Travel Archives &#8211; Mr and Mrs Romance

Just off the main food street of Luigi Carlo Farini, this immense, Tardis-like old-school restaurant is packed with the charm of proper Italian hospitality.

The menu is full of Parma classics served with relish and pride. I came to Parma with a list of things I wanted to eat here; I tick most of them off in here!

Everything we order here is superb, and the service and atmosphere are impeccable. Get here early though as queues for tables build up fast.

Trattoria Corrieri — where the locals go for atmosphere and great food

A recommendation from another restaurant, Trattoria Corrieri snatched the crown from our favourite — Trattoria del Tribunale — on our very last night in Parma.

Down the side of the University of Parma, this wonderfully homely little trattoria is full of warmth and life. We walk into a dining room packed with laughter and happy voices, staff move with purpose and good manners, and the food is simply splendid.

Add to that the exposed brick, the gingham tablecloths, the waistcoated waiters and the ‘meat cellar’ full of prosciutto legs and all kinds of other salumi, and there’s nothing Corrieri doesn’t have.

Osteria Virgilio — a bright friendly lunch spot

On the western side of the Parma River, in amongst the alleys and once working class neighbourhoods of the Oltretorrente, the little Osteria Virgilio serves well-made Parma classics with a sense of flare that matches its wine lists.

We stopped in here for a spot of lunch and were impressed. They also had one of the dishes I was seeking: the caval pist — horse tartare. But this is so finely minced that it has almost a pesto smoothness.

We’re so comfortable in this little osteria that we find it hard to leave, especially with so many tempting bottles of wine around us.

Tabaccheria Caffetteria Giulia — drinks and snacks for aperitivo hour

On one of the main streets of the passeggiata through Parma, Giulia is a lively little cafe with street-side seating, a quick-serving bar and plenty of tempting snacks in the cabinet.

We stopped here for a couple of glasses of wine at aperitivo hour, where you can grab bites to eat with your drink at a nominal fee.

The service is friendly, the drinks are well-priced and the snacks are very tasty. Tick all those boxes!

Enoteca Tabarro — fantastic people-watching and pretty good wine too

Close to where we were staying in Parma, this funny little wine bar likes to take itself a bit seriously, but if you can overlook the man-splaining, you can score some excellent people-watching.

Order quickly so the guy who works here can’t get settled and grab an outdoor seat at one of the giant wine barrel tables. The wine, which is great by the way, will taste all the better.

Honorable Mentions

We didn’t get round to eating in these last few places, but they’re worth checking out. We’ll definitely try them the next time we’re here.

Osteria dei Servi — for meat grilled over coals and handmade pasta

At the edge of the markets by the river, this place was completely full when we were here (in winter), but they did recommend we go to Trattoria Corierri, so that deserves credit.

Focused on authentic, homely dishes from the region, this place specialises in house-made pasta and grilled meat that they cook on a huge round charcoal grill.

Da Pepen — for top-level panini

There’s nothing quite like a freshly made panino from a deli in Italy, and these guys are well-known for theirs. They do things like fresh fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola panini, but also horse meatballs in a sandwich if you’re game.

Ciacco Gelateria — for Parma’s best gelato

Click here for other exciting and cultural activities in beautiful Luang Prabang.

This is a big call — especially without having tried it — but this is apparently the best gelato in a town that knows good food. The website looks slick and the flavours on offer sound quite avant guard, but owner and food scientist Stefano Guizzetti seems to know what he’s doing. We’ll be back, Sefano.

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Dawn Service of Hellfire Pass – Anzac Day in Thailand

Mr Romance — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Could this be the most important place to see the Anzac Day Dawn Service outside of Gallipoli? This is what it’s like to be in Hellfire Pass and the Death Railway on 25 April at the break of day.

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Christina and I wake to the buzz of our alarm and push through the flap of our tent at Hintok River Camp into the already steamy pre-dawn air.

It’s too early for the birds, but too late for the night noises. Everything is silent and still.

Before long, we’re clambering down flights of steel steps by torchlight to the floor of a deep gully known as Konyu Cutting — better named Hellfire Pass.

We’re in western Thailand in Kanchanaburi Province, which pushes against the border of Myanmar.

Known for its thick verdant rainforests, sprawling thunderous waterfalls and broad, wild rivers, Kanchanaburi is also famous for the Thai-Burma Railway (better known as the Death Railway) and its deadly role in World War II.

Anzac Day at Hellfire Pass, Thailand

Today is 25th April — Anzac Day — and Hellfire Pass is one of the most venerable sites in the world for the Anzac Day Dawn Service. It commemorates all who have been lost to military endeavour, but in particular those who fell here as prisoners of war in the 1940s.

Hellfire Pass got its name from the appalling conditions the POWs had to endure, but also from how it looked from the top of the cutting.

In the 1940s, paraffin lamps lit the way for POWs forced to toil throughout the night. From above, the flames in the ravine looked like the very mouth of hell itself.

This morning, the path is lit with similar lamps, giving the cutting an eerie air. Shadows move and jump across the rock walls, and silent figures in full military dress march next to us and before us.

Looking back, we see the high, narrow walls of Hellfire Pass pinching in above our heads, the sky beyond still full of the night’s dying darkness.

The path is wide (it had to be wide enough to fit a train down) and brings us to the end of the cutting, where it opens out into a broad shallow bowl. On one side is grandstand seating, on the other, giant rock steps act as more tiered seating, and both are filling up fast.

More and more people pour in from the pass until there is almost nowhere to stand, but only a low murmur of voices comes from this great gathering.

In the centre of it all is the cenotaph, the black angular marble memorial to those that war has taken.

Dawn Service in Kanchanaburi

Soon, the first crisp navy shadows of dawn show through the blackness in the sky and the service begins.

The Catafalque Party — a ceremonial guard of four armed service personnel — marches down the steps of the cutting and stand watch at the compass points of the cenotaph, their heads bowed, their weapons inverted. The soldiers maintain such incredible stillness, which adds to the solemnity of the moment.

From the opening prayers to the haunting Last Post and the two minutes’ silence, and the final dismount and retire of the four soldiers in the Catafalque Party, the service is one of those things that stay inside you.

An indelible memory.

After the Dawn Service

The walk back through Hellfire Pass is no less significant or symbolic, but there seems to be less tension in the already hot morning air.

Groups of military stop along the cutting to get photos together, and the chatter of the crowd is lighter and louder than before. But messages and motifs lodged in the rock of loved ones and comrades lost to the war effort cast a grim light darker than the shadows from the looming walls.

At the top of the cutting and in front of the excellent Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre, we find breakfast is in full flow.

Stalls are turning out sausage sizzles, meat pies and Anzac biscuits, but also some outstanding local fair. We tuck into a pot of rich spicy green curry as the crowd relaxes and the happier side of this important day takes form.

Soon, Two-Up rings form and the British Club Bangkok Pipe Band – a marching band of pipers in full kilt regalia full the air with music.

As we finish up breakfast, we’re aware that back home, Australia’s Anzac Day celebrations would be in full flow and lunch would just be about to begin.

We travelled to Kanchanaburi as media guests of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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That Time We Worked On A Rice Paddy

Mr Romance — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Feeding over half the planet, rice is the staple for over 3.5 billion of us and has been around for some 10,000 years. But what do the farmers go through to grow it? We find out first hand.

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Imagine Sydney Harbour, but instead of water lapping at its stony shores, picture it full of rice. Right up to the high tide mark. Over it in fact. That’s what 540 million tonnes of rice looks like. That’s how much rice we humans grow and consume every year.

But where does it come from? How is it grown?

While we were in Laos recently, Christina and I had a crash course in working a real life rice paddy. We went through each of the stages of the process, from seeding to consumption (yes, there were snacks at the end), and we were surprised at how complex and laborious rice farming is.

