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.

We’ll be bringing you a full review of Simpson Cottage as well as an extensive walkthrough video, but until then, you can 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.

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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.

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

The post Where to have Christmas in July — the Oriana Motel, Orange appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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

The post French Hotels, Japanese Dinners and We’re On TV… Again! appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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.

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

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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.

The post Romantic and Intimate — omakase dining at Izy.Aki, Paddington appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Right on the shores of Sydney’s waterfront entertainment quarter, Sofitel Darling Harbour is perfectly positioned for a luxe Sydney getaway or – in our case – a romantic staycation.

Darling Harbour is packed with restaurants, bars and fun things to do — from bowling to one of the world’s biggest cinema screens, the aquarium and Wildlife World, not to mention an impressive weekly fireworks display over the water framed by the city and the historic Pyrmont Bridge.

Also within walking distance to the Sofitel Darling Harbour, you’ve got the ever-evolving dining scenes of Chinatown and Thai Town, King Street Wharf and Barangaroo.

But that’s if you even want to leave the comfort of your hotel room, a dilemma we certainly struggle with during our stay!

Where to Stay in Sydney — Sofitel Darling Harbour

Though it’s not the tallest hotel in Sydney (or even in the area for that matter), Sofitel Darling Harbour still has amazing views out over the city and way out to the west — a point that really stands up as the sun sets.

And it’s certainly worth booking a room as high as you can — above level 28 in particular — as this gives you access to Accor’s exclusive club service ‘Millesime’. But more about that later.

Inside our Superior Room

Compact but still very comfortable, especially for our two-night stay, our room is generously furnished and well designed. But it’s the extra features that elevate Sofitel’s rooms to the quality you expect from this internationally renowned hotel group.

The room has all the basics covered: bed, bathroom, table and chairs, but they’re all done with a bit of flex.

The bed is enormous and has a beautifully finished headboard and end-of-bed bench. The bedside furniture is generous and has multi-format power outlets as well as uncomplicated light switches. It might not sound like a big deal, but these last two points are actually so refreshing.

The bathroom not only has a high-powered shower with overhead and angled heads, it also has a beautiful deep-fill bath that looks through the sliding doors to the views of the city. My only gripe about the bathroom is the strongly opaque door to the toilet. More and more hotels seem to think that the greater the opportunity to see your partner on the throne, the more romantic/luxurious/modern the room. This needs to be addressed; any proximity to another human emptying themselves is none of these things!

One little treasure we discover in the bathroom that seems to have gone the way of the dodo in hotels is the amenity kit. Occasionally these days you might get the odd cotton bud or a shower cap, but not in the Sofitel Darling Harbour. Harking back to the good old days, this has to be one of the most comprehensive kits we’ve seen. Toothbrushes, combs, nail files, cotton pads and buds, and even a shaving kit — I’m impressed.

The table and chair in the room are comfortable and well-sized, and the second ‘chair’ is in fact a chase longue that you can recline on and enjoy the views through the entire wall of windows.

There are lots of other little details like the lovely lamps, the fabric textured wardrobe doors and the quaint vignette of old photos on the wall that add to the room’s style.

Mind you, the carpet pattern keeps making me think there’s an electrical cable laying across the floor.

As I’ve mentioned, the views here are outstanding, but there’s another bonus to being on floor 29: we get access to the Millesime club level.

Club Millesime Level, Sofitel Darling Harbour

Right up on the 35th level, Club Millesime — meaning ‘great vintage’ in French — takes up the whole top floor of the Sofitel and offers some of the best views of Sydney.

As well as a full reception (with its own secret stash of Champagne btw!), where you can check in and out without using the ground level concierge at all, there’s a dedicated kitchen here that opens three times a day starting with breakfast.

From 6.30am to 10.30am (11.00am on weekends and public holidays), the complimentary breakfast at Club Millesime offers a wonderful spread of pastries, croissants, in-house jams, fresh-from-the-comb honey and breakfast cereals.

