Alice Ellis

Think summer travel in Australia and your mind jumps to places like Byron, the Gold Coast and Rottnest. But, surprisingly, Webjet data shows that the top summer travel destination for Australians right now is actually Melbourne. And the southern capital is a smart choice this summer, considering the host of cool stuff going on. Of course, summer in Melbourne means cricket, the Australian Open, and soon, the F1 Australian Grand Prix – but, it's not just a top destination for sport lovers. For instance, there's the must-see Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the NGV, and a brand-new Italian foodie wonderland, Il Mercato Centrale. Not to mention the incredible Mornington Peninsula bathing trail. The Sydney team recently took a trip down south to see what's up. Here are our top picks for a fun summer getaway in Melbourne... Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. ALSO RECOMMENDED: We tried this bathing trail just out of Melbourne and it was hot stuff.

Summer 2025 update: Cut back on spending, not flavour, with our guide to Sydney’s best affordable eats. My current faves include new Thai-Chinese eatery Ama, colourful late-night Indian diner Derrel's, and Vietnamese eatery Tan Viet Noodle House, home to excellent crisp-skinned chicken. Because life’s too short to eat sh*t food. Going out for a meal is sometimes a big occasion, worth the splurge. But it doesn't have to be that way. From banh mi to tonkotsu ramen, biang biang noodles to vegan burgers, and pretty much everything else in between, some of Sydney's greatest culinary hits are the cheapest. Time Out Sydney's local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have eaten their way around town to bring you this list, and while cheap isn't what it used to be, there are still lots of excellent affordable venues to check out. These are the ones well worth their salt. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Want to spend less at the big-ticket players? Check out our cheap fine-dining hacks.

Sydney is often referred to as the Harbour City, but a better name might be the Town of a Hundred Beaches. There are countless golden stretches scattered along the length and breadth of Sydney’s many shores (exact figures vary based on who you ask, as some disappear with the tides or are all but impossible to reach). But such an array of sandy riches can make picking the right beach to visit a bit of a head-scratcher. To help you out, we’ve cast our discerning eyes across pretty much every beach in the city, awarding points for accessibility, natural beauty, range of facilities and unique charms. We’ve tallied the results, tabulated the scores and can now reveal our definitive rankings of the 47 best beaches in Sydney. Grab those beach towels and dive right in. JUST REMEMBER: There have been a lot of drowning incidents at NSW beaches recently – if you swim at unpatrolled beaches, you put yourself at risk. You can search patrolled and unpatrolled beaches near you over here – as well as other surf safety issues. Hate crowds? Here's our guide to the best secret beaches in Sydney. The city also has a heap of fab harbour beaches – as well as dog-friendly beaches. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

The Greek Islands are heaven on earth, and Athens is one of the world’s greatest cities. But if a holiday in the Mediterranean isn’t on the horizon, Sydney’s top Greek restaurants will help fill the dolmade-shaped hole in your heart. Time Out Sydney’s food writers and editors, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure (who has a big fat crush on Milos), have rounded up the best Greek restaurants in town. So, how did we narrow down the list? Well, below you’ll find everything from Sydney stalwart The Apollo (and its much-loved saganaki and slow-roasted lamb shoulder) to an old-school gyros joint where you can smash grilled Greek pita bread jammed with crisp, fatty pork bits. But they all had two things in common: they’re delicious and sing the flavours of Greece. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. If you're working on a budget try one of the best cheap eats in Sydney.  After Italian? Here's our guide to the tastiest Italian restaurants in Sydney. Keep eating at the absolute best restaurants in Sydney.

It’s hard out there in the big smoke. Rents are rising, and apparently putting all of your groceries through self-serve checkouts as ‘potatoes’ is stealing. From filling up on the cheapest fuel day to shopping second-hand and even donating your eggs/sperm, here are some legal and semi-honest ways to survive. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. In a thrifty state of mind? Here are all the best free things you can do in Sydney right now and these are our readers' tips for saving money in the Big Smoke.

We might be a little biased, but in our humble opinion, Sydney's got it all. Can you think of many other cities in the world that rival its natural beauty, rich heritage and history that dates back thousands of years, and its creative, culinary and cultural offerings by world-class pros. In fact, there's so much to see, do, sip and ponder here, you could be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed. Worry not, dear reader – we're making it simple for you. Our team (including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure and our Sydney Editor Alice Ellis) sifted through every good time the Big Smoke has to offer and put together a Sydney bucket list for the ages. The activities we've chosen will give you a super varied experience of the city – everything from the tourist attractions that are actually worth your time to secret swimming spots that locals know and love.Whether you're a new arrival or a born-and-bred local, this 2025 Time Out Sydney round-up of the city's must-do activities will help you experience Sydney from every angle. After all those great activities you're bound to be thirsty. We suggest you head to one of the best pubs in Sydney right now.  Need somewhere to stay? Check in to one of Sydney's best hotels or Airbnbs. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.

