EAT > The Moat, Melbourne (13/20)

"It is under the Library, off Little Lonsdale Street", I said but apparently Google had other ideas directing my lunch guest to wander around the State Library and the Wheeler Centre before he called and said "ok where are you?". Actually it is not that hard to find if you know where you are…

ByCrispyJuly 20, 2024

STAY > HOBART

STAY > MACQ01 Hotel, Hobart

If you are looking for the very best place to stay in Hobart then MACQ01 is probably it. Sure there are other choices available but here is why we are fairly convinced that MACQ01 is going straight to the top of your list. There are two stand out reasons to recognise the hotel first…

ByCrispyJune 16, 2024

EAT > HOBART

EAT > Ogee, North Hobart (16/20)

It is quite a solid walk up to Ogee in North Hobart from Sullivan’s Cove and downtown Hobart. It will take you about 30 minutes depending where you start and the incline gradually increases all the way up. I note this because we chose to walk up, it is a Sunday morning and…

ByCrispyJune 16, 2024

EAT > HOBART

EAT > Fico, Hobart (19/20)

Fico means fig in Italian, but in Italian slang it also mean cool and that is a very good definition for Fico it is definitely cool. To start it is not a typically Italian restaurant but the food is obviously heavily influenced with Italian techniques and flavours. The chef co-owners Federica…

ByCrispyJune 16, 2024

EAT > HOBART

EAT > Frank, Hobart (14/20)

Frank is a smart restaurant with robust South American cuisine that is right on Franklin Pier looking out towards Sullivan’s Cove. It was described by a friend as, “you can’t miss it, its right underneath the Commonwealth Bank”. Arriving at the front door the restaurant is disected into two zones on the left…

ByCrispyJune 15, 2024

DRINK > HOBART

DRINK > Lucinda Wine Bar, Hobart

If you are walking down Collins Street, Hobart you might easily miss Lucinda hidden away in a beautiful historic building but the signage is very subtle. Step inside and you will find a small room with a large central table and bench seats around the outside. They also have a larger room,…

ByCrispyJune 14, 2024

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Pinotta, Fitzroy North (15/20)

Pinotta has been a busy bustling bistro wine bar on St Georges Road in Fitzroy North since 2011, led by the vibrant Heidi Modra who welcomes guests who come from the neighbourhood and across Melbourne. The big change in 2024 is the addition of Phillipa Sibley as executive chef. Sibley (you may well remember her…

ByCrispyJune 11, 2024

WHERE TO SKI > SKI > USA

SKI > Mammoth, California

When people talk about Mammoth, they normally say something like "yep, wow, can't wait to get back there". Or "the best skiing I have had in the US". Or "I love the incredible diversity of the mountain". Or "bloody hell it was impossible to drive there in the blizzard". Mammoth Mountain creates…

ByCrispyMay 14, 2024

WHERE TO SKI > SKI > JAPAN

SKI > Aizu, Nekoma Mountain Fukushima, Japan

There are over 22 resorts in Aizu it is a region with an enormous quality of cumulative snowfall and micro fine snow, there are great runs in fresh snow that don't require any hiking, a lower risk of avalanche because of the dense trees. The best option is to seek out a local guide…

ByCrispyMay 13, 2024

DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Above Board, Melbourne

A serious cocktail bar. Only 16 seats and no standing permitted. That is the message for the now widely acclaimed Above Board. Located off Smith Street Collingwood it is not easy to find but this is an area where cocktail bars are serious and Above Board take that to a level more akin…

ByCrispyMay 9, 2024

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