There’s also a full spread of hot buffet options. The bacon is excellent here — a yardstick I mark all hotel breakfasts with. At your table, you can also order a small selection of a la carte items like eggs Benedict and avocado on toast.

Le Gouter and Apero Chic at Club Millesime

In the same way the Italians have aperitivo, le gouter is a traditional snack time in France, replicated in Club Millesime between 2.30pm and 4.30pm.

Sit and enjoy tasty sweets, sandwiches and snacks, as well as complimentary hot and soft drinks, while you sit back and take in the view.

As the afternoon leans into evening, Club Millesime offers Apera Chic, a kind of opener before dinner between 5.30pm and 7.30pm.

There’s a wide selection of hot morsels available, including garlic prawns, and wagyu and cheese jalapeno spring rolls, you can build your own salad, grab a bit of cake or hit the cheese board. You can also order complimentary beers, wines, spirits and cocktails too.

It’s the perfect opportunity to relax and take in the sunset views over Sydney.

Other Bars And Facilities at Sofitel Darling Harbour

On Level 4 is the infinity pool and sun deck, open to all hotel guests. If you’re not in the mood for a swim, there’s still Le Rivage, the poolside bar (open Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm). And if you fancy something more active or pampering, the hotel gym is here too, right next door to the day spa.

On the ground floor just by reception is the lobby bar Esprit Noir, perfect for a quick drink before dinner and a great rendezvous point if you’re meeting up with friends.

Level 3 is home to the famed Champagne Bar, an elegant late-night venue with superfluous views, cocktails and French-style snacks, and a refined Champagne menu.

Here you can also have your bottle of Champagne ‘sabraged’ — a very cool way of opening the bottle with a swift strike of a sword. It’s a tradition that originated with Napoleon, a way of him celebrating victory in battle.

Perhaps most impressively, Sofitel Darling Harbour is home to one of the exclusive, elusive and very impressive Les Clef d’Or – the Golden Keys Concierge.

Recognisable by their golden crossed keys pin, these guys aren’t like regular concierge people, they’re like X-Men. They know everything that’s going on in the city, they can get you into sold-out shows, they know every bar, restaurant and hidden spot in the area, and they have fingers on every pulse beating.

We met a Golden Keys in Paris and his knowledge was incredible. You can read about it here.

Fine-dining at Sofitel Darling Habour — Atelier by Sofitel

The real crowning glory of Sofitel Darling Harbour, two-Hatted Atelier is an icon in French fine dining in Sydney.

On Level 3 and conveniently close to the Champagne Bar, Atelier sets the scene for a most romantic dinner, and the food and wine make it an occasion to remember. In fact, it feels more like the hotel was built around the restaurant than the other way around.

To get to the restaurant, you go past the kitchen and what seems to be a lot of empty seats, but this area is in fact where breakfast is served for hotel guests without access to the Club Millesime level.

It feels a bit strange going through such a big empty space, but once in the warm, salubrious inner sanctum of the restaurant proper, with its discrete bar and the city lights twinkling through the window, we settle in for a meal to remember.

The kitchen here has a few special tricks up its sleeve. There’s a cabinet specifically for dry ageing duck to superb effect. They also use a charcoal-fired Mibrasa oven for the steaks here, which acts as a combination grill and oven. This specialised Spanish oven sears, cooks and smokes all at the same time.

Needless to say: I’m excited.

In fact, you can read our full review of Atelier here!

Getting to Sofitel Darling Harbour

Being right next to the ICC and in the midst of one of Sydney’s major tourism drawcards means that Sofitel Darling Harbour is really well connected.

Of course, a taxi will bring you to the door, but there are public transport options too.

From Central or the city, the light rail is an easy option and drops you right outside the hotel.

Alternatively, you could walk in from the city across the historic Pyrmont Bridge — the world’s oldest surviving electronic swing bridge — and see Darling Harbour from all sides.