Sure, Sydney’s hella exxy, but if you look hard enough, you’ll find some cheap as chips things to do that won’t leave a big hole in your bank balance. 1. Climb some boulders harness free (don't worry, the padded floors promise a soft landing) at 9 Degrees in Alexandria. For just $25 you can nab a casual climb. $25  2. See a free gig at Phoenix Central Park. Even more intriguing than the impressive architectural design of this performance space, is the ticketing system. There is no monetary exchange required for the cutting-edge acts, you just need to enter a ballot and become one of the lucky winners. Free 3. Go for a dip at the heritage-listed Wylie’s Baths that sit below the Coogee coastal walkway. $6  4. Get moving with parkrun – a community-run 5-kilometre jog that takes place every Saturday morning at locations around the city. Free 5. Slurp down some epic noodle soup. We've rounded up our favourite bowls from around Sydney, here. From $15   6. Get a hit of the good feels that come with volunteering, by pitching in at Pocket City Farms for their Thursday and Saturday morning volunteering. $0  7. LOL all night long at the Running Joke on Level One of the Potts Point Hotel every Tuesday night. From $19 8. See the beaches on two wheels with a Cruiser Bike from Manly Bike Tours. $22 for an hour 9. Catch a $10 Sunday morning movie at Hoyts. At Hoyts cineams across the city (you'll find outposts at the Entertainment Quarter, Blacktown, Chatswood and beyond) you can score a mo

Even though I am sweaty, summer is my favourite time of year. I hope you’re also loving after-work swims, barefoot barbecues and Spritzes with friends. It’s also an excellent time to eat and drink well. The year has started with a bang, and there are a lot of new openings I am excited about, including a fire-powered Mediterranean diner from the Bar Copains team called Bessie’s, a luxe seafood and steak grill from The Bentley Boys named Eleven Barrack (guess the address!), and Cibaria, a gorgeous new all-day Italian restaurant right on Manly's beachfront. Below, you’ll find Sydney’s best new restaurants. Hungry? I am too. Let’s dig in. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Looking for something to wash it all down with? These are our favourite bars in Sydney right now. Keen to eat your way around the city? These are the best restaurants in Sydney, from hot newcomers to the OGs.

In Sydney, sport is a big deal. The year starts with cricket, and once the test commentary has faded we move on to the tennis, followed by the AFL and NRL, with some basketball, soccer, Rugby and netball thrown in for good measure.  Now Australians have also developed a taste for international leagues and tournaments, we try to follow the NFL, the NHL, the NBA and the English Premier League. We're at no shortage of blood-pumping athletics to gaze upon. What we're trying to say is that there's a whole lot of excellent sport to be watched, and if you don't have cable, or are in search of the atmosphere that only fans en masse create, then use this ultimate guide to find your way to the very best sports bars in Sydney.  Want more? Check out our list of the best pubs in Sydney.

Sydney loves any chance for a spectator-sport party, so watching the (star-studded) NFL championship game, the Super Bowl, has well and truly become a thing in the Harbour City. That means plenty of venues and sports bars across the city air the game on the big screen, and throw Super Bowl parties with all the trimmings (read: Americana food and a whole lot of beer). What is the Superbowl start time in Sydney? You can watch kick-off from 10.30am (AEDT) on Monday, February 10. That means beer buckets and wings for breakfast – we don’t make the rules.  Who’s performing at the Super Bowl 2025? Along with the big-budget ads screened during the breaks, the Super Bowl half-time show is half of the reason for watching, and this year’s show will feature some of the biggest names in music: Kendrick Lamar and SZA (who collectively picked up six Grammys at this year’s awards).  What time is the Superbowl half-time show?  If you're just in it for the musical performance, tune in at midday Sydney time.   What channel is the Super Bowl on in Australia? The Super Bowl 2025 will be broadcast on free-to-air TV on Channel 7 and 7mate (as well as live streaming on 7plus if you're watching online). For subscribers, it will also show on Kayo and the ESPN channel on Foxtel. If you’re keen to get amongst it, we've rounded up the best Sydney venues that are playing the game live and loud this year.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and

First dates are nerve-wracking. I know this because I’ve been on hundreds of them. Well, maybe not that many, but enough to know the good (butterflies, chemistry, non-stop laughs) from the bad (lacklustre conversation, no vibe). As a hopeless romantic – and as Food & Drink Editor for Time Out – I’m always on the lookout for the perfect bar for a first date (sorry, cafés) – ones that set the scene for fun and kisses, allowing your nerves to melt away like butter. So, what am I looking for? I’ve chosen bars that are cosy and welcoming, not too loud, but not too quiet, with drinks and snacks as excellent as the atmosphere. Good, moody lighting is important, as is a killer playlist. You won't find any super-polished or overly formal restaurants here. White tablecloths? Forget about it. Talking to a hottie on the apps? Met someone in real life? (Nice one). Check out this handy guide to Sydney’s best first date bars and head out together. Here’s hoping you hit it off. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Feeling a bit skint after all the boozing? Keep it cheap with our guide to the best free dates you can go on in Sydney. Want to bar hop? Take a squizz at our guide to the best bars around town.

