The mezze platter is an excellent (and filling!) way to start a meal at Anatolia. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
For a long time, all the exciting, new, trendy cafes, bars and restaurants seemed to be focused in the same spots in Canberra: the city and Braddon, Kingston and the ‘inner’ suburbs. But that is no longer the case. Maybe it’s the rent, maybe it’s the parking, maybe it’s Maybelline, but the suburbs are overwhelmingly becoming bright spots of foody paradise.
And the south side is seeing something of a renaissance when it comes to great food. Heck, even the Kambah Tavern has had a makeover!
Here are a few favourites we would take our friends to prove that the south side has more to offer than clubs, drive-throughs, and fast food.
Anatolia, Erindale
The couple behind popular takeaway Turkish Grill took the leap in 2023 to open a large, dine-in restaurant, allowing them to expand their menu and showcase a full range of Turkish and Mediterranean dishes.
This lovely restaurant will feed you till you burst (in the finest tradition of Turkish restaurants everywhere) with a mezze platter full of marinated olives, vine leaves stuffed with spiced rice, sigara borek (crispy filo and feta rolls), slices of cured beef, pickles, cheese-stuffed peppers and garlicky mushrooms along with a range of delicious dips. And that’s just the starter! Remember to leave room for their chargrilled meats, desserts and stunning cocktails.
Cosy, sunny Cafe Blanco is a gem in Kambah. Photo: Ash St George.
Cafe Blanco, Kambah
Tucked into one of Kambah’s smaller neighbourhood shopping centres, Cafe Blanco quickly became a favourite of the community. The menu is influenced by owner and chef Jose Blanco’s Colombian heritage – tostadas, Spanish omelette, chorizo rolls – with dishes regularly rotating on the seasonal menu.
The coffee is on point, the pastries are perfect, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting, decorated with Latino art (most of it from Jose’s own home).
The Thakali thali, or dal bhat, is a stunning centrepiece meal. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Timur Nepali, Greenway
When Region visited this hidden gem in late 2025, we called it “outrageously delicious” and said more people should know about such a fab little family restaurant. Each meticulously crafted dish matches professional flair with homemade charm: you can see that each momo (Nepalese dumpling) has been handcrafted and is simply beautiful.
The main affair is the Thakali thali – a hearty meal for one hungry person, or shared between two – but the starters are well worth trying.
The tiramisu at Andre’s is ‘chef’s kiss’. Photo: Andre’s/Instagram.
Andre’s Osteria, Weston Creek
This Italian family restaurant opened in early 2025, run by Andre Wilks and father, Bruce. It’s special, without being fine dining – the kind of neighbourhood restaurant you’ll go to for date nights, birthdays and those Friday nights when you just want something good. Their pasta is made fresh daily for dishes like Mafaldine with lamb shoulder ragu or Rotolo filled with pumpkin and ricotta, served with sage-burnt butter.
Andrew Duong (best known for the sadly closed Miss Van’s) has recently taken over front-of-house operations while focusing on being a first-time father, so the service is bound to be impeccable.
Beautiful wall hangings display some lesser-known Korean dishes served at Hancook. The menu itself contains detailed descriptions, too. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
HanCook Korean, Wanniassa
This has quickly become a cult favourite with people travelling from across Canberra for this brilliant little Korean restaurant. Whether you’re looking for fried chicken or traditional kimchi jiggae (stew), there are plenty of choices on the menu here: brilliant banchan, crisp leek pancake, fantastic fried chicken, and incredible dishes to share between friends cooked at the table with a gas burner. If you’re looking for good Korean food in Canberra, this is up there with the best.
Brett Waslin is the new owner of A Bite to Eat. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
A Bite to Eat, Chifley
Although this Chifley cafe has been around for yonks, it needed some love when Brett Waslin took it over in March 2025. A few weeks of renovations brightened up the space, and the new kitchen team reworked the menu. The result is a buzzy local cafe that feels alive again.
Brunch classics are covered – smashed avo, eggs benny, shakshuka – and lunch offers house-made gnocchi and a Reuben toastie made with a 24 hr-baked brisket. The drinks list has also been zhuzhed up so you can enjoy beer on tap and local plonk with your meal.
The Feed Me menu is a substantial meal at Weston’s Pronto. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Pronto, Cooleman Court
The Kosteski brothers have been behind a few beloved local Italian restaurants: Trecento in Manuka and the first Pronto in Queanbeyan. Trecento closed in 2024, and Queanbeyan residents also mourned the closure of the original Pronto at the end of last year, but rumour has it chef Aleks has a new venture planned at the same Monaro Street location. We’re keeping our eyes peeled …
But for now, Italian lovers can still get that authentic Neopolitan pizza (certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) at Pronto in Cooleman Court. There’s also a hole-in-the-wall sister venue, Fresca, in Queanbeyan, serving authentic Tuscan schiacciata (thin focaccia) sandwiches.
What other South Side restaurants, cafes and bars should be on our radar?
