out for Eureka’s gins, vodkas, rums, whiskies and liqueurs in all good bars and bottlos around the Inner West or shop online.

Click here to start your trip along the Inner West Distillery Trail!

The post Get Into The Spirit Of Sydney’s Inner West — following the Inner West Distillery Trail appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Close to New South Wales’ southern border, Merimbula and the beautiful Sapphire Coast is home to some of the best seafood in the country.

Long famous for its Sydney rock oysters and seafood, the region has also developed a strong culinary reputation. Restaurants on the Sapphire Coast all seem to be able to turn the incredible local produce into unique, masterful dishes packed with flavour and creativity.

Tidal Restaurant and Wine Bar, which opened in 2021, is in the hands of partners Chef Gavin Swalwell and Fiona Myers, both of whom have a long list of venerated venues in their resume.

We visited Gavin and Fi at Tidal during the annual Eat Merimbula food festival in March and were lucky enough to enjoy their Seafood Extravaganza dinner event.

Obviously, this event is not available all year round, but the a la carte options, which change seasonally, offer a whole range of delightful dishes we will definitely be exploring the next time we’re in town.

Tidal Restaurant and Wine Bar—Seafood Extravaganza

The airy restaurant, with its wide windows open to the sea breeze and ocean views, has a lovely atmosphere. Tables, which are politely spaced around the restaurant and none are parallel, soon fill with excited patrons.

Gavin and Fi are at the door and welcome us to our seats

We start the evening with cocktails. My Manhattan and Christina’s Hugo Spritz are not only delicious, but surprisingly affordable. A glance at the menu reveals one of the best priced drinks lists we’ve seen—especially in such a fine venue with this kind of location.

Cocktails are all under $20, the wine we choose to go with dinner (local Pinot and Riesling) are $10 and $12 respectively, and even the single malt whisky is kind on the wallet; a tot of Hellyers Road Pinot Noir Finish will let you back just $12.

Dish #1

Dinner is to be a multi-course degustation showing off the flavours of the region. There are also some guest speakers we’re looking forward to hearing from, but to start off with, our entree of scallop wrapped in prosciutto arrives.

It’s a great start. Somehow, the prosciutto is crisp while the scallop within is perfectly cooked. Plump and juicy. And the corn puree underneath is velvety and sweet. It’s an eloquent dish that shows just how good the kitchen is.

Dish #2

Next is a dozen rock oysters from nearby Narooma with a barrel-aged mignonette. The onion in the mignonette is a bit chunky for my liking, but the oysters are so creamy and full of mineral qualities, and the barrel-ageing of the vinegar are beautiful.

Before the next course comes, we’re entertained by the evening’s guest speakers: Mick ‘Banjo’ Young, who runs Banjo’s Oyster Farm, and Ryan Morris, who is a second-generation abalone and sea-urchin diver for ATSSU Divers here on the Sapphire Coast.

They both have such interesting stories to tell.

Banjo talks about the difficulties he’s faced being an oyster farmer for over 33 years (and how he can play the banjo) and Ryan explains how it takes at least 17 people in the chain to process a single sea urchin.

It puts in perspective our previous dish and what we’re eating now.

Dish #3

Laid out on a plate, Southern Ocean tuna carpaccio has been sliced so thinly it’s transparent. And crowning the carpaccio is a lobe of sea urchin that melts into creamy liquid as you cut into it.

These two combine into such a delicate mouthful that embodies the flavour of the sea.

Dish #4

The last of the savoury dishes comes out next, and what a dish it is. Each person is served their own half a Sydney rock lobster from Narooma with a butter sambal on a bed of bok choy and watercress.

There’s just so much tasty tender meat in these lobsters. And to make it easier for everyone, they’ve been prepared by the kitchen with all the meat extracted and put back into the shell.

Dish #5

Next, we see the sweet skills of the kitchen come out. From berries grown in the restaurants own garden, the strawberry sorbet palate-cleanser is something else. The flavours from this sorbet are extraordinary and the texture is almost gelato-smooth.

A beautifully crafted leaf-shaped biscuit tuille somehow accentuates the strawberry flavours.

Dish #6

Finally, the last dish comes to us: baked peach and Chantilly cream, topped with a shard of toffee and a plump glossy toasted meringue. What a dessert this is. Real food artistry.

We leave Tidal feeling perfectly full yet not overindulged. The warm breeze floating over the inlet charms us and we fairly float home to our bed in the Hillcrest Motel looking down over this wonderful coastal town.

We dined as guests of Tidal Restaurant & Wine Bar and of Eat Festival, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Seafood Extravaganza at Tidal Restaurant, Merimbula NSW appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Let’s face it, ‘going bush’ doesn’t mean what it used to. I mean, you can still grab a swag and a full water bottle, and trek into the big green yonder if you want, but you don’t have to.