I love dates. I love feeling excited for one, I love going on them, and I love the post-date debrief with my friends. Of course, the most important part of a date is, well, your actual date – and whether there’s a spark – but I reckon it’s also pretty important to nail the venue, as it sets the foundation for a fun night out. In my job, I eat out a lot, and I’ve also gone on my fair share of dates (some amazing, some lacklustre), so I know what makes a great date night spot. You’re looking for a place that’s cosy and intimate, one that has a good vibe and moody lighting. Delicious drinks and food are important, as is a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. From classy cocktail bars to sexy wine haunts and candlelit restaurants, I’ve rounded up my favourite places in Sydney for a date. Whether you're celebrating your anniversary, looking for a place for Valentine's Day, or just getting out for date night, below you’ll find the most romantic spots in Sydney to celebrate your love. Call me Cupid. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Want to take the pressure off? Here are our top first date spots. Wooing on a shoestring? These are the best cheap eats in Sydney.

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.  The Sydney suburb of Haberfield famously has no pubs. When a man named Des Middleton tried to open one here in 1948, more than half of the suburb’s population (that was 4,238 residents, at the time) voted against it. Over the years, some Haberfield restaurateurs have even struggled to secure liquor licenses for their eateries. So, to this day, this little Inner Western suburb full of heritage homes is still without a pub. Despite the area’s Italian-ness, it doesn’t even have a wine bar. We’d say it doesn’t need a pub when it has UTS Haberfield Rowers The club house – located on the popular Bay Run, over the water at Iron Cove – has housed various restaurants over the years, but in May 2024, it was taken over by hospitality pro Con Dedes (of Flying Fish and Sala), who has rebranded the venue as Regatta Club. In a nod to what seems like Haberfield’s pub-free policy, the staff have the words ‘REGATTA PUB CLUB’ written on the back of their T-shirts. Cute. This new venue has an easy, breezy, always-summery vibe, and it’s the perfect place for an afternoon or balmy-evening drink (and yes, the only place in this ’hood where you can have a drink without eating).  As you walk up the stairs, there’s a big hand-painted mural on the wall – drawings of rowing-club motifs

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. As you take the elevator up to the 26th floor above the modern Skye Suites apartment tower from the corporate-leaning Macquarie Street, Parramatta, it’s hard to imagine you’re about to enter a glamorous, Art Deco-style cocktail and Champagne bar. But as you step out, you launch into another world – it’s the world of Nick and Nora, the murder-solving, soirée-throwing New York duo from the novel (and films), The Thin Man. Nick & Nora’s is made up of a big, indoor area, sandwiched between two outdoor terraces. From the terraces you look out onto the contemporary Parramatta cityscape and far beyond, yet each piece of furniture and design detail – including the Art Deco-style light shades dotted around the room – screams old-world glamour.  Every little detail has been considered, not a corner cut The bar itself is the centrepiece of the room – there are rows and rows and rows of bottles of spirits, all lit from behind so they glow with a warm golden light. You can sit along the green, marble bar on dark wooden stools, at one of the many tables or booths inside, or you can look out at the view from a rattan stool or lounge on the terrace. The service also comes with vintage charm – the bartenders are dressed smartly in crisp, white shirts and forest-green cross-ba

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. Ateş (pronounced “a-tesh”) means 'fire' in Turkish and, considering it’s one of the coldest Blackheath days on record on the day we visit, a cosy neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant featuring food cooked over flames seems like the right place to be. This little Blue Mountains dining room is warm in more ways than one – the terracotta-coloured walls give off welcoming vibes. There are house plants scattered around the dining room, like it's someone's home. The (mostly locally-sourced) produce is cooked in a 150-year-old ironbark-fuelled oven. The service is also warm and friendly. It's the sort of place you want to settle into for the afternoon to share good food, and that’s what we’re here to do. I’m not normally a big fan of polenta, but something draws me to order it, and it’s a delicious choice. It’s soft polenta, cooked in butter, almost like a creamy risotto, and it’s topped with a mound of different types of wood-roasted mushrooms and chestnuts, sliced and tossed in a vinegary dressing that cuts through the creaminess of the polenta base. Speaking of risotto, we order that, too, jumping at the chance to sample the Kanimbla Valley truffles it’s served with. The risotto is spiked with small shavings of the truffle, but it’s also topped with the most gen

The Australia vs England Ashes contest is one of the biggest rivalries in sport, and the sense of competition isn’t any less fierce when it comes to the Women’s Ashes, which started way back in 1934-35. Ninety years on, Australia is hosting England for the 2025 multi-format Women’s Ashes series – with a range of seven different games held across the country, starting with a one-dayer in Sydney on Sunday, January 12 at North Sydney Oval (tickets $5 – bargain!). That will be followed by games in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra. The other Sydney game is on at the SCG – a T20 match on January 20.  Help make history by showing up to one of the games (or tuning in on TV) to break some records. You did it for the Matildas, now do it for our Southern Stars! They’re ranked number one in the world, after all. We've put together a handy guide to everything you need to know about the Women's Ashes 2025, including Sydney games, over here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Want more things to do? These are the biggest events on in Sydney in 2025. These are the ultimate Sydney things to do before you die. These are the best ways to keep kids occupied in Sydney this school holidays.