But it wasn’t just a lesson in agriculture.

We got a glimpse of the cultural connection that Laos has with rice — especially sticky rice — the role paddy fields play in Laos and in Asia more broadly.

Check out our other stories on Laos here, including where to stay in Luang Prabang.

And for more great deals of hotels in Luang Prabang, click here.

Rice Farming with Living Land Experience, Luang Prabang

Not far outside the ancient city of Luang Prabang, we find ourselves at Living Land Farm, an organic rice farm that still uses traditional and ancient agricultural methods to grow rice.

They offer visitors a hands-on experience that goes through the 13 stages of traditional, organic rice farming.

Our young guide, Mr Johnny, is a rice farmer of many generations, but who is also excellent at taking us through the various stages, his dry wit and affable manner making the experience even more enjoyable.

13 Stages of Rice Farming

I won’t go through each of the stages — I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.

The farm is split into the various stages of the rice harvest with paddies at all the significant steps of the crop.

The tour begins with planting the rice seeds saved from last year’s harvest. We learn how to separate the good grains from the empty ‘ghost’ grains using saline water.

Then we clamber into the mud of the paddy fields, sowing the grain, harvesting new seeds and tilling the earth.

These days, farmers use tractors (or as locals call them ‘Chinese buffalo’), but for our demonstration, we get to drive a hand plough behind a real water buffalo. It’s not an easy task; the sucking mud is thick and sticky, and the buffalo is determined and brutally strong.

We learn about the growth stages of rice, how long it takes for the crop to develop and the clever irrigation systems of the paddy fields. At its different growth stages, rice needs more or less water.

Once the plant has reached the panicle stage, when the grains have developed at the top of the stalk, the farmer drains all of the water out of the paddy by cutting into the surrounding bank. This allows the rice to mature ready for harvesting.

We have a go harvesting with a sickle that’s so sharp it cuts through the tough rice stalks like butter.

This experience was part of our trip to Laos with InsideAsia Tours, a travel company that does all the hard work for you and lets you enjoy the experiences that the destination offers.

We were really impressed with this company. They thought of everything, but at the same time weren’t intrusive on our own plans or time. And their itineraries find you things to do and places to go that you’d probably miss if you were doing it all yourself.

Highly recommended.

Back at The Homestead

After the harvest (and when we’ve washed the mud off our legs and feet), we move back to the homestead for the rest of the tour.

Here, we learn about how the farmers thresh the rice grains, remove all the chaff, polish the grains and cook the rice.

We also see what other things the community get up to after the growing season has finished.

There’s a forge and smithy for making tools, there’s a sugar cane ‘juicer’ — a massive timber cog and hand-wheel system — and also a cottage industry of weaving.

The older farmers who can no longer work the fields turn their hands to making hats, fish traps, tools, furniture and ornaments from bamboo and rice grass.

Finally, we sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Kind of. An assortment of rice-based snacks — including Laos’ number one passion: sticky rice.

This cultural experience is a great thing to do while you’re in Luang Prabang — it makes you appreciate rice a lot more too!

We visited Living Land with Inside Asia Tours, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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7 Things You Must Eat In Parma, Italy

Mr Romance — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Italy’s deep connection with its food is never more evident than in Parma in the country’s north. Here are seven delicious dishes that are specific to this gourmand’s paradise.

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From the Südtirol to Sardinia, from Palermo to Polignano a Mare, Italy’s food map is a patchwork of gastronomic endeavours.

To Italy, geography is food.

Every step you take here brings you to another dish, another local speciality, another unique morsel that owes its existence to the plates of that place. Some have just one food that equates to that region.

And then there’s Parma.

Ninety minutes south of Milan, the town of Parma and its broader region of Emilia-Romagna is the origin story of many of Italy’s keystone foods.

From Parmesan cheese (parmigiano reggiano) and Parma ham (prosciutto di Parma) to balsamic vinegar, mortadella, bolognese and even lasagne, they all come from here.

Check out our Naples food safari, where we find a dozen tasty things native to Napoli

We did this tour of a proscuito and a parmigiano factory in Parma – it was awesome!

Find the best rates for hotels in Parma here

7 Things You Must Eat In Parma, Italy

– Tortelli – (a.k.a tortelli d’erbetta) is a stuffed pasta usually with chard, spinach and ricotta. This is a popular dish in restaurants, but we found this one in a food truck at the markets in Piazza Ghiaia.

You can also find sweet tortelli, filled with crushed grapes and mustard served with butter cheese sauce. This is still considered a savoury dish and is served as an entree or main. It’s also handy to remember that tortelli is vegetarian while ravioli is the same shape pasta, but is usually meat-filled.

– Torta fritta – is often served with entrees of cheese and meats, these delightful crispy crunchy bread squares are fried so they puff up into pillows.

In Bologna these are called crescentina and in Modena they’re gnocco fritto, but they’re the same thing.

– Coppa – refers to ‘single-muscle’ cured meat. In this case, we’re talking about the precious culatello di Zibello. Taken from a particular part of the prosciutto pork leg, this rare and highly-prized cut is known as the ‘king of salumi’.

– Anolini – is a little ‘bellybutton’ filled egg pasta stuffed with beef stew and cooked in a beef or capon broth. This is a hearty, satisfying dish.

– Caval pist – is a controversial dish. It’s tartare — therefore finely chopped or minced raw meat — but made with horse. It’s so finely minced, the consistency is like pesto. This dish is also sometimes called ‘pesto di cavallo’.

I’d never tried horse before and was expecting the meat to have quite a strong gamey flavour, but it was incredibly mild, almost bland. A touch of salt and lemon lifts the flavour, but it’s the fine texture that’s most impressive.

– Culatello tagliolini – uses prosciutto di parma crisped in sage butter and covered in parmesan cheese to sauce and flavour the tagliolini thin ribbon pasta. As you can imagine, this is a superb dish. I could eat this every day and never get bored of it.

– Mostarda di mele – apple mustard is a typical northern Italian condiment, but it commonly comes with prosciutto di parma and parmigiano reggiano as an entree.

The sweet, warming spiciness of the mustard is the perfect accompaniment to Parma’s two greatest creations!

Bonus – Rosa di Parma – the Rose of Parma

This is quite a dish. It consists of a veal fillet rolled up with prosciutto di parma and parmigiano reggiano so that, when it’s sliced, it looks like a rose. The middle must be rare. We never found this one, but you can see a photo of it here.

Aperitivo Hour

Although Parma is in a different region to Milan, aperitivo hour is strong in this town. At around 6pm, so many places around Parma have plates and plates of different types of food – from sandwiches to salumi to pastries.

All you need to do is find a seat, order a drink and pick your plates. Some places have this as a free snack with your drink, others offer it as an inexpensive pre-dinner bite and everyone gets involved!

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Going Voco Loco — a new luxe staycation in the Central Coast, NSW

Mr Romance — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Offering more than just a hotel, but a total lifestyle uplift for the Central Coast, the voco Gosford marks significant changes ahead for this beautiful region just an hour north of Sydney.

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I’ve often wondered why the Central Coast doesn’t hold bigger sway among domestic and international visitors. But with the first major hotel opening in the region for 15 years, I can finally rest easy and worry about something else!

Heralding what’s sure to be some major changes to the region’s profile, the voco Gosford by IHG opened its doors to guests in late 2025.

But it’s not just the 130 rooms across 11 storeys that spell this cultural epiphany for the Central Coast. It’s the rest of the building too.

