The Download: Everything you need to eat, drink, make and book this week

A bite-sized recap of the biggest stories of the week, so you know where to go and what to order. Check in each week so you can be the smartest person in your group chat.

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The Download: Friday, January 16

Regional stars EXP. Restaurant and Pipit team up

If Good Food ever decided to award four hats, it would probably go to this event. Two-hatted restaurants Pipit in Pottsville and EXP. Restaurant in Pokolbin are coming together for two special collaborative dinners at EXP. Restaurant on Sunday, March 1, and Monday, March 2. Head chefs Ben Devlin and Frank Fawkner have put together a six-course degustation menu, that celebrates both the Hunter Valley and the Northern Rivers. Priced at $225 per person, the menu includes an optional wine pairing featuring back vintages and experimental wines from Usher Tinkler. Tickets are on sale now at exprestaurant.com.au.

Recipes that pack a protein punch

You may have noticed that the whole world is talking about protein. So, are you getting enough? Jackie Hartlaub, the creator behind Instagram account @lowcarbstateofmind, has released The Powered by Protein Cookbook, a collection of 85 everyday recipes designed to help you hit your daily protein target. From pork belly lettuce wraps to banana chia seed pudding, egg salad and maple cinnamon pancakes, every recipe packs a protein punch – and not a chicken breast smoothie in sight. The Powered by Protein Cookbook is priced at $50 from Hardie Grant.

A bake sale ‘of dreams’ by leading London chefs

Stroma Sinclair, former head pastry chef at Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant in London, is teaming up with fellow Spring alumni Georgia Lahiff for a short but sweet Australian tour. While in the country, they’ll host a dinner at South End in Newtown, which has already sold out. But there’s still a chance to try their cakes, slices, eclairs, and biscuits at a “once-in-a-lifetime bake sale of dreams” at McCarrs restaurant and general store in Terrey Hills on Saturday, January 24, from 8am until sold out.

20 of the best BYO restaurants in Sydney

Whether you’ve been waiting for the right moment to open a special bottle of wine or hunting for a budget-friendly restaurant, the 2026 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide has excellent BYO options. We’ve trawled the yearly guide to bring you 20 of the best, as independently and anonymously reviewed by our team of restaurant critics. Save your favourites in the Good Food app.

Eight of the best places for a post-swim snack

It’s the ultimate summer pairing: a swim followed by a snack. But with more than 100 swimming holes, ocean pools and beaches across Sydney, it can be difficult to nail down the best choices for a convenient post-swim feed. From a crispy banh mi near the Dawn Fraser Baths to an excellent chip butty from an inner-west pool canteen, here are eight great Sydney swimming spots and where to snack afterwards.

Hacks for cooking in a basic holiday rental kitchen

A charming coastal Airbnb is appealing in most aspects. Short walk to the beach? Check. Air conditioning? Check. Patio for afternoon wines? Check. But unless you plan to dine exclusively on fish and chips for the duration of your stay, cooking at a basic holiday rental can prove tricky with limited resources. Whether the barbecue hot plate is filthy or the provided chopping knives are blunt, Good Food recipe writer Katrina Meynink has you sorted with her ultimate survival guide for feeding the family in a short-term accommodation situation. Plus, we’ve got four easy recipes to try – see here.

The Download: Friday, January 9

A 24-hour mini mart stocked with top-tier snacks

You won’t find Pepsi Max or Red Rock Deli chips in this vending machine. Paramount House Hotel in Surry Hills has opened a 24-hour mini mart in its hotel lobby, stocked with cheeses, caviar, tinned fish, wine and other late night snacks. It also sells exclusive items like Baba’s Place taramasalata, “Paramartini” cocktails by Bar Planet and cheese platters from Penny’s Cheese Shop. It’s open 24 hours a day and is accessible to everyone, not just hotel guests. The Paramount House Hotel is at 80 Commonwealth Street in Surry Hills.

