Everybody seemed to have a good time at Taste of Sydney. This is my view from a casual dinner…read morelooking for a memorable experience. First observation is that, it's more of an alcohol festival than an eating one. Almost half of is wine and liquor with one quarter coconut water and lastly 25% of stuff that you can actually eat. Value My biggest gripe is the overall value of the offering. I don't expect freebies, but these restaurants must have made a killing. Charging a range from 150% to 300% or more of their restaurant menu, it is certainly better to book a table and eat in the comfort of their respective restaurants. Easy to be critical of them, without knowing the festival fees but their is no value in the food they sell. The following do leave a sour after-taste: * Fast food version of their usual standard in terms of quality * Premium price for fast food version - usual stuff was at least $12/crowns and the really interesting dishes that I wanted to try were $20+/crowns for minuscule portions and/or sold out anyways. * Expensive entry fee * No seating * Long queues for anything good Quality of restaurants Unknown chef or more a cook from Rojo Rocket who demos how to make... guacamole in a two minute session, seriously? (probably just a bad session, but still it put me off). What next? How to fold a burrito? Quality of participating restaurants has gone been declining over the last four years, sure some have one or two so called hats but most of them are unknowns that should not be commending those prices with the exposure they are getting. Payment Crowns? non-transparent way for making attendees waste and overspend. No easy way to check your balance and knowing how much is really being deducted. Conclusion These are neither the best restaurants nor best chefs in Sydney. What kind of business model is this? where entry is at least $20-30 and on top of that, charge a premium for the fast food versions of the restaurant menu? If you do decide go next year to, set aside at least $150 per person and it still might not be satisfying. End of the day, I will not be in a hurry to visit any of these restaurants. On the other hand, you will probably have a blast if you have no expectations and just going drinking, chilling with some mates. However if you were looking for a culinary experience this is the wrong event for you. @thesydneynoob

I love Taste of Sydney. We go every year…read more Funnily enough, I often do not get to try some of the tasting plates, because I become so involved with talking to the producers. I absolutely love people who are passionate about what they are doing, what they believe in, and their achievements and pride in their produce. This year's stand out, for me, was from a company called Dickens' delights. Their Almond toffee with Milk Chocolate had me swooning! OHHH MYYY GODDD!! Slightly, almost kinda, but not quite, burnt toffee with crunchy nuts and a bit of coconut, complimented by a coconut and chocolate base.Hold me back! Pretty sure I could eat my own weight in this stuff! Hurry up! It closes tomorrow! (Sunday 13 March 2016)

I timed my visit to Sydney for this event in November 2014 and I did not regret one bit of it…read more The coastal walk was simply awesome and as we actually started walking from Coogee to Bondi, we should be tired by the time we got to Tamarama but we were not. I did not realize Tamarama was considered the end of the exhibition but I felt it did not matter much which side you started from. The 2 km stretch of exhibits between Bondi and Taramara was over very quickly as you marveled at the sculptures. Set against the clear blue sea with frothing waves (at some parts) and beautiful blue sky dotted with some clouds, it was just quite breathtaking. Just take your time and bask in the beauty all around the place. No rush, no hurry and you will not feel like you are being hemmed in by the crowd. Some parts can be more packed but as long as you are not in a rush, people do give way or move on after a while. We went on a Friday afternoon so maybe it was not that crowded compared to the weekend.

We happened to be in Sydney during the last weekend of Sculpture by the Sea. The captain of our…read moreplane recommended checking it out and I'm so glad we did. This is a large public modern art exhibit along the water. The exhibit is completely free and it's filled with creative works. The only downside is that it is extremely crowded. But can you really blame the crowds for wanting to enjoy beautiful interactive art at such a magnificent setting?

Horrible. Obviously scripted. Unwatchable. I want my hour back…read more They do fake cooking advice (the hollandaise was way too hard and looked like crap). People are leaving in droves

I went for the first time to this event at the Genesee theatre. I paid for the VIP experience and…read morearrived at 5:45 as instructed and got to meet the chefs and take photos and ask questions. It was off to a great start. During the show they were having major problems with the overhead camera. So we missed a lot of what was going on as they were cooking. I did think that the people in VIP would get the samples of food. But it was a frenzy. People were running from everywhere into the VIP area and taking the food samples. It was very unorganized and crazy. No Ushers said anything and let it happened repeatedly. Plus they also came out and took photos during intermission so we honestly could have just got the regular priced tickets and got the same experience.

She's seen a few winters, this ol' girl. A few summers, too. And sure she looks her age, but what…read morebeachside stalwart doesn't? All that salt air and buffeting wind is good for the soul but you're bound to show a few cracks here and there, and a few other places besides. Regular beachgoers won't know how much a part of the community this place is, there's function rooms where kids learn karate, a resident theatre troop (the Bondi Rock Surfers) and tons of events throughout the year, from pop-up bars to an ice skating rink to open-air cinema to Bondi Feast Festival. There's talk every year of a mega refurb, but who knows when that'll happen. Long may she reign.