The voco Gosford sits within the brand new Archibald Precinct, which brings six dining and hospitality options, including an elegant rooftop cocktail bar on the 28th floor with panoramic vistas across the landscape and over Brisbane Waters.

voco Gosford by IHG

As the winding Central Coast Highway twists us down to sea level, our attention moves from the sparkling waters of the bay to the impressive twin towers of the voco Gosford, its distinctive black and white sculpted walls standing taller than any other building in the area.

For now.

Evidence of major construction is poking up all over town, another sign that things here are changing.

The lobby

We’ve timed our drive north to Gosford poorly. We were hoping to pick up a pie from the legendary Shhmoakesy’s Gourmet Pies on the way in, but they run out by lunchtime. Instead, we see if our room’s ready for check-in. Two hours early.

The warmly lit and pleasantly scented lobby is also home to the welcoming Lobby Bar, which doubles up as a cafe during the day. At least we can spend an easy hour there if our room’s not ready.

But we’re in luck; the room’s ready and the friendly reception staff check us in and send us on our happy way. From the lobby, you can also take the stairs at the back to the main dining areas of the precinct. But that’s for later.

The room

Our room is up on the 11th floor, technically the top floor of the hotel. Above that, from 12 to 27, are high-end residential apartments.

The room is also right on the corner of the floor.

And it’s a king suite!

From the front door, a short passageway leads to the enormous bed with a chase and small dining table nearby. The bar fridge and tea caddy is in a cabinet that’s been made to look like a little drinks cart, which is fun.

The TV is tucked into another piece of custom furniture and is — like the bed — huge.

While I’m inspecting the TV and the curtains that cover the windows running the length of the wall, I notice chairs on the narrow balcony outside. I can’t see a door anywhere and jump to the conclusion that this must be a communal balcony. I’m initially outraged.

Then Christina finds the door.

Sliding behind the TV unit, the door opens to a full private balcony that wraps around the corner giving us wonderful views of the town below, the wooded hills and bushland around, and then all the way out to the bay and its coruscating waters.

As we peer down, we can also see the hotel’s rooftop pool and swim-up bar. This is down on the 5th floor — the top of the connecting building between the two towers.

The chairs I spotted — by the way — are ours.

Back in the room, we discover the bathroom behind a door we initially thought was one of those doors that connect to adjoining rooms. This is perhaps the best part of the room, with tactful lighting, a large vanity and luxurious amenities from Apotheke.

And then we see the giant, deep-fill bath tub and the striped tiling that mirrors the exterior walls of this hotel. The tiling continues into the roomy shower with its rippled glass art deco door that glides along on industrial style mechanism of polished brass.

The detail makes the difference

But it’s the details of the suite that give it that comfortable yet elegant edge.

It’s the brass finishes in the bathroom, it’s the (surprisingly satisfying) cyclonic directional flush of the WC, it’s the lush deep pile of the carpet, and best of all it’s the labels on the light switches and the USBs by the bed.

Too many times in too many hotels have we struggled to find the correct light switch, being left either blinded or broken-toed in the middle of the night. The multitude of illumination options here though are clearly signed, removing the guesswork.

If we had any negative points to make, they would be so minor: there are only two bath towels in the room (an easy fix) and the tap is a bit far from the sink, making it awkward to wash your hands and leaving a lot of drips on the vanity (an impossible fix).

Other than that, this room hits all the sweet spots.

The dining options

We’ve mentioned the Lobby Bar and the swim-up Pool Bar but that still leaves four other venues.

The pool bar, by the way, has complicated hours. On paper, its a 10am-8pm option, but in reality, staffing and weather can play a problematic part, so bear that in mind.

Behind the Pool Bar and on dry land, however, is Saltfire. This broad space is — for the moment — only open for breakfast, though this may change in the future. Breakfast is a buffet affair and one that offers the crispiest hash browns on earth. The bacon, though it might not look like it, is the tastiest I’ve had at a hotel buffet.

A big statement, but I’ll stand by it.

Downstairs on the ground floor is Archie’s. Once the Union Hotel, this is now set up to be ‘Gosford’s new local’, and it’s got everything you need for a good old pub and has a big, friendly family vibe.

It also operates as the bar for the two dining options here: Paolo’s Pizzeria and Ironbark.

We find our table at Ironbark and prowl through the menu, all the time glancing over at the dry-ageing cabinet stocked with huge slabs of beef. We’ve heard the tomahawk is excellent here.

The only problem is there are lots of other things catching our eye as we peruse the options. We even debate the pub classics for a while, but in the end settle on a couple of entrees and steaks.

In a way, I wish we’d gone for the burgers or parmies.

Sadly, the steak tartare didn’t really hit the spot for us. It was covered in a strange mayonnaise dressing and — rather than bread or crisps, the kitchen had taken pains to make their own potato sticks that didn’t stay crispy for long enough and weren’t the best vehicle for the tartare.

The steaks came out a bit under-done, which is usually fine by me, but the fat hadn’t rendered properly and the result was quite a sickly scotch fillet.

On the plus side, the portions are enormous. Both our steaks have us beat and we try to finish the side of broccolini, but fail there too. The wine list here also deserves a mention with plenty of NSW options, which we always enjoy seeing.

The glass of Robert Stein Shiraz — a Mudgee favourite of ours — goes down well with all the meat!

The nightcap

Our favourite part of the voco Gosford comes at the end of the night when we step out of the lift on level 28.

Astra, the hotel’s rooftop bar and restaurant, is lovely.

With views almost right around the area through windows that have been thrown open to allow the cool evening sea breeze in, Astra is part cocktail bar, part izakaya, offering excellently crafted drinks and carefully sculpted Japanese dishes in a refined, city-style setting.

We’re more than full from dinner, so we skip the menus and find a spot at the long bar. Andy behind the jump mixes us two superb martinis and we chat about the various virtues of gin for a while.

It’s the perfect end to the day and once back in our palatial room, we settle into the ecstatic comfort of our soft bed in deep contentment.

We stayed and dined as guests of voco Gosford by IHG and Archibald Precinct, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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Fashion, Football And A Whole Lot More — Essential Guide to Milan, Italy

Mr Romance — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

When you think of Milan, the first thing that comes to mind is probably clothes and fashion. And maybe football. But there’s so much more to this excellent northern Italian town. Here’s our Essential Guide to Milan.

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Our first time to Milan wasn’t what you’d call ‘normal’. It was September 2013 and Christina and I were in town for Milan Fashion Week.

The place was absolute chaos.

Piazzas were packed with fashionista and paparazzi, roads were clogged with SUVs hooning the likes of Anna Wintour from one show to the next and streets were humming with a mixture of carnival excitement and irritation.

Christina — aka Hair Romance — had been sent by Schwarzkopf to cover one of the biggest events in the international Fashion Week calendar. The things we got to do and see.

Partying in palaces, staying in grand hotels, rubbing shoulders with the glitterati (yes, that includes Anna Wintour) and even sitting front row of Fashion Week catwalk shows.

Craziness.

The times we’ve been back to Milan since then have been much more ‘normal’, but calm or crazy, spending time in Milan is a wonderful experience. We’ve put together our notes from our trips over the years to bring you our Essential Guide to Milan.

Hit each heading below to skip to that section:

– How to get to Milan

– Where to stay in Milan

– Where to eat and drink

– Things to do in the city

– Milan in the winter

– Beyond Milan

Mr & Mrs Romance’s Essential Guide to Milan, Italy

How to get there

Milan one of the most connected cities in the world.

Milan Malpensa Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. Most long-haul flights come through Rome or here.

For short-haul and budget flights, Bergamo’s Il Caravaggio International Airport offers a great value option that people regularly overlook, but a shuttle runs every half hour to central Milan — plus Bergamo is well worth looking at while you’re there. The best cappuccino I’ve ever had fyi.

