My Sydney
Rohit Bhuta thinks the beach is the best, though not the most logical, place for a business meet
Sydney has been my home on and off for the past 20 years and I have memories there — professional and personal, good and bad — that will last me a lifetime.
Recommendations
My favourite hotel has to be the Shangri-la, smack bang in the heart of the Rocks. It offers beautiful views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It is a stone’s throw away from the Opera House steps and the Botanical Gardens for an early morning run. It is a short walk from the central business district (CBD) and not far from the restaurants, pubs and theatres.
There are numerous business hotels within the CBD: The Hilton, Westin and the Park Hyatt are all very good. If you have your family with you, one of the several serviced apartments across the city is a good place to stay.
For business meetings, the best place, but perhaps not the most logical, would be the beach! If for some inexplicable reason, however, your business counterpart is not too keen on doing that, meetings in restaurants or coffee shops are always popular. Of course, the business centre of a hotel would be the most logical place to meet for confidential discussions.
For food, there are different places for different reasons. Bondi Icebergs is where you rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Once there, don’t forget to order the rack of lamb. Victoria Room, on the other hand, is where the wannabe rich and famous go. Tetsuya serves Japanese cuisine. And if you want to take it easy and soak in the sight of the Harbour Bridge, get yourself an outside table at Café Sydney.
Maya Sweets is for desi chaat while Nilgiri’s is for the rest of Indian food.
Tips
- Sydney is a walking city and most of the businesses are located within the three to five parallel streets that comprise the CBD.
- The CBD is connected by trains. Buy a ticket for the central line and that will take you to any one of the five stations within the CBD
- If you take a bus across the city, remember buses are cashless and you will need to buy your ticket at a booth or news agency.
- In the southern part of the CBD, you can take the light rail.
After Hours
Sydney has something for everyone. You could go to the theatre or opera, take a walk around the Opera House or Darling Harbour, go to any one of the hundreds of bars — Establishment and Ivy usually have the best ambience — or go to China Town for a meal. A run across the city or Hyde Park (to be avoided at night) is a great way to recharge yourself. Or you could go to Bondi Beach for a meal by the ocean. Most bars close by 2 a.m. So, if you are out at Hugo’s in Darlinghurst and you see a heavy bouncer, with gelled hair, walking around chanting, “If you can’t leave ’em, drink ’em,” you should know that you have gotten carried away.
If you have some time on your hands, you could climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge or take a ferry to Toronga Zoo and then to Manly and back.
If you have a car, drive to Palm Beach and then take a ferry to the Basin that, at the best of times, is one of the very few secluded beaches in Sydney. You could also take a drive along the North Coast to Terrigal (90 minutes from the CBD). A drive to the Blue Mountains is also a fabulous way to spend the day.
Rohit Bhuta is CEO, Religare Macquarie Private Wealth
(Co-ordinated by Jasodhara Banerjee)
(This story appears in the 22 April, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
