The best fine dining restaurants in Canberra

The refurbishment of the Red Hill building has been awarded by Monocle Design Magazine. Photo: Lunetta.

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Canberra is lucky enough to have a thriving fine dining scene, with plenty of regional cuisines all across the city to choose from. The only difficulty comes with picking which one is best for a special outing, be it a lunch with a friend, an outing with your partner or a date.

Choosing a fine dining restaurant can be hard, especially if it’s a type of cuisine you know little about but there are always signs that indicate an eating establishment’s quality. We’ve checked across Canberra to find the best fine dining restaurants and in this article we will outline the qualities to consider when picking a place to eat out.

What makes a great fine dining restaurant?

The perfect restaurant can start a journey of appreciation for a particular culinary culture, turn you into a regular or become part of a cherished memory. Here are some attributes to look for:

• Great ingredients. Often what sets apart a fine dining restaurant from a standard joint is the quality of the produce and ingredients. Many restaurants place a premium on local, seasonal or sustainably sourced ingredients, which add to the flavour of the food. Some cuisines even specialise in certain rare or expensive ingredients such as Japanese wagyu.
• Attentive service. The food could be out of this world but it’s not worth much if you don’t get it on time. A quality restaurant will respect you and the money that you are spending there by going above the normal expectations for restaurant staff. Waiters at fine dining establishments are often more knowledgeable about their food as well as being more accommodating to the needs of customers.
• Authenticity. It goes without saying that if one goes to a particular restaurant that specialises in a regional cuisine, the dishes should be a genuine expression of that culture. Part of the premium in fine dining is the authenticity of experiencing a culture through flavour. Canberra has a broad range of cuisines on offer and restauranters in the city often pride themselves on creating food faithful to the palettes of their culture.
• Reasonable pricing. When eating out it’s assumed that you’ll be paying a bit extra for something special but it’s important that you don’t get taken advantage of. A fine dining restaurant is like any eating establishment in that you should get what you pay for. If you pay a premium, you expect the food to be well-above the average.

The best fine dining restaurants in Canberra

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Perhaps you’re looking for something other than fine dining? If so, check out our articles on the best seafood restaurants in Canberra, the best pizza in Canberra, the best takeaways in Canberra, the best bistros in Canberra, the best restaurants in Woden and the best casual dining restaurants in Canberra.

Your experience with fine dining in Canberra

Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback. If you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.

Have you had experience with any of the restaurants listed above? If so, share your feedback in the comments below.