20 Best Restaurants in Canberra

If you are visiting Canberra, prepare yourself to see one good thing after another. Canberra is filled with all types of fun for single, friends and families. You can visit national museums, historical sites and natural wonders. Whenever someone visits Canberra, they want to taste the food first. Here are some of the best restaurants in Canberra:

The funky interior design - the feature wall of wooden logs, the beautiful bar, the open kitchen, and the neon signs are enough to impress someone at AKIBA. This place provides you the best food in Canberra. The music is good and there is an outdoor seating area too for enjoying refreshing drinks on hot days.

Courgette is to restaurants what Bentleys are to cars – seriously luxurious. The meal is superb at this fine dining restaurant, you can get a romantic atmosphere both during the day and the night at Courgette Restaurant.

Here are the Best Restaurants in Canberra:

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Akiba

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Akiba comes from the creators of renowned Canberra restaurants, Sage by brothers Peter and Mike, along with Dino Jugovac. They comprise it with creative dishes with pan-Asian flavors in a modern venue with steel and recycled wood finishes. It has the loud, packed, full of flat caps, and has an anything-goes sense of casualness in the way things are done, the interactions of staff and diners, the ordering as you go to the quick arrival of food.

As for the food, it has all you could hope for in trash credibility. They now even have decided to shake up the dining scene with their new project. Peter Harrington said the restaurant has fit-out and Asian-inspired food brought a little bit of New York flair to Canberra. The bright neon lights combine with natural materials and earthy colours to create a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere.

There was no shortage of takers even some patrons queued up for over an hour in the drab and drizzly weather. The menu at night included Japanese fried chicken, dumplings, steamed buns and a selection of raw fish and seafood. Yum Cha-style trolleys make a casual but vibrant dining setting.

Location: 2601, 40 Bunda St, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

Temporada

Housed in a lofty CBD space, arrival of Temporada bridges the generation gap with aplomb. Temporada is a partnership between the Ben Willis of Aubergine Restaurant and his sous chef, Chris Darragh. Its meaning as 'seasonal' in Spanish, Ben and Chris opened Temporada together as the owners with Chris running the kitchen. Temporada, Canberra isn't a Spanish restaurant - they just thought that the name sounded good and felt that it reflected the Spanish way of thinking, cooking and eating which they wanted to bring into the space.

The menu changes regularly and focuses mainly on organic produce from the local growers and super fresh seafood like oysters, clams, mussels, with plenty of things coming off from a wood grill. They used good quality fresh food, the flavors and the textures were well thought out, and the dishes were like artwork. Sleek, glamorous and darkly lit, Temporada in Canberra hits all the right style notes on the first impression. The menu here isn’t overly complicated, but there’s a decent selection in each category.

Location: 15 Moore St, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

Courgette Restaurant

One of the Canberra's classiest establishments, this restaurant is far more refined than its humble namesake. Courgette's plush dining room is softly illuminated by the conical hanging lamps and candlelights and the guests sit comfortably on luxurious cream velour chairs amidst the blue carpet and some purple organza curtains. The European cuisine served here is carefully crafted and is intense in its flavour. By the Canberra standards this is a very good restaurant indeed.

The meal is superb at this fine dining restaurant, surrounded by a romantic atmosphere both during the day and the. night. This is a great restaurant to celebrate family special events. The decor is delightful, the service is low key, friendly and faultless and the food truly is special both in presentation and flavour. It is not cheap but well worth the expense for a truly memorable experience. Contemporary space overlooking a walled garden, for Modern European dining and fine wines.

Location: 54 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.

Bicicletta Restaurant

Bicicletta Restaurant is managed by the nationally renowned Peppers and is located in the vibrant New Acton precinct. Nestled snugly inside the Canberra's Peppers Gallery Hotel is the family owned and run Bicicletta Restaurant. The elegant Italian menu has a special focus on local and seasonal ingredients and the wine list also features a boutique label from Australian and the Italian producers, many of which are available by the glass.

From the owners of the successful Surry Hills' restaurants PizzaBirra and MilleVini, Bicicletta is favorite on the Canberra dining scene. The authentic Italian food there is created from a locally sourced, seasonal produce and ingredient. It’s the perfect place to enjoy great coffee, home-made pizzas, pastas and gelatin.

There it’s being played up daily specials, fresh from the marketplace and it also boasts a carefully curated wine list. One will be served by their friendly and professional team, in a unique, stylish and casual setting. It also includes the Library Bar and beautiful outdoor Courtyard.