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. Grenier means ‘attic’ in French, and that’s exactly where you’ll find Bistro Grenier – you enter Newtown bar Odd Culture (created by the same team) and take the stairs up into a low-lit area above, where hefty old trusses support a cathedral ceiling. There are lithographic prints of sad clowns on the dark, sloped walls – a motif that’s continued in the cute coasters on each table. As well as wall lamps and sky lights, the room is lit by a tall, skinny candle on each table dressed with a snow-white tablecloth. C'est très romantique. My dining mate orders a Martini (here they do it with butter vodka for a French spin), but I’m inspired by the setting to order a classic French apéro, a Ricard pastis. I’ve actually never had pastis before, but I’m excitedly in training for a trip to Marseille later this year. The waiter brings out the licorice-flavoured pastis in a little wine glass, accompanied by a small yellow jug of water and a glass of ice. I pour the water in the pastis as I’m instructed to do, and the whisky-coloured liquid turns milky. It tastes delicious (as long as you like aniseed) and powers up my appetite.  The front of the menu says ‘Les cingles sont les bienvenus’, which Google tells me translates to ‘Weirdos are welcome’ – but the menu itself is l

Let’s just start by saying I’m not a D&D player. I’ve played a couple of times with my family, led by my teenage son as Dungeon Master, but that was just to show interest in something he loves. So I do understand the basics – that said, you don’t need any prior knowledge of D&D to get swept up in the magic that is Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern. If anything, this show is probably the best way I’ve found so far to get a better grasp on the complex game that is D&D. This is an interactive show that began in New York as an Off-Broadway production – the same director, Michael Fell, also rehearsed with the Australian cast. In what ways is it interactive? The story lies in the audience’s hands, as well as with the roll of the 20-sided dice.  As you enter The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, you pick a coloured sticker from a basket. Depending on what colour you choose, you get aligned with one of the three classes: Warrior, Mage (Wizard) or Assassin/Entertainer. Throughout the show, you make decisions for the character in your assigned class, mostly by choosing options via your mobile phone (after scanning a QR code) – and sometimes just by yelling out. (Top tip:Make sure you turn up with a fully-charged phone.) You answer polls and take part in little games to choose what character the actors play, then make decisions or see the outcomes of characters’ actions. Dice rolls are directed by the Dungeon Master, played by the charismatic Cody Simpson-lookalike William Ka

Earlier this year, I was asked about my top Australian bucket-list destination – if I could go anywhere in the country, where would I pick? I nominated Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain. So it’s a pinch-myself moment as my husband and I wind our way up through the mountains in the car towards Cradle Mountain Lodge, spotting wombats, echidnas and pademelons throughout the countryside. Before we’ve even arrived at our destination, we start feeling the magic of this wild part of the world. Cradle Mountain Lodge – part of the Peppers family – sits on the edge of the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (a scenic two-hour drive from Launceston). It’s the perfect place from which to set off on any number of hikes through the national park, a landscape that looks like it’s been thought up by the mind of JRR Tolkien: bright green grassy knolls that appear to be kept perfectly mowed by happy wombats; crystalline lakes with mountains reflected in them; patches of rainforest encasing secret waterfalls; and rocky inclines just begging to be climbed for an even better view.  You only have to walk for about five minutes from the lodge to arrive at a shuttle bus stop – and the bus takes you to the start of multiple trails. There are also a range of boardwalks and smaller tracks that start directly from the lodge. Back at the lodge, the scenery is enchanting, too – also full of wombats, pademelons and even a little family of Tassie devils hiding under the main building

One look around this restaurant and its lush surrounds, and you can see why it’s called Lucky Duck – you can definitely call yourself lucky to spend time here. Although the rest of the Hunter Valley is pastures, grape vines and gumtrees, Leaves & Fishes in Lovedale – the property where Lucky Duck is – is more like Byron Bay. Or even Bali. There are tropical plants around the path leading into the restored timber house featuring colourful and ornate stained-glass windows, lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and a deck that sits above a dam full of silver perch. The verdant landscaping isn’t all that sets this newish restaurant apart from other Hunter Valley venues. While the region is full of eateries with menus that are Modern Australian (with some European thrown in for good measure), Lucky Duck features fun, bold and super-tasty Asian food. The dishes are share-style. On the small plates menu, there are fresh and tangy offerings such as the hiramasa kingfish with yellow curry and kaffir oil; a pineapple and cashew salad; and half-shell scallops with seaweed butter. Then some more indulgent picks, like a drop-dead-delicious prawn toast; Szechuan-spiced chicken wings with a pepper caramel and roasted peanuts; and – of course – duck bao. The large plates include barramundi over coals with burnt cos lettuce, kombu dashi and edamame; and local mushrooms with a yuzu ‘bernaise’. Lucky Duck began as a pop-up. It was a concept introduced into the space until the restaurant group – th