As we travel through Kakadu National Park, one of the most magnificent natural treasures of Australia and a place we’ve been lucky enough to visit more than once, Christina and I are struck by how easy it is to get around.

We find immaculate roads, clear and relevant signage, and—as we pull into Cooinda Lodge—the realisation that ‘roughing it’ no longer needs to be part of your travel vocabulary in Kakadu.

That’s not to say this isn’t wild country or that you won’t experience the Australian Outback as it should be.

It’s just easier.

Book your accommodation in Cooinda here.

What is Cooinda?

Historically a central hub for explorers visiting Kakadu, Cooinda started out as a ’tent store’ in 1964. When crocodile hunter and self-proclaimed ‘bushy’ Tom Opitz, and his Londoner wife Judy set up shop, Cooinda was little more than a supply stop for adventurers to this remote part of the Top End.

Slowly, the site, whose name means ‘happy meeting place’ in Bininj Kunwok, developed into a motel of sorts, though most travellers stuck with their tents.

These days visitors can (and do) still camp here, but exploring the grounds of Cooinda, it’s clear that things have changed beyond anything that Tom or Judy would recognise as their pioneer whistle stop.

Everything—from basic camping to high-end luxury retreat-style safari lodge glamping—is available here. And with that, so the food offerings are just as wide-reaching.

From coin-op self-catering barbecues and a food truck (actually, the fish and chips from the Too Deadly Takeaway is superb) to Mimi’s Restaurant, serving a range of bush-tucker inspired dishes, there’s something for everyone, which is kind of the point of Cooinda.

Mimi’s Restaurant, Cooinda Lodge Kakadu

As we take our seats at our pretty table, which is laid with native flowers, a locally-made scented candle and an Aboriginal artwork tablecloth, restaurant manager Chon comes to show us some gins from Willing Distillery in Darwin.

Chef and forager Krystle-Dee Dalton talks us through the dishes she’s prepared

The G&Ts he serves us go down a treat, cooling our blood and awakening our palates. The Desert Lime Gin is bright, sharp and herbal though with a drive of anise flavour that I’m not so keen on, but the Kakadu Plum and Quandong Gin is sweeter with more juniper and a floral finish that is excellent.

Willing Distillery is the most northerly distillery in Australia, just round he corner from Darwin Airport. But unless you’re in Darwin or Cooinda, you’re not likely to find this stuff. In fact Chon had to go to Darwin in person to pick up these bottles.

For dinner, we’re being treated to the tasting plate, which showcases the best of the bush tucker offerings here at Mimi’s.

It’s a wonderful medley of local meat: buffalo, kangaroo, crocodile and barramundi.

Mimi’s Tasting Plate at Cooinda Lodge

Rum Jungle Buffalo Fillet and Bush Tomato Chutney
This is the first time we’ve tasted buffalo, and it comes as a thick-cut steak. It’s juicy and beefy, but with a slightly gamey finish. It’s the robust, satisfying meat I was hoping it would be

Kangaroo Fillet and Mango Quandong Chutney
The kangaroo, sliced into thin minute steaks, is delicate, surprisingly tender and has no gaminess at all. This really shows the talent of the kitchen

Salt and Pepper Crocodile and Lemon Myrtle Aioli
Fried in a tempura batter, the crocodile goujons are wonderful. Deliciously chewy with a crisp coating and a light, delicate flavour

Paperbark Barramundi with Mixed Marinated Olives
Smoked in locally sourced paperbark, the barramundi is incredible. The smoking has enhanced the light flavour of the fish rather than overtaking it, which you’d expect

This all comes with a bowl of very satisfying fries and spiced slaw.

As for dessert, we’re presented with exquisite domes of panna cotta, decorate with sweet fermented native bush apple and a sharp dusting of powdered Kakadu plum.

What’s the rest of the food like at Cooinda?

While we’re here, Christina and I get a chance to try all of the food outlets, including the special menu that Head Chef Phillip Foote creates every now and again. It’s well worth having if there’s one of these menus available when you’re here.

For us, it’s the Taste of Full Moon menu, which is a riff on our tasting plates and with full servings rather than the small portions we had.

As we mentioned earlier, the fish and chips (and the crocodile tacos Christina orders) from the Too Deadly Takeaway food truck is to die for, but the absolute standout for me is my dinner from the Barra Bar and Bistro.

The diner side of Mimi’s (you order from the kiosk outside rather than a la carte table service inside), the Barra Bistro has many of the pub classics on its menu.

My chicken parmie burger is quite possibly the best chicken burger I’ve had. Crisp crumbed tender chicken, perfectly melted oozy cheese, a generous serve of pickles, creamy tasty slaw and a bun that can somehow hold it all, plus a huge pile of fries—I’m in heaven.

Of all the things we were expecting to be impressed with on this trip of a lifetime to Kakadu, the food has surprised us.

I’m not saying only come to Kakadu for the food, but when you do come here, you might as well leave your billy tea and your damper kit at home!

