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Living in Australia, we’re in a bit of an echo chamber when it comes to wine. Aussie wine has a habit of locking you in and convincing you that it’s not really worth trying wine from other countries. I mean, why would you when all the best stuff is right here.

For us, we certainly reach for an Aussie wine over international labels when we’re in the bottle shop.

Of course, there are many more wine regions beyond Australia’s soil, but when what’s widely recognised as one of the world’s most trusted wine awards bestows its highest accolade on not one, not two, but five Aussie wines, you have to start believing the hype, right?

What Are The Decanter World Wine Awards?

Often seen as the ‘Olympics of wine’, the London-based Decanter World Wine Awards have been going since 2004.

Applicants have their wines judged through rigorous blind tasting by a massive roster of global experts, including Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and top buyers.

Wines at the Decanter Awards go through a multi-stage judging process starting with Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. Gold medal winners are then re-tasted to advance to Platinum, and then Platinum winners are tested again to determine the coveted ‘Best In Show’.

In 2026, only the top 0.03% of the 14,000+ entries progressed to take home a Best In Show award. Incredibly, five Aussie wines achieved this status, putting them in an incredible list of the best 50 wines in the world.

Wine Winners On The International Stage

Australia made up 630 of the 14,082 entries in the DWWA 2026, but five managed to pass through the intensive scrutiny of the judges, each scoring 97 points to reach the hallowed heights of Best In Show.

Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s Estate Riesling 2025

The only Riesling in the top 50 wines of the 2026 Decanter Awards, Pewsey Vale’s winner is an icon of the varietal.

Pale yellow with tinges of green, this Riesling is packed with lime and grapefruit citrus aromas. With a long finish and a bountiful balanced acidity, the wine delivers plenty of lovely fresh floral and herbal notes beneath its lemony front palate.

Pewsey Vale has been specialising in Eden Valley Riesling since 1847 and have honed their craft to a razor edge over the years.

Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Riesling 2025 is available nationally at selected major and
independent retailers, and via Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s online store (RRP $28).

Click here to see the full tasting and winemaker’s notes.

Dalrymple Vineyards’ Pipers River Pinot Noir 2024

The only Best In Show Southern Hemisphere Pinot Noir of 2026, Dalrymple Vineyards’ Single Site Pipers River 2024 is an archetype of cool-climate Aussie Pinot.

A rich, pleasingly purple hue, this wine is packed with all the good bits of a brilliantly made Pinot. Cherry and plum notes, as well as hints of cinnamon and star anise, build with every sniff and sip.

Moreish savoury notes develop the more you drink and the longer this bottle’s open as does a lovely soft texture and finish.

Dalrymple Vineyards Single Site Estate Pipers River Pinot Noir 2024 is available via
Dalrymple Vineyards’ online store and will be available nationally from selected retailers
from August 1 2026 (RRP $80).

Click here to see the full tasting and winemaker’s notes.

Hill-Smith Estate

Despite being in two different states and two very different wine regions, both Pewsey Vale Vineyard and Dalrymple Vineyards are in fact part of the same over-arching estate.

As well as these two, family-owned Hill-Smith Family Estate has some household names in its wine folio, not least Janz Tasmania, Oxford Landing and Yalumba.

Wine Awards Aren’t For Everyone

First of all, huge congratulations to Hill-Smith Estate and to all the winners of the DWWA Best In Show. What an amazing achievement. It’s so good for the Australian and NZ wine industries.

However, it’s important to remember that wine awards aren’t the be all and end all. Even with over 14,000 different wines from around the world competing in DWWA 2026, entering awards may not be viable for every winery. This means there are still so many more incredible wines out there to discover.

DWWA entry is £172 per wine, not including freight costs, so lots of independent wineries won’t be able to or don’t want to absorb this cost, nor go through the rigmarole of applying and registering for awards.

And let’s not forget, wine is incredibly subjective even on the palates of world renowned experts.

But this is why it’s important to learn what you like, to try different wine and to only use the medals a label as a starting point when you’re exploring a new bottle.

The post Is Australian Wine Really All That Good? appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

For one of the year’s shorter months, it feels like June has taken a lot longer than its prescribed 30. It might have something to do with being busy, but I wonder if it’s that final climb uphill to the middle of the year before we hurtle down towards 2027.

There’s definitely something to be said for the massive variety of weather we’ve had in Sydney – everything from freezing cold evenings to gloriously warm days to torrential rain.

At least the days are getting longer from now on.

This month, we’ve had plenty to do; a trip to Tasmania, a stay in the city, a new rooftop bar unlocked, friends visiting, Vivid ending, lots of live stuff (bands, theatre, musicals), and of course the World Cup starting in Mexico, Canada and the USA.

Lots to talk about, so let’s get cracking!

we hope you enjoy this Flavour of the Month of June.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

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We haven’t been down to Tasmania for absolutely ages. I just wish the reason for our trip was for happier reasons. Unfortunately though, we’re here for a funeral. Our wonderful friend Sharon’s mum sadly passed away last week and we’re here to give the family whatever support we can and to say goodbye to lovely Pat.

She will be very much missed.

But Pat wouldn’t want us to just sit and be maudlin about things, so we do the right thing and check out as many breweries, distilleries, pie shops and cafes as we can while we’re here.

First stop is the excellent Island State Brewery in Devonport, where I get amongst a very fancy looking tasting paddle while we catch up with poor Sharon.

We also head out of Devonport to explore a bit more of Tasmania’s north. On Sharon’s family’s recommendations, we head northwest to Atrium Cafe, which is part of The Cove Tasmania – a very flash-looking hotel.

The cafe turns into the hotel‘s restaurant Basalt in the evening, but during the day, this clifftop venue looks out over the raging seas of the Bass Strait while wooly goats weather the rain.

We sit and enjoy the view and one of the tastiest cheese and pastrami toasties we’ve had in ages.

Next, we pop into the town of Ulverstone for a scallop pie. The family have recommended Oliver’s Bakery here, which I’ve already scoped out. It’s a chain, but only here in Tas and it’s very popular with the locals. The pies are excellent – we go for one curry, one mornay. We’re impressed with the scrupulous guarantee of at least five scallops per pie here.

Under Sharon’s orders, we head next to Spreyton and its eponymous cider brewery. The tasting paddle is definitely the way to go – especially as it comes with a pint of your choosing once you’ve finished the paddle. What a good idea!

Post-cider, we head to Latrobe to see the Big Platypus outside the (sadly closed) Woodcutters’ Hall of Fame on the banks of the Mersey River that girts the elegantly named Pig Island.

While we’re in town, we decide to check out Reliquaire, a mind-bending funhouse of a shop on Latrobe high street.

There’s just so much weird stuff in here – the perfect spot for zany Christmas gifts or falling into a dimensional vortex – or a jump scare from a T Rex when you think you’re going into the Dr Who tardis! Well worth a visit.

Tonight, Sharon and her family are busy doing their own thing, which gives me the opportunity to give my regional Australian town theory a spin.

It is my humble belief that medium to large regional towns around Australia have some of the best Indian restaurants out there. I’ve tried this theory with great success in New South Wales, so I’m excited to give it a whirl in Tasmania.

Our meal at Taj Mahal in Devonport has confirmed my theory beyond any shadow of a doubt. If you’re looking for a top curry in northern TAS, look no further than this place. It’s exceptional.

Today, we fly back to Sydney, so we have one last stroll through Devonport with our mate Sharon. We stop to enjoy the view from the Devonport Waterfront Elevated Walkway & Lookout, which stretches out over the Mersea River with the pretty cool backdrop of the Spirit of Tasmania ferry when it’s docked here.

In spite of the tragic circumstances, it’s been lovely to see Sharon and her family. It’s been far too long since we were last here. We can’t wait to come back.

By the way, we didn’t go on the Spirit of Tasmania this time, though we have sailed on her before.

Our flight out from Launceston isn’t until this afternoon, so we take our time on the short drive between Devonport and the airport.

There’s a wonderful lookout along the road that has incredible views of the Tamar River and the stunning Tasmanian countryside.

Once in Launceston, we discover we still have plenty of time for lunch, so we pop into a brewery that Christina has spotted called Du Cane.

While we’re deciding on which beer and pizza to order, there’s a loud pop and hiss, and a billowing cloud of steam fills the room. One of the brewery boilers seems to have blown a gasket. The kitchen has to switch off for safety reasons leaving us with only enough time to enjoy a pint before check-in.

The beer’s excellent though and the food, which we stare at longingly, looks delicious. It just means we’ll have to come back when we’ve got a bit more time. I’m ok with that!

We’re back in Sydney just in time to see our mates Sonia and Chris, who moved up the northern NSW a while ago. They’re in town for business, but have found a spare minute to catch up with us.