Some 25 years ago, The Wharf Revue began as a post-show, cabaret-esque satire act in the Sydney Theatre Company’s Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf. It soon became obvious that it deserved a place on the main stage, and it quickly became one of STC’s most sold-out shows for the Sydney Theatre Company. I first attended this annual comedic roasting of (mostly) Australian politicians back when I was 21. Cut to 20 years on (yikes) and I’m here at the Seymour Centre (it eventually moved here and into the hands of indie producers, Soft Tread) for their last ever show. It’s the end of an era for the revue’s long-term writers and performers – Phil Scott, Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe; all now in their 60s and 70s – and the end of an era for staunch audience members like me. I start to wonder if, perhaps, this is also the end of an era for satire like this. For a quarter-century no one in the public eye has been safe from mimicry. The End of the Wharf as We Know It opens with Paul Keating (portrayed by Biggins) expressing his relief at the extinguishment of this “satirical blowtorch”, which he compares to being “thrashed with overcooked broccolini”. The musicality of the revue has always been one of its most charming aspects. Scott is a talented composer, pianist and lyricist, having written and composed musicals and cabarets over the years. The others jump on guitar, bass and drums now and then as support, and everyone sings LOL-inducing lyrics, including new lyrics set to wel

The Gidley burger has got a lot of attention this year – it was named the world’s ninth best burger by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants – so it’s no wonder it’s something that’s attracted people to The Rover, since they started serving it up, too. But that’s not all that draws people to this neighbourhoody cocktail bar. The Rover has a lot going for it. The fisherman’s pie, for one (more on that later). The Rover is a dimly lit cocktail bar in Surry Hills’ Hollywood Quarter (the section of Sydney named the coolest in 2024 by Time Out). If you go to this little intersection of Cambell and Foster Streets, you know you’ll have a good time – perhaps dinner at Pellegrino 2000 across the street, then drinks at The Rover. Or just skip Pellegrino altogether and eat your way through The Rover’s delicious menu, with a couple of cocktails or some wine. My friend and I start with the burger, of course. It’s double-beef patties made from Riverine sirloin chain meat; Coppertree farms retired dairy cow chuck and brisket, dry-aged at the in-house butchery at one of Liquid & Larder’s other steak venues, Alfie's. Basically, these guys know their meat (as well as Alfie’s and 24th best steak restaurant in the world, The Gidley, they also run Bistecca). The milk bun is perfectly round on top like in the photos; it looks polished, almost shiny, and we don’t really want to have to cut it in half. They’re thin, smash-style patties – crowd-pleasing because they’re not served rare like they are

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. Our city has cluckloads of excellent charcoal chicken shops all over the place (you could say Sydneysiders are obsessed with them) so it’s hard to stand out in a cramped market – but Hariri Chickens in Kogarah does. I’d have to say it’s the best chicken shop in all of Sydney. I’ve eaten my way across a lot of them because my son does love a barbecue chook.  I am particularly clucky for Lebanese style-charcoal chicken – not only because of the toum, tabouli and pickles served alongside it, but because the chicken meat is always so flavour-packed and juicy. Hariri takes it up another notch – they finish the cooking of their whole barbecue chicken (after the skin is golden and crisp) by wrapping it in a village-style Lebanese bread (you know like those really thin Mountain Bread wraps you get from the supermarket?). As well as keeping the chicken insulated so it stays nice and succulent, the bread soaks up all the tasty chickeny goodness – the flavours from the skin and the juices from the chicken, so it’s this partly-crisp, partly-oozy thing that you rip into alongside the chicken. It’s an absolute masterstroke. Even just thinking about it right now, my tastebuds are keen.  As well as that, Hariri serves up all the other chicken-shop staples (chicken burgers, w

I have to be honest – I never thought of Penrith as a holiday destination. I tend to opt for beach holidays, nature adventures and CBD staycays, but I've always passed through Penrith on the way to the Blue Mountains without thinking of it as a destination in itself. Cut to me and my family looking for something a bit different to do – we've long been keen to try indoor sky-diving at iFLY, and then Penrith scored its first luxe hotel. The new Pullman Penrith, part of a $110 million development, got our attention. The Pullman is Penrith’s first five-star hotel, and it’s located in the Panthers precinct, right across from the sprawling Leagues Club with its many restaurants as bars, as well as iFLY, and an Aqua Golf driving range – plenty for me and my family to do right there on the hotel's doorstep, let alone everything else nearby. I was expecting the hotel to be comfortable and have all the amenities you’d expect from a five-star hotel – I didn’t expect it to be so elegant, though. As you enter the lobby, striking and colourful artworks and installations line parts of the walls and ceilings – it feels more Melbourne than Western Sydney. We’re offered a glass of Champagne and juices after check-in, which we enjoy on a lounge at a marble table while we decide where to go for lunch. We settle on a restaurant at the Panthers club across the road, because we're booked in for dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Marcel Bar & Bistro, tonight. We head to the lawn out back as the kids

