ESCAPETHEROOMers first escape room experience in Sydney, Australia, we decided to visit The Enigma…read moreRoom and try their "In Memoriam" room. When we arrived, the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The lobby/ waiting area is a little bit on the small side w/ one 2-seater couch available.This room borrows a little bit from the movie "Inception" and "Being John Malkovich" where you are traveling into a woman in a coma's mind and reliving her memories. The room decor could use a little bit of renovations as some items in there seemed a little run down. The puzzles were fairly unique w/ some interesting challenges about random knowledge. Overall, the concept was entertaining but w/ a little bit of upgrades we feel it will have great potential! *For more info, check out my Yelp profile.

The best escape room experience!…read more It's a bit of a puzzle trying to find the place, which I felt added to the overall experience. We did the "In Memoriam" room. It was very well executed and tied in with the given storyline. There was a lot more to it than just unlocking locks. Better than other escape rooms I've been to. And at the end, the staff take you back into the room and walk through what was done and how your team performed in comparison to others in the past. It was nice to hear some feedback :) Highly recommend!

Chauvel Cinema offers a different perspective on traditional mainstream cinemas such as Event or…read moreHoyts. Chauvel Cinema attempts to brings it patrons back in time to an era where cinema was something we did only on special occasions. The cinema offers patrons wine and beers as opposed to large cokes. Their combo deal is popcorn and a beer or coffee with a slice of panettone cake. The lounge area is decorated beautifully complete with vintage movie posters and memories from the cinematic ghosts of the past. The cinema foyer is indeed beautiful, complete with gorgeous ceiling lighting. The cinema is in the historic Paddington Town Hall building and locals petitioned to keep this building open when it temporarily shut its door a few years back. The cinema has two rooms. They aren't as big as the other cinemas but if your after something different this is the place to go. They offer more arty films so think films that would be show at film festivals such as Cannes or Sundance.

The beloved Chauvel Cinema has lived in the former Paddington Town Hall ballroom since 1977. When…read moreit closed its doors in 2005, passionate cinema and independent cinema supporters bombarded council with pleas to rescue this bastion of Australian cinema. Just 7 months later the Chauvel reopened to a passion equivalent to if it had been closed for years. The Chauvel remains an important part of our cultural landscape, with the foyer refurbished innovatively using recycled toilet pipes as chandeliers (I like to think they are not literally recycled but remnants or off-cuts!) and a fabulous programme of new arthouse releases, film festivals, and cult cinema nights. They sometimes throw a band on in the foyer if its in keeping with the film that's screening. Grab a drink at the bar and sit on the balcony if you can get a spot, and thank the Palace cinema chain for restoring the Chauvel to its' former glory.

Art galleries, for me, are the perfect place to exit city life and enter a world of other people's…read morecreations. Located in Paddington, The Butler Goode Gallery arranges some of the leading exhibitions in the whole city. The specialties of this gallery include exclusive offerings of European and World art, Contemporary Australian art, and Aboriginal art. I would definitely say that The Butler Goode Gallery is one-of-a-kind in Sydney, perhaps even Australia as a whole. Its director, who's from the UK, is truly passionate about bringing artwork to Australians that would have never before been obtainable. I had the opportunity to pass by the gallery for a special event. November 5th was the first anniversary of the Gallery's opening and there was a special get-together to celebrate this milestone. In addition to featuring some beautiful pieces (as usual) there were really nifty live demonstrations from resident artists. Of course, the prices for artwork sold here are pretty steep, but the connection you have with a painting is priceless.

This is a joint where $10 gets you 3 live bands…read more That's, like, three bucks a band. Is that even legal? How are these kids making money? Financial concerns aside, what an ass-kicking deal. Combine that with a super intimate venue and cheap drinks and why would you not come here, eh? The bartender was having an off night when I went - lost his bottle opener, had to run downstairs to find a new one, and couldn't find a light beer (I was driving, awright) on the register and asked "How does $5.20 sound?" Good question. Caught me out. Should have gone for some happy bartering but didn't think quickly enough. But hells, this is run by community radio station FBI and I saw 2 hrs of cracking tunes, what's a couple bucks between friends. Plus he was super nice about it in a Fawlty Towers kinda way. And you'll notice this still gets 5 stars. They could spit on me when i come in and it would still get 5 stars, that's how much I rate the local live music scene and these dudes that make it happen.

I love live music and any venue dedicated to keeping Sydney's live music scene from fizzling into…read moreextinction. If I'm honest, I secretly want Sydney to be filled with divey-style bars like this level of the Kings Cross Hotel... I'm a sucker for dim lighting, cheap drinks and good tunes... throw in a few tall men in shirts and tight jeans and my little heart is content. The music can be hit and miss (as it should be) and occasionally the painfully-hipster:regular-person ratio is too heavy on the hipster... but if you're happy to chill out, go with the flow and get your indie on, you'll have a fun night here.