Bondi Pavilion is a bastion of community arts and cultural centres everywhere. They have such…read morecreative ideas and make great use of the deco-esque venue, I frequently get excited about some new programme they have coming up. The Pavilion plays host to annual events like Festival of The Winds, Beats on The Beach on NYE, the South American Festival, Flickerfest, Bondi Open Air Cinema and many other cool cultural activities. As well it is home to a Gallery, Marine Centre, an amphitheatre as well as an indoor theatre, classes, a youth programme... you get the idea. Various local businesses are lucky enough to be housed under its high ceilings and ever-importantly, if you're looking for a bathroom, changing room or locker on Bondi Beach this is where you'll find them.

9th March 2013! This…read moreis more a line-up than a review - but the festival was AWESOME in 2012! The Future Music Festival 2013 line-up is: THE PRODIGY THE STONE ROSES Special Guest PSY (Gangnam Style) Dizzee Rascal Bloc Party Azealia Banks Rita Ora Boys Noize (Live debut) Hardwell The Temper Trap FUN. Madeon Rudimental Ellie Goulding Steve Aoki Alesso Gypsy & The Cat A-Trak (Live) Feed Me (Live) Zeds Dead Kill The Noise DJ Fresh (Live) Nervo Zane Lowe Borgore The Stafford Brothers & Timmy Trumpet Tenzin Bombs Away COCOON HEROES featuring... Sven Vath Richie Hawtin Ricardo Villalobos Seth Troxler Magda WAKE YOUR MIND featuring... Cosmic Gate feat Emma Hewitt W&W tydi Andy Moor Super8 & Tab Ben Gold

Flickerfest began 22 years ago and has grown into the leading Australian competitive short film…read morefestival, attracting films from not only Australia, but across the globe. In fact this year, entries have been received from over 21 countries! Flickerfest has received Academy Award accreditation and BAFTA recognition, so it's nothing to be sneezed at. Now finding its home at the Bondi Pavilion, Flickerfest makes the most of its iconic backdrop. Short films are shown each day of the festival. Evenings sessions (9pm) are held in the outdoor amphitheatre, whilst the indoor theatre is used for all other sessions (2.30pm, 4.30pm, 6.45pm, or in wet weather). The films run for approximately 100 minutes each. Don't miss the opening night and party on Friday, 11 January! Whilst you're there, be sure to also check out the Flickerfest Beachside Bar! Session tickets are $17.50 per person, or $50 for a 3 session pass and can be purchased from the Flickerfest Box Office at Bondi Pavillion 1 hour before each screening. So, make the most of the summer weather and check it out for yourself!

Two years ago I interviewed people on the red carpet and went to the opening night and after party,…read morelast year I skipped that and I had an even better time. The Sydney Film Festival shows some outstanding films each year, some that go on to large distribution deals and so can be seen at a future date, but others, as amazing as they are do not secure a deal and thus can be near impossible to track down again. The film festival makes use of varying cinemas throughout Sydney, from the grandiose; such as the State Theatre, to the mainstream; like Event Cinemas on George Street; down to the independent, represented by the Dendy in Circular Quay. They provide a wide range of films in all different genres, with about ten films vying for the grand prize in the official competition. Occasionally the festival will even host the films director or cast for a Q & A after the screening. Tickets can be bought in ten packs, twenty packs, day or night passes or individually. There's always something on that is sure to suit your taste and it's well worth checking out the schedule and making a date to see an amazing film before it even enters the public consciousness. The festival runs in June each year and from what I understand, it's only going to get better.

Film buffs rejoice! The Sydney Film Festival (SFF) will soon be upon us. The SFF runs from 6-17…read moreJune 2012, and it's one of the longest running events of its kind in the world. The SFF brings the best new films from around the world, right here to Sydney. There are features from over 40 countries, short films, Australian films, documentaries and archive titles. The SFF also hosts a number of awards, such as the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films (which are Academy Award eligible), the FOXTEL Australian Documentary Awards and the Official Competition, which celebrates 'courageous and audacious filmmaking'. The SFF spans across the city, with films shown at locations such including: State Theatre, Sydney Film Festival Hub @ Lower Town Hall, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, Art Gallery of NSW, Martin Place Amphitheatre, SFF Festival Lounge at Grasshopper, Apple Store. A host of Sydney restaurants have joined the celebration, offering $35 Dining Delight deals, exclusively for SFF patrons. Participating restaurants include: Caffe Sicilia, Chefs Gallery, The Cut Bar & Grill, Dome Restaurant, Etch, Gazebo Wine Garden, Glass Brasserie, Grasshopper Eating House and Bar, MOS Cafe, The Norfolk Hotel, Opera Bar, Otto Ristorante, Quarter Twenty One, Sake Restaurant & Bar, Sky Phoenix Chinese Restaurant, The Winery. You can buy Single Session Tickets (adults $18.50) or Flexipasses (from $137 - $347). So, make sure you check out the website and make the most of the SFF!