But the nicest way to get there is to catch an F4 ferry to Pyrmont Bay. From there you have the option of walking through Darling Harbour or go one stop on the light rail from Star Casino.

After all, a romantic stay in a hotel of this quality deserves an enjoyable journey to arrive by.

We stayed as media guests of Sofitel Darling Habour, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post Where to Wake Up In Sydney — Sofitel Darling Harbour appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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While the fine-dining scene has been working through some things, growing into its next life stage, Atelier in Sydney’s Darling Harbour has been ahead of that particular curve since it opened in 2017.

Atelier’s intimate, service-forward ethos brings out the feeling relaxed refinement and luxury that most other top-end restaurants are still wrestling into place.

It’s that fine balancing act of harnessing the traditional without being stuffy, the high-end without being snobby, the elegance without the side eye.

Read our full review of the Sofitel Darling Harbour here.

Dinner at Atelier in Darling Harbour

Being part of the Sofitel Darling Harbour, you expect Atelier to have that ‘just another hotel restaurant’ vibe, but that’s not the case here.

None of the usual hotel trappings that tend to leak out into the dining experience at Atelier. This is a self-contained in-its-own-right restaurant that attracts just as many people not staying in the hotel as actual guests, if not more.

Having said that — and this is my only reservation with Atelier — entering the restaurant is a bit… strange.

From the maitre d’ station at the entrance, you have to walk through a large room full of empty tables and chairs before you get to Atelier. This is where the hotel serves breakfast and it just feels a bit uncomfortable, a bit deserted.

The kitchens are also in the breakfast room, which is a shame. These are open kitchens and it would be nice to feel a bit more connected to them during dinner.

The food coming from the distant kitchens, however, is excellent and the atmosphere in Atelier proper is cosy and convivial.

Entrees

Choosing entrees at Atelier is actually quite challenging; but that’s what happens with a paradox of choice. You want everything, but because of that, you can’t pick one.

After lengthy negotiations, we settle on the charcoal-grilled octopus from the kitchen’s specialised Mibrasa grill, which acts as a combination grill and oven. This specialised Spanish oven sears, cooks and smokes all at the same time.

The octopus is butter tender and comes with a kind of ratatouille, though there’s a freshness and crunch in the capsicum and a light creaminess too. On top is a wonderfully velvety saffron sabayon that slowly collapses on itself adding richness and umami.

It’s a clever dish that can only come from a kitchen that knows its stuff.

We also order the O’Connor black angus beef tartare. Christina and I have made a pact that if there’s ever a tartare on the menu, we have to order it. Boy, are we glad we did this time.

Quite possibly the best we’ve had, this tartare is really something. Dressed to impress, the steak is plated with tiny geranium leaves, parsley and edible flowers. For the all-important acidity, the kitchen has gone with pickled onion petals as well as capers, and the egg has been confited until it’s slightly gelatinous.

Buried deep inside the tartare is a rich remoulade, a kind of gently spiced mayonnaise, that brings a voluptuous creaminess to the ensemble.

We each have a glass of La Comtesse Chardonnay from Mudgee-based winery De Beaurepaire that cuts through the richness of the entrees, but also has a lovely creamy body all of its own.

Mains

Because of the kitchen’s special Mibrasa oven, we feel duty-bound to order a steak (yes, it’s a tough life, isn’t it) and it turns out to be an excellent decision.

The black angus tenderloin (cooked rare) is a thick generous cut. The Mibrasa has given the outside a beautiful crusty char while the inside is red and rested.

In terms of sauce, I have opted for the confit garlic and herb butter — basically a luxed-up cafe de Paris — but to be honest the steak doesn’t need it; there’s so much flavour and juiciness here. However, it does go well with the duck fat roasted Andean sunrise potatoes.

One of the other unique things about Atelier is the kitchen dry ages its own ducks. You can see them hanging in the cabinet next to the Mibrasa.