It’s never a dull moment with these two – especially when Chris’s jeans are that high! ?

Tonight, we’re in the city to check out a hotel we haven’t been to before. This is the Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour – one of its rather nice corner suites.

Watch this space for a full review of this hotel. Apart from being a bit compact, this one is a pretty good option for a short city stay in Sydney. It’s right next to Chinatown and Darling Harbour on Sussex Street between Liverpool and Bathurst Streets, and has plenty going for it.

Downstairs past the lobby is the The Sussex Store – the hotel’s cafe-come-restaurant. We stop in for a spot of breakfast before we go and I tell you what, the bacon and egg roll here is worth travelling for. Bacon, cheddar, tomato chilli jam, a fried egg and a hash brown on brioche all for just $16? That’s not a normal price for Sydney.

Christina’s Breakfast Bowl (with a very sensible side of grilled halloumi) is also generous for its $22 price tag. Whipped fava beans, roasted beetroot, pumpkin, braised legumes, sauteed cavolo nero, creamy avocado and smoked salmon. Not bad at all.

But this has to be the absolute highlight of the Vibe Darling Harbour: Above 319 is the cutest rooftop bar in Sydney, with an outstanding drinks menu, brilliant service and delicious bar snacks. If you ask nicely, you can even order food that’s on the Sussex Store restaurant dinner menu.

There’s also an unbelievable happy hour here of $10 beers and wines, and $15 cocktails Wednesday to Friday 4.30-6.30.

This bar is all about supporting local as well, which we love. I’m impressed to see its house pour for rum is Red Mill, made in Rozelle, which they’ve created a whole sub menu for.

There’s also a great non-alcoholic cocktail menu that turns Dry July and alike into something you can actually enjoy. It’s such a good menu in fact that we featured it in our recent Dry July story here.

Seeing as we’re so close to Darling Harbour, Christina and I decide to face the crowds and check out the last weekend of Vivid Sydney.

Last month, I was witness to the failed drone show that saw many of the drones fall out of the sky into Darling Harbour. To replace the drones, the organisers put on twice-nightly fireworks, so we’ve come down to the waterfront to see what it’s like.

The crowds are pretty bad, but the show’s impressive and it’s good to get out and about when these things are on, but I have to be honest, I don’t think I’ll bother again.

Tonight I’m out in Dulwich Hill with my mate Gareth to see our friend Nick play in his band Lost In The Woods. If you haven’t heard of these guys, they really are excellent and well worth a listen. You can find them on Spotify here.

Tonight, they’re playing at a great little venue called Butcher’s Brew that’s all about live music.

Gareth used to live in Dulwich Hill or (as he used to jokingly refer to it) ‘Dull As Hell’. Well, it’s not dull anymore. With this place and the freshly renovated Gladstone Hotel across the road, and umpteen food options around the place, it’s a suburb that can hardly be called dull.

Anyway, Nick and the other band members do an amazing job with two perfect sets. Nick even manages to play two sets of keys – his own beloved Nord and the house upright – at the same time!

Today, Christina and I are out in Balmain to watch the first of Australia’s Fifa World Cup group matches.

Our first attempt to find a good spot in the East Village Hotel has been thwarted by the mysterious decision to move the live band, which is always here in the beer garden on Sundays, indoors right in front of the big screen because there’s been a fair bit of rain around.

We feel sorry for the band, who will be battling against the crowd, but at least the TVs have all been turned onto mute.

Anyway, we decide grab a bite to eat before the game then move on to a different venue. But the food takes so long, we end up missing the start, racing home and watching the first half there.

But here we are at last, squeezed into the Royal Oak for the (much more exciting) second half. It’s all worth it though: Australia goes on to win 2-0!

Today, Christina has taken her mum Jeanette to the beach. The beach! It’s the middle of winter. But as you can see, today is unseasonably warm. There are even a few crazies swimming!

Christina and Jeanette satisfy themselves with a bit of a toe dip then fish and chips at the local takeaway. What a lovely day.

I’ve been left home alone tonight. Christina is out with her mates, who refer to themselves as ‘the WAGs’, at Totti’s Rozelle. It’s a good option for dinner – you’ll never have a bad meal there and the atmosphere is always fun and lively, but I think things like the novelty puffy bread is a bit over-priced.

Dessert, by all accounts, is excellent though. The baked cheesecake goes down a treat and Christina inspires most of the group to have an affogato as well.

This evening, Christina is out at a media event with our friend and neighbour Rebecca. They’re at a charming little event space called the Clarence Vault Room for the launch of brand new Aussie gin Playfair Gin.

We’re all for more women working in the Australian craft spirits space and founder Anna Playfair-Hannay has really created something special with her new gin.

With roots back in the farmlands of southern Scotland, Anna has brought to life a boutique gin from her distillery in the McLaren Vale that is not only incredibly versatile, but also full of flavour.

Along with botanicals of juniper, coriander, cardamom and lemon, Anna has added a little taste of Scotland with the inclusion of thistles, which brings out a light, floral note in the otherwise spicy, citrus, juniper-forward gin.

Christina and Rebecca work their way through the cocktail menu of martinis, gimlets, G&Ts and negronis, showing just how user-friendly this juice is.

Buy Playfair Gin direct from the distillery here.

All this talk of ‘play fair’ leads me nicely on to what I’m doing today. Finally, the day has come: I get to play at the Balmain Peninsula’s (and quite possibly the whole country’s) most picturesque sports ground.

This is Birchgrove Oval.

I have played here once in the five years I’ve been with the club, but it was incredibly rainy, windy and cold, and we lost. Today is dry, calm, warm and most importantly a winner! After 90 minutes, we’re up 3-2 against Abbotsford Jnrs.

If you haven’t heard of Garry Starr or his comedy performance ‘Classic Penguins’, this one’s going to take some faith on your part.

We’re at the Carriageworks in Darlington at the behest of our friends Stevie and Mel (of Stevie English fame) to see… well, I still don’t really know what.

Classic Penguins is a clever concept. Garry Starr uses the titles from all the paperback Penguin Classic books as prompts for his show. From a bookshelf on stage, he places each title under a camera for the audience to see, works in a pun or a bit of physical comedy that connects with the book, then swipes it onto the ever-growing pile on the floor.

He does all this completely naked. Especially the physical stuff.

And then there’s the audience participation – a phrase that sends shivers down my spine even when everyone’s fully dressed. Thankfully, Christina has booked us seats far enough away to avoid most contact with Garry, even when he crowd surfs from the stage all the way to the back of the theatre.

“What, naked?” I hear you ask.

Oh, yes. Naked. And sweaty.

But this really is a brilliant show. His performance is – both literally and figuratively – balls-out crazy. And if you’re in New York or London anytime soon, look out for Garry Starr’s Classic Penguins. His show is going international!

I’m on another tasting panel at Intermedia’s offices today for Trade Buyer’s Magazine. It’s an industry publication that guides bars and bottleshops around Australia on what to stock and serve.

Christina and I are on these panels quite often, where we blind taste a range of wines or spirits, and our scores and recommendations go into the mag.

This time round, we’re looking at Australian Shiraz and Shiraz blends, and there’s quite a lot to get through. Between six groups, we have over 140 separate wines to judge in an hour or so.

One thing we notice from the pretty broad selection of regions, wineries and blends is how the Aussie palate is changing towards a lighter style Shiraz. There’s still a backbone of big, bold reds that make the market, but more and more lighter medium-bodied Shiraz seems to be emerging. Good news for places like the Hunter Valley, Orange and the ACT, not so good for the Barossa.

Tonight, Christina and I are out with our mates Anton, Paul and Jo for another live performance. This time, it’s a musical – a format I usually avoid like the plague, but this one should be good.

It’s the life story of Jack Karlson aka the Succulent Chinese Meal Guy.

We’re at the intimate Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville and I’ve got to say, this is a really well crafted play. Somehow the six actors and two musicians have stretched a meme into a 100-minute performance that is clever, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.

I’ve never heard so many puns from Chinese dishes and I certainly wasn’t expecting lyrics to work in Jack Karlson’s other famous lines ‘I see you know your judo well’, ‘this is democracy manifest’ and of course ‘get your hands of my penis’!

Keep your eye open for A Succulent Chinese Musical?! in your nearest city. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of it.

Tonight, I’ve been invited to a very exclusive sitting. My friends Kath and Jarrod have a mate they jokingly refer to as the Lebanese Mafia. At least, I think they’re joking.

Either way, this guy has a penchant for whisky – especially Aussie whisky – and I’ve somehow been brought along to join in the fun. And what fun it is.

We start – as all whisky tastings should – with a dram or two, some food and a good cigar. Then our generous host takes us downstairs to his whisky room.

