Great Birthday Presents

I love finding the perfect present for a friend... here's a pick of my favorite places to go to when hunting for a great present.

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More Walks:

Claude's local favourites

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Celebrity

By

Claude Ter Huurne

About

Along with her husband Ben and son Dominick, Claude opened furniture manufacturing store Beclau in Maastricht in 1993, nurturing it to become a leader in original, hand crafted pieces of furniture, one offs designed by some of the regions top designers. Ten years down the track, Claude and her family returned to Sydney, setting up a furniture workshop and showroom in Waterloo.
Nashen Moodley's local haunts

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Celebrity

By

Nashen Moodley

About

Nashen Moodley is the Director of the 2013 Sydney Film Festival.
Jason Minty's Saturday

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Celebrity

By

Jason Minty of Becker Minty

About

It's a Saturday... so start the day at the Organic Markets in Fitzroy Gardens, the egg and bacon roll is a must. Avoid the coffee queue at the markets and grab a takeaway from Maggies. Not enough people know that Vendy who works at Maggies makes a really great coffee. Breakfast concludes with an excellent snail pastry from Gypsy Espresso on Manning Street, you have to get there early as they sell out. Gypsys is right next door to Becker Minty, so of course you should pop in there to browse. More window shopping as you stroll down Macleay St past Spring Court I have 5 pairs of their shoes, amazingly comfortable, and on to Tyrone Dearing to dream over exquisitely crafted furniture pieces, and Grandiflora for their always stunning window displays. Then a long stop at Potts Point Bookshop. I did easily two thirds of my Christmas shopping there last year, the selection of coffee table books is extensive. I think you need to touch and feel a book to understand it, you cant get that when you buy online. Once you have bought a book, its time for lunch, which has to be either a takeaway pack from The Deli Potts Point (Connie will look after you), the gorgonzola polenta at Sopra, or a sweet potato and chicken salad at Dov. I have been eating their salads since the days when Dov was in Forbes Street. After a delicious lunch, roll around in the sun in a park for a while, Fish Park (officially known as the Arthur McElhone Reserve) or Rushcutters Bay Park are great, until 5pm, when its time for an icy cold martini at Velluto.
Indoor Thrills: Books and Art

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Interest

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Getting lost in a bookstore or hunting down art in an offbeat gallery are no fail ways to while away a wintry day. And whether its oversized emporiums or pint sized spaces that are big on surprise, Sydneys bookshops and galleries serve up indoor pleasures in spades. Here is our edit of the most interesting in town.
Anatomy of a Stylists Shoot

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Celebrity

By

Mr Jason Grant

About

Mr Jason Grant takes you through Sydney to discover some of Sydneys brightest design talent.
Noni Daniels' Sydney

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Celebrity

By

Noni Daniels of Holy Kitch

About

I usually start the day with a Virgin Mary made by Leon at Watts On Crown. Rueben Hills is good for lunch if it's chilly, I want to borrow their Mexican throws and tuck into some jamon (ham of course, in Spanish!) After a day's work Noni heads out to see the best of Sydney, I enjoy all kinds of live events! There is Henry IV at the Opera House for VividLive soon, it sounds great and I like John Bell a lot! After the show I will join some friends for some homecooked spare ribs with Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce from Hudson's Meats. I will pop into Maloneys the day before for my fruit and veg, some passoinfruit and some Jerusalem artichokes, both originally from South America! Jerusalem artichoke can be sliced finely and eaten raw in a salad with the ribs! Desert is always from Messina, Dr. Evil's Mushroom Magic, naturally! A Zombie Cocktail is Noni's favourite way to end the night, Grandma's Bar is great as they have a huge cocktail menu, a Tiki bar and retro kitsch
Mauro's Top 5

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Celebrity

By

Mauro Marcucci

About

Mauro starts the morning with coffee at Fratelli Paradiso then walks down Oxford Street to Pitt Street Mall, his favourite place to shop then up to Pheonix at Westfield for Yum Cha. Then onto Botaincal Gardens for a walk in the park, dinner at Spice I Am and a few drinks at The Winery or Bambini Wine Room.
Louise Olsen's Surry Hills

