Travel Barangaroo in Sydney, Austin Texas
Fine dining and luxury living by the harbour? Woman’s Day’s LAURA EVANS is game!
When you live in a city with as many God-given sweeteners as Sydney – 100-plus beaches, national parks and a legendary harbour – it’s easy to dismiss the idea of spending time in a man-made playground like Barangaroo. I certainly did, but 24 hours later and even a cynic like me had found herself falling for the area’s well-curated charms.
Everyone knows the best way to start your day is with a hearty brunch and Barangaroo’s edible options are eye-poppingly good. Adventurous foodies should make a beeline for the award-winning Devon cafe, which does brekkie with an experimental Asian twist. Ease yourself in with the signature Japanese omelette. The fluffy, eggy delight is offset by strings of crunchy cabbage and mayo, and sandwiched between two crustless and incredibly light pieces of white bread. Or blow your sugar intake with one bite of the Cardi C French Toast – brioche paired with blood orange and bitter orange and topped with yoghurt parfait.
After that calorie-laden indulge-fest it’s time for a stroll along the harbourside foreshore. We head for Millers Point and the Barangaroo Reserve. Once one of the city’s oldest industrial spaces, it now offers a green escape with 75,000 native trees, epic views over Sydney’s harbour and plenty of places to zen out. If you still feel the need to walk off breakfast, pound the pavements all the way to Sydney’s iconic Opera House and Botanic Gardens. Or make the most of the water – the new wharf links Barangaroo to Sydney’s ferry network meaning the city’s waterside charms are easily accessible.
Luckily being eight months pregnant is the perfect excuse to do not a lot and I follow my rumbling tummy back to the laneways to dine at Wild Sage. A not-so light lunch of f share plates – seared scallops and nd lobster tacos – later and it’s time for some retail therapy. I make ke a beeline for Somedays ys and Collector Store, both of which are known for their selection of carefully y curated trendy designs and pick up p a few homewares. Resisting the temptation to splash more cash, it’s time to put my feet up and get a blow wave at Franck Provost salon, where the expert team tease my locks into loose waves, before a manicure at the hip LA style California Nails.
Feeling relaxed, I decide to make my way back to the West
Hotel where we’re staying. Sydney’s first boutique hotel to open in the CBD since the QT, its faceted facade gives the impression of a flashy James Bond lair and inside it’s all plush blue velvet, dark wood and marble floors.
As night-time falls we head to the much-hyped rooftop bar Smoke. While my husband Tom sips on an Old Fashioned cocktail as the sun sets, I tuck into the snacks – melt-in-the-mouth kangaroo skewers and deliciously tangy house-made salt and vinegar crisps. There’s barely any room left for dinner but that doesn’t stop us heading to famed Banksii Vermouth Bar and Bistro for further culinary treats. The restaurant’s dishes are designed to share and we tuck into mussels cooked with vermouth, grilled prawns cooked in curry leaf butter with pickled turmeric and pork belly with smoked ricotta. After all that indulging, it’s a relief to know I’m booked in for an early morning Pilates session at The Space Studio. That’s assuming I can find a way to tempt myself from the king-sized bed at the West, of course...