Zhen’s Kitchen: 7/50 Smith St, Darwin NT Zhen’s Kitchen is a canteen-style Asian restaurant located in Darwin. Designed by Andrew Waller Design, the eclectic interior references the ‘Night Markets’ in Taipei where the counter areas have taken on the form of street trolley eateries with billboard-style street signage. It’s all about mismatched gung-ho furnishings comprised mainly
The Edge: 1/6 – 8 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong, VIC (03) 5222 2666 or www.edgegeelong.com.au Geelong football star, Cameron Ling, is getting in on the footballer-turned-bistro-owner act while he can. But instead of a pokie-laden footy club featuring the same tribute band every Wednesday night, Ling and partners got onside with Geyer to put together
Must Margaret River: 107 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River WA (08) 9758 8877 or mustmr@must.com.au Having reached the upper limits of what could be achieved with Must Wine Bar in Perth, owners Garry Gosatti and Russell Blaikie went down river in search of a second venue. Their search landed them in Margaret River. Being a wine
Melbourne Hotel: 10 Browning St, West End QLD (07) 3840 9888 or www.themelbournehotel.com.au Melbourne Hotel, in Brisbane’s West End, has been transformed from a tired hotel into a modern venue with a considerable breadth of offerings. It has The Office — an all-day dining area; an upstairs wine bar called Twelve; Tempted café and deli;
Bells at Killcare: 107 The Scenic Road, Killcare Heights NSW www.bellsatkillcare.com.au Up the Pacific Highway from Sydney you’ll discover a touch of Provence on the Central Coast. Or perhaps it’s more Fred Perry-era All-England (croquet anyone?); or even a beach ‘shack’ in the Hamptons — not that I’ve ever been, but I watch a lot
Grand Hotel Rockdale: 482 – 484 Princes Highway, Rockdale NSW (02) 9567 2493 or www.grandhotelrockdale.com.au The Grand Hotel has been trying to follow the changing styles of Sydney and its local patrons for the last 25 years. Southern Hotel Group has taken the hotel through many refurbishments, including a sports bar, and at one time
Rambutan: 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW (02) 9360 7772 or www.rambutan.com.au Rambutan — inspired by a Thai fruit of the same name — has joined the new ‘Darlo’ Oxford Street strip, which is enjoying a renaissance. Husband and wife team Joe Natale and Milena Molina-Natale has between them an extensive design background in fashion and
Gingerboy Upstairs: 27–29 Crossley St, Melbourne VIC (03) 9662 4200 or www.gingerboy.com.au Teage Ezard’s Gingerboy Upstairs has been refurbished to tie in with the downstairs dining area. Still keeping with Ezard’s penchant for hawker street-style eating with more structured dining options, Gingerboy Upstairs adds another dimension. “We have designed the upstairs space as a grouping
Portello Rosso: 15 Warburton Lane, Melbourne, VIC (03) 9602 2273 or contact@portellorosso.com.au Photo: Corey Sleap Nestled in a laneway in the old merchant district of Melbourne’s CBD, Murmur has been quietly bubbling away for four years with positive word-of-mouth recommendations ensuring the first-floor Cuba-inspired cocktail bar happily ticks over. While Murmur built up a following,
Italian Village: 7 Circular Quay West, The Rocks, Sydney NSW (02) 9247 6111 or www.italianvillage.com.au Located on the sandstone shores of the Rocks is the Italian Village, a three-level, three-room restaurant and function centre catering to up to 100 seated and 250 cocktail. The position affords 180-degree views of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and