We dined at Cooinda Lodge as media guests of Kakadu Tourism and NT Tourism, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Fine-Dine On The Wild Side—where to eat in Kakadu appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Just past the stairs down to the silver rows of Bimbadgen’s wine tanks and gantries, we’re welcomed at the door to Esca by a smiling maître d’.

The restaurant’s busy tonight.

From young, dressed-up couples on a date to old friends in flip-flops relaxing over a meal and a bottle from Bimbadgen’s cellar door, the spectrum of diners adds to the ambience.

Light floods in through the windows lining two sides of the restaurant, but not for long. As the late sun sets and Blue Hour sets in, the twinkle of golden lights on each table bring more romance to the atmosphere.

Check out our quick video of our Signature Experience:

Our table looks out through the glass wall to the wide balcony, where more diners are enjoying the afternoon air and their front-seat views over the vineyards out to the distant mountains.

In the courtyard below, the wood-fired pizza oven has fired up, the soft sounds of music and casual diners trickling up to us.

Esca Bimbadgen—fine-dining in the Hunter Valley

Esca’s a la carte option is a three-course-minimum situation, where you can choose from the different dishes in vegetable, seafood and meat sections (as well as a dessert and cheese menu).

You can then add drinks to your meal as and when. In fact, estate wine is at the same price as the cellar door on the ground floor, which is refreshing especially for a restaurant of this calibre.

The other dining alternative, the one we’re here for, is the Esca Signature Experience.

Esca Bimbadgen’s Signature Experience

Designed in collaboration by Esca’s Head Chef Keira Madeley and Bimbadgen’s Head Winemaker Richard Done, the Signature Experience is a five-course dinner matched with six wines.

Things kick off with a glass of Bimbadgen’s Sparkling Cuvee served with slabs of pillowy focaccia and rich house-made butter. There’s also a little pot of pink salt, though the colour comes from infusion of Bimbadgen Shiraz rather than any trace minerals.

We’d be happy enough if there were just five courses of this, but instead the first course arrives.

Woodfired peaches with duetto—a blend of mascarpone and gorgonzola cheese from Binnorie Dairy in the Hunter. This light yet satisfying dish pairs perfectly with a similarly light and fruity Vermentino from Bimbadgen’s new Grower’s Range.

From here, it’s a delicious flurry of food. Salmon gravlax with sauce gribiche, confit chicken with a spiced sauce and roasted chickpeas, and veal tenderloin, cooked rare, on a bed of delightfully chewy pearl couscous.

Glasses of Bimbadgen’s Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz Viognier bring further depth to the food. And each dish reciprocates, developing each wine beyond its glass.

We finish with a glass of Bimbadgen’s Late Harvest Semillon—a dessert wine for sure, but its residual sugar, far from being too sweet, is tempered by the grapes’ natural acidity. A real flex from Richard!

With this wine comes a shallow bowl of summer stone fruits and browned butter on creamy yoghurt which is in turn floated on a delicate mint emulsion.

It’s an elegant end to the meal, and although we’ve had so much food and drink, we leave feeling sated rather than stuffed. Such is the skill of the open kitchen, who we’re able to than as we leave.

Esca Bimbadgen, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley

Open: Lunch—Wed-Sat from 12pm, Dinner—Fri and Sat from 6pm

Pretty much all wineries offer food these days. From an easy-going cheese board to go with your tasting to the full bells-and-whistles of a hatted fine-diner that stands apart from the winery.

Esca always seems to have at least one eye on the wine at all times. With all the dishes here, you get the impression that they’re designed with the vineyards in mind.

And this is what makes Esca. It’s a symbiosis with the winery that creates a wonderful depth to your experience at Bimbadgen.

We dined as media guests of Bimbadgen, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where To Eat In The Hunter Valley—Esca Bimbadgen appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It’s hard to know what the most remarkable thing is about The Blue Door, a fascinating 18-seater restaurant in the heart of Sydney’s Surry Hills.

Perhaps it’s the laser focus owner-operators Angelica Nohra and Dylan Cashman have on New South Wales produce or their passion for sustainably and ethically farmed ingredients.

Perhaps it’s the extraordinary 15-page wine list that features almost entirely Aussie wines (barely a dozen are from other countries and three of those are NZ wines), 99% of which are from within NSW.

Maybe it’s the unique way the confoundingly creative dishes are served here—you receive a delectable degustation train of tasting plates throughout the evening, each with its own resonant story.

Or maybe it’s the insane fact that these guys change their menu. Every. Single. Week.

The more you think about it, the more it makes you blink.

How a kitchen can even come up with enough ways of cooking things at that kind of frequency—let alone master the dishes to the point where everything you eat is a soul-moving sensation—is a bomb to the brain.

The Blue Door, Surry Hills

Things kick off at The Blue Door with bread to share. But true to their style Angelica Nohra and Dylan Cashman make even this simple, traditional dining gesture an experience.