Of course, this influences our other choice of main: the dry-aged corn-fed duck breast from Moorabool Valley near Geelong.

The duck breast is perfectly cooked: pink where it should be, bronzed like a Greek god everywhere else. While the meat is quite salty on its own, the glossy rocher of apple sauce is acidic enough that it balances everything out to the point of buoyancy.

With our main meals, we have a glass of De Beaurepaire’s Perceval Pinot Noir and a bold Grenache from the Other Wine Co in McLaren Vale.

Dessert

Somehow our server Gabriela convinces us to squeeze in dessert, specifically the Vietnamese dark chocolate, coconut, pandan and mint delice.

We’re apprehensive at first, but it turns out to be a lovely dessert. I’m not a fan of pandan, but its delicate floral flavour works well with the coconut and mint.

Gabriela also treats us to a glass of De Beaurepaire Botrytis, which blends so perfectly with the sharpness of the mint and the depth of flavour of the Vietnamese dark chocolate.

This is an outstanding dining experience, full of romance and wonderful food. Atelier is the perfect place for a romantic meal or to celebrate a special occasion.

We dined as media guests of Sofitel Darling Harbour, but our experiences and opinions remain our own.

The post French Fine-Dining in Sydney — Atelier by Sofitel appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

March by name, march by nature! This month has definitely flashed by, hasn’t it? It’s a shame that March has gone by so quickly – this is usually the best time to be in Sydney; days still warm, evenings slightly cooler, crowds are smaller, everyone’s back to work and school.

And as is my MO for habitually complaining about how fast each month has gone by, I’m once again going to blame it on so much happening.

We have friends in town from interstate, we’re visiting friends in other states, weddings down on the NSW border and even our own wedding anniversary celebrations. We’ve got tours of ocean liners, whisky judging panels, wine tastings, Elvis biopic premiers, cocktails, St Patrick’s Day, curries, comedians and even a sneak preview of a friend’s magnificent new travel book.

And it’s all happened in these 31 short days!

Hope you’re sitting comfortably.

Jim & Christina xx

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We kick off the month with a bit of indie music! Our good friend Nick Beswick is playing a gig at the Gasoline Pony in Marrickville.

The band he’s in – Lost In The Woods – has been going since the mid-2000s and always puts down brilliant sets. You can find out more about the band and any upcoming gigs here on their site and their albums are all available on Spotify here.

It’s great to see Nick, especially when his parents are in town. His mum is the only other person I’ve met with the same birthday as me!

This afternoon, we get to play tour guide to our lovely friends Steve and Heather Collins in town from Perth. We met Steve in 2019 on a media trip to South Africa and we’ve stayed in contact ever since.

Steve has worn many hats in his life including a radio and podcast broadcaster, a writer, a photographer and a travel correspondent. He’s also a standup comedian, so there are always plenty of healthy one-liners on hand to keep everyone smiling.

We take them round to see some of the sights of Balmain and pop into our favourite pub The Bald Rock Hotel in Rozelle for a spot of lunch. It’s been so good to spend time with these lovely people.

All too soon, they have to head back to where they’re staying in Manly, so we pop them on a ferry and wave goodbye. Hope to see them both again soon.

We’ve had a long-running love affair with the wine, food and hospitality from Orange, NSW. This town on the Central Tablelands has worked its way deep into our hearts with its friendly nature and the outstanding quality of its produce.

But in particular, the wine coming from this town is crazy. Over 80 wineries exist in the small designation that’s limited by altitude. The beauty of this is that there are still so many wineries that we haven’t yet discovered.

Owners of Angullong Wines – the Crossing family – have been crafting outstanding wines since the late 1990s. We have the opportunity to try a couple of their wines from the latest release of Angullong’s Fossil Hill range.

This range shows Angullong’s commitment to expanding and challenging the varietals and flavours that Orange is known for.

