Page 25 – ALMANAK MAGAZINE

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…

May 9, 2024ByCrispin

DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar, Melbourne

Melbourne loves to hide its bars and restaurants away down laneways, underground and on top of building roof tops but Pearl is not easy to find. The Midcity Centre arcade on Bourke Street is not a place you would normally associate with fine dining or fine drinking, but make your way past 'Breadtop', the…

May 7, 2024ByEd Itor

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Bar Olo, Melbourne (17/20)

Have you ever walked into an unfamiliar bar or restaurant and had that immediate feeling of familiarity? That sense that yep, this is my place. From the moment you pass through the curtains into the small space that is Bar Olo on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy you have a feeling that this is something a…

May 6, 2024ByCrispin

EAT > LISBON

EAT > Mini Bar, Lisbon

Jose Avillez is probably the most famous chef in Portugal and in 2023 he was named the best chef in Portugal in the Best Chef Top 100 Award for his incredible contribution to food and helping to make Lisbon a top global destination for fine gastronomy. His early career was at…

May 3, 2024ByEd Itor

STAY > SYDNEY

STAY > Ace Hotel, Sydney

The Ace Hotel in Sydney knows how to party. It is definitely that kind of place. If you are looking for a low key discreet place to chill, then this is probably not the place for you. If you are looking for a hotel that is party central then good chance…

May 3, 2024ByCrispin

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Emerald City, Healesville

Almanak does not often write about the places we have not been able to visit yet but this is a place we are very excited about and as soon as we get the chance to update with a proper review we will do so. However in the meantime lets get into what we are…

May 3, 2024ByCrispin

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Lollo (14/20)

Lollo is a hotel restaurant. There I have said it straight up. And as is the case with many hotel restaurants there are some good and some not so good aspects of that come from being part of a very large hospitality venue and a global hotel chain. Lollo sits fashionably on Melbourne's Flinders Lane…

April 24, 2024ByEd Itor

EAT > MELBOURNE WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Sosta Ristorante, North Melbourne (17/20)

An institution of fine dining for the last 15 years Sosta Cucina in Errol Street North Melbourne has changed hands and is now Sosta Ristorante. But its more than just an ownership change the menu while still Italian is more refined, ingredients are premium with a focus on using Australian ingredients to create delicious meals.…

April 15, 2024BySimon

STAY > TOKYO

STAY > Agora Tokyo Ginza, Tokyo

The Agora Ginza Hotel is a welcome hotel for travellers sticking to a budget but wanting a great location and a reasonable room. Rooms have the kind of features you expect from a nice hotel in Japan, (thinking a warm toilet seat with all the functions), slippers, jinbei (japanese pajamas), bottled water,…

April 10, 2024ByEd Itor

CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Turret, Tokyo

It doesn’t seem that long ago that finding a decent espresso in Tokyo was quite a difficult thing. There were a few Tully Coffee Shops and a few Starbucks but that was it. A wasteland for those needing a real caffeine fix. Turret Coffee was the exception, down by the Tsukijii Tuna…

April 10, 2024ByEd Itor