Where to eat in Canberra

Where to eat in Canberra

1. EatHall

   1882 Hall

   Email via online contact form. With a name commemorating the year the township was established, the largest restaurant in Hall serves some of the best Canberran food, beer, and wine. Mains include posh fish and chips, duck confit, and pumpkin gnocchi. They also do a creative woodfired pizza menu for eat-in or takeaway – potato and rosemary or garlic prawns, anyone?

   Wed 5:30–10PM, Thu Fri; Sat Sun·Mains $30-40, pizza $23-25. Set menu (F Sa) 2 courses $55, 3 courses $65

2. EatActon

   1980 Chinese Restaurant

   Spicy Ginger Café

   A Sichuan restaurant best known for its cuimin lamb and chilli chicken. There's a good range of seafood too, and their quality often matches some of Canberra's high-end Asian restaurants in Dickson but for a reasonable price.

   Tue–Sun, 5:30–9:30PM (closed Mondays)

3. EatCivic

   Akiba

   A modern Asian BBQ store with some great flavours and cocktails, particularly specialising in Japanese cuisine and barbecue. Do be aware the portions are very large – don't go ordering too much.

   Mon–Wed 5–11PM; Thu–Sun 11:30AM–midnight

4. EatGungahlin

   Arirang

   Arirang Restaurant

   Has great Korean flavours – Korean stews, soups, pancakes, chicken and BBQ. You guessed it, a classic Australian-Korean restaurant. However, the wait times have been said to be exceptionally long, so take that into consideration.

   Thu–Mon 11:30AM–3PM, 5–10PM (closed Tue)

5. EatTuggeranong and Country ACT

   Asian Noodle House

   Some lower-range Asian noodles. Known for its laksa. However, it doesn't have a great reputation and there have been several reports of overcooked meals, but if you're on a budget, it's one of your few options available.

   Daily,

6. EatNorth Canberra

   Au Lac Dickson Vegan Cuisine

   A mid-range vegan restaurant, and a rare sight in Canberra with delicious soy-based versions of everything. If you're not used to eating vegan cuisine but want to try, this place is a great place to start. Though this restaurant is in Canberra's de facto Chinatown, it's actually a Vietnamese restaurant, but there's plenty of other Southeast Asian dishes.

7. EatSouth Canberra

   Aubergine Restaurant

   Sister to Courgette Restaurant, the food is very good, but beware the cancellations policy when changing a booking - you could be charged for the meals your party did not eat. And as the name of the restaurant suggests, the restaurant specialises in eggplant based meals.

   Wed–Sat 6–10PM

8. EatAirport and East

   Baker's Cut

   Focusing entirely on the enduring appeal of a classic Australian sandwich, this fast-casual outlet leans into simple, transparent ingredients and fresh regional produce. They assemble a premium range of classic deli combinations utilizing artisanal breads, accompanied by gourmet yogurt cups, mixed fruit salads, seasonal frappes, and fresh cold-pressed juices. They are also highly favored by families for their unique, premium hot chocolate menu lines.

   Mon-Fri & Sun 5AM-7:30PM, Sat 5AM-3PM·Sandwiches from $12

9. EatNorth Canberra

   Bamiyan

   A restaurant specialising in modern-Afghani cuisine, a cuisine that few have tried which is a mix of South Asian cuisine and Middle Eastern cuisine. Bookings aren't required, but are strongly recommended by either filling out a form on their website or by giving them a ring.

   Sun–Thu noon–3PM, 5–9:30PM; Fri Sat noon–3PM, 5–10PM

10. EatBelconnen

    Bella Vista Restaurant

    An upscale, white-linen fixture on the Lake Ginninderra foreshore that has been serving Canberra since 1987. Owned and helmed by long-time Executive Chef Sebastiano Reggente, the restaurant pairs beautiful panoramic waterfront views with a polished menu that bridges traditional Southern Italian heritage and modern elegance. Notable menu standouts include their slow-simmered homemade lasagne, honey-pancetta wrapped scallops (capesante), generous seafood spaghetti marinara, and a classic Marsala-soaked tiramisu. Outfitted with an intimate dining room featuring a large mural of Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, it is a highly popular venue for romantic date nights and special family celebrations. Fully licensed.

    Mon–Fri noon–2PM & 5:30–9PM, Sat 5:30–9PM (closed Sun)·Pasta/risotto $28–34, mains $35–44

11. EatAirport and East

    Beltana Farm Restaurant

    Beltana Farm Dining

    An architectural and culinary marvel standing proudly within a lush grove of over 800 oak and hazelnut truffle trees. Replacing the old historical estate concepts of the area, this destination restaurant centers around a magnificent double-sided fireplace constructed from regional Pialligo sandstone. The kitchen specializes in farmhouse-inspired shared plates that change seamlessly with the seasons, explicitly celebrating local farmers and suppliers. During winter months, dishes are heavily elevated by fresh, aromatic black truffles harvested directly from the surrounding soil. Booking well in advance is highly essential.