If you’re already in Europe, getting the train to Milan is the perfect option. No parking or transfers, you arrive straight in the middle of the city. Milano Centrale is a major terminal with trams, buses and taxis ready to collect you when you arrive.

Where to stay in Milan

Like any major city, Milan has an enormous wealth of accommodation options. The times we’ve been here, we’ve stayed in hotels and private houses, and we’ve found the city’s northeast near Loreto to be perfect for our needs.

Loreto is superbly connected — close to Centrale but also a lot of other metro stops — and is also near plenty of bars and restaurants. It’s also at the end of the Corso Buenos Aires, one of Europe’s longest shopping streets.

For example, the hotel we stayed at here was the Unahotels Galles Hotel — you can read our full review here.

For whatever reason, accommodation in Loreto is also usually quite reasonable.

Where to eat and drink

Italians really can’t help themselves — they just can’t serve bad food. And the trick to it is you don’t have to go to the swankiest restaurant for the best meal; little local places will often out-punch their bigger, flashier (and more expensive) international competitors.

Here are some of the places we like:

Pirati Poeti

Initially because it was close to our accommodation, but later because we loved it so much, Pirati Poeti (Pirates and Poets) became our favourite bar in Milan.

Not much more than a hole in the wall with a little covered section on the street for tables, this bar pushed out some great cocktails. But it was more about how friendly the staff were, how quickly we became locals (we were best mates with the owners by the end of the second round) and that sought-after feeling of being part of it all.

We watched a local football derby on the TV they’d angled over the street, we share tables with the locals and joined in the jokes through the evening. A great spot.

Luca & Andrea Bar

There are plenty of bars and cafes along the canals in Milan’s southwest, but we picked Luca e Andrea’s for its friendly, simple and authentic vibe.

The dishes they serve are pretty straight forward, but generous and tasty. My cotoletta alla milanese (Milan-style schnitzel) was a bit dry, but big enough to keep me happy. Apart from a table of locals, who we were friends with by the end of the meal, we were the only customers on that winter’s evening.

During summer, I’m sure the place is packed.

Ristorante Pizzeria la Ragazza

About as old school Italian as you can get, La Ragazza is full of the charm that Italian restaurants overseas always try to emulate, but never get quite right.

Staffed solely by older Italian men with a bit of swagger and banter, La Ragazza is the quintessential Italian dining experience — none of this being ignored, belittled or overcharged routine you get in over-touristy places.

The restaurant’s food is all on point. Enormous calzone to enormous steak Florentine, delicate entrees and tasty home-cooked desserts, and a beer, wine and spirits shelf to match, this is the real deal.

All’ Antico Vinaio sandwich shop

There are a few of these sandwich bars scattered around the city, but the one on the outside wall of Milano Centrale Station is the OG.

These guys smash out hundreds of massive sandwiches every day. Made from fresh focaccia baked out back and brought into the shop as they’re ready, these sandwiches are so full of all the Italian deli goodies you can think of and they’re amazing.

Rivoire Oberdan

This up-market restaurant is one of those rare places that takes itself seriously enough that it has a sense of humour about it. Eclectic, eccentric and at times just plain weird, Rivoire Oberdan on Piazza Oberdan is decorated with the strangest collections of things.

Samurai armour, French vases and Roman busts fill shelves, rose pink marble shines from the floor, and the walls and ceiling are the canvas of Sistine Chapel style classical paintings. But it’s the stuffed animals that catch the eye. Lions — even a full-size ostrich on its own little desert diorama — stand sentinel around the room.

Food here is excellent. Well-plated dishes are delivered by staff dressed as 1950s cruise liner crew, and the steak tartare is constructed at the table on a little trolley. Pretty cool.

Terrazza Aperol

Overlooking the Duomo and easy to spot from the street with its bright orange umbrellas, this balcony bar is pricy and packed, but gives great views over the piazza.

This place had only recently opened when we were there in 2013, so ignore the prices in our write-up, but here’s our story on Terrazzo Aperol.

Il Bar

Check out our full write-up on Milan in winter here.

For even better views of the Duomo, Il Bar is a glorious open-air rooftop venue at the top of the Rinascente department store (level 7).

Don’t take too much notice of the queues to get in (or should I say out) to the bar; most people are waiting to go and take photos then shove off. Ask for a table and you’ll usually be whisked past. Very VIP, darling!

Things to do in Milan

Duomo and rooftop

Europe’s biggest Gothic cathedral, the Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary — or just the Duomo to its friends, this 14th Century church is one of Italy’s most striking landmarks.

Go inside to see the statues, ceilings, pillars and saints — and also the zodiac signs in the beautiful floor, and down into the catacombs to see more saintly remains.

But it’s the rooftop that offers the most unique and interesting experiences in Milan.

You need to pay an entrance fee to go into the Duomo, but for a few extra euros, you have access to the roof. And for a couple more euros, you get to skip the narrow clambering staircases and take the elevator to the top. Much more civilised.

From the roof, you get superb views out over the city, but you also get close-ups of the spires and statues that adorn the Duomo — perspectives that you just can’t get any other way.

The intricate details of the roof really are something not to be missed.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II mall

Directly north of the Duomo, the Galleria shopping mall is a beautiful glass-topped building that has inspired many glass-roofed malls around the world including the Block Arcade in Melbourne.

Housing some of the most prestigious fashion icons (and at one point a McDonald’s!), this mall with its glass-domed atrium is almost as popular as the Duomo itself. At Christmas time, Milan erects an enormous tree in the middle.

Of course, you can come here to shop, but most people are here to admire the building itself.

Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Supper

Within the bright Renaissance-era walls of the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie hides one of the most famous paintings in the world. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper draws millions of visitors each year.

We’ve never been in to see this masterpiece as the ticketing system is not only complicated, requires planning and has non-negotiable arrival times that we find difficult and off-putting, it’s also very expensive.

But this link will get you one of the best skip-the-queue tours out there if you’re planning to see one of the most significant artworks in the world.

Parco Sempione, the Arco de Pace and Castello Sforzesco

Easily the biggest park in Milan, Marco Sempione is at the heart of the Centro Storico — Milan’s old town. At one end is the magnificent Arco de Pace — Milan’s triumphal arch — and at the other the stout Castello Sforzesco, a 15th Century fortress now turned museum and art gallery.

It’s free to explore the grounds of the castle, but around €5 to go inside. Artworks here include a Michelangelo and some di Vinci frescos.

The Arc de Pace frames the park and castle beautifully, and is a popular meeting place (i.e. people-watching spot).

Cimitero Monumentale

It might seem a little morbid — close to ‘dark tourism’ perhaps — but Cimitero Monumentale (the Monumental Cemetery of Milan) is amazing. Full of ever grander and more opulent mausoleums, this cemetery gives you some idea of the wealth within Milan.

You won’t find the graves of anyone particularly famous here — this isn’t Highgate or Père-Lachaise. But only the super-rich are laid to rest here. Many of the Campari family for example. But you don’t come here hunt the stars; it’s more to marvel at the sheer scale of some of these tombs.

Quadrilatero della Moda

Quadrilatero della Moda or Quad d’Oro is the high-end shopping district of the city. If you’re looking for the haute couture that Milan is famous for, you’ll find it here. The finest, most famous fashion houses have premises in the Quad d’Oro.

So get ready to either grip your wallet a bit tighter or let it fly like a bird released. There’s no middle ground!

Corso Buenos Aires

Europe’s longest shopping street, Corso Buenos Aires is full of the modern, regular ‘high street’ retail.

It’s also full of great bars and restaurants, so it’s worth exploring this 1.2km stretch and its side streets. There’s an abundance of cool, fun places to stop in at, and they tend to be more affordable than anything you find near the Duomo.

Aperitivo hour

This fascinating custom seems to have become a bit of a Covid casualty, but there are still some venues that do aperitivo hour.

