Julian Ashton's is the oldest fine art school in Australia and has taught some of our finest artists: Brett Whiteley, William Dobell, Thea Proctor and a number of Archibald prizewinners are amongst them. Their life drawing and painting classes nurture great technique and you can learn at your own pace. All this in a great atmosphere with antique easels and close to the city and circular quay.

One of the most massive and comprehensive bookstores you'll find anywhere. If they don't have it, it possibly isn't in print. With a huge collection of art and design books and children's books, as well as Asian language books and manga comics. They also sell collectible figurines, hold exhibitions of local artists in the front window and have a little cafe.

Charming, old style pub that hasn't been renovated to death. Comfortable but cool, it has heaps of character and is a great spot for a drink - definitely one of the best pubs in Sydney. AND its owned by a singing Hollywood starlet called Doris. Beat that.

the best hot chocolate outside of Barcelona...particularly the suckaos which are pretty much liquid chocolate. Their chocolate souffles are also pretty special.

Gorgeous little bookstore and cafe. Mainly stocking second hand books, they have a huge, varied and interesting range. The little cafe's great too - yummy, reasonably priced food and excellent chai lattes. Brilliant spot to meet a friend for coffee and a chat or a game of chess, and I could literally (pardon the pun) lose hours browsing their books.

I've been here for a green peel and BHA peels. It's not a frilly glamourous salon, they run it as a clinic and are about results rather than frilly extras. It's still comfy, though, and you get good attention. The therapists can be quite chatty, which can be interesting as they have a few celebrity clients

A great salon, they cut and colour extremely well. Definitely a luxury haircut experience - if you're looking for a bit of pampering and really high quality results, they're fantastic. I've had my hair cut by several of their stylists, and even the junior stylists are great. Ideal for anyone who likes a solid, interesting haircut.

A very casual yet funky bar and cafe - more Melbourne than Sydney in it's vibe. It attracts an interesting eclectic crowd, and they have some great dj's. Avoids the pretentiousness that a lot of Sydney bars suffer from and is an all-round great spot.

Uchi Lounge is a very romantic little bar and restaurant just off Oxford St, near the city. They make fantastic sushi and cocktails, it's small and intimate and a brilliant spot for a date. The cuisine is more interesting than the usual sushi standard, and you have to try the tempura oysters with lime ponzu...I don't even normally LIKE oysters, but these are awesome!

Brad is a very affable, professional chiropractor who practices using the Gonstead technique. He's very considerate and is a fantastic practitioner. The overall atmosphere is very friendly and he has an amazing knack for finding the exact spot which is causing problems. They use the HICAPS billing system, which is great if you're with a health fund, instantly docking your insurance payment from the bill

Approximate cost: $50