10+ underrated restaurants in the inner south you need on your radar
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It’s time for part three in our series highlighting the underrated heroes in hospo and the finest of foodie finds, as voted by you.
After a long day enjoying the art galleries, or as a treat after a late afternoon 5km around the lake, take the time to enjoy these restaurants in Canberra’s inner south. With most of the venues on this list within walking distance of each other, you will be spoiled for choice.
Bui (Kingston)
Vietnamese food is coming for Thai as Australia’s popular Asian go-to. Bui brings this flavour to the heart of Kingston with dishes such as Crispy Pork Belly with green apple and garlic with a chilli and lemon sauce, or the three-hour, slow-cooked lamb made with sweet potato and curry leaves. Vegetarians won’t be left out with a healthy number of dishes that happen to be vegan too. Pair these delicious morsels with a lychee martini, or the popular sugar cane juice and your night is on to a winner!
38 Giles Street, Kingston | @buis_restaurant
Champi (Kingston)
Looking for some Laos love? Go into Champi to be transported via grandma’s recipes to her hometown that shares this restaurants name. Offering both familiar and traditional versions of classic dishes like Tom Yum Soup (a personal favourite), Street Wok, and green and red curries, you know these recipes come from a truly authentic place.
17 Kennedy Street, Kingston | champi.com.au
Saffron Mezze House (Kingston)
Start in Greece, head east and this is the restaurant for you. Greek salad, dolmades, and tabouli are familiar Greek starters, joined by Lebanese style lamb and pine nut sausages, a Moroccan spiced chicken and apricot dish – just to name some of the things on the menu. And with Baklava, Halva, and Turkish Delight available for dessert, this mezze house is not to be missed.
31 Kennedy Street, Kingston | saffronrestaurant.com.au
Queenies (Kingston)
With an eclectic, quirky glamour of Art Deco meets punk, Queenies boasts a 100 per cent gluten free menu with plenty of vegetarian, dairy-free and vegan options as well. The menu is a varied as the décor, with Japanese influences mixed with Mediterranean, French, and American. Few places can take so many elements and make them work so well together. It’s a true feast for all of your senses!
24 Giles Street, Kingston | queeniesatkingston.com.au
Sonamu (Griffith)
Sooth the soul in this light and plant drenched Korean restaurant and tea house. With an emphasis on accommodating vegetarian, gluten-free and garlic-free foodies, it captures the feeling of mindfulness and peace associated with Korean temple food.
Local artists decorate the walls, ceramic mugs are served on doilies, and the ingredients are from Organic Energy. Start with a Yuja Cha (citron tea), move on to a Kimchi Jjige (vegetarian stew with kimchi, garlic, and enoki mushrooms) or Bibimbap (a rice base with veggies, meat and topped with a fried egg) and relax into one of the most peaceful dining experiences on this list.
4 Barker Street, Griffith | @sonamukorean
Gryphons (Griffith)
A modern take on the classic Australian gastro pub, Gryphons offers the expected pizzas, burgers, and fries, with a few unexpected twists. Pulled Pork Parmies, Duck Pancakes, and Tandoori Chicken Pizza sit on the menu alongside Margherita pizza, steak, and cheeseburgers, both beef and haloumi. All that with a side of chips.
16 Barker Street, Griffith | gryphons.com.au
Baan Latsamy (Manuka)
Another representation of Laos cuisine, Baan Latsamy combines it with Thai to create a Southeast Asian sensation. With gluten-free options and a surprisingly large vegetarian selection ,there are plenty of choices for all dietary requirements. We suggest ordering the mixed bamboo platter to roll your morsels in either rice or lettuce, promising a variety of flavours in one dish, encouraging diners to finally play with their food.
Shop 9, 17 Flinders Way Manuka | baanlatsamyrestaurant.com
Abell’s Kopi Tiam (Manuka)
You’ll never ‘order a Chinese’ again after indulging in Abell’s Chinese and Malaysian fusion. Named for the coffee shops that serve traditional, homestyle food that are so popular in Singapore and Malay, this hidden gem in Manuka brings traditional flavours with a healthier focus, reducing salt, using less oil and adding no MSG to their fresh regional produce.
7 Furneaux Street, Manuka | abellskopitiam.com.au
Trecento (Manuka)
Pizza is such a popular and varied dish that everyone has opinions on what constitutes a ‘real’ pizza (pineapple on pizza anyone?). Trecento in Manuka can help settle the argument for you.
Using a 300-year-old recipe from the home of pizza, they have even been certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, meeting the true, representative standards of a traditional Neapolitan pizza.
Beyond serving pizza they also reflect the port town of Naples through some excellent seafood dishes such as Casarecce Gamberi (prawns, salami, garlic, and chilli in a creamy sauce), and Frutti de Mare (linguine, crab, vongole, prawns, cherry tomato, garlic lemon, chilli and herbs). While heavily pasta, meat, and dairy focused (as is all Italian) there are still some delicious vegetarian and gluten- free options for mains. Or you can create a flavourful feast and stick to ordering a number of starters as you eat your way through Italian history.
18 Flinders Way, Manuka | trecento.com.au
Lamsheds (Yarralumla)
In this sleek, warehouse-chic restaurant the clean, calm interiors contrast with the colour and excitement popping off the plates. Whether it’s the combination of blood orange, fennel and pistachio, or Zucchini Flowers stuffed with goat cheese, olives tomato and capsicum, the Spanish-Australian dishes are just as scrumptious to look at as well as eat.
27 Bentham Street, Yarralumla | lamsheds.com.au
Ondine (Deakin)
Why ‘master the art of French cooking’ when you could pay someone who’s already done it for you? Ondine serves up European elegance with French favourites such as Escargots en Persaillade (snails in garlic and butter), traditional French onion soup, and Boeuf Bourguignon. Don’t forget to finish the meal with a delectable dessert such as Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee, or a slice of Fraisier Cake (Genoise sponge, strawberries, and strawberry mouse) because as the great Julia Childs liked to say, “A party without cake is just a meeting”.
7 Duff Place, Deakin | ondine.com.au
The Pialligo Bakesmith (Pialligo)
While not technically a restaurant, this café deserves a special mention on this list as one of the underrated gems of the Canberra foodie scene. Natalie Van der Bosch (founder of yet another must visit place, Le Bon Melange), took over the then Farm Shop Café, and has turned it into one of my personal favourite places.
Nestled in The Commons, it’s perfect for a lazy morning starting with brunch and coffee in the greenery and sunshine of the gardens, then awander through the inspiring and bright combined shops of the Pink Flamingo, Wren & Rabbit,and the mellow and grounded earthenware of Bisonhome.
Beltana Road, Pialligo | @thepialligobakesmith
Feature image: Queenies. Supplied.
