‘It’s really good for the staff’: how restaurants adapt to customers drinking less

Alcohol is an important source of revenue for many restaurants. With consumption on the decline, venues could be left in a precarious positionGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailUntil relatively recently, boozing on was considered a vital part of dining out. These days, less so. Australian drinking habits are changing. We’re embracing “damp drinking” (less volume overall), “zebra striping” (subbing in non-alcoholic drinks every other round) and being “99% sober” (a mostly dry lifestyle with the occasional exception)

Helen Goh’s recipe for pumpkin cheesecake with maple pecan brittle | The sweet spot

Silky, spiced and just sweet enough, this pumpkin cheesecake is a celebration of autumnal comfort. I’m not a fan of tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting some butternut or Kent squash; the oven’s heat coaxes out its natural sweetness while evaporating excess moisture, resulting in a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake real depth. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.To make 200g pumpkin puree, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, then roast, loosely covered, at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 until soft but not browned. Puree in a high-speed blender

Melbourne bar ranked best in Australasia and 19 in world

For close followers of the annual World’s 50 Best Bars accolade, it’ll come as little surprise to see Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage and Sydney’s Maybe Sammy recognised.For the second year running, Caretaker’s Cottage has been named Best Bar in Australasia, coming in at number 19 globally on the awards list, announced at an event in Hong Kong on 8 October.Coming in at first place on the global list was Hong Kong’s Bar Leone, with Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy at number two and Barcelona’s Sips in third place.Since opening in 2022, Caretaker’s Cottage, which calls itself “probably Victoria’s smallest pub” has “become a must-visit for locals and travellers alike”, says the list’s website. Owners Matt Stirling, Ryan Nordics and Rob Libecans said they were “blown away” by the news they’d ranked highest in the region in 2024

Why bag-in-box wines are here to stay | Hannah Crosbie on drinks

Slap the bag? The wheel of goon? Or, perhaps, goon of fortune? If any of those collections of words mean anything to you (keep your double entendres to yourself, please), you may have fuzzy yet painful memories of bag-in-box wine. The cheapness and the format – not to mention the sheer volume you can buy it for – makes bag-in-box ripe for drinking games.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for red peppers stuffed with orzo, tuna, capers and herbs | A kitchen in Rome

Just beyond the hard rush of Viale Marconi, in the quieter Via Gerolamo Cardano, is a popular bakery called Albanesi il forno delle meraviglie, meaning “the oven [or bakery] of wonders”. Established in 1959 by Aldo Albanesi, and now run by his sons Adriano and Alessandro, Albanesi is wondrous also for its size. Behind an 11-window shopfront lies almost 500 sq m of shop floor, and a small maze of laboratories in which almost everything that can be made is made: bread, pizza, pies, cakes, biscuits, fresh egg pasta, sauces, baked pasta and other dishes that are ready to eat. The snake of glass-fronted counters also hold cheese, other dairy products, cured meats, and vegetables and olives preserved in various ways, while the shelves are packed with everyday provisions of good and practical quality. This is a shop with something for everyone

Strong flat white for Batman: should I use a ‘coffee name’?

“What’s your name?” When people misspell it as “kangaroo”, the answer isn’t so straightforward.That’s why Kantaro Okada goes by “Ken” or “K” when grabbing takeaway. The operator of various Melbourne cafes (279, Le Bajo Milkbar) isn’t alone in disguising his identity. “Everyone has a coffee name at our office,” he says. “Because they have Japanese names