For the cost of a drink, you can help yourself to the tasty morsels at the counter and you can usually go up as many times as you like. This is as well as the snacks that come with drinks at most bars. Expect pizzi, cheese, meat, fruit, olives, salads frittatas, crudités and more.

Sport in Milan

Its central location has made Milan not only centre of fashion, but also a financial and industrial one too. And let’s not forget all the tourism from sport.

With not one but two internationally renowned football teams of AC and Inter Milan in the city, as well as Bergamo’s Atalanta BC to the north, Milan’s famed San Ciro Stadium gets a good workout.

Then of course you have the Formula 1 in nearby Monza, and with the 2026 Winter Olympics also held here and across the region, sport is central to Milan’s personality.

Milan in winter

We love to travel to places — especially European cities — out of season. The crowds are smaller, the locals are calmer and you get to see the destination for what it really is. It’s like meeting a famous person when their guard’s down.

Milan in the winter can be quite cold, but not unbearable. On average, only December and January get really cold, and temperatures generally don’t dip below zero.

Pretty much everywhere is still open in the winter months in Milan, and though there are far fewer visitors, there’s still a great vibe to the city.

Beyond Milan

Lake Como

Lake Como is one of those special places in the world that everyone should see at least once. It’s so beautiful.

From Milan, it’s a straightforward train journey takes you from Milano Centrale to Varenna — a little town on the eastern shores of the lake — in under an hour.

Varenna is stunning and well worth exploring. Its steep streets that reach up from the lake are full of pretty shops and bars.

From here you can get a ferry across the Bellagio. Apart from being where George Clooney lives, this is the jewel in Como’s crown. From the Venetian style main street and ferry wharf with its grand hotels and over-water restaurants to the hillside hideaway bars and boutiques, Bellagio is lovely.

Down at the northern point of the town is Ristorante Punta (only open seasonally) where you can sit and enjoy the views up the lake to the mountains beyond.

On the western side of Lake Como, the ferry stops at equally beautiful town of Menaggio. Not far from here is the hotel that has our hearts. The lady of the lake, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo sits elegantly, with its private pool floating in the lake like a lily pad.

Check out our story on the Grand Hotel Tremezzo here.

Bergamo

Bergamo is a lovely little town north of Milan. Its old town — Citta Alta — sits at the top of a hill. You can drive or even walk up to it, but the funicular train is much more enjoyable.

Read our write-up about Bergamo here, where the local dish is polenta and gorgonzola, and where I discovered the best cappuccino I’ve ever had.

Parma

East of Milan is the gastronomical wonderland of Parma. Everyone here is obsessed with food, and for good reason. This is the heartland of goodies such as prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

This is the parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham tour we did while we were in Parma. Highly recommended. Our full review is here.

The Lakes (Como, Iseo, Lugano)

North of Milan are the Grandi Laghi Prealpini – the Great Pre-Alpine Lakes.

Lake Iseo is small and quiet, its main town is no more than a couple of streets, some shops and bars, and one hotel.

The island in the middle — Monte Isola — is Europe’s largest island on a lake, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s still tiny. But around its edges are some lovely little spots for a spritz or a snack.

Here’s our story on Lake Iseo.

Lake Lugano is interesting because it’s split in two by the Swiss border. Here you can eat Italian food while paying in Swiss Francs — a novel if expensive process. It’s so interesting though, to feel the difference between the Italian side and the Swiss side. You wouldn’t think it makes any difference, but it really does.

Here’s our story on five things to do at Lake Lugano and some of our favourite photos.

Apart from Lake Como and its train ride from Milan, which we’ve mentioned already, you’ll need a car to get to the other four: Lake Iseo and Lake Lugano, and Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta.

The post Fashion, Football And A Whole Lot More — Essential Guide to Milan, Italy appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Is It Worth Going To Milan In Winter?

Mr Romance — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Known for its chic fashion sense, elegant civic parks and canals, and its magnificent Gothic cathedral, Milan is the perfect summer city. But what happens when the mercury drops and the Italian summer gives way to the short cold days of winter?

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Italy is one of our favourite destinations. Packed with culture, beautiful landscapes, stunning cities and of course one of the broadest spectrums of delicious food you’ll find in one country.

Christina and I have been lucky enough to see quite a bit of this wonderful country — perhaps more than most with Christina’s language skills giving us access to some of Italy’s less obvious facets. But more often than not, we’ve been here in the spring, summer or autumn.

However, we were travelling with our friends Clare and Dave when we arrived at Milano Malpensa Airport in mid-December wondering what Italy’s sartorial centre would be like in winter.

Is Milan Worth Visiting In Winter?

The short answer is ‘yes’, but I hope you’d probably already guessed that.

So perhaps the question should be ‘what’s different about Milan in the winter?’

Of course, it’s colder. In fact, because it’s quite close to the southern edge of the snow-topped Italian Alps, Milan can be freezing, though the city itself rarely gets snowed in.

Its coldest months are December and January, and — as we found — being outside without a hat or thick coat for very long isn’t a lot of fun.

The upside to being here in winter is that the crowds are usually a lot smaller, though the atmosphere is still just as lively.

Certain areas will always be busy; Milan Cathedral and its enormous piazza will still attract huge numbers of visitors, especially before Christmas as there are excellent open-air markets all around and the lights are spectacular.

However, the queues to go into the duomo itself are short and there aren’t as many people on the roof, which is well worth seeing.

Places that are less busy in Milan in winter

We were shocked at how quiet the canals in the city’s southwest were in December. Here, the little waterside bars, cafes and enoteca like Luca & Andrea Bar are empty, and you can have your choice of table.

In fact, most restaurants and bars away from many obvious tourist spots are delightfully quiet in Milan in winter. As a group of four, we never had any problems finding tables, even at conspicuous venues like Rivoire Oberdan with its crazy decor and stuffed ostriches.

Even the bar with the best views of the Duomo — Il Bar — is quiet enough to find a seat without too much effort. This place is on the rooftop of the Rinascente department store (level 7) and is so close to the Duomo you can reach out and touch it. Many come to take photos, but have a seat, a drink and a bite to eat and the place is all yours.

Our favourite bar — Pirati Poeti (Pirates and Poets) — is the exception.

This brilliant little local street-side spot would struggle to fit more than 20 people. The friendly staff somehow manage a lot more than that though, but everyone’s a local apart from us. We all squeeze in around heaters or cram our way inside up at the bar.

The beautiful parks throughout Milan are so quiet.

Yes, it’s chilly, but during the day, the sun still gives plenty of warmth and strolling through Parco Sempione — the geographic centre of Milan — with the grand Castello Sforzesco at one end and the majestic Arco della Pace at the other without hoards of tourists and hustlers mobbing you is a real delight of winter.

Similarly, the leafy Giardini Indro Montanelli in the northeast is serene. In December, there’s also a little ice rink and park for the kids, set up for Christmas.

For an interesting and somewhat unusual insight into Milanese life and history, taking an hour or two to explore the enormous Cimitero Monumentale — the Monumental Cemetery of Milan — in the city’s north is surprisingly rewarding. The mausoleums and crypts of wealthy Milan families are astounding in their scale.

What about further afield from Milan

Close to Milan, Lake Como is easy to get to by train and attracts understandably huge numbers of visitors.

Our favourite part of the lake is not the town of Como in the south, but further north where lake splits in two, where Bellagio sits.

In summer, this little lakeside town is awash with tourists, as is Varenna, the town you arrive in from the train.

In winter, there’s hardly anyone here. Granted, most of the restaurants are shut, but the ones that are still open still do a great job and you often get the choice of the best tables.