Angelica explains that the bread is from their own sourdough starter that’s travelled around the world with their baker. There are also two brown dinner rolls the kitchen makes by grinding up any extra sourdough from the day before.

Also on the table and beneath a ceramic cloche hides a rich puck of unsalted cultured butter. And the unsalted part is important. With the bread, a board arrives loaded with what looks like four different-coloured crystals.

Are we having some faith healing with dinner?

No, these are different types of rock salt from Pakistan, Persia, Bolivia and India. They’re the only part of any dish that Blue Door serves that’s not Australian, but the food theatre is worth it. You grate you own salt for your bread and butter, and we’re told to “be noisy and obnoxious about it” too.

The different salt is amazing—four very different flavour profiles—light and almost citrusy to dark and spicy.

Next is The Blue Door Snack Attack, an exciting spread of five different dishes that range from locally sourced sliced meats to startling ‘fish scales’. These deep-fried strips of fish skin curl up as they cook and the attached flesh goes spiky. They’re crunchy, salty and like nothing we’ve eaten before.

And we haven’t even started the seven courses proper yet!

‘Fish Scales’ – part of The Blue Door’s Snack Attack

Dining Done Differently

Make no mistake, this is fine-dining; the quality of the food and creativity of the restaurant’s concept dictate it. But the relaxed nature of The Blue Door puts you at ease.

With over seven dishes coming to your table, you’d expect an arsenal of silverware. But here your cutlery comes stacked in a block and you’re told to ‘create your own adventure’ in terms of what you eat with. It’s not only refreshing, it gives you license to enjoy the experience without feeling watched.

You can choose to have the matching wines with your meal or not—in fact, this is the only decision you have to make during the evening. But you can also share the wine pairing too.

You can bring your own wine if you want, though Angelica, a trained sommelier, will ask for a taste—for purely research purposes of course. The only caveat is that the wine must be good enough that The Blue Door would have it on their menu, so no box wine and no cleanskins!

The Blue Door has two sittings, which isn’t unusual. However, no one arrives at the same time for each sitting. We’re the first people in for the 5.30 service (the second begins at 8.15) and we have the place to ourselves for the first half an hour or so.

Tables progressively fill up as the night draws on and it’s fun to hear each cover receive the same instructions and descriptions we’ve already been through. We hear them make noise, grate that salt, be weirded out by the fish scale snacks, and marvel at the passion and skill that this little restaurant harnesses.

What’s The Food Like At The Blue Door?

Going into detail about every dish we’re served won’t really be helpful; by the time you read this, that menu will be dead and gone. It’ll have changed even before we’ve finished writing.

But here’s a taster, as it were.

Striped snapper sashimi with pickles and strawberry juice & macadamia

Chicken terrine with parsley emulsion and brown butter with celeriac skin and mustard seed crumb

‘mac and cheese’ house-made cassarecce pasta with cheese sauce and cubes of andouille sausage

Before we’re served our dish, Angelica comes with the first matching wine to explain her choice and how it pairs with the food to come. She paints a picture of why the 2021 Riesling from Jessop Wines in Orange works so well with the sashimi we’re about to have.

Until this point, we didn’t know we’re having fish.

The wine not only works with the sweetness of the reef fish that the fisherman Chris Bolton, who catches each fish one at a time on a hand line (as in not even a fishing rod), but it melds with the nuttiness and oils of the macadamia and sunflower seeds.

Ok, so the sashimi comes with nuts and seeds too, ay?

And as we delve further into the meal, we catch glimpses of each upcoming dish with each wine. We also learn more about the restaurant, buying whole animals, breaking them down and using everything. They also work with no-till regenerative NSW vegetable farmers, who grow their crops naturally. Other details emerge like the chickens that go into the exquisite terrine come from a farm where maremma dogs keep them safe.

Reef fish fillet with broad beans, fennel beurre blanc and cauliflower puree

It’s a flawless meal—indeed, calling it a meal undersells The Blue Door. It’s an experience, a journey through pastural NSW and the spectacular produce we have at our fingertips here.

It’s also a performance of scintillating cooking skills from the open kitchen that works hard behind us while we relax and embed ourselves in the food narrative of the region.

We dined as media guests of The Blue Door, but our opinions and experiences remain our own.

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Set amongst the vines and rolling lawns of Tower Estate Winery in Pokolbin, Tower Lodge strikes a grand pose, packed with Spanish elegance and subtle European nuance.

The great antique carved timber front doors open into a terracotta floored reception replete with carriage clocks, silver-handled walking canes and even a piano in one corner.

Check out our video walkthrough of Tower Lodge here:

Once checked in, we’re taken through to the impressive drawing room with its magnificent fireplace and well-stocked bar, where we’re left to relax with a glass of bubbles.

There’s a lovely level of detail to this hotel.

