Where to eat outside in Canberra when the weather warms up (because we’re excited by the forecast!)
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Canberra is forecast to hit 18 degrees this Saturday and we are so excited that we are declaring it ‘eat outside’ weather.
If you’re also ready to swap the heater for a sunny table, there are plenty of places around town where you can make the most of it. Think lakeside lunches, leafy courtyards, beer gardens, sunny decks and cafés where the kids can run around.
Here are some of our favourite places to eat outside around Canberra as the weather starts warming up.
Caffè al Lago (Gungahlin)
Sitting right on the edge of Yerrabi Pond, Caffè al Lago is a Gungahlin spot made for sunny days – particularly if you’re in the mood for a seriously good sandwich.
The Italian deli-café’s schiacciata menu is the star, with options including the La Speciale, packed with prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and aged balsamic; the Cotto, with ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato and crema di tartufo; and the Pistachio Mortadelle with mortadella, stracciatella, basil pesto, rocket and pistachios.
There’s also a Chicken Schiacciatta, a Mediterranean vegan option, pizza and an Italian-leaning selection of cakes and pastries. Grab an iced latte, iced matcha or milkshake to go with it, then find a sunny spot overlooking the water.
60A Phyllis Ashton Circuit, Gungahlin | @caffeallago
Kiln at Belco Arts (Belconnen)
For lunch with a view, it’s hard to beat a table overlooking Lake Ginninderra. Kiln at Belco Arts pairs the lakeside setting with an all-day menu, coffee and a wine list that makes it easy to turn a quick bite into a leisurely afternoon.
From Shakshuka and Smashed Avo to fish and chips, chicken and waffles, a classic beef burger, butter chicken, a vegan burger and a kebab platter, there’s something for every taste.
Dinner is served Thursday through Saturday, making it the perfect spot to watch the sun go down over the lake.
118 Emu Bank, Belconnen | belcoarts.com.au/kiln
Cartel Tacos (Belconnen)
Tacos by the lake? Absolutely. Cartel Tacos brought its Mexican menu to Belconnen, with its Boardwalk location overlooking Lake Ginninderra.
The menu is generous and messy, boasting everything from fully loaded tacos (honestly, they had us at butter-poached WA lobster, house béchamel, Mexican cheese, crispy tortilla, served with lobster prawn bisque) to nachos big enough to share. Wash it all down with one of their famous Frozen Margaritas (we can’t go past the Passionfruit Coconut).
5/114 Emu Bank, Belconnen | carteltacos.au
Pollen (Acton)
Surrounded by greenery inside the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Pollen is one of Canberra’s most picturesque places to eat.
Settle in for breakfast or lunch and choose from dishes like Creamy Mushroom Toast with thyme-roasted field mushrooms, a fried egg and parmesan, Crispy Chilli Scramble, or the Smoked Trout Salad with Australian rainbow trout, quinoa, chickpeas, rocket and harissa dressing.
Once you’ve finished eating, you’ve got the whole Australian National Botanic Gardens right outside, so you may as well make an afternoon of it.
Clunies Ross Street, Australian Botanic Gardens | pollencafe.com.au
Dom’s Deli & Bar (Acton)
Dom’s Deli & Bar may be compact, but its sandwiches are anything but small. The daytime menu is built around focaccia sandwiches, including the Dom’s Special with mortadella, basil pesto, black olives, roasted red peppers and fior di latte, alongside smoked chicken and a hot honey salumi with sopressa, prosciutto, fermented garlic honey and fior di latte.
Snag one of the tables outside and pair your sandwich with an iced latte – or, if you’re there later in the day, settle in for a beef and pickles toastie, tuna melt or three-cheese toastie with a glass of wine.
National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton | @doms.deli_
Edgar’s (Ainslie)
When the sun is out, Edgar’s sunny beer garden is a very good reason to make your way north of Civic. With breakfast, lunch and dinner on offer, it’s an easy choice whether you’re after a morning coffee, a long lunch or an afternoon drink that turns into dinner.
For breakfast, there’s Turkish eggs with confit garlic and beans, dill yoghurt and toasted Turkish bread, house-cured salmon Benny with brown butter hollandaise, or the more substantial Edgar’s Brekky Burger with bacon, egg, American cheese and hash browns. Later in the day, the menu moves into pub territory, with karaage chicken, corn ribs, grilled chicken tacos, a Wagyu beef burger, barramundi, chicken schnitzel and fish and chips among the options.
For something a little more elevated, you can also head upstairs to The Inn’s terrace for views towards Telstra Tower and Mount Ainslie.
1 Edgar Street, Ainslie | edgarsinn.com.au
Assembly (Braddon)
Assembly’s outdoor spaces give you a couple of ways to enjoy the sunshine – settle around the big oak tree in the Beer Garden with a few friends, or grab a table out front on Lonsdale Street for some serious people-watching.
From midday, the menu is made for a leisurely lunch or afternoon session, with KFC wings, jerk chicken tacos, crispy calamari, steak sandwiches and burgers among the options. There’s also a pub-food lineup of chicken schnitty, lamb ragu, crispy-skin barramundi and woodfired steaks if you’re after something more substantial.
The drinks list spans Margaritas, Mojitos, Espresso Martinis and Pink Gin Fizzes, plus cocktail jugs and a decent selection of wine and beer.
11 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | thepeoplespub.com.au
Snapper & Co. (Yarralumla)
At Snapper & Co., you can grab a table in The Courtyard or head straight for the lawns with a picnic rug. Then it’s a matter of choosing your fish – battered or crumbed fish and chips, barramundi, Tassie salmon or the Asian-style baked NZ baby snapper with lime, chilli, ginger, soy and garlic dressing.
If you’re making an afternoon of it, the menu also has fresh oysters, Australian tiger prawns, lobster cocktail and grilled Australian prawns, plus seafood and charcuterie boards designed for sharing.
And for dessert? Grab a scoop or two from the onsite gelati bar.
Mariner Place, Yarralumla | snapperandco.com.au
Walt & Burley (Kingston)
With Lake Burley Griffin right outside, Walt & Burley is made for those afternoons when you have nowhere else you need to be.
Start with something to share – perhaps prawn tacos with grilled Queensland prawns, lime and coriander slaw, burrata with heirloom tomatoes and basil, or Walt’s charcuterie board with cured meats, cheese, olives and grilled sourdough.
There are also pub classics including a Burley Beef Burger, chicken parmy and beer-battered hoki and chips, alongside larger plates such as barramundi, picanha rump cap and roast lamb shoulder.
Add a few drinks and – if you’re lucky, some live music – and you’ve got the makings of a very good afternoon by the water.
70/17 Eastlake Parade, Kingston | waltandburley.com.au
The Kingston