Time Out’s local food writers and editors eat out – a lot – so they can bring you recommendations on tried-and-tested restaurants and bars that are worthy of your precious money and time. We've been running awards that celebrate Australia's hospitality industry for more than 15 years, and now we’ve gone live with our 2025 nominees for the Time Out Food & Drink Awards (in partnership with Tyro), for both Melbourne and Sydney.  The pace of openings hasn’t slowed down since our last Melbourne and Sydney Food & Drink Awards, so we’ve been checking new spots out, as well as revisiting long-standing restaurants and bars to make sure they’re still delivering excellent experiences. Despite the fact that it’s been a challenging time in hospitality, the field was strong – there are so many amazing business owners, chefs, bartenders, sommeliers, front-of-house and back-of-house professionals working hard to deliver exceptional experiences to diners, and we love being able to celebrate those who are serving up something truly special. It was difficult to narrow the nominees down (we have covered so many incredible venues this year!), but we have worked hard to bring you a selection of nominees that is diverse – diverse when it comes to price point, cuisines, locations and vibes. Time Out Melbourne and Sydney has announced nominees in the following editors’ choice categories: Best Fine Dining Restaurant (Melbourne) Best Special Occasion Restaurant (Sydney) Best Relaxed Dining Best Cheap

Time Out has released the annual 50 Best Cities in the World list, and Sydney has moved up significantly in rankings, placing 15th best city on Earth for 2025 – a big jump from 31st place in 2024. Time Out’s annual global list is based predominantly on locals’ own views on where they live. To rank cities, Time Out surveyed more than 18,500 local city dwellers on everything from their city’s food scene and nightlife to culture, walkability, public transport, affordability and city vibe. The global team then combined that data with insights from Time Out city experts from around the world. Photograph: Mauro Risch Photography Australia had four cities make the top-50 list – the most Australian cities ever. Melbourne made the top five cities on Earth (fourth place), scoring particularly well for ‘restaurants and eating out’ and ‘culture’. Perth landed in spot 33 and Brisbane 37, both making their debuts on the list. Of course Sydney has its downsides (hi, lack of affordability and a housing crisis, and nightlife that's still in a rebuild phase), but the city also has plenty going for it, especially relative to other parts of the world. It won't come as a surprise that Sydney’s high position was based partly on the city’s beauty and our natural environment that allows us to enjoy outdoorsy lifestyles. Sydney was rated as the world’s third most beautiful city, and placed second in the ‘green spaces and access to nature’ category.  RECOMMENDED: These are the absolute best things t

Sporting history is being made in our city this summer, with the return of the Women's Ashes. Our Southern Star gals are ranked as the number one team in the world right now, and now they'll take on the poms. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in sport – the Australia vs England Ashes contest – and the rivalry isn’t any less fierce when it comes to the Women’s Ashes. The Women’s Ashes started way back in the summer of 1934-1935 (though there was no trophy until 1998). Ninety years on, Australia is looking forward to hosting England for the 2025 multi-format Women’s Ashes series – with a range of seven different games held across the country, with two held right here in Melbourne. starting in Sydney on January 12, followed by games in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra, then culminating in a Test match at the MCG from January 30. So if you're keen to support our Aussie ladies and women's sport, read on for everything you need to know.  What’s the format of the Women’s Ashes? Unlike the Men’s Ashes, which is a Test Series, the Women’s Ashes is made up of a series of different game formats. Including one-dayers and T20 games in the mix attracts a range of different audiences to the Women’s Ashes (read: not everyone is interested in Test cricket – the shorter formats open it up to other audiences). The 2025 Women’s Ashes will feature: 3 x ODIs (One Day International games – 50 overs for each team, played in one day) 3 x T20 games (Twenty20 games – 20 overs for each team, pl

It’s one of the biggest rivalries in sport – the Australia vs England Ashes contest – and the rivalry isn’t any less fierce when it comes to the Women’s Ashes. The Women’s Ashes started way back in the summer of 1934-1935 (though there was no trophy until 1998). Ninety years on, Australia is looking forward to hosting England for the 2025 multi-format Women’s Ashes series – with a range of seven different games held across the country, starting in Sydney on January 12, followed by games in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra, then culminating in a Test match at the MCG from January 30.  Help make history by showing up to one of the games, and tuning in on TV, to break some records. You did it for the Matildas, now do it for our Southern Stars! They’re ranked number one in the world.   What’s the format of the Women’s Ashes? Unlike the Men’s Ashes, which is a Test Series, the Women’s Ashes is made up of a series of different game formats. The 2025 Women’s Ashes will feature: 3 x ODIs (One Day International games – 50 overs for each team, played in one day) 3 x T20 games (Twenty20 games – 20 overs for each team, played over a few hours) 1 x Test match (unlimited overs day/night games, played over four days) Why is the Women’s Ashes multi-format instead of just a Test series? Including one-dayers and T20 games in the mix attracts a range of different audiences to the Women’s Ashes (read: not everyone is interested in Test cricket – the shorter formats open it up to other

