Sydney, summer, sand and Shutters

Nothing says a Sydney summer like a long lunch by the beach.

Newly opened this month is Shutters, at the InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach.

It sounds worth a visit.

The menu, created by executive head chef Stephen Lech, focuses on Mediterranean-inspired flavours.

The venue is promising "bright breakfasts, long lazy lunches and hearty as well as light plates that feel perfect for warmer days".

Shutters has been created with locals just as much as hotel guests in mind and will showcase Spritzes by the Sea -with a dedicated spritz menu.

The reimagined hotel features 198 rooms and suites

“Coogee has such a welcoming energy, and I wanted the food to reflect that,” says Lech.

“For me, it’s about cooking with ingredients when they’re at their best and letting them speak for themselves.

"We’re incredibly lucky to have such beautiful produce, especially seafood right on our doorstep, and with the outlook we have over Coogee Beach, it makes sense to be heroing these flavours.

"Together with the team, we’ve created a menu designed to share and change with the seasons. Coogee has this lovely, easy rhythm to it, and I wanted the food to feel the same - fresh, generous and not over-complicated.

"If you’re sitting here with a plate of burrata, heirloom carrots, barbequed king prawns and a sea breeze drifting in, that’s exactly the kind of experience I hope people have.”

Hotel InterContinental is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury & lifestyle portfolio - one of the world’s largest - and joins a growing collection of over 235 InterContinental hotels across the globe.

Images: Jack Tenby

Jetstar to launch low-cost direct flights to Sri Lanka

Jetstar has launched Australia's first low-cost direct flights to Sri Lanka. 

Flights will take off for the first time in August next year, with the launch of a direct low-cost service from Melbourne to the South Asian nation’s capital, Colombo.

Jetstar will become the first Australian airline to operate this route, flying three times a week between Melbourne and Colombo and offering more than 100,000 seats a year starting from $315. 

The year-round service will be operated by Jetstar’s fleet of 11 widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are progressively being upgraded to overhaul both the economy and business class cabins.

The interior refit includes more than doubling the number of business class seats and installing wifi so customers can stream entertainment to their own devices.

The addition of a new lie-flat crew rest area to allow flights of up to 16 hours will open the door to other long-haul destinations in the future. 

Seats for the new flights went on sale at midday with one-way fares available between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Colombo from only $315 at jetstar.com.

“Colombo is an incredible destination, and from August next year, we’re excited to be making it easier for Aussies to experience everything the beautiful country of Sri Lanka has to offer,@ said Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully. 

“This new route out of our home base of Melbourne is part of a huge growth phase for Jetstar. We’ve added new destinations, more aircraft and we’re continuing to expand our international network to give travellers even more choice and opportunities to take off for less.”

Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus welcomed the new flights. 

“We're thrilled to see Sri Lanka, one of the region’s fastest-growing destinations, become Jetstar's 10th international destination from Melbourne," Argus said. 

* Holiday Package Deals including return flights, five night's accommodation, bags, seats, daily buffet breakfasts with guaranteed room upgrades, late checkout and a bottle of wine on arrival at Radisson Hotel Colombo start from $1,102 per person, twin share. 

Why now is a good time to book for the Philippines

Been thinking about a holiday in the Philippines? 

There probably won't be a better time to book than this week. 

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Cebu Pacific Air is kicking off the holidays early with its 12.12 Super Seat Fest, offering Australians one-way all-in fares to the Philippines from just $219.

The sale runs from today until December 13 and is valid for for travel from June 1–November 30, 2026. 

From Manila, travellers can connect to 27 domestic destinations, including Palawan, Siargao (above), Davao, and Iloilo, making it easy to explore the best of the Philippines.

With the airline’s wide domestic network, they can also connect through Clark and Cebu to explore more of what the Philippines has to offer.

CEB operates in 37 domestic and 26 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Flights can be booked at www.cebupacificair.com.

New safety rules? This airline just can't cope

Planning to fly with India's largest airline over the next couple of months?

