Laid out according to the ancient philosophy of the five elements, this restaurant in Hainan Island resurrects the luxury and prestige of China’s imperial past and presents it in a refined, contemporary incarnation.

A Brisbane fit out retains the humble charm of a weatherboard dwelling while layering it with crisp modern elements to create a stimulating and disparate venue.

A playfully riotous kaleidoscope of the world’s footpath cuisines brings a splash of international flavour to the South Coast.

A new restaurant in Sydney’s CBD pairs the hallowed traditions of Japanese cuisine with bold, contemporary interiors

Little Hunter, the new Melbourne grill house, brings a haunch of New York hospitality to the CBD.

Happening now, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has an exciting installation by Australian design firm HASSELL. Ben Morgan speaks to the designers about their Urban Coffee Farm.

Evocative of a very attractive cave, Sydney’s Monopole restaurant is warm and thoughtfully arranged.

A snug fit out on a busy Carlton street creates a bright, intimate café.

Elana Castle happens upon a 34 square metre oasis in the heart of semi-industrial Alexandria.

A refreshingly far cry from stuffy, predictable hotel restaurants, Sydney Four Seasons’ The Woods creates a warmly refined sanctuary for guests and visitors alike.

The north side expansion of St. Ali Coffee reproduces the signature excellence of the Melbourne institution’s brew in a spacious, modern and warm environment.

A new Brisbane bar, restaurant and cafe revels in its jumbled playfulness, careening through a multitude of themed spaces to create a uniquely interesting venue. Jenna Reed Burns reports.

Art Deco meets Bamboo groves in a game of repetition and abstraction. Wynn A. Bay reports.

Gourmet food trucks are sprouting up in locations throughout the city. Elana Castle meets the owners of Cantina Mobil and Veggie Patch Van to discuss the design challenges and opportunities inherent in creating roving kitchens with designer credentials.

Converting a run down pub into a champagne bar on a modest budget may seem daunting, but at One Moncur the results speak for themselves.

A richly decorated brasserie in Sydney’s historic Rocks district blends Parisian flea-market finds, some exposed brick grit and a liberal splash of glamour.

Stephanie Madison takes a deliciously buttery tour through Emporium Hotel’s award-winning Belle Epoque Patisserie.

A new eatery above The Forresters Pub in Sydney’s Surry Hills demonstrates how imagination and resourcefulness can overcome tight budgets to imbue a space with character.

Combining raw, industrial interiors with a sophisticated elevation of home-style north Italian cuisine, The Meatball & Wine Bar creates a modern and welcoming dining experience.

The PH1 bar and restaurant is a splashed canvas of art and music, not for the faint of heart. Wynn A. Bay reports.

The Perth CBD has entered a new phase of culinary experience with the opening of Print Hall at Brookfield Place, along its central St George’s Terrace

Interior architect Pascale Gomes-McNabb’s contemporary re-design for Claude’s, an established, fine dining restaurant in Woollahra, reflects the establishment’s new culinary direction. By Elana Castle.

Foley Lane, a new Tapas restaurant in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, sets itself apart with an understated and charmingly worn space punctuated by curated details.

Deftly mixing elements of different styles, Trocadero evades definition while transmitting elegance, refinement and warmth.

Lorenzo Logi explores the shifting balance of power between east and west as represented by modern Asian architecture and design.

The Projects* latest popup brings the hugely successful Masterchef series to life with a striking temporary restaurant in an iconic Sydney location.

Hot on the heels of the recently launched Misschu Underground, The Queen of Rice Paper Rolls has just opened her latest eatery in Bondi. Elana Castle finds out more.

At Popolo the simple pleasures of Southern Italy are housed in a hip new space by Neil Bradford Interiors, as Belinda Aucott reports.

An expansion/alteration of a Melbourne eatery creates an ample, inviting space evocative of the effortless charm of Italy’s neighbourhood pizzerias.

Best viewed at night, the Longtable celebrates Bangkok’s illuminated cityscape with a Thai inspired design and, obviously, a really long table. Wynn A. Bay reports.

Elana Castle discusses the interiors of the newly opened Casa Ciuccio in Fitzroy with designer Brett Tuer.

In its ninth year, the Australian Interior Design Awards have named restaurants Graze and KHA, by Melbourne design firm Hecker Guthrie, Best International Design. Hayley Davis has the story.

A recent fit out of a 1921 bank building in Melbourne delivers a warm, spacious eatery rich in charm.

A stylishly industrial eatery in Bondi evokes Panama’s past while offering a pan-american gastronomic experience.

Elana Castle discovers a welcoming and well-designed eatery in the Melbourne CBD.

A drastic and decisive intervention extracts a clean, modern space from it’s dusty cocoon.

The well-loved brasserie is refreshed and updated, delivering a winning combination of clean, curated aesthetics and gastronomic innovation.

Habitus Deputy Editor, Nicky Lobo dropped in to the pop-up canteen last week and found much more than an eatery.

