If you have been searching high and low for that perfect cup of coffee, look no further. Tucked away in Kings Lane Darlinghurst hides the coffee mecca of Sydney; Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar. This light- filled, loft-style café is the brainchild of Brazilian-born Marcio, whose love and passion for coffee is contagious. The coffee here is consistently good - smooth, strong and sweet - never thin or watery, never with a bitter aftertaste. The first sip of this rich, velvety goodness is like discovering coffee all over again. Almost like a great drop of red, this coffee is capable of hitting complex notes and leaves you with a feeling of calm alertness (oxymoron anyone)?! Serious coffee gurus can purchase bags of freshly roasted coffee beans and anyone can take a quick look upstairs at the coffee roaster on the mezzanine level. If it is remotely on your way to work, try stopping by of a morning. Just a short deviation from Oxford Street and just up the hill from William Street, a close enough distance for a hit and run, onwards to the CBD! If you can, stay a while. The high timber benches offer a comfortable perch and if you’re peckish, simple, tasty fare can be whipped up by the boys in the kitchenette. On Saturday mornings, you can also find Marcio and his team up at Sydney’s Sustainable Markets at Taylor Square from 8am - 1pm. Rain, hail or shine these friendly baristas are churning out magical coffee, so what are you waiting for? WHAT: Salvador Coffee Espresso Bar - http://salvadorcoffee.com.au/ WHERE: 32 Kings Lane, Darlinghurst WHEN: 8am – 3pm, Monday – Saturday

    I walked past this little place about 60 times before going in for lunch. It's unassuming, shiny on the outside, and on William Street, the butt-hole of this city. But yesterday I did wander into Bibim, to mix on a lunch break and was so surprised by the food that i'm going back tonight for dinner. And potentially again tomorrow. AND EVERY DAY AFTER THAT. BIBIMBAP-BOOM. Korean eats set off a tiny fizzle of sparks in the past year and showed potential to seriously hit the mark of a major food trend, but then tacos descended, and Seoul food was left behind in the dust a little. But little Bibim, to mix stuck around, and while off to a slow start (from what I could see in my walks past), it has lately been picking up the pace. They've got tables outside (something which Miss Chu battled with the council over for about a year) AND they now have a liquor licence, which means you can order a glass of Soju, a distilled rice liquor, with your bibimbap or haemul-jo - a prawn, calamari, garlic chive and onion pancake with vinegar dipping sauce. For those who need a little brush up on what exactly a bibimbap is, the word literally means "mixed rice" in Korean. It's a bowl of steamed rice topped with sliced and sautéed meat (beef, chicken or pork), tofu or kimchi tuna, with julienned carrots, daikon, cucumber, mushrooms, spinach and zucchini, topped off with a fried egg and a large pot of hot sauce, which all mixed with your chopsticks equals a tasty, tasty dish, for only $12.50. And, if you order the dolsot version, your bibimbap will be served in a super-hot stone bowl, in which the rice is crisped up and turned a crunchy golden brown (the dolsot is the way to go). Sides of tofu, spicy pickles and and egg roll would also be an ace decision. The ingredients are fresh and the flavours are spicy and pungent, but in a good way. Do you Bibim, to mix? Well, you will now. Bibim, to mix 169 William St, Darlinghurst (02) 8095 9830 SM www.twitter.com/sophmccomas

What do we want? CHEESE FOR DINNER! When do we want it? NOW. Burrata translates as buttered in Italian and finally, there’s a place where a tender knot of it, brimming with cream, is classified as a meal. The folks behind Tablefor20 and Sticky Bar, have opened the doors to Buffalo Dining Club and we think we've found our nirvana. Fresh burrata and buffalo mozzarella are flown in three times a week from Italy - cheese is obviously a big deal around these parts, so the lactose intolerant can sit this round out. Your cheese order comes with a side of honey roasted fennel, chilli braised broccolini, portobello mushrooms or balsamic baby carrots, and if you have room for more, get into a plate of cacio e pepe, spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino, which is served out of a hollowed-out pecorino wheel. Yep, you heard me, a bowl of cheese, and it ain't too bad either.  A 500ml carafe of house wine won’t set you back much at all and neither will a few slices of Prosciutto San Daniele to go with it. The room is small, but there are a few tables outside, and some tables upstairs also. If you need us, we’ll just be slumped over the bar in a cheese-coma bliss. Buffalo Dining Club 116 Surrey St, Darlinghurst Lunch from 12pm Wed-Sat Dinner from 6pm Wed-Sat Sophie McComas www.twitter.com/sophmccomas

