The only good thing about braving the northern hemisphere’s sub-zero temperatures in December is that you’ve got Christmas and all its associated cockle-warming trimmings to look forward to. But now that’s done and dusted, and the grey, drizzly cityscape outside our London HQ has us dreaming of far-off sunny locales. Sydney, where summer is well and truly underway, is the perfect place to get some much-needed Vitamin D this time of year. (Plus, we hear they have some sort of firework display coming up very soon – nothing too over the top, we hope…) But, when you’re done with all that surfing and sunbathing, where to go? We asked Sydney native (and Style Council Member) Mr Hayden Cox to show us his favourite spots.

See Mr Hayden Cox’s Style Council recommendations here

When you’re this close to the sea, fresh is best. The menu at Bert’s, designed by executive chef Mr Jordan Toft, is coastal-inspired and refined. “This is fun for a night out. It has great food and atmosphere and the restaurant overlooks the Pittwater,” Mr Cox says. Order the oysters with chardonnay mignonette and lemon followed by lobster barbecued over Australian charcoal, iron bark (from eucalyptus) and fruit woods. Where to next? “After dinner you can head outside to The Newport for a drink and live music on the beach.”

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The Sydney beer scene is booming. Local breweries are cropping up all over the city, but Modus Operandi in Mona Vale is one of Northern Beach’s treasures. “I love hanging out here,” says Mr Cox. Conveniently enough, it’s just around the corner from his company, Haydenshapes, HQ.

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You could play it safe with a standard hotel, but Mr Cox recommends picking somewhere a little out of the ordinary: “Book a private house through Contemporary Hotels. Somewhere with views of the Sydney Harbour or the ocean is a good way to do it.”

contemporaryhotels.com.au

“Venture out of the city to Palm Beach on the Northern Beaches – it’s less than an hour’s drive. Hire a little pontoon boat from The Boat House, take a packed lunch and cruise around the Pittwater for the day,” advises Mr Cox. “You don’t need a boat licence and there’s a few secluded beaches that are typically only accessed by boat in and around Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful parts of Sydney.”

Keep it simple, says Mr Cox: “Sydney weather isn’t very consistent through the seasons! I dress pretty practically and comfortably – a basic tee, trousers and sneakers. I also keep a jacket and some swimming trunks to hand depending on what I’m up to during the day.”