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Celebrity

About

There are plenty of fabulous shops, cafes and restaurants around the Dinosaur Designs HQ in Surry Hills to keep us entertained. After work we might pop in to Chee Soon & Fitzgerald to gaze at their beautiful homewares. I love the way they curate their antique fabrics. There are a number of places we love to eat including Vini, for its intimate dining room and fantastic staff, Longrain, for the healthy and fuss-free fare, and The Nourishing Quarter, for its beautiful, nourishing food made with love.
CROWN ST CRAWL Food Stops

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Interest

About

Crown Street Crawl is an annual event (Sunday 24 March) that celebrates local music, arts and bites in Surry Hills. All participating venues will raise money for The Girls & Boys Brigade charity. Here's a list of the Bistros & Restaurants participating in the event. Have fun crawling!
CROWN ST CRAWL Art & More

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Interest

About

Crown Street Crawl is an annual event (Sunday 24 March) that celebrates local music, arts and bites in Surry Hills. All participating venues will raise money for The Girls & Boys Brigade charity. Here's a list of participating shops, galleries, fashion boutiques and health stores to stop along the way. Have fun crawling!
CROWN ST CRAWL Cafes & Sweets

Type

Interest

About

Crown Street Crawl is an annual event (Sunday 24 March) that celebrates local music, arts and bites in Surry Hills. All participating venues will raise money for The Girls & Boys Brigade charity. Here's a list of participating venues to stop for coffee, snacks, sweets and groceries along the way. Have fun crawling!
CROWN ST CRAWL Bar Stops

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Interest

About

Crown Street Crawl is an annual event (Sunday 24 March) that celebrates local music, arts and bites in Surry Hills. All participating venues will raise money for The Girls & Boys Brigade charity. Here's a list of the Bars & Pubs participating in the event. Have fun crawling!
MBFWA13 Top 5 Breakfast Spots

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Interest

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There's no better initiation to Sydney thrills for a visitor than a sundappled morning in Circular Quay. Step into the glass elevator at the foot of the newly refurbished MCA and head to the rooftop cafe for breakfast - it's the perfect vantage point for watching the light bounce off the curves of the Sydney Opera House (MCA, 140 George St, The Rocks. T: 9245 2400). Here's a list of other locals' favourites for brekkie.
Regent Street, Redfern

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Interest

About

How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Sydney to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight Regent Street, Redfern.
Bronte Road, Waverley

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Interest

About

How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Sydney to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight Bronte Road, Waverley.
Saturday in Potts Point

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Celebrity

By

Urban Walkabout

About

Start off your mid-morning at the Organic Food Markets with some fresh produce and a spot of brunch, then head to Elizabeth Bay House and wander through the museum. Aim for Mcleay Street for some light shopping, don't miss Mon Petit Chou. When your belly begins to rumble walk up Darlinghurst Road, take a left at Roslyn Street and be seated for a stunning meal at Gastro Park. End the night with drinks at The Hazy Rose.
Macleay Street, Potts Point

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Interest

About

How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Sydney to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight Macleay Street, Potts Point.
Indhra & Jeremy's City Picks

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Celebrity

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Indhra Chagoury and Jeremy Somers

About

From seaside spills to fashion thrills, Indhra & Jeremy are deft hands at navigating the city. Here are their top picks: Reuben Hills - Nothing like a salted caramel milk shake for breakfast. Stop for a shop at Desordre Boutique - we love the Desordre girls and they really know their stuff. Lunch at The Commons in Darlinghurst - food to die for! Wait 30 mins then a swim at Tamarama beach and a walk along the cliffs to Bondi. A Campari & Blood Orange at North Bondi Italian - a favourite local haunt any day of the week and the view is most impressive. Sunset viewing at Vaucluse Lookout back over the city - magical.
Lieven's Sydney Inspiration

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Celebrity

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Lieven Bertels

About

Although Bertels is based at the Festival's offices in The Rocks, the city is an endless source of inspiration. These are his favourite places.
Darling Street, Rozelle

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Interest

About

How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Sydney to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight Darling Street, Rozelle.
The Gift-Giving Walk, Mosman