That’s right, the photos you see are of a private collection in an underground whisky lair. There’s even an elevator down to it!

We spend a lovely evening tasting various rare whiskies – though we don’t get to open the original Sullivan’s Cove bottles. Fair enough. We finish up some eight hours later and a drop of 69.1%ABV single barrel from Corowa Distillery on the NSW border. What a night.

It’s Game 3 of Australia’s group stage matches for the World Cup and it’s Friday lunchtime, so we’re at Sydney Brewery Rozelle to support the Socceroos in their battle against Paraguay and for a spot in the Group of 32.

Sydney Brewery Rozelle has really set itself up well as a sporting venue. Its massive HD screen is visible from pretty much anywhere in the brewery, the food’s on point and the beers are tasty and well-priced. It’s good to have a place like this on the peninsula.

Also, there’s Peanut.

This cat has been knocking about this part of Rozelle for years and is a legend in his own right. He’s comfortable in flowerbeds or lording it in the brewery, and the ubiquitous dogs of Balmain don’t seem to bother him at all. If you see him, say hi to Peanut!

The game ends 0-0 by the way, but that’s enough to see Australia finish 2nd in the group below USA. Paraguay is through as one of the best 3rd place teams, but sadly for Turkiye, the World Cup ends here.

This is some of Christina’s crazy jujitsu gang. They get together on a regular basis and take over large sections of pubs around Balmain. Indeed, tonight, we’re out in the Balmain on Mullens Street. It’s always a fun night with these guys, though the conversation very often veers into strange uncharted territory, miles away from jujitsu techniques, that’s for sure.

But don’t be fooled by their jolly demeanour; this is a group not to be messed with.

I wonder what the collective noun for lethal weapons is.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this taste of June ’26.

Cheers – Jim & Christina x

The post A Tassie Trip, A City Break And We Support The Arts appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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For many, July each year spells a 31-day stint of alcohol abstinence. It’s the opportunity for a mid-year pause, to reset the system and give your body a break from the booze. 

It used to be the case that, whenever you went out to a pub or a party, drinks options were so limited you didn’t really feel like going out at all.

Overly sweet non-alcoholic cocktails, truly awful zero beers and wines or soft drinks that ended up giving you a sugar hangover anyway.

These days, that’s all changed. 

With more and more drinkers looking for low-and-no alternatives to their drinking repertoire, and younger generations seeming to drink less generally, the alcohol and hospitality industries are responding with some amazing options.

There’s, of course, a raft of health benefits associated with even a month’s break in drinking. Better sleep and more energy, gut health and weight loss, feeling brighter and more lucid — not to mention the financial pluses — they all paint Dry July in a very rosy light. 

The only hard thing is not substituting your drinking regimen with something just as bad for you. Chips and chocolate, I’m looking at you guys.

But snacks aside, here are our top picks for swapping out the ABV for something just as good for Dry July, Feb Fast, Sober October or whenever you feel like you need a break.

What To Drink For Dry July

There’s an ever-growing selection of non- and low-alc drinks around, and the quality has improved stratospherically from the days when Guinness brought out Kaliber <0.5% lager. And thank goodness for that.

Zero Alcohol Beer

There are dozens of choices when it comes to beer and it really comes down to personal preference, but our favourites are Capital Brewing’s Alc-Less Pacific Ale, a fruity, hoppy little number, and Four Pines’ Ultra Low.

In fact, if you’re looking for an easy-drinking beer that isn’t too involved, but still feels like you’re drinking a ‘real’ beer, the Four Pines one is our favourite. Bright, light and refreshing, it doesn’t try too hard.

By the way, and this is just my opinion, the worst one we’ve tried recently is a surprise: Coopers Zero is a big disappointment. 

Zero Alcohol Wine

Low- and no-wine has come on leaps and bounds in recent years — especially sparkling wines. But for reds and whites, there are no bubbles for off flavours and textural issues to hide behind. 

The somewhat comically named Two Hoots Non-Alcoholic Chenin Blanc from South Africa shares all the tasty characteristics you’d expect from this variety.

Lively and full of peardop and citrus notes, there’s also plenty of acidity and dryness to this wine, which is also the variety of choice when you’re in Western Australia’s Swan Valley Wine Region.

For red wine, Next Destination’s Shiraz from the Barossa Valley hits the mark. It’s hard to maintain the depth of flavour and rich texture that Shiraz is known for, but there’s still plenty of both in this zero-alcohol wine from the heartland of Australian Shiraz.

Black cherry and dark chocolate, coupled with the tight spice of new French oak, create a dry, velvety complex drop that matches perfectly with hearty winter meals.

These wines (and plenty more) are available from Sans Drinks, a company dedicated to bringing the best of zero alcohol drinks together in one place and is Australia’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop.

Cocktails

Cocktails — especially the classic spirit-forward ones — are very difficult to replicate in a non-alc format. Lyre’s is the foremost maker of these zero spirits and they do a great job, but their best one to date has to be their version of spritz Aperol.

Check out the Lyre’s Zero-Alcohol Amalfi Spritz Grande Duo Set. It includes two 750ml bottles of Classico sparkling wine and a 700ml bottle of their Italian Spritz amaro. Together they make a very convincing 0% alternative.

Going Out

Bars, pubs and restaurants are all getting in on the growing demand for lower-alcohol refreshments. Many have menus of mocktails available, but few do it quite as well as Sydney rooftop bar Above 319. 

Sitting on top of the Vibe Darling Harbour, this bar, which shares the space with the hotel’s pool, looks out over the city and offers one of the most creative lists of delicious alcohol-free cocktails. 

The other drinks on the list here are also amazing by the way, and you can order food from the hotel’s restaurant menu too.

Further afield, even some of the world’s most famous bars, whose cocktails have become household names, are finding ways to adapt to this growing market.

Singapore’s Raffles Hotel and its legendary Long Bar is where the legendary Singapore Sling was invented back in 1915. Back then, it was taboo for women to be seen drinking alcohol in public, so the Sling was created to look more like a fruit punch.

To celebrate Singapore Sling Day (27th June each year), Raffles has created the Singapore Sling Zero. Using the signature blend of fruit juices, spices and syrups along with Tanqueray 0.0% gin, the Singapore Sling Zero shows just how far things have come in the world of no-low alcohol drinks.

For more Dry July tips, check out our other stories on non-alcoholic drinks here.

The post How To Do Dry July (And Why) appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Peering out from the Royal National Park’s dusky greenery, the little village of Bundeena glows with the warm charm of a secluded, out-of-the-way village.

Christina and I have visited Bundeena plenty of times over the years. In fact, for its size — Bundeena’s population stands at just over 2,500 — we have so many connections with this place.

But as our car trundles down the hill and crosses the boundary marking the end of the Royal National Park and where Bundeena begins, excitement builds as we head to Simpson Cottage: our home for the next couple of nights.

The funny thing is, we’ve been spying on this place a bit recently. Not in a creepy way. Simpson Cottage was one of the settings of the excellent 2025 TV drama The Last Anniversary. It’s well worth a watch.

Simpson Cottage, Bundeena

Simpson Cottage has stood here for some 160 years after George Simpson, who was granted land here in 1863, built it using sandstone quarried by convicts. You can still see the cuts and grooves from their tools on the cottage walls.

From the lawn, views out over the sandy shallows of Simpsons Bay towards Maianbar and Burraneer are magnetic and we find ourselves staring out across the water, lost in the vista.

We turn back to the verandah with its wrought iron filigree and push through the great green door of the cottage.

Inside the cottage

Down the long corridor, with doors to the lounge and bedrooms, lights swathed in great linen-covered shades cast the warmest glow the welcome us in.

We explore each room, marvelling at the depth of detail and the way that form, comfort and style have made a home for the perfect Venn.

Each of the three bedrooms has its own personality and feel. Art hangs from the walls, antique sideboards and mantelpieces collect a clever eclecticism of old-world items. From ink wells to champagne cages fashioned into little dolls’ chairs, the longer you look, the more you see.

Cotton reels, old bugles, seashells and old keys, rope knotted into monkey fists, glass floats and trophies.

Interesting books and soft linen fabrics sit on timber chairs, and table lamps make you want to sit down and write like Hemingway.

Anything that builds a picture of texture, of warmth, of a carefully curated yet lived-in quality, is here.

Nothing feels off the wrack and nothing is left to chance.

Kitchen, bathroom and dining

At the back of the cottage, the bathroom takes up the left side and is a modern work of art. The polished concrete floor is heated, which is a lovely touch in winter, and it holds up a magnificent deep-fill bath that stands to one side. Next to it is the luxurious shower with a big rain-fall head.

Along the far wall, the sink vanity continue the cottage’s aesthetic though sparingly, with artwork and dried flowers maintaining the homely yet styled feel.

