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24 Hours In Sydney With Sara Bell
19/02/25
Author: Sara Bell
DOCUMENTED BY: RIISE
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Our founder Sara Bell jokes that she lives in a village. In actuality, she’s fortunate enough to call leafy eastern Sydney suburb, Paddington, home.
Dotted with art galleries, heritage listed pubs and Victorian terrace house-lined streets, this historic inner-city neighbourhood is known for its designer shopping scene. In fact, it’s where the RIISE flagship store is located (no-brainer, really). So to her, it does feel like a village, albeit a very well-resourced and beautiful one. Below, Sara shares how she whiles away a weekend in Paddington and surrounds.
Morning
Ocean Dip and Coffee
Morning
Ocean Dip and Coffee
In my opinion, the ultimate way to start my weekend is with an invigorating dip in the ocean. There’s something about salt water that is just so healing and refreshing. Sydney is known world-over for its beautiful beaches, so I try to make the most of them. Bronte is my local spot. You’ll often find me at the ocean pool, but in the winter I usually only make it down on Sundays. On the way back home I stop off for a coffee at Zey in Woollahra, for me it’s the best coffee in Sydney. On the weekends I sometimes go twice in one day, it’s that good!
Vintage Shopping
Vintage Shopping
When I’m not shopping at RIISE, I tend to go to Vinnies in Waverly or vintage shopping on William Street in Paddington. The Waverly Vinnies is a treasure trove and I have found many special pieces there. On William Street I found an amazing vintage Vivienne Westwood scarf at consignment store Di Nouva, which I adore dearly. I have been a fan of Westwood for a long time and for me her legacy lives on every time I wear her work. I like to style it as a top and wear this piece multiple ways.
Afternoon
Gallery Hopping
Documented By: RIISE
Afternoon
Gallery Hopping
I am inspired by the creativity of others and like to regularly check out the latest art exhibitions at local galleries. Saint Cloche in the heart of Paddington is a favourite. Founder/director Kitty Clark has been a big advocate for emerging artists, and she has an expert eye at spotting rising talent in the art world. The gallery’s exhibitions rotate fortnightly, so there is always something new to see - even if you’re just wandering past and peeking through the alluring glass doors. I also regularly wander around the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s a beautiful weekend stroll through the gardens and always leaves me feeling inspired. One of my goals behind starting RIISE was to use beauty as a lever to move the dial on climate change, so I find art to be a very empowering and uplifting tool.
Infra-red Sauna
Documented By: RIISE
Infra-red Sauna
No weekend is complete without an infrared sauna at Nimbus on Bondi Road. It’s where I think through ideas and plot out the next week. There are lots of health benefits of sweating out toxins, but in truth I go there to think. I find that being in the sauna gives me the mental clarity to focus on what I need to do, without the constant distraction of emails and my phone. Plus, my skin glows afterwards and I sleep much better, so what’s not to love? I was born and raised in Sweden, so this weekend ritual of mine is also a little bit of a nod to my European heritage.
Evening
Alfresco Dinner
Evening
Alfresco Dinner
The food and drink offering in Sydney is so incredibly good that it’s hard to cull it down to a small list. I’m lucky enough to have spent a lot of time living overseas and can safely say that the hospitality scene here is one of the best in the world. We are blessed with so much beautiful natural produce here in Australia, along with some of the finest chefs and innovators in the food space. I love to people watch and am a sucker for an outdoor table. There’s something about enjoying a meal outside with friends to the bustling soundtrack of street life that just gets me. Local Italian restaurant Civico 47 in Paddington is one of my favourites. It’s contemporary but cosy, and the menu changes in turn with the seasons. Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point also never disappoints. There’s a buzz in the atmosphere and it almost feels like you’re at a trattoria in Rome or bistro in downtown New York.
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