For most of us grown-ups, the holidays are over – and we’re all setting about booking our next one. Trying to plan your next twelve months around when the little ones are at school? Here's everything you need to know about the NSW school holidays and school term dates for 2025. When do NSW schools go back? (Start date of Term 1 2025 NSW) For the Eastern Division schools in NSW, the first term of the year starts on Thursday, January 30, 2025. For the Western Division NSW schools, term starts on Thursday, February 6, 2025. What are the dates for NSW school holidays 2025? NSW autumn 2025 school holiday dates: Monday, April 14 to Thursday, April 24, 2025 NSW winter 2025 school holiday dates: Monday, July 7 to Friday, July 18, 2025 NSW spring 2025 school holiday dates: Monday, September 29 to Friday, October 10, 2025 NSW Christmas (summer) 2025 school holiday dates: Eastern Division: Monday, December 22, 2025, to Monday, January 26, 2026 Western Division: Monday, December 22, 2025 to Thursday, February 2, 2026 What's the difference between the eastern and western division NSW school holidays? Historically, the NSW Department of Education has staggered NSW schools located in the eastern and western districts across the NSW summer school holidays. This means that schools located in the eastern section of NSW will return to school in the new year a week earlier than their western region counterparts. What are the NSW school term dates for 2025? NSW School Term 1 2025 dates: Eastern D

The summer of cricket is in full swing Down Under, and the action is bowling along nicely, with Australia’s men’s team having just reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in almost a decade. While the men’s Test series against India has concluded, all eyes now turn to the Australian women’s cricket team, who will soon take on England in the 2025 Ashes contest.  The Women’s Ashes started way back in the summer of 1934-1935 (though there was no trophy until 1998). 90 years on, Australia is looking forward to hosting England for the 2025 multi-format Women’s Ashes series – with a range of seven different games held across the country, starting in Sydney on January 12, followed by games in Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra, then culminating in a Test series at the MCG from January 30.  Help make history by showing up to one of the games, and tuning in on TV, to break some records. You did it for the Matildas, now do it for our women’s cricket stars! They’re ranked number one in the world.  What’s the format of the Women’s Ashes? Unlike the Men’s Ashes, which is a Test Series, the Women’s Ashes is made up of a series of different game formats. The 2025 Women’s Ashes will feature: 3 x ODIs (One Day International games – 50 overs for each team, played in one day) 3 x T20 games (Twenty20 games – 20 overs for each team, played over a few hours) 1 x Test match (unlimited overs day/night games, played over four days) Why is the Women’s Ashes multi-format inste

Let me start by saying I don’t watch Squid Game. I have a low gore tolerance. Of course I know bits and pieces from the mega-hit series – and I discovered by doing it that, whether you like the show or not, Squid Game: The Experience at Luna Park Sydney is well worth doing.  Luna Park worked with Netflix to bring the show to life in Sydney, the way they’ve also done in New York and Madrid. Luna Park hired actors from NIDA (the National Institute of Dramatic Art) as the front man and guards, so they play their parts well. When you arrive, you throw on a singlet with a pocket for winner chips, and then get led by the pink, masked guards into a dormitory-style room with rows of stark metal bunk beds – the type of room I know the players sleep in the show. And so it begins.  Here you go, I’ll answer your FAQs… How many challenges are there in Squid Game: The Experience, Sydney?   There are a total of six to seven challenges (depending on how you count it), all played in different rooms, starting with a claw challenge to pick your numbered singlet, followed by things including a Korean tile-flipping challenge, a marble challenge, a memory challenge and, yes, 'Red Light, Green Light'. Photograph: Alice Ellis for Time Out   What happens if you lose a game in Squid Game: The Experience in Sydney? Thankfully you’re not “eliminated” if you fail a game. You simply miss out on winner chips (or, if you show sufficient shame and remorse, you might be rewarded with some some lighter loser

Ping. Ping. Ping. That’s the sound of Sydney's Boxing Day sales as digital payments ring out across Aussie shopping centres – with hardly a note in sight. Tyro’s latest Big Time Business Report, which surveyed more than 500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), revealed that 55 per cent of businesses are considering the idea of going cashless in 2025, partly to cut admin costs. Hospitality businesses like restaurants and bars, as well as retail businesses, are even more likely to go cashless than other industries. And 16 per cent of Australian businesses have already gone fully cashless in 2024, with hospo and retail leading the charge. “With almost 80% of payments in Australia made by card, and the cost benefit that comes with streamlining payment operations, it’s not surprising that more businesses are interested in going cashless,” says Tyro CEO, Jon Davey. Rising costs are putting the squeeze on profit margins – 48 per cent of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) surveyed for the report said they have hiked their prices in the last year to keep up with climbing supply costs. Some have absorbed the financial strain or switched suppliers to avoid passing the pain onto customers. As the saying goes, time is money. Financial admin is a big time suck for business owners who know they need to modernise how they do business to stay competitive.  RECOMMENDED: These are the best cheap eats in Sydney. No surprises here: consumers are feeling the pinch, too. They are getting increasing