The row of pegs holding up the dark tan linen towels along the wall reminds me a little of a leather shop or maybe a scene from a jump flick, but the towels are soft and generous, and having so many towels for our stay is a nice touch.

The kitchen is on the opposite side to the bathroom and is fully operational. Unlike other guesthouses or holiday homes we’ve stayed in, this feels like you could live here immediately and long term.

Every appliance you can think of is here at our disposal, there’s even some little pots with different types of teas as well as more than enough coffee pods to get mornings started.

As far as styling goes, as you’d expect, the kitchen hasn’t been left out. Old-world cooking apparatus decorate next to functional modern things. Cabinetry is subtle and where it can’t be (there’s not much you can do with a fridge or freezer), a linen curtain keeps things on the down low.

There’s an abundance of glassware, crockery, flatware, silverware… you really have everything you need. There’s even a glass cloche covering a cheese platter waiting for us in the fridge.

Between the kitchen and bathroom is the dining room; a neat little space with a dining table that looks through French doors to the raised patio and its outdoor fireplace, but more about that later.

The Living Room

Back at the front of the house, the living room is a cosy nook full of squashy sofas and old armchairs. There’s a real fireplace here too that you can get going in the winter months. The hearth is surrounded with yet more detail.

Shelves create stages for all sorts of oddments: little paintings, balls of twine, tiny model sailing boats, lanterns and antlers — no doubt found on the lawn where deer roam at night.

We also discover a selection of board games tucked away here, which makes us realise that there’s not a single TV anywhere in the house. It dawns on us that we haven’t seen everything yet. There’s still the recreation room to explore.

The Rec Room

Back down the path next to the driveway and gate is what we presume was once a lock-up garage.

Now a canny rec room, it’s here you’ll find the TV — and since we’re here, we rewatch a couple of episodes of The Last Anniversary in situ, which is pretty cool.

But even better, you’ll find an original pinball machine in here.

I’d forgotten how much fun these things are to play, even if I’m not much good at them. I think this is Christina’s first time on one of them!

Of course, not even the rec room is immune to the touch of the styling fairies, with elegant touches like the captain’s chair and writing desk decorated with tankards full of paintbrushes and a stack of old books or the side table adorned with a carriage clock, a ceramic and a tiny globe atlas.

Ropes, filament bulbs, artworks and animal hides create depth and texture, and the ‘honesty cabinet’ full of locally hand-crafted ceramics shows just how much we’re trusted as guests.

Pick your ceramic and either pop the cash in the jar or tell the owners and they’ll debit your account. Isn’t trust and honesty a healthy acumen?

There’s even a full bathroom here complete with shower, saving you the trouble of hiking all the way back to the cottage in your moment of need.

The Grounds

The outsides of Simpson Cottage are just as entertaining, enthralling and good looking as what’s inside.

Wicker chairs and plant pots line the verandah, along with a wonderfully aged wheelbarrow and handcart carrying fuel supplies for the fire pit, which is also fully stacked ready to go.

Around the back, looking into the house through the French doors, is the elevated patio and its own brick fireplace. Comfy sofas amongst the flowerbeds make this the perfect evening sundowner spot with friends.

However, on the grass under the gum tree round the front is the picnic table. Strings of fairy lights above make this a magical spot in the evening and by day, the elevated views out across the sparkling waters of the bay are spectacular.

There’s even a little path that wends its way down the shallow cliff to the esplanade and the water’s edge from here.

But it’s no wonder Simpson Cottage was picked for a TV drama; it’s a dressed and ready-to-go film set in its own right.

We stayed as media at Simpson Cottage, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Picture-Perfect Coast Escape — Simpson Cottage, Bundeena appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Brought to you by Auras Insurance.

Travel insurance is never going to be the most exciting part of your trip, but you don’t want it to be the one thing you regret not having either.

Having the right travel insurance can save you a fortune, save your holiday from disaster and maybe even save your life. *

Now, we don’t want to come across as scare mongers or pessimists, but things can happen when you’re on the road. It’s part of the adventure of travel. But when the adventure takes a turn for the worst, the safety net of insurance is worth its weight.

Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

It’ll probably be no surprise to you that we’ll tell you that you should always have insurance when you’re travelling, but it can come in a few different formats *.

Sometimes your credit card will have automatic insurance included. This will only give you limited cover, but things like care hire excess and things like that are sometimes covered.

Sometimes, home insurance will cover some personal possessions while you’re away from the house.

Of course, you’ll need to check your policies.

But for comprehensive travel security, proper, specifically designed travel insurance is the only way to go. International travel insurance is still a high priority for travellers with over 75% of us taking out policies before we head overseas.

There are lots of companies and policy types out there for a host of different purposes.

From the best travel insurance for Asia from Australia to adventure sports holidays to round-the-world trips, it’s important to pin down exactly what your travel plans are so you can be as fully covered as possible.

This is key to getting the most out of your insurance budget. If you’re off on a beach holiday, there’s no point in paying the extra you need for ski cover.

But if that beach happens to be in a country that has a reputation for a difficult customs department, you might want to look at policies that cover embassy refunds if your visa unexpectedly falls foul of the country’s system.

What about travel insurance for domestic travel in Australia?

Domestic travel insurance (for Aussies travelling within Australia) is an interesting one. Over the last couple of years, companies have reported a drop in customer priority for domestic travel insurance — down to about 40% according to Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

With medical expenses already covered by Medicare and private health insurance, things like car rental excess by some premium credit cards and people driving their own vehicles for road trip holidays, it’s an understandable trend.

However, travel insurance for domestic trips does fill gaps like lost or stolen luggage, and cancellation and disruption to trips. Unexpected illness, family crisis or severe weather events probably won’t be covered elsewhere, but may be with your travel policy.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you’re happy with your decisions before you leave and to stay as safe as possible wherever your destination takes you. We all love Type 2 Fun — horrible when it’s happening, but funny after — but let’s not go crazy.

The post Is It Worth Getting Travel Insurance? appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Adieu, May. See you next year!

It feels like May has been a really long month for us – probably because almost every day of it has been taken up with a pretty big re-modelling of the Mr & Mrs Romance site. We’re really happy with how things are looking and navigating, but let us know what you think.

Take a look at our modified homepage here or our brand new Start Here page and let us know.

But apart from taking a shovel and pick to our site, Christina and I have had plenty to keep us occupied: Mother’s Day, International Chardonnay Day, Vivid Sydney, a getaway stay in a historic cottage in the middle of a national park and – most importantly – my birthday!

We hope you enjoy this taste of May.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

This evening, as a newly anointed member Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce, Christina’s out at the London Hotel in Balmain for a business productivity learning session with Anne Rayner.

Anne is a business consultant and speaker and helps businesses to design their work weeks and unlock time. I’m sure Christina won’t mind me describing her as easily distracted, and so this workshop was perfect for her to help boost her productivity.

She came home with so many great tips and also some real solutions to help reduce distractions so she can get more done in less time. I’ll report back soon to see how they work in real life.

Overall, the event spaces at the London are great, it was an excellent opportunity to catch up with other local businesses and realise we’re all facing similar challenges in our working lives.

Today is Mother’s Day in Australia and to celebrate mums everywhere, but specifically the ones in our direct cohort, we’re at Bobbin Head Reserve north of Sydney for a lovely picnic, which isn’t something I usually say!

This is a beautiful bit of parkland with plenty of tables and benches (one of the reasons I don’t mind having a picnic here!) but it’s also right on the water. Cockle Creek runs all the way from the Hawkesbury River to here, where you can rent a pedalo for half an hour.

Christina and I offered to do all the catering for today’s festivities, though it must be said Christina has done the vast majority of the work.

Everything from chocolate brownies and miniature muffins to cheesey scrolls and hundreds of crustless finger sandwiches with prawn mayo, and chicken and toasted pinenuts. She even baked and decorated a focaccia you can see here in Frame 3.

My contribution is the raspberry and almond frangipane, which turned out much better than I expected it to – it had sunk a bit in the middle.

We get back home from the Mother’s Day picnic in time to see our faces on the TV! You might remember we were Rent-A-Crowd for the film of the Balmain Rozelle Heritage Pub Trail for Sydney Weekender last month.

We’re quite surprised just how much screen time we get on the segment. You can watch it here – don’t worry, it’s not that long.

Today, we’ve travelled the hour or so south to the little village of Bundeena for a couple of nights in one of the most beautiful cottages.

This is Simpson Cottage and has a history that dates back over 150 years to the 1860s. This atmospheric sandstone treasure is not only lovely to look at from the outside, inside has been styled to breaking point. Every corner is a carefully curated vignette, every angle an Instagram-worthy scene in its own right. It’s just beautiful.