Bruno's feels just like home - if home were a retro, multi-level, 1900s-French-style fit out, complete with its own Manhatten-esque rooftop. If this is home, we’re never leaving. The much-loved Hunky Dory Social Club has opened its stunning doors downstairs to make way for Bruno’s Restaurant with Chef Daniele Trimarchi of Fratelli Paradiso and Icebergs fame headlining in the kitchen. Evenings kick off with a communal-dining setup, complete with crocheted tablecloths (made by someone’s mother), dim lighting, Elvis tunes in the background, a ceiling partially covered in cowhide and old-school Jesus photos adorning the walls. If The Godfather himself decides to drop in for a few slices of 24-month cured San Daniele prosciutto, no one would blink an eye. The homage to the Old Country is strong here, particularly through the menu, as Trimarchi draws on his Italian heritage. Ingredients are fresh, flavorsome and familiar to lovers of the Mediterranean. The menu features an array of classics, like the refreshing Insalata Caprese and some creative combinations like the Insalata di Lenticchia of blue lentils, goat’s cheese, baby beetroot, tomato and fresh herbs. Homemade wood-fired bread complements the spicy cured pork paté with goat’s cheese. A spread of traditional and experimental wood-fired pizzas stand out from the menu and are available throughout the venue until midnight. The cuisine feels authentic, surrounded by Hunky Dory’s signature raw-edged interior. Upstairs we opt for cocktails like the Tomy’s Margarita and a Honey Daiquiri, savoured as the last rays of sunlight disappear from the open roof terrace. With the opening of Bruno’s Restaurant, Hunky Dory Social Club has it all, cementing its place in the small-bar scene with kick-arse bars, swinging tunes and now a divine culinary scene to boot. It makes for an all-round rockin’ good time in our books. Bruno’s – Downstairs at Hunky Dory Social Club 215 Oxford St, Darlinghurst www.hdsc.virb.com Bookings: (02) 9331 0442 Fri-Sat: Noon till late Sun, Tues-Thurs: 6pm till late   Sheree Joseph www.twitter.com/flyfromadream  

Set to launch in late February 2012, The Dollar Shop is a designer retail experience with a slight twist - everything on sale is under $20. The Dollar Shop is a pop up space with a six month rolling lease agreement, one of many creative enterprises selected by the City of Sydney to breath a new life into the vom-stained pavings of lower Oxford St. The store curators are seeking designers, artists and other creatives to submit a wide variety of work to be sold in-store, including but not limited to clothing, jewelry, bags, stationery, self-publishing, photography, posters, instruments, kitchenware and craft. There's talk of workshops to be held at the space too - so if you don't have anything to sell now, pop in and work it out ya dummy. No more shall you be buying stained summer dresses for $80 from a bearded twenty-something musician at the Surry Hills Markets, or regretting that $10.50 you paid for plastic-fantastic piece of kitchenwares from Paddy's. WHAT: The Dollar Shop WHERE: 58 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, Sydney WHEN: Opening late Feb 2012 - submit your goods for sale now! Email: submit@dollarshopsydney.com.au http://www.dollarshopsydney.com.au/    

Classic bike enthusiasts / free beer connoisseurs should pedal down to The Standard at Taylor Square this evening for the opening of On The Down Low, a custom bicycle show celebrating lowrider culture. There's a range of chromed-up bikes, Rat Rods and accompanying artworks by Peque, Scram and Kerupt. Oh, and there's FREE ASAHI for all from 6pm. WHAT: On The Down Low WHERE: The Standard, Level 3 @ Kinselas, Taylor Square, Darlinghurst WHEN: Tonight, Thursday 5th January HOW MUCH: Free

Next Thursday, December 15, Showcase Gallery, and The Owl House present the first in a series of pop-up dining events. This Thursday's event coincides with Showcase Gallery’s latest exhibition - Drawing Attention by Barry Patenaude. Menu includes signature dishes like stuffed zucchini flowers and confit lamb shoulder from Darlinghurst’s The Owl House, which was recently awarded “Best Food in a Bar” by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2011. Throughout the three course dinner, diners can check out the works of Barry Patenaude while enjoying gourmet, tapas-style mean from chef John Rankin, partnered with Argentinian wines. WHAT: Drawing Attention Art Dinner WHERE: Showcase Gallery & Dining, Suite 3, Level 2, 85 William Street, Darlinghurst WHEN: 6:30pm Thursday 15th December 2011 HOW MUCH: $85 - limited to strictly 30 places. Tickets here

The surreal experimental sounds of the muscial genius Don Van Vliet AKA Captain Beefheart, and his Magic Band have been brought to colourful life through the paintings and drawings by Aoife Milson in her exhibition Trout Mask Replica - Replica opening at Kind Of Gallery this Thursday night.Listening soley to the music of Beefheart while she worked, and titled in homage to his epic album 'Trout Mask Replica', Milson's artworks encapsulate the inspirational conversation between two creatives.She has visualised the fusion of jazz, blues and psychedelia of Beefheart's music through weird and compelling images in 'a reaction to Beefheart in all his Glory' - like this... The exhibition delivers a very personal insight into the relationship between two artists and how two mediums can become indelibly linked as one inspires the other. A rare experience not to be missed.Check out Beefheart and his Magic Band live at Cannes in 1968 here.What: Trout Mask Replica - ReplicaWhere: Kind Of Gallery, 72 Oxford Street, DarlinghurstWhen: Opening Night - Thursday 25 October 7pm - 9pm Exhibition runs 25 Oct - 6 Nov (Thurs - Sun 12-6pm)Link: http://kindofgallery.com/Liz de Fegely: liz_defegely@hotmail.com

