The Shore Club: 36-38 South Steyne, Manly (02) 9977 6322 or www.shoreclub.com.au Weathering the elements had nothing to do with the state of The Shore Club in Manly when owner Alex Said and licensee Michael Raft got to it. The three-year-old venue looked a decade old purely because it was so busy. In under a
Phamish: 30 The Esplanade, St Kilda, VIC (03) 9534 3800 or www.phamish.com.au Across the road from the fledgling restaurant Phamish sit two enduring St Kilda icons; the gaping clown mouth of Luna Park and the old world Palais Theatre. Beyond these gatekeepers, the streetscape melds into a wake of eclectic venues left by the gentrification
Mr B’s: 396 Pitt St, Sydney NSW (02) 8080 7777 or www.mrbshotel.com.au The old Mandarin Club was a Sydney CBD institution. Founded in 1965, it was situated at the corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets until a relocation in 2009. The place to be for the who’s who of the entertainment industry in the ’60s
Mango Hill Tavern: Cnr Anzac Ave & Halpine Dr, Mango Hill QLD (07) 3482 1500 or www.mangohilltavern.com.au Mango Hill Tavern is Brisbane’s newest family hotel, and it’s already proving itself a big achiever, taking out the QHA award for Best New Hotel. Brand & Slater spent 16 weeks designing the cosy ambience of the tavern
Photo: Earl Carter Never having worn a dress doesn’t preclude me, a male, from knowing who Collette Dinnigan is. One of the few international stars to come out of Australia, Dinnigan’s frocks have draped from the shoulders of Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and Naomi Watts, as well as won her acclaim and a 15-year run
Albert Park Hotel Oyster Bar & Grill 83 Dundas Place, Albert Park VIC (03) 9690 5459 or www.thealbertpark.com.au The Melbourne Pub Group knows how to do a gastro pub. Spearheaded by Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group has been busying itself turning old titles into new gold, and The Albert Park Hotel is one of
Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach: 81 Surf Parade, Broadbeach QLD (07) 5592 2250 or www.sofitelgoldcoast.com.au Our collective consciousness has been branded with the number 23. It’s the number of champions for who the sky’s the limit. First there was Michael Jordan, then Shane Warne, more recently, superstar basketballer LeBron James… and now: Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach.
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney: 199 George St, Sydney NSW (02) 9250 3100 or www.fourseasons.com/sydney It’s spring at the Four Seasons Sydney. After shedding its coat and embarking on a $1.2m refurbishment of its public areas, hot on the heels of a $16m facelift to the hotels rooms and suites last year; the hotel has sprouted
Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat: Broome WA (08) 9193 8015 or www.ecobeach.com.au Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat, in the Kimberley region over an hour from Broome, is the result of Karl Plunkett and partner Natalie Kimpton’s steely resolve to rebuild the original 1998-launched version that fell victim to cyclone Rosita in 2000. With great tenacity, Plunkett carried
The Prince: 2 Acland St, St Kilda VIC (03) 9536 1111 or www.theprince.com.au The Prince of Wales has a split personality: for Melbourne rock fans, it’s a rite of passage that leads straight out of the front bar, past security, and upstairs to the band room. If you let it out of the bag that