Location: 1/15 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

Podfood (Pialligo)

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Nestled in a unique position amongst the beautifully established gardens of Pialligo plant farm, the quaint character filled and fully restored of 1930’s cottage offers a unique dining location close to the Canberra CBD. The venue is only minutes away from the Canberra International Airport as well as the boutique shopping precincts of the Kingston and Manuka and has an ample parking.

Owner and chef John Levering leads a dynamic kitchen. The quality of food & wine is exceptional along with the service standards that will leave a lasting impression. Continuing with the fresh produce and continuing the modern techniques, menus ensure intrigue and delight. Degustation breakfast, lunches, dinner are its pride.

Podfood also did sold out an event for many leading producers during The Good Food Month, Canberra Truffle Festival, Canberra Beer Week, the Fireside Festival, Christmas Day, Mother's Day and more. With locations in the Canberra's original food bowl with fresh produce is in an abundance and particularly now with their on-site Pialligo produce garden.

Location: 12 Beltana Rd, Pialligo ACT 2609, Canberra, Australia.

Lilotang Japanese (Barton)

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Lilting is the brainchild of the Pu Yang Chia and a well-known restaurateur Josiah Li, co-founder of the Chairman Group. The Head chef Shunsuke Ota hails from the Japan and previously worked at Nobu in the Melbourne. The Canberra’s hip Japanese eatery opened its doors in the Barton, where dinner might come served with a carefully hollowed-out orange and the wine list includes more than 25 sakes.

The LiloTang is the restaurant in the Burbury Hotel, across the foyer from sister establishment Malamay. Inside the restaurant there is slick with pale timber walls illuminated by a strip lighting, lemon-yellow splashes of color and touches of the Japanese anime and pop culture references.

Hanging timber panels with funky cutouts creates a series of semi-private dining areas and the restaurant looks out onto a courtyard at the Burbury Hotel. LiloTang's secret weapon is a shiny new Robata grill, which allows chefs to cook food on an extremely high heat using the special binchotan charcoal, which gives off almost no flame.

Location: 1 Burbury Cl, Barton ACT 2600, Caberra, Australia.

Pomegranate

Nestled in the heart of Kingston, Pomegranate is a charming neighborhood restaurant that puts a creative spin on refined, seasonal fare. Focusing on the Modern Australian food, drawing flavors and inspiration from the Mediterranean, Chef Erkin Esen’s menu spotlights the seasonal produce and local proteins. Pomegranate also boasts a diverse and accessible wine list champagne served in an eclectic array of glasses.

The space is wonderfully designed and makes for a wonderful atmosphere while eating. The Pomegranate restaurant delivers simple, tasty food that is Modern Australian with a Mediterranean influence and is open for a lunch and dinner. Meals are served in relaxed and friendly environment with beautiful surroundings where diners enjoy relaxing atmosphere, quality food and wine with family and friends.

Run by head chef and owner Erkin Esen, with his wife Ziba. Since 2014, Erkin has been at the helm of some of Canberra’s best restaurants. Erkin brings a vision of the contemporary Australian cuisine that hints at his heritage without being overwhelmed by it.

Location: 1 Burbury Cl, Barton ACT 2600, Caberra, Australia.

Les Bistronomes

Les Bistronomes is the kind of a French bistro which you love to frequent. There are various classic retro French dishes that takes one, all the way back to the childhood and Robert Carrier, the Les Bistronomes chef and owner Clement Chauvin has the fine-dining background, but eschews much of fancy stuff in the favour of simple, excellent handled classics with the firmly bistro feel.

The Braddon space is simple, that is it's not a place where money has been lavished on an expensive fit out, but it has a pleasant feel, with floor-to-ceiling windows as one wall, an open wine rack at one end of the room, and decent sized outdoor space. The wine list is simple and regional French, with an emphasis on organics.

Service, too, comes with an accent and a youthful, fresh feel. And sharing works well not only in the mains, but also on desserts, where you can order an entire tarot tuition, and bring six extra stomachs to help you eat it. Overall, Les Bistronomes hits so many right notes that it has now become a firm favourite and a regular haunt, and we count it among the top handful in Canberra restaurants.

Location: Braddon 2612 ACT, Elouera Street, Canberra, Australia.

Ottoman Cuisine

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Ottoman Cuisine is an elegant art Deco pavilion surrounded by gardens, water-features & palm tree. It's the best place to get the best Turkish food in Canberra, Australia. The rooms there are perfect for corporate dinners, medical presentations, private events, birthday parties and wedding receptions. Ottoman Cuisine is the most consistently awarded restaurants in Canberra.

