There’s nothing like a delicious taco or two to make you feel like you’re holidaying on a gorgeous Mexican playa and wistfully contemplating your next cocktail. And while Foveaux Street in Sydney’s Surry Hills is a far cry from Mexico, it’s here that you can find some truly authentic, and downright tasty, Mexican street food.

At first glance, El Loco could be a bundle of contradictions. Despite being owned by the slick hotel chain, Merivale, El Loco has a really rustic, humble and authentic fit-out – with grungy looking couches, colourful metal seats and tables, a cute tin bar, and a menu that’s written directly onto the wall, by hand. Plus, despite the tacos being just AU$5 a pop (not bad by Sydney-standards) and the food having all the taste and haste of street food, the kitchen is headed by the celebrated and well-known Aussie chef, Dan Hong. In any case, this apparent paradox doesn’t really matter. In fact, it really works. The menu is beautifully simple – divided into two sections: ‘Tacos’ and ‘The Rest’. The tacos include lemongrass beef, chicken and sweet corn, chilli tofu, or even prawns and salsa verde. There are also hot dogs, an ‘El loco salad’, ‘Torta’ sandwich with grilled fish and cabbage, or grilled fish and steak. But the taco Queso Al Pastor – with spit roasted pork and pineapple – is what’ll take your taste-buds all the way to Mexico. While you may have to resist gorging on the entire menu, El Loco is fun, fresh and really tasty. And the best bit? There’s not a tub of sour cream in sight. Ole!

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When it comes to new restaurants, the Sydney market can be brutal. And while many sink, others appear to float along effortlessly. Enter Three Blue Ducks. Opened by a group of local surfers in 2010, this humble beachside cafe has gone on to become one of Sydney’s hottest places to eat. In just two years, it’s received glowing reviews, been featured on television series, taken over the pizza place next door, extended its trading hours into the evening, and even opened a spin-off in Falls Creek, Victoria.

These days, you’ll probably need to queue for a table on weekends, and dinner is also almost always a full house. Presenting itself as ‘honest, innovative and local’, Three Blue Ducks sources ingredients from local suppliers, and uses organic produce as much as possible. The experience is relaxed and rustic – and there’s even a small garden plot out the back, where they recycle restaurant waste, keep a few chooks, and grow seasonal crops for use in the kitchen. Impressively, this very local, organic vibe isn’t at odds with the sophisticated menu, or the fine-dining credentials of their team, which includes former Tetsuya’s chef Mark LaBrooy, and former Tetsuya’s head chef Darren Robertson. The menu features everything from snapper ceviche to mussels with lemongrass, and duck, rhubarb and licorice to wagyu, bone marrow and kale. Coupled with their beachside location, good-looking crew, and seasonal produce, it’s a formula that works beautifully. Well, in between surfs, of course.

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While it seems the rest of the world has long-embraced the food truck concept, Sydney is a little slow on the uptake. But at last, it’s happening and just in time for the warmer months. One of the very first off the rank, Cantina Mobil, is a cool little truck that has been roving around Sydney’s northern beaches serving up simple yet delicious Mexican-inspired fare. Founded by Rode Vella and Stephanie Raco, they boast a pretty authentic menu of slow-cooked meats and desserts like mango pudding that’s great after a day on the sand.

And while you can still catch the original touring around Sydney, the team behind the truck has officially opened a fixed-address version too, permanently stopped in Darlinghurst. From the outside, it literally looks like a food truck has made its way into the shop – parked up, ready for business. (And no, it’s not the broken down original up on blocks….) The menu here, at Fixed Address, is identical to the more portable version, with a minor alteration or two. The shredded beef and chicken is delightful and the options of burritos, tortillas, and fillings from chipotle beef to achiote chicken more than satisfy. In a tongue-and-cheek sort of way, the fit-out has a minimalist and temporary vibe, making you feel like you were sitting outside. Hand-drawn illustrations on the walls are paired with a communal table dotted with cacti and old petrol cans act as stools. While this isn’t exactly destination dining (your meal arrives in a disposable cardboard container with all the haste of street food), it’s fun, tasty and easy – and even better after a late night out. It’s also a somewhat ironic way of helping promote the food truck concept which, hopefully, is in Sydney to stay.

Cantina at a Fixed Address
Shop 5 & 6, 113-115 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney

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There are two types of people in this world: those who love cured meats and cheese and, well, those who don’t. And for the former, Salt Meats Cheese, situated in the same block as The Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney, is somewhat of a nirvana. Step inside this funky warehouse, and you’re greeted by an abundance of delectable, quality imported ingredients, as well as a vast cheese and salumi room that’s definitely not for the lactose intolerant.