Within this release of six varieties is a Sangiovese and a Tempranillo.

Angullong’s bright, lively Sangiovese is packed with those delightful cherry and spice aromas that open up even more on the palate, ending in a rounded, long savoury finish with plenty of fine acidity and structured tannins.

The Tempranillo is also right on the money with raspberry, cedar and spice notes running through it. Light sweetness also comes through as its fine texture leads you to a moreish finish.

Both these wines are medium-bodied reds, which suggests the Australian wine palate is progressing nicely towards a more refined, lighter style of wine.

All wines in this range, which also includes a Barbera, a Montepulciano, a Shiraz and a Chardonnay, are available from Angullong’s beautiful cellar door or online here – RRP$30.00 each.

Another wine discovery from Orange, check out our review of the full recently released range from Cooks Lot Wines here.

This evening, Christina is at Balmain and Rozelle’s home of beer: Sydney Brewery! And she’s here to be part of the Women In Business that the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce runs on a regular basis.

Christina reports that it’s great to meet so many strong women working in the community, creating incredible opportunities and shaping the way that business is conducted in and around Sydney.

Titled the ‘Cider, Sip & Connect’ event, tonight’s networking festivities are combined with a tasting session of Sydney Brewery’s cider range, which I have to say is excellent.

The original apple cider, the Bat Currant and the Agave Ginger are delicious, but I must say the Lemon Twist is a winner. Dangerously easy to drink and very refreshing.

We’re so excited about this one!

Our wonderful friend Jane Lawson is almost ready to launch her latest (and possibly greatest) travel book Secret Japan!

Jane has worked, lived and travelled in Japan for over 40 years, and her incredible depth of knowledge is all out in the pages of this beautifully crafted book – and we’ve been given a bit of an advanced viewing of it!

I’m loath to call it a travel guide, because it’s so much more than that. Yes, it has some excellent travel advice, it guides you through all the different islands, regions and prefectures of Japan, and covers all the things you want to know about the country – from food to onsen etiquette.

But the way Jane has written this is more an insight into what Japan is, how and why it’s structured the way it is and what it feels like to experience this unique, fascinating destination.

We can’t wait for this book to come out in late April, and we’ll be able to share more information with you on it then too. But until then, you can get this on pre-order here.

This afternoon, I’m in our old stomping ground in Surry Hills to be part of a tasting panel for pioneering hospitality magazine National Liquor News.

Today’s target spirit is whisky – specifically Irish whiskey and Scotch. And with 70 different whiskies from over 30 distilleries across Ireland and Scotland, the group’s more than got our work cut out for us.

The setting is perfect though. We’re in the whisky room of the Clock Hotel on Crown Street, the most appropriate place to be tasting some of the best scotch and Irish whiskey on the market.

We’re on the road again!

This time, Christina and I are driving down to the borderlands for a wedding in Albury. But first, we get in a quick stopover with our awesome friends Carly and Ben who live in beautiful historic Beechworth.

It’s so much fun to hand out with them and to see their two rapidly growing kids. We wish we had more time to spend here, but all too soon we’re in the car again heading back across the river into NSW.

But it’s certainly worth it.

We’re at our friends’ Emily and Adam’s wedding in the impressive Murray Art Museum Albury (affectionately ‘MAMA‘). With over 2,400 pieces of photographic, sculptural and indigenous art, MAMA makes an amazing, unique venue for a wedding.

Christina and I are proud to have been given formal roles for the wedding: we’re the MCs for the night! Fortunately, the celebrant does most of the heavy lifting – even telling guests where the bathrooms are and not to touch any of the artworks. So we really don’t have to do that much.

The vast entrance is full of grand exhibits, but it’s also the main arena for celebrations – not to mention the bar and dance floor when all the formalities and food are over.

The party goes on long into the night – there might even be a spot of karaoke in one of the nearby night spots, but that’s for us to know…

Congratulations, Em and Adam. We hope you have most wonderful life together.

