Canberra’s summer is finally here and there are more than enough places across town to kick back and enjoy it. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Summer holidays are here and the living is easy.
There’s no better way to enjoy the warmer weather than with great food, cold drinks, good company and – if you can find them – stellar views. Luckily, Canberra has all of them in spades.
The city has no shortage of great wine bars, restaurants, beer gardens, cafes, national institutions, breweries, inns and hotels to enjoy the warmth.
Whether you’re in the mood for deli sandwiches in a leafy courtyard, elevated dining by the lakeside, cold drinks in a beer garden or pub classics in the sun, we’ve got you covered.
Take in views of the lake from The Jetty. Photo: The Jetty.
The Jetty
Where: Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes
The Jetty’s beer garden is open Wednesday to Sunday from midday till late, putting Canberra diners and drinkers right on the water so they can enjoy the best of the warm weather.
An extensive beer menu features Aussie brewer BentSpoke, with a wide selection of tap beers and cans. The Jetty’s food menu serves up the perfect companion to its brews, with fried chicken, chips, bowls, burgers and pizza on offer.
With film showings, live music and a refreshed deli, the NFSA is primed for summer. Photo: NFSA.
Summer at the National Film and Sound Archive
Where: McCoy Circuit, Acton
The National Film and Sound Archive is dedicated to the cultural heritage of Australia on screen, housed inside a beautiful Art Deco building with a native garden at its centre.
Its newly renovated café Dom’s is serving up fresh deli sandwiches on focaccia bread as well as salads, toasted sandwiches, sweets and of course top-notch coffee.
During summer, the NFSA is also holding its Hot Summer Nights series, blending live music with classic films. The evening starts from 6 pm with live music in the courtyard from talented local performers, alongside drinks and charcuterie from Dom’s deli, then from 8 pm the NFSA’s Arc Cinema will play a series of classic movies.
Summer’s schedule includes Heat, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Mamma Mia! The Blues Brothers, Strictly Ballroom and so much more.
If you want a beer this summer, why not go where they make it? Photo: Capital Brewing.
Capital Brewing Company Taproom in Fyshwick
Where: Building 3/1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick
If you’re looking for cold brews and refreshing beer this summer, why not go directly to the source? Capital Brewing Company has built a reputation with its delicious beers, but what you may not know is that it boasts a beer garden with a space for kids to hang out, a spot for dogs and 2000 metres of lush garden space and plenty of seating to sit and enjoy the burgers on offer.
Visitors looking to get the inside scoop on how the brewery makes Canberra’s favourite beer should sign up for the brewery tour.
Enjoy your cheese boards under Margot Bar’s umbrellas or head off on a picnic. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Margot Bar
Where: West Kiosk, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes
If you’re looking for a glass of wine or an espresso with a few European-inspired treats on the side, Margot Bar on the Queen Elizabeth Terrace is the spot for you.
Located near the art gallery, Margot Bar is perfectly positioned on the lake, making for a perfect pit stop on a walk of the Southside.
Whether you’re after great coffee in the morning or a relaxed wine, cocktail, cheese board or pizza in the afternoon, Margot has you covered.
Plan your summer dining in the Hyatt’s manicured garden. Photo: Hyatt Hotel Canberra.
Hyatt Hotel garden
Where: Hyatt Hotel Canberra, 120 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla
The Hyatt Hotel is one of Canberra’s most prestigious and storied buildings and its garden is a beautiful place to enjoy summer.
Hyatt’s heritage garden is a peaceful, quiet spot to take in the fresh air while enjoying food from the Hyatt’s gourmet kitchen and its extensive drinks menu. From 5 pm on Fridays, visitors can enjoy live music, gourmet grill stations and garden cocktails.
One of Canberra’s oldest watering holes invites you this summer. Photo: Old Canberra Inn.
