Sydney and Mardi Gras
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If Asian cuisine is your weakness, you've come to the right city. For the
ultimate experience, venture a bit farther east into the Surry Hills
neighborhood to Billy Kwong, an intimate restaurant where international
celeb chef Kylie Kwong dreams up magically modern takes on traditional
Cantonese food.
In the heart of the main gay district, for inexpensive, home-style food,
drop by laid-back Betty's Soup Kitchen, which is known for its huge,
meal-size bowls of soup, from lentil to gazpacho, plus simple pastas and
homemade desserts. The Grumpy Baker is a cute coffeehouse with delicious
baked goods and a typically delicious-looking clientele, too. On Taylor
Square, Lure Fish Cafe and Oyster Bar serves up some of the best chow in
the area. It's a hip space with clean lines and minimalist decor.
Wok on Inn and Don Don are side-by-side cheap and handy Asian restaurants,
the first specializing in noodle bowls and the second in sushi. Nearby in
trendy Paddington, Toko Sushi on Oxford turns out some of the most
inventive sushi in town, in an uber-trendy dining room.
In the up-and-coming Inner West part of Sydney, the Newtown and Glebe
neighborhoods have become popular for funky shopping and ethnic dining.
Great dining spots in these districts include Kilimanjaro for inexpensive,
delicious African fare; Sumalee for tasty Thai treats; and Iku Kitchen for
vegetarian victuals.
Sydney has a number of inviting accommodations, most of them downtown,
which is either a pleasant 20-minute walk or a relatively quick cab ride
from Oxford Street. Directly facing Sydney Harbour, you'll find the
stunning Park Hyatt, a four-story hotel with unbelievably cushy rooms,
round-the-clock butler service, and a loyal celeb following. If you get a
chance, eat lunch in the hotel's open-air dining room overlooking the
harbor and opera house.
Up the street, The Establishment, run by Aussie design guru Justin Hemmes,
turns heads with its 33 super-stylish rooms and chic public spaces, such
as Tank nightclub, Est restaurant, and Sushi e cafe. For the ultimate in
style, book one of the sleek rooms at the W Hotel Sydney, where Russell
Crowe is said to have an apartment.
There aren't too many accommodations right along Oxford Street, but one
lovely and relatively affordable option is Sullivans Hotel, just east of
Darlinghurst in Paddington. This intimate and friendly property has 64
reasonably priced rooms plus a pool and exercise room. Right on Hyde Park,
there's the Sheraton on the Park, a thoroughly upscale lodging with about
550 sleek rooms and a great health club, pool, and spa. If you're seeking
a little extra leg room, try the nearby Southern Cross Suites, whose
spacious and relatively affordable studio rooms have kitchenettes. Another
smart Darlinghurst option is the Medusa, which has just 18 rooms, all
decked with dazzling colors and mod furnishings.
About five miles from downtown Sydney but right by the ocean, consider
staying at Dive Hotel, which is in Coogee Beach and just steps from the
sand. This intimate 14-room hotel is done in cool blacks and whites with
striking modern furniture. In fact, even if you don't overnight out in
this direction, at least plan a brief excursion. Sydney's fashionable
seaside neighborhoods have loads of character plus intriguing shops and
restaurants.
You might plan to watch the sun set from Bondi Beach's hottest restaurant,
Icebergs, a futuristic, glass-walled cantina overlooking the ocean and
serving such memorable Mod Oz fare as char-grilled quail with grape salad,
and smoked eel with creme fraiche, arugala, and horseradish. The dessert
of vanilla panna cotta with chocolate sauce and chestnut honey is a
marvelous way to finish off a perfect Sydney evening.
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The Hunk