The broad coffee table, surrounded by comfy armchairs and couches, has everything from boardgames and books to vases and Gillie & Marc ornaments, and the lofted ceiling with its great-hall style exposed beams only adds to the grandeur.

At the back of this room, hidden behind a floating wall, is the lodge’s vaunted restaurant, Sebastian. But more about the restaurant later.

Check up some of our other stories on the Hunter Valley:

• 15 Hunter Valley Cellar Doors That Only Locals Know About
• Escape To The Chateau – Where To Stay In The Hunter Valley
• 10 Things To Plan For When You Visit The Hunter Valley
• Vamp By Lisa McGuigan – A Cellar Door Like No Other
• Uncork The Extraordinary – A World Beyond Wine-Tasting

What Are The Rooms Like At Tower Lodge?

As we pass into the central courtyard, the hacienda feel of the hotel really kicks in.

Columns hold up the veranda roofs of each wing of suites. At the centre fountain tinkles, and more terracotta tiling and white granite bricks pave the way down towards our suite.

To one side, another water feature bubbles away, on the other a timber deck with a tree sunk in the centre traps the sun.

It’s not a huge leap to imagine you’re in a beautiful villa somewhere in the Basque countryside.

Where To Stay In The Hunter Valley—Our Estate Suite

Through the tall double doors of distressed antique timber, the room is a bright open space. Its lofted ceilings and tonal decor reiterate the luxury we enjoyed in the drawing room.

The same dark rich terracotta tiles from reception and the courtyard are throughout our suite too. They work well with the warm whites of the rendered walls, and the greys and taupes of the soft furnishings.

There’s a low coffee table and comfortable lounge as we walk in (we both also make a mental note of the backgammon set that we’ll be setting up after dinner) and to our left the bed. It’s set up some steps, elevated from the lower part of the suite, which adds to the grandeur.

Through a doorway behind the bed is the walk-in wardrobe and then through to the bathroom.

The shower, equipped with Leif amenities, looks very welcoming, but it’s the deep, sunken bath that really catches our eye.

Interestingly, there’s kind of stable door that opens from the head of the bath through to the other side of the bed where you can look out over the rest of the room.

It doesn’t make sense at first, but then we realise it connects the room and the bath perfectly. In fact, you can even have a view outside if you open the back door too.

This back door opens out onto views across the grounds and over to the vineyards of Tower Estate and to our low-walled veranda, where we can sit, enjoy a glass of wine and admire the view across the lawns.

These lawns are a favourite spot for kangaroos, especially in the mornings and at dusk.

But as we said before, all these elements create a lovely place to sleep, but it’s not only the high ceilings or the deep-fill bath, the throne-like bed or the heavy oaken doors that make up the luxurious feel here.

It’s the attention to detail.

It’s the beautiful iridescent tiles in the bathroom, it’s the oil paintings and other artwork that hangs from the deep plaster of the walls, it’s the frieze above the bed and the elegant lighting throughout the suite that make all the difference.

Book your stay in Tower Lodge’s Estate Room here.

Sebastian Restaurant at Tower Lodge, Pokolbin

Sebastian Restaurant is more than just a nod to Spain’s celebrated Basque Country, the kitchen uses techniques and flavours inspired by this incredible food destination of northwestern Spain.

Sharing the high exposed-beamed ceiling with the drawing room that we first came into with our welcome drinks, Sebastian has a light airy feel that could easily feel echoey and empty.

But thanks to careful decoration and an intimate yet well-spaced seating plan is cosy without feeling squashed in.

From the wonderful four-course menu, Christina chooses the rich and sumptuous Basque fish soup with fried caper, saffron and herbed sourdough for entree.

I go for the sweet and juicy seared scallops and tender pork cheek with puffed crackling and cauliflower puree.

For mains, Christina has the perfectly French-trimmed lamb cutlets with an indulgent eggplant puree, cauliflower tabouli and tangy yoghurt.

My main is the impressive Basque-inspired beef tenderloin, cooked perfectly to medium-rare, with spiced beans, chorizo and a potato tortilla.

Finally, our desserts, threatening to finish us off rather than the other way round, come. Christina’s deconstructed Basque cheesecake with meyer lemon, sable and plum gel is incredible—baked to perfection with dots of the various gels and sauces highlighting the savoury sweetness of the cheesecake.

My warm chocolate frangipane tart with salted caramel, poached pear and vanilla ice cream is almost my undoing and we stagger the mercifully short distance back to our suite, discarding the ambitions of backgammon we’d had earlier.

It’s a superb meal and one that justifies Sebastian’s reputation and Chef’s Hat awards.

Tower Lodge’s Pool & Sauna

We don’t often talk much about a hotel’s pool, but this one deserves a bit more of a mention.

Set aside from the main complex, the pool area is surrounded by a high circular wall. Inside, apart from the long lap pool, is a sauna steam room, roofed area and bar.

It’s here more than anywhere at Tower Lodge that you’re transported to your own private villa in the hills above San Sebastián, your own slice of Spanish paradise.

