The beloved Surry Hills’ Dolphin Hotel will be blowing out the candles on its second birthday cake on Thursday 11th October. Join them in celebration with food, drinks and music from the legendary CC:Disco. If there’s one thing we know, it’s that the Dolphin knows how to throw a great party, so head down from 8pm to join in the birthday festivities and kick off their second year in style!

Sydney’s famed fine diner The Bridge Room is set to celebrate spring in style. In ode to the arrival of the new season, owner Ross Lusted has created a special two course $75 spring lunch menu featuring dishes with an emphasis on the light, the balanced, and the beautiful. The menu will change daily, and will be available Tuesday through Friday lunch, alongside the existing a la carte menu.

While we all like to believe the meat we’re purchasing is 100% Australian, unfortunately it’s difficult to tell. If a product is made in Australia from anything less than 80-90% Australian ingredients, you’re buying frozen meat imported from overseas. Challenger Smallgoods is an up and coming meat producer that’s all about Australian produce with an American taste. Think streaky maple bacon, smoked brisket pastrami and all-beef smoked hot dogs. Everything is freshly made in Sydney and smoked with real Australian hardwood for that mouthwatering taste we all know and love. Run by husband and wife team Eli and Ruby Challenger, the business is a tribute to authentic flavours and Australian farmers, born out of a passion for charcuterie and smoked meats. Challenger Smallgoods has been supplying some of Sydney and Melbourne’s best American, burger and BBQ venues for just over three years, recently launching their bespoke retail range due to high demand. Eli says “We are so proud to support Australian farmers and we’ve got some of the best beef and pork in the world down here, it seems such a shame to rely on frozen imports from overseas”. So if you’re looking for great-tasting, authentic meat that backs our Aussie farmers, look no further than these guys. For a list of stockists, see here.

Byron Bay’s much loved boutique establishment Raes is not what it used to be. In fact, it’s far, far better thanks to a complete venue overhaul that encompasses its kitchen. Running this new operation will be head chef Jason Barratt (formerly of Attica, Stokehouse and Hectori’s Deli). His vision for new restaurant Raes Dining Room is a menu that is approachable but impressive at once; food has embraced a distinctly Mediterranean lean in direction to accompany its beachside setting, with seafood set to take centre stage. There’s also the new addition of the Raes Cellar bar, where a unique oyster and sashimi menu will be served alongside gelato and (of course) plenty of Champagne. “The Cellar provides a relaxed space where guests and barefoot beachgoers can enjoy an afternoon drink and some of the region’s finest seafood. Come night time, the space can continue serving or also transform into a private dining room available daily for exclusive bookings, with tailored menus, and dedicated bar staff. The offering is unlike anything else in the region, and with Jason’s food direction, we are confident it will be an amazing and unique experience for guests,” says Raes Director Jordy Catalano. raes.com.au

Good news wanderlusters, Emirates has just announced a new service connecting Dubai to Edinburgh. The inaugural flight was greeted with a traditional Scottish welcome of a water cannon salute and bagpipe serenade. The new flight path marks the beginning of greater connectivity for leisure and business travelers around the UK, providing a unique cultural richness achieved through global tourism. Even better news for the luxurious traveller, the Boeing 777 deployed on the route has a three-class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class. You can also expect a world of entertainment throughout your journey with over 3500 channels of on-demand audio and visual, along with warming hospitality from crew members. The flight is designed to be as enjoyable as the destination itself, so open yourself up to new adventures with Emirates.

We believe everyday is champagne day but the officially recognized date is the 19th October. French Vine, a new luxury wine destination bringing unique French wines to Australia, is celebrating with an irresistible offer. Enjoy 15% off their entire spring collection with the code SHOPSPRING, including the beloved Brut Réserve and Brut Rosé. Don’t celebrate International Champagne Day with anything less than the best; handpicked from all of France’s famous wine regions, distinct in flavour and quintessentially French, you can’t look past French Vine.

Park Hyatt Sydney has released a new, strawberry-focused menu in support of Aussie strawberry farmers. Make your way to the hotel to enjoy the likes of strawberry fields cocktails, summer pavlova topped with fresh fruit and afternoon tea with scones and strawberry jam which form part of the new offering. In addition, you can enjoy complimentary strawberry petit tarts in The Living Room. This fresh, fruity menu is available for the entire month of October and is the perfect (not to mention delicious) way of supporting Australian farmers during their time of need.

