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
Monday night cocktail club at Zeta Bar
Nobody enjoys freezing cold weather, Mondays, or expensive cocktails. Escape from all three by visiting Zeta Bar on Monday nights for their winter warming cocktails and specials. Every Monday until the end of August, Zeta Bar is transforming into a cocktail club with $10 rotating cocktail specials. Love gin? Zeta Bar do, and they’re putting together a warm gin cocktail to beat the chilly weather blues – the ‘Abdication Punch’ a shareable concoction for four people ($85). Zeta Bar's dedicated mixologists take inspiration from innovative culinary heavyweights such as Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria so the drinks are bound to be a little fancier than your standard G&T. Zeta Bar’s cocktail club is open 5pm till late every Monday until the end of August.
Head to Hacienda Sydney
After a spot for pre-theatre drinks or a post-work wind down? Look no further than Circular Quay's Cuban-inspired cocktail lounge, Hacienda Sydney. The glassed in box juts out over the concourse, making for some of the best views of the glistening Sydney Harbour. On the cocktail front they are slinging fruity, Caribbean themed numbers. Kick back with a Pina Princess with pineapple rum, mezcal, apricot brandy, passionfruit puree, chai syrup and ginger beer; or a Té Amo with elderflower, vodka, lime juice and earl grey tea syrup. Snacks wise you can order up jerk chicken sliders, black bean arancini, chargrilled octopus and spiced lamb riblets. Add in DJs on Friday and Saturday nights spinning relaxed house tunes and you've got yourself a swanky way to kick start your weekend.