Gourmet Traveller

I was 14 when I experienced a bistro for the first time, on my first-ever visit to Paris. We had arrived early in the morning on a whirlwind trip (one of the perks of being a pilot’s daughter was impromptu getaways to anywhere that happened to have spare seats on a flight) and by 11am, I was in love. Paris captured my heart instantly – and still holds it today. Later this month, I will make my first European visit in four years, flying straight to Charles de Gaulle to be reunited with my love. My aunty and uncle arrived from London on the Eurostar and marched us straight to their favourite bistro, informing my brother and I that there would be two choices of main, a starter and a dessert,…

Julia If you’ve yet to gobble up the eight episodes of deliciousness that is Julia, you’re in for a treat. Starring British actress Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child, it’s the most delectable series to hit our screens this year. binge.com.au Andrew’s Royal Collection Award-winning Melbourne butcher Andrew Vourvahakis is known as the sausage king and his new collection of smallgoods are fit for royalty, made with top Australian pork and “meraki”, which is Greek for “made with passion”. andrewschoice.com.au Bollinger La Grande Année 2014 A summer of extreme weather could have spelled disaster for Bollinger’s 2014 vintage, yet somehow it resulted in one of the maison’s most vibrant Champagnes to date. champagne-bollinger.com Tasting Australia Bravo to festival directors Karena Armstrong and Darren Robertson for bringing together a stunning line-up of creativity and unique collaborations as the Tasting Australia festival took…

LEE TULLOCH writer Vive le bistro, p118 As a former resident of Paris, novelist Lee Tulloch revelled in the opportunity to revisit some favourite restaurants in the city of love. She explores just what is so enduring about the charm of a Parisian bistro, even in a post-Covid world. “A bistro might be family run, or it might be helmed by a chef trained in one of the culinary institutions, but the expectation when you step through the door is warm hospitality and hearty comfort food, much of it created from what the chef finds at the market that day,” says Tulloch. JAMES NELSON photographer Field of dreams, p68 Photographer James “Jimmy” Nelson is a native of Perth, yet has more recently worked and resided in the UK and Europe. After living in London for five years,…

Phuket, Thailand There were beach swims, sunset cocktails and spa days aplenty during a blissful long weekend escape to Phuket. But it was lunch with this grand dame (45 years young) that claimed the prize for the most magical moment. Joanna Hunkin, editor Stillwater, Launceston Octopus is a favourite of Tasmanian diners but the octopus and udon noodle entrée from Stillwater is a fresh take on a traditional grilled offering. A rich dashi stock, spiked with chilli and Sichuan pepper gives a strong slick of flavour to chunks of octopus and slippery noodles. 2 Bridge Rd, Launceston, Tas Alix Davis, acting deputy editor Bannisters, Mollymook The pet terrace suite and luxe poolside digs at this South Coast mainstay made my pup Mango feel like the prince he is. There’s plenty of outdoor dining areas, and the team offers…

MELBOURNE A retro Italian diner and rooftop by the Everleigh, Heartbreaker and Bar Margaux team has arrived in the CBD, bringing alfresco Spritzes, deep-pan pizza and plenty of pasta. Connie’s Italian Diner and Rooftop Terrazza is the more formal incarnation of Connie’s, which fans of the divebar Heartbreaker will already be familiar with: it started as a by-the-slice pizza shop within the bar years ago. Now, it’s got its own digs, reopening as a 100-seat trattoria-inspired diner above Heartbreaker. That inspiration shows up in the retro space – which mashes up design elements of an old-school trattoria with an archetypal New York red-sauce joint. It’s an evocative room that instantly tells you what to expect on the menu: so uncool-they’re-cool classics served with a wink. There’s lasagne, cacio e pepe, spaghetti…

Melbourne is set to welcome a winter blockbuster exhibition, The Picasso Century, a collaboration between two French institutions – the Centre Pompidou and the Musée National Picasso-Paris – and the National Gallery of Victoria. Documenting the far reaching career of Pablo Picasso, the exhibition also examines the artists, poets and writers with whom he interconnected, featuring more than 70 works by Pablo Picasso and more than 100 works by his peers. Other artists include Salvador Dalí, Françoise Gilot, Guillaume Apollinaire, Henri Matisse, Gertrude Stein and more. During the exhibition Bar Lourinhã will also take the reins at the NGV Garden Restaurant, with a menu of Iberian-Mediterranean influenced food to celebrate the vibrant culture that sprung from Picasso’s seminal works. June 10 - October 9, ngv.vic.gov.au…