Olivia Hart

One of the best parts of being a Sydneysider is watching the city come alive when Vivid rolls back into town. Exploring the streets on foot during this twinkly time can guarantee some life-lasting memories for the families, but little ones are likely to work up an appetite. Take the stress out of dining by heading to the vibrant dining precinct Gateway in Circular Quay, where you’ll find family-friendly restaurants galore. Here are our top picks.  

With so many events coming to town - Vivid Sydney and Sydney Film Fest, we’re looking at you - there’s no better excuse than to book in for an luxurious pre-show meal to take your outing up a notch.  The elegant Brasserie 1930, which you can find on the ground floor of the five-star Capella Sydney, has just announced its hotly-anticipated EXP lunch and pre-theatre dining menu (EXP represents the express experience you're in for), so get those booking fingers at the ready. Overseen by the practiced hand of the Bentley team known for Yellow, King Clarence and Cirrus (with chef de cuisine Niroshan Richards and sous chef Shashank Achuta leading the charge), this award-winning restaurant which was a nominee for Time Out Sydney’s Best Fine Dining Award 2023 will have you feeling like living royalty. The artfully designed space is fitted out with cathedral ceilings and marble floors which give the impression you’ve stepped into a bygone era of aristocracy.  On the menu, a refined selection of seasonal classics from local small-batch farmers and growers will be cooked in the open kitchen using age-old techniques including curing, smoking, fermenting, preserving and pickling. You could start with the stunning ocean trout rillette or opt for a braised brisket tart topped with a smoked beetroot before moving on to the centrepiece, where you’ll have a hard time choosing between the melt-in-your-mouth grilled snapper and a juicy scotch fillet. For dessert, we recommend the heavenly banana

Just an hour and a bit outside of Melbourne you’ll find Heathcote. A growing wine and food region that often flies under the radar, but makes for the perfect weekender away or stopover on your way to Bendigo. While the rich heritage and natural surroundings are well worth roadtripping for alone, a big food and wine festival is about to take over the region.  From June 8-10, Heathcote on Show will spread across 25 venues with a full-to-the-brim line-up of the region's top winemakers, brewers, chefs and musicians who will all come together for one mighty weekend.  Have a peep below at our top picks for the festival.

Take the flight of stairs above Hotel Coronation and you’ll find Park Street Bar & Bistro, the newly refurbished and sleek venue from Good Beer Company. Owner John Azar – who is behind some of Sydney’s favourite watering holes including Keg & Brew in Surry Hills, The Harold in Forest Lodge and The Union Hotel in North Sydney – snatched up the hotel late 2023 and set to work sprucing it up.  While its predecessor Smoking Panda Bar was a Wild West disco, this new spot is all about bringing a contemporary charm. The dining room and bar have been updated with an upmarket pub feel that's decked out with plush seats, a showstopping chandelier and a curated menu.  Located on Sydney’s bustling Park Street, you’ll find all sorts at this hidden city-centre boozer. Expect those dropping in for an express business lunch, people grabbing a bite to eat pre-theatre, crowds of people clocking off for after-work drinks, or friends and family gathering for a pint and a NRL game on Sunday afternoons. Plus, foot traffic from the guest accomodation rooms on the levels above is sure to fill out a few high tables with travellers.  The new menu has been built by a team of chefs with local and international flavours taking centre stage. Choose from a selection of dishes including crisp cheeseburger spring rolls, and a Tajima Wagyu beef burger. Or, grab the special of the day which might be a Sunday roast or a plate of three tacos for $15 on Tuesdays.  To wash it all down, there’s a classic cocktail m

If you haven’t been to The Stinking Bishops, which has sat on busy Enmore road for ten years this April, then here’s a couple of good reasons to bump it to the top of your list.  With a menu made up of more than 65 cheeses from around the globe – including a creamy brillat Savarin from France, a sharp truffle pecorino from Italy and a nutty iberico from Spain (to name a few) – plus plenty of local choices and other menu highlights including authentic Italian meatballs and decadent mac 'n' cheese, you’re spoilt for choice here. Opt for two, three or four cheeses, all of which come with accompaniments including crackers, quince jelly and marmalade.   If you’re stuck on what to choose, the shop is run by knowledgeable and friendly cheesemongers who are always available to help out. Or you can order the cheese and wine pairing, which handpicked by the owners Stefano and Valentina, changes every couple of months, and includes three cheeses with complimentary drops. And while every day is a good day for cheese, we reckon the best time to stop by The Stinking Bishops is happy hour on Tuesday to Friday from 5-6pm, when this three-course pairing drops down from $60 per person to $40.  If three cheeses isn’t enough, why stop there? Book in for one of the shop’s regular cheese-and-wine nights where a seven-course menu is served up to hungry attendees. Test your cheese knowledge by booking in for a Guess the Cheese night and win one of their curated hampers, which are full-to-the-brim wi