Cheese is certainly the hero here, and there’s an impressive ‘cheese lab’, reminiscent of the open cheese making displays you often find in Italian and French supermarkets. Every day there’s a different part of the cheese-making process on display, and the founders – a father and son team named Salvatore and Stefano – do live cheese demonstrations in The Grounds, as part of their weekend market. And then there is the full stock of Casa Gusto products – a line of Italian sourced and made grocery items, which purport to offer a ‘taste of home’ (and whose packaging makes us swoon). In case the whole experience wasn’t Italian enough, there’s even a Vespa parked at the front, which coverts into a mobile kitchen for cooking up salty meat treats for passers-by. Yes, really.

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It’s not often you arrive somewhere for a lazy breakfast on a Saturday morning, to find a DJ pumping out tunes, a clown and a fairy doing wacky things with balloons, Italian cheese makers kneading mozzarella, chickens pecking about their coop, and row after row of impressive veggie patches. It’s a complex and seemingly chaotic package, but somehow, it all melds together, in a civilized, serene and incredibly cool oasis that’s attracting Sydney’s foodies in droves. Set in an old pie factory in the industrial suburb of Alexandria, The Grounds is almost more of a concept than a café or restaurant – a vast, gastronomic playground.

As well as a buzzing café, the site hosts a coffee research and testing facility, and an expansive, paved garden with heirloom veggies and herbs. Fresh herbs are picked from the garden every morning, and a full time horticulturalist ensures seasonal produce is grown for the menu. The coffee is outstanding, and the dine-in menu boasts hearty and home-style dishes, like soft-boiled free-range eggs rolled in crispy quinoa with asparagus and truffle oil, crispy chicken schnitzel with salsa verde and house slaw. There’s also a tasty takeaway menu, with bacon and egg rolls, a delectable three-cheese toastie, and a slow-roasted lamb shoulder sandwich. 

On weekends, the site is host to a small, friendly market – and The Grounds will soon be hosting classes in the garden, teaching kids how to sow seeds and watch plants grow. This outstanding new hotspot has been brilliantly conceived – and they’re doing their best to cover every last detail. There’s even a door-girl wielding a clipboard to cater for an ever-growing queue of salivating customers. One thing’s for sure: The Grounds certainly turns the old ‘KISS’ adage on its head; proof that sometimes, it’s the complex ideas that are the best.

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For anyone travelling with young kids, the thought of a plane trip — particularly an international one — can induce heart palpitations. The very idea of enduring a public meltdown in a cramped space 30,000 feet above the ground, while other passengers ‘humpf’ and deliver pointed stares, is enough to send any parent into a state of sleep-deprived anxiety.

It’s this fearful and common scenario that led Jane Tara — a mother of four, author and passionate traveller — to write Around the World in 80 Ways, a cool little guidebook for surviving and (gasp) even enjoying long trips with petit travellers.

Funny and very down to earth, it includes 80 easy, lightweight ways to keep kids entertained and educated about travel, including games, trivia and activities. Of course, your kids may well prefer to kick the seat in front, scream like crazed banshees or throw their toys around the cabin like missiles. But if there’s one book that could potentially distract them, this is the one.

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It’s a grey, rainy day here in Sydney and with nothing particularly inspiring on the brunch menu, I’m dreaming about a recent breakfast I had at La Lucciola in Bali. Situated right on the beachfront, this vast, open-air, thatched restaurant always seems to score rave reviews from tourists, and is refreshingly and romantically basic, with tiled floors and comfy wicker chairs.

If you’re up early, La Lucciola does a killer breakfast – with strong coffee, salmon scrambled eggs, ricotta hotcakes, and a sensational tropical fruit plate with yoghurt pannacotta. It’s also hard to go past their tasty selection of homemade granitas – which definitely take the edge off the steamy tropical weather. And at night, one can only imagine the candlelit, romantic ambience that’s sure to induce more than a few marriage proposals.

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By day, Buenos Aires is awash with super stylish, well-heeled porteños going about their daily business: shopping, chatting on their cells, or tucking into scrumptious steaks bigger than their designer handbags. After dark, in fact, way after dark, as is the Argentine way, you’ll find a fair few of the city’s beautiful people head to a gorgeous and dimly lit wine bar in the stylish barrio of Recoleta. With its funky interior and decadent wine list, you’ll never find yourself short of a tipple — or a pleasant view — at Gran Bar Danzon.

