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, 20240Comments

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…

ByAl ManakMay 7, 20240Comments

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…

ByCrispyMay 6, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

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, 20240Comments

DRINK > KYOTO

DRINK > Wine Bar Fleur Parf, Kyoto

It is a quiet street in the Shimogyo Ward of Kyoto where we found Wine Bar Fleur Parf, it is hidden at the end of a long passage (lit by lamps on the ground), past a beautiful courtyard garden to the bar at the back. There you find a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle…

ByCrispyApril 8, 20240Comments

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