    Lunch: Thu-Sun noon-3PM, dinner: Thu–Sat 6–10PM·Premium dining; multi-course shared menus format

12. EatCivic

    Bicicletta Restaurant

    Find some excellent homemade pizza, pasta and other Italian favourites in this authentic Italian restaurant, but with local ingredients. The wine list is a pretty selective one, and so are the daily specials.

    Tue–Sat 5–10PM (closed Sun Mon)

13. EatCivic

    Blue Olive Cafe

    Famous for their delicious New York-style sandwiches. Great coffee and breakfast menu, wonderful service.

    Mon–Fri

14. EatCivic

    Brew and Brew Cafe

    A cafe and a bar with lots of savoury treats and a wide range of meat and bread. À la carte breakfast and lunch are available and have an excellent, fine-picked wine selection, with a strong local emphasis. Wine is picked and only wines from the Canberra region (i.e., the ACT and the wineries in NSW near the ACT) are served.

    Cafe: Mon–Fri; espresso bar: Mon–Fri

15. EatCivic

    Briscola Italian

    Discover some "old fashioned" as dubbed by the restaurant themselves with some good classic Southern Italian cuisine. It won Canberra’s Best Italian Restaurant award in 2015, and it's always been family-owned by traditional Italians.

    Lunch: Tue–Sun (closed Mondays); dinner: Sun–Thu 5:30–8:30PM, Fri Sat 5:30–9PM

16. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Bruno's Truffels

    Nice cafe and shop for locally made chocolates and pastries. The building might look a bit dated though.

    Mon–Fri, Sat Sun

17. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Burger Villains

    A small burger restaurant with not many options, but are cheap and for the most part, tasty and value for money. However, the chips have known to be soggy at times.

    Daily noon–9PM

18. EatNorth Canberra

    BurgerHero

    A small burger restaurant best known for its waffle fries and its original cheeseburger. There's a good range of gormet burgers out there, but they're super large, and for the freak burgers, it means a lot of chilli!

    Sun–Thu 11AM–8:45PM, Fri Sat 11AM–9:45PM

19. EatCivic

    CBD Dumpling House

    Large and popular Asian restaurant. Specialises in dumplings, but has a good mix of other Asian dishes. The dumpling house also features an open kitchen, meaning you can watch the chef prepare the dumplings on a mass scale!

    Daily, 5–10PM

20. EatCivic

    Cafe Alibi

    Just another ordinary, Australian cafe but with a wide selection of toasties.

    Mon–Fri

21. EatSouth Canberra

    Cafe D'Lish

    Swiss owner, nice pastries made on premises. Includes a reasonably sized and decorative indoor and outdoor seating area.

    Mon–Fri 6AM–5PM, Sat 6:30AM–2PM

22. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Canberra Southern Cross Club

    Casual dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with several dining establishments within it. Breakfast is usually served until 11AM though there are no limitations after that. It does get a little bit crowded afterwards, so it might be wise to make an online booking, but a credit card booking guarantee applies; $5 per person.

    Daily

23. EatTuggeranong and Country ACT

    Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong

    An RSL club with three restaurants, which includes some good music, a bar and pretty much many different varieties of Western and Asian cuisines.

    Sun–Thu, Fri Sat

24. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Chapman Cafe

    A fish and chip takeaway cafe with some great hot dogs, burgers (be aware that it comes with beetroot), pizza, seafood or any classic Australian hot food.

25. EatCivic

    Chez Kimchi

    A modern Korean restaurant with a good variety of chicken available. You can't go past the Gangjung, a very flavourful and tasty chicken and Chez Kimchi's local specialty.

    Mon Tue closed; Wed Thu Sun, 5–9:30PM; Fri Sat, 5–10:30PM

26. EatAirport and East

    Cityhill Coffee

    A highly inviting terminal centrepiece that serves genuinely outstanding coffee. Partnering directly with Canberra’s world-renowned ONA Coffee roasters, every espresso pull is dialed to perfection. Their food menus actively showcase regional produce, utilizing local free-range eggs, artisan sourdoughs, smallgoods, and neighbourhood honeys. It offers comfortable seating configurations with power hubs, catering equally well to travelers on the move or those wanting to linger with a laptop.

    Daily 5AM til last departure·Standard cafe pricing

27. EatCivic

    Civic Asian Noodle House

    Good laksa and pad thai at reasonable prices (ranging around AUD 18) in a relaxed atmosphere.