Here’s our full review of Simpson Cottage as well as an extensive walkthrough video. You can also see the cottage in The Last Anniversary, an excellent limited series on Netflix.

We’re here in Bundeena for the most important day of the year: my birthday!

There aren’t many dinner places in this little secluded village trapped between the edge of the Royal National Park and the shores of Simpsons Bay. But there is the bowlo and RSL. And I tell you what, the food here does the town justice.

Professionally shucked rock oysters and some substantial schnitzel work are a credit to the kitchen.

Gifts-wise, Christina’s outdone herself this year, but the apex has to be the tickets she’s managed to get to Greg Davies’ Sydney leg of his Full Fat Legend stand-up tour in November. It’s not like I’m wishing the year away, but I’m pretty excited to get to the end of 2026 now!

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7a Anton 50th birthday

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7b Anton 50th birthday food 20 Chapel

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7c Anton 50th birthday food 20 Chapel

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7d Anton 50th birthday lunch

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7e Anton 50th birthday with Jim

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7f Anton 50th birthday party

FOTM 0526 MMR – 7g Anton 50th birthday party

It’s not just my birthday this week, but my best mate Anton’s too. In fact, it’s his 25th (again), so a bit of a landmark this year.

Anton also shares the same birthday as my dad, which is a bit spooky.

Things start out for Anton’s big day with a bottomless lunch at 20 Chapel in Marrickville, then the party proper kicks off at our mate Paul’s house, where things go till late.

Happy birthday, cobber. Hope you had a good one.

And here we have it: after months of thinking about it, more months of planning and drafting, and another month on top of that to execute this thing in the background, we’ve finally soaped, scrubbed, refitted and rebooted MMR.

This is the new homepage and our regular readers will notice everything is different. If you don’t see any difference and you’re happy with the way things look and work, our job here is done. Our aim was to make the navigation system as intuitive and reader-led as possible, so you kind of guide yourself to our best and most helpful stories.

We really hope you like the new look and feel of MMR. Let us know if you’ve got any feedback (and if you experience any bugs). We’re still flattening out creases and we’d love your help.

This afternoon, I’m in the wonderfully cosy Doss House in The Rocks. This old sandstone bar, buried beneath the oldest streets of Sydney, is the perfect spot for the latest tasting panel for the next edition of booze industry magazine The Trade Buyer’s Guide.

This time round, we’re looking at nearly 40 different whiskies from North America.

There are roughly four categories – Bourbon, Single Malt, Rye and Liqueur. There are some superb spirits to taste here, which makes the judging both difficult and enjoyable.

As you probably know, Christina and I are big into Chardonnay – especially from the Hunter Valley. So whenever May rolls around, we get pretty excited because 21st May is International Chardonnay Day!

More than that, our favourite Chardy makers – Scarborough Wine Co – are celebrating Chardo-May, making the whole month about this much loved varietal.

With Scarborough, we’ve made a fun little IG video you should check out, where we ‘rescue a little Aussie native stuck in the bush’. Lucky we were around really!

Click here to see the video.

This evening we’re out to dinner with some new friends! Annette and Daniel from local law firm Morgan & English, who we met at the grace of the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce, have invited us to the Dry Dock for a bite and a natter.

The Dry Dock was completely transformed a few years ago from an ailing old boozer to an up-class brasserie style boutique pub, though still with hints to the old charm of the original hotel. Out the back is the Dining Room, which has received huge plaudits and even a Hat for its wine list.

If you get the opportunity, definitely come here for dinner. The food’s great and the service is perfect.

The month of May also heralds the start of one of – if not the biggest – festivals in Sydney: Vivid. Bringing millions of people every evening for a month, Vivid is a spectacular city-wide interactive light show that seems to get better and bigger each year.

As you can see in Frame 2 above, the drone show is back. The organisers canned it last year because its popularity caused dangerous crowd numbers around Circular Quay the last time. This year, held at Darling Harbour, hopes are high for the show’s renewed success.

Sadly, this might not be the case however. Frame 3 is a shot of the ill-fated drone show of Monday 25th May when everything glitched. Drones froze in a weird amorphous shape, flashed red, green, blue and white for a while, then started dropping into the water below. Time will tell if the show indeed will go on.

This weekend is the annual Pyrmont Festival. We can see the party going on from our office window and as it’s only a quick ferry ride and short walk away, it would be sinful for us not to head over.

We’re so glad we did: not only does the rain hold off all afternoon, the sun even comes out (I think it’s because I’ve brought a brolly and left my sunglasses at home). We work our way round some of the NSW wine tents that are here, check out the food and craft offerings, annoy the owners of a lovely Alaskan malamute and contemplate a game of crazy golf.

Then we head back to the wine section and have a good old chat with our friend Sally Scarborough of Scarborough Wine Co fame we mentioned earlier. She’s absolutely top – if you don’t believe me, check out our interview with her here!

Sally, her brother Jerome and Jez’s wife Liz now run the company now, having taken over from Sal and Jez’s parents Merralea and Ian ‘Scarbs’, to bring this two-generation winery to new heights.

In fact, Jerome is celebrating his 25th year as head wine-maker at Scarborough, which is just amazing. He and Liz have taken home some serious wine awards over the years, and Sally’s marketing prowess forges new paths for this consummate wine company.

Every now and again, Sydney receives a good sea fog. A deep, dense pillow of cloud sitting across the water, clinging to trees and wrapping around the tallest buildings.

We see this happening and go out exploring. The air is as still and quiet as it is when snow falls in colder places, and the the water around the harbour looks like set concrete. These are some of the frames from our Instagram Carousel – you can see the rest of them here – but I think you’ll agree, the fog gives everything a whole different spooky dimension.

Usually, the fog only lasts one night and next morning, but this is the following night, and I had to share it with you. Such a strange, beautiful sight, isn’t it.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Flavour of the Month of May.

Jim & Christina xx

The post Chardonnay’s Big Day, A Birthday Getaway And Mr & Mrs Gets A Facelift appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-0526/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/christmas-july-oriana/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/christmas-july-oriana/#respond Sat, 30 May 2026 10:57:08 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=39118 As the mercury drops to its lowest around Australia, the magic of Christmas comes — six months early! So where’s the best place to have Christmas in July? Christmas in ... Read more

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]]> As the mercury drops to its lowest around Australia, the magic of Christmas comes — six months early! So where’s the best place to have Christmas in July?

 

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Christmas in July is a fun, popular pastime for Australia. Our real Christmas is a much hotter, less conventional affair, swapping silly sweaters for shorts and suncream, and the full roast and trimmings for salads and seafood.

So we make up for it by having two Christmases, and the effort some go to in July is truly impressive.

But where can you go for the best mid-year Christmas?

Christmas in July in Orange, NSW

Obviously, for a proper Christmas experience, you want to be somewhere cold, but on the other hand, you don’t want it to be too cold either.

That’s why Orange in NSW is such a great option.

Its high altitude and distance from the sea (Orange sits at around 860m above sea level and is about four hours from Sydney) means Orange gets snow in July, but not too much. Perfect!

Christmas in the Oriana Motel’s Peacock Room restaurant

We’re in Orange for the Oriana’s Christmas in July. This cool, retro motel is owned by the excellent Espen Harbitz. He’s from Norway originally and brings all of his childhood experiences of Christmas to this July experience in one of Orange’s best restaurants.

You can read our full review of the Oriana Motel here.

First, we gather in the garden amid crackling fire pits the staff have set up, and enjoy glasses of Norwegian glogg. This is something like mulled wine but not as sweet, and supercharged with brandy.

We sit by the fire and chat with the other party-goers for a while until we’re called in for dinner.

Inside, we make our way to the Peacock Room, where the restaurant has been transformed. Tables are laden with Christmas decorations, there’s a huge tree in the middle of the room sagging under the weight of lights, tinsel and tasteful baubles.

Everyone gets a fun Christmas hat and a cracker to pull, and the atmosphere is joyous and happy — and not just because of an abundance of glogg!

Christmas Dinner at the Oriana

As is Espen’s way, wine is the priority as we sit down, then plenty of chewy bread and butter to keep us company.

Dinner is served swiftly and efficiently, and what a dinner it is. A feast of juicy turkey, rich roast duck, porchetta with crunchy crackling, sumptuous stuffing, creamy mash, and fresh sprouts and red cabbage.

Not to mention the richest, thickest, tastiest gravy you’ll have.

All the things I miss about a cold Christmas.

With the main course over, we wonder what’s next. The answer: Christmas pudding. Of course it’s Christmas pudding. A dense, rich, dark ball of flavour, accompanied by ramekins of warm custard, whipped cream, and rum and raisin ice cream.

But the final flourish is yet to come.

