Best of the Best – Favourite eating spots in Canberra

Favourites for Curries

*Taste of Bangladesh (for Onion Bhaji, Cheese and Spinach Naan, Fish Bengali, Dum Murgh, Chicken Biriyani, Palak Paneer, Gulab Jaman, Mango Kulfi and BYO no corkage, complimentary poppadoms)

*Copper Chimney (BYO Corkage $6 per bottle of wine)

*Malaysian Chapter – for Nonya Prawn and Pineapple Curry, Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai for an entree – BYO $3 per person

Chomolungma (for momos, Dal Bhat – BYO $2 per person)

*Taj Agra Dickson (BYO $4 per bottle)

Favourite for Nepalese

Chomolungma (for momos, Dal Bhat – BYO $2 per person)

Favourite for Vietnamese

*Pho Quoc – (BYO $1.10 per person)

Favourites for Thai

Kinn Thai – for Kinn’s Dishes, BYO $3 per person

Thirst – (BYO about $10 per bottle but not on Mondays and Tuesdays)

*Baan Latsamy – for crispy eggplant with chicken and seafood for entree , BYO $5.50 per bottle

Chong Co – for Beef Massaman, Green Chicken Curry, Chicken and Cashews with Chilli Jam Stir-fry, Pork Prik Khing – BYO $3 per person

Favourite for Ethiopian

Global Café, BYO no corkage

Favourites for Sri Lankan

Ceylon café, Farrer

*Camellia (currently moving) (BYO $10 per bottle)

Favourites for a very special occasion

Courgette (BYO $15 per bottle)

*Sage (BYO $15 per bottle)

Yet to try but have heard good things:

Italian and Sons

Favourites for a rather special occasion

*Pistachios – for the tasting entrée trio $20 and tasting dessert plate $20 (good to share) – $7 per bottle corkage

*Chairman and Yip – (BYO $10 per bottle)

Akiba (for soft shelled crab/ pork belly buns, dumplings and mango and coconut sticky rice with macadamia and palm sugar ice-cream) No BYO

Eight Six (expensive drinks though)

Yet to try but have heard good things:

Elk & Pea

*Ox Eatery

CIT Restaurant (No BYO but wine $5 by the glass)

Favourites for a bit more upmarket

*Urban Pantry (BYO $5.50 per person)

*Copper Chimney (BYO $6 per bottle)

Kinn Thai (BYO $3 per person)

Favourites for lunch in Woden CBD

*Belluci’s (for the $19.90 lunch special including a wine/beer)

*Flavours of India

Chong Co

Urban Bean

Favourites for lunch close to Woden CBD

Favourites for lunch under $10 close to Woden CBD

*Wheat & Oats (for the daily specials on display and the goat curry)

Whisk Bakery & Patisserie (for the pies, toasted focaccia and gourmet sandwiches and soup and roll)

Favourites with young children

The Mandalay Bus (summer only) (BYO no corkage)

Snapper – best in Summer (BYO no corkage)

Brodburger – best in Summer (BYO $2.50 per person)

Taste of Bangladesh (for Onion Bhaji, Cheese and Spinach Naan, Fish Bengali, Dum Murgh, Chicken Biriyani, Palak Paneer, Gulab Jaman, Mango Kulfi and BYO no corkage, complimentary poppadoms)

Broddogs at the Hamlet (BYO no corkage)

Global Cafe (BYO no corkage)

Dickson Dumpling House (BYO)

Favourite deals

Thirst ( for the Street Stall Banquet $14.90 on Monday and Tuesdays when all entrees and mains are two for the price of one ($10 BYO but not on Mondays and Tuesdays)

Treehouse Bar (for the Wednesday $10 gourmet hot dog and house wine/beer/cider, Thursday two for one gourmet burger and house wine/beer/cider, Friday two for one starters and tapas and happy hour $5 drinks)

Debacle two for one pizzas on Mondays and Tuesdays (no BYO)

The Parlour Wine Room – $16 Lunch special including wine Tuesdays to Sundays (no BYO)

Yet to try but have heard good things:

Edgars Ainslie, $15 Monday to Wednesday meal and drink

Favourite dinners $15 and under

Taste of Bangladesh (for 2 people order- 1 Samosas (2 pieces $7 , 1 Cheese and Spinach Naan ($3.50), 1x Fish Bengali ($16.50) /Dum Murgh ($15.50)/ Palak Paneer ($14) and 1 x rice ($3) – BYO no corkage, complimentary poppadoms)

The Mandalay Bus (summer only) (BYO no corkage)- under $10, get a range and share

Snapper – best in Summer (BYO no corkage) for fish and chips under $10

Brodburger – best in Summer (BYO $2.50 per person) (for Baby Brodburgers around $9 – (try Baby Brodsalmon with blue cheese)

Global Cafe – for the meat combo on injera read with rice to share between two $18.90 (BYO no corkage)

Broddogs at The Hamlet (BYO no corkage)

Chomolungma (for momos, $15 Chicken Dal Bhat – BYO $2 per person)

Pizza Gusto – Pizza $20 to share between two BYO no corkage

*Café Arirang – for Pork/Chicken Kathu Set and Seafood pancake (BYO $4 per bottle)

Ceylon Café, Farrer

Favourite for Yum Cha

Akiba

Favourites for ice-cream

Frugii Dessert Laboratory – two flavours house-made ice-cream in cone or cup $5

Thirst – house-made ice- cream and sorbet $2.90 per scoop

Favourites for dessert

Akiba for mango and coconut sticky rice with macadamia and palm sugar ice-cream

Frugii Dessert Laboratory – two flavours house-made ice-cream in cone or cup $5

Yet to try but sounds good:

*Hungry Buddha for Gulab Jaman ice-cream, pistachio ice-cream (made by Frugii) and nepali rice pudding ice-cream $7.50 each

Favourites for breakfast/brunch

Favourites for coffee

Koko Black – for cappuccino with chocolate flakes on the side

The Merchant – for the house-made almond crossiant $8.50

Tilley’s Lyneham

Yet to try but have heard good things:

Two Before Ten

Favourites for groups (should have carpet)

*Taste of Bangladesh (BYO no corkage)

*Copper Chimney (BYO $6 per bottle)

*Baan Latsamy (BYO $5.50 per bottle)

Favourites for Sunday lunch

The Merchant – for the baguettes, sharing chattuecuterie plate – no corkage if purchased from the Prohibition Shop

Bookplate at the National Library

The Parlour Wine Room – $16 Lunch special including wine Tuesdays to Sundays

*Cork Street Café, Gundaroo –especially for wood-fired pizza (BYO $2 per person)

Autolyse, Braddon

*38 Expresso

*Favourites in the Canberra Entertainment Book

Pistachios (BYO $7 per bottle)

Chairman and Yip (BYO $10 per bottle)

Urban Pantry (BYO $5.50 per person)

Me & Mrs Jones (BYO $5.50 per person)

Pho Quoc (BYO $1.10 per person)

Copper Chimney (BYO $6 per bottle)

38 Expresso

Sage (BYO $15 per bottle)

Baan Latsamy (BYO $5.50 per bottle)

Café Arirang (BYO $4 per bottle)

Belluci’s

Malaysian Chapter (BYO $3 per person)

Cork Street Café (BYO $2 per person)

*In the Canberra Entertainment Book ($60 per book) offering 25% discounts or two for one offers

Public Bar, Manuka

The Public Bar like Me and Mrs Jones, Cream and Urban Pantry offers a vibrant, indoor and outdoor atmosphere, extended hours 7 days a week, serves an interesting menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner and, for Canberra Entertainment Book holders, two mains for the price of one.

Lovely outside in good weather, it also has useful bench seating for solo diners.

Perhaps the best choices at lunch are the shared plates or the burgers.

Other choices include:

SLOW COOKED LAMB $23 with quinoa tabouli, mint yoghurt, fresh pomegranate & pistachio crumble. Still looks beautiful, but the flavours are some how not quite the same as they used to be.

FISH & CHIPS $21 Beer battered fish fillets w/ salad, tartare & lemon.

However breakfast (available until11:30am on weekends) would be well worth checking out too, especially in the good weather.

