Winter warmers
Keep yourself warm in winter with these hot favourites
1 Brewed health
Since it opened in 1995,The Tea Centre has served as a cosy nook for Sydneysiders providing respite from the cold and gusty street corners of the city. Offering over 180 tea varieties, The Tea Centre has a belly warmer for everone. There's a café in which to enjoy a cuppa and a piece of cake, and plenty of accessories for sale so that you can enjoy your favourite brew at home.
The Tea Centre of Sydney, The Glasshouse, 146 Pitt Street Mall, Sydney 2000. (02 9223 9909). Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm; Thu 9am-8pm; Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 11am-4pm.
2 The pies have it
Get inside, out of the icy wind and rain, and into a hot pot pie from the Carlisle Castle Hotel. This pub pie - in a bowl - consists of tender pieces of meat in gravy, surrounded by great pastry and excellent mash. These pies are good enough to keep away the winter blues... temporarily, at least.
Carlisle Castle Hotel, 19 Albermarle St, Newtown 2042. (02 9557 4852). Lunch: Thu-Sat 12pm-3pm & Sun 12pm-4pm. Dinner: Mon-Sat 6pm-9.30pm & Sun 6pm-8.30pm.
3 Hot toddy, hot body
The hot toddy is a hot drink (tea, coffee, cocoa, or water), an alcoholic spirit (brandy, rum, or whiskey), a sweetener (honey, sugar or syrup) combined with spices, citrus and a little butter. Drunk before bedtime, during wet, cold weather, these hot spirits are believed to help cure the cold and flu. You can sip on a hot toddy from Lotus Bar this winter, whether poorly or not.
Lotus Bar, 22 Challis Ave, Potts Point 2011. (02 9326 9000). Tue-Sat 6pm-late.
4 Book warms
Proving that there is, indeed, a reason to visit Bondi Beach during wintertime, Gertrude & Alice serves as a sanctuary amid strutting, tanned socialites on Hall Street. The ideal place for an afternoon of eating, reading and daydreaming.
Gertrude & Alice, 40 Hall St, Bondi Beach 2026. (02 9130 5155). on-Fri 9.30am-11pm; Sat & Sun 8.30am-late.
5 Get your goat
There's nothing like a woolly jumper to keep you warm on an icy winter morning - except, perhaps, a coordinated cashmere jumper, scarf and glove set.
House Of Cashmere, 74 Castlereagh St, (02 9231 5155). Mon-Fri 10am-5.30pm & Sat 10am-4pm.
6 Hot chocolate heaven
Nothing warms you up quite like a hot mug of chocolate. You can't go past Max Brenner, who now has luxurious chocolateries located right around Sydney, at Double Bay, Manly, Paddington, Parramatta, St Ives and the CBD.
Max Brenner 437 Oxford St, Paddington 2021. (02 9357 5055). Mon-Thu 9am-11pm; Fri-Sat 9am-12am & Sun 10am-10.30pm.