Gourmet Turkish news and mains in swanky art Deco pavilion with views of Islamic-style gardens. With its baroque decor with Middle Eastern flavours, Ottoman Cuisine will take one on a magic carpet ride to old Istanbul. Almost hidden in the leafy suburb of Barton, this restaurant achieved a well-deserved reputation among the movers and shakers of Capital Hill for modern, classy take on familiar Turkish dishes. There's a touch of hands across the Bosphorus, East-meets-West thinks in the likes of confit duck with green lentils, and chargrilled spot-check in lemon and spices.

Ottoman Cuisine

Location: 9 Broughton St, Barton ACT 2600, Caberra, Australia.

Black Fire

Black Fire also the Fuego Nero is a fiercely individualistic Mediterranean cuisine restaurant which prepares delicious an imaginative dishes with an exciting, wondrous presentation to bring table a sumptuous food, the taste, the culture, the love of cooking. The meats, seafood and vegetables are rustically cooked through open fire roast, the wood fire oven and a charcoal grill, to extol unique flavor.

In the restaurant one will eat the food in all of its authenticity. Black Fire opened in only the latter half of the year, but it's got a flair and sureness of touch that brings it into the top 20 for 2014. Paolo Milanesi used to run Bicicletta in the former Diamond Hotel and the Locanda Italian Steakhouse in the old Rydges nearly.

His touch is a sure despite the dozens of items on the menu – age topside with a bone marrow and a mustard seed mash is meaty, earthy and full of old-fashioned punch. There is an extensive menu that runs the whole gamut of Spanish and Italian dishes, including the roasted vegetables and slow-roasted meats cooked on the big wood-fired grill in pride of place at the back of the restaurant.

Location: 45/38 Mott St, Braddon ACT 2612, Canberra, Australia.

The Cupping Room

The perfect day starts with a perfect coffee. The team at The Cupping Room – including world champion barista Sasa Sestic – knows a thing or two about creating a splendid brew. Canberra’s very own place of coffee, worship, The Cupping Room is a concept cafe that takes its customers on a flavour journey across a range of coffee blends and delicious meals.

Together with a great vibe and fun atmosphere, The Cupping Room is a mandatory experience for all coffee devotees. Mr Sasa Sestic set up ONA Coffee in Fyshwick the former Olympic handball athlete has grown the business to include the Manuka shop and a popular Cupping Room in Civic.

He also founded Project Origin which works with producers and co-ops. One can taste things in the coffee there which one would never expect; one can taste raspberries and blueberries being rich in flavour without being bitter. Hip, airy joint with outdoor seats and exposed rafters, serving up boutique coffee and cafe staples.

Location: 1/1-13 University Ave, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

Turkish Halal Pide House

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Located at Yarralumla, the Turkish Halal Pide House serves authentic cuisine inspired by the culinary creations of Turkey. All food, including breads is made on site to ensure that they meet strict halal standards. Turkish Halal Pide House is a casual counter-serve joint with pavement tables, offering Turkish halal dishes and flatbreads. It's family owned and operated, making all the food there at the restaurant to ensure that all halal standards are being followed duly.

It has an extensive menu of dishes inspired by Turkish cuisine, but bids are in the speciality that offer a choice of over ten delicious toppings. It offers a professional catering service and one can choose from a selection of the menu items that are presented in a snack-sized portions for ease of serving and eating.

Turkish Halal Pide House

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Delivery to 15km is free, and a small fee of $25 applies outside the area. It offers a wide range of delicious dishes, which can be ordered online hassle-free. The Turkish Pide House pride it selves on supplying a very best of Turkish cuisine in Canberra in the restaurant or as a takeaway for one to enjoy at home or elsewhere.

Location: 47 Novar St, Yarralumla ACT 2600, Canberra, Australia.

Olive at Mawson

The Olive at Mawson is an ideal for entertaining family and friends and a great place to dine for a more intimate occasion. Situated in the heart of Mawson there is the friendly staff and one can kick off the night and let his taste buds enjoy the Mediterranean flavours. Arriving in Australia in 1964, John Yianoulakis had his eyes set on making a mark in the hospitality industry.

Settling into a capital of Australia John went on to own and run some of Canberra's finest diners. After some very stressful challenges with hard work from all involved, Olive at Mawson was born.This boutique restaurant specialises in the Mediterranean cuisine. It’s a popular local restaurant that is worth seeking out within the concrete wasteland of Southlands.

One gets greeted as a family, treated like customers, are the only ones there, and fed like being famished. The decor is a pedestrian, but the friendly service with tasty food is all one can see through all around. Its all an award winning upscale eatery and wine bar, dishing up with hearty stone-baked pizza, steaks and seafood.

