Canberrans love their food and wine and, fortunately, we are spoilt for choice. From delicious bread to the best ramen, our reviewers have gnawed their way through mountains of food just to give you the inside scoop on what’s hot and what’s not. Here, we’ve pulled together 15 of your favourites from 2024. (We found it too hard to stop at a baker’s dozen!)
15. Forget the supermarket giants, small local shops are where true quality lies
Gowrie has a brand new SupaExpress ready to serve local customers. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
It’s probably safe to say conversations around overpriced groceries of sub-par quality won’t taper off anytime soon.
There are, of course, ways to get around the problem, but for those who don’t have the time to shop around, grow their own or scour local markets to find the best deals, what can Canberrans do to ensure they enjoy a convenient, high quality, fairly priced shop?
Matt Farrah, the driving force behind Farrah’s Liquor Collective in Fyshwick, says the answer is simple: support your local small-scale grocery store.
14. Lolo and Lola: Filipino food and hospitality that gets more fabulous each year!
by Michelle Taylor
Kim and Jay have cemented Lolo and Lola’s place as the longest-running Filipino restaurant in Canberra. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Filipino restaurant Lolo and Lola gets better each year, according to Michelle Taylor, and the longer you’re a regular, the more it feels like home.
Kim and Jay have cemented Lolo and Lola’s place as the longest-running Filipino restaurant in Canberra; Kim, the brassy, heart-on-her-sleeve face of the place, juggling front-of-house with cheffing and Jay – staunch, yet smiling, at the helm of the kitchen. Smiling and stronger together, even through the tough times.
13. New York fairytales come true at Al’s Deli & Diner
by Lucy Ridge
Retro New York diner vibes are the name of the game at Al’s. Photo: Rabble Group.
New York delis and diners have a legendary status in culinary lore and pop culture. Whether it’s Meg Ryan in that iconic scene in the equally iconic Katz’s Deli or the opening of Pulp Fiction, most of us can conjure up a scene. But now Canberra has its very own Al’s Deli & Diner, the final reveal of the new Alinga Street venues from the Rabble Group.
The group has absolutely nailed the fit-out. The space screams ‘classic retro diner’ without resorting to kitsch. From the deep green branding, mustard yellow booths and warm wood panelling, it’s a delightful space. Black and white photos on the wall are actually all family shots from group owner Wes Heincke.
Green and white floor tiles match with the black and white tiles downstairs at sister venue Fun Pony, and also act as an homage to the building’s former occupant, The Pancake Parlour.
12. ‘Croissants in my carry-on’: Curtin Bakery goes above and beyond for National Bakery Association competition
by Lucy Ridge
Tom Lambert, Man Hoi ‘Kenny’ Cheng and Jayson Brockman with their ribbons at Evoke Bakery. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
A small Canberra bakery has come up with a couple of well-deserved ribbons for their first time entering the National Artisan Baking Competition run by the Baking Association of Australia (BAA).
Evoke Bakery opened in December 2022, and they’re now a staple at the thriving Curtin shops.
Co-owner Tom Lambert said they wanted to see how their tiny bakery operation stacked up against some of the industry’s heavyweights, and they were delighted to come away with a silver and bronze ribbon.
11. Scotty masters the low and slow Texas-style BBQ in Fyshwick
by Tenele Conway
Scott Masters of Smoke Masters BBQ. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Former Canberra radio personality Scotty Masters has thrown open the doors to his new BBQ restaurant, Smoke Masters BBQ, located in the former Zierholz Brewpub on Kembla Street in Fyshwick.
With the restaurant having a fun play on his surname and Scott having years of BBQ experience behind him, Scott’s dream of having his own venue was five years in the making.
“I’ve been catering at events and weddings with the portable smoker for five years now. I had an idea that one day I’d like to have my own place, and here we are,” he says.
10. After 45 years, Little Theo’s is still going strong!
by Michelle Taylor
Little Theo’s owner, Ant. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
It is busy o’clock at Little Theo’s and the kitchen is humming. The coordination and energy of the team is fascinating to watch; they vibe off the pace and thrill of fulfilling multiple orders under a time crunch, communicating loudly.
Owner Ant is out front, the conductor of his orchestra, calling back to see where each order is up to: “How long on the two burgers? Where are my chips on order 32?”
It is a piece of theatre, watching the spectacle of orders come together in this open kitchen. “I’m not in the food industry; I’m in the entertainment industry,” Ant jokes.
9. ‘Just don’t do it’ doesn’t work when it comes to foraging in Canberra
by Lucy Ridge
Saffron Milkcaps are a beginner friendly mushroom. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When it comes to foraging in Canberra, especially when it comes to mushrooms, the official advice from ACT Health is pretty clear: Don’t do it.
But despite this hardline messaging, there’s a community of people who still enjoy looking for wild foods in the ACT. I’m one of them, and I reckon it’s time we rethink our fear of foraging.
I’ll start with the obvious disclaimer: this is an activity that can be dangerous. Severely toxic mushrooms like death caps grow in Canberra and even small amounts can cause serious illness or death, and other plants might be sprayed with toxic weed killers.
8. Miss Van’s announces immediate and permanent closure
by Lucy Ridge
I didn’t know at the time, but this was the last meal I would eat at Miss Van’s, just last week. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
“There is no easy way to say goodbye.”
Like many others, I was shocked to see this post from Andrew Duong on social media (28 October) announcing the immediate closure of his restaurant, Miss Van’s.
The South East Asian-Australian restaurant was one of my favourites in Canberra – a chronically underrated gem. I had lunch there last week and covered the sold-out event with industry legend Tony Tan, hosted at Miss Van’s just a few days ago.
7. Rasam restaurant puts South Indian staples in the spotlight where they belong
by Michelle Taylor
Rasam is entirely vegetarian/vegan. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Rasam, promising authentic South Indian food, has opened in Childers Street. It’s a home-style eatery that pays homage to the region’s best-loved staple, idli, which is held in even higher esteem than the dosa.
Entirely vegetarian/vegan, with an extensive range of gluten-free options, Rasam also serves up the sambar of your dreams, no joke. The restaurant is a labour of love between three friends, co-owner Ranga says.
Situated right next to ANU’s Uni Lodge, Rasam’s interior is populated with heavy wooden tables and brightened with yellow and orange garlands.
6. Crack Bakery is back and making our pie-high dreams a reality!
by Michelle Taylor
The Petridis girls and some of this week’s orders. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The Crack is BACK! Gina and Anna Petridis’s online apple pie bakery phenomenon has returned bigger than ever and better than ever, if that could even be possible! The Petridis girls cannot stop smiling about it, and their massive fan base is delighted.
Walking into the industrial kitchen where Mama G (Gina) and Anna are busy prepping dozens and dozens of apple pies and pumpkin pies, I am enveloped by the homey, heady aroma that a real estate agent could only dream about having in an open house. Wafts of cinnamon and nutmeg, salted maple caramel and fresh-out-of-the-oven buttery pastry make me instantly ravenous.
As a longtime Crack devotee, I want to know how they consistently create desserts we can’t get enough of.
5. Lilette: a little slice of Paris in Canberra (via Malvern)
by Lucy Ridge
Lilette has moved from Melbourne to Canberra. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
If you’ve ever daydreamed about living in Paris, and buying ‘un croissant’ everyday at a patisserie where they know your name then Lilette is the place for you. Sure, it’s Dickson not Paris, but the pastries are magnifique and you’ll be greeted like an old friend.
Married couple Christina and Thomas Bourrat are both trained pastry chefs who spent the start of their careers in five-star hotels, but with the birth of their daughter Lilette, they began to think about opening their own store so they could have more control over their hours.
When she turned six, they realised they had the opportunity to make this dream a reality and, of course, they named it after the most important person in their lives.
4. The best thing since sliced bread: Canberra’s Best Sandwiches
by Lucy Ridge
So bad it’s good: The Mee Goreng Toastie from Melted Toasted Sandwich Emporium. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The humble sandwich is having a moment in the limelight. From boutique toasties to traditional banh mi, New York deli sandwiches and fine-dining flavours – it seems like there’s a sandwich for everyone out there at the moment!
The current trend takes sandwiches far beyond the soggy, white bread in your school lunchbox and elevates its culinary status. The hospitality industry has infamously tight profit margins and faces a lower spend-per-head as customers hold onto their dollars during the cost-of-living crisis. However, sandwiches are easy to make in bulk with fewer staff members, representing a canny business choice in a challenging economic climate. But this does not translate to a lack of creativity or quality: we’re seeing fantastic flavours with top-notch ingredients in this new sandwich era.
Celebrity Chef Matt Moran has jumped on the sandwich train with small sandwich shop &Sando accompanying his first Canberra restaurant Compa.
3. End of an era as Emperor Court Chinese Restaurant closes
by Lucy Ridge
The iconic facade of Emperor Court Chinese Restaurant could be a thing of the past. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
After 36 years of serving food in Yarralumla, the Ho family closed the doors at Emperor Court Chinese Restaurant.
Stanley and Agnes Ho took over the space in 1988, and they believe they are the second oldest, continuously family-owned Chinese restaurant in Canberra, behind Happy’s in Garema Place.
The Ho family raised their children Anita and Leslie in the restaurant, with both kids taking turns managing the space when they got older. Region spoke with Anita Ho who describes what a special place it is.
2. The Great Ramen Debate: Who makes Canberra’s most delicious noodle soup?
by Lucy Ridge
Ikigai is a newcomer to Canberra’s thriving ramen scene. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When I set out to find Canberra’s best laksa last year, I was blown away by the response: Canberrans genuinely love their laksa and have very strong feelings about their favourites. So it is with some trepidation that I lay out some of Canberra’s finest options when it comes to another favourite noodle soup: ramen.
A Japanese delicacy with some Chinese influence, ramen is a popular dish that seems to have taken Canberra by storm. Top-quality ramen is being served all over town, from Fyshwick to McKellar, Woden to Belconnen, and plenty in between.
A good ramen should have an umami-rich broth that is moreish and keeps you coming back for more. Traditional options we see most regularly in Canberra include tonkotsu (pork broth), shoyu (soy-based broth), or miso broth. Ramen noodles are usually wheat flour and super elastic and bouncy due to the inclusion of lye water, known as kansui.
1. A first look inside the new restaurant at the top of Red Hill
by James Coleman
The lights are back on inside the restaurant at the top of Red Hill. Photo: Lillie Thompson.
Perhaps Canberra’s most iconic restaurant – after the revolving one at Telstra Tower, at least – is back.
The construction fencing has come down from around the former ‘Carousel’ restaurant at the summit of Red Hill and it has reopened – with a new owner, new name, and new menu – but the same sweeping views of the city.
The Carousel first opened in December 1963. Its standout ‘dodecagon’ architecture is the work of Czech-born architect Miles Jalk.
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