Reviews (Around Canbera)

38 Expresso, Kingston Foreshore

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38 Expresso is great value on the Kingston Foreshore for breakfast or lunch and coffee – open 7 days, 7am-3pm.

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Banana bread $4 and Rye/Fruit Toast $4-5 are great options for breakfast and the toasties $11 each are full of delicious fillings with generous serves for lunch (2 between 3 is a good option).

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Chicken toastie – Chicken mozzarella avocado caramelized onion chilli jam $11

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Reuben toastie – Corned beef, dill pickle, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian sauce $11

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Staff are friendly and relaxed and there’s pleasant indoor and outdoor seating.

38 Espresso on Urbanspoon

Stand By Me, Lyons – Canberra

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Stand By Me Cafe at the Lyons shops is helpfully located an easy and quick (about 10min) walking distance from Woden.
It’s open 7 days for breakfast and lunch (Mon-Fri 7-4pm, Sat- Sun 8-2pm) and has lovely staff and service.

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While it is a welcome new addition to the Woden workday lunch scene with a short list of regular dishes and some changing specials, its real strength is it’s breakfast menu (only available until11 am weekdays, but all day on weekends).
The setting and decor is relaxed, friendly and pleasant with indoor and outdoor seating (front and back). SBM is also happy for diners to share dishes.

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Meatball sub $11
The cakes are good value, but lunch serve sizes are fairly small.

SBM burgerburger

Blackened Lamb Burger $15.50

Stand By Me on Urbanspoon

On Red, Red Hill Lookout, Canberra

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On Red has an undeniably outstanding view over Canberra and it’s hard to beat for a great setting.
It also helpfully offers a wide range of smaller entree sized serves, designed ‘for you to ‘build your own’ tasting menu’.
The options are three $67, four $78 or five $89 dishes.
However, while dishes sound interesting and creative flavours are not as outstanding as other similarly priced top Canberra restaurants.

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Onred on Urbanspoon

Pickled Octopus, Tuross, South Coast NSW

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The Pickled Octopus  at Tuross is a true South Coast favourite. Offering both casual fish and chips and BYO (cheap corkage) down by the water , under the verandah, if you go early as well as a la carte dining (BYO corkage $10) upstairs. Great views where ever you decide to eat.

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Pride Of The Catch BBQ’D w’ Chefs Sauce Salad & Chips

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BBQ Pickled Baby Octopus Marinated w’ Chilli & Garlic    Sesame Crusted Tempura Prawns w’ Honey & Soy

Cork Street Gallery Cafe, Gundaroo

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Cork Street Gallery Cafe in Gundaroo is a lovely spot for lunch on a sunny day.

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The gourmet pizzas are good value and have a gorgeous thin crust. (Half and half toppings available.)

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BYO only and corkage is low.

The setting and atmosphere is relaxed, casual and child -friendly.
Great pick for a weekend lunch and worth the drive (39km from Canberra).

(25% discount for Entertainment Book holders).

Cork Street Gallery Cafe on Urbanspoon

Public Bar Dining, Manuka – a quick look

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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.

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Moroccan Lamb Pizza $22

Salt & pepper squid salad $21 Shredded iceberg, fresh chilli, crisp basil & nam jim dressing

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Slow cooked lamb $23 With quinoa tabouli, mint yoghurt, fresh pomegranate & pistachio crumble

Burger $20

Public @ Manuka on Urbanspoon

Treehouse, Canberra City – a quick look at Wednesday evening ‘Rollers’ special

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The Treehouse on Northbourne Ave, Canberra City offfers a range of great specials.

Particularly wonderful is the Rollers Wednesday night special available 4-10pm.

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$10 includes a glass of beer or cider (5-7pm wine is $5 a glass if you would prefer) as well as a gourmet burger with hand cut chips and aioli.

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Chilli beef meatball, caramelised onion and cheddar (especially good)

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Pulled pork, apple and fennel slaw (also very nice)

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Haloumi, hummus and tomato saffron salsa
Gourmet bread pockets served with a side of
hand cut chips and aioli (also very good)

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Mexican chicken fajita and guacamole (probably not as good as the others)

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It’s especially nice sitting upstairs with the view through the golden leaves to the main bar.
Treehouse on Urbanspoon

The new Chong Co in Woden – a great spot for lunch

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Not to be confused with the Chong Co restaurant close by in the Woden Southern Cross Club, the new Chong Co Woden that has opened up on Corina Street in the restaurant strip on the outside edge of the Westfield mall, is excellent.

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It shares the same great dishes as it’s sister restaurants in Kinsgston Foreshore, Belconnen and the Southern Cross Club, and serve sizes are equally generous. The green curry (vegetarian was $14.90) we shared between two was truly delicious and plenty for both of us.

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Vegetarian Green Curry $14.90                                       Two serves rice ($3 per person)
Too lovely to leave, staff are more than happy to bundle up any of the precious flavours to take with you.

The atmosphere is pleasant and staff are lovely. The Chong Co inside the Southern Cross Club is still my all time Woden favourite as the decor, space and ambiance are so special, but if you aren’t with a member, then this Chong Co, open to the public is the next best lunch option in Woden. It is also helpfully slightly cheaper.

Highly recommended. As it’s popular, it pays to make a booking. The phone number can be tricky to find – 0262823001

Chong Co on Urbanspoon

Me & Mrs Jones, Kingston – a quick look at lunch

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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.

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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.

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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

Me & Mrs Jones on Urbanspoon

Boneyard Burrito at Sweet Bones, Braddon – good for sharing

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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.

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Indoor and outdoor seating is available.

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Sweet Bones Bakery Cafe on Urbanspoon

CLOSED Monday

Tuesday – Saturday 8:00am-3:00pm

Sunday 9:00am-3:00pm

Lonsdale St Traders 27 Lonsdale StBraddon, ACT