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…

ByLulu MasterdonMay 3, 2024

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…

ByCrispyMay 3, 2024

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…

ByCrispyMay 3, 2024

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…

ByEd ItorApril 24, 2024

EAT EAT > MELBOURNE

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.…

ByMagnum OpusApril 15, 2024

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,…

ByEd ItorApril 10, 2024

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…

ByEd ItorApril 10, 2024

CAFE > KYOTO

CAFE > Common Well, Kyoto

Common Well opened to provide ‘Melbourne Style’ coffee experience in Kyoto and they are doing just that (in a Japanese way) at a newly opened cafe Just down the road from the Nishiki Markets. They serve long black, short black, flat whites, they even serve what's referred to as a "magic", …

ByEd ItorApril 8, 2024

EAT > KYOTO

EAT > Sushi Masumoto, Kyoto

In the beautiful back streets of Gion where the traditional ‘Matcha’ tea houses hide away there are some amazing restaurants hidden behind the sliding doors and ‘Noren’ doorway curtains. One of these outstanding restaurants is Sushi Masumoto which is a set Omakase course sushi restaurant preparing perfect individual morsels for 12 diners (eight at the…

ByCrispyApril 8, 2024

CAFE > KYOTO

CAFE > Goodman Roaster, Kyoto

Goodman Roaster opened in Kyoto in 2019, it is a small cafe and coffee roaster with 85 different coffees from all over the world. One of the key differences is the Taiwanese coffee, owner Ito-san travelled from Kyoto to Taiwan and was introduced to coffee from the Alishan mountain area. His…

ByEd ItorApril 8, 2024