Those involved could be anyone. They could be members of military units or tactical operations teams. They could be Gladys from accounts, and they could even be your mother-in-law.

Though it’s usually pretty easy to tell who’s been initiated into this strength and conditioning cult. They travel in packs, they speak in WOs, WODs and AMRAPs, and their muscles grow faster than their fingernails.

The secret to CrossFit’s appeal? Despite having the sweat-inducing intensity of Sichuan peppercorns dipped in wasabi, it’s a workout that’s suitable for everyone. That means you’ll be doing the same basic workout as a martial artist or cage fighter, minus a few barbells or reps.

It also keeps your body guessing – A typical WOD (that’s Workout of the Day, for the uninitiated) is only 30 minutes long, but might include a combination of power clean pull-ups, burpees, power snatches, deadlifts and push presses. Try zoning out to your iPod while doing that. 

A word of caution: These workouts are highly addictive. And, yes, burpees are just as tough as they were in high school.  

Reebok CrossFit CGS
1/32 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville, NSW 2204
1800 211 906

After taking a punt and striding down the bare lane, you’ll find one lonely hole-in-the-wall in the shell of what was once Honky Tonks. Follow the exposed concrete right up to Tonka’s bar tables, where the open kitchen is a beacon of light in the mood-lit restaurant.

Tonka is the younger sibling to Coda, and the team has clearly put a lot of time and energy into capturing the same culinary kudos Codas has built up. Adam D’Sylva and Mykal and Kate Bartholomew seem to have found the magic formula. 

Sidle into the sommelier’s tasting table, only because it’s the last seat in the house on a Tuesday night. Overhead hangs Naomi Troski’s dramatic installation, it weaves its way across the ceiling to the tables in the back. 

Finish gawking at the art and move on to the food. Tonka’s modern Indian inspired dishes have all the theatrics of a Bollywood movie. Whole trout comes out crispy-skinned and curled up, looking ready to swim off your plate. The burrata salad is a big, beautiful bun of fresh cheese sitting on coriander salsa, an entire sack we burst open and scoop up with fresh roti.

Tandoor chicken fresh from the wood fire oven, lamb curry, sliced wagyu – dishes are designed to be shared and they’ve got some bite so balance it with a cocktail mango lassi too.

Tonka Restaurant
20 Duckboard Place Melbourne 3000
T: (03) 9650 3155
Twitter: @TONKAMelbourne 

It’s thanks to street artist Alex Lehours. His mural dominates the personality of the café with the advice ‘Don’t die wondering’.

Little encouragement is needed to try a Mount Gay Rum Mojito, backed up by a silky Mandala Pinot. It would be rude not to find out what the New York fries consist of; (oven roasted kipflers all cracked n crispy), though the tomato prawns and a divine watermelon salad with Meredith goats cheese feta are all outshone by warm Madura wildflower honey walnuts which’ll have you naughtily licking your fingers to taste the last drip of sticky goodness.

Go during the day to check out ever changing specials with one thing constant – great coffee thanks to Di Gabriel roasters.

The Renegades Cafe Wine Bar
230 Coward Street, Mascot,  2020
Mon – Fri 6am – 5pm
Sat 7.30am – 3pm
Wine Bar: Thurs & Fri 5 – 7pm

None of us like to be that superficial about attraction but when you meet Hudson, it’s so darn beautiful, with its star-like single-bulb pendant lights, over sized chandeliers, pinched chocolate sofas for those snuggle n’ cocktail moments, balcony and fine dining sections – it’s hard not to be smitten.

Fine dining here is a Manhattan-style molecular delight thanks to Ricky Keeley (ex IVY, Pilu, Buon Ricordo). If you love textural dining, combining sous vide with pan fried elements, foams, sands and gels this is your kind of place. Go-to dishes include calamari with lime aioli, quinoa, squid foam, and charred scampi with jamon crumble.

Don’t miss the sugar cured duck, chorizo and smoked chickpeas or kelp fed beef fillet with pedro ximénez braised beef short rib which is so succulent it melts on touch. For dessert, be prepared for a few surprises from pumpkin to chocolate … just not as you know it.

Start spreading the news. You’ll want to be a part of it.