If you’re stuck for choice, the manager and sommelier Damian Alonso will happily recommend a beverage to tickle your fancy, and if the mood takes you, there’s also a dining area where chef, Martin Arrieta, serves up delectable dishes like salmon ceviche with celery sorbet, lamb carpaccio with truffles and parmesan icecream, and crispy duck confit with mashed carrots, spicy blueberries and salted pistachios. Being in Buenos Aires, dinner at Gran Bar Danzon won’t really kick off until at least 10pm — so if this delicious menu doesn’t lead to you ordering more dishes than you can possibly handle, hunger definitely will!

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Cafe Bali is considered somewhat of an institution in Seminyak, Bali. With mismatched furniture and an open, relaxed vibe, it’s the perfect place to while away the hours – reading, writing or just hanging with some rather beautiful people.

While it’s not air-conditioned, it’s open and breezy, with French, colonial-style furnishings, a cute lap pool, and some amazingly artistic lighting installations by a local designer. While the food isn’t anything out of this world, the menu is full of fresh, reliable staples like salads, steak, and pasta. They also do a great selection of fruit juices, and if you’re brave enough to try a tuna carpaccio in Indonesia, theirs is apparently a winner.

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Head up a long, nondescript drive towards Seminyak’s shabby coastline, and you’ll find the incredibly cool and distinctly un-shabby Potato Head Beach Club, the newest and sharpest place to hang out in Bali. Opened in December 2010, the building is an art installation in itself, with walls made of industrial concrete and adorned with hundreds of rustic, mismatched window shutters.

Once inside the almost bunker-like exterior, the vibe is warm and funky, with vintage furniture, cool retro lighting, and staff who go completely out of their way to make sure you’re fed and watered. By day, Potato Head is super family-friendly, with a beachside infinity pool, great bar menu and vast grassy area. And you can only imagine the chaotic parties that kick off after dark, thanks to an expansive bar, resident DJs and whopping sound system. Plus, if you’re not feeling suitably attired on your arrival, Potato Head also has its own on-site boutique, where you can pick up some cool clothes and accessories on your way through.

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There’s something very ‘Sydney’ about Seminyak. If it weren’t for the tropical heat, delightful scent of incense, cluttered temples and constant drum of scooters, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were shopping in Paddington, hanging out in Bondi, or dining in Surry Hills. And when it comes to the very Sydney habit of heading out for Sunday brunch, you can’t go past Seminyak’s Grocer and Grind.

Situated alongside a fresh produce deli, this hip cafe serves up a mean breakfast and also offers fantastic lunchtime salads, sandwiches, and Panini. They also blend their own coffee, and claim to have the best on the island. After you’re done with breakfast, you can shop for some organic goodies next door. And with wireless internet available all day long, it’s a very easy and cool place to while away the hours.

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It doesn’t get more rockstar than a private beach club at the foot of a soaring limestone cliff: with white sand, turquoise water, a masseuse at the ready, and your own cable car to lift you back up the cliff afterwards.

Fortunately, Karma Kandara Resort admits lowly day trippers (for a modest fee) to their Nammos Beach Club, so you don’t have to fork out for a night in the plush accommodation to check it out. With its distinctly Mediterranean air, Nammos was voted the best beach in Bali by Hello Bali Magazine in December 2008 — and it’s not hard to see why. If the view doesn’t impress, a swim in the crystal clear water, stint on the sun lounges and some fresh seafood in the restaurant afterwards will definitely tip you over the edge. So to speak.

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There’s something nicely eclectic about sitting in an opulent Balinese restaurant, sipping French wine, and eating Southeast Asian inspired food courtesy of a renowned Australian chef. While such a combination could potentially risk being a little confused, this is one instance where the fusion definitely works.

If you’ve joined the hordes of Aussie tourists in Bali’s uber-westernised town of Seminyak, chances are you’ve been to Sarong, which was established in 2008 and is regarded as one of the best places to eat on the island. Head chef, Will Meyrick, is ex-Longrain and Jimmy Liks — and it shows. As well as having an equally hip ambience, there’s the same incredible cocktail list, and the same trusted staples, like pork hock and betel leaves. You’ll be left salivating over beautiful dishes like seared scallops with green nam jihm and ajwaini fish tikka. And if you have any room afterwards (which is pretty unlikely), the desserts are similarly magnificent. While you may well leave Sarong with a robust case of Bali belly, it will definitely be of the indulgent couldn’t- possibly-fit-another-thing-in kind.

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When having a child dampens your travel plans — seemingly forever — it’s relieving to know that there’s a genuine slice of France just around the corner. Since opening in 2008, the French-inspired Bronte Road Bistro has scored rave reviews – and it’s easy to see why. Their formula is simple: an elegant and straightforward menu, killer wine list, and friendly, down-to-earth service. And unlike so many other new restaurants in Sydney’s Eastern beaches, they attract crowds without relying on vintage furniture, mismatched crockery or meagre, tapas-inspired dishes.

