The A-List

The funniest time of the year is nearly back upon us, you guessed it, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is once again gracing the city with its slew of wisecracking, sarcastic, irreverent, and just plain wild comedians from all over the globe. 

Sydney’s legendary Mardi Gras is back in 2022, beckoning Brisbanites south for an unforgettable few weeks of partying in the name of love.

If you've not already got an action-packed Labor Day weekend planned, here's a late runner to add to the mix.

In case you missed it, February is Margarita Month and you know what that means? No matter where the hand on the clock is, it’s unapologetic margarita time. But while you might know how to whip up the OG, we’re here to show you how to shake things up and approach the ol’ classic with a spicy, zingy or fresh twist.

Collingwood’s Peel Street is iconic for at least a few reasons, and one of those is its loved—and longstanding—hospitality offering. And now, thanks to the team behind The Grace Darling, a very familiar space has been reimagined into a late-night pizza joint known as Massie’s, serving up classics done to perfection, as well as several cheeky nods to those full-flavoured (and less-than-traditional) numbers from your childhood. 

Just 18km outside of the CBD in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs, you’ll find Oakleigh. Famed for its euro-style dining and large greek community—one of the largest outside of Greece. This thriving euro-metropolis is one of a kind, unlike any other suburb you’ll find in Melbourne, where alfresco dining and smoking is somehow still on the cards. 

Gin, the translucent spirit so near dear to our hearts. What on earth would we do without the plethora of choices when it comes to the botanically enriched liquor? It’s no secret Victoria has its fair shares of distillers and many a gin bar that it can be hard to decide where you’ll pull up a stool. 

Chef Mattia Aloisio and hospitality expert Alessio Davidde are decade-long friends who dreamt of opening up a restaurant together and sharing their love of food with the world (or with all of High Street, at the very least). Both Italian natives have had successful careers in the industry, with Mattia working in Melbourne institutions like Grossi Florentino, and Alessio managing the prolific Circa. When they found each other in Melbourne, they decided to team up and forge their own culinary path. 

Summer Friday’s are our favourite day of the week, where the whole weekend is stretched out before us, full of opportunities where anything feels possible. 

Born in 2019, Australian-based sneaker brand BLAC needs to be on your radar if you’re looking to take positive, planet-saving steps when it comes to style.

The minds behind Arbory Afloat have just locked in a five-storey heritage-listed building set to become a multi-level hospitality precinct featuring five unique venues.

In a time where remote working is all the rage, it can be easy to get swept up into the lofty wanderlust of working from far away tropical islands, introducing yourself to locals as a digital nomad and posting heavily on the gram. As tempting as that can be it's a lot, if there's a silver lining to the pandemic it's that we now can choose where we work, the environments we live in, and how we knock out the 8-9 hours on the clock each day. 

If you’re scrambling to find a romantic spot to take your Valentine this year, we’ve rounded up a list of all the best dates in Melbourne. Take the 14 of February as an opportunity to share the love and celebrate your partnership, relationship, situationship or friendship.

This year pride is returning to the skies with Virgin Australia’s colourful, glittery, and just bloody fabulous ‘Pride Flight’; a celebration of the LGBTIQA+ community of grand proportions 40,000 feet in the sky. 

After the pure chaos of the last two years, we're all about embracing self-love and wellness in 2022, so we'll be using February 14 as an excuse to treat number one. 

Sometimes, you just want the certainty that your meal will be top-notch. Lucky for Melbourne foodies, a line-up of decadent new eateries has recently opened in Westfield Southland. Our appetites are more than ready. 

Around this time each summer, MONA’s Mona Foma descends upon Hobart and Launceston. If you’re not familiar, it’s best described as a (slightly) less hedonistic version of DARK MOFO packed into one weekend. Like many festivals in a post-pandemic world, 2022’s jaunt looked slightly different to years gone by, but if one was to assume a few extra restrictions would stop the gang down at MONA from throwing one heck of a party, one would be very, very wrong. 

From maintenance to technique tricks–we've put together some handy suggestions to help you get on top of your gas cooking.

Excitement is in the air. We’re back at our favourite local, shouting at our mates over the speakers, navigating sticky pub floors, and doing the awkward first date meet-ups—it’s good to be back. 

