​Style. Design. Functionality. <insert dramatic pause> Integrity.

These key tenets of architecture are difficult to read in anything other than the voice of Kevin McCloud.  

It’s no surprise then that Brisbane’s Base Architecture has embodied these principles in a new basement cafe/bar under their offices in inner-north Grange.

Quincy’s is a café by day and a bar by night, and boasts an array of cocktails made entirely with Australian spirits. Integrity indeed.

Let’s find out  what else is so bespoke about this place, and if the owners are in by Christmas. 

Being served tiny plate after tiny plate of food is one of my favourite ways to get full… but I degust.

As the number of dishes add up, so too usually does the price. There are affordable degustation options available around town though, and we decided to try one out.
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The Euro in Brisbane city offers a signature six course degustation for $95, just keeping it under that magic $100 mark. 

Is it still worth getting that stretchy (but fashionable) outfit on for? Let’s take a look.

The warmer weather has brought along with it flowers in bloom, comfy t-shirts, and the obligatory question: "what on earth happened to our diets over the colder months?" 

Two Brissy ladies keen to help out with health habits city-wide are Emma and Alicia from Genki Milk Co.

I happened upon them during their first week at the Jan Powers Markets in Newfarm, and was instantly drawn to their thoughtfully crafted array of almond milks.

Genki almond milk tastes completely different to the almond milk you buy in a longlife carton in the store, mainly because store-bought almond milk contains an embarrassing 2% almonds, while Genki Milk is comprised of a whopping 20% almonds.

That means more delicious creamy almond goodness, less chemical nasties.

​Actually in Genki Milk's case there are no chemical nasties at all, with the girls ensuring no non-food fillers, stabilisers or additives make their way into their artisanal milk creations. This does mean you have to drink your almond milk within a few days, but good luck keeping these tasty drinks in your fridge for that long!

We had a chat with Alicia and Emma to find out why they're nuts about the humble almond. 

Small, dark, nondescript doors that lead to a staircase are generally mysterious in either an exciting or a foreboding kind of way. 

Maybe it was all the black paint, or maybe it was because it was next to a topless bar (you know the one), but when I got to the entrance of Greenglass, I felt a little apprehensive. 

There was the promise of good food though, so upstairs I went. 

Let's see what was inside. 

Coffee is like a liquid hug for your brain.

So my brain was feeling very loved indeed when it (and the rest of me) was invited to be Campos Coffee's guest taster this month, for some single origin beans from Papua New Guinea's Barioda Estate.

I was lucky enough to try these special beans before they hit the shelves, and I also got schooled on what it takes to make a macchiato more moreish. 

Does this grind really deserve its own 30 days of fame? Let's find out. 

City views, great food, strong coffee, kids' playground, jumping castle, mini golf... no I haven't just made a parents' wish-list of somewhere to go on a Saturday morning (well, ok I did).

These things can all be found at one venue: Victoria Park.

Located in Brisbane's inner-north, Victoria Park is an awesome place to hang with your brood, ensuring everyone has a bit of fun.

Oh yeah- and there's some sort of golf course too here apparently. But let's take a look at all those other reasons to visit instead.

The Queen St Mall at night can be a bit of a quiet pedestrian strip, with all of the shops shut until the next day's hustle and bustle.

There is however, a relatively new restaurant there that is worth a visit, turning the Queen St Mall into a destination in itself, rather than just a glorified nighttime footpath to Irish Murphy's.

Lennons Restaurant is attached to Next Hotel, but is quickly making a name for itself in its own right, as a place to bunker down for the night and enjoy some decadent food.  

Just how good can the food be at a local hotel? Let's find out.

With the current move towards healthy eating comes its natural successor: healthy drinking.

I don't mean browny-green smoothies and quinoa chia water; I'm talking about fun drinking. The alcoholic kind.

Esprit De Figues is the first fig liqueur to hit the Australian market, and in just a few months it has proven popular among cocktail aficionados nationwide.

I say it's health-conscious because of all the liqueurs out there, Esprit De Figues has one of the lowest levels of sugar. This provides the double benefits of allowing the natural flavours of handpicked Violette de Bordeaux figs to shine, as well as being kind to your insulin levels. 

In keeping its sugar levels down, is this drink something you'd still like to sip on during a night out? Let's find out.  

The Sydney cafe scene is jam-packed these days, meaning that eating establishments really need to go the extra mile to stand out. So what makes a good cafe better than good?

Is it a creative menu? (Four words for you: Soft. Shell. Crab. Benedict.) Or friendly service that makes you feel even more welcome than your nan does? Or is it a funky yet warm ambiance that invites you to do a Frankie and relax?

Or maybe all of this doesn't matter- it's just down to how good the coffee is.

The brand new Naked Brew in Sydney's hip Erskineville ticks off all of the above, meaning by all criteria, it is a good cafe. A very, very good cafe. 

​So are clothes really not needed when eating out anymore? Let's find out. 

With the temperature nudging 40 degrees on a continual basis these days, it can be a challenge to find a cafe with a bit of aircon.

Thankfully, this little gem of a place on Brisbane's north side is chilled, both in temperature and ambiance.

Pod Espresso in Stafford provides a little foodie oasis for those who need to cool down their brow and fill up their bellies. A new summer menu keeps things interesting as well for the locals.

So what's good for hot weather eating? Let's find out.