Awesome experience at this movie theater when we came for a Filipino movie. The reclining seats…read morewere very comfortable and the movie was fantastic so the overall experience was great. The screens aren't as big as the usual theaters I go to in the US though.

This place is a joke! Firstly, $21 so see a movie... So $63…read morefor the family... Then a small popcorn and a coke, $17... Are these guys serious? Seeing a 3 hour movie but they will only validate parking for 3 hours... So we are over by 10 minutes and have to pay another $7 for parking. After $87 you would expect an awesome movie experience right? Wrong... We get put in cinema 12 with a screen smaller than my TV at home. Crackly audio that was echoing... Absolutely terrible experience! No wonder people download movie at home!

An absolutely wonderful family event!! There were 10 of us, ranging in ages from 6 to 70 and it was…read morea hit with all!! The bean beds are a must. They are definitely worth the extra $9.00 for the comfort. A blanket will do, but the bean bed forms to your body and elevates your head for great viewing. We didn't use any of the concessions because you are welcome to bring your own food and beverage. The night turned out to be a movie with a picnic!! The bonus was the pre-sunset bat show, so arrive early. Another reason to get an early start is to get a good parking spot. Do yourself a favor and take the family to experience Moonlight Cinema.

Shhh don't tell the others but you're my favourite outdoor cinema, Moonlight...You may not have a…read morefancy location or a gourmet menu like some of the others but you have parking, nice surroundings, sufficient facilities and most of all, enough space for me to spread out and have a proper picnic and frolic. Watching a movie at Moonlight does require a little prep because onsite food and beverage is limited. So grab a few nibbles, grog, blankets and cushions and you're set for a good night out. The place is so chilled, I've never seen a double air mattress for 2 at an outdoor cinema until now (genius if you think about it). Sitting on anything higher than a beach chair is frowned upon unless you're at the back, but the number of space available with clear view of the screen is ridonculous so you'll still get to enjoy your movie if you want to bring your recliner. But wait, there's more! They're doing $10 tickets for cinebuzz members (2 tix per member) at the mo so you don't need to restrict your movie dates to Tuesdays!!

In the heart of Paddington, Blender gallery specialises in music and rock & roll photography. In…read morethe age of digital, it's the specialist in analog, it makes you remember old film photography, both through the graceful and inspiring photographers that it promotes, and the analog photo shop, built to support the rebirth of analog in our digital time. So if you feel like wandering around some art galleries, and tell me who doesn't (makes you feel so European) Blender has both local and international music photographers and it's a major brand in fine art music photography in Sydney, Australia. Immerse yourself in and experience their fantastic historical images of rocks' yesteryear. Hop onto their website to view inspiring piece, and get connected to the upcoming exhibitions, which are guaranteed to be jaw-droppingly great.

Very small gallery in an old terraced house. It's dedicated to smaller, affordable works of art,…read moresometimes by newer artists. It's free, full of interesting bits to fit any pocketbook, and very casual. I like the lack of pretentiousness. I was here for an exhibit of photographs of the band AC/DC: not exactly highbrow material, know what I mean? Just enjoyable, accessible, and affordable.

Sometimes you just need to get away from the paparazzi and enjoy watching a movie with other people…read morewho understand that its tough being a VIP.... if you fit into this category than Gold Class Cinemas are for you. Tucked away from the hussle and bustle of the "normal" patrons, you can enjoy your pre- screening experience by waiting in the Gold Class lounge..... here you can order champagne and food as you wait for your movie session time to begin.... but wait, what if you can't get there early to enjoy the pre-movie snacks.... don't worry - you're a VIP.... someone will bring them to you during the movie.... When you check in, you can decide if you want food delivered to you during the film and when.... perhaps you want Nachos in the first third, champagne in the middle and an ice-cream sunday in the final act.... then the at Gold Class will make sure you get what you want.... And because it's super exclusive - you wil be one of about 30 people in the cinema with a reclining couch seat that lets you lie down... It's first class all the way....and if it wasn't so expensive I'd see a movie this way everytime.

Ichi, ni, san! Well that's what it sounds like to me. In any case, Art of Photoland is a mini…read moreamusement 'land' stocking Japanese photo booths. They are like mini arcade games but can be either really frustrating or fun to play with if you can't speak or read the language. There are heaps of different backgrounds, glitter, editing options, sizes to choose from in the booths. You pose in the mini booths - some are big enough to hold 5 or more people in them - and take a photo before the countdown ends. The camera makes your eyes look huge and your skin a glowing white that you end up looking like an anime character. Before you print, the photos are uploaded into the machine's computer where the real fun comes in. You can edit the photos by adding little pictures, writing, glitter, coloured contacts and dye your hair - the choices are endless. However, there is usually a time limit once someone else enters the booth. The photos are really expensive if you think about it. One sheet of printing (you can choose how many photos you want but obviously they will be smaller if you want more) will cost around $15. The machines only accept $1 coins but you can quickly change your cash for change at the counter. They also lend you scissors so you can share your photos with your friends easily. Four stars for the novelty factor the first time you try it.