When I lived in the Woden area, social clubs were a regular activity of mine. I would find myself meeting friends for a casual drink, cheap bistro bite to eat, and I have to admit, I am a fan of the pokies every now and then, but I do limit myself to $20. I found social clubs to be a good place for activities; somewhere you can go where there are a couple of activity options for everyone.
So last week the call went out for Canberra’s best social club and I decided to check out the Vikings Group and Helenic Club Woden.
I started with The Vikings clubs, which are in four locations, Erindale, Chisholm, Tuggeranong and Lanyon. Wow! Do they have a lot to offer; tennis courts, lawn bowls, gyms, a range of bistro’s and café’s that offer great meal deals, Live entertainment, trivia nights, gaming lounges and much much more. Of course each venue is slightly different, with different restaurants/cafes, layouts for each venue, but for $5 a year, you can become a Vikings member, which allows entry to all four of the venues.
Next I checked out the Hellenic Club Woden, which like Vikings also has a lot to offer, a number of bars and dining options, including Ginseng, which is probably my favourite yum cha place in Canberra. Hellenic also provides live entertainment, trivia nights, gaming lounge, gym facilities and a children’s play room. The membership is a little more than Vikings at $8.80 per year, but that’s like two cups of coffee, and the membership also gives you access to their boutique location in the city and Floresco dining at the Botanical Gardens.
After checking out both Vikings and Hellenic Club, I personally think Hellenic is the winner. I really liked the vibe, the service … the yum cha. It also feels a little newer and more modern.