Instead, Head Chef Dave Pegrum — formerly of Tetsuya’s and Forbes and Burton — has designed a menu with delectable bistro staples like chicken liver parfait, seared scallops, and steak frites with cafe Paris butter. Throw in an impressive selection of wine by the glass, and a sommelier who remembers your wine taste after just a few visits, and you’ve got a superb restaurant that ticks all the boxes. To quote Aussie food reviewer Simon Thompson, Bronte Road Bistro is the ‘local you’ve always wanted close by’.

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It’s 7:30am, and as per usual, there’s already there’s a queue forming outside Iggy’s Bread on a quiet suburban street in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Actually, the only time you won’t see a line of hungry customers salivating in front of their hole-in-the-wall bakery is when there’s a hastily scribbled ‘sold out’ sign pasted on the door.

Iggy’s started in Massachusetts in 1994, and they’ve since taken their bakery model all over the world. And despite their laid-back appearance, Iggy’s are doing a roaring trade. As well as attracting droves to their bakery doors, they also supply some of Sydney’s top restaurants and cafes — many of which proudly specify their association with the Iggy’s brand. Although they’re well known for their sourdough, their French-style ficelle and bagels are also some of the finest artisan breads you’ll find around. So in case you’re wondering, yes, the queue is definitely worth it.

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When it comes to great food memories, I find this one hard to beat. Argentina is a long way to go for a sensational meal, but if you happen to be travelling through South America any time soon, make sure you pay Almacen Del Sur a visit. This gourmet ‘delicatessen’ is located at the foot of the Andes in Maipu near Mendoza — Argentina’s wine region.

As well as making a whole range of yummy preserves which are exported all over the world, they also have a beautifully restored 19th century farmhouse and a ‘cave gourmet’, where you can kick back and enjoy a spectacular degustation. Of course, being Argentina, it’s heavy on the carne. So visit on an empty stomach, and don’t even think about cycling through the wineries afterwards.

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I was lucky enough to attend the recent launch of the new Australia and New Zealand Guidebook by Mr & Mrs Smith. And let me tell you, if luxe travel is your thing, this is the book. Travel guide publishers have copped a bit of flack recently — especially after Thomas Kohnstamm wrote his hedonistic, “tell all” book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?, in which he alleged that most of the content he wrote for Lonely Planet’s Brazilian guidebook was either fudged, or written in a drug-induced stupor. However, with Mr & Mrs Smith, Kohnstamm’s version of travel writing couldn’t be further from the truth.

For a start, Mr & Mrs Smith limit their guidebooks to a small collection of carefully selected luxury/boutique hotels and resorts — in specific regions around the world. They research each hotel and destination exhaustively and employ a veritable army of high profile ‘tastemakers’ (including Aussie names like Sigrid Thornton, Deborah Hutton, Christine Mansfield and David Grant) who write honestly about their experiences. Plus, every hotel is always reviewed by a trusted member of the Mr & Mrs Smith travel team, so you know you’re getting balanced advice. Oh, and most importantly, the editorial team have fabulous taste. Their selections will make you drool. Clearly I was impressed.

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Spending a huge amount of money is easy when you’re without a mortgage, kids or a full time job. To ease my financial guilt, I recently put together this list of fifty fun, bizarre and slightly mad ways in which I managed to blow $50K over the years — buying myself nothing but amazing memories and the odd persistent stomach bug.

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For a seriously good summer holiday destination, it’s pretty hard to beat San Sebastian on Spain’s Atlantic coast. Set on a gorgeous piece of coastline in the heart of the Basque region, this buzzing seaside town certainly packs a punch. It’s got three divine beaches, hundreds of tapas bars (apparently more per square kilometre than any other city in the world), a vast selection of historical buildings and churches (if the urge to sightsee takes over), clubs, boutiques and countless festivals all year round. Plus, if you’re really into your tucker, the area surrounding San Sebastian is arguably the best in Spain for gastronomy – boasting several of the world’s finest Michelin-starred restaurants.

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Seriously, is there anywhere in the world more glamorous than the French holiday town of Biarritz? I recently visited Biarritz for the second time, and this visit, was even more wowed by the endless array of buffed, leggy, chain-smoking Europeans — each of them dripping in jewellery, swanning about in their caftans, and sipping champagne like it was water.

Over the years, Biarritz has been a popular holiday destination for European and British royalty, and it became even more renowned when Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napolean III, built a decadent palace on the beachfront in 1854. The town is packed with fabulous bars, boutiques, cafes and restaurants — and if you’re not too intimidated by the locals, you can even paddle out for a wave – as the area is renowned for having one of Europe’s best surf breaks.

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