Hughes Street in Potts Point is anticipating its annual shutdown on December 25 to make way for the Wayside Chapel Christmas Day Lunch and Street Party for homeless members of the community. Thanks to over $1,400,000 in donations from the public, the Wayside Chapel will provide over 1,000 Christmas lunches “with all the trimmings” to people who’d otherwise have nowhere else to spend the public holiday. While they've met their fundraising target for 2024, demand for the service grows each and every year, so you can still donate to support the cost of keeping their kitchens, programs and support services open across the festive season. Not only is their aid in the Christmas spirit — they provides daily support for thousands of homeless people living in Sydney. Last year, they provided over 86,000 meals to vulnerable community members who walked through the doors at the Kings Cross shelter in need of nourishment. The Christmas community event that's been running for over 40 years encourages anyone who is living on the street, lost or lonely, on Christmas Day to join the free party. There’ll be a Christmas breakfast at 9am, a service at 10am and lunch at 11.30am followed by a street party full of DJ's, live music, dancing and activities until 5.30pm. More than 100 volunteers help out on the day, serving up 100kg of prawns, 50 hams and 500 Christmas puddings.   Guests can look forward to a visit from Santa Claus, alongside Christmas songs, kids’ activities, (fake) tattoo stati

Parramatta is packed with IT professionals, Lakemba has loads of taxi drivers, Epping is where accountants assemble, Mosman has a lot of legal eagles, Castle Hill is home to school principals, Bondi Beach is a hub for models – and plastic surgeons. Stereotyping, much? Not exactly. We’re referencing "occupation by suburb" statistics from the latest Census, as recently broken down by the SMH. The Sydney workforce has now climbed to almost three million people across its 562 suburbs. The most common job by sheer volume is the sales assistant – we have 89,000 of them in Greater Sydney, with Blacktown alone home to 932 of them. The second most popular occupation is general clerks (49,000) and, again, Blacktown is where a huge portion of them live. Coming in third is accountants (44,000), a big portion of whom reside in Epping.  It won't come as a surprise that suburbs with water views – e.g. Vaucluse, Mosman, Hunters Hill – have more CEOs than anywhere else. Mosman has 471 lawyers and a dozen judges among their working elite. It's also a hot spot for management consultants, HR managers and financial advisors. Lawyers also dwell across inner Sydney, with a strong presence in other waterside areas like Woolloomooloo and McMahons Point. Newtown and Stanmore also have a smattering of legal professionals due to the gentrification of these once-working class suburbs.  In less obvious news, medical professionals like to settle down in Strathfield; it's home to big portions of GPs, cardi

Each year, Spotify delivers its Wrapped – and Time Out delivers ours. Want to know what Time Out Sydney readers got most pumped about in 2024? Jump on in, and add these top hits to your bucket lists. Here’s the round-up of the most-read subject matters in 2024 on timeout.com/sydney, across the categories of events, restaurants, new venues, concerts and natural wonders. All these top-topic lists are based on our website traffic from this year. In 2024, Sydneysiders were most excited about these happenings: The Sydney Metro: Who knew that fresh public transport would be the most exciting thing to happen to Sydney in 2024? Head On Photo Festival: This photo fest definitely got you looking. Ramadan Nights: You love this festival of food, held each evening during Ramadan in Lakemba. (But did you know it's changing in 2025?) Tekno Train (@ Vivid Sydney): Toot! Toot! This new addition to Vivid booked out quick. Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival: This Auburn event is always one of the best things about spring in Sydney. Photograph: Supplied | Transport for NSW  These are the eateries Sydneysiders enjoyed reading about most:  Saint Peter (2.0): The opening of the new iteration of Josh and Julie Niland's fish restaurant has gone swimmingly. The Grounds of Alexandria: The most Instagrammed eatery in Australia is a perennial fave. Prefecture 48: What's not to love about this new six-in-one Japanese precinct with four restaurants, a patisserie, and a whisky bar? The Gidley: Everyone w

In October, plans were revealed to increase the housing capacity of Sydney Olympic Park by 479 per cent in the next 25 years. The future Olympic Park is still a way off, but recent progress has been made, as the two Metro tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have broken through at Sydney Olympic Park. The hardworking TBMs, named Beatrice and Daphne (cute), have excavated more than 2 million tonnes of material – enough to fill 316 Olympic swimming pools – over an 18-month period, carving out two 11-kilometre tunnels from The Bays in the Inner West to what will become a brand-new Metro station. (It will eventually join these existing Metro destinations.) This new part of Metro line will make living along this stretch – and in Olympic Park itself – more convenient to the rest of Sydney, and it will also mean the precinct will become a more thriving community itself. Photograph: Supplied | NSW Government The new Sydney Olympic Park precinct (given the tick of approval by the Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure) will feature three new residential buildings ranging from 21 to 45 storeys, and will include more than 300 new homes, with plans in the pipeline to increase this to 490 homes. The area will also be propped up with a mix of commercial and retail spaces, so it will not only be a liveable neighbourhood, but also a buzzing destination for sport, entertainment and events. “Sydney Olympic Park metro station will have sports and entertainment fans cheering when it provi