DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Nebbiolo (including Barolo)

WINE > Figli Luigi Oddero Barolo, Piedmont Italy 2013 (18/20)

There are Barolos that linger politely in the glass, and then there are those that stride into the room with quiet gravitas—Figli Luigi Oddero’s 2013 Barolo is firmly the latter. Heritage and tradition echo in every swirl, as this estate’s legacy (fractured but never diminished by familial divides) carries through in the pedigree of the…

ByCrispyAugust 7, 20250Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > Burgundy

DRINK > Caves de l’Abbaye, Beaune, Burgundy (18/20)

Step from Beaune’s winding, cobbled heart into Caves de l’Abbaye, and you’re greeted by the cool hush of a centuries-old cellar—a true Burgundy hideaway shaped from vaulted stone. Beneath low arches, the glow is candle-soft, shadows flicker against wine-streaked walls, and every table feels like a private alcove ready for pure vinous discovery. AMBIENCE >…

BySimonAugust 2, 20250Comments

EAT EAT > BROOME

EAT > Cichetti Restaurant, Cable Beach, Broome WA (17/20)

There is a particular hush that settles over Broome as the sun dips behind the dunes at Cable Beach. Down a torch-lit path past frangipanis and paperbarks, you’ll find Cichetti, the flagship Italian at Cable Beach Club Resort—a place lending the tropics a taste of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Broome is about as far as…

ByCrispyAugust 1, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Society, Melbourne (17/20)

Amidst the sparkling towers of Collins Street, Society is less a restaurant and more a statement—one part art installation, one part theatre for the business set, and one part shimmering supper club. Enter and you’re enveloped by velvet, soft lamplight, and enough George Jensen flourishes to spark envy on a Paris catwalk. There’s a pulse…

ByCrispyJuly 31, 20250Comments

STAY > SPAIN

STAY > Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastián Spain (18/20)

The Maria Cristina is a grande dame whose very walls seem to hum with the glamour and history of San Sebastián’s Belle Époque. Built in 1912 and named for the Spanish queen who summered here, the Maria Cristina is more than a place to sleep: it’s a living stage for the city’s most elegant moments.…

ByCrispyJuly 26, 20250Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago NZ (2021)

There are Pinots that gently introduce themselves, and then there are Pinots that make the room go quiet for a moment: Valli’s Bannockburn sits firmly among the latter. Bannockburn, the original Central Otago subregion for Pinot Noir, is famed for clay-schist soils and sun drenched, cool-climate vines—and winemaker Grant Taylor’s assured touch means every bottle…

ByCrispyJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > NYC

EAT > Cosme, New York (18/20)

Some restaurants in Manhattan are just looking for a crowd. Cosme, though—Cosme feels like it was built with the city in mind: restless, inventive, and impossible not to love, at least if you know what you’re looking for. Step into this Flatiron institution, the music’s up, the crowd’s dressed, the mezcal’s cold—and you just know…

ByCrispyJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Maison Bâtard, Melbourne (16/20)

Aspiring to Parisian grandeur is some what expected in Australia's French restaurants, but Maison Bâtard takes it to a new level, four of them actually. An unabashed, four-level reverie to la belle France, right on Bourke Street. It is here, amongst velvet, marble, and spirited conversation, that a chap might imagine himself on the Right…

BySimonJuly 20, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld VIC (19/20)

There are restaurants that feel like a pilgrimage—Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel is one of them. Set at the foot of the Grampians in Dunkeld, Wickens is not just a meal, but a masterclass in the art of place-driven dining. Here, the landscape is more than a backdrop: it’s the main ingredient. AMBIENCE > Descending…

ByCrispyJuly 14, 20250Comments

EAT > MELBOURNE

EAT > Kafeneion Emeis, Melbourne (15/20)

Once upon a time Lonsdale Street was home to Melbournes Greek community and was thick with restaurants and cafes. Today however most are gone, out to the suburbs leaving most people to believe that there are few choices in the CBD other than Stalactites (the greasy late night diner). Kafeneion Emeis, perched…

ByCrispyJuly 12, 20250Comments

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