A restorative trip away can look different to everyone. Some like to get back to nature with bush walks or mountain biking, while others consider a long lunch with a tipple their idea of heaven. No matter how you like to refresh, Port Macquarie has you covered with a selection of ways to look after your mind, body and soul.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Just because the colder months are closing in, doesn’t mean there aren’t still things worth leaving the house for. Warm up your winter with a line-up of theatre shows and family fun taking place in Bondi from April to July that won’t break the bank and are sure to entertain.  Expect a takeover of the beachside suburb’s newly refurbished arts and culture centre Bondi Pavillion, where you can take your pick from a one-woman musical or a raunchy comedy both set to take place at the site's 198-seater theatre. For the little ones, an interactive kid-friendly show is on this school holidays at the easy-to-find Yalagang Room. Plus, Australia’s most famous beach will be transformed into a wintery wonderland when Bondi Festival returns with a giant ferris wheel and ice rink.  Here’s everything coming up.

Ready for an unforgettable holiday experience? The Northern Territory’s Top End is not only rich in culture, history and natural beauty, but also home to all sorts of bucket-list adventures that will amaze even seasoned travellers. To celebrate the launch of Time Out Australia, we’ve partnered up with the Northern Territory to give away the ultimate escape to the NT's Top End. The lucky winner will score a $10,000 prize including a $2,000 flight voucher to put towards airfares to and from Darwin, car hire for eight days of exploring and seven nights of accommodation. Plus, a whole list of activities to book for where you won’t have to spend a dime. Here’s what you’re in for.  Your adventure in Australia’s Top End starts in the capital city of Darwin, an underrated destination that sits in summer year-round and might just be one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. Check into your guest room at the centrally located Hilton Darwin, where you’re booked in for five nights, and admire the waterfront views before taking in the city on a Casino Royale Jet Ski tour – all included in the prize. Cruise around the harbour’s turquoise waters and expect to skim over WW2 wrecks and maybe (if you're lucky) get up close to some dolphins, before settling in for a night of harbour-front dining at one of the city’s best restaurants.  For more adventures in Darwin, go croc watching on the included Jumping Crocs and Nature Adventure tour, or learn about the rich and varied stories of Darwin’s tradit

Promotion (Game of Chance) - New South Wales Terms and Conditions  ABOUT The Promoter is Print & Digital Publishing Pty Ltd (ABN 50 125 441 812) of Suite 4A3 410 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 trading as Time Out Australia (“Time Out”) in association with Maritime Museum (“Prize Provider”). The Promotion is governed by the below terms and conditions (“Terms”). ELIGIBILITY The Promotion is open to all New South Wales residents over the age of 18, except employees of Time Out and the Prize Provider, its agents, contractors and their family members. Persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to enter and if a winner is discovered to be under the age of 18 (either at the time of entering or winning the draw) they will be automatically disqualified. ENTRY  The Promotion begins at 5pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 (the “Start Date”). The Promotion closes at 5pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 (the “End Date”) (altogether “the Promotion Period”). You can enter the Promotion during the Promotion Period by filling out the relevant details on the entry form found at timeout.com/sydney/things-to-do/win-tickets-ocean-photographer-of-the-year-event (“Entry”) for your chance to be selected to win the Prize (as set out below) (the “Promotion”). By entering the Promotion, you will be entered into a ballot, from which 50 winners will be selected at random. Only one entry is permitted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will not be accepted. Time Out reserves the right to exclude

It's been almost 27 years since a certain bespectacled boy came out from under the stairs and learnt of his snake-conversing, broomstick-flying, billions-making powers. And he's as popular now as ever, spawning films, spin-off films, toys, games, apps and multiple stage adaptations – only one of which is, well, actually authorised. Whether you missed Melbourne’s record-breaking four-year run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, or you’re just looking to fill the void, Potterheads are in for a treat. Who wants to sit through six hours of theatre anyway? Potted Potter – the hilarious show that condenses the entirety of the Harry Potter series into a tight 70 minutes – is ready to reunite Aussie audiences with the antics of Harry, Ron and Hermione. (We are assuming show creators Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner glide over a lot of the endless camping that takes up an enormous amount of Deathly Hallows.)  The show has been touring for more than 15 years, and has even played Off Broadway and on the West End. Now, Potted Potter is returning to Australia for the fifth time with a stint at Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre from April 24–May 5. So go on, relive Harry's days at Hogwarts. Although the show wasn't written by You Know Who, what it lacks in intellectual property compliance it more than makes up for in laughs. We're pretty sure Fred and George Weasley would approve. Tickets range from $69 to $89.95 and times vary, book yours here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out