The Public is a good spot for a meal with friends or a drink, but does get busy and noisy. Two for one pizza night on Mondays is good value.
Moroccan Lamb Pizza $22
Salt & pepper squid salad $21 Shredded iceberg, fresh chilli, crisp basil & nam jim dressing
Slow cooked lamb $23 With quinoa tabouli, mint yoghurt, fresh pomegranate & pistachio crumble
Burger $20
Me & Mrs Jones on the corner of Giles and Kennedy streets is one of my favourite spots for lunch. It is helpfully open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I particularly like that is serves breakfast until 2:30 on weekends as plenty of breakfast options are also suitable for lunch. (10% surcharge Sundays & public holidays).
It has a good atmosphere that projects style and class and professional, efficient service.
Prices are standard Canberra prices and corkage is $5.50 per person (bottles of wine start at $39), If you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, it generously offers a complimentary main meal.
If you are eating ‘light’ Vodka Cured Salmon is a good option with interesting flavours.
Vodka cured salmon $22 with bavarian rye crisps, lemon fennel jam, baby capers, shaved tuscan onion, fresh ricotta and watercress
But I particularly like the option to order breakfast until 2:30 on Saturdays as plenty of breakfast options are also suitable for a’ light’ lunch.
Smashing persian $16 smashed avocado, persian feta, soy linseed toast and poached eggs
Or construct your own dish by adding some sides to your style of eggs with sourdough toast
two free range eggs cooked how you like on toast $12
with any of the following: baked garlic mushrooms, confit tomatoes, chat potatoes $2
or: bacon, sausages, smoked salmon, avocado, baby spinach, white bean cassoulet, grilled haloumi $3
At $14, the Boneyard Burrito is great value. It is a generous serving and a good choice for sharing between two.
It combines sweet potato, kale, white beans, sour cream, chipotle pecan pesto, queso, brown rice and fajita mix.
A vegan dish (as all are at Sweet Bones) it has well chosen, tasty flavours and textures. The side of corn chips with salsa, in a lovely texture and visual addition.
Indoor and outdoor seating is available.
CLOSED Monday
Lonsdale St Traders 27 Lonsdale StBraddon, ACT 02612
Local Press was a good pick for breakfast on the Kingston Foreshore, inspired by Kate Freeman’s review of healthy Canberra cafes.
It’s full of energy and has a great atmosphere. It would be lovely in sunny weather as it’s nice to sit out alongside the lake…. and the coffee is good.
The Green Breaky Plate $18 (Za’atar coated hard-boiled eggs, kale, almonds, avocado, quinoa tablouleh, asparagus, dill yogurt and feta) had lovely flavours. It’s quite light so good for eating lean, but not so good for sharing.
The Green Pea Pancake or Poached Eggs on Rye (see Kate’s photos) would be better picks to share.
Open daily, except Mondays, breakfast is available until 12:30, when the lunch menu starts.
It’s very popular, so worth arriving early.
The Cupping Room on London Circuit is warm, stylish and busy with couples and groups enjoying a range of interesting dishes. It is particularly good for brunch, with one dish enough to share between two.
The coffee is exceptional, but served at only 60 C.
Huevos Bollo (eggs,bacon, guacamole in Brioche roll) and Benedito (slow roasted tomatoes, spinach, two poached eggs and Guacacassa on toasted sourdough)
The ‘Not So Raisin’ Toast is very generous for $8 and great for sharing. However, some fresh or dried fruit with the ricotta would have enhanced the dish.
The Hogo Botoga looked great to try another time.
Mocan and Green Grout, in new Acton, has a great decor, atmosphere and style.
The dining tables and bench bar are all in together with the kitchen area and it’s a fun opportunity to watch the preparation of dishes while you dine, adding to the pleasure.
Service is friendly and efficient. The menu is designed around plates to be shared. Share plates vary from $16-$25. Desserts are $16.
This is helpful, as it’s a chance to sample a range of interesting flavours and textures.
Two dishes between two people was about right. However, dishes are sized in between an entree and a main, so people wanting more to eat might find it starts to get quite expensive.
As food comes quickly, it can work well to start with two dishes and order extra if you need to.
My favourite of the two dishes we had was Eden snapper, celeriac, fregola, salsa agrodolce $25. It had goregous flavours and textures.
Boxgum grazing pork belly, green paw paw, prawn floss $22 was also good, with great flavours and textures, but as you would expect, the pork belly was quite fatty.
Wine is BYO.
Corkage was about $10 per bottle (or $5 per person).
Parking is now easy as there is plenty along Parkes way.
In winter it can be a little chilly inside.
It gets busy and does not take bookings, so going during the week and early can be a good idea.
Eden snapper, celeriac, fregola, salsa agrodolce $25
Boxgum grazing pork belly, green paw paw, prawn floss $22
Pulp Kitchen is a popular spot for a weekend brunch (9-2pm) offering generous serves that can be shared between two ( e.g two eggs any style with toast and three sides $21) and smaller serves of traditional eggs benedict with spinach/ smoked salmon/ smoked ham for $10/$11.
Coffee comes in a cup $3.50 or a bowl $4.50 and parking is easy.
Coffe bowl
Fine Eating 