Hello Cafe, Campbell – a quick look at brunch

Hello Cafe at the Campbell shops is another suburban gem. Staff are always warm and friendly, coffee is good and the menu range is good and well priced. A very pleasant spot. Open early for breakfast and lunch. Closed Sundays.

The Belmore Restaurant at the Brassey Hotel, Barton – a quick look at dinner

Like Boffins at University House, the Belmore Restaurant is charming and takes you back to another era in Canberra.

It has far more atmosphere than it seems from first impressions on the Brassey’s website, but perhaps not quite as much as other similarly priced Canberra restaurants. However, if you use the Canberra Entertainment Book, the Belmore offers a complimentary main meal, which makes it good for value.

No BYO, but wine starts at $6.50 a glass ($24 a botttle).

The menu is fairly traditional, with steaks a specialty ( and they are). It includes the:

Mezze Plate for Two with turkish panini, hummus, rocket & macadamia dip & beetroot tapenade $14.00

Eye Fillet Mignon, wrapped with bacon 250gm $39.00 with sauce (served separately) bearnaise, peppercorn, mushroom sauce, and cafe de paris butter

and your choice of fries or potato wedges as well a salad selection from our buffet.

Crisp Skinned Snapper Fillet Puttanesca
roasted aioli, herb oil, eggplant caviar $36.00

Opening Hours:

Breakfast
6.30am-9am Monday – Friday
7.30am-10.00am Weekends & Public Holidays

Dinner
Monday to Saturday 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Restaurant and Bar are not open on public holidays

Paapa Rich , Canberra City

Pappa Rich, ground floor in the Canberra Centre under Dendy, is a good spot for a very quick meal before the movies.

And for a sit down meal, it doesn’t get much quicker than this. Even with a short wait for a table (no bookings accepted) you can easily be in and out in under half an hour.
Plenty of well known Malaysian dishes are on offer, well-priced and well sized.

Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken & Prawn Sambal $15.90 Biryani Rice with Red Chicken and Prawn Sambal $14.90

It’s good to know though, that the chicken dishes tend to be ‘on the bone’ rather than boneless.
And without a glass of wine to slow you down (no licence or BYO option), and being a little too noisy for conversation, the main focus is on the quick meal. (Service seems instant!)
Pappa Rich also offers a complimentary main meal for holders of the Canberra Entertainment book.

Mango Mania $6.90

Little Siam Thai, Gunghalin – a quick look

Cheery, friendly and very well-priced, Little Siam has an extensive menu including blackboard specials offering a range of interesting dishes that you don’t always find in Thai restaurants.

A 25% discount is offered to Canberra Entertainment Book users and corkage is around $5 a bottle.
It’s an ideal spot for a casual catch up in this part of town. (It’s close to the Gungahlin Community Health Centre and Aldi).

Fish cakes $7.90 Coconut prawns $9.50

Beef Massuman Curry $12.90 Pud Char on a hot sizzling plate (around $16.90)

Green Papaya salad

Rice $2.50 per person.

Seasalt Dining, Bruce ACT

Seasalt Dining in Bruce offers good service, but the ambiance is pretty midrange.

Dishes were are nicely presented and flavours excellent.

However, serves sizes varied greatly – the prawn risotto and rump steak are generous,

but the duck confit and barramundi are small.

The white chocolate cheesecake and lemon tart are lovely desserts and well priced at $7-$9.
BYO corkage is $3.50 per glass.

Mr Wei’s, Canberra City – a quick look

Mr Wei’s on London Circuit is conveniently close to the Canberra Theatre complex, making it a good spot for a quick meal before an event. It’s open 6 days for lunch and dinner (closed Sundays).

Prices seem a little high and corkage is $10 per bottle, but if you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, it helpfully offers a 25% discount.

The atmosphere is very pleasant and more upmarket than you expect, looking in from outside. It’s also fun that you can actually see the famous Mr Wei working in the kitchen.

One serve dumplings and two main dishes with rice can be just right for four medium appetites.

Pork dumplings boiled $13.50

Yu xiang Pork $22.50 Fangxiang Green Curry Banana Prawn $26.50

Bao’s Kitchen, Dickson, Canberra

Bao’s Kitchen is a small eatery in Dickson, with a very basic decor, offering traditional Chinese food.

Weeknights are moderately busy with plenty of people who seemed to know the best dishes to order.

The Pork with Ginger and Shallot,is generous and tasty, (but not spicy) and comes with 6 small pancakes. This dish is a bargain at $14 and could be a great starter for 3-6 people eating in a group.

Buk Choy $12 Complimentary fruit to finish

Corkage is $4, rice $2 and Bao’s offers 25% discount for those with the Canberra Entertainment Book.

Very good value dining.

Tossolini’s, Canberra City – a quick look at lunch

Tossolini’s on the corner of East Row and London Circuit is conveniently open 7 days for breakfast lunch and dinner (10% surcharge Sundays).

Prices seem a little high, for what you get and corkage is $12.50 per bottle, but if you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, it helpfully offers a complimentary main meal.

Atmosphere is more ‘cafe’ than ‘restaurant’ and it lacks a bit of charm and style but can be useful for a casual lunch.

If you are eating ‘light’ then the Chicken Salad at $17.90 is useful with satisfying flavours.

Insalata di Pollo (gf) 17.90

Marinated chicken, crisp kipfler potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, baby spinach leaves, rocket leaves and shaved parmesan tossed with balsamic vinaigrette

If you would like something more filling, but not a full main meal, then the open chicken or veal focaccia at $18.90 might appeal.

Open Grilled Focaccia served with chips 18.90

Grilled veal steak, beetroot dip, fresh tomato, mixed leaves and grilled onions

Blue Olive Catering, Canberra City

Blue Olive Catering is always busy weekdays at lunch. It’s not hard to see why with tables on the sunny sidewalk outside and inside tables attractively opening to the outdoors.