Best of Canberra - Pub food

wig & pen is brilliant . Great service, great food and that odd random tasting as well. Surely One of the bests.

Holden Caulfield said :

jrsubs said :

The Durham at Green Square, Kingston. The closest thing we’ve found to a real English pub,…

The George Harcourt Inn is more English to me, simply for the fact you have to drive there, just like you would if you were visiting an English pub in a small village.

I haven’t been to the George Harcourt for a long time, so will have to try it again though it’s on the other side of town. But driving there is not a prerequisite for English-pubism! Plenty of pubs in London. However I share your enthusiasm for a pleasant drive to somewhere in the country as the perfect way to spend, eg, a long Sunday afternoon. We really don’t do good pubs or eateries of that style in Australia, and worst of all around Canberra (George Harcourt possible exception if it counts as a Sunday drive).

I wrote to the Times and the Chief Minister at the time they were trying to work out what to do at the Cotter reserve after the fires. I suggested replacing the burnt down pub with a real pub, something with outdoor tables and grass sloping down to the river and ducks and pleasantness all around. Stanhope replied privately to his staff that ‘there’ll be a pub at the Cotter over my dead body”. They carried out a big research effort re facilities at the Cotter and came up with the brilliant idea of … of … a sandwich bar! Which never happened anyway.

I can’t believe such a perfect location is not used for a good English style family-friendly destination for drinks and food. Part of the total lack of imagination that goes with peri-Canberra planning, almost as bad as Canberra urban planning.

I have eaten at the Hotel Queanbeyan (aka Top Pub) a few times since the renovations were completed. I am yet to be disappointed.

Can’t speak from experience, yet, but I’ve noticed the new owners of the Pot Belly in Belco are starting to do food – at this point only on Sunday arvo I think. They’ve taken the (perhaps brave) approach of only selling teh craft beer as I think the owners are homebrew nerds, so I’ll be interested to see what they do for food. I expect to see at least ein kraft schnit on the menu.

If your using Scnitty’s as your yardstick, (though not technically a pub…) Eastlakes AFL club in Kingston/Griffith gets my vote for $12. Great value given the size of it.

The Royal in Queanbeyan serves up pretty good fare, my favourite being a portion of ribs you struggle to climb over. Walshes Hotel pretty good too, though at $30/plate for most things. Honourable mention to George Harcourt, OCI & the Durham as previously mentioned by others.

The eagle hawk hotel in sutton at the united servo does an awesome hot stone grill. (Ie you get the raw meat and cook on hot stone at your table). Its a bit country bogan at times, but thats authenticity. So take a burly male friend if you go there Bec. The gundaroo pub on a friday summer evening is pumping. Edgars is good, basically anywhere with a special of a weeknight, sometimes you can get a $10 feed.

Bentspoke, The Durham and Civic Pub all do decent feeds. And for the best schnittys can’t go.past the Austrian Club.

ilikecake said :

Another vote for Bent Spoke – love that place! Edgar’s in Ainslie is also very good.

Yep, the food at Bent Spoke is great! The beer is more of an acquired taste…

purple diva said :

Forget anything wanky in Kingston/Braddon/Civic …. they’re not REAL pubs, and if you’re paying >$20 for a burger then you’re being robbed!

The Durham is not wanky. Nor was the Belgian Beer Cafe (while it was operating). Both in Kingston.

jrsubs said :

The Durham at Green Square, Kingston. The closest thing we’ve found to a real English pub, good value and good food ($10 burgers for lunch).

The George Harcourt Inn is more English to me, simply for the fact you have to drive there, just like you would if you were visiting an English pub in a small village.

Another vote for Bent Spoke – love that place! Edgar’s in Ainslie is also very good.