Don't miss Lee Lewis' new show on at Darlinghurst before it closes- the run has been cut short! The acting and direction more than make up for the theme. Definitely worth a look.10 000 Beers at Darlinghurst TheatreWhen: Until Sunday 9th October, 8pmWhere: Darlinghurst Theatre, Greenknowe Ave DarlinghurstEmily Eskellemilyeskell@gmail.com

There are only a few tickets left to this sure-to-be-incredible eight-course dinner on Tuesday September 20th and Wednesday September 21st at A Tavola in Darlinghurst which has recently been awarded a chef's hat in the 2011 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. With a menu that has been designed as a tribute to spring ingredients, each course matched with organic wines from Mudgee's Thistle Hill is a testament to the Slow Food movement which embraces "paddock to plate" cooking. Being sustainable, respectful and locally-minded about the produce used. We've had a sneak-peak at the menu, and with dishes like new-season green garlic buttered Yamba prawns with native lemon myrtle dukka, finger lime and shaved fennel or duck, mandarin and aniseed myrtle tortellini ‘in brodo’ and chocolate fondente with salty macadamia and caramel ice cream and Italian meringue, it's sure to be a showcase of chef Eugenio Maiale's beautiful food. Tickets are $150 per person, inclusive of eight courses with matching wines. To book contact A Tavola restaurant on reservations@atavola.com.au or phone (02) 9331 7871. A Tavola Slow Food Dinner348 Victoria St, Darlinghurst New South Wales 2010.www.atavola.com.auwww.slowfoodsydney.com.au

My favorite Patrick Marber play, 'Closer' is showing at Tap Gallery for the next couple of weeks as on official selection of the Sydney Fringe Festival. This version of the text is quite beautifully directed by Glen Hamilton (teacher and director at ACTT), staring Naomi Livingstong, Matthew Lancey, Pete Baker, Michelle Neil. I know indifference is never creative, but all I can really say is that you would not be wasting your money seeing this production (even just to see Marber's beautiful words ruminating in the space)....BUT (there's a big but), the performances do not sustain or seem to understand the intricacies of the beautiful characters Marber created in the conception of this masterpiece. The passionate embraces: not seen through, the voices: muffled in the endeavour of 'naturalism' and the delicacies of the language, the subtlety's of some exquisite moments. ALL of these were too frequently lost.You might remember this title as it was made into an incredible movie, recruiting Hollywood's finest, to the likes of Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. To be perfectly frank, it's pretty brave to put this play on stage again after such a successfully sublime film, especially as they're a small, co-op, independent theatre group. So admire them. I do. Closer at TAP GalleryWhere: TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St, DarlinghurstWhen: 8-18th September (click above link for detail of dates, they interchange sporadically)Emily Eskellemilyeskell@gmail.com

Jeremy Shipley and Dan Knight, after keeping a joint watch over the cocktail list at Longrain, have opened a window to the booze-laden 1950's in the guise of their new bar; Hinky Dinks on Darlinghurst Road. These two have formed their careers out of their love for the perfectly formed cocktail, and the drinks list at Hinky Dinks shows off their strengths. The Gypsy Blood, a tall mix of Amaro, fresh lime, in-house pineapple syrup, peach bitters and grapefruit soda is a zesty fruit-bomb, and we loved the Hinky Fizz with in-house strawberry & prosecco sorbet, Bombay Sapphire, elderflower liqueur, peach bitters & grapefruit fizz.It's a li'll bit milk bar, a li'll bit soda shop, a li'll bit New York late-night lounge. Half the walls are stripped back to expose the raw bricks, hung with those brightly coloured posters of men in suits grinning madly and holding a neat whisky. The bar area is dipped in a pastel green with red cusioned bar stools, perfect for sitting on while sipping something well-muddled. We seriously dug the eats. Why toast a sandwich when you can fry it, right? The pan-fried parmesan and olive sandwich ($9) was salty as all hell and the perfect foil to the sweeter end of the cocktails. There's a range of crostini topped with white anchovy, parsley & Spanish onion ($7), heirloom tomatoes, basil & goat's cheese ($8), or jamón serano, pear & roquette ($9) next to a couple of light salads and snacky things. If you're a little more hungry and you need to soak up the Zombie cocktail you've just downed (Silver, aged & OP rums, Luxardo, cinnamon syrup, fresh lime, passionfruit, grapefruit juice & an absinthe flame) before you embark on the next one (only two allowed per person!) you'd be well advised to try the crisp polenta with roast tomato & salsa verde ($20), or the chicken braised with white wine, tomatoes, olives & calvolo nero ($22) before you stumble out the door, drunk yet extremely happy.Hinky Dinks185 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurstwww.hinkydinks.com.au(02) 8084 6379Open: Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm Sophie McComaswww.twitter.com/sophmccomas