Sydney Precincts

If you are like me, when I receive a book about an area in which I live, I immediately turn to my local suburb, street, or whatever is closest. I want to check they got it right.

Chris Carroll has taken on a big task, attempting to curate Sydney's many attractions - best shops, eateries, bars and other hangouts – as he describes it. The book has been divided into 19 precincts, and admittedly they are all within a few kilometre radius of the CBD, with a couple of exceptions, but it is definitely an insider's look at what is on offer. For that reason he has also co-opted the help of knowledgable locals for various areas to give Q&A responses about the relevant areas, or certain aspects of this vivid and varied city. As you'd expect, coffee, breakfasts and dining are all covered.

Carroll describes Sydney Precincts this way: 'Think of this book as a collection of amazing, intriguing, sometimes unexpected, but jaw-droppingly awesome places to eat, drink, shop and play.'

So rather than itemising things, I'll let you make your own discoveries. Suffice to say that I thought I knew Sydney very well, but here's a handful of places I haven't been to: Edition Coffee Roasters in Darlinghurst, Pennyfarthing Design in Balmain, Regatta Rose Bay, and Shuk in North Bondi. There are plenty more that are new to me, but I won't spoil the surprises any more for you.

And did the book get my local area right? Of course I checked out that part first, and it had my favourites - plus a couple I need to see soon. Almost certainly it will be the same for most readers, too.

Sydney Precincts - a curated guide, by Chris Carroll, published by Explore Australia, 2015, hardcover, rrpA$39.99.

- reviewed by Sally Hammond

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