Good luck with that.

IndiGo has apologised to passengers following several days of major fight disruptions and cancellations and said it may be month before its full schedule is back to normal.

IndiGo "deeply regrets the inconvenience caused", the airline said.

It cited the new pilot duty rules as a major factor, along with bad weather, and some technical issues, news hub Travel Mole reported.

The airline’s troubles stem largely from newly phased-in rules for flight crew which mandate extended rest periods and layovers.

Following emergency talks with the Indian Aviation Ministry, IndiGo said it will proactively cut its number of scheduled flights starting from December 8 in a bid to reduce cancellations.

So cancellations to reduce cancellations.

The airline has said it expects to resume its full flight schedule in February 2026.

IndiGo normally operates about 2,300 flights on average a day. It had reportedly cancelled over 900 flights in just four days leading into the weekend.

IndiGo, despite nearly two years’ notice, is struggling to make a successful transition to meet the new safety rules, Flight Radar reports.

eat! Berlin aiming to sparkle in spring

Berlin is one of the world's most vibrant cities - and a potential magnet for food and wine lovers early in the new year. 

The eat! berlin 2026 gourmet festival runs from February 19 to March 2, 2026 showcasing German and international cuisine.

The festival boasts a prominent international line-up including star Austrian chef Lukas Nagl, who will will be a guest at the "From the Other Shore" event at the Rutz Zollhaus, while leading Alsatian chef Lucas Ramstein will bring a culinary journey through France with "Le Tour de France" to the Brasserie Quarré at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski.

Among the two-Michelin-starred chefs are Tony Hohlfeld, who will create a special evening at Restaurant Horváth, and Daniel Schimkovitsch, a guest chef at POTS. 

The national line-up covers a broad stylistic spectrum - from classic produce-based cuisine to modern regionality and internationally inspired concepts.

Among the program highlights of 2026 is the premiere of "SpizzaPizza", which makes a promise of "from oven to hand in two minutes". 

Local star chef Tim Raue (top) will present his new gastronomic concept for the first time at eat! berlin and will showcase it on February 24 at his eponymous restaurant. 

There will be a completely Vegan cinema evening at the Astor Film Lounge, while a perennial audience favourite the Tagesspiegel Blind Date; where neither the chef nor the wine supplier is known.

With "SparklingB!", eat! berlin 2026 is expanding its portfolio for the first time to include a major, independent sparkling wine trade fair. 

See www.eat-berlin.de 

Melbourne to celebrate food and wine in style

Putting together your 2026 food calendar?

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival returns next year with a Greek-themed "World’s Longest Lunch", a Cake Picnic and some top culinary talent heading to Victoria. 

The festival will run from March 20-29 with events being held across the state. 

"There is so much to be excited by in the 2026 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, presented La Trobe Financial,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food + Drink Victoria, the not-for-profit parent company behind MFWF and a very keen promoter of the event's sponsor. 

“I’m thrilled that the 2026 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival program features an incredible special events program with 170 events across Melbourne, alongside our regional special events program, bringing 26 events to towns and regions across Victoria.

"Our final weekend has us back at Fed Square, where Melbourne’s best bakers and patissiers will be on show at our fourth and supersized Baker’s Dozen. 

"For 10 days in March there will be nowhere better to eat and drink in the world."

The party kicks off with the return of "World’s Longest Lunch" (above), celebrating Melbourne's Greek community. 

This sees 1,600 guests sitting down to a three-course meal, across more than 600 metres of table.

"The 2026 program includes guests making their way to Melbourne from Mexico City, Manila, Chiang Rai, Valetta, London, New York City, Singapore, Paris and beyond," says MFWF creative director Pat Nourse. 

“They’re cooking in fine-dining restaurants and in pubs, serving food on china plates on damask cloths, and straight out of restaurant windows, doing it savoury, sweet, spicy and everywhere in between." 

For details and ticket sales visit mfwf.com.au.