Sweet deal: $13 cocktails at Bar Planet and Cantina OK!

Easing back into office hours after the summer holidays can take some getting used to – a good happy hour can help with the transition. For January, the Mucho Hospitality Group is running $13 cocktail specials across their bars, including $13 margaritas at Cantina OK! (Mon - Sun, 4pm - 5pm) $13 martinis at Bar Planet (Mon - Fri, 5pm - 6pm and Sat - Sun, 3pm - 4pm) and $13 spicy margs at Centro 86 (Mon - Sun, 4pm - 6pm). There are similar deals at Bar Herbs, Tio’s and The Cliff Dive. Get the details at muchogroup.com.au.

A non-alc orange sour to get you through Dry January

With the growing selection of no-lo drinks, Dry January is getting easier each year. Non-alc beer brand Heaps Normal has just launched Fling, a fun, fizzy alcohol-free orange sour perfect for summer picnics and barbecues. The limited edition drink combines blood orange and thyme, with malty sweetness and sour tang. Fling Orange Sour is priced at $74.95 for 24 x 375ml cans from heapsnormal.com.

Sweet deal: Get 20 per cent off The Charles and more

Still haven’t caught up on all your summer meet-ups? This month, Etymon hospitality group is offering 20 per cent off the bill across all its venues, from hatted restaurants The Charles and Loulou Bistro (Milsons Point and Martin Place), to Poetica, Genzo and more. That also includes the lavish dessert trolley at The Charles, featuring Rhiann Mead’s multi-tiered Russian honey cake. Book through this link to claim the discount.

Red-hot cooler bags for your next picnic or beach day

A summer picnic isn’t complete without the perfect Esky or cooler to keep your snacks and bevvies ice-cold. We love this vibrant logo bag by Redheads ($50) for a touch of nostalgia, or these personalised, retro-style cooler chests from Beysis ($229), ideal for family or group hangs at the beach. Queensland label The Somewhere Co also has a wide range of fun, patterned cooler bags (from $55), available to purchase online.

The Good Food Guide to a summer road trip to Newcastle

We’ve reached the point where there’s too much good food in Newcastle to fit into a single weekend. Start with the city’s best sandwiches at Arno Deli, then head to Crumb in Lambton for a pistachio and sour cherry pain suisse. Scottie’s is the go-to spot for fish and chips, and for tacos, it has to be newcomer Papalote. See the full list here and create your own road trip itinerary using the saved list function on the Good Food app.

The Download: Friday, November 21

A top Sydney restaurant is now selling its chilli oil

Choosing a jar of chilli oil from the countless options on offer is enough to make your eyes sting and your brow sweaty. Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Good Food Guide Critics’ Pick restaurant, Grape Garden in Potts Point, has started bottling the hot smoky chilli oil it spoons over its chewy, hand-pulled noodles and san xian dumplings. Owners Gao Lun and Jie Zhang’s family recipe is infused with Sichuan peppercorn, garlic, soy sauce and toasted chilli flakes. $19 from grapegardenbeijingcuisine.com.

Two-ingredient meals that will save the day

While there are plenty of healthy recipes out there, they are often built using a long list of ingredients, many of which aren’t readily available in our fridge or cupboard. It is, though, entirely possible to prepare a healthy meal using just a couple of key ingredients, says dietitian Susie Burrell. While not overly exciting, a simple meal of tinned tuna and brown rice, or hard-boiled eggs with smoked salmon, is better for you than high-fat, high-calorie takeaway. Find more easy, two-ingredient dinner ideas here.

Helen Goh’s ultimate make-ahead Christmas cake

This rich, brandy-brushed Christmas cake can be eaten two weeks after baking, but it is optimal at four to six (trust us, it’s worth it). This tradition of making the cake well ahead is why many families still observe “stir-up Sunday” – the last Sunday before Advent – as the day to gather and mix their Christmas pudding or cake for optimal flavour development. Helen Goh’s magnificent Christmas Cake recipe includes detailed step-by-step instructions, plus guidance on decorating with dried fruit or marzipan.