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Celebrity

By

Cameron McAuley

About

This is a walk that my partner and I do when we’re looking to pick up a housewarming or birthday present (or when we just want to say 'Hi' to our neighbours). We have a great little posse in The Mews, and we’d probably start off popping in to Zouk – this place has seriously stylish homewares, sourced from around the world. I love the Moroccan lamps and reclaimed Persian rugs. Nearby is Papaya on Military Road, which also stocks eclectic homewares. They’ve just got some lovely Christmas Trees in and Mary, the manager, is such a friendly person. My partner loves to stop in at the Camilla boutique for fabulous caftans (I think we have four in our house now!) and Dea Lopes to check out cocktail dresses and jewellery. And after all that shopping we’d refuel at Penny Royal, just across from us in The Mews. They do great coffee and are big supporters of us, so we often pop over there for lunch.
Kristia de Moises Passegata

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Celebrity

By

Kristia de Moises

About

Alimentari - Start off here as they have great coffee and some delicious authentic Italian food and is down the street from where I live. Attic - I then dip into Attic on Queen Street for a quick peep into the boutique to take a look at the new collections. MCLEMOI GALLERY - go to MCLEMOI GALLERY and start my day at the gallery. White Rabbit - See what's on exhibition and finish up my day.
Pittwater Road, Manly

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Interest

About

How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Sydney to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight Pittwater Road, Manly.
Dion Lee's Pott's Point Trail

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Celebrity

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Dion Lee

About

For breakfast: Petrol or Wilbur's Place in Potts Point. Always worth checking bloodorange (for women) and Meanwhile (for men). For quirky finds and gifts I like Pure and General, or Grandiflora. Lunch or dinner hangouts: Fratelli Paradiso and Busshari. For fresh produce I head to Fratelli Fresh, Botega del Vino or Kings Cross Organic Markets on Saturday.
Nicola & Orlando's Trail

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Celebrity

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Nicola & Orlando Reindorf

About

Mornings are pretty hectic, so we grab a quick coffee from Gnome. We love Hub Furniture (the Skitsch fluro chairs in our shop are from Hub), Living Edge (it has 'established and sons' - another of our favourite furniture brands) and Ici et la for quirky objects. Vini for lunch - it is consistently brilliant! Bar H for delicious food, great atmosphere, and moody lighting; Hudson Meats, Sparkle Cupcakery, Bourke Street Bakery, Formaggi Ocello and our little local St Minas among others for deli and fresh produce...
King Street, Sydney

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Interest

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How well do you know Sydney? Each month Urban Walkabout brings you the highlights from one particular street in Perth to get you in the mood for exploring your city. This month we spotlight King Street, Newtown.
funkis Through Paddington

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Celebrity

By

The Funkis Team

About

The funkis team loves being located in Paddington for its great selection of various shops and restaurants. Hard to pick only a few, here's the team's selection of their absolute favourites in the area.
Sophie walks Surry

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Celebrity

By

Sophie (UW app user)

About

There is nothing better than walking up to the shops in Surry Hills during my lunch break and finding something delicious to munch, some stationary to take back to my desk and ingredients to take home and cook up for dinner in the evening. I love that I work in Surry!
Design Trail Surry Hills

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Interest

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Some of my favourite objects/furniture spots are within easy walking distance in Surry Hills - I thought it would be nice to share them with others in case you have not been there! I trust you will enjoy discovering these places.
Newtown Cool Fins Trail

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Walking down King Street in Newtown can be very daunting if you are not sure where you are going. This list will help you navigate by giving you a few stops that are definitely worth a visit while in Newtown.
My Paddington by Nahji Chu

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Celebrity

About

Nahji Chu: Owner of Misschu tuckshops (Darlinghurst, Bondi & Opera Kitchen) When Nahji Chu finds the time to get away from her office and commercial kitchen in Potts Point, she likes to explore Paddington, and here are her favourite local picks.
Paddington Artisans Walk

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Interest

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The Artisans Walk in Paddington is packed with Australian designer flagship stores, intimate boutiques, and independent stores with unique one-off pieces. This is an inspiring walk for enthusiasts of local artisans within Australian fashion and design. From the established to the up and coming, we tip you in to Paddington’s best-kept fashion secrets.