We have the pick of the tables at Bar Il Molo in Varenna. This place is usually packed in summer but it’s still our favourite dinner spot when we’re here.

The ferry that goes between Varenna, Bellagio and Menaggio on the western bank is also usually packed, but the day we were there, we had the whole top deck to ourselves.

Check out our Essential Guide to Lake Como here.

Parma and Bergamo

There are hundreds of smaller towns nearby that we can’t recommend enough. Bergamo to Milan’s north is a wonderful little spot — its ‘old town’ is high up on a hill with superb views and quaint shops and restaurants.

In summer Bergamo reasonably busy, but winter is when you really want to be here anyway. This town’s local specialty is polenta and gorgonzola! I can’t think of anything I want to eat more when it’s cold outside than hot, well-seasoned polenta with a slab of rich hearty gorgonzola cheese melting into it.

Parma, east of Milan, is a food-lover’s paradise. I mean, all of Italy is really, but Parma is famous for two things: parmesan cheese and parma ham — aka reggiano parmigiano and prosciutto di parma. You can even do a tour of where these food icons are made.

In summer, the little streets and alleys of this cute country town are surely heaving. In December, it feels like we’re the only visitors here. Even then, restaurants are packed with locals, perhaps all celebrating the lack of tourists!

The post Is It Worth Going To Milan In Winter? appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

5 Unexpected Things To Do In Bangkok

Mr Romance — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Bangkok is packed with culture and history to the point where it’s almost overwhelming. Every street, every alley is so full of life, every corner seems to have an even grander temple or more fascinating food market. But these five places are more hidden than most, and more interesting because of it.

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Christina and I have been to Bangkok many times over the years. Work, weddings, holidays, extended transfers — whenever there’s an excuse to go, we take it.

Bangkok is such an incredible place.

No matter how many times we go there, this city always finds new ways to surprise and thrill.

Whether it’s the traditional streets of the historic Phra Nakhon District that hasn’t changed much in 250 years or the ever-more extravagant rooftop bars at the apex of towering buildings that seem to sprout like mushrooms from the city’s concrete loam, Bangkok just can’t help itself but be extraordinary.

Here are five amazing things to do beyond the usual temple tours and night markets that will show you a whole new side to Bangkok and its surrounds.

Baan Bu Bronzeworks Community

In ‘Little Bangkok’ or Bangkok Noi in the north of the city, the Baan Bu community is the last of the once-thriving bronze bowl industry in Bangkok.

The ‘khan long hin’ bowls — highly polished bronze bowls used in Buddhist ceremonies and once only found in high-class homes — are hand-crafted from pucks of bronze, heated and hammered over coal forges.

They’re then polished and buffed by hand until they shine like mirrors. Looking into them is like peering into a bowl of liquid gold.

This process comes down from ancient Siam, when Ayutthaya was the capital and Bangkok was still marshland.

Baan Bu, its forge and shop can be a bit tricky to find, but catching a train to Thon Buri Station will get you close. This station, by the way, is the very start of the famed Death Railway from WWII. Check out our story here.

Warehouse 30 Gallery

You can see our write-up and video on the Jim Thompson House Museum here.

Directly across the river from the Iconsiam shopping centre and sharing a wall with the Portuguese Embassy is a complex of repurposed warehouses that form this energetic creative space.

Here, contemporary artists have room to display their works — from paintings to full-blown sculptural installations — boutiques sell handicraft, workshops and vintage shops. You’ll also find a couple of cafes and bars here for refreshment, and even a spa if you feel like a massage or treatment.

The range of art here is impressive and constantly changing. Local and international creators display their works on a rolling programme so there’s always something new to see here in this vibrant, colour-filled corner of the city.

Jim Thompson House

Map reference

Close to the MBK Shopping Centre and on the banks of one of Bangkok’s many canals, the Jim Thompson House is a fascinating museum to the enigmatic entrepreneur and ex-CIA agent who single-handedly revitalised the Thai silk trade in the 1950s and ‘60s.

Regular tours go through Thompson’s rambling timber house, which he designed and built himself. You can see his various collections of art and objects, as well as learning more about his life — though it’s his mysterious disappearance in March 1967 that’s the most interesting part of the story.

There’s also a shop where you can buy Thai silk in all manner of products and there’s usually a silk-spinning demonstration going on.

What’s more, there’s even an excellent restaurant on site serving classic Thai dishes, though it’s more expensive than most eateries serving similar dishes around town.

Royal Barges National Museum and Boatyard

One of the stranger and more difficult-to-find museums in Bangkok, the Royal Barges Museum displays several traditional long-tail barges used exclusively by the Thai royal family.

Think being able to see the US presidential Beast or a ceremonial carriage of the British royal family up close.

In an undercover dock in the north of the city across the river from the National Museum and National Gallery, this is a working shipyard where highly-skilled craftspeople maintain these auspicious boats.

Getting here can be tricky. Trust your guide/Google Maps — the alleys and laneways seemingly through people’s back yards do lead to the museum in the end.

CBT Baan Don Kai Dee Benjarong Porcelain Art

Click here for our driving holiday guide through Tasmania.

Southwest of Bangkok, Don Kai Dee (or ‘Don Ki Di’) is the home of Benjarong Porcelain — some of the most beautiful porcelain ware in the world.

You can watch the skilled craftspeople here hand paint elegant figures, pots, cups and plates, and even have a go yourself (it takes about an hour and the shop will send you your work once its been fired and glazed).

This delicate technique of intricate designs comes down from the Chinese Ming Dynasty, painting multiple colours onto fine white porcelain, and is the traditional Thai style. From 13th to 18th Centuries, this porcelain style was made exclusively for the Thai royal court.

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Into The Wild — exploring Tasmania’s rugged beauty by Mark Buckley

Mark Buckley — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

If you are into nature, bushwalking, great food and a little history, there is so much to like in this 10-day adventure through Tasmania. From capes to lakes to rivers and mountain views, this Tassie trip has it all.

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My wife Susan and I have been planning to do the famed Three Capes Walk in Tasmania for a few years.

We finally organised ourselves to do 10 days down in Tasmania in mid-December. Some of the activities and tours here are seasonal and weather-dependent, so bear that in mind when booking.

The highlights from our trip are:

· The Three Capes Walk
· The Gordon River Cruise
· Kayaking on Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain

Click each heading to jump to that section.

Three Capes Walk

When we started planning this trip, the idea was to start in Hobart, do the Three Capes Walk and then end up in Launceston where we would depart.

We also decided to luxe the walk up and went with Life’s an Adventure’s Three Capes Pack-Free Walk.

We have been to Hobart a couple of times before, so this time we spend the first afternoon just exploring the piers and Salamanca, and doing a self-guided historical walk around Battery Point.

In the late afternoon, we head to Lucinda Wine Bar. A cosy little bar where there isn’t really a menu; rather you just tell them the type of wine you like and they bring something to try. If you like it, you can have a glass. That worked for us.

The next morning — Day One of our hike — we’re up early and head to our rendezvous for the Three Capes Walk at a hotel foyer in Hobart where we meet the two guides and seven fellow adventurers. We travel by minibus across to Port Arthur, where we drop off our bags at the accommodation before heading off on our first walk.

This is a 15km walk that heads out to Cape Raoul before returning on the same path. The views along the way are quite spectacular, and after six hours of walking, with stops along the way, it has made for a big first day.

The two guides are fantastic, offering their knowledge, experience and encouragement along the way. When we get back to the accommodation, we enjoy a beer on the balcony of our lodge.

The second day of the walk is due to be an even bigger one — 19km from Waterfall Bay to Fortescue Bay. We trek through bush and rain forests to sea cliffs. Along the way, we see some echidnas as well as many native birds.

