Golden hour is the perfect time to enjoy the view of Canberra from the top of Red Hill. Photo: Lunetta Trattoria.
Golden hour is a magical moment where the setting sun makes the light hit ‘just right’ for magical photos and warming glow. And there’s no better place to experience that golden light than during Aperitivo Hour at Red Hill’s Lunetta Trattoria.
The award-winning refurbishment of the iconic Red Hill restaurant houses two venues: fine-dining Lunetta on the first floor, and Italian-chic Lunetta trattoria on the ground floor.
There are stunning views across Canberra from every angle of the iconic ‘dodecagon’ building and, visiting on a chilly day, the warmth of the setting sun through multifaceted glass windows was delightful.
The refurbishment of the Red Hill building has been awarded by Monocle Design Magazine. Photo: Lunetta.
Owner Tracy Keely has brought in a star-studded team to deliver her vision for the two restaurants.
Chef Will Moyle has come fresh from Melbourne’s fine dining scene. The Warrnambool-born chef said when he saw the Red Hill building and beautiful view, he just couldn’t say no to the job.
The lunch and dinner menu at Lunetta Trattoria is at a high price point, but aperitivo hour is an opportunity to experience the restaurant without breaking the bank. Chef Moyle has created a compact menu of aperitivo hits: oysters, charcuterie, and seasonal small bites that are sophisticated, but accessible.
“We wanted to create a menu that was simple but refined, and really easy to share,” he told Region.
The aperitivo plate comes with piping hot wood-fired flat bread, a generous selection of cured meats, creamy stracciatella cheese, pickles and wedges of beautiful radishes from Living Earth Farm.
We particularly enjoyed the arancini verde which were oozing with scamorza affumicata (a smoked cheese similar to mozzarella) and sitting on a bed of whipped taleggio cheese: wickedly good!
Fried pillows of gnoccho fritto were topped with white anchovies and shavings of pecorino romano. The salty combination was perfectly tempered with a drizzle of local truffled honey.
Chef Will Moyle has come from Melbourne to lead the Lunetta Trattoria kitchen. Photo: Lillie Thompson.
Bartender-in-residence Arathorn Grey is world-renowned for his cocktails at Singapore’s Tippling Club and is spending a few months at Lunetta to build a world-class cocktail list.
“I really want to push the beverage program here to be something quite different to the rest of the cocktail scene in Canberra,” he told Region.
“The drinking culture and tastes in Australia are quite different to Singapore: people drink more wine here.”
Because Lunetta is a destination restaurant, Arathorn said many diners have driven so are conscious of their alcohol intake. He’s designed the cocktail menu to be big on flavour, but not so strong you can’t drive home!
Classics like a Limoncello or Aperol Spritz are available on the aperitivo hour menu, alongside a zippy Fugazi made with bubbles and orange three-ways. I chose the Via Lattea: a pink gin and pomegranate cocktail clarified with cream to create a pure, bright drink. A dash of soda and white wine gives it a lovely fizz.
Aperitivo hour is a great opportunity to get a taste for Lunetta without committing to a full meal. Photo: Lunetta Trattoria.
While other local producers are name-checked on the food menu, there were no Canberra wineries on the wine list which seems like a missed opportunity to showcase the region at an iconic venue sure to attract visitors from interstate and overseas.
The wine list focuses on Italian and French wines, with a shorter list of Australian drops, mostly from Clare Valley and Margaret River.
This was my first time visiting Lunetta since the venue launched last year and I’m excited to return for an Italian dinner at the Trattoria, or a special occasion meal upstairs.
It’s fantastic to see this iconic building returned to full splendour, and aperitivo hour is a great way to get a taste of the Lunetta glamour.
Lunetta Trattoria is located on the ground floor at the Red Hill Lookout, 60 Red Hill Drive. They are open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30 am until late. Enjoy the Aperitivo Hour menu from 3 to 6 pm. Book online, and follow Lunetta Trattoria on Instagram.
