Ottos' lunch- for a good cause

Those hard working ladies of the Black & White Charity Committee have a lunch on Tuesday 14th November at the uber restaurant Ottos on the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo. The guest of honor will be the previous NSW Governor Dame Marie Bashir and she's well worth the price of admission alone, quite apart from Ottos' superb food.
Tickets can be bought here. There will be loads of great prizes and remember- every penny raised at these functions goes to support services for children and their families.
# You may even spot superstar actor Russell Crowe escorting a group of refugees to his sensational penthouse which is at the end of the wharf.

VIPs Only !

You have to hand it you nightclub entrepreneur Karim Gharbi who rules the roost at Double Bay's Casablanca nightclub. His new VIP venture is a much needed service for Sydney : the concept is a one-stop-shop for anyone that wants the very best this city has to offer. Whether it's a Lear Jet on standby, the best suite at one of this cities luxurious hotels, the best table at our world renowned restaurants or just perhaps the latest Rolls Royce to ferry you from point to point, Gharbi promises to smooth the way. And we love his 5 day cosmetic package that will rejuvenate the most jaded.
How appropriate that Karim should launch his business at the amazing Penthouse at the Top of The Town in Kings Cross.
The above vista is just part of the sensational view from one of Sydney's secret party spots. And yes, the Roller with the open doors greeted us upon arrival. No, the pushbike does not belong to Whispers (we walked) but we can report that magnums of Moet & Chandon flowed for one of Sydney's best parties of the year. Whispers approved. And we aren't even VIPS!. Russian oligarchs should form an orderly queue.

Growing Up

It doesn't seem that long ago when the 'scandal' erupted in Australia that billionaire Dick Pratt had fathered a daughter with the vivacious socialite and lawyer Shari Lea Hitchcock.

Now 17 years old, Paula Sarah Hitchcock was spotted out on the town this week with mum Shari-Lea and a school chum at the launch of Karim Gharbi's VIP venture hosted at the swish Penthouse at the Top of The Town in Darlinghurst.

Polish born Pratt who died in 2009 left a tidy sum to Paula that includes over $22M, a $7M Watsons Bay house on Sydney's harbour and a country property. Paula, who looks  like her late dad, is set to become a fixture on the Sydney circuit.

Sin City Sensation

 It's never dull in Sydney which in it's long and varied career has been called Sin City and once had a reputation as the "Chicago of The South Seas" due to it's fierce gang rivalries.

Where else could noted Captains Of Industry be found battling in smart Woolloomooloo restaurants or even a Bondi street when media moguls James Packer and David Gyngel engaged in clumsy fisticuffs (over a woman?) and now the latest bunfight that involved another media name John Singleton (worth a reputed $300M) and hamburger giant Jack Cowan (worth over $900M) who doubles up as a director of the huge Fairfax Media outlets.
There was even a claim the dust-up that had an excited Singleton, who from all accounts attacked Cowan over an alleged sleight to his drinking preference- rose wine instead of a butch beer - that it was the lack of female companions that caused the fisticuffs.
The last time Whispers encountered the amiable Singleton was at the launch of his new Balmain bar (pictured with pal, former PM Bob Hawke) and before that was when he hosted the launch, along with Paris Hilton of his Bondi Blonde Beer at the uber smart Icebergs Restaurant.

above : bringing urban sophistication to Sydney: Karim Gharbi and a bevy of beauties

How timely then that nightclub boss Karim Gharbi should be launching his new VIP venture tonight at an exclusive party at an inner city penthouse (we'll be there). His services surely will be in demand for visiting VIPs and even local ones who wish to avoid the pitfalls that see them on the front pages of the nation's tabloids.