It’s our last day in Albury and also our wedding anniversary*! After hanging out with the newlyweds this afternoon, we head out for dinner at what everyone here considers to be the best place to eat in town.

We’re in Norma’s, a lovely little neighbourhood restaurant. We manage to score a table without a booking, which is a feat in itself, and work our way through the menu.

The menu, by the way, is an interesting thing. You mark off what you want to eat, take it up to the bar and hand it in. You’re almost placing your order with the open kitchen yourself. It’s at this point that you pay as well. It’s a fun way to do things, but I do worry the excellent staff and chefs here are doing themselves out of tips.

We order the calamari and ‘nduja, the pork cotoletta, tonnato sauce and crispy capers, smoked beef, kipfler potatoes and the most amazing caper crema, and the rich rigatoni with slow-cooked beef ragu, all washed down with an excellent Riesling from Darling Estate in King Valley.

Outstanding service, food and drink, and of course the very best company. Happy anniversary, Christina.

*By the way, special shout-out to my mum and dad, who’ll be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in a few days!

It’s time for us to leave Albury, but we’ll definitely be back – and not just because our lovely friends live here. This is a great little town with plenty to offer.

Before we head north, we drive up to the high point of the town for what everyone says are the best views of the area. They’re right – from the impressive Anzac War Memorial, you look out right across the town down to the distant hills.

This evening, Christina and I are at the cinema. Our friends from Memphis Tourism has invited us to a screening of Epic, the new Elvis biopic by Baz Luhrmann at the Gold Class screen at Event Cinema George Street.

We meet everyone at the bar – lots of friendly faces from the travel media industry here tonight – and head to our luxurious recliner seats for the show. Chris Ingham from Memphis Tourism talks us through the screening before the lights go down and the King takes the stage.

We weren’t sure what to expect from Epic. This is a kind of compilation of a whole load of b-roll and backstage video that was recently unearthed of Elvis’ seven-year residency in Las Vegas.

Luhrmann has created a kind of docu-concert with this, and although there’s no narration, no plot and it’s not even in any kind of chronological order, Epic is so compelling and so interesting. Seeing Elvis in rehearsals and on stage, hearing his voice and watching him in this never-before-seen footage is somehow so watchable.

We leave with a new appreciation for Presley. If nothing else, his work ethic was unimpeachable. In athe peak three-year period in Vegas, he ran other 1,100 shows, sometimes three concerts a day. And every time he went on stage, he said he’d perform like it was the first night of a tour. Impressive stuff.

After the film, Christina and I take advantage of being in the city and head to a bar we haven’t been to before. We find the hidden entry to The Press.

This is a Merivale venue and, as it turns out, where fine-dining restaurant EST. once stood. It’s a beautiful bar, vaulted ceilings, grand pillars and a long bar that sits to one side. It has a kind of speakeasy feel mixed with a Budapest ruin bar.

Cocktails are superb, made with outstanding skill and served by well-trained staff. We sit up at the bar and end up chatting to Kristy, who turns out is from a little town called Great Dunmow not far from where I grew up in the UK. Such a small world.

This afternoon, Christina is aboard the world’s last ocean liner: the magnificent Queen Mary II is berthed at Circular Quay as part of her 2026 World Voyage.

The tour of the QM2 starts with champagne on the poop deck (don’t laugh) with iconic photos of the Cunard sign and the Harbour Bridge in the background. Then the group delves into the elegant interior of one of the biggest and most luxurious cruise ships.

She admires the grandeur of twin-balustrade atria, the artworks lining walls and many dining options throughout the ship.

The tour leads to the old English pub and its homely welcoming feel, then to the elegant bistro with its wide windows looking out over the water. There’s even a full theatre on board with a stage big enough for concerts and seating for over 1,100 patrons.

