A day in Sydney

Mr Bromley's work on the side of the Greenhouse by Joost at the passenger terminal at Circular Quay - fabulous "Pop up" restaurant which was previously in Fed Square Melbourne. But this one has a slightly better view! This is when you get just that bit jealous of Sydney. 

The outside of the Greenhouse, the walls made from straw bales set into a steel framework are covered in Strawberry plants, apparently they will all be composted when the cafe moves on - everything is made from recycled and sustainable materials. Read more here.

Not so excited about a glass of Vino out of a jar - but I did like the beer bottle glasses. 

Sydney is more about traditional pubs than Melbourne - we seem to renovate them all and make them into trendy venues while Sydney keeps the Pub tradition alive. 

The market at The Rocks, which seemed to be set up to cater for the hundreds of tourists off the rather large cruise boat that was in town! The Amsterdam. 

Abit of Aboriginal art for the Tourists - they where actually quite lovely, amazingly detailed work in the tapestry patterning. 

 A bit of glass blowing in 35 degree heat - I had to admire his creative skills in this heat! 

Our market purchase - my new eel skin wallet thanks to my husband - I love the colour! 

I was lucky enough to have a day out and about in Sydney last week with my husband being a tourist (while the team was at the gift fair - thanks guys! :) being from Melbourne we do always tend to think of ourselves as the city of bars and restaurants but I have to say Sydney is an amazing place that seems to be constantly sunny and gorgeous! We started the day over at Watsons Bay and felt like we were in Queensland with all of the tanned bodies and beach activity. Then a lovely ride on the Ferry in the sun and we where in Circular Quay amazed by a huge Cruise boat "The Amsterdam" and alot of very well dressed tourists not realising it was going to be 35 degrees that day! A walk around The Rocks and the undercover market and then late lunch at The Greenhouse by Joost followed by a catch up with Jess to find out the gossip of the fair and a great dinner at The Winery. A good day was had by all x

Sevva Hong Kong

 The outside terrace above, and the view below! 

 Stunning living wall and the display of Tom Dixons I would love in my kitchen!

Last week I was in Hong Kong and visited the very sexy Sevva Restaurant above, then I was in China for a week and not too happy I couldn't post anything on the blog when i got to China! So I am working through my shots now and will do several posts over the next few days about the trip. Had a fabulous time, helped by some amazing dining experiences (of course!) My Collegues who took me to Sevva featured above, where not so excited about the food from past visits but we ordered the local cuisine as one should and not the western, and we weren't disappointed! As you can tell from the shots the decor is worth a visit with stunning 360 views of Hong Kongs Central district and fab cushions! 

Huxtable

I've just been to a fairly new restaurant called Huxtable, in Smith St Fitzroy. We have been hearing about this little place for a while so decided to give it a go for lunch and I can very happily report; a very cool interior with my favorite handbag/jacket hooks under the bar, high tables and bar stools along with fantastic food, tapas style bites and larger sharing plates and overwelmingly attentive service. I will definately be back there.

Cliffy's

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be taken on a surprise weekend away, thankyou lovely husband! And on our travels we visited the wonderful Cliffy's in Daylesford, above. Cliffy's is a fabulous produce store and restaurant that was totally inspiring - they use local produce and the restaurant is tucked away beside the store - layers of cushions & candles - we felt like we were welcomed into a cosy dining room - and I experienced some new vegetables that I haven't cooked with before - bring on the Kale receipes! and I love the menu on the paper bags! 

The Story Hotel Stockholm

If you are lucky enough to be looking for a hotel to stay in Stockholm, look no further than The Story Hotel, this is one super cool and unpretensious hotel that was actually affordable! "The hotel philosophy is to combine design and innovation with an attractive location in downtown Stockholm" This was my first (and I hope not only) trip to Stockholm and I loved the hotel, it was in a great spot, walking distance to some great shops and beautiful scenery.  And dont miss the cool little restaurant/bar next door PA & Co - where i had a lovely sweedish dinner at the bar and drank some stunning Austrian Vino! 

Portello Rosso Melbourne

Hidden down a laneway (love that) in Melbourne off Lt Bourke St is the Spanish Tapas and Jamon bar Portello Rosso, which the AURA team discovered at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival "Crawl and Bite" - after being very spoilt by incredibly friendly staff and the lovely chef we went back for more the following week - how I love Movida and Anada but if you are looking for another alternative to a cool Spanish eatery, and one you can still book, then I would definitely recommend you try Portello Rosso, they specialise in the Basque style cooking - the images above speak for themselves, this is a lovely intimate place and the staff go all the way to make you feel welcome and the Val De Sil Godello helps a fair bit I think I have also found a new favorite Spanish White wine!

Welcome to the Darkroom...

A new store in London's bloomsbury called the Darkroom has been created by a graphic designer and a textile designer and showcases fashion, accessories and interiors - all quite beautifully blended together in a lovely dark setting - showing us that Black is here to stay in retail concepts for a while..

I do love black....

Spice Market Love

We are lucky enough to have been blessed with our own Melbourne Spice Market Restaurant - thank you Greg Malouf! Recently I visited the Spice Market which was fit for a Sultan! But truly a very funky Middle Eastern Bar, Tapas, Night Club experience - check out their cool website! I love the music!