Best Beer Gardens in Canberra

I’m not too sure about Friday afternoons, but on Sunday afternoons the Lighthouse in Belconnen is quite nice. It turns a bit rough on Saturday nights, but Sundays are relaxed, over looking the water in a new beer garden, and they have a live DJ playing, and a free sausage sizzle.

Highly recommended on Sunday afternoons!

I hear Honkytonks (where Mama Trattoria’s used to be in Garema) will have a beer garden. Not sure when it opens though…

Rose Cottage and the Irish Club.

Particularly Rose Cottage with live bands outside, haven’t been there in donks though.

El Rancho?!?!? My god, where have YOU been?!

El Rancho Manuka.

Sorry, *been

+1 for Fellows Bar at University House at ANU. They often have some sort of music act playing in the beer garden on Friday afternoons as well.

EvanJames said :

Used to also love the ANU Staff Centre, later called Old Canberra House. Dunno if there’s still a pub in there, but the gardens were stunning.

There is a licenced cafe called the Ivy Cafe at Old Canberra House. There was a post on The Riot on 13 Sep about their Friday night drinks session kicking off, including happy hour and live music. Haven’t benn over to check it out yet sadly…

Spoono said :

University House at ANU on a warm friday arvo is lovely for some after work drinks, really nice. Beats anywhere else I’ve been.

Yes, agree! In fact you could even say it is a real garden, not just a beer one.

The Chisholm Tavern has a beer garden. It has a lovely aspect being that it is adjacent to the Chisholm shopping centre toilets. The “Tav’s” beer garden is also adjacent to the entrance to the local Chinese takeaway joint. I imagine the smells from the toilets and the takeaway joint make for a lovely ambiance on a sultry summers’ evening.

Used to very much enjoy the funny little old garden out the back of the ACT Leagues club or whatever it’s called (and I was a member, too), that tiny little place on the fringe of Civic. They had buffalo grass and carefully-tended roses, and beyond that in recent years you could watch the Raiders huffing and throwing. I hope it’s all still there. We need more beer gardens, not less.

Used to also love the ANU Staff Centre, later called Old Canberra House. Dunno if there’s still a pub in there, but the gardens were stunning.

RUC has quite a nice thing out the front, tables and trees.

My favourite would have to be the Wello. Aaww, that’s right . .

The Old Canberra Inn has something approaching a beer garden. What a shame it doesn’t have decent beer.

+1 for University House

Jethro said :

The one at the Gininderra Labor Club in Charnwood has a giant steel cage around it, if you like your beer gardens with a bit of ghetto ambience.

Is it to keep people in or out?

Nostalgia alert:
I have never found a beer garden in Canberra anything like as good as the ones at old Victorian pubs in Melbourne; totally sheltered from the road, old vines, ancient stains on the tables…

University House at ANU on a warm friday arvo is lovely for some after work drinks, really nice. Beats anywhere else I’ve been.

Tecko12 said :

Rose cottage is good. Plenty of space.

I live right near Rose Cottage. Probably not as convenient for my mates, who are mostly in the city surrounds.

The one at the Gininderra Labor Club in Charnwood has a giant steel cage around it, if you like your beer gardens with a bit of ghetto ambience.

Rose cottage is good. Plenty of space.

Sorry.. George Harcourt in at Gungahlin, also tops….

I would say a “good” beer garden in Canberra is hard to find.

Soul Bar in Woden, right next to some greenery, but can’t fit many people inside it.

How does the place go down at the National Gallery? I think during summer they open on a Friday arvo, then you’ve got King O’Malley’s, The Durham and Holy Grail.

If you want to travel a little further west, I think the Irish Club in Weston has hands down the best beer garden in Canberra – well now that I wrote that, Rose Cottage popped into my head, the amount of work they have put into the place in the last 3 or 4 months is astounding.