The Old Canberra Inn
Where: 195 Mouat Street, Lyneham
One of the oldest licensed pubs in Canberra, the Old Canberra Inn may be historic but it’s not stuck in the past, with 10 craft beers on tap, giving patrons the chance to try some weird and wonderful drinks.
Voted one of Australia’s best 25 pubs, the Old Canberra Inn has survived for so long because of a great food menu, a rotating selection of Aussie beverages and live music every weekend.
After a recent refresh, Snapper & Co is better than ever. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Snapper & Co at the Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club
Where: 1 Mariner Place, Yarralumla
Snapper & Co has undergone a recent transformation, making Canberra’s premier lakeside dining spot even more enticing this summer.
As the weather warms up, Snapper & Co knows what people want: dining in the sun, a drinks menu made for relaxation with plenty of beer and cocktails, a menu packed with pub classics and seafood and of course, great views taking in the lake.
A big cocktail menu and wood-fired pizza is hard to turn down. Photo: Hopscotch Bar.
Hopscotch Bar
Where: 5 Lonsdale Street, Braddon
With a packed drinks menu featuring classic and craft beers on tap, unique specialty cocktails, Australian wines and cocktail jugs, Hopscotch embodies the best of Lonsdale Street’s character.
It’s also serving up sharing dishes, pub classics, wood-fired pizza, pasta and delicious food from the grill, along with live music on Friday and Saturday.
All this served up in the beer garden, providing a cruisy backdrop to your summer session.
As if the Dock wasn’t exciting enough, its new summer menu is a knockout. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Dock debuts a new summer menu
Where: 7/81 Giles Street, Kingston
The Dock on the Kingston foreshore is a well-known spot for locals to relax and take in views of the lake. Its position right on the water means it is an obvious choice for summer dining and with its new summer menu, lunch or dinner at the Dock is a no-brainer.
The menu features healthy bowls and salads like burrito bowls with black beans, sweet potato, smashed avocado, charred corn salsa and shredded cheese, along with some pub classics like pizza, nachos, fish and chips and burgers.
Specials, 18 beers on tap and a great pub menu await. Photo: Dickson Taphouse.
Dickson Taphouse
Where: 30 Wooley Street, Dickson
With 18 taps of beer, signature cocktails, a seasonal pub menu with gourmet twists and a perfect location right in the heart of Dickson on Wooley Street, the Dickson Taphouse is a great joint for summer dining right where all the action is.
It has frequent live music and events, along with $16 cocktails on Saturdays from 8 pm to 10 pm and $12 bloody Marys from noon to 4 pm on Sundays.
Classic pub feeds can be found at the Southern Cross Club. Photo: Canberra Southern Cross Club.
Canberra Southern Cross Club – Jamison
Where: Corner Catchpole and Bowman streets, Macquarie
For classic pub feeds and relaxed vibes, head to the Canberra Southern Cross Club in Jamison, with its new outdoor dining area The Yard set up and ready to go for summer fun.
Marble & Grain is one of Canberra’s most well-known dining establishments. Photo: Marble & Grain.
Marble & Grain
Where: 25 Mort Street, Braddon
Marble & Grain is Canberra’s favourite steakhouse, with elevated dishes and cuisine that never compromises on quality, making it a tempting choice for a special treat this summer.
Its menu of seasonal, delicious paddock-to-plate food is waiting to be discovered and happy hour from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm every day has an enticing deal, with $6 schooners and $5 house wines and spirits.
There’s a special outdoor dining tent where diners can enjoy their cuisine.
Elevate your lunch or dinner plans this summer. Photo: The Boat House.
The Boat House
Where: Grevillea Park, Menindee Drive, Barton
Perched right on the lake, the Boat House serves up a modern Australian menu elevated to new heights with an unbeatable view.
The chefs at Boat House have a passion for food and they’ll be glad to make any lunch or dinner a special event. The Boat House offers an exquisite prix fixe menu with a choice of two or three courses and for dinner, it offers a four-course dinner menu, starting with fresh-baked bread.
