SIP, EAT, SLEEP
City bites
ZETA BAR | SYDNEY
The Hilton Sydney’s Zeta Bar is bringing a dramatic edge to cocktail hour.
The adventurous menu chronicles the charismatic personality of the hotel’s
founder Conrad Hilton, taking guests on a journey through the different
pieces of real estate that have marked the magnate’s success. From his foray
into the industry with The Mobley Hotel in Texas right through to his more
recent addition in Kuala Lumpar, the cocktail list presents a modern
interpretation of the classics based on geographical context. The Coconut
Grenade is inspired by the beginning of the Caribe Hilton era in Puerto Rico.
Smooth and spiced with Asian influences, this impressive cocktail is a
concoction of sweet banana rum, coconut honey cream and Velvet Falernum,
teamed with citrus and aromatics. Served in a coconut shell with smoke
emanating from dry ice in the base, it’s as theatrical as it is tasty. In contrast,
The Fifth Avenue gives a nod to the purchase of the original Waldorf Astoria
in New York, a hotel which has been dubbed ‘the greatest of them all’. The
cocktail, a mix of Lagavulin 16-year-old whisky, Bulleit rye whiskey and Sorrel
wine, balanced with agave and aromatics, is perhaps worthy of the title too.zetabar.com.auTHE HILLS | QUEENSTOWN
The vision behind this world-class championship golf course in New
Zealand’s ‘adventure capital’ Queenstown was conceived by Sir
Michael Hill, the man best known for his successful retail franchise
Michael Hill Jewellers. In conjunction with Darby Partners, The Hills
was officially opened in 2007, ready to host its first New Zealand
Open. Set across 500 acres of glacial valley with perfectly manicured
grass, rolling hills, rocky outcrops and a backdrop of snow-capped
mountains, it’s no wonder this course gets golf fans across the globe
talking. Doubling as a sculpture park, works by local and
international artists are placed around the fairways, including
‘Wolves are Coming’ by Liu Ruowang and ‘Dragonflies’ by Michael’s
son, Mark Hill. The Hills is open all year round and is ranked as one
of the world’s top ten golf courses. The adjacent clubhouse serves
breakfast, lunch and drinks, and there are treatment facilities
available. If you want to have a hit on this spectacular course you’ll
have to be quick; spots get booked up fast.thehills.co.nz