The Hudson
49 Lime St, King Street Wharf (yep it’s the old wagamama site – you wont recognise it)
Sun – Thurs: 12pm – Midnight
Fri & Sat: 12pm – till late.
Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner

Steve is everyman. He’s the modern man, the one trying to figure out which cocktail to order on his next date, or even better, wondering how he can make a cocktail and really impress his other half.

The Festival of Steve is a one-day event at The Kelvin Club. The members-only club is throwing open its doors all in the name of helping out the modern man.

And to help educate today’s men, they’ve enlisted some of our most dapper gentlemen. Or at least a few highly skilled professionals.

Bar Americano’s master mixologist Hayden Lambert will be running demos and classes ($40) for the cocktail challenged, while pro billard player Kelvin Small will be on hand to pass on tips and tricks to help master the pool table.

Expect the Presidents Room to be packed when Comedian Simon Taylor, aka Beat Magazine’s Moral Man takes to the stage. This Melbourne man about town also writes for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

He’ll add a humorous helping hand. You’re sure to learn something and with all proceeds from his show (donation-on-entry) going to Beyond Blue, it’s a good cause.

Keep an eye out for Embiggen Books from Lonsdale St. They’ve hand picked some tomes for the discerning man’s library. Or your library. Don’t worry, this isn’t a boys club. Partners are welcome too!

The Festival of Steve
Sat 25 May 2013,  11am- 6pm
The Kelvin Club, Melbourne Place
Twitter: @FestivalofSteve

So when you find a store that’s been in the same place for more than a decade, on one of our trendiest laneways, you’ve found something special.

Fokus has sat at 18 Centre Place, right between Blu Fish and Jungle Juice, for 13 years. Owner Lynette Clucas has seen Centre Place go gangbusters and she’s managed to hold on tight to her little spot.

Fokus makes a huge commitment to independent Melbourne designers, it’s a treasure trove of everything from soft leather belts and hand crocheted beanies to tiny bird skull necklaces and woven felt pashminas.

Lynette’s own brand, Agenda, is adorable. The chocolate-coloured leather bags, pouches and purses are as soft as your favourite puppy. They’re designed for “the man or woman who has an agenda” and are hand cut and hand stitched here in the city.

Fokus doesn’t take itself too seriously. We love the old school manikins with their floppy hats and bright red lips.

Don’t leave without trying on a pair of the almost too-trendy Fritz Frames. The handmade timber retro reading glasses made us drool and the bright red sunglasses are just as much fun. The store isn’t going anywhere, but those frames will.

Fokus
18 Centre Place, Melbourne CBD
T: 03 9650 8454
Mon – Fri: 10:30am – 6pm
Sat: 10:30am – 5.30pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm

French etiquette involves some very formal rules. If a friend invites you over for tea, asking to buy the chair you’re sitting on probably falls into the ‘faux pas’ category.

Luckily us Aussies are a bit more chill, and at this chic Parisian pad you can leave with whatever you can carry. Or, in the case of heavy furniture, anything your removal guy can.

You don’t need a formal invite either – just wander down ivy’s coveted laneway and stumble upon a treasure trove of effortlessly luxe fashion and equally plush furnishings.

Raid the wardrobes for sleek dresses and jersey basics from Tighttigers (by The AparTTment’s own style-savvy propriétaire Claire Coppins), plus silk scarves by Yassin Lahmar and leather jackets by Paris-based Nour Hammour. Who said you can’t put a (very accessible) price on je ne sais quoi?

On the furniture front you’ll find key pieces from online purveyor Max Sparrow, handwoven rugs by Cadrys and artsy lighting installations by Zaffero. And in the way of refreshments, T2 tea plus pastries by Lorraine’s Patisserie offer the ultimate hemisphere/Hemmesphere mélange.

Just remember to leave some things for the rest of us. 

The AparTTment
Shop 320C, ivy, 320 George Street, Sydney 2000
T: 0412 338 975
Mon – Wed 11am – 7pm, Thurs – Fri 11am – 9pm, Sat 11am – 4pm 

Hey, when they’re a mix of lychee, elderflower and Tequila Tromba, as well as being served in a jar glass, you’re right on trend.

And yes, this is another Melbourne Mexican restaurant but Fonda Winsdor is the younger sibling of hugely popular Fonda Mexican in Richmond, only better, because there’s more options on the menu and there’s a bar upstairs.

Mi Casa, Su Casa is the motto, everyone is welcome. Even when the tables are all full, you just head upstairs to Atica.