    Mon–Fri, 5–9:15PM; Sat Sun 5–9:15PM

28. EatCivic

    Courgette Restaurant

    Sister restaurant to Aubergine Restaurant, fine dining. And as the name of the restaurant suggests, the restaurant specialises in zucchini-based meals.

    Mon–Sat noon–3PM, 6–9PM (closed Sun)

29. EatGungahlin

    Da Nunzio Caffe Bar Ristorante

    A waterfront restaurant by Yerrabi Pond with many great Italian specialties and an extensive menu of pasta, pizza and Italian wine. However, their coffee is a little bit below standard if you compare it to the average Australian coffee.

    Wed–Sun 9:30AM–2PM, 5–9PM (closed Mon Tue)

30. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Daana

    A vibrant South Indian restaurant but the chefs here have taken it further and blended Indigenous Australian ingredients (bush tucker) into their traditional recipes – creative!

    Mon–Sat 5:30–9PM (closed Sundays)

31. EatNorth Canberra

    Darbar Indian Restaurant

    It began as a Sydney-based restaurant, and serves some fine foods from pretty much all over the Indian subcontinent (i.e. South Asia without Afghanistan). Both dine-in and takeaway options are available.

    Tue–Fri 5–10:30PM; Sat Sun noon–2:30PM, 5–10:30PM

32. EatHall

    Daughters at Hall

    A classic rural Australian cafe, best known for its Yes Mumma, that is, creamy oats with apples, cream, and crumbles. Other than that, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are also available.

    Mon–Fri; Sat Sun·Mains $15-21

33. EatNorth Canberra

    Dickson Asian Noodle House

    It's been a long established budget favourite in Canberra for many. It specialises in Southeast Asian noodles with terrific laksa and is quite cheap if you put a bit of thought into the price.

    Tue–Sun 11AM–9PM (closed Mondays)

34. EatNorth Canberra

    Dickson Dumpling House

    A rather noisy budget cheap traditional dumpling restaurant with lots of beef, pork and noodle options on the menu.

    Daily 11:30AM–3PM, 5–10PM

35. EatCivic

    Dosa Hut

    A fusion dosa and biriyani restaurant with plenty of other Indian and Sichuan food – but also with the traditional classics, too.

    Mon–Thu, 5–9PM; Fri Sat, 5–9:30PM; Sun, 5–8:45PM

36. EatBelconnen

    Dumpling Inn Restaurant

    An old-school, spacious neighbourhood institution hidden just outside the main Jamison shopping block. Highly celebrated by locals for its traditional Chinese comfort food and lively weekend push-cart Yum Cha service. The regular menu features extensive Cantonese and Szechuan-style staples, with standout dishes including crispy shredded Peking beef, three-cup chicken, and honey king prawns. Outfitted with large round tables and traditional lazy Susans, the dining room is a major hub for multi-generational family gatherings. Bookings are highly recommended on weekends.

    Tue–Sun noon–2PM, 4:30–9PM, Weekend Yum Cha: Sat Sun noon–2PM (closed Mon)·Mains $22–38, Yum Cha plates from $8

37. EatWeston Creek, Molonglo Valley and Woden

    Dumpling Social

    A modern Chinese-Australian restaurant with a very cozy and relaxed atmosphere with some yummy and flavourful dumplings! However, the price is rather expensive for what you actually get, but you'll get the true taste of dumplings compared to an $8 dumpling in Civic.

    Daily

38. EatCivic

    East Row Specialty Coffee

    It's best known for its specialty coffee (well, it's in its name) with an all-day breakfast and has a decent variety for lunch — halloumi burgers, gnocchi, or barramundi. If you're just popping in for a quick drink on a hot summer day, there are some good smoothies and shakes, but the smoothies and shakes might not be as good as their coffee.

    Mon–Sat; Sun·Breakfast: AUD 16-22; lunch: AUD 19-25; sides: AUD 3-8.50

39. EatCivic

    Edo Tori

    A modern Australianised Japanese restaurant with the strange slogan "Save Water, Drink Beer" with a strong emphasis on drinks. It's borderline between mid-range and splurge, but the quality is worth the bucks. Oh, and not to forget, if you're a sushi craver, they have sushi; it's somewhat discreet.

    Daily 11:30AM–late·Feed me menu: AUD 59; lunch express: AUD 39; Zeitaku feed me AUD 89pp

40. EatCivic

    Fekerte’s Ethiopian

    A budget Ethiopian restaurant with some very flavourful spicy dishes and a whole slew of vegan and vegetarian options. It's one of only three Ethiopian restaurants in Canberra (with one being Ethiopia Down Under in Woden and the other in Civic). Both dine-in and takeaway are available.

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Canberra (CC BY-SA 4.0).