There’s also a cinema, 15 restaurants, 14 bars and lounges, a library with over 6,000 books and audio books, a fully equipped casino, spas, gyms and wellness centres, four pools, spaces for quoits, basketball, tennis, and even golf, shops, boutiques and galleries, and the 1,260 square foot Queens Room – the biggest ballroom at sea. It’s like a floating city.

This evening, we’re back at the State Theatre (we were here last month to see a celebrity chef) this time to see comedian Laura Ramoso. Christina first spotted her on TikTok with her hilarious impressions of her Italian father and German mum. Another character Laura developed, which has since gone viral, is the Italian airline clerk. You should check her out.

The show is very funny, though there’s far too much audience participation for my liking and it makes me feel unsettled throughout the whole show. We’re sitting far enough back that we probably won’t be picked, but even the thought of being dragged up there turns my blood to pork rind.

Slainte! Today is St Patrick’s Day so the lads and I are out for a Guinness or two. We’re at the Merton in Rozelle ostensibly for their excellent goat curry, but also to join in the Irish festivities.

There’s a band playing Irish folk songs, plenty of beer and even a raffle for some Irish goodies. We win a couple of them actually, taking home plenty of packets of Taytos and some less Irish things like mayonnaise and Minstrels. But it’s a worthy little hamper I’ll not be saying no to!

This evening, we’re out with our mates Jo, Paul and Anton. It’s been quite a while since we all hung out, so we know this one’s going to be a biggy.

We kick off with a couple of beers at the Red Lion in Rozelle, mostly because it’s close to dinner, which is – that’s right – back at the Merton! Twice in a week. People will start to talk. But the goat curry, in fact all the food here, is so good I’d be happy to come back five nights in a row.

After dinner, we hop in a taxi to check out the newly opened Nacara Bar in Balmain. This was once Wilhelmina’s, but closed down and has been empty for ages.

Only open a week, Nacara feels like it’s always been here. The cocktails are off the charts, and the knowledge and creativity of the bar staff here is well worth a seat at the bar to enjoy. Just ask them about their in-house fat wash spirits.

Christina and I have been invited to a lovely party this afternoon. Local law firm Morgan and English, some of whom we met at a Christmas party for the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce recently, are having a bit of a shindig at their offices at the Waterfront Workshops.

These brightly coloured buildings right on the harbour and the little marina are a real landmark of the peninsula and aren’t usually accessible to the public. It’s great to hang out with friends and colleagues from the area, but also pretty cool to see these iconic buildings up close.

It’s an excellent party with plenty of great conversations and laughs, and we also have the pleasure of meeting Will, the office greyhound.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this (really quite massive) March edition of Flavour of the Month. See you again in a few weeks!

Jim & Christina xx

The post A Southern Wedding, A Queen In Sydney and The King Returns appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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The neatly plated, bite-size city of Parma is home to some iconic Italian dishes and foods. Reggiano parmigiano and Parma di Prosciutto (world-famous parmesan cheese and Parma ham) both come from here.

And if you pull the camera back a little, the broader Emilia-Romagna region is where things like bolognese, balsamic vinegar, tagliatelle, tortellini, ragu and even mortadella all come from.

So it’s little wonder that Parma is full of bars and restaurants serving just the most delicious dishes.

Locals here know what good food and good produce means, and the high standards are set, met and respected everywhere you go in this gracious yet down-to-earth river city.

If you want to know exactly what to eat while you’re here, check out our story on 7 Things You Must Eat in Parma.

For the best activities and tours in the region, click here!

Find the best rates on accommodation in Parma here.

Our Top Picks on Where to Eat and Drink in Parma

Only a short train ride major travel hubs like Milan and Bologna, we’re surprised to find Parma quite unused to tourism. Locals are friendly enough, though they seem surprised to see visitors.

Once we’ve fulfilled our primary goal of visiting a parmesan factory and a prosciutto farm a little out of town (you have to do this tour by the way, it’s fascinating), we settle down to exploring the food offerings of the city.

