One of the key recommendations we make to our guests during our dining tours is to immerse themselves in a book on Sydney post-tour. As we journey between venues, we provide snippets of history about each precinct, enriching the experience with tales of the characters and venues that have shaped the city. Understanding these anecdotes not only adds depth to the journey but also enhances the overall entertainment of our guests during and after the tour. A good book on Sydney can offer a treasure trove of insights and stories that bring the city's past to life, making the present-day experience all the more meaningful.
Our latest dining discovery, Dead Ringer, is on leafy Bourke Street in the heart of Surry Hills. Housed in a grand terrace house, with handsome wood joinery & leather upholstery, the two-sided dining room frames an equally handsome bar. The team has a genuine love of good hospitality and food paired with classy cocktails. We describe Dead Ringer to our guests as ‘a restaurant with a well-stocked bar’.
Last week we tried the amazing new Christmas Gin from Four Pillars Gin whilst on our Surry Hills dining tour with a lovely American couple. There is a sweet story behind the making of this spirit each Christmas. This gin is Cam’s tribute to four things he loves: Australia, Christmas, gin and his late mum, Wilma.
The much-loved Mille Vini re-opened its doors under new management after an extensive interior facelift in October 2021 with a new menu and drinks offering. The new menu has a strong emphasis on classic recipes from all Italian regions, with handcrafted pasta.
It feels good to duck-up to the front counter of the doorways and windows around the hood and grab our weekly takeaway treat from our favourite people. Even some of the die-hard "we-don't-do-takeaway" businesses are coming to the party now! Moving and taking action always feels better than sitting at home stewing about a situation that feels out of your control.
There's an awful lot of amazing takeaway and delivery options available across the city right now. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed at the sheer amount of offerings inner city Sydney is pumping out! This is an exercise in morale boosting, employment of staff and engagement with the regulars of each small business in each precinct. There is often not a high profit margin in this service, it's really about the businesses staying connected with the community.
We started our Australian Travel Exchange 2021 on Sunday afternoon with a booking of three key luxe travel guests of Destination NSW on a curated lunchtime dining walk of Surry Hills on a Sunday afternoon. We met our guests upstairs at Tilly Mays Sydney who had just returned from hitting Bondi for a surf lesson and were in need of sustenance. The generous all Australian cheese board accompanied by a refreshing Pizzini, King Valley prosecco hit the spot perfectly.
We are very excited to announce that we will be kicking off our Surry Hills dining walks at Eileen's bar, from now on! The bar is located above Four Pillars Sydney Lab + Gin store on Crown Street, serving beautifully-crafted gin cocktails that showcase the ever-growing Four Pillars range. Hosting regular cocktail-making/education classes where a gin still - named Eileen of course - sits elegantly in the corner.