Soon, Espen is standing next to us with a jug of OP rum and a lighter. He pours the rum over the pudding and sets it afire. Everyone loves a bit of food theatre — especially when it tastes this good!

We leave feeling full and wholly satisfied, just as Christmas should be.

Double Down on Norwegian Winter Vibes

If you want to really go full Scando, Espen has installed a proper Nordic style sauna next to the Oriana’s pool.

Motel guests can use the sauna anytime and all through the year, but in the middle of winter, you can work up a sweat (we got the sauna up over 60°C) then leap into the unheated horrors of the pool for an invigorating cold plunge.

We didn’t see the need to do this last bit as the air temperature was around zero degrees anyway.

Plus Espen had already started pouring the glogg!

The Oriana’s Christmas in July feasts happen every Friday and Saturday night throughout July, but reserve your table quick as this books out fast.

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We attended the Christmas in July feast at the Oriana Motel as media, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

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]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/christmas-july-oriana/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-apr26/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-apr26/#respond Sun, 03 May 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=42100 As Sydney edges its way into winter, we look back at April – the country’s shoulder month. It’s kinda cold, kinda sunny and generally unpredictable. It’s also home to more ... Read more

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As Sydney edges its way into winter, we look back at April – the country’s shoulder month. It’s kinda cold, kinda sunny and generally unpredictable. It’s also home to more than its fair share of public holidays. But all this hasn’t slowed us down much!

While we flutter between jumpers and jackets, and shorts and T-shirts, Christina and I have been checking out a couple of Sydney’s top restaurants, a staycation hotel and its excellent executive lounge, we’ve had an interstate family visit and we’ve been on set for a TV show.

Plus there’s been the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends to fit in! I don’t know how we do it.

Hope you enjoy this Flavour Of The Month.

Cheers

Jim & Christina xx

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We kick off the month with a stay in the excellently located Sofitel Darling Harbour right in the middle of Sydney’s bustling entertainment district (and an easy ferry ride from our place).

We’ve wanted to give this hotel a go for a while, so we’re excited to have a couple of nights here to put it through its paces.

Our room on the 29th floor gives us access to the hotel’s executive level on the very top floor: Sofitel’s slick Club Millesime, which has breakfast, afternoon tea and supper included – not to mention killer water views out over Darling Harbour and the city.

You can read our full review of Sofitel Darling Harbour here.

We’ve also published a video review:

Also in Sofitel Darling Harbour is the two-Hatted French fine-dining restaurant Atelier. It’s our last night at the hotel and we celebrate with a meal that we won’t forget in a hurry.

The food is absolutely superb with entrees of easily one of the best steak tartares we’ve had and chargrilled octopus in a delicate saffron sabayon, mains of house-aged duck and thick-cut angus sirloin, and a rich, dark chocolate delice…

But I shouldn’t spoil too many surprises – you can find our full review of Atelier by Sofitel here!

Tonight, for a whole host of reasons (including the anniversary of not one but two of of our dear friends’ dads passing today) we thought we’d open a pretty special bottle of wine in recognition.

We’ve had this bottle of Peterson’s sparkling Semillon from the Hunter Valley for ages. I mean, it’s a 2007 vintage, but we’ve only had it for about six years. Thankfully the winery has done most of the ageing for us.

Semillon is a funny grape. It’s obviously a white wine, but the longer you leave it, it changes from being a zippy, high-acid youthful drop to a grumpy, textured old wine. A strange oakiness develops even though it’s never seen the inside of a barrel.

We looked at whether you can age white wine here, but this bottle confirms 1000% that you definitely can! What an extraordinary drink this is. And a great way to celebrate Jerry and Kumar’s life. Cheers lads.

The first long weekend of April is upon us – Easter in fact – and we’ve decided to go out for brunch with Christina’s fam.

For one reason or another, we’ve come out to Wahroonga to the Butcher’s Block (I approve of the name) for a bite to eat. Christina’s sister picked it – I wonder if she knows there’s another Butcher’s Block at Barangaroo – much closer to us. Just sayin’.

Anyway, the food here is great. Christina orders the Butcher’s Breakfast – a veritable platter of chorizo, bacon, hash brown, eggs, mushrooms, tomato and even a wagyu flank steak!

Her mum goes for the gnocchi and I have the burger. Oddly, I ask for the cheeseburger, which somehow baffles our young server taking my order. I mean, it’s a burger and it comes with – among other things – cheese, but there you go. Whatever you want to call it, I enjoy the food either way.

My brother-in-law and nephew, however, order the chicken burger, but aren’t impressed at all, so a bit of a mixed bag.

It’s lovely to catch up with everyone and have a meal together though.

Today, we’re at one of our locals the Royal Oak Hotel in Balmain, but not for what you might think.

We’re here as rent-a-crowd for a filming session with Channel 7’s Sydney Weekender. They’re here filming for a segment on the lauded Balmain Rozelle Heritage Pub Trail, which we’ve been working on (professionally and socially) for some time now.

In fact, check out our viral IG Reel here!

We’ve been in the background before with these guys when they were filming for the Inner West Distillery Trail – you can see that Sydney Weekender episode (and glimpses of us) here.

It’s good to be back in front of the camera – especially when all you have to do is look like you’re enjoying yourself, and eat and drink what’s put in front of you! The anchovy bruschetta, and figs and ricotta are sensational by the way.

So keep your eye out for us on your TV soon.

This evening, we’re in Paddington for a very special (and substantial) dinner at the ridiculously good Izy.Aki.

This is an omakase restaurant – a Japanese style of dining where the kitchen brings what it wants to you rather than you ordering. It’s growing in popularity in Australia and I can see why.

But this is omakase with a difference.

Owner Darren Templeman and his amazing head chef Bonnie Yu create an ever-changing menu of delicacies that they bring to your seat at the bar, but where this restaurant differs from most omakase is that the majority of the dishes – they do either a 6-course or 10-course sitting – are not sushi or sashimi based.

Rather, they utilise the the charcoal-fired yakiniku grill to create more protein-focused dishes and delicate, international masterpieces.

Darren [right] comes from a history of outstanding Sydney kitchens including O Dining and his own restaurant Atelier (different to the one in Sofitel that we mentioned earlier). From Atelier, Darren has brought is signature dish The Egg.

This sensation created quite the stir in the foodie world.

Within the perfectly scalped hen’s egg, as well as the yolk itself, is a wonderfully light yet rich combination of foie gras, smoked eel and golden salmon roe. It’s do tasty.

The food keeps coming as we try not to detonate under the artillery of umami. Every single dish seems to be determined to out-do its predecessor. Thankfully, the service is not only incredibly friendly and fun, but also considerate of our struggle.

Timed perfectly to our digestion, we leave feeling sated, happy and with a new-found respect for the art of omakase.

Check out our full review of Izy-Aki here – you can also find our video short on the experience here on YouTube (like and subscribe!).

It’s always fun to go inside places that are usually closed, but every time the Rozelle Power Station, which has been locked and derelict until recently, opens up, it feels like Wonka himself has come out of hiding.

Thankfully, this being the Sydney Biennale, you don’t need a golden ticket to go in. In fact, it’s all free.

There are some brilliant pieces of art installed in the Power Station this year, so make sure you get down to check it out. There’s a free bus – one of the old heritage ones – that goes from the QVB every weekend, but otherwise the 441 and 442 takes you almost to the door.

And while you’re at the Biennale, why not pop round the corner for a quick shandy at Sydney Brewery’s Rozelle venue.

Not only are their beers all solid, they’re really coming along with changing things for the better in this enormous space.

Latest addition is the massive screen they’ve just installed. This could be (we haven’t had this confirmed yet) the biggest indoor pub or brewery screen in the country.

Sydney Brewery will be showing the big sports games here, but also they’re looking at movie nights and things like that, so keep your eye out for that.

Also, how about this brilliant offer that’s going under the radar a bit:

Sydney Brewery has a special takeaway deal where, for $50, you get two pizzas, a box of the most delicious chips and a four-pack of beer!

As we head into the Anzac Day weekend, Christina and I are excited to have some special visitors coming to town.

My two gorgeous nieces, who live up in Brisbane, are down for a holiday. They were supposed to be bringing my brother with them, but he didn’t want to because he hates me. I hope he reads this! 

Although it would’ve been lovely to see my brother, it’s great to hang out with the girls for some of the weekend. We head to Ester Spirits, one of our favourite distilleries, for their jazz night.

The music is as amazing as the drinks are, and the happy hour adds an even brighter spark to the evening: for $25 you get a choice of drinks (martinis, gimlets and the like) and a burger from the van outside.

What could be better. Well, probably sitting a bit further from the band to be honest. The boyfriend of one of the girls, who’s down for the weekend too, is sitting a bit too close to the saxophonist!