As the name suggests, this bite-sized bar in the rafters has a den vibe but it’s a cosy space to wait for the text message from downstairs.

Back in the dining hall, chef Ravi Presser and Mexican mastermind Lupita Manzo have kept the focus on fresh, traditional Mexican food that’s packed with flavour.

Pick your meal, order at the counter and watch the chefs prepare your burrito while you wait. We love to see a chef’s station brimming with fresh cabbage, corn, pumpkin, feta and peas.

We munch on the obligatory guac and tortilla crisps while watching plate after plate of quesadillas go by, very glad we’ve ordered a moreish chorizo, sweet potato, queso fresco, jalapeno and Fonda Salsa version.

A healthier option might have been the quinoa chicken salad, studded with black beans, smoked corn and baby peas, or a lean kangaroo fillet burrito with pumpkin, feta and salsa roja but we’ll save those for next time…

Fonda Windsor
144 Chapel St, Windsor VIC
T: (03) 9521 2660
Sun – Thurs: 12pm -10:30pm
Fri, Sat: 12pm to midnight
Twitter: @FondaMexican

Image Credits:

Image 1: Healthy burritos, image by Tom Blachford 
Image 2: Chefs at work, image by Tom Blachford

Till now, the queens of Asia have ruled (Miss Chu & Chat Thai), so hail a new guru who transports you to the laneways of Istanbul with its European districts of Taksim. Your expert guide; the King of Turkish cuisine, restaurateur and Chef, Somer Sivrioglu. 

Efendy is reinvented with its ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ approach to dining. The top floor is all white walled blue mosaic arches and fine dining yet any lover of exotic cuisines knows the real action is at street level with the new Efendy Meze Bar.

Kick off with a Lebanese beer 961 whose honey spicy tones match perfectly with a meze board. This platter comes adorned with heavenly pillows of scorched hot Turkish bread paired with imaginative combos such as octopus, capsicum humus, dried olives, black sesame and hazelnut.

Grab a chair by the open fire or perch by a wine barrel, and tuck into the best Croque Monsieur, ‘pachanga borek’ spiced up with an explosive salad of pomegranate, walnut and tomato. The special of ‘Guvec’ seafood stew will get your tastebuds dancing,  if not, get your charcoal grill fix with hot chicken winglets.

With cracking Turkish wines at $7 a glass and a drinking den in the basement you have to admit that getting down and dirty with a Raki, Efes beer or Tek Tek shots (100ml mini cocktail hits) beats penthouse dining any day!

EFendy Meze Bar
79 Elliott Street (Corner of Darling Street) Balmain NSW 2041
T: 02 9810 5466

Cross the Yarra to the other end of Chapel Street and you’ll found a patch of paradise at Top Paddock. 

The new café from dream team Nathan Toleman, Diamond Rozakeas, Ben Clark, and now Sam Slattery, is a leafy haven on the industrial edge of Richmond. 

In the courtyard trees shelter tables from the sun and the street, and planter boxes host a fledgling vege patch. Ripening eggplants, cherry tomatoes and young herbs have a ways to grow until they can stock the kitchen but they’re still a treat to see. 

Inside, the team have pulled bits and pieces from their past successes. There’s the art deco lights and cute bottles of bush tomatoes you’ve seen at Two Birds One Stone and stools made from recycled street signs a la Three Bags Full. 

This is no copy-cat café. Top Paddock has gone bigger and better. You can get cosy at the benches in the back but there’s a big country kitchen table perfect for boardroom brunches or the high stools up the front for friends. 

The best seat in the house is probably in front of the barista bar, where a special Top Paddock blend, made from Five Senses beans, is carefully filtered down to a drip coffee they’re immensely proud of, along with plenty of lattes and cappuccinos too. 

Best dish definitely goes to the pulled pork on rye. With an ethos of fresh, seasonal and sustainable produce, head Chef Jesse McTavish knows where his eggs and even the free range pork comes from. We can taste the love.  The pork is a mountain of shredded meat, peppered with prunes that have melted in sweetness to a dish designed for brunch.

You know what they say – eat like a king for breakfast. This will keep you going all day. 

Top Paddock
658 Church Street, Richmond
T: 03 9429 4332 658
Mon – Thurs: 7am-5pm
Friday: 7am-9pm
Sat – Sun: 8am-4pm
Twitter: @TopPaddock