Breakfast at Tower Lodge is also amazing – served in the main plaza around the central fountain

We stayed as guests of Tower Lodge courtesy of Scarborough Wines, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where To Stay In The Hunter Valley – Tower Lodge and Sebastian Restaurant, Pokolbin appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It’s hard to imagine how the incredible experience of visiting the sacred Australian landmark of Uluru can be improved.

Maybe ‘improved’ is the wrong word. Perhaps ‘enhanced’ is better.

Either way, Tali Wiru—the four-hour romantic fine-dining experience at the top of the rippling sand dunes that lap at the feet of Uluru—does exactly that.

To put it in more quantitive terms, Tali Wiru was awarded the prestigious 2025 Hospitality NT Gold Plate Award, taking home Restaurant of the Year and the award for Tourism Dining.

It also holds a coveted?Chef’s Hat from the Australian Good Food Guide, making it the?highest-rated restaurant in the Northern Territory?and the?only open-air restaurant in Australia to receive a Chef’s Hat.

Check out our quick 90-second video of Tali Wiru to get an idea of just how beautiful this experience is.

What Does Tali Wiru Mean?

Collectively referring to themselves as Anangu, the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the surrounding area, seemingly love an understatement.

Even their name—Anangu—means simply ‘people’, yet theirs is the longest surviving continuous culture in the world.

When we discover that Tali Wiru translates merely as ‘beautiful dune’ there’s an opportunity to anticipate underwhelm.

But we have the inside track.

The day before, we witnessed the launch of the largest permanent ongoing drone show in the world in the sky above Uluru. It tells part of an ancient song line of Anangu history and is their most impressive project.

However, it’s just called beautiful view—Wintjiri Wiru in Pitjantjatjara.

So we know Tali Wiru is going to be something remarkable.

What Should You Expect At Tali Wiru?

After an exhilarating off-bitumen drive in the monster-truck style minibus from our hotel in nearby Yulara out into the desert, we’re greeted by our hosts for the evening.

Believe it or not, it can get pretty cold in the desert at night, so remember to bring warm clothes even if it’s been a hot day.

As we climb the gentle slope of the sand dune, with the desert sun nodding its head towards one horizon and Uluru bathing in the golden light on another, we’re struck by just how unique this dining experience really is.

Along with welcome drinks come superb canapés made with native ingredients.

Proteins like kangaroo, Morton Bay bug and yellowtail kingfish are accompanied by ingredients that are exotic to us, but are locally sourced and foraged here.

Bush tomato, finger lime, wattle seed and Davidson pear, ice plant, quandong, samphire and desert lime all work to create impressive layers of flavour that belie the size of these exquisite morsels.

We enjoy the full colours of the sunset while a didgeridoo player gives us the appropriate soundtrack and a chef from the kitchen tucked into a tiny shack talks us through the ingredients they’re using tonight.

But then it’s time for the main event.

Up a lit pathway, we find—at the top of the highest dune—tables laid with white table cloths and silver, and the crystal glassware shines in the evening light.

We take our places at this almost ethereal dinner, where we’re served amuse bouche and entrees match with fine wines from across Australia. Mains come with the theatre of a grand reveal from under metal cloches and the feast continues.

Amuse bouche of chestnut veloute with truffle pears, black garlic and macadamia

Main dish of Glacier 51′ toothfish with polenta, sea grapes, edamame, desert oak, caramelised shallot, beach succulents, sour butternut puree and vermouth cream

Main of wagyu beef 6+ marble score, warrigal greens, baby spinach, chilli jam, cauliflower puree, pencil leek, potato fondant, fermented king brown mushroom and red wine jus

Venison, lemon myrtle, toothfish, muntries, 6+ marble wagyu beef and Australian truffle in various dishes on the menu make choosing our meals very difficult, but ultimately unimportant. Every dish that comes from the little kitchen is perfection.

For once, food envy doesn’t rear its obnoxious head at the table.

Dessert comes all too quickly and we wish we could stay up here forever. Options of a chocolate device, dessert honey and Kakadu plum mousse or a cheese board give us one last troublesome decision to make, then it’s time for some stargazing.

Dessert of desert honey mousse and Kakadu plum compote with matcha sponge and a honeycomb design honey tuille

As you can imagine, here in the desert’s pristine air away from city lights, the constellations are brilliantly bright.

Aided by a professional stargazer and his phenomenally powerful laser pointer, we explore our galaxy while we digest.

Before we head back to our hotel transfer, there’s one last pleasure to enjoy: a seat at the campfire with a drop of dessert wine or digestif, and we talk to the didgeridoo player from earlier while he shows us some indigenous artefacts and traditional tools.

The whole evening is more like a dream that all too soon ends and we’re rumbling back to town, stomachs full but hearts even fuller.

We experienced Tali Wiru as media guests of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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There’s that wonderful moment when you’re travelling when you find yourself somewhere that really makes you feel at home.