Two of Beechworth’s finest wine makers (A.Rodda wines and Savaterre) are headed to Woollahra’s Wine Library on the 17th of October. Offering unique insight into the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle, the makers will conduct the tastings and answer any questions. The Wine Library team have designed a bespoke menu for the evening, with 5 courses and 8 matching wines. Expect tasty dishes like burrata with confit tomato and venison carpaccio with juniper. Get your tickets by calling (02) 9368 7484 or email info@wine-library.com.au

On the 13th and 14th October, you can celebrate the season of the spritz at Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour. Partnering with the masters of the game, Aperol, you can expect cocktail tastings, live entertainment and a spritz party package between 1pm and 3pm. The package includes a two-hours of Aperol Spritz, a bucket of king prawns and signature antipasti platter for $79pp. This is the perfect way to welcome in the warmer weather, celebrating in style with a drink in hand. Be sure to reserve your spot here.

To celebrate their very first year of Sydney-side trading, the beloved Chin Chin is hosting an epic birthday party themed ‘One night in Bangkok’. In typical Chin Chin style, there’s an abundance of spicy food, live entertainment and fun to be had. The party takes place on the 25th October, tickets are $88pp including food entertainment and after party antics. Get your tickets here.

Beloved gelateria ‘Piccolina‘ is headed for the beach, opening a brand new store in St Kilda on the 12th October. Just in time for summer, the store will be serving up their award-winning scoops while customers bask in the sun. The decor is inspired by 1950’s Southern Italy, with bright colours and fun packaging. The secret is gelato made fresh daily with 100% natural ingredients like fresh fruit and roasted nuts. We’ve saved the best till last, the gelateria’s show-stopping centrepiece is a liquid chocolate fountain with their homemade nutella sauce on tap 24/7. This is a sight to behold to be sure to head down there for a scoop (and a dip).

Merivale’s Fred’s will host a collaboration dinner between acclaimed Japanese author and cook Nancy Singleton Hachisu and Fred’s own Danielle Alvarez. In celebration of Nancy’s latest release, Japan: The Cookbook, the dinner feature a four-course traditional Japanese menu cooked in the Fred’s fireplace, ending on a sweet note with dessert by Danielle Alvarez. The dinner offers a unique chance to taste and experience various chapters from the book with an optional wine and sake pairing (for the full Japanese treatment). The book includes over 400 tried, tested and translated recipes from regional chefs, local grandmothers and artisanal makers making it a true taste and testament to Japan. Bookings can be made through Merivale restaurant reservations on Restaurant.Reservations@merivale.com or (02) 9240 3000.

Plant-based restaurant and cocktail bar, Alibi, are welcoming US chef and vegan dining pioneer Matthew Kenney to co-launch a new offering of vegan high teas. Giving a chic makeover to locally-sourced, plant-based ingredients the menu combines tradition with innovation. An abundance of sweet and savory options are on offer, like forest mushrooms on toast with wasabi cream and lemon meringue tart with sable. Washed down with plant-powered cocktails of Earl Grey Sours and Ovolo classic Bellinis and you’ve find yourself a leafy green oasis. There will be 5 different two-hour packages available throughout the week, starting from a glass of rose sparkling and ranging all the way to a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Blason rose. To make a booking, call +61 2 9331 9088.

The Sakura season may be over at Saké Restaurant & Bar Flinders Lane but they’ll be saying goodbye in sensational style. Enter the Sakura Basement Party, an afternoon of free-flowing Moet and Chandon, Saké canapes and summer tunes by DJ Lauren Mac, between 12pm and 2pm on the 14th October. This event is the first of its kind and promises to be an unforgettable afternoon of atmospheric magic, so be sure to get your tickets by calling 1300 670 910 or emailing reservations@sakerestaurant.com.au

Social Serve will launch its Summer Season launch at Rose Bay’s Lyne Park Tennis Centre on Saturday 20 October. This year, the charity has teamed up with Lacoste and Aperol to deliver killer cocktails, artisan eats, beats, and a giant serving of social tennis to support people with disabilities accessing sport. A steady circulation of Italian aperitivo platters, aperol spritz and cocktails alongside a fun-filled game of social tennis makes for a great afternoon. For those looking to cause a racquet afterward, details of an exclusive after-party will be revealed on the day. It’s game, set, match so head over, get active and support a great cause.