“World’s first” hard chinotto hits shelves

Chinotto – that spicy, Italian cola that your nonna keeps stashed at the back of the pantry – has been given a grown-up twist. Melbourne seltzer maker Fun Cool Drinks, co-owned by Emilio Scalzo from Fitzroy restaurants Poodle Bar & Bistro and Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca, has launched what they’re calling the world’s first hard chinotto: a boozy bittersweet beverage brimming with citrus and spice. Serve over ice with a slice of orange, alongside salumi, crusty bread and pizza. Priced at $54.99 for a pack of 10 from danmurphys.com.au.

Grill Americano opens in the Sydney CBD

The Sydney CBD block surrounding Bent and Blight streets has become prime territory for carnivores. Already home to Rockpool Bar & Grill, Alfie’s and The Chophouse, it’s been joined this week by Chris Lucas’s new Grill Americano. Modelled on its Melbourne sister restaurant, it serves the famed bistecca pepe e verde made on Angus chateaubriand with cognac and green peppercorn sauce, alongside new creations like bufala ricotta ravioli and prawn panzerotto (fried pizza pockets). Read more about Grill Americano here.

The Download: Friday, November 14

A mahjong night is coming to The Marigold

Soul of Chinatown, winner of the 2025 Good Food Guide’s Food for Good award, is hosting a mahjong night at the former Marigold restaurant in Chinatown. The event is for players of all levels – from first-timers to pros – with trainers and resources on hand throughout the evening. Tickets are $19 and include a selection of Asian snacks, with all proceeds going towards Soul of Chinatown’s Rice Fund, which supports elderly Asian-Australians and others in need. Mahjong at the Marigold takes place on Wednesday, November 26 from 6pm - 8:30pm. Tickets are available from Eventbrite.

Tasting notes: Three wines to pair with classical music

Whether or not you believe music can enhance the wine-drinking experience, it’s certainly a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Australian producer Handpicked Wines has teamed up with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to create Taste the Symphony – a gift pack featuring three of Handpicked’s latest releases: Collection Tasmania Sparkling Cuvée, Trial Batch Riesling and Trial Batch Pinot Gris. Each wine is paired to a movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, accessible via QR code, to elevate the flavours, aromas and textures in your glass. Tasting notes included. $150 from handpickedwines.com.au.

Three-hatted Oncore by Clare Smyth to close

One of Sydney’s select group of three-hat restaurants, the plush fine diner Oncore by Clare Smyth, will serve its last meal at Crown Sydney in February. The closure comes as Smyth’s current agreement ends with Crown, and she prepares to open luxury bistro Cornucopia in London. Sources close to the Crown have said that Stockholm’s three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Frantzen is a front-runner for the space. Get the full scoop here.

Three recipes: Sarah Pound’s healthy balance bowls

With summer in sight, it’s the perfect moment for meals that are fresh, vibrant and perfectly balanced. Whether it’s for work lunch meal prep or easy spring dinners, try Good Food recipe writer Sarah Pound’s recipes for three protein-packed, balanced bowls. There’s a haloumi and risoni number for the vegetarians; flavourful sweet chilli prawns with Asian greens and rice; plus a tangy spiced chicken and couscous salad. Find the full recipes here and save them for later on the Good Food app.

Josh Niland teams up with Archie Rose for fish bone gin

Josh Niland, the chef behind three-hatted restaurant Saint Peter in Sydney, has been known to do some incredible things with fish, turning eyes into ice-cream, scales into coconut shavings and cod fat into caramel. Now, he’s teamed up with Archie Rose to create a world-first gin distilled with John Dory fish bones. The result is a saline-washed spirit with bright peppery aromantics and subtle umami richness. A limited run of 2,000 bottles is now on shelves. $84 from archierose.com.au.