No BYO but wine available by the glass.

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The Merchant, Kingston Forshore

The Merchant on Kingston Foreshore has much to offer. It’s open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has large serves sizes that are great for sharing.

Corkage is free if you buy your wine at the co-owned Prohibition Bottle Shop around the corner and show your docket.

There’s a lovely fun decor with both inside and outside seating.

While it’s popular and can get busy, the Merchant is happy to take bookings.

The menu changes every season but the current menu still includes many popular favourites.

The Almond Crossiants $8.50, are baked in house and must be the absolute best in Canberra. They are amazing!

There is also great flexibility offered in the menu. Breakfast is served until 3pm every day and bagels, baguettes and sandwiches are available from 6:30am until the afternoon.

The baguettes $13/$14 are huge and enough for two modest appetites.

The French Baguette $14 is especially good toasted, with plenty of persian feta, prosciutto, cranberry sauce, mixed greens and pear slices.

Service is very welcoming and accommodating making it a true pleasure to dine here.

(10% surcharge Sundays, 15% surcharge public holidays)

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Mood Food, Braddon

Mood Food is a relatively newcomer to the eateries in Lonsdale Street Braddon and now promoting itself through the 2015/16 Canberra Entertainment Book (two mains for the price of one).

It is helpfully open for Breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days.

Breakfast options are available until 12 weekdays and 2pm weekends.

The atmosphere is pleasant and the service is good.

There’s a good range of dishes on offer including the steak and chips (tender steak and crips delicious chips)….

….and the lamb burger which is very good with the fresh mint and goat’s cheese really adding some outstanding flavours.

Well worth trying out.

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Box Diner, Fyshwick

The Box Diner may seem out of the way in Tennant Street Fyshwick, but it’s rural outlook and open spaces feel is very appealing.

Serves breakfast and lunch weekdays, it looks very popular and busy.

Eclectic indoor and warmed outdoor seating is fun and works well.

Staff are friendly and welcoming. keen to please.
The menu is varied and offers a good range of burgers, salads, pastas and specials as well.

The Blue lamb burger with blue cheese, grilled vegetables, a lamb patty, fried egg, beetroot and aioli is delicious $18.

The Chicken Schnitzel Burger and wedges special $15, also very good.

Canberra Entertainment Book holders are offered two meals for the price of one.

Plenty of ready to go options and it’s easy to take with you what you will enjoy more later.

Definitely worth stopping by if you are heading to Fyshwick.

Local Press, Kingston Foreshore

Local Press along the Kingston Foreshore, must be one of Canberra’s nicest spots for brunch with it’s sunny views of the waterfront and promenade and it’s interesting menu, accessories and decor.

The coffee is good and the dishes are beautiful and well sized for sharing, especially the fruit toast with ricotta.

The Pancake of wholemeal oats, banana and coconut with fresh seasonal fruit, mint and whipped mascarpone $18 is a good pick.

But The Green Pea Pancake with poached egg, macerated avocado, corn salsa, feta. chilli jam and mint garnish $20 is would also be a wonderful and unique choice.

Open daily for breakfast and lunch. Sadly, doesn’t take bookings so avoid the very busiest times or be ready for a short wait for a table.

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Me and Mrs Jones, Kingston, another look at lunch

Me and Mrs Jones, in Kingston is still immensely popular and bookings are recommended.

Helpfully open both Saturday and Sunday, it serves both
breakfast and light lunch from 8:00am until 2:30pm.

It is also one of the few restaurants of it’s type that allows BYO with a reasonable corkage ($5.50 per person) and it also offers cakeage for $2.50 per person. Also offering one complimentary main meal (when two are ordered) for Canberra Entertainment Book holders, it is excellent value for couples or small groups on a budget.

On weekdays breakfast is offered from 7:00am until 11:30 then lunch runs from 11:30 until 2:30pm.

It’s also open for dinner from 6pm until late everyday except Sunday when it closes at 4pm. Sundays there is also a 10% surcharge (and 15% on public holidays).

From 2:30-6pm coffee, cakes and lights snacks are available.

