Sydney Eastern Suburbs favourite, The Clovelly Hotel has just announced a new takeaway menu option that sounds perfect for long summer days at the beach. On the menu you can expect to find Aussie favourites such as potato scallops with chicken salt, salt and pepper squid, poké, beer battered flathead, a fried buttermilk chicken burger and a classic cheeseburger, with the option to go for a gluten-free bun.

Chiswick Woollahra are making the most of warm, summer nights with a pop-up gin bar on their front lawn in collaboration with Bombay Sapphire. The pop-up will take place every Wednesday evening from 10 January to 28 February. Tickets: N/A – free entry, complimentary Chiswick canapés and cocktails charged on consumption Dates: Wednesdays from 10 January – 7 February Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Just opened on Greville Street, Prahran, Angus & Bon has taken over the heritage Prahran Post Office building and has an all-star team behind it. Headed by Liam Ganley of Lemon Middle and Orange and Freddie Wimpoles and in the kitchen is Executive Chef Declan Carroll of Rockpool fame. With Interiors designed by Wendy Bergman, a menu that celebrates wood grill flavours, a beverage list collaboration with Wiremu Andrews of Smalls wine bar and plans for Bottomless Brunch on weekends (plus much more), Angus & Bon is a very exciting new addition to Prahran.

Introducing RIDDIK – a cafe, bar and restaurant that has just opened in Melbourne’s north-east. RIDDIK is a family-friendly, unpretentious food destination serving delicious dishes for those with discerning tastes, or a hankering for pub food, or families wanting something each person in the clan can savour. Holding all the hallmarks of a cool urbane eatery, tattooed with stunning street art that is sure to capture the gaze (and be the backdrop for lots of selfies), RIDDIK is tipped to be an unexpected delight in Melbourne’s ‘burbs. RIDDIK will undoubtedly become a favourite among Melburnians, with it being the only all day café – licensed from morning to night – in the area, and seating up to 133 people.

Atlantis, The Palm, in Dubai, teamed up with luxury US caviar company AmStur this New Year’s Eve to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest caviar tin. The 50kg serving of caviar was presented to guests at the resorts’ Gala Dinner and smashed the previous Guinness World Record for the world’s largest caviar tin, which was recorded in 2016, weighing in at 17kg.

Chiswick at the Gallery is open every night between 6 and 23 January to coincide with Rembrandt Live, an immersive exhibition exclusive to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in which actors, dancers and members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra perform amongst Dutch masterpieces of the 17th century. Matt Moran and head chef Tim Brindley have designed a special, two course set menu inspired by the flavours of the baroque era, including seared snapper with heirloom tomatoes, olives and grilled witlof and Rembrandt’s orange cake with burnt bee pollen and stone fruit. The menu is $67 per person and also includes a choice of beer or wine and coffee. There will also be a special baroque banquet after the show for two nights only on 18 and 19 January. Moran and Brindley have created what promises to be a decadent feast, evoking the flavours of the age and the visual opulence of the era’s still life paintings on tables overflowing with food.

The Australian Open’s hottest party is back due to popular demand and ready for another scorcher of a year. January 2017 saw record attendance at the Canadian Club Racquet Club with over 122,000 Canadian Club drinks served, quenching the thirst of tennis goers across the Australian Open two weeks. The Canadian Club Racquet Club will be serving up the perfect combo of tunes, refreshing drinks and good times throughout the Grand Slam, from 15 – 28 January. A resident DJ will play each night and Miami Horror DJ Set will take things up a notch during the middle weekend, Saturday 21 January, the famous highlight of the pop-up. Crowds can enjoy a Canadian Club, dry and lime while watching all the highlights from the tournament on the big screen –the best seat in the house (outside the arena). Food Trucks will be there to feed the souls with the likes of Ginger Boy by Ezard, Biggie Smalls, Hunky Dory and Doughnut Time to name a few.

Brand new business, Batch & Co, launches a category-first; non-alcoholic cocktail mixers, drawing ingredients and expertise from the best in the world, bottled in Australia. Now everyone can make bartender-worthy cocktails and mocktails at home, just in time for summer. Batch & Co products are one-stop mixers, one bottle of juice, syrup and shrub, designed to deliver home entertainers consistency, efficiency and balanced flavour… every time. Batch & Co launches just in time for summer and comes in two mixers: Guava, Strawberry, Vanilla & Shrub and Spiced Pear & Fig. Match your favourite Batch & Co mixer with either gin or rum or tequila or sparkling wine, or anything else your imagination inspires.

The days of the long Christmas lunches are unfortunately over. It’s back to the reality of deadlines and growing to-do lists. To help in adjusting back to reality, Mercado in Ash Lane (Sydney CBD), has just launched an express lunch menu guaranteed to get you back to your desk before your lunch hour is up. Exec Chef Nathan Sasi has chosen two popular dishes from the venue’s menu, offering foodie workaholics the usual Spanish tastes but in record time. For $35pp, express diners are offered sourdough & olive oil with marinated olives and the choice between John Dory or BBQ Rump, paired with a mixed leaf salad and herbs. Vegetarian options are also available.

Melbourne’s newest pasta bar, Lello, in Flinders Lane, offers a fresh and authentic take on traditional hand-made pasta offerings. Each dish tells a regional story, so when owners Chris McIntyre and Leo Gelsomino (who is also the head chef) wanted a beautiful new fit-out to reflect the elegance and comfort of Leo’s food, they turned to Sarah Elshaug of Maitland Street Interiors. Underpinned by beautiful images of the cliffs of Capri by photographer Katie Carmichael, Sarah has used a palette that captures elements of stone and sea to create distinct zones within Lello.

North American Diner, The Stuffed Beaver has just opened a new venue in Sydney’s Lower North Shore. Located in Crows Nest, the rock ‘n’ roll dive bar diner-style eatery boasts an intimate and fun atmosphere, including tables, bar stools and dining parlour booths, plus a giant 120-inch screen which has been purpose-built to showcase key local and international sports events. The Stuffed Beaver have teamed up with Philter Brewery, showcasing the complete range of Philter beers, plus a bespoke beer designed especially for The Beaver, “Beaver Brew”, which is set to be a favourite amongst patrons. Chef Bankky Moon and his team have been working on a range of new menu items following a study tour to research the longest serving and most popular food trends in the USA. The Crows Nest Dining Parlour will serve a range of North American-inspired dishes, including: the Stuffed Beaver’s world famous Wings, an amazing selection of Poutine Fries, Hot Dogs, Spicy Tacos and Nachos plus some mouth-watering Burgers ranging from the traditional Cheeseburger through to the trademark ‘Make Americana Great Again’ burger and the Beaver Fried Chicken Burger. Vegetarian options include a Mushroom Burger and Salads. An extensive beverage menu is available, spanning cold craft beers, ciders, wines and bespoke cocktails, including the renowned Stuffed Beaver Bloody Caesar (the Canadian version of a Bloody Mary) as well as the world famous Beaver Tea, a take on the classic long island iced tea. Stuffed Beaver Crows Nest is located at 419 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest and is open seven days from noon til late (except Mondays, open from 6pm).