Belconnen has a new lakeside café and it brings art and global flavours to the waterfront

Posted on 10 April, 2025

Culinary and artistic indulgence with an outstanding view? Don’t mind if we do. A new lakeside café has opened in Belconnen and it’s serving more than just delicious coffee.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Ginninderra, Kiln at Belco Arts is the newest edition to the Belconnen Arts Centre offering visitors a picturesque spot for a memorable dining experience.

Joining the vibrant galleries, boutique shop, theatre and creative workshops on offer, the opening of Kiln completes the immersive experience of visiting the space. And it’s been a long time coming.

A community ambition since the centre first opened in 2009, the new café marks a new era for Belco Arts – one where community and creativity goes hand in hand.

Brought to life by longtime friends and passionate foodies, Hina, Pooja and Raj, the café started as a passion project when they saw this as a potential for a fusion of food and art.

While Hina and Raj have years of hospitality experience, Pooja brings a fresh perspective into the venture with an eye for detail and ‘the look’. Pooja says that the three of them, coupled with an active input from the team at BelcoArts, have worked wonders for the space.

“It’s got all of the art and the vibrancy that we like. I’m a massive foodie myself so it’s something I’ve always wanted to get into, especially in an art space like this…I’ve known Hina for seven years and Kiln has turned our friendship into a great partnership,” says Pooja.

Naming the café ‘Kiln’ pays tribute to the elements of art that surround it, like Belco Arts itself, there’s something happening in the venue day and night.

Because with arts exhibitions on one side and the theatre on the other, not only is Kiln open daily for breakfast and lunch, but from Thursday through to Sunday visitors can also enjoy lakeside sunset views while diving into a diverse dinner menu.

Bringing on Dhaval Patel (previously of 1or2 Cafē in Griffith), as Head Chef, Pooja says the menu at Kiln is purposefully multicultural to reflect the Canberra community.

While the day sees fresh dishes inspired by Australian classics and served with a twist – think gluten-free Mung Bean pancakes served with avocado, house-made salsa, sour cream, and mint yogurt, and Mediterranean Eggs with Turkish bread, tzatziki, cherry tomatoes, fetta, marinated olives and herbs – the dinner menu fuses together global flavours.

From Butter Chicken served with aromatic basmati rice and papadam to traditional Chimichanga with your choice of beef, chicken or black beans; a Kebab Platter complete with tabouli, hummus and Turkish bread; Dirty Samosa stuffed with potato and peas; and even a Parmigiana, every dish is an adventure waiting to be discovered.

“We don’t expect just one type of person to come in. Art is for everybody,” says Pooja.

“We don’t expect our customers to be stuck with one cuisine. The idea is for them to come for their first meal and back for another and then again for a third dish. We just didn’t want to restrict ourselves with the menu.”

As for the drinks? Coffee by RW Melbourne is the go-to option during the day alongside other options like Masala Chai and Mango Lassi. Then, when the sun goes down, they turn their attention to primarily local fine wines and beers, including Nick O’Leary’s, Bentspoke, Capital Brewing. They also have popular local beers on tap and – if that is not enough – choice spirits are available to be sipped and savored.

Hoping to turn Kiln into a community hub where people can stop for a coffee and cake post-lake walk, go for a leisurely lunch in-between looking at exhibitions or spend an evening catching up with friends, Pooja says there are not many other cafes like Kiln in Canberra.

With generous indoor and outdoor seating (with plans to add heaters for the winter), it’s a unique space that offers a gateway to dance, music, visual arts, the theatre and more.

Bringing art and global flavours to the waterfront, Belco Arts is now a complete creative destination where good food, art and community come together – and Kiln is a delicious addition to Canberra’s culinary scene that’s been well worth the wait.

Feature image: Andrew Sikorski.