There’s also the option of take away.

Takeaway all burgers $15
Egg and bacon roll $7.50

Specials such as Pork and pistachio terrine with toasted brioche and balsamic reduction & onion jam $17, are listed on the blackboard.

Delicious terrine (and better without the onion jam) but best shared between two perhaps along with another small option. Also a good idea to ask for extra plates as it’s tricky to eat from the serving board.

Open steak sandwich $22 – Grilled garlic sourdough, beef eye fillet, smoked onion and chilli marmalade, gorgonzola and wild roquette (great for plainer eaters).

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Smoque, Woden – specials

Smoque at Woden has an ideal veranda’d location in the Abode building, that’s very close for workers in the adjacent offices.

It’s standard menu offers a range of gourmet burgers ( the veggie burgers and pulled pork burgers are excellent) on brioche buns and interesting salads ( especially the thanksgiving salad).

Pulled pork burger $12 – tasty pulled pork with BBQ sauce and coleslaw

Swiss burger (a special) $16 with two meat patties and plenty of cheese

However, for a couple more dollars, Smoque also offers a lunchtime special of any burger with a small garden salad or a small side ($15).

Serves are generous, so two or three smaller appetites may want to share. Smoque is also happy to provide a container to take with you what you would enjoy more later.

Lunch special with a Swiss burger with buffalo hot wings with blue cheese aioli $15

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

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Caphs, Manuka

While Caphs in Manuka has a long history and is well known by locals it has recently become part of the 2015-16 Canberra Entertainment Book program, offering a complimentary main meal if two are ordered, or 50% off if you’re dining alone.This provides a good opportunity to try Caphs, if you haven’t already, and to also enjoy excellent value.

Another reason to try Caphs is that it’s open 7 days, from 8am until late, and very helpfully even serves breakfast all day (even for dinner if a particular dish takes your fancy).

It also offers BYO at $3.50 per person corkage.

Both indoor and outdoor seating is avaiable.

Breakfast dishes include:
Caphs Haloumi Special – $19
Two poached eggs on a bed of rocket and mixed olives, served with smashed avocado, grilled tomato and grilled haloumi on artisan toast

Mains include:
Sirloin Steak (400gm) $33
Char grilled and served with fresh lemon and Diane sauce (Pepper sauce, Mignon and Mushroom Sauce are other options)

Veal Saltimbocca -$32 with bacon, sage and shallots in garlic and white wine sauce

There is also an interesting range of Paninis on offer ($15.50 served with fries),as well as Burgers for about $16 (all served with lettuce, tomato and fries)like the Steak Burger – $16 Eye fillet marinated in dijon mustard with caramelised onion.

It might also be good to choose one of the salads:

Caphs Smashed Avocado Salad – $15.50 on Italian toast with grilled haloumi, grilled tomato, mixed olives, rocket and lemon dressing (Add Grilled chicken $5, Poached eggs $3, Crispy free range bacon $3.50) (sounds not unlike the Caphs Haloumi Special breakfast dish?)

Greek salad – $15.50 With kalamata olives and Kytherian fetta
Calamari Salad -$25 Grilled calamari, chorizo and chick peas
Avocado Seafood $20 Fresh cold seafood with mixed iceberg, tomato, cucumber and French dressing

Warm Thai chicken salad -$23 Stir-fried chicken with fresh salad and chilli sauce

Warm Lamb Salad $24 Marinated lamb fillet served with honey mustard dressing

…And combine the salad with another dish to share such as the Peking Duck Risotto – $22 Peking duck with mushrooms and steamed bok choy.

Wine by the glass starts at $6.50

Great Canberra breakfasts from HerCanberra

Some delicious ideas for breakfast by Her Canberra. Worth keeping handy.

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Brunch spots

Best of the Best – Favourite eating spots in Canberra

Public Bar, Manuka

The Merchant, Kingston Forshore

Mood Food, Braddon

Box Diner, Fyshwick

Local Press, Kingston Foreshore

Me and Mrs Jones, Kingston, another look at lunch

Smoque, Woden – specials

Caphs, Manuka

Great Canberra breakfasts from HerCanberra

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