Chaco Bar, Darlinghurst
Chaco Bar is chef Keita Abe’s 25 seat yakitori style eatery in Darlinghurst. The dimly lit space opened in 2014 modelled on the restaurants from Abe’s native city of Fukuoka. The fit out features portraits…
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Single O, York Street Sydney
Seasoned Surry Hills operators Single Origin Roasters York Street cafe is aimed squarely at the city worker who demands more from their daily caffeine fix. The cafe is smartly designed by Lechetti Krelle and staffed by people who know their business. While this cafe is primarily orientated…
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8.4
Local’s guide to Surry Hills
Surry Hills, an inner-city precinct of Sydney, is one of the most attractive urban neighbourhoods in the world. It is an area where fashion, food and design mix in close proximity to the central business…
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8.2
Tramsheds, Harold Park
On the former site of the Harold Park Raceway, Tramsheds is billing itself as a ‘community of good food and learning’. Developers Mirvac have built an enormous number of residential apartments on the site, however,…
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8.0
Osaka Trading Co, Tramsheds
Osaka Trading Co. is a new Japanese restaurant from the team behind Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills. Located in the foodie mecca that is Tramsheds Harold Park, Osaka Trading Co. serves sophisticated Japanese cuisine alongside…
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8.0
Boathouse Daylesford
The Boathouse, situated on picturesque Lake Daylesford, was completely rebuilt following a devastating fire in 2012. Originally managed by the team behind The Argus, it was taken over in mid-2016 by the previous owners of The Farmers Arms. New management…
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7.6
Farmers Arms, Daylesford
The Farmers Arms serves sophisticated country fare in a relaxed pub setting. On the same site since 1857, it is the oldest pub in Daylesford and was built before the town’s Post Office (1858), Telegraph Office (1859) and the Railway…
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8.3
Quitting coffee
Regular readers of The Better Living Index will be aware of my ongoing passion for great coffee. Over the past seven years, we have written about the best of Sydney’s highly competitive coffee scene and made a point…
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8.4
Lowe Winery and Cellar Door, Mudgee
Lowe Winery and Cellar Door is an idyllic place to spend a warm spring afternoon in the shade of the vines. Farmed according to the Luna calendar, these organic and bio dynamic wines that are hand-picked…
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Bistrot Gavroche, Chippendale
Bistrot Gavroche is a Parisian style brasserie in Sydney’s Chippendale precinct. Housed in a beautiful old rum warehouse, Bistrot Gavroche has created a traditional French bistro atmosphere with its imposing oakwood entrance, brass-railed banquette seating,…
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8.2
Italian & Sons, Canberra
Italian & Sons is one of a number Canberra dining venues that impresses both visitors and locals alike. Highly praised by food critics for its take on the traditional trattoria, Italian & Sons sense of hospitality…
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7.8
Fossix Coffee, Sydney
Fossix Coffee began life ass the CBD outpost from the team behind John Smith Specialty Coffee in Waterloo. Located in the foyer of a commercial building near Pitt Street mall, at first glance Fossix appears to be a…
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8.0
Augustiner Bräu, Salzburg
Augustiner Bräu is Austria’s largest and most successful beer garden with an enormous 1400 seat capacity. Founded in 1621 by Augustinian monks, the beer is brewed in accordance with the purity law, comprising just malt, water,…
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8.5
Paramount Coffee Project, Surry Hills
Paramount Coffee Project is a cooperative venture from two serious coffee operators Russell Beard (Reuben Hills) and Mark Dundon (Seven Seeds). Located in the beautifully renovated Paramount Pictures building, the stylish fit out is complemented by a…
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The Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst
The Local Taphouse Darlinghurst consistently delivers a wide variety of local and international craft beers. One of the first craft brew pubs in Sydney, the list of 20 beers on tap changes regularly enabling you to…
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7.8
Larder Daylesford
Larder Daylesford’s causal atmosphere, good coffee and tasty food continues to strike the right note. The interior fit out features the work of local Kyneton designer and sculptor Jason Waterhouse. The ethos here is ‘re-claimed, re-cycled and re-made’ with…
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7.7
Cafe Rumah and 15 Sheets, Surry Hills
Cafe Rumah, ‘rumah’ roughly translating to ‘home’ in Malay, is a mixed-asian influenced cafe serving well-made coffee, tasty food and baked-to-order Madeleines. The space is actually two spaces; one dedicated to the cafe, the other a men’s…
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8.2
The Grounds of Alexandria
The Grounds, rather unpromisingly located in the industrial suburbs of Sydney’s inner south when it opened, continues to impress as one of the most inspiring cafe openings in recent years. It has such an appealing presence with an industrial…
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8.5
22 Ships, Hong Kong
22 Ships is Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton’s buzzy tapas bar on Ship Street in Wan Chai. Offering imaginative and reasonably priced food, ‘Ships’ is a hit with queues at 9pm even on a Tuesday night. The wait,…
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8.3
The Coffee Academics, Hong Kong
The Coffee Academics is a series of focused coffee houses featuring Slayer espresso machines and a wide selection of filter brewing methods. Their Clever Coffee Dripper (see our guide to making the perfect CCD here), Aeropress and V60 pour…
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