Australia’s most beloved gelateria has launched a snack bar at its flagship store in Marrickville.
Messina has brought an exciting new twist to its Marrickville headquarters, with the launch of Snackbar at Messina Creative. The laid-back snack bar will serve up a rotating menu of innovative treats every Sunday afternoon, along with natural wines and gelato-inspired creations.
Snackbar at Messina Creative has opened.
Following the success of their Thursday-to-Saturday degustation at Messina Creative, Snackbar offers a more casual alternative, perfect for those looking to unwind with delicious snacks without the formality of a full-course meal. The restaurant’s experimental approach shines through the new menu, with unique dishes like prawn toast with sriracha and the fan favourite ‘glizzy’ with pork sausage and sauces. Of course, no visit to Messina would be complete without a scoop (or two) of gelato, and Snackbar has that covered with options like spiced dark chocolate gelato with olive oil and sea salt.
The ‘glizzy’ is a fan favourite.
With its walk-in-only format, Snackbar is designed for spontaneous visits where guests can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, accompanied by lo-fi tunes. Whether you’re a long-time Messina fan or a first-time visitor, this new concept is set to be a hit among foodies and gelato enthusiasts alike.
Messina Creative, located inside Messina HQ in Marrickville, has built a reputation as Sydney’s go-to destination for gelato-centric fine dining. Known for pushing the boundaries of traditional flavours, their six-course degustation experience balances sweet, savoury and umami flavours. With this latest venture, Messina continues to innovate, offering Sydneysiders a new way to experience gelato alongside their signature flair for creativity.
Messina’s original degustation experience will continue to run from Thursday to Saturday, with the addition of Snackbar creating the ultimate Sunday indulgence.
The prawn toast sometimes comes with lobster…
Address: 1 Rich St, Marrickville, NSW
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
Who says a healthy holiday always has to mean meditative silence?
Sitting on the balcony wrapped in a bathrobe, you warm your cold hands around a green tea as steam rises from the mug. The lorikeets haven’t come out yet, but the sunrise hot-air balloons have. Below, scrubby bushland gives way to rows of vines, where, in a few hours, the Hunter Valley’s cellar doors will begin pouring Semillon.
You might have booked the new Avani Cypress Lakes for a reset – but that doesn’t mean retreating from everything around you. Here’s how the Hunter Valley’s new resort is doing wellness without shutting the world out.
Location
Take in 360-degree views from Meditation Hill.
The brand-new Avani Cypress Lakes Resort is spread across 340 acres in Australia’s oldest wine-growing region. Rebranding in October 2026, it brings the former Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and neighbouring Elysia Wellness Retreat together under the Avani name. It will also become Avani’s largest property in Australasia.
A long lunch among the vines is a siren song, but it might be even more of a temptation to spend the whole holiday at the resort. If you’re eager for the whole picture as soon as you get there, start your stay with a tramp up Meditation Hill for 360-degree views across the land, before discovering the rest of the resort.
Style and character
Make use of a private balcony in each villa.
Once you enter, be whisked (ever so gently) away to one of the resort’s 204 rooms and suites. Bedrooms come dressed in plush white linen, textured cushions and sleek upholstered headboards, with a palette that takes its cues from the outside, bringing in eucalyptus green and rich ochre that offset the creams, beiges and warm taupes.
For those group getaways, choose from one-, two- or three-bedroom villas, each with a private balcony, separate living areas and kitchen facilities. The one- and two-bedroom villas come with kitchenettes, while the three-bedroomers have full kitchens for those planning to make themselves properly at home with Hunter Valley cheeses and local wine bottles, and the Premier Villa offers a serious upgrade.
If a wellness retreat is already whispering your name between the gentle chimes of Tibetan bells, the Wellness Suites come with private balconies and put AvaniWell’s saunas, pools and day spa experiences right on the doorstep for the 16-plus crowd.
It’s all part of the resort’s balance between switching off and being social when the mood strikes.
AvaniWell
AvaniWell is set to become Australia’s largest integrated resort wellness precinct. And with 26 treatment rooms and more than 50 day-spa treatments and therapies, there’s plenty to tempt you away from the golf green and into that fluffy spa robe.
If the existing Elysia treatments are anything to go by, heated volcanic stones, gua sha face massages, Hawaiian Kahuna massages, Himalayan salt scrubs, remedial massages and even Watsu therapy are all on the menu. The Watsu takes place in a purpose-built magnesium pool heated to body temperature, where floats support you as a practitioner guides you through delicious stretches.
But relaxation doesn’t run to a schedule. You can dip in for a single treatment or make a few days of it, with a year-round calendar of activities to pick and choose from. You can also make some moves on one of the eight Pilates reformers, relax in an infrared sauna or cool off in an outdoor cold-plunge pool or unwind in the magnesium pool.
Beyond that, three pickleball courts and the golf course should tempt you out of your slippers.
Dining
Enjoy a nourishing meal at Fusion.
Avani’s story began in Sri Lanka, so it’s perfect that it’s bringing a taste of the island to Australia’s fusion-loving food scene. Enter Chakraya, the resort’s Sri Lankan-inspired restaurant. From its warm timber tones to its flavours, this high-end dining spot takes its inspiration from the island’s traditions.
After a night at Chakraya, move from warm and intimate to light and airy at Fusion restaurant. The interiors are as fresh as the food, with nourishing dishes that complement the AvaniWell vibe and are just the thing in between your sauna session and Pilates class.
Later, it’s time to get the residents of the three-bedroomer together at the Bistro & Bar (open from breakfast to dinner). Here, it’s all about the casual classics, eaten in blissed-out calm.
Other facilities
Find a golf cours, kids program and more on the property.
When there’s business to attend to, the resort has 24 meeting and event spaces for everything from conferences to weddings. But the fairway always beckons. Designed by Steve Smyers, the 18-hole championship golf course has dramatic elevation changes and fairway contours, 60 bunkers, generous greens and epic views across the vineyards to the Brokenback range. Mind it doesn’t sting your swing.
For the little ones, the AvaniKids program will keep them busy with creative activities and outdoor adventures. But if you’d rather wait it out in style while everyone else is off golfing or gallivanting, take your pick: a luxuriously long swim in one of three outdoor pools, a cabana by the upgraded pool bar or settling in for a film at the outdoor cinema right as those evening crickets start up.
