Executive chef Brad Sloane is cranking out pub classics while also leaning heavily into the ocean, with oysters, shrimps and squid being the hot-sellers. The beer-battered Barramundi Tacos with cabbage chipotle mayo and lime are delish! Cocktail lovers, you're in heaven. I plumped for one of their signature offerings, Tilley Wills, which is a mix of gin, elderflower liqueur, passionfruit and lime.
Just below Cabana, make a dinner reservation at AALIA and embark on a divine food odyssey into the Middle East. AALIA's plush interiors and warm woods push the boundaries just as much as Egyptian chef Paul Farag's inspired menu.
Bread aficionados will love AALIA's ballooned Khorasan pita bread, made in-house and served piping hot, ready to be torn and dipped to your heart's desire. Beautifully burnished brown balls of this Persian bread line the counter of the open kitchen until sold out. I loved the masgouf, an Iraqi char-grilled Murray Cod. It's barbecued low and slow with a traditional masgouf glaze of garlic, turmeric, and tamarind, before being brushed with the juice of apples and pineapples to give it a sweet and sour flavour.
Push the boat out on the indulgence quotient and surrender to one of Sydney's most celebrated High Teas. Radisson Blu Plaza's Signature High Tea is a sure-fire hit for happy bellies in the winter months.
This triangular landmark Beaux Arts building was built in 1856 for publisher John Fairfax. You enter through the impressive sandstone façade and marble entrance off Pitt St to a building full of historic charm and contemporary comfort.
We started off with a glass of prosecco while sorting out our tea preferences. A beautifully-presented three-tiered china stand soon graced our table, a tower of goodness, laden with sweet and savoury treats, along with the obligatory scone, clotted cream and jam. But you can't beat those chicken curry puffs!
Theatre time? The heart-warming magic has returned to Sydney with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's supercalifragilistic new production of Mary Poppins now on stage at Sydney's Lyric Theatre.
If you score a seat to this absolute classic that has been entertaining families for decades, upi will hear all the old favourites as well as a few new ones, including Practically Perfect and Anything Can Happen. If ever there was a show that transports you into a sense of childlike wonder, this is it. Endearing performances, visually spectacular sets and technical trickery and stunts that one-up themselves at every turn, this is a well-oiled machine with a sprinkle of Disney fairydust. There are a whole lot more tricks packed into that deceptive carpet bag. And Stefanie Jones' performance of Mary Poppins is indeed practically perfect. The musical is on stage until late August.
Where to stay? Perfectly poised on Sussex St, with a gun-barrel view across Darling Harbour is the Hyatt Regency Sydney. Here you can lap up a luxurious stay with a harbour view worth waking up to. Indulge and unwind in the hotel's bars and restaurants including the Zephyr sky bar which boasts panoramic views from the rooftop, a high tea or seafood table at Sailmaker restaurant, and the immersive cocktail bar Jackalberry. The Dundee Arms — one of Sydney's oldest surviving pubs — is incorporated into the hotels' precinct. Call in for a cheeky beer.
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