Flights To Fancy

Travelling the world in luxury for less a week at a time

Travel and food are a marriage made in heaven. Join me as I sample local fare from around the globe in my destination dining series.

No.8 Bar & Restaurant Whitianga: Hungry Tuesday

Fash Packing by SFH: No.8 Bar & Restaurant Whitianga - Hungry Tuesday

Whitianga (pronounced Fit-ee-enga) is on New Zealand’s stunning Coromandel Peninsula and it’s beautiful beaches draw visitors in their thousands in the summer. We stopped in for two nights on our road trip around New Zealand’s North Island and fell in love with this quaint little town. Despite its size, there are quite a few dining options for when you can drag yourself away from the pure white sand and crystal clear water for the day. We wandered the compact town on a quiet Tuesday night and checked them all out before deciding on No.8 Bar & Restaurant Whitianga. I’m got going to lie; the Tuesday night specials sealed the deal for us. Who doesn’t love a bargain dinner? Read on for all the details …

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Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga: Go Greek In NZ

Fash Packing by SFH: Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga

I am a massive believer in tasting the local food when travelling so it might seem a little strange to be reviewing a Greek restaurant in New Zealand. To be fair, we did sample a traditional Māori Hangi at Te Puia Rotorua, before we branched out and truth be told, Greek is my very favourite cuisine. I have visited Greece four times and have eaten my way through mountains of spanokopita, devoured countless souvlaki, gorged on oodles of dolmades, munched many a saganaki and gobbled down way more than my fair share of delicious, sticky loukoumades in various tavernas both there and abroad. The Hubs first spotted Al Camino Restaurant Whitianga when we were walking home from No.8 Bar & Restaurant where we had dinner on our first night and he knew it would be right up my alley. So how did our NZ Greek experience measure up? Read on for all the details …

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Mercadante Wood Fired Pizzeria Melbourne Review

Fash Packing by SFH: Mercadante Wood Fired Pizzeria Melbourne - Garlic Bread

Lygon St in Carlton is a Melbourne institution. Locals and visitors alike flock to the famous strip to shop, socialise and more importantly, eat and drink their fill.  In all my 100+ visits to Melbourne, I have only dined in Lygon St once before and it wasn’t the best to be honest. It was about 5 years ago and The Co-Conspirator and I just kinda wandered aimlessly around looking at gazillions of menus and settled on one when we got too hungry to keep looking. This time around I knew I could do better. I have a few friends down south and I am not adverse to soliciting recommendations but in true form we bypassed all those (sorry guys!) and settled on Mercadante Wood Fired Pizzeria after being wowed by the extensive menu which featured all our favourites. Read on for all the details …

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Restaurant Review: Noi Thai Cuisine Waikiki Hawaii

Fash Packing by Sydney Fashion Hunter: Noi Thai Cuisine Waikiki Hawaii - Chicken Satay

I love Thai Food. I’d have a really tough time naming my very favourite cuisine but Thai is definitely in my top 5. In most cities there are dozens of great Thai joints serving up Pad Thai quicker than you can blink, but not so in Waikiki. We had to hunt long and hard to find Noi Thai Cuisine when I was hankering for a curry while visiting the Aloha state. So how does it compare to the brilliant Thai I have eaten all around the globe? Read on for all the details …

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Restaurant Review: Yard House Waikiki Hawaii

Fash Packing by Sydney Fashion Hunter: - Yard House Waikiki - Onion Rings

Yard House Waikiki is very popular with both locals and visitors alike. We had walked past many times before we chose to dine, largely because we were a bit put off by the queues, however we lucked out when we popped in for a late lunch and were able to score a table without delay. If you are looking for casual dining with an extensive menu in Waikiki Beachwalk, the Yard House could be for you. Read on for all the details …

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Bumper Bali Restaurant Review Roundup

Fash Packing by Sydney Fashion Hunter: Bumper Bali Restaurant Review Roundup

Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Eating out when someone else does all the cooking and cleaning is even better. Many of my waking hours are preoccupied thinking my next fabulous meal so its no surprise that it is one of the things I look forward to most when away. Bali restaurants have come a long way since I first visited in 1988 and today’s traveller has their pick from a eclectic variety of eateries ensuring there is something for every taste. Over the years and multiple visits I have sampled many and shared my thoughts so that you can benefit from my trial and error. If you are looking for inspiration for your next meal in Bali you are in the right place as my Bali restaurant review roundup brings together 19 reviews all in one place. Read on for all the details …

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Restaurant Review: Jamie’s Italian Kuta Bali

Fash Packing by Sydney Fashion Hunter: Restaurant Review - Jamie's Italian Kuta Bali - Exterior

I’ve enjoyed Jamie’s Italian in Sydney four or five times so when we noticed Jamie’s Italian Kuta Beach being built on our March 2015 visit I convinced The Hubs we had to see how it compared. We were achingly close to being one of the very first diners then but it was not to be. During our February 2016 visit the new kid on the block only had a few months of trading under her belt but featured high on our list of ‘must do’ restaurants. We dined for lunch on a blisteringly hot day and Jamie’s Italian Kuta provided welcome relief. Read on for all the details …

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