The guides again are invaluable and lead the way. After eight hours on the track, we get to Fortescue Bay, exhausted. Post-dinner, everyone is asleep early — or at least I am.

Our third day of walking is from Fortescue Bay towards Cape Hauy.

This walk will be about 12km and includes many steps along the way, both uphill and downhill. There are spectacular vistas along the cliffs and a view out over the unique rock formations of this rugged coastline. This is raw Tasmanian beauty at its best.

At the conclusion of the walk, we’re driven down to Doo Town and take the Wilderness Boat Trip where we set sail to enjoy the cliffs and bluffs from the water. We then pass by Cape Hauy and continue down towards the lighthouse on Tasman Island.

We are very fortunate to see a bait ball, a term I’ve never heard of, and which we learn is a massive grouping of albatross and other birds all circling a school of fish. In this bait ball there are numerous dolphins and seals, and to everyone’s delight a humpback whale, all enjoying a good feed.

The boat cruise is an excellent way to finish off three big days of walking along the Tasmanian coast to capes.

By the time we get down the coast to see Tasman Island in the Tasman Sea, the wind and swell have really picked up, with a drizzling rain coming in horizontally at speed. We now understand why they gave everyone these bright red waterproof jackets to wear.

On our fourth day, we drive across to Bruny Island where the weather has certainly turned chilly. Imagine it being the middle of summer, and we are in three layers and beanies.

It’s a real treat sampling fresh local oysters, cheese and chocolates on our way to the southernmost tip of Cape Bruny where we also check out the lighthouse — the second oldest in the country by the way.

It is blowing a gale, so we don’t stay too long.

On the way back to the ferry, we stop along the roadside when we come upon three old fridges. They are where the Bruny Baker sells his wood-fired bread fresh each day.

We’re surprised to find the sourdough bread is still warm, and we see that he delivers a couple of times a day as he makes them. We do like the honesty system where you pay for the bread you take with PayID or electronic fund transfer. We need some bread to go along with some of our Bruny Island cheese for dinner tonight. The bread, by the way, was excellent.

The Gordon River Cruise

We break up our five-hour drive to the west coast town of Strahan by stopping at Lawrenny Distillery for a tasting and purchases, then on to Derwent Bridge for lunch where we meet the most eccentric café owner in Queenstown – Pete, who owns Orangepete Café.

Pete was a builder by trade and struggled to get coffee for early starts or later in the day. So much so that he started his own café on the main street, with orange being the dominate colour of decoration.

Strahan is a small town and we walk along the foreshore to head out on the half-day Gordon River Cruise. The weather is brilliant. It is amazing to learn how in the 1800s, they made the narrow entrance to the harbour — ‘Hell’s Gates’ — safer with the construction by convicts of rock walls in the water.

Heading up the river checking out the trees and wildlife is not as interesting for me, but everyone else on the cruise seems quite taken by it.

What I really am enjoying is the guided historic tour of Sarah Island. We learn that it was utilised before Port Arthur was established, and was for those convicts that committed second offences. How interesting that Sarah Island became the preeminent ship building yard in Australia due to excellent timber from the forest and cheap convict labour.

Kayaking at Dove Lake in Cradle Mountain

It is raining throughout our two-hour drive north from Strahan to Cradle Mountain, which doesn’t bode well for the afternoon walk we have planned. However, that afternoon, whilst bleak, it isn’t raining so we are able to do the Dove Lake trek around the shores. The next morning, we awake to brilliant sunshine and head off to do the Dove Lake Kayak adventure.

We discover that these kayaks are hand-built using Tasmanian King Billy pine. It is really cool to be paddling on the lake, and now and then stopping for a cup of tea whilst taking in Cradle Mountain and the surrounding landscape.

When we finally get ourselves to Launceston Airport with stops at a couple of wineries along the way. We have had an excellent 10-day trip away to Tasmania. It has certainly lived up to its reputation of being a wild and ruggedly beautiful place with plenty of history.

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How to eat, drink and be merry (but not watch cricket) in Perth, WA

Mr Romance — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Teetering on the western edge of the Australian mainland, Perth beckons to the intrepid urban traveller from its place as the most isolated city in the world. But that doesn’t mean that fun is very far away.

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Closer to Indonesia’s capital than its own nation’s, Perth is a really long way from anywhere. That said, this city and its surroundings have an incredible variety of things to see and do, which is just as well.

When a bunch of mates decide to head over for the ill-fated 2025 Ashes’ First Test, they find more free time in Perth than they bargain for.

From lively nightlife in the city to wine regions with bucolic cellar doors to elegant architecture and plenty of history, it turns out that Western Australia’s keystone town has more than enough to keep a crop of cricket-bereft blokes busy for the weekend.

Yes, I was part of that group of mates, and here’s what we got up to.

Click each heading below to jump to that day’s adventures. Don’t worry, you can always come back up here!

Day 1 – Ashes to Ashes
Day 2 – Dust to Dusty
Day 3 – Freo to Roam
Day 4 – Doubloons, Dumplings and Delays

From the biggest pub in Australia to the oldest running pub in WA, and what proves to be the shortest Ashes Test in 137 years, here’s what happens when a bunch of east coast lads head west.

Brett, Nim and I in Sydney Airport with our first beers of the trip

It Begins

After months of planning, and even more time spent in talk and discussion, it’s finally time to board our plane to Perth.

Flying over the Swan Valley’s vineyards as we land in Perth

For some of us (not me), this is our first time to Perth. For others (me), this will be our first Ashes test. But the brief is quite simple: let’s watch plenty of cricket and have a beer or two.

But what transpires is quite the opposite.

Five of us arrive in Perth at roughly the same time. Frenchie has some business to take care of (plus a flight delay), so the rest of us — me, Brett, Brownie, Dom and Nim — make our way to the nearest pub for drinks and dinner.

The Grosvenor Hotel is a cracker. Set on the corner of Hay Street and Hill Street, it’s been here since 1886 and is one of just three remaining Perth pubs from the 1880s.

It’s also closely associated with social gatherings for the Perth Football Club, which had its home at the WACA, so we’ve started strong with the sporting and cricket link.

After a couple of beers, most of us move to local wine: a delicious Vasse Felix Sem Sauv from Margaret River.

In spite of his frequent calls in days to come, Dom will be sad to learn that tonight’s meal will be his only chance to sample nachos from WA this trip. The good news is it’s a tasty iteration of Dom’s desire.

Me, Brownie, Brett, Nim and Dom in the Grosvenor Hotel, and a very respectable spice bag (nachos not pictured)

Perth Day 1: Ashes to Ashes

After breakfast , the six of us troop through Gloucester Park and join the throngs of fellow cricket fans crossing the oxbow arc of the Swan River to the mighty 60,000-seater Perth Stadium.

Barely seven years old, this beautiful arena is packed to the brim with a sell-out crowd excited to see their country duel it out for cricket’s most venerated trophy.

England win the toss and choose to bat, and then things go badly wrong. Including four ducks (two golden), everyone’s out by 3pm and they’ve manage to scrape together 175 runs. The Aussies are all smiles, but by the end of the first day, they’ve lost nine wickets too.

It’s action-packed, but for all the wrong reasons.

We spend the morning sessions in our seats until the boiling disc of WA sunshine turns its Sauronic eye towards us. We duck for cover to the Camfield — the stadium’s onsite watering hole and reputedly the biggest pub in Australia.

We take advantage of the 175 beer taps until stumps on the first day with Australia still batting, but with only two wickets to spare and 49 runs to chase.

After a quick nap, shower and change at our hotel, we’re back in the mix for dinner and drinks.

We explore Perth’s city centre, which is so lively; the energy here is wonderful. After a while, we settle on Furaibo Izakaya and Bar, a busy modern Japanese restaurant in Murray Street Mall, and delve into an assortment of tasty dishes.