It’s a strange oxymoron to enjoy though. I mean, you’re travelling, right? The last thing you should be excited about is home.

But as we work our way through our tasting paddle of Longstocking’s beer while we wait for our handmade pizzas to come out of the wood-fired oven, that’s exactly how we feel.

Perhaps it’s the happy chatter of the other groups here; families, couples, friends all together. Or maybe it’s the live musician and his guitar.

It could just simply be the warm welcome we receive from owner, brewer and chef Peter Caldwell, who’s busy shovelling pizzas, or his similarly tasked partner Joey Cunningham, who also makes us feel—well—at home!

Check out our quick video of Longstocking Brewery and Oyster Bar here.

Longstocking Brewery & Oyster Bar

Part of the complex of Oaklands Barn, Longstocking has been brewing beer here since 2016. Its bar, the lounge, veranda and cellar door all have a friendly family vibe and the outdoor open kitchen and brick pizza oven, where we first meet Peter, is right at the entrance.

Peter tells us “on a busy day, we’ll do upwards of 120 pizzas in two hours.”

Thankfully, Peter isn’t that busy today. And before we know it our pizzas—a Diablo with spicy sausage and plenty of onions, and a super-cheesy anchovy pizza—land on our table.

We still have enough time beforehand though to try a dozen of their oysters, from Pambula of course—perhaps even from our friends at Broadwater Oysters.

Six we have natural but the other six are Longstocking’s ‘wakami’, which come with seaweed, chilli and wasabi mayo. The result is umami and spice with an added level of creaminess to the plump oyster, which delivers its signature salty flintiness that Pambula oysters have.

Through this whole eating experience, we’re accompanied by our paddle of 10 beers straight from Longstocking’s active brewery, which you can see down the corridor from the bar and cellar door.

The paddles are all staves from old barrels, arching over the table with each glass suspended in its little hole.

Longstocking Brewery’s beers

Longstocking has around 14 beers on tap at any one time, so the tasting paddle of 10 ($25) will give you a taste of most of them.

We get the ball rolling with the Birra estiva (“summer beer” in Italian), which is clean and crisp, and the Sapphire Coast Ale, which is a midstength but still full of flavour.

Longstocking’s XPA is only 4.5% but has good bitterness and body, while the Pale Ale—our favourite—is balanced, rich and dangerously drinkable.

We also have the IPA, which is full of tasty hops, the Red Ale, a big beer packed with malt, the Dark, which is ok and the Stout, which is surprisingly clean and light though has deep coffee notes that lead to a satisfying finish.

At the far end of the paddle, the lovely fruit flavours of the Apple and Rhubarb seasonal cider and superb hard Ginger Beer, which is better than the famed Matso’s, leave us with tingly sweetness and a smile on our faces.

Peter also takes us on a quick look at the brewery where he and his head brewer Matt Burnett work their magic.

Oaklands Barn

But Longstocking Brewery, with its live music, great food and drink, and happy atmosphere, isn’t the only thing going on here.

Oaklands Barn, which has been here in one form or another since 1833, is a hub for a whole range of interesting things.

Of course, the brewery is a large part of the co-op, but there’s also a cafe, a gift shop, a replete garden centre and landscaping supplies store as well as a stockfeed store.

Oaklands Pantry sells delicious deli style produce and the art gallery shows and sells a range of art and craft by local artists and craftspeople.

There’s even a large event space for everything from conferences to formals.

But behind the brewery you’ll find the stables. This large barn is home to a whole host of animals great and small. From surly miniature horses to huge, affectionate goats, the happy creatures here are part of the Animal Barn.

A gold coin donation lets you in where you’ll also find camels, alpacas, mules, donkeys, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. And there’s also a led pony ride kids under eight can enjoy.

Finally, in the carpark amidst the antique trucks and cars is an old London double decker. This is the Little London Chop Shop barbers where you can come for a shave or haircut!

Owner-barber Sunny has also turned the top deck of the bus into a little “London style market selling the likes of new and used, vintage, collectables, retro games, posters, trainers, shoes, bags and products.”

Longstocking Brewery and Oaklands Barn are a must-visit when you’re on the Sapphire Coast. There’s plenty to see and do, and because it’s such a focal point for the community, you’ll get to meet locals and enjoy local produce. It’s also a great all-weather option.

We visited Oaklands Barn and Longstocking Brewery as media guests with the Sapphire Coast tourism board but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where To Eat And Drink In Pambula, NSW—Longstocking Brewery and Oyster Bar appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Stepping from the small lift secreted in a laneway courtyard not 200m from Circular Quay, we find ourselves in the Zen garden of Besuto’s reception. The tinkle of the tsukubai bamboo waterfall into its stone basin plays in our ears heralding the beginning of this omakase experience.

We pass through a doorway half concealed by a traditional noren curtain into the dining room.

