When I first visited Brisbane almost 15 years ago, there weren’t really any good places to go for a drink. But now, with the small bar culture sinking its claws into the flanks of Brissie’s hospitality industry, things are a-changing. A few weeks ago Mrs Romance and I went to visit the effervescently awesome Nikki … Read more
From a bar with a name like Eau de Vie Apothecary, you’d be expecting great things; great, alchemist type things that would boggle Heston Bloominhell and confound Steven Hawkins. Well, prepare for great things indeed! I remember the first time I went into the science labs at high school. The gas taps and Bunsen burners … Read more
The Biennale art exhibition has been going since 1973. Every two years since then, almost 90 countries showcase artists on an individual level “rather than representations of nationhood.” But it’s not the only reason to go to Cockatoo Island in Sydney. We love exploring Sydney when the Biennale is on. It’s like being in a … Read more
The cinema is one of those places that takes you right back to being a kid every time you go. The Golden Age Cinema and Bar, Surry Hills, takes it one step further; here you feel like you’re going back in time! Going to the cinema as a kid was one of those special treats … Read more
The Cottage Bar and Kitchen on Darling Street, Balmain feels just like home. Or at least like Grandma’s. We sat in what would probably be Granny’s front room, round the corner from the main bar and just near the kitchen. It was a comfortable little spot surrounded by old kitchen tools and odd little pictures. … Read more
A friend jokingly said the other day he could go to a new small bar in Sydney every day of the week and not return to the same place twice in a year. I think it’s more like two years, but I didn’t tell him that. Instead I elected to contradict him on the internet. … Read more
Hemingway was surely the first hipster. His was a lover of adventure, chivalry, and a non-mainstream life – and of course, later on, a big beard. He also loved a good drink. So who better to build a bar around than a man renowned for his love of libations, food and an eclectic lifestyle? Hemingway’s … Read more
Zeta Bar at the top of the Hilton Sydney has always been a pretty damn fine bar. Its outlook over the beautiful Queen Victoria Building and down into the pulsing soul of the city is enticing and glamorous. From Valentine’s Day, ’14 Zeta is embracing the romance of the exotic. Their Arabian Nights theme, which … Read more
A good pub these days can be hard to find. It sounds strange, but it’s true. It’s a rare thing when you walk into a drinking establishment and the staff are happy with you being there, the beer on tap is drinkable and you don’t feel like you’re going to be robbed… either by the … Read more
There’s a special place in my heart for beer. I reckon even if my heart was ripped out like in that Indiana Jones film the Temple of Doom, there’d still be a little bit left inside thumping away and it’d have a beer label on it. I love trying all types of beer and now … Read more