Waitan: (02) 8218 1000 405 Sussex St, Haymarket NSW Waitan is sumptuous. In the heart of Chinatown, surrounded by food courts, noodle bars and novelty stores, Asian hospitality groups Xiang Er Qing from China and Tung Lok from Singapore have spent over $10m on a restaurant fitout that is truly eye-popping.
The Emerson: 143-145 Commercial Road, South Yarra VI (03) 9825 0900 or theemerson.com.au Ralph Waldo Emerson was a 19th-century bon vivante. No doubt he’s raising a celestial glass in approval. Story: Christopher Holder Photos: William Watt For most of his working life, Mark Hinkley has been a city oil trader. Work hard, play harder, take
Sportsgirl: Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong VIC www.sportsgirl.com.au There are few more enduring names in Australian fashion retail than Sportsgirl. But in the fickle world of young ladies’ clothing, these decades of ‘runs on the board’ scarcely count for anything — it’s all about how you connect with this super savvy generation now.
Prada: Westfield Shopping Centre, Sydney NSW prada.com Prada has joined a formidable coterie of luxe brands with its new store in Sydney at the Westfield Sydney downtown shopping centre. The space, designed by Roberto Baciocchi, extends over two levels covering a total surface area of 850sqm and houses the Prada collections of ready-to-wear, bags, shoes
Bonds Kids Concept Store: Westfield Doncaster, Doncaster VIC Before too long, Bonds will be 100 years old — Australians have been wearing the same brand of T-shirts and undies for nearly a century. Now, medium-sized littlies can join in the fun, with the recent launch of Bonds Kids.
George P Johnson: 70 Riley Street, Darlinghurst NSW In deepest Darlinghurst resides the offices of George P Johnson. You’d be forgiven for thinking George P Johnson could well be a solicitor, an undertaker, or a bespoke tailor, but rather, GPJ (as we’ll call them for the sake of brevity) is an ‘event and experience’ marketing
The Strand Arcade, Sydney NSW 1800 083 355 or huntleather.com.au Back in 1975 John and Elizabeth Hunt recognised a potential market in Australia for fine luggage and leathergoods, opening a store at the MLC Centre in Sydney. Not far from the original site, and after years of formidable expansion, Hunt Leather has opened its flagship
Central Kitchen: Central Park, Chippendale NSW www.centralparksydney.com If the kitchen is the ‘heart of the home’, then the gleaming new food court, Central Kitchen, on Level 2 of the $2 billion Central Park development is well and truly in the thick of it.
Opera Bar Sydney Opera House (02) 9247 1666 or operabar.com.au/sydneysbackyard During the month of January, Opera Bar will transform into a harbourside backyard sanctuary. Celebrating the annual Summer at the House festivities, Opera Bar will offer an all-ages Aussie backyard summer experience, with the venue drenched in native plants, picnic dining tables, a layer of