Trattoria del Tribunale — authentic Parma-centric dishes in an old-school setting

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

The post Where to Eat and Drink in Parma, Italy appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

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Orange, NSW has more than earned its reputation as a wine town. Its 80+ wineries have won countless awards, the 30-odd cellar doors in its realm are some of the finest, and festivals and events draw thirsty thousands here every year.

This little chunk of the Central Tablelands certainly punches above its wine weight class.

We’ve been lucky enough to visit Orange many times and we love visiting new cellar doors, trying new wines we haven’t heard of before.

And we’re always finding new ones.

This happened recently when we were introduced to Cooks Lot Winery, owned by winemaker and ex-chef Duncan Cook.

We were surprised to find out that Duncan has been here since 2002. We wonder how our paths haven’t crossed before.

Establishing himself high on the slopes of the iconic Mount Canobolas (Gaanha-Bula), Duncan intended to make Cooks Lot an estate winery — that is growing the grapes and making the wine in one place — but quickly changed his mind.

He realised that there were lots of other growers across the region with superior grapes, and that he would be able to focus on the wine-making if he didn’t have to worry about viticulture and harvests.

Looking for accommodation in Orange? Check out our review of the Oriana Motel here!

If you want a quick tour, here’s our Essential Guide to Orange, NSW.

And if you want more ideas and great rates on where to stay in Orange, click here.

Cooks Lot Winery — six new wines from the mountain

Duncan has used his close connections with growers well, sourcing premium fruit from across the elevations. Shiraz and Cabernet grapes are from the lower foothills of the mountain, while Pinot, Riesling and Sauvignon come from the higher reaches.

The result is a range of cool-climate high-altitude wine with the full, broad vocabulary of the Orange region and at a very competitive price point.

Shop these wines directly from Cooks Lot here – all $25.00 RRP.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 666’ Pinot Gris 2025

This wine comes with quite the blush. I’ve seen rosés lighter than this.

Light on the nose, but surprisingly full-flavoured on the palate, especially for a Pinot Gris. Firm white peach/nectarine notes and a lovely creamy texture that turns crisp and dry at the end.

As the wine warms up, ripe pear flavours develop and that creamy body sits nicely with these rounder flavours.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 689’ Sauvignon Blanc 2025

This feels like it’s what Marlborough NZ Sauvignon Blancs were once famous for. Less typical tropical fruit on the nose, more strawberry lollies and pencil shavings, but still with a bit of passionfruit underlining it all.

Good structure, sweet, but not overly so, balanced and a clean refreshing dry finish. This is an Sauvignon Blanc that SB drinkers will love.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 333’ Riesling 2025

This is an incredibly pale Riesling — no colour to it at all.

Light citrus and crisp pear on the nose, and more lemon and tartness on the palate drive to a fine minerally finish. This is an endlessly drinkable Riesling that would match perfectly with light fish dishes and sushi.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 1111’ Pinot Noir 2025

A glowing ruby red colour with light berry aromas, I was expecting a light-medium Pinot.

But on the palate, this is quite big for a Pinot, especially from high-altitude Orange. A bold, rich texture with hints of dark choc at end — unlike most Pinots we’ve tried.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 1010’ Shiraz 2025

Lovely deep dark red colour with dark cherry aromas and a bright structure with somewhat grippy tannins.

This is a lighter bodied, easy-drinking Shiraz and a good expression of cool-climate altitude Shiraz from Orange. Especially at this price point, this is an excellent wine.

Cooks Lot ‘Allotment 8888’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2025

Soft, elegant and lighter-bodied than conventional big, brash SA cabs.

This wine is still full of the pepperiness, dark berries and rich plum you want in a Cabernet, but has more sophistication than many of the bolshy iterations to be found on the market.

We were gifted these wines as media, but our opinions and experiences remain our own.

The post Best-Kept Secrets of Orange, NSW — Cooks Lot Winery appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.