Shopping
Your guide to Sydney's best markets, boutiques and high street shopping
Shopping guides
Shopping in Manly
There's more to Manly than the beach and the bars (although both of those things come highly recommended). When you wander off the Northern Beaches' suburbs well-trod mainstreet, you'll find a growing number of independent boutiques, antique stores and other knick knack sellers, as well as killer spots to pick out a sun hat or cossi to wear back out onto the Corso.
Sydney’s best picnic hampers
When you want to take your picnic to the next level, call in one of the experts. These four Sydney companies will prepare a delicious hamper of fresh salads, sandwiches, wraps and snacks for you. All you have to do is to decide where to take it (and who to invite to the party).
Health and beauty in Sydney
The best nail artists in Sydney
Nail art has flourished from a DIY underground affair right into mainstream salons. Miss Lauren LaRouge is one of Sydney’s most in-demand nail artists, dazzling the digits of Sydneysiders who are looking to turn their nail beds into miniature canvases. “People think it’s this crazy over-the-top thing, but once people try it – even starting with a feature nail – they usually get hooked,” says Miss LaRouge, while painting pastel pink polka dots and leopard spots on Time Out's claws.A trip to Japan originally piqued Miss LaRouge’s interest in nail artistry, and on her return home she started using herself has a mani mannequin. “I did a course in Sydney, which was great for hygiene, acrylics, but nail art is just one small component, so I taught myself a lot and practiced on myself.” Lauren’s background in burlesque dancing – she’s an MC and ukulele-player over at Oxford Street’s Slide – dovetailed neatly with her newfound passion. “I used to add things to my costumes, bling them up and embellish them. I then took this to my nails.” This soon enough spread to the hands of friends and family, before she made the big jump and quit her office job to pursue her passion full time.Rather than the production-line set-up that many salons employ, Lauren ensures her little corner at Indulge Studios is one filled with sass, colour and solid client banter. “A beautician once told me that I shouldn’t bother getting into nail art and that the industry was dead, but I want to put the love back
The best bargain haircuts in Sydney
Need a quick fix to that unruly mop? These student hairdressing centres and colleges offer hair cuts for next to nix. You’ll need to be available at unpopular times, like during the working week, but the money saved could equal more beers at the pub with your mates. That’s a trade off we can shake on.
The best barbershops in Sydney
Finding the right barber can be a lifelong search — ask any man who’s had too much or not enough of his locks cavalierly lopped off and stepped out onto the street disaffected. Thankfully, there are experts in this area who excel in getting the discerning man’s ‘do’ just right. Here, some of Sydney’s best barbers are recommended.
The best tailors in Sydney
There are seemingly limitless options in menswear today, thanks in no small part to fast fashion and e-commerce. Still, there’s nothing like a garment perfectly fitted to the individual’s body and reflective of their personal style, like a bespoke or tailored suit for special occasions, dinners, and meetings (or just for fun). Thankfully, a handful of tailors in Sydney still practice their time-honoured craft, while a number of businesses offer high-quality bespoke suits for the maximum in comfort and refinement for men of exacting standards.
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Little Creatures Live
You might already enjoy their beer – including Pale Ale, Rogers' and Dog Days – but did you know there's a way to take your Little Creatures love a little deeper? This year the brewery is taking their show on the road with a series of parties that feature live performance art, food and beer at various on-premise locations and festivals across Australia. They're calling it Little Creatures Live – inspired by the original moniker of their very first Pale Ale, brewed their own way with fresh hops flowers and live yeast. Little Creatures Live will be back in Sydney very soon. Curious as to what to expect? Check out our recaps below. Or if you can't wait, why not pay a visit to Little Creatures' Fremantle or Geelong breweries?
Vote for the bar making your favourite Patrón XO Café Espresso Martini and win a $200 bar tab
If the mere thought of an Espresso Martini makes your heart beat a little faster, then it’s a great time to live in Sydney right now. For a limited time, a selection of top Sydney bars curated by Patrón are creating special twists on the classic Espresso Martini, using Patrón XO Café. Each of these bars is putting their own expression on the cocktail, and together, they make up the Expresso Society (get it?). They’re shaking up the classic cocktail in all sorts of delicious ways – Rosie Campbell’s ‘Patroco’ blends Patrón XO Café, chocolate liqueur and homemade toasted coconut syrup and coconut cream to create a tropical holiday in a glass. For a nutty kick, try Café del Mar’s ‘Espresso del Mar’, which adds Frangelico, hazelnut syrup and butterscotch to Patrón XO Café and espresso. The creativity doesn’t stop there. Bars like Paddington Inn are adding sweetness by throwing burnt marshmallows into the mix, while the clever bartenders at Pitt Street’s Mexican diner Mejico are staying true to their roots by using Peloton Mezcal and agave in their ‘MeXo Espresso’. The question is: which of these Espresso Martinis do you most want to drink? To win a $200 tab at one of these Sydney bars, tell us which cocktail recipe takes your fancy (the full list is here). Enter by telling us which of these Patrón XO Café Espresso Martinis you'd most like to drink, and why by Monday July 31. Name: Email: I'd like to drink: (25 words or less) Tick this box to hear more from Patrón XO
Flappy Hour
Guys, we've found it. The cheapest early bird special in town and it's on for one night only. The Munich Brauhaus and participating Bavarian Bier Cafés around Sydney are trying to serve a record breaking 100,000 wings in an hour of power they're calling flappy hour (geddit). The best part is it's going to be from 5pm-6pm on Fri Jul 28 so all you need to do is duck out of work the tiniest bit early and order a king's ransom in wings for pocket change. Seriously, they're 10c a pop, but the minimum order is 20. That makes it dinner for two dollars. It's bargain city over here. They're also holding wing eating competitions on the Saturday, but the best value all round is flappy hour so avoid the afternoon snacks and treat yourself to a weekend warm-up that'll cost you less than a coffee.
Win a Sunset Sessions Bridge Climb
What’s better than ascending to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge? Ascending to the top bathed in the golden light of sunset, while a musician plays soft guitar beside you. Time Out and BridgeClimb are giving you the chance to win one of two double passes to Sunset Sessions; a series of Climbs over July and August on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Normally, tickets to this bucket list experience will set you back upwards of $350; but this time, you could be zipping up that grey jumpsuit and heading up for free. They’ll even equip you with everything you need based on the weather, including beanies, gloves and fleeces. So if you’re keen to watch the sun dip over the horizon and see the city turn to pink and red (hello, ultimate date night!) then enter our competition below by Tuesday 18 July. Each double pass is valid for 12 months from the issue date*. However, in order to enjoy a Sunset Sessions Climb, the climb will have to be booked on a weekend in July or August 2017. *Not valid during peak period (25/12/17 to 03/01/18). COMPETITION CLOSED Terms and conditions in full. By entering this competition you agree to receive relevant communications from Time Out including news, events, offers and competitions.