Through the muted jazz and chatter from the restaurant, we take in the scene.

It’s an unusual venue because rather than seating and tables for patrons, it’s the kitchen that takes up most of the space.

In fact, only a dozen place-settings line the counter surrounding the kitchen, all within reach of the chef, who serves the food as he makes it.

This is how omakase works.

Omakase at Besuto Sydney

The meal begins with a glass of French Champagne.

Our chef—and co-owner of Besuto—Chef Hiro Fujita strikes an imposing figure as he stands before us, prepping various elements. But it’s not long before he’s cracking jokes, smiling and showing off his incredible skills.

Next to him, his sous chef Hirofumi Kano works quietly, almost shyly.

Over on our side from the kitchen, we chat to Besuto’s other co-owner Joel Best about pairings. Joel is also the restaurant’s sommelier and it’s he who has stocked the shelves with the impressive array of rare Japanese whisky and sake, and who has carefully selected the wines the restaurant serves.

Joel very generously gives me a taste of one of his favourites from his rare Japanese whisky collection–the Limited Edition from Chichibu Ichiros at $52 for 30ml.

We decide to have the sake pairing, though the wine pairing is very tempting too.

Joel warns us that we’ll be having a different sake with almost every dish. And there are 18 courses.

Christina and I thank our stars we’re not driving.

What’s The Food Like At Besuto?

Chefs, gourmands and hospos will tell you that we eat with our eyes; but when you experience omakase at Besuto Sydney, you eat with your imagination too.

From the very first dish to the last, you’re senses are close to the point of overwhelm. Perfectly plated and exquisitely cooked, the food here is simply beautiful.

The meal kicks off with a rich creamy oyster from Tasmania topped with a fine, sweet jelly and a Champagne flute of a sake from Niigata made specially to go with oysters.

Next is a colourful display of Tasmanian tiger prawn, Hokkaido scallop, salmon roe and tender kelp with a saki, this time from Gifu.

From there, things begin to blur. Flavours, textures, colour and remarkable ingredients—not to mention sake like we’ve never tasted before—kaleidoscope as they’re passed to us by Chef Hiro or are placed delicately on the presentation slate before of us.

Slow-cooked abalone, fresh sea urchin, savoury custard with shredded mud crab, toothfish marinated and richly glazed, high-marble wagyu, smoky dashi miso with delicate pipis, prawn and branzino sashimi—and of course more and more sake.

Some sake comes in little glasses, others come in tin pots coated in gold or silver. Others in earthenware.

Some sake is from Niigata, another is from Miyagi. Others are from Okayama, Yamaguchi, Hokkaido, Ibaraki, Fukui, Hyogo and Yamagata. But each and every one has a different nuance that matches the food in front of us, lifting umami, accentuating sourness, emulsifying salt content, tempering sweetness.

Then Chef Hiro presents the sashimi platter. A fascinating array of perfectly sliced raw seafood that Sous Chef Hiro has been working diligently on for some time.

Within the selection is something very special: extremely expensive tuna belly from a 19-year-old fish. Only two places in the country have access to this kind of delicacy: the high-rollers’ lounge in Sydney’s Crown Casino and Besuto.

We’re also treated to one of my favourite fish from Japanese cuisine: grilled eel. But instead of unagi, which is freshwater eel, we have saltwater anago from Aomori Prefecture in northern Honshu.

This is much fluffier and less fishy than unagi. And it makes us want to visit Aomori even more.

The Art Of Omakase

A bit like a degustation menu, omakase, which translates as ‘I leave it up to you’, is where the chef brings out a host of dishes for you and you don’t really get a choice.

The biggest difference is that omakase is only Japanese, whereas degustations can be from any cuisine.

Also, the chef that makes the food also presents it to you. There’s a wonderful food theatre to omakase and you feel a connection with your chef that’s rare in most other restaurant situations.

Besuto only serves omakase style and doesn’t offer a la carte options. In fact if you have food intolerances or are a picky eater, omakase might not be the best option for you.

As your booking confirmation email (which doesn’t pull any punches btw!) will tell you, food at Besuto always contains raw and cooked seafood, shellfish, sesame, gluten, nuts, dairy, meat and a few other triggers and allergens at some point in your meal.

Also, proceedings begin promptly so don’t be late. In fact, they want you there five minutes early. What’s more, there’s a minimum spend, a severe cancelation policy and no children are allowed.

It’s all wonderfully Japanese and so direct. And though it sounds like it’s going to be a strict, sombre affair, in reality, omakase at Besuto is a joyful experience and a lot of fun. The email is just clarifying everything so everyone knows where they stand. It’s actually quite reassuring.

Besuto Sydney is on Level 1, 6 Loftus Lane, Sydney. There are various opening times, multiple sittings and days, so check with their website. Get in quick too–spaces fill up a month in advance.

Christina and I dined as media guests of Besuto Sydney but our opinions remain our own.

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