Location: Southlands Shopping Centre, Mawson Dr, Canberra, ACT 2607, Australia.

Sage Restaurant

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Sage has a lot going for it with a real Canberra heritage, growing from small but always classy eatery hidden in the Gorman House Arts Centre, to a shining restaurant, with a beautiful bar outside it.On a cold Canberra night the place fills up as fast with wine being decanted, very good bread and house-churned butter arriving quickly to the tables.

A hum of efficient industry pervades two smartly decorated rooms, and diners which look ready to enjoy a good meal. The Harrington brothers, who owns the place, are an ambitious pair, with their garden supplying much of the produce. The menu has the two six-course degustation options ($95 or $145 with matching wines), one ‘‘herbivore’’ which technically meaning eating only plants, but detecting some dairy too and ''omnivore'' meaning eating everything.

This brings joy to the hearts of vegetarians. The menu and wine list mark Sage out, and the service reinforces that lovely impression. Staff is clearly very keen on what they do and ooze confidence and competence, to make Sage a very pleasant place to eat.

Location: Gorman House Arts Center, Batman St, Braddon ACT 2612, Canberra, Australia

Lanterne Rooms, Campbell

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The lantern Room restaurant is located in Campbell shops. Lantern Rooms are the brainchild of the team behind which is the Chairman and Yip. Josiah Li with Jeffery Shim, who have opened their latest success in Campbell in a magnificent space open, airy and infused with enormous light. The beautifully designed with an Asian interior of bamboo, dark wood beams and colored glass tiles, reminiscent of the Malaysian Kampong, is the ideal setting.

It has an Asian warehouse look with Vietnamese-style lanterns in the main dining room and louvered doors creating four semi-private rooms. French-trained Malaysian chef Jeffrey Shim presents mostly the European style dishes with Asian influences. Lantern Rooms are brought to you from the team with being behind The Chairman and Yip.

Lanterne Rooms, Campbell

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It's rated one hat in the 2013 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. The service is crisp and friendly, not overbearing, but a very competent. The decor is very tasteful, with as many blends of the different parts of Asia as in the menu, but works well. Tables nicely spaced so one can’t feel crowded there.

Location: 3 Blamey Pl, Campbell ACT 2612, Caberra, Australia.

Aubergine Restaurant, Griffith

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The Sydney Morning Herald is also called Aubergine Canberra's finest night out and being awarded it as 2014 Regional Restaurant of the Year and the Regional Wine List of the Year. Clearly, dining here is something special. From an elegantly tier dining room to the floor and ceiling windows and the faultless European dishes, Aubergine delivers on all fronts with breezy sophistication.

Aubergine serves modern European food in a refined though welcoming atmosphere. The interior design of the restaurant being simple but sophisticated with high ceilings, cedar window frames and white suede highlights. Owner and chef Ben Willis made his mark on the menu, with offerings such as the leek, gruyere and dauphinoise pithivier, fresh dates and Amontillado sherry jus.

Equal care is taken with the dessert menu. Aubergine’s cuisine is a contemporary Australian, much like the contemporaries. It mostly operates on a locavore basis that is sourced locally wherever possible, and defers to what the supplier thinks is the best produce of the day. This means Aubergine menu changes on a daily basis.

Location: 18 Barker St, Griffith ACT 2603, Caberra, Australia.

C Dine Bar, Kingston

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The first restaurant to open in Kingston Foreshore’s dining precinct, the C Dine Bar has set the benchmark for being a waterfront dining. It's populated with dark tones, white covered tables and soft high backed chairs. C Dine Bar offers a modern Australian dining experience with refined flavour, in a setting that till now has been lacking in the nation’s capital.

The location affords the views of the lake and canal that runs through the small harbour. The interior light is combined with plush embroidered chairs, crisp napery and immaculate table settings to give a sense of occasion. From kitchen, best, local produce utilised by chef and co-owner Dan Keogh, with seafood sourced from the south coast and meats from the nearby Riverina.

C Dine Bar, Kingston

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Merimbula oysters shucked to order a classic Kilpatrick, Rockefeller natural of course. Starters as salmon, mussels, and jalapeno. For mains it comes the king prawns, dipping salt, red wine jus and béarnaise; and a seafood pie floater with clams, mussels, prawns, and fish with mushy peas.

Location: 17/19 Eastlake Parade, Kingston ACT 2604, Canberra, Australia.