We wander around the city for a while until we find ourselves at the State Buildings. Once a hub for Perth politics and governance, this grand old heritage building is now a centre for high-end retail, hotels, bars and restaurants.

We tuck ourselves away in Beer Corner, a boutique watering hole serving craft beers from around WA. Brett, the beer monster among us, is in his element with the 20 taps clamouring for his attention.

We all settle on a beer. Apart from Dom, who insists on a tasting paddle of tiny beer pots, putting us all to shame with our single big glasses.

Looking further into the State Buildings complex, we discover a lovely little wine bar — the Wine Merchant — for a night cap.

Part of the highly-regarded Petition Restaurant, this nook of a bar sells takeaway wine, but also wine by the glass. You can also buy a bottle, sit down here and drink it. I wish there were more places like this.

We find a table big enough for six and set Brownie — our wine aficionado — to the task of picking something wonderful to drink.

He does such a good job, we end up in a little vertical tasting; the same bottle separated by 23 vintages! The 2001 is by far the superior.

Before we leave, Brownie and Frenchie squeeze our host for some recommendations of bars in the area. This will come in handy tomorrow!

I love a local tip, so here’s what’s on his list:

Bar Lafayette, Bobeche, Brookfield Place, Terrarium, Foxtrot Unicorn and Varnish on King.

Perth Day 2: Dust to Dusty

Today, we don’t have tickets for the cricket as we bargained on a ‘normal’ test and thought Day 3 would be the better option.

I have put together a mini itinerary to go and check out Perth’s Swan Valley Wine Region, the second oldest in Australia after the Hunter Valley and only half an hour out of the city.

We kick off with a tasty breakfast at one of Frenchie’s finds: Double A On the River, a cafe right on the banks of the Swan. Then the six of us somehow squeeze into a single Uber and head for Lancaster Wines on the outer reaches of the Swan Valley.

We’re one of the first to arrive at this open-air cellar door among the vines, but the place fills up fast with tour groups.

Lancaster has vines that were planted in 1829, some of the oldest in the region, and the wine reflects that. Their Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Old Vine Shiraz are excellent, but their fortified Sticky Shiraz is unique and delicious.

Next, we head to Sandalford Wines. This is the Swan Valley’s most established and commercial winery. Its long, sweeping tasting bar fills one side of the room while the other is a boutique displaying beautifully curated oddments, art, stemware, and merch.

We work our way through the tasting, relishing the Chenin Blanc, Rosé and botrytis Semillon.

Brett is on a charm offensive — our next stop is through a potentially locked gate at the back of the venue to Mandoon Estate and Homestead Brewery. It’s either that or a very long walk round.

Thankfully, Brett’s fluttering lashes do the trick and the kind lady tips us off as to the gate’s whereabouts.

Mandoon Estate and its connected microbrewery is a busy family-focused spot with big tables spread across a wide rolling lawn. Pizzas next to the beer bar are the way forward and we give the beer tasting paddles a nudge too before heading into the winery’s neat cellar door and tasting room.

Once again, Chenin Blancs, Chardonnays, Shiraz and a very respectable reserve Cabernet are the order of the day, as well as happy, friendly service.

We retire to a table in the expansive restaurant bar beyond the cellar door with perfect views of the TV and the cricket, which is turning into a repeat of Day 1.

Soon, it’s time to move again and we shoehorn ourselves into another maxi-taxi for a quick trip to the quaint little town of Guildford and to Western Australia’s oldest operating pub, the Rose and Crown Hotel.

This beautiful old pub has a history that goes back to 1841, and its redbrick walls, buzzing courtyard beer garden and even a dining room in the cellar echo with history.

We score a sofa and armchairs right in front of the big TV in the old part of the pub and watch the craziest Ashes test we’ve ever seen.

With both teams batting like they need to be somewhere, it’s all over before the end of Day Two, with Australia winning by eight wickets. It’s the shortest Ashes test in 137 years.

Back in the city, we get changed for our dinner booking at Sentinel Bar and Grill. This New York bistro style eatery has plenty of options on the menu, and we pick a few things to share.

The baked halloumi with roasted pear, hot honey and walnut is tasty and the two pasta dishes we order are great, but the on-the-bone ribeye, which we had high hopes for, doesn’t really hit the mark.

Standout though, is the steak tartare with quail egg yolk and aioli.

From the barman’s notes the night before, we hunt down Foxtrot Unicorn for a cocktail or two.

Known for being Perth’s most awarded cocktail bar, this atmospheric subterranean speakeasy is in an old bank vault built in 1887. With its timber-clad walls, eclectic up-cycled decor and low, dark ceilings, this is my kind of bar.

After a couple of cocktails, most of the guys head back to the hotel, but Nim and I stick around for a drink or two more. A drink or two? Who am I kidding? We stay until the lights go up!

Freo to Roam

We’re all pretty slow to wake this morning. With the test over, our Day 3 tickets are useless, so Frenchie finds a great little cafe called Cravings for breakfast where we plot our trajectory.

Our plans eventually settle on Fremantle.

Leaning an elbow out into the Indian Ocean, Fremantle and its vibrant bar scene is also Perth’s historic centre.

There’s plenty for us to see and do here, though our first port of call — after a brisk march through Fremantle Markets — is the Norfolk Hotel. This big busy corner pub has barely opened, but we find our way in and stick around for a couple of hours.

From there, we explore the busy streets lined with elegant colonial architecture that houses Fremantle’s thriving retail and hospitality scenes. We find our way to the coast and the historic Whaler’s Tunnel, built by the whaling fleet to make transferring their hauls into the markets easier.

Here, we also find the Round House, a 19th Century prison and the first permanent building of the Swan Valley Colony.

But that’s not why we’re in this part of town.

This is a shortcut to Gage Roads Brewery (how predictable of us!) where we score a rare table on the wharf looking out over the water while we work through some tasting paddles.

Making our way back into the heart of Freo, we nab another coveted table at the rooftop bar of the National Hotel. This grand old beauty caught our eye as we were wandering the streets earlier, and from four storeys above, this charming hotel gives up perfect views of the town.

After a few, we clamber back down to earth in more ways than one; Brett insists on us having a quick beer in the Buffalo Club.

There were once many Buffalo Clubs all over the world, which were started in the 1820s as the Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. In fact, Christina’s grandmother was once a member of the Darwin chapter.

These days, only a few remain and ‘The Buff’ in Freo has definitely seen better days. But the beer’s cold (and quite cheap) and the service and locals couldn’t be more welcoming.

Between pubs, some of us even find time to do a spot of thrifting for some ‘weird shit’ in Fremantle!

Our final stop as evening draws in is a little door down a side street that everyone in the group is claiming they saw first.

This swashbuckling bar is Darling Darling and the resounding favourite of the weekend.

As our eyes adjust to our gloomy surroundings, we realise just how unique this little place is. Walls are strung with old ropes and naval knots, broad-bottomed candles have glued themselves to tables and low-slung candelabras, and there’s a crunch underfoot from empty monkey nut shells.

Ensconced at a little table against a timber-clad wall, we entertain ourselves by throwing shells at each other — this is Frenchie and Nim’s favourite part of the whole day — while we await cocktails from the lone barman. If any of us knew a sea shanty, this would be the place for it.

It’s not until someone — probably Dom — announces they’re hungry that we dislodge ourselves and head to Cicerello’s to see if their claim of ‘the home of fish n chips’ is valid.

The food’s not bad, but it makes me wonder what the self-proclaimed title really means. It’s a chippy that’s been going for over 100 years, so they must be doing something right.

But we hurry back to Darling Darling and stay for a while longer, filling up the corners with more free peanuts and artfully made seafaring cocktails.