The season for sun-drenched sessions is in full-swing. Whether you've planned a romantic picnic with your special someone or a backyard session with your roommates, you're going to want to make sure your tipple of choice is a stand-out serve.

The meatball sub is a thing of beauty, easy one the eyes and a delight for the tastebuds. While subs vary from venue to venue you can expect that age-old combination of juicy flavoured filled pork and beef meatballs, swimming in rich tomato sugo and topped with cheeses from parmesan to provolone, mozzarella and more. 

Cult sunglass brand QUAY Australia has collaborated with the 2022 Australian Open to serve you the ultimate summer eyewear. 

At least for the warmer months, the compromise of al fresco dining, drinking and socialising hardly feels like one at all. Rooftops are reopening, terrace bars are popping up en masse just as beach bars are, too. And now, The Exchange Hotel is bringing back their Beach Club to the sandy shores of Port Melbourne. 

Keep that flame alive, baby. 

If you’re looking for more motivation to travel interstate this summer, NSW and its capital city are offering a few more reasons to jump on a plane or go road tripping. From big sporting matches and world-class exhibitions to festivals and Broadway theatre productions, you can reclaim your time off and renew your summer by visiting Sydney and NSW to attend some world-class events. 

It's now dishing up classics like cheeseburgers, cheese fries and hot fudge sundaes in Sydney’s Marrickville—with more locations set to open around the country soon. 

Aperol (aka our fave summer tipple) is offering a 2-for-1 Aperol Spritz to celebrate togetherness (safely). That’s right, all summer long it’s still important to have the good times roll with the best people you know.  

To celebrate The King’s Man—the third instalment in the beloved Kingsman franchise—and the prequel origin story we never knew we needed—we’ve rounded up the best places to enjoy a dapper night out in your city, inspired, of course, by The King’s Man. Think sharp suits, top-shelf whiskey, subterranean locales and exceptional quality. 

Sometimes, you want a holiday immersed in a new culture on the other side of the world where everything from ordering a beer to catching local public transport is a challenge adventure. And other times, you just want to sit on a beach and do absolutely nothing. Well, the latter is all of a sudden a very feasible thing thanks to a sale over on Webjet.

At what point does a kayak become a canoe? We don’t know, and we don’t want to know. As long as we don’t capsize and destroy our iPhone 11 Pro, we’re happy (okay, okay, we were bluffing—it’s an iPhone 6).

Everyone’s living through it, and while another lockdown simply isn’t a viable option, hospitality is facing some of the biggest challenges since the beginning of the pandemic. There are, however, several ways that us diners, drinkers, visitors and regulars can help; and speaking with those who are in the thick of it, it’s a lot easier than you might think:

From picnicking up the Yarra on your own eco-boat to soaking away your worries at Sense of Self, here’s our local’s guide to unlocking your imagination. 

Want to see your mates? Take a RAT test. Keen to head interstate? Better take a RAT test. Finally going on that post-isolation date? Take that bloody RAT test. Yep, those little plastic cassettes are basically the gateway to a good time—and legally being able to exit isolation—so it’s a real kick in the teeth that they’re basically sold out everywhere. All the time.

If there’s one thing we sorely missed during lockdowns, it was meeting up with mates at the local for a drink. But with Melbourne now open again just in time for those prime summertime vibes—it’s officially the season to be out to support your favourite venue. 

Your first taste of the Kirin Ichiban 50, rounding up eight must-try modern Japanese bites you need to tick off, stat. 

As self-professed foodies, we’d have to say that one of the most underrated of them all is the hard-working and often unthanked food delivery drivers that fuelled us during the pandemic and beyond. 

Federation Square is launching Summer Fest, a Kaleidoscope of free events to take over the centre of the city. Encouraging Melburnians to reclaim their city this summer in a celebration of culture and community; eloquently dubbed, ​​The Kaleidosquare.

If you’ve fallen into a bit of a playlist funk recently, we hear you. Often it can feel like the ol’ algorithm is starting to hit a snag, serving you up the same beats on repeat. So, to help prevent a playlist flatliner and bring on those summer vibes, we asked a few of the Urban List team to share what they’re spinning.