The collaborative efforts of owner Mario Kalpou, interior designers Hecker Guthrie and stylist Sibella Court transform an iconic Cronulla building into an elegantly modern restaurant.

With the rich iconography of the ‘dia de los muertos’ as an aesthetic backdrop and a selection of regional cuisine, Señoritas offers an authentic Mexican experience.

The Grounds’ coffee-guru Jack Hanna tells Habitusliving about what makes their brew special.

A celebration of community, local produce and personalized cooking was the call of last Sunday evening at the inaugural ‘Grow it Local’ supper held at the Three Blue Ducks restaurant in Bronte. Alicia Sciberras reports from the food-fare.

Joining a host of small new Sydney bars taking a fun approach to design, Darlie Laundromatic aims to create a ‘friend’s living room’ vibe, as Amanda Vallis reports.

Just a little hard to find, this warmly lit, carefully decorated lounge fuses Japanese cocktail lore with modern Spanish cuisine.

Essential and pure, butter brings back memories of your grandmother’s dining table. Now Pepe de Saya revives a long lost taste.

A new decanter by Austrian glass-master, Riedel, and butcher, Victor Churchill, is nothing to snort at.

Anna Flanders steps into a new Perth pizzeria with a frugal approach to maximum-impact design.

Be enticed by the warm glow of candlelight coming from this cosy little restaurant in Surry Hills and you won’t be disappointed. Orto Trading Co. is an oasis of fresh seasonal food in a simple relaxed space, as Amanda Vallis reports.

Focusing on locally sourced goods, with an emphasis on small regional producers, Shop For The Soul sells a concise collection of quality pantry products, fresh ingredients and ready-made meals.

Café by day and wine bar by night, Toby’s in Potts Point is a small space that makes a big impact.

Australia’s favourite pop-up restaurant festival, Taste of Sydney, is returning to the beautiful surrounds of Centennial Parklands from 8-11 March, 2012.

How does a new player stand out in the hospitality market? As Amanda Vallis reports perhaps the answer could lie in matching the food and wine menu with an interesting fit-out.

Find out why 47 million tourists visit New York each year when you take part in one of Susan Weir’s hand-picked Food + Design tours of the Big Apple.

In Habitus 18 we explore Tasmania, and as Belinda Aucott discovers, a big metal roller door in downtown Hobart is hiding an oasis for food lovers.

Deer Duck Bistro in Auchenflower is a new suburban restaurant that feels a world apart from many of Brisbane’s other light-filled restaurants as Katrina Blowers reports.

An iconic food lovers’ destination has arrived in Brisbane, planting itself in the relaxed confines of the Parklands, South Bank.

The iconic Clovelly Bowling greens gave backdrop to the launch of an all- Australian cider from Mittagong NSW.

Mama San, Bali by Caroline Usher for the Sarong Group.

The newest addition to Perth’s nightlife has nested in one of the city’s most awarded developments. Anna Flanders reports.

Oxfam Ambassador, celebrity chef and restaurateur Kylie Kwong has designed her own range of fair trade tableware.

Voted by TIME Magazine as one of the Most Influential People of 2010, chef David Chang knows a thing or two about opening a knock-out restaurant. This week Belinda Aucott spoke to the head chef of Chang’s Sydney operation Ben Greeno about life making Korean fusion food Down Under.

Thai Artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook is helping to transform the interior of new Melbourne Thai café using found objects and his innate creativity. Belinda Aucott has the story.  

The Diamant Hotel Canberra is proud to present Bicicletta, an all new Italian bistro with the flavour of Venice in its veins! 

Acclaimed French Photographer Dimitri Daniloff this year teamed up with model Milla Jovovich to create the 2012 Campari Calendar. Daniloff caught up with Habitusliving.com this week to explain the striking ‘doomsday’ theme and his ongoing love affair with the Italian aperitif.

The Bellevue Hotel in Paddington has recently undergone makeover. Thanks to Curious and the Specimen, the upstairs bar has been transformed into a cosy whiskey salon.

Moët Ice Imperial was launched with ‘white chic’ sunset party on Thursday 13 October. The open-air location on the North Terrace of Sydney Opera House was a fitting location for guests to sample the new casual style of Champagne served over ice. 

Dan Knight and Jeremy Shipley open a brand new venue in Darlinghurst, NSW

 New Melbourne bar Little Red Pocket blurs traditional and modern tastes for downright clever results. Lisa Kappel finds out more.

A new restaurant and retail store at Roberston Quay’s Martin No. 38, by Australian-based design firm Hecker Guthrie and Yenn Wong of Epicure.

It’s Italian for ‘vegetable garden’, and this little restaurant has been
carefully planted in a buzzing new location on Surry Hills’ Waterloo
St.

Collette Swindells has a bite to eat at Melbourne’s hottest new restaurant, Union Dining.

In a street where Italian food reigns supreme, a quintessentially Greek
fish & chippery breaks with tradition. Alice Blackwood gets a fish-eye-view.

Introducing the recreation of a classic cognac originally made for Russian royalty.

