Feel-Good Friday—28 November 2025: Spritzes, Sprays, and Streetwear

We’ve officially flicked the switch to summer, and that means this edition of Feel-Good Friday is focused on the best things happening around the country this month.

Even if it is still November, the evenings are warming up, the inbox is slowing down, and every group chat is suddenly about “one quick drink after work” that somehow becomes a late one. That is, before the inevitable “beach?” request comes through.

Whether you want to lean into the chaos with prosciutto-washed Negronis, refresh your wardrobe with a burger-joint streetwear collab or actually do something wholesome like a charity fun run or meaningful Christmas shopping, we’ve got your weekend lineup ready.

One of our favourite steak restaurants in Sydney, Matt Moran’s Chophouse, will showcase Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged through a month-long takeover. On Friday evenings from 28 November to 19 December, the first one hundred diners will be among the first in Australia to enjoy a taste of Cellar Aged. This takeover is a celebration of the effort that has gone into every bottle of Cellar Aged, giving guests the chance to enjoy this one-of-a-kind whisky.

If you simply want to purchase a bottle, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged (AUD$330) is exclusively available for sale at The Whisky Club until 16 December, as linked below.

Ash Barty’s Banana Boat SmartMist Sunscreen Spray Sport

Banana Boat is tackling the challenges of summer in partnership with beloved Aussie icon and mum of two, Ash Barty. The brand has released its new Banana Boat SmartMist Sunscreen Spray Sport and Kids SPF 50+ range, designed to make sun protection quicker and easier, with staying power for outdoor activities. Essentially, it’s all about convenience, featuring a breakthrough delivery system that meets both family needs and high-performance requirements.

Key features and benefits:

• Advanced Control Spray features two distinct settings
  • Long for wide coverage
  • Short for targeted areas

Most importantly, it works from any angle, solving common application frustrations for both parents and individuals. Meanwhile, the Powerstay Technology in the Sport variant offers high endurance against sweat and water, while the Kids variant features a mild, hypoallergenic formula suitable for sensitive, delicate skin. The new Banana Boat Smartmist range is now available at Chemist Warehouse, Priceline, Coles, and Woolworths, with an RRP of AUD$28.00.

$15 Margs, Aperols, Mango Daiquiris All Summer at Penny’s

If your idea of self-care involves a cold drink in a freshly renovated neighbourhood pub, Penny’s Hotel in Potts Point has you sorted. The team has reimagined the venue as a warm community space, complete with cocktails, trivia nights, dining deals, and a dedicated sports bar pouring $15 margaritas, Aperol spritzes, and frozen mango daiquiris all day, every day through the summer.

The Summer Sessions also cater to cricket and tennis enthusiasts, with a dedicated sports bar screening The Ashes, the Australian Open, and other major fixtures live with sound. It is the kind of setup that makes it very easy to wander between the bar and the big screen until the night gets away from you. Penny’s is open from 10 am to 3 am Monday to Saturday, and until midnight on Sundays, so your “one drink after work” window is pretty generous.

Mary’s X Something Very Special Drop A Hot Sauce Streetwear Capsule

Sydney burger kings Mary’s have teamed up with Byron Bay label Something Very Special for a three-part summer capsule that turns the whole hospitality-meets-fashion trend into something loud, fun and very Australian. The collection combines unisex streetwear pieces, including short shorts, baby tees, button-ups, trucker hats, and accessories in bold colourways, with a limited-edition Mary’s Special hot sauce range.

You can choose your heat level, from mild Mary’s Kiss to medium Mary’s Slap and fiery Mary’s Wrath, then match it to your outfit. Drop 1 lands Tuesday, 9 December 2025, with follow-up drops on 7 January and 3 February 2026, priced between AU$54 and $139. Pieces will be available online via Mary’s and SVS, in-store at SVS Byron Bay and across Sydney Mary’s venues.

Keen for a sneak peek? The collab will be previewed at Astral People’s Summer Dance: Club Angel on 29 November at Liberty Hall.

A Prosciutto Negroni Aperitivo Hour Takes Over Hinchcliff House

Hinchcliff House has gone full Italian this month thanks to a partnership with Principe Prosciutto di San Daniele. The limited Aperitivo Hour menu is available across all four venues, Bar Mammoni, Lana, Grana, and Apollonia, until December 14.

