Yeah that’s right, I used ‘foodie’ and ‘Canberra restaurants’ in the same sentence and I stand by it. Most of us know Canberra mainly by that iconic year 6 trip feat. rolling down the roof of Parliament House and Questacon, but there are so many foodie delights in there these days your tastebuds won’t know what to do with themselves.
Book a hotel, head into Budget to hire a car, and head on to our nation’s capital city for a weekend of culinary delights. Here are 10 nuggets of foodie inspo to get you started.
10 Best Canberra Restaurants
1. Bar Rochford
Want to keep your night low-key with a casual bite and a few bevvies at Bar Rochford Wine & Cocktail Bar. They pride themselves on their rotating food menu and wine list, combined with a killer cocktail and beer menu. You can soak it all in with a side of good tunes and a cosy atmosphere.
2. Akiba on Bunda Street
Akiba on Bunda Street is one of those impossibly trendy places dishing up delightful Asian fusion cuisine. Special shout out to the Feed Me menu that saves you from having to make your own hard decisions and just brings you eight tasty dishes for $49pp.
3. Poacher’s Pantry
If you want to kick the sophistication levels up a notch, you simply must stop in at Poacher’s Pantry (road trip note: you’ll probably want to time it driving into or out of Canberra as it’s a smidge out of the city). The quaint modern Aussie farmhouse will even help you pair their ever-changing menu with the wines they grow in their own vineyard.
4. Two Before Ten
The most important thing in a new city is to identify it’s best hipster coffee shop and immediately become a local. Two Before Ten is exactly that place for Canberra. Grab yourself some of the best cups of joe in the city and enjoy what they call “new Canberra” meals served up on aesthetically pleasing heavy stoneware.
5. Temporada
It was named in both Gourmet Traveller and The Australian Good Food Guide as one of Canberra’s top restaurants for good reason. Temporada loves to experiment with is dranks, think Barrel-aged sour cherry ale and orange wine. Match that with some funky seasonal treats, of the snack or whole meal variety.
6. Lazy Su
There is not much I love more than a fun restaurant. The funky wallpaper and neon signs at Lazy Su’s hit that mark. It’s a fast, loud and affordable Asian eatery serving up as much retro Japanese and Korean pop culture as delish meals. You guys, there’s even a vegan banquet, which as a vegetarian makes me super happy.
7. Ottoman
Throw a little Turkish food with a little modern twist into your foodie vacay. Ottoman has quite the history of being loved by politicians. I know we can’t trust pollies, but turns out they have reliable tastebuds seeing as Ottoman also has a bunch of awards from The Australian Good Food Guide.
8. The Cupping Room
Much like the aforementioned hipster coffee spot, you also definitely need a brekkie place in your vacay repertoire. Enter The Cupping Room to fill your blank space, baby. They have a World Barista Champ on their staff, and their recipes are so sought after they have their own cookbook. Get there early to nab a place before the rest of Canberra does.
9. Les Bistronomes
How about adding a little Frenchy chic to round out your road trip of eating? Les Bistronomes is a cute little French bistro with a tried and true menu that keeps its customers loyal. The setting here is kind of a perfect place if you’re looking for something between casual and fine dining.
10. Tilley’s Devine Cafè Gallery
If you ever get nostalgic for the old days, Tilley’s is the place for you. This old-style piano bar has been open since 1984, and it used to be a women’s only venue. Your booths are wooden, your waiters are in suspenders, your atmosphere is old-world moody and the breakfast is second to none.
Is your mouth drooling? Because mine certainly is. I can’t think of many better ways to spend a weekend than food-hopping around the city. Did we mention it’s a three-hour drive from Sydney? Book the rental and get goin’.