Today is Anzac Day proper, and Christina and I are up for the Dawn Service in Balmain. It’s an impressively well-attended service and beautifully executed. 

Since our Dawn Service experience at Thailand’s Hellfire Pass last year, we’ve decided to make a concerted effort to play a more active role in this important remembrance day.

The day is finally here! Our lovely friend Jane Lawson’s book Secret Japan is out and alive! 

She kindly sent us a digital preview last month, but having the real thing in our hands is quite something. Beautifully written, exceptionally illustrated with full-colour photos and structured in a way that’s not only informative and helpful, but entertaining and enthralling as well, this is a must-read for anyone interested, passionate and curious about Japan’s lesser-known features.

Each prefecture is dealt with by Jane, who has lived, visited, worked and played in Japan for most of her life. Her knowledge of this often arcane and esoteric nation is both profound and profoundly useful to anyone wanting to exist within its culture. The way that she has dealt with potential friction points is deft and delicate, while not pulling any punches at the same time.

Pick up your copy of Secret Japan – an insider’s guide to deeper travel in the world’s most fascinating country here.

Congratulations, Jane. This is a great book.

It also gives me an excuse to break out a drop of awamori, a rice spirit (like sake but distilled rather than brewed) that I brought back from Okinawa. You can read about this mysterious, delectable drink here.

This morning, Christina is speaking at a small-business workshop as a new member of the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce. 

They’re meeting at the Teras Cafe on Darling Street, where she’s telling them all about the virtues of EDM funnels and social media – and how she’s a gun for hire to help set up systems that make what is often an unsurmountable marketing mountain more than do-able. 

The rest of the morning is a networking session, getting to know other local businesses and chatting with everyone. The Chamber an excellent resource that more small companies in the Balmain, Rozelle, Birchgrove and Lilyfield area should sign up for.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the wrap up of this month’s goings on. It’s been a fun 30 days for us, that’s for sure!

Christina & Jim xx

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]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/fotm-apr26/feed/ 0 https://mrandmrsromance.com/new-south-wales/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/new-south-wales/#comments Sun, 03 May 2026 09:33:35 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=31216 Australia’s Premier State, New South Wales has so much to offer, from the most populous city to picture perfect country towns, from pristine beaches to snow-topped mountains. Here are our ... Read more

The post Where To Go In Australia’s First State – our NSW destination guide appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

]]> Australia’s Premier State, New South Wales has so much to offer, from the most populous city to picture perfect country towns, from pristine beaches to snow-topped mountains. Here are our hot tips on where to go around New South Wales.

With so many incredible places around the world to visit, you might wonder why Christina and I love sticking so close to home.

The funny thing is, when we’ve been overseas and have made our way home, we’re always impressed with just how good Sydney and NSW stands up against the most beautiful destinations around the world.

And while we’re always on the lookout for our next far-flung adventure (and the opportunity to get some use out of the world’s most expensive passport!), exploring our own backyard never gets boring.

But don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of stories on some our favourite places like Lake Como.

Where to travel in New South Wales

Let’s follow the compass on our journey round NSW!

Go north

The Hunter Valley

Who guessed I’d start this guide with wine? No, I’m not surprised either! And the Hunter Valley certainly deserves as much credit as it always gets.

The oldest wine region in Australia, the Hunter has some incredible places to visit with astounding countryside and cellar doors to match.

If you don’t believe me, check out these tips on wineries recommended by long-time local and winemaster, Ian ‘Scarbie’ Scarborough of Scarborough Wines fame. These guys make the best Chardonnay you’ll ever taste by the way, and their cellar door experience is incredible.

We have a host of other reasons (not just wine… but mostly!) to visit the Hunter Valley. Check out our other reasons to visit this beautiful part of the state.

Port Stephens

Right next the Hunter Valley on the coast, Port Stephens is still (amazingly) a gem hiding in plain sight and not far from Sydney.

We’ve been coming to this pretty peninsula for years now and know the area well. Not only are there plenty of places to eat and drink, the beaches in Port Stephens are astounding. What better way to unwind after a long lockdown?

Here’s our essential guide to Port Stephens to give you a taste of what you’ll find here.

Maitland

Caught between the Hunter Valley to the south and Newcastle to the east, Maitland has long had the reputation as a ’30-minute town’ – in that it’s half an hour’s drive from both its bookend destinations.

But back in the mid-1800s, Maitland and its even smaller neighbour Morpeth were an epicentre of the colony.

There are still vestiges of those thriving times still to see now, but the real joy of this town isn’t its history; it’s the food.

There are so many remarkable places to eat here, we left after a weekend barely able to fit into our car, let alone our clothes!

Here’s where to eat in Maitland, plus our other stories on this fascinating part of NSW, whose history we’ve all but forgotten.

Byron Bay

Perhaps the biggest punctuation on the northern NSW coastline is Byron Bay. And justly so. Not just the town, but the whole area is brimming with beauty… and superb food.

You’ll find eating here very satisfying with so many venues offering local produce grown and crafted with love.

There’s a whole host of places to try here, as you’ll see from our compilation of where to eat in Byron, but there’s also so much to do here.

And of course, the whole area is so pretty – check out our Postcards story if you don’t believe me. 

Head south

Southern Highlands

Southwest of Wollongong, the Southern Highlands makes for a perfect escape from the city and a wonderful place to get away from the long lockdown.

Each little town in the highlands offers something different, as well as a burgeoning wine-making culture, though all are connected by one wonderful filament of gold: pies.

And every year, the Southern Highlands has Pie Time – a celebration of everything pastry.

Pie Time – a wonderful week in June of pie glory in the Southern ‘Pielands’ – is has this region at its best.

2020’s Pie Time is going virtual, with 1-7 June going for ‘Pie-solation’ celebrations, encouraging Aussies far and wide to pie up at home and share their pastry yarns online with #pietime and #piesolations. 

Berry

On the other side of the mountains to the highlands, this wealthy country town has been a popular stop for motorists for many years – though now the bypass misses Berry, it’s mercifully a lot quieter.

You’ll find pies to die for here too and Mt Hay Retreat up in the hills is a superb place to rest your head.

South Coast and Mollymook

The NSW South Coast has long been a popular haunt for Sydney holidaymakers, and rightly so. It’s absolutely stunning here. Pristine beaches, delightful food options, friendly locals… it’s hard not to like the South Coast.

One of the highlights of our time in the South Coast was when we stayed at Bannisters by the Sea at Mollymook. It’s a pretty little retreat in a quaint little seaside town with the other obvious asset of Rick Stein’s famed restaurant.

This iconic eatery aside, there are so many excellent food options in this part of the Shoalhaven to try. 

Other parts of southern NSW

Our last roadtrip before Covid-19 struck was down through the southern parts of NSW and into Victoria. We had decided to do our own Empty Esky in aid of the terrible bushfires that ravaged so much of the state.

That all seems so long ago now – even though it’s only a few months back as I write this.

It was, however, a blessing, as we were able to experience some amazing parts of the state that hopefully will still be the same the next time we visit.

Places like Batemans Bay and Moruya, Tumut and its wonderful brewery, the bakery at Howlong and Corowa’s distillery – you can find them all detailed here in our Empty Esky story… and you’ll find them all in person as you enjoy the beauty of New South Wales.

Enjoy the Central West

Travelling west of Sydney is such a different experience to going north or south along the coast. The landscape is so different, and the locals even more so.

Orange

One of the first places west of the Blue Mountains we ever visited, Orange is packed with truly superb food and wine. It’s a mountainous area, with a cool climate and high elevation, which makes the produce here even better.

Here’s our essential guide to Orange, NSW to get you started. 

Mudgee

Another wonderful western town that’s even friendlier than Orange and with perhaps even better wine and produce is Mudgee. There’s something about this place that really kept our hearts. We can’t wait to go back.

Here’s a hit list of where we’ll be eating when we go back plus our top tip for where to stay while you’re there. Honestly the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in… and I’m really picky!

The Blue Mountains

Arguably the most famous inland landmark of New South Wales are the Blue Mountains. This little section of the Great Dividing Range, which runs north to south some 3,500km, has so much history and beauty to it.

Here are seven ways to experience the grandeur of this landscape, which we highly recommend if you haven’t been here for a few years (it’s all been updated). And here’s where stay in the Blue Mountains too.

For more of our stories of the Blue Mountains, click here. 

The City

Of course, there’s no need to go too far if you don’t want to – or if you don’t have enough time. Sydney has so much to offer visitors and locals alike. We love a staycation here in the city, and we’ve written so much about our times here.

You’ll find everything from Sydney hotels and restaurants in the city to things to do and places to see.

But if you’re only in town for a short while, here’s what you can do in 24 hours.

