New south wales

Whether you’re sipping a glass of champagne by the Sydney Opera House, marveling at Melbourne’s cool cafés and restaurants, or exploring Brisbane, you’re likely to fall for Australia’s most dynamic cities.

Where work meets play

In addition to being a showstopper when it comes to beauty—Sydney has 40 beaches to choose from, just minutes from the central business district—Australia’s largest city is also turning heads in business. The nation’s stock market has broken the magical 5,000 mark, as Australia prepares itself to become America’s gateway to China.
Property prices have more than doubled in the past five years, and Sydney’s four million inhabitants enjoy an enviable lifestyle. After business hours, life here is all about wining, dining and beaching. Sydney’s quirks endure. Have a bottle of champagne at lunch to celebrate life—why not? It may sound like a cliché, but many of the city’s office workers really do surf before and after work, as well as sunbathe in the city parks or play tennis at lunchtime.

Getting around

Taxis are easy for inner-city jaunts and traveling to and from the airport. To get to beach suburbs like Bondi and Tamarama, about a 20-minute drive from the city, buses are inexpensive and a good option (around A$7 round-trip).

Hotels

The Four Seasons (199 George Street, +61 02 9238 0000, A$350 and up), is in the heart of the city and has a luxurious new spa. Also offering stunning harbor views is Shangri-La Hotel (176 Cumberland Street, +61 02 9250 6000, A$250 and up), which just had a A$40 million makeover and has a private club level serving drinks, snacks and breakfast, as well as a spa. The Observatory Hotel (89–113 Kent Street, +61 02 9256 2222, A$350 and up) is tucked away behind The Rocks, but only a short walk from major city offices and the harbor.

Restaurants

A string of sleek new restaurants has reaffirmed Sydney’s status as a food capital. The best newcomers offering modern Australian cuisine (French- or Asian-influenced, with fresh local produce) are Glass Brasserie (488 George Street, +61 02 9265 6068), Sydney’s version of New York City’s Balthazar, a 240-seat brasserie and wine bar run by renowned local chef Luke Mangan and designed by New York architect Tony Chi; and Est at The Establishment (252 George Street, +61 02 9240 3010), which features Sydney’s top seafood chef, Peter Doyle, and attracts serious foodies. Icebergs Dining Room & Bar (Notts Avenue, +61 02 9365 9000) offers a good-looking crowd and a panoramic view of Bondi Beach. Stop by for just a cocktail, or stay for excellent Italian dining and an impressive wine list.

In the city, Misto café (127 Kent Street, +61 02 9251 9669) by the Observatory Hotel serves delicious biscotti and flat whites (that’s Australian for latte, with less foam) to locals and visitors in the know.
It’s just a pie cart with no place to sit, and there’s often a queue, but it serves the best Australian pies with mash and mushy peas, ideal for a late-night snack: Harry’s Café de Wheels (harryscafedewheels.com.au) is not to be missed. It’s at Woolloomooloo, right by Russell Crowe’s house.

Leisure

In the evening, the wine bars come alive. Zeta bar at the Hilton (Level 4, 488 George Street, +61 02 9265 6070) has a terrace boasting city views; while Blue Horizon bar (Shangri-La Hotel, 176 Cumberland Street, +61 02 9250 6013) has delicious cocktails and serves light food. Take in the floor-to-ceiling harbor views from this cozy bar, where stools run the length of the room, looking out.

If you’re in the mood for clubbing, Tank (3 Bridge Lane, Friday and Saturday 10 p.m.–6 a.m., +61 02 9240 3114), located underneath the Establishment Hotel, is the hotspot, with a cool VIP area and a secret side entrance.

Business, Sydney-style

Austral-ians can be exceptionally polite and professional, but their business manner is to the point. Sydneysiders aren’t known for mincing their words, and they take work very seriously. Work is work—but when it’s time to play, get ready for some serious fun.

If you have a free hour

Tours of the world-famous Sydney Opera House (+61 02 9250 7250, tours every half hour 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) show off the inside of the city’s most famous building.

If you have a free day

Put on your sneakers and do the Bondi-Beach-to-Bronte ocean walk, passing through Tamarama, a small sheltered bay. Tamarama Kiosk has been there for more than 20 years and serves up delicious fruit smoothies. Then continue to Bronte, where Rupert Murdoch’s son, Lachlan, has a chic beach home. Stop for lunch at Swell Café (465 Bronte Road, Bronte Beach, +61 02 9386 5001).

If you have a free weekend

Head to the Hunter Valley, just two hours north of Sydney and home to more than 100 wineries and a winemaking tradition that dates back 150 years. The area is especially noted for its shiraz and semillon.

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julie earle-levine is a freelance writer based in New York.



See also:

• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide