12 December 2011

Opinions needed on clubs / casual eateries.

| TheDancingDjinn
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Hi,

Today is my partners and my birthday, we would like to do something nice together this week as my partner is working today. We are not especially fancy people and would like to know if there were any clubs or casual places to eat and relax that were any good food wise.

We have 2 small children ( who will not be joining us) so we do not get alot of oppotunities to dine out, and have realised there are a whole new line of places open to eat – please give us any opinions on any places you think would suit a casual couple looking for a nice meal in a simple place.

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Deref said :

shirty_bear said :

Hogs Breath should be avoided at all costs.

+1.

The Griffith Vietnamese is excellent.

The Griffith Vietnamese should be avoided at all costs…that whole boiled meat on a sizzling hotplate thing is so not-vietnamese, and should have disappeared in the 1980s..

wilbur’s bar cafe in hackett shops – good and reasonably priced modern australian including great pizzas – casual/informal but small enough to be a bit intimate.

Phenong Peng, or however you spell it, in Belco. Upstairs above the grog shop next to the big petrol station. The place doesent look fantastic, but relaxed and excellent food. have been going there for many years. Yet to dissapoint.

TheDancingDjinn said :

My partner and I have 2 kids but he hasn’t seen his way to proposing yet

I’m probably being a bit cheeky here, but….why don’t you propose to him? I’m all for traditions but there is something cool about the idea of introducing a bit of equality into it all.

Sorry, that is way off topic… back to the main question 😉

shirty_bear said :

Hogs Breath should be avoided at all costs.

+1.

The Griffith Vietnamese is excellent.

Pho Phu Quoc, Shop 4, 6 Cape St, Dickson.
This is a nice Vietnamese place which isn’t too dear, and would be an easy trip. There is a bottle shop very near for BYO.
Hope you have a great time!

shirty_bear said :

Bella Vista is always good (down by the lake at Belco)

+1 for Bella Vista, Mrs Harvyk and I have been there for several of our anniversaries

spiderinsider12:38 pm 12 Dec 11

I went to D’Browes at Narrabundah last week for a work Christmas lunch. They have a lunch special of $35 for two courses or $45 for three. The food was great, and the service was pretty good too. It wouldn’t be a budget lunch (at least not in my book!) but I thought it was pretty good value.

If you don’t mind the travel, my favorites are Punjabi Hut (indian) and Canton (chinese) in Quangers. You will have to dodge the road works on Crawford Street but they are definately worth the trip. Punjabi Hut is the best indian food in the canberra area, in my opinion and I have tried almost all the good places to get a curry around Canberra.

I am very fond of Rock Salt at the Hawker Shops. It is a cut above the clubs and the majority of asian restaurants, but it is casual enough that you can still feel relaxed comfortable. Great for lunch or dinner, the lunch menu beng more casual .

pink little birdie said :

Try APK in Civic (or Woden)
They have tasty pizza/pasta are pretty casual and are a little more upmarket than Hogsbreath.

Hogs Breath should be avoided at all costs.

Bella Vista is always good (down by the lake at Belco)

Kinh Do Vietnamese at Macquarie shops likewise (don’t know about grog since we always t/away)

pink little birdie11:49 am 12 Dec 11

Try APK in Civic (or Woden)
They have tasty pizza/pasta are pretty casual and are a little more upmarket than Hogsbreath.

The Balaese place on Emu Bank is also om nom nom worthy as well as the prince’s palace (also emu bank)

any area of town you are interested in

Peptis said :

The Trattoria at the Hellenic club is usually pretty good. Not too expensive and the food is better than what you get at most clubs.

Agree 100% – either lunch or dinner. Ceasar salad is superb with achovies that have taste – deserts are scrumptuous. Make a booking first to avoid missing out.

TheDancingDjinn11:39 am 12 Dec 11

Thanks for your replies so far – Keep them coming 😀

DUB – My partner and I have 2 kids but he hasn’t seen his way to proposing yet – and I feel as i turned 30 yesterday I’m a little old to using “Boyfriend” and im too white to use the term “BabyDaddy” hehe

My Partner works in Barton, but he has a few days off this week. We live in Nth Belconnen but we will travel anywhere in Canberra – it really isn’t that big of a drive to get any where in this city.
Again, keep them coming – i appreciate the broad range of opinons on this site. Thanks

La Posada, Civic – though I don’t know if they are open on Mondays.

Solidarity said :

I tried to go to Public in Manuka on Saturday, but they wouldn’t let me in because I didn’t have a collar on my shirt….

… and they will soon learn that this will not work in Canberra in the long run. It will for the first few months because it is ‘the new bar on the scene’. Surely the owners must know this given their background.

I tried to go to Public in Manuka on Saturday, but they wouldn’t let me in because I didn’t have a collar on my shirt….

The Trattoria at the Hellenic club is usually pretty good. Not too expensive and the food is better than what you get at most clubs.

All depends on what sort of a partner he/she is: Business partner, partner in crime, or simply bed?
Or do you discriminate against more traditional wife/husband by calling “partner”? 🙂

I’d try the central cafe in Gungahlin. Big meals and you should be able to grab a booth for you family. You could try one of the Tradies clubs in Dickson and Woden.

I had dinner at Bambusa last Friday night and it was fantastic. The food was superb, the service was great, and the atmosphere was very relaxed and enjoyable. I’d recommend it to anyone. Their menu is “modern asian” and while it’s got some of the hallmarks of Asian food, it’s far more subtle and enjoyable than your typical beef-with-black-bean/Mongolian lamb garbage. In fact it’s absolutely nothing like typical Asian food served in Canberra. Take a look here:

http://www.bambusa-ac.com/

Lunch \ Dinner?

If Lunch which part of CBR does your partner work?

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