Welcome to sunny Rook Island, an idyllic, tropical paradise. It’s the perfect place to soak up some sun, and catch up on some much-needed R’n’R—that is, if you had the chance to stick around. Instead, you and your mates are captured by a small army of henchmen and become yet another of the victims imprisoned by the infamous Vaas Montenegro. And boy, does he have big plans in store for you…

We’ve all seen those Insta vids of some legend scraping some molten cheese onto other delicious things floating around the internet, but I’m sure you’re wondering where you can get this in Melbourne—wonder no more.

 From homemade tapas to boozy high teas, here are our top tips for slaying your way through the holiday season.

A long-standing landmark of Northcote’s High Street, the 100-year-old, heritage-listed Northcote Theatre is set for one hell of a reno in 2022. The grand old building will be restored to its former glory when it first opened in Melbourne’s northern suburbs back in 1912. 

The newly minted Golden Fleece Hotel is bringing a piece of Santorini to you this summer, giving Melburnians the perfect warm-weather escape. Local restaurateurs Isaac Constantine and Zachery Riggs, responsible for South Yarra favourite Two Wrongs, have taken over the reins of the 150-year-old pub to create an all-new hotel oasis. The Greece-inspired destination is elevating the local pub fare and is ready to transport patrons to the Mediterranean destination without ever having to leave the city. 

Summer has arrived and brought with it an abundance of sunshine, good times and sweet memories. We’re back to those iconic moments of getting dressed up for a night out, spending our weekends road tripping along the coast and enjoying good food in good company. 

Here at Urban List, we often talk about how your fashion thirst shouldn’t cost the earth—and the same goes for your home. 

True treasures of the sea, love them or hate them Oysters are wildly popular.

Here are 15 of our favourite Melbourne restaurants to hit up for a long lunch this Summer.

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If there’s one thing we love about summer, it’s the stacked social cal. And after this year, throwing on your party threads never felt so good. Whether it’s balmy beachside picnics, classy evening soirées or just a good old festive dinner—summer is where the socialising is at.   

Itching for some well-deserved R&R? About 90-minutes west and an hour north-west of Sydney, you’ll find the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions. An easy drive from the city, these areas offer plenty of natural beauty and the much-desired fresh air of national parks. Helping you swap out work meetings and Zoom sessions for hikes, swims, views and restaurants, they’re ideal spots to renew your weekend plans. 

This summer, we’re slowing it right down. No more overwhelming checklists, packed calendars or FOMO—we’re stripping it right back to basics. Because that’s what the good life is all about. 

It’s that time of year again—Christmas is right around the corner and with it comes countless crazy sales and deals to lighten the load on your wallet as you stock up for the silly season. 

It’s been a hot minute but travel is finally back. The hypothetical sabbatical has turned into a reality and we are so ready to book those flights and plan our next wild adventure. 

Jerome Borazio is at it again, opening HABA—a beach-side Australian pub in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula—just in time for your summer holiday.

We’ve wrapped up seven easy ways you can pay it forward to those who need it most. 

With interstate travel finally back on the table, we’ve spent the last few weeks scouring the web, trying to nab some next-level accom without breaking the bank. But after flights being grounded for so long, we can’t help but worry about the environmental impact of everyone getting back in the air. Sure, we want to explore every hidden corner of our stunning sunburnt land, but first, we need to work on reducing the toll of our travel lust.

Outdoor movie powerhouse, Open Air Cinema has teamed up with Disney+ once again to bring back their sell-out drive-in cinema so you can catch all your favourite nostalgic flicks on the big screen.

Nothing spreads festive cheer quite like free beer. 

Keen to ditch your current view for somewhere a little more wanderlust-worthy? Just an hour north of Sydney, you’ll find the beautiful Central Coast, enviably peppered with national parks and beaches galore. Continue further up to the Hunter region, with Newcastle and the Hunter Valley offering more ideal holiday locations, with a few twists unique to the areas. 

New year’s eve can be a tricky one, the entire night typically hinders on your location and your company. One sure-fire way to sort one half of that equation is to book yourself a table for Kisumé incredibly stacked NYE lineup.