Canberra Restaurants and Dining

(Canberra, Australian Capital Territory - ACT, Australia)

Canberra is home to almost every kind of cuisine imaginable and the city has an exceptional selection of restaurants and cafés. Many of the best dining options can be found in the centre of Canberra, although an increasing number of good restaurants are beginning to open up in the city's suburbs and surrounding areas of the Australian Capital Territory.

The reputation of general dining in Canberra has improved considerably over the last ten years or so, and the city now features a number of award-winning restaurants, serving up tasty Aussie 'tucker' at its very best.

The majority of Canberra's restaurants, cafés and dining venues are concentrated in and close to the city centre. In particular, consider Woolley Street, in the Dickson area - with an impressive selection of Asian and Chinese dishes; the Griffith, Manuka and Kingston districts - where you will find gourmet delis and fine dining, and the main Civic area - featuring many cafés lining the pedestrian mall around Garema Place.


Other restaurants and cafés worth visiting in Canberra are situated on Alinga Street, Barrine Drive, Bunda Street, Commonwealth Avenue, Coranderrk Street, Cork Street, Franklin Street, Marcus Clarke Street, the London Circuit, West Row and also on the ground level of the City Market Shopping Mall. Many local cafés also have outside 'alfresco' seating areas, with the street café culture being abundant in the Manuka and Kingston districts.

Opening Hours

Restaurants and cafés in Canberra generally open throughout the week and serve food between 07:00 to 22:00, often later at the weekends. Some chose to close on one or two days each week, and these are usually Sunday and Monday nights. Most open for lunch and dinner, while the street cafés, coffee shops and central hotels are the most popular dining options for breakfast and brunch.

Wine and Beer

Wine lists in many of the restaurants and dining venues in Canberra are almost completely comprised of local Australian wines only. This is hardly surprising though, with so many world-class vineyards nearby, throughout the Australian Capital Territory.

Breakfast

Breakfast in Canberra is a social time of the day and breakfast is generally served from around 06:00 until 11:00, although some restaurants do serve all-day-breakfasts, particularly during the weekends.

Lunch

Lunchtime in the Canberra area varies greatly, ranging from a gourmet buffet banquet in a highly regarded restaurant or bistro in the Central Business District (CBD), to a freshly-made sandwich, or 'sanger', purchased at one of the countless and extremely popular sandwich bars.

Lunch is generally taken from 12:00 to 14:00 and Canberra also contains plenty of fast-food outlets, including burger bars, traditional Aussie fish and chips and local pizza takeaways.

Dinner

Many locals regularly dine out for dinner, anytime from 18:00 to 22:00, and eating out in Canberra is often an important event. With so many bistros and general dining options to choose from, you could almost select a different type of restaurant and cuisine for every day of the month. Dinner ranges from inexpensive snacks in public houses and wine bars, to the most lavish meals, in luxurious surroundings.