And for more ideas for easy Sydney weekend getaways, check out this champion story!

If you’ve got more time on your hands and want to deep-dive into the research, here are more of our stories on places we’ve explored in New South Wales. 

Of course, we haven’t been everywhere in New South Wales… though we’re working on it. We’d love to go west and see what it’s like further inland. The farthest west we’ve been in NSW is Mendooran – a tiny town near Dubbo, where a particularly good whisky is made.

But every town between Sydney and Broken Hill has its story. And there’s time to hear them all.

Do you have a place of priority you want to visit as soon as travel restrictions lift? Tell us in the comments.

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]]> https://mrandmrsromance.com/new-south-wales/feed/ 5 https://mrandmrsromance.com/izyaki-omakase/ https://mrandmrsromance.com/izyaki-omakase/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000 https://mrandmrsromance.com/?p=42076 Neat as nigiri, Japanese omakase restaurant Izy.Aki fits perfectly between the brick and sandstone walls of its cosy Paddington pad to create a wonderfully romantic dining experience in Sydney’s east. ... Read more

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]]> Neat as nigiri, Japanese omakase restaurant Izy.Aki fits perfectly between the brick and sandstone walls of its cosy Paddington pad to create a wonderfully romantic dining experience in Sydney’s east.

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

Creating delicious works of edible genius from Izy.Aki’s diminutive kitchen, owner Darren Templeman and head chef Bonnie Yu have levelled up Sydney’s omakase scene.

This is omakase, but not as Australia’s seen before.

As we sit down at the counter that takes up most of the narrow restaurant — very much like the izakayas of backstreet Kyoto — Christina and I ponder how this instantly feels different to other omakase experiences we’ve had.

Far less formal and a more relaxed pace, Izy.Aki is more about enjoying the atmosphere, chatting to the staff and taking your time over a dish.

Not only is this more conducive to a romantic dinner, it also allows you to appreciate the sheer attention to detail. Here, the experience is all about you and your evening.

This is kappo yakiniku omakase.

What is kappo yakiniku omakase?

The Japanese trend of omakase dining has taken Australia by storm, pushing the popular degustation dinners of the 2010s out of the way with a sumo shove.

Born in the 1980s when businessmen had neither time nor inclination to choose their meals, Tokyo C-suiters would task the chef with omakase — ‘I leave it up to you’. The kitchen would then present what they had on hand to the busy diner.

Sydney has since adopted this style of eating with vigour, but Izy.Aki is taking things to the next step.

If you haven’t heard of kappo yakiniku omakase before, don’t worry; this is a first for Australia.

Kappo means ‘to cut and cook’ and yakiniku refers to the charcoal grill used in particular restaurants. So instead of being primarily sushi and sashimi focused, kappo yakiniku is also about grilled meats and personal service.

Our 10-Course Omakase at Izy.Aki

We slip into our seats at the long white marble bar that stretches out to the back of the room and squeezes everyone in at the elbow.

From here, we can see everything going on; every cocktail stirred and sake poured, and the parade of dishes prepped, plated and presented along the bar.

We love this kind of dining.

Beginning with a couple of superbly crafted house cocktails (Christina has an Izy-groni and I’ve gone for a Nip on Molasses), we settle in and watch the show.

It’s important to note that Darren and Bonnie change their menu all the time so expect different things than we’re detailing here. Regardless, you’re still guaranteed a spectacular dinner.

Dish 1: bluefin tuna tartare

Soon, our first dish — the first of 10 — arrives, and it’s clear that although the atmosphere and service is relaxed here, the menu takes itself pretty seriously.

There’s no such thing as scrimping or sub-standard ingredients. The food focuses on finest form and best quality, and in this there is no compromise.

The mound of jiggly red and orange cubes turns out to be bluefin tuna tartare and dashi jelly, and the snow on top is none other than shavings of pate de foie gras. Flavours are intense and almost peppery, with delicate textures of tuna that become even more tender when we get to the jelly.

Dish 2: The Egg

Izy.Aki’s signature dish and a real wow moment of the meal.

This is a free range hen’s egg that has been emptied then refilled with a wonderful array of flavours. Smoked eel, more foie gras and golden trout roe create a dish of incredible depth of flavour; rich, salty, packed with umami, yet light as air with the occasional pop and bite from the roe.

The shell has been perfectly scalped using a weighted cutter that head chef Bonnie enthusiastically shows off to us.

It’s little wonder why this dish has made such waves on the internet.

Dish 3: Sashimi time!

Plated with infinite delicacy, these three perfect tokens of wild kingfish from Ulladulla come with a salad of okame seaweed, edible flowers and red salmon roe. Dotted on each of them is an emulsion of house-fermented black garlic.

This isn’t as zesty or fresh as I was expecting after the opulence of The Egg. Instead, the silky richness and umami from the exquisite combination of flavours keeps the savoury ball rolling.

Dish 4: Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a kind of savoury egg custard and is traditional for kaiseki ryori (a multi-dish meal). However, Izy.Aki has pushed back against convention a little, serving theirs cool or at room temperature rather than piping hot, making this dish quite refreshing.

The dollop of real oscietra caviar on top is only just the start of the lavishness of this dish. Below, bathing in the silken custard and seafood dashi are pieces of pomelo, scallion and shredded Alaskan crab.

The ensemble brings sweetness, savoury notes and sharpness under the banner of the velvety custard.

Dish 5: Seafood Soup

With a base of seafood dashi — a great start to any aqueous dish — the luxury of abalone, octopus from Fremantle, Patagonian prawns and fresh lotus root make this so much more than a mere soup.

Dish 6: Lobster Tail

The extravagance keeps on coming as Darren brings us each a whole lobster tail from WA and Misty Valley mushrooms.

You’d expect the mushrooms to play second fiddle to the lobster, but not here. Having said that, the lobster is superb; tender, sweet, flavourful and perfectly cooked.

Keeping everything together though is the rich unctuous sauce made with house-fermented chilli butter. If this had been at home, I’d have licked my plate.

Dish 7: Beef Brisket

Somehow, Darren and Bonnie upstage the previous dish yet again with a monster of flavour: this 12-hours slow-cooked beef brisket that’s been finished on the yakiniku grill is so tender you can pull it apart with your fork.

The fat that rendered from the beef has been used to cook the delicate green cauliflower blossoms, and the rocher of mushroom miso butter creates such a range of profoundly deep flavours it’s almost overwhelming.

Dish 8: Wagyu Sirloin

Just when we think we’ve reached the deepest depth of flavour, Izy.Aki takes us to the Mariana Trench of umami with a beautifully grilled black opal wagyu sirloin (MB9+) from Victoria. The yakiniku grill has worked its magic again with this cut, creating the perfect Maillard crust on the outside while keeping the middle pink and tender.

With the steak comes a range of condiments — two types of freshly grated wasabi, a sour tamarind sauce and a fermented soy bean chilli, which I could just spoon up on its own. As a side (because we need more food!) is a bowl of house-fermented white kimchee and saffron fronds.

As Darren explains, this is a kind of choose-your-own-adventure thing, where you can pick how your steak tastes with each of the delectable condiments. This is a real wow dish.

Dish 9: Dessert #1

At first sight, we think this could be the one that kills us: a big scoop of rich dark chocolate cremeux, yoghurt sorbet and crunchy puffed rice.

However, this is a well-balanced dessert that’s surprisingly fresh and zesty. It somehow scratches the sweet itch after all these super savoury dishes, but is also far less filling than it looks.

Dish 10: Soufflé

The final dish is a real centrepiece. Rising high about its ornate pot, the Hokkaido matcha and raspberry cheesecake soufflé is really something to behold.

Freshly baked and puffy, the top hides a secret stash of gooey cheesecake and raspberries at the bottom, so it’s important to push your spoon all the way down.

This dish has changed my mind about matcha, which I never really held in high regard before. The creamy quenelle of mascarpone ice cream adds texture and a lovely hot-cold contrast to the soufflé.

Sake at Izy.Aki

I think it’s important to point out the bar here at Izy.Aki is not only packed with some outstanding spirits (there’s even a bottle of Sullivan’s Cove here), but its sake options are almost endless.

We finish with some junmai ginjo sake, which is earthy and funky, yet still fresh and clean. The sake is decanted into a silver vessel then poured into silver cups. The bottoms of the cups are smelted into the zodiac signs of the Lunar Calendar, which is a fun touch.

I must say, I do love the artistry and pageantry of omakase.

Along with the convivial service of a restaurant that leans halfway towards a Kyoto izakaya and halfway towards slick Paddo experiential dining, Izy.Aki’s omakase does all the thinking for you, bringing you a meal you never thought you needed.

The only problem now is all we can think about is going back for more!

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

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