A one-minute guide to nine Braddon bars for your Saturday night
Posted on
New to Canberra? Feel like a stranger to our bar scene thanks to winter?
Never fear. Here’s a quick guide to nine of Braddon’s most popular bars. The best part? You can find them across just two streets, so wear those gorgeous yet pinchy heels.
ALCOVE
View this post on Instagram
Tucked at the back of the new Branx building, Alcove is, indeed, an alcove with an enormous wall of glass at the back, shaded by oaks.
Of course, Alcove has a generous cocktail and wine menu, and its canapés can be ordered in any permutation you like, depending on hunger. But it’s the Pair Menu that sets a new bar for Canberra, matching inventive cocktails to each bespoke morsel. Want sashimi? Drink a Shiso of yuzu, champagne and aromatic fog to get the most out of the fresh, subtle flavours. See where we’re going with this?
VOLSTEAD REPEAL
View this post on Instagram
Meet Volstead Repeal, which is quietly hidden away up the far end of the alley of shops in the new Yamaroshi Buidling at 32 Mort Street in Braddon where you’re transported into a post-Prohibition, New York style cocktail bar with walls lined with whisky bottles and deep green leather chesterfields beckoning for you to partake of a drink while soaking up the jazz and candlelight.
But what about the drinks? There’s a wine and beer list featuring an interesting mix of local and overseas labels and if it’s whisky you’re after, well, there are more than 300 choices to mull over. It’s dark, calming and old school in the extreme.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE PENTHOUSE
View this post on Instagram
It’s always an interesting time when a beloved establishment moves or reinvents themselves. But step inside Knightbridge Penthouse‘s new location and you’d be forgiven for getting déjà vu. The very same solid steel bar stands in front of the same bar shelves, the same pendant lights with Edison bulbs, all re-purposed from the old venue. It’s more than a little nostalgia-inducing—in the best way (yes, including the drinks).
facebook.com/knightsbridgepenthouse
RIZLA
View this post on Instagram
Tiny. Outdoors. And yet oh-so-well thought-out on every level. Andy Day and his team have an affinity with Riesling (hence the restaurant slang Rizla), but that doesn’t stop them knowing their way around other varietals.
The menu is bespoke and never fails to hit the mark. The tuna tartare on potato crisps is excellent, as is the charred corn with chilli, coriander and lime butter. And those are just the starters and sides!
TIPSY BULL
View this post on Instagram
A perennial favourite for food and THE place in Canberra to explore gin.
We love snaring a seat in the sun and deliberating on our gins—not only do you choose any one of a multitude of spirits, but they are accompanied by specific garnishes, all of which come artfully placed on a wooden paddle for you to mix and match.
ASSEMBLY
View this post on Instagram
Home to the city’s coolest beer garden, Assembly is a place to see and be seen. A huge bar runs down one side while booths and tables spread across this expansive venue.
The menu is more than your classic pub feed, featuring kingfish, charcuterie boards, and rotisserie chicken or lamb shoulder to share. And there is no end of beverage options to keep you out until late.
CIVIC PUB
View this post on Instagram
If old-school pub hospitality is your thing then look no further than the Civic Pub, where beer, pool tables and a sizzling grill are at your disposal.
Sit out the front and enjoy watching the passing crowds from a seat in the sun, or in cooler weather head indoors to the Whiskey Room.
HOPSCOTCH
View this post on Instagram
A gastropub that always has a crowd, Hopscotch is thankfully spacious indoors and out.
Featuring an expansive beer garden complete with outdoor spit, it’s a good spot for a casual drink and boasts the largest range of whiskies in Canberra, which you can enjoy after a meal cooked on their imported wood-fired Argentine Grill.
MIDNIGHT BAR
View this post on Instagram
Lowered slightly below street level, this bar allows you a subterranean view onto Canberra’s central thoroughfare.
Elegant, curved banquettes line one side, while a sunken courtyard paves the way out from for summer cocktails. Speaking of which, their cocktail menu caters to a diverse range of tastes—we love the gin bowls.
Want even more inspiration?
Check out VisitCanberra’s Neighbourhood Guide to the Inner North + City here.
Feature image: Andrew Ly