A beautiful civic project from fuseproject to promote organic cacao production in Costa Rica.

A new cellar door and bistro on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is a picture of contemporary design.

Melbourne’s Sensory Lab has been serving up a stellar cup in David Jones
since launching in 2009. Read on to find out how you can win a 1-year
Coffee Subscription.

Anna Flanders takes a seat in the long-awaited Pemberton dining room of WA foodie Sophie Zalokar

From the Salamanca Docks of Tasmania, to the shopfronts of Kew,
Melbourne, Mim Design has seamlessly translated Tassal Salmon’s
shorefront salmon operations into an experiential environment for the
customer.

We talk to the designers behind Melbourne’s hottest new noodle bar.

Sydney’s Ray Hughes Gallery will be hosting the famous ABSOLUT ART COLLECTION with a unique night gallery setting.
 

Collette Swindells visits Tasmania’s latest culinary offering from Luke Burgess.

Put your hats on and break out the parasols, we’re eating al fresco this March.

This new collection of products, by French designers Andrée and Olivia Putman, plays on the ritual of drinking coffee to bring meaning to objects that surround it.

Rustic and authentic Italian fare finds a new home in Canberra.

Bubbles and a bit of fun with this great packaging design from Veuve Clicquot.

A new Vietnamese-influenced restaurant adds colour and life to Auckland’s port precinct. Andrea Stevens drops in for a bite to eat.

Siobhan O’Brien clambers down rocks in Indonesia to discover Ayan Resort’s Rock Bar.

Newtown’s Bloodwood restaurant, a sustainable approach to dining in Sydney.

This is the story of two IT guys who, after seven years of working the
same jobs day-in day-out, decided to do something totally unexpected.
Alice Blackwood get into gear with a good coffee.

Peroni brings a temporary taste of Italy to Sydney’s Darlinghurst.

Lee Suckling discovers a superior New Zealand wine on its way to US domination.

Nicky Lobo takes the mystery out of Sydney’s newest bar

So you think you’re a chef? Well apparently so does your kitchen mixer. Habitusliving.com’s resident culinary creative, Frankie Unsworth, gets cooking.

Gewürzhaus spices things up on Lygon St, Melbourne. Collette Swindells gets a taste.

Jared Ingersoll gives us something to quack about with the opening of his latest eco-minded eatery in Surry Hills.

The story of something that’s more than just a water bottle.

There’s a storm a-brewin’ in Sydney’s restaurant scene, with culinary kicks from the city’s creative kids.

So long cellophane-suffocated sandwiches, Sydney’s picnics are finally
getting the handmade treatment they deserve. Frankie Unsworth dusts off
the picnic rug.

High spirits for the 2010 festive season with ABSOLUT VODKA’s limited edition GLIMMER.

Stephanie Madison stops by for a bite at one of Brisbane’s newest restaurants with restaurateur Simon Hill at the helm and design by Donovan Hill Architects.

We take a look at the award-winning “urban ruin” of The Royal Saxon in Melbourne’s Richmond.

Oriental Opulence – Lee Suckling looks at the inspiration behind the
Bangalore Polo Club, a slice of colonial history in New Zealand’s South
Island. 

An international sensation has brought one of Melbourne’s smallest cafes
alive with flair and flavour. Collette Swindells gets sweet on a
certain pastry chef.

Book your seat to hear and taste the latest instalment of Edible Tales. Ben Morgan lets you in on the story.

A beachside eatery by design-savvy British expats is born in Bali. Francesca Unsworth hunts down some playful fare. 

Last week saw the opening of Singapore’s latest hotspot.

Now available in Australia, Italian Architect Ferruccio Laviani’s bottle
for Hennessy is another way to drink in design.

Eastern influences bring a touch of Asia to Sydney’s Pitt St. Anthony Caggiano takes the tour.

A truly Asian dining guide that aims to be the final word in gastronomic
Asia. Lynn Tan flicks through the pages.

We visit the Heat Beads® Hawkers’ Market and find out there’s more to
eating than meets the eye. Alice Blackwood gets tucked in.

Circa, the Prince has been turned intriguingly inside-out with its new collaborative refurbishment.

* Win Tickets * It’s cook your own at this seafood restaurant – the Sydney Seafood School brings serious design to the kitchen floor.

Provenance by Name… We discover Provenance Restaurant and Luxury Suites in Beechworth, Victoria.

Looking out over Mudgee’s Apple Tree Flat Valley, Peter and Hannah
Logan could have arguably the country’s best view from their office.

Win 2 tickets to the Taste of Sydney festival, returning for another year to bring
together the city’s finest restaurants, producers and wineries.

Eating out moves away from fine dining with recession-era eateries like outpost in Melbourne’s South Yarra.

The ubiquitous ‘pop-up’ hits Sydney in the form of a mobile wine bar

The latest addition to Darlinghurst’s dining scene brings together the good things in life – local food, good beer and sustainability, all in the architectural charm of a bygone Sydney.