Wild Duck Fine Asian Cuisine, Kingston

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The Land of the Lotus eaters Painted panels, pendant lights and Asian-inspired wall art combines to make the Wild Duck Canberra the delightful restaurant to visit, just for décor. Being great place one could also plan ahead for major Chinese cultural celebrations that Wild Duck turns them into a great occasion.

While you could order from a standard menu, the banquets are of the gold standard and to be selected for two, four or more diners. The lamb shank in golden sand or the Bi Feng tang ocean trout wildmushrooms, duck breast with Asian vegetables. Asian restaurants not usually noted for their desserts, but Wild Duck brings the best of both worlds.

Wild Duck Fine Asian Cuisine, Kingston

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One can try the unusual banana split that being said comes with a twist, it boasts bitter is served with raspberry sorbet. Best dish is a pork, bell in lotus leaf, cooked in three kinds of soy sauce with rock sugar and mixed spices wrapped in Lotus leaves and served with sticky rice.

Location: 77-78/71 Giles St, Kingston ACT 2604, Canberra, Australia.

Pulp Kitchen, Ainslie

A casual European, Brasserie located in a quiet leafy suburb of Ainslie, Canberra. Here at Pulp the aim is to deliver an honest, traditional style bistro food in a casual yet comfortable environment. The emphasis on the team is on sourcing the freshest ingredients which are available and keeping a menu seasonal. It also stocks an award winning selection of European and local wines, liqueurs to complement the French and Italian influences on the menu.

In Pulp Kitchen, main focus is to source quality ingredients and to prepare them in a simple European bistro style and setting that provides an and honest eating experience. Pulp Kitchen is an inner north eatery with an infused atmosphere. Slightly distressed café chairs, tables, polished concrete floors with muted browns create a landscape in which unpretentious waiting staff navigate the room being always friendly yet not intrusive.

Pulp Kitchen owner and Maitre ‘D Daniel Giordani insists on creating a place that delivers honest, traditional style bistro food in casual and comfortable environment. Flavours do not deviate far from an expected French or Italian palates.

Location: 1 Wakefield Garden, Ainslie, ACT 2602, Canberra, Australia.

Ellacure Restaurant and Bar, Bruce

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Lacquer is a kind of mid-range, Oz-Italian eatery that one would have to say is ubiquitous, and also fast being taken over by a new obsession of spice, smoke and barbecued meat. The Ellacure is about pasta and risotto, duck confit, veal parmigiana. As before one can say anything, remember it makes the top 20 list because it does this stuff really pretty good and in fun, buzzy, energetic atmosphere.

Service is a strong point here, familiar but super-friendly and helpful, accommodating whatever one is after. The wine is accessible in some good options by the glass at good prices, succinct, nicely chosen and with a proper nod to the locals. The Ellacure is in a rather unlikely location, in the base of an apartment building in Australian Institute of Sport precinct near Bruce Stadium, but again, it’s a testament to service, set-up and the just-right pitching of this place which is always busy. Overall an inventive Modern European dining in an upscale space with an open kitchen and outdoor tables.

Location: 2/21 Battye St, Bruce ACT 2617, Canberra Australia.

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The Parliament House

Adorned with the boomerang-shaped structure the Parliament House is one of the best places to visit in Canberra. It is intricately built with modern style architecture and has got several recognitions for its design. The entrance of the building is embraced with well-manicured lawns and one can gape at the classic views it extends. The major architectural highlights of the Parliament House are the two granite walls where you can see a slight reflection of the hill and the 81-meter tall flagpole carved with elegant designs.Here you can learn about the Australian history & city’s street layout. If you are an architecture lover or wish to know about the origin of cities then this is your place to be. Make sure that you visit the various galleries here, as they are the best source of information for travelers.Location: Parliament House, Parliament Dr, Canberra ACT 2601, AustraliaTimings: All days, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

The Parliament House

Lake Burley Griffin

Almost every traveler who visits Canberra must add this beautiful Lake Burley Griffin to their list as it’s not just a remarkable sight here but is a true delight for the soul. This is the centerpiece of the capital city and gets its name from the architect who built it back in 1958.If you are looking for a beautiful wavefront with relaxing vibes, then this is the place to be. The park is fringed with sparkling shores and one can spot around six islands that are scattered in this lake. One must not miss out on this lake because of the adventures it offers, like the 147-meter high fountain, Captain Cook Memorial Jet, and the mighty globe that showcases Cook’s journeys! Lying adjacent to the lake is Commonwealth park that has its own amphitheater & elegant waterfalls that will not fail to surprise you with their charm. Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Timings: All days, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

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