Patrick Boyle

Christmas is almost here again. Oh joy. What family-related hijinks will this year’s hold?

I’ve already killed three houseplants this year. So why do I keep buying them?

Should waiters use a notepad to jot down orders? Should you care?

With adrenaline-packed activities accessible only by helicopter, and an optional butler and private chef, the ultra-swish Elms – by the owners of Eichardt’s Private Hotel – is the epitome of escape. And it’s just a 15-minute drive from Queenstown.

I’ve found the 10th circle of hell. It’s catching an Uber while on crutches.

At this pho vendor in Fitzroy, all the tables are sans-Sriracha.

Think you’re impervious to impulse purchases? Think again – boutiques have the upper hand much more than you probably suspect.

South Melbourne’s esoteric fine diner takes on a more approachable new format under incoming executive chef John Rivera.

These intricately balanced, carefully composed dishes reflect the precise mathematics behind Escher’s work and the playful contemporary pieces of Japanese design studio Nendo.

The jig is up. It’s time for us cheapskates to rethink how we order wine.

Ignore the Insta-buzz surrounding the “pink room” – there’s more to Torpe than that.

Not so long ago, Anglo-Australians wanted nothing to do with parmesan, olive oil, broccoli and other “foreign” foods from Italy. All it took was a group of tenacious deli owners to change their minds.