The Malaya unveils new terrace bar

The Malaya, the Southeast Asian dining institution now housed in Grosvenor Place, has unveiled a new terrace bar just in time for summer. The 60-seat space pours cocktails that reflect the bright, spice-driven flavours of the menu – think a Penang Colada with chilli oil and lime, or a Mandarin Spritz – served alongside spring rolls, satay chicken skewers and roti with lemak sauce. Read the Good Food Guide review of The Malaya here.

The Download: Friday, November 7

Flour and Stone release biscuit tin for Christmas

Is there anything more joyful than an old-fashioned biscuit tin lined with crumpled wax paper and filled with an assortment of bickies? This Christmas-inspired version by Woolloomooloo bakery Flour & Stone comes stocked with icing sugar-dusted treats from hazelnut shortbread to amaretti, chocolate and sour cherry cookies and hand-iced angel-shaped gingerbread. Handmade by Nadine Ingram and her team, they’re just rustic enough that you can pass them off as your own. Nadine’s Christmas Biscuits Tin is priced at $95 from flourandstone.com.au.

MasterChef winner Nat Thaipun releases cookbook

Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or yet to dip your toe into nam pla prik, Nat Thaipun’s new cookbook Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere, is a warm, approachable guide to one of the world’s most vibrant cuisines. The 2024 MasterChef Australia winner guides you through the basics, from navigating your local Asian grocer to mastering the foundational sauces and seasonings, from chilli jam to jungle curry paste and crispy shallots. Before you know it, you’ll be casuallying flipping hoi tod (crispy oyster pancake) and simmering khao soi gai (Northern Thai coconut curry soup). Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun is published by Hardie Grant and priced at $50 from selected retailers and online.

Four new salad recipes from Kepos Street Kitchen

Michael Rantissi may be best known for his light, fluffy falafels, but there’s another dish he’s just as passionate about: salad. The Sydney chef and restaurateur has built his two venues – Kepos Street Kitchen and Salma’s Canteen – around fresh, seasonal produce, generous scrunches of herbs and perfectly balanced dressings. Now, you can make them at home. Find four new salad recipes (including burghul salad in baby cos lettuce, pictured) from Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley’s new cookbook, Salata, here.

A toaster that cookers by colour shade, not time

The daily struggle with unevenly-cooked toast is finally over. For the past decade, Breville has been quietly tinkering with the humble toaster to create a new model that cooks by shade, not time. The Breville Eye Q® Auto Toaster uses optic sensors that monitor your toast up to 10 times a second, automatically stopping when your preferred shade is reached (goodbye, 6am smoke alarm). It works on everything from white bread to wholegrain, sourdough, crumpets and even fruit loaf - recalibrating for thicker crusts and denser crumbs. The Breville Eye Q® Auto Toaster Two Slice is priced at $469 from breville.com.

Wear the ingredients from Alice Zaslavsky’s cookbook

You’ve made the recipes in Alice Zaslavsky’s cookbook In Praise of Veg, now you can wear the ingredients. The Aussie chef has teamed up with cult accessories brand Erstwilder to launch a jewellery range inspired by the joyful illustrations in her best-selling book. Rock a pair of broccoli earrings ($65), go bold with a beetroot brooch ($55) or cap off your outfit with a mushroom pin ($55). The Chilli Charmer Brooch ($60) is hot stuff. Available now at erstwilder.com.

A pavlova-inspired candle for your holiday table

Smell that? Bright, tangy passionfruit, toasted meringue and zesty lemon, with just a whiff of whipped cream. It has to be pavlova. Now imagine the disappointment at your next dinner party when your guests realise it’s Hunter Candle’s new pavlova candle and not dessert. It’s one of several deliciously deceptive scents in the range, which includes a new olive oil and parsley candle, made in collaboration with South Australian EVOO producer It’s Olio, and a buttered popcorn candle with Pepe Saya. The Pav candle is priced at $64 from huntercandles.com.au.