The hero is the Principe Negroni, where Widge’s Gin is fat-washed with silky San Daniele prosciutto for a smooth, umami twist on Sydney’s favourite cocktail, served with a skewer of the good stuff on top. Around it sits a full lineup of Italian-leaning snacks and sips, from Melone Spritzes inspired by rockmelon and prosciutto to bao sandwiches, porcini arancini, prosciutto-topped pizza, and a rolling prosciutto trolley with saltbush focaccia and whipped ssamjang butter.

If you needed an excuse to clock off a little earlier and pretend you are somewhere between the Adriatic and Circular Quay, this is it.

Blak Markets Bring First Nations Creativity Back To The Rocks

Sydney’s longest-running Indigenous market is back at The Rocks for one day only on Sunday 30 November, taking over Tallawoladah Lawn with First Nations art, music and culture. The Blak Markets will host 15 Indigenous stallholders, live performances, weaving workshops and storytelling sessions for kids, with 100 per cent of proceeds going directly to the makers.

Expect everything from original artworks and jewellery to homewares and bushfood products, plus a full schedule that includes a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, traditional dance, live sets from Dale Huddleston and hands-on weaving with Aunty Karleen. It is the kind of day where you can finish your Christmas shopping, support Aboriginal businesses and actually talk to the artists about the stories behind each piece.

If you want your weekend browsing to feel a bit more meaningful than scrolling a sale page, this is the move.

Run For Women’s Shelter, Score A Free Week Of Saunas

Flow Athletic are once again swapping its studio lights for sunrise in Centennial Park with the annual Flow Athletic Fun Run on Sunday, 7 December 2025. You can choose between a 5 km or 10 km loop, with all proceeds going to Women’s Community Shelters, which supports women and children escaping domestic violence and homelessness.

The first 100 people to register will score a packed goodie bag, including a limited-edition Flow x Hyro running singlet and products from brands like Hyro, Nagnata, Re Your Run, XtraClubs, and True Protein. Stick around afterwards for giveaways and a post-run coffee with the Flow crew.

And if you want to double down on wellbeing, XtraClubs is offering a whole week of free saunas at its brand-new Marrickville location from 8 to 12 December, ahead of its official launch on 13 December. Anyone can book a session, no membership hoops required.

Bid On A 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro For A Good Cause

PlayStation’s 30th Anniversary celebrations are continuing with one last unicorn drop. Sony Foundation Australia is auctioning a 30th Anniversary Limited Edition PS5 Pro Bundle, featuring the legacy colour scheme that nods back to the original PlayStation and enough matching accessories to make any gamer tear up a little. The 12,300 numbered bundles sold out worldwide in 2024, so this is one of the only ways left for Aussies to get their hands on one.

All funds raised go straight to the Sony Foundation’s Children’s Holiday Camp Program, an incredible initiative which gives kids with disability a three-day, two-night camp experience at no cost to families while high school and uni students step up as full-time carers. The auction runs from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, 26 November to 5pm AEDT on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, subject to overtime bidding.

If you ever needed to justify a big-ticket console purchase, “it is for the kids” is about as watertight as it gets.

New Levantine Restaurant aambra Opens Inside A 120-Year-Old Church

Sydney’s east has a standout new arrival: aambra, a Levantine restaurant set inside the restored former Rose Bay Uniting Church. The 120-year-old space has been transformed into a warm, glowing 140-seat dining room filled with stained glass, Venetian plaster and a mezzanine overlooking an open kitchen led by ex-Nour chef Gianluca Lonati.

The menu leans into flame, ritual and big flavour. Expect oysters with fermented onion and isot oil, tuna kibbeh nayeh, tongue shawarma skewers, Moreton Bay bug borek and a samke harra whiting sando. Larger plates include whole blue grouper masgouf with tamarind, dry-aged carob duck crown, merguez-stuffed lamb saddle and an 800-gram wagyu rib eye cooked over fire.

There is also a 130-bottle wine list and signature cocktails like a jaffa margarita and arak elderflower spritz, best enjoyed in the olive-tree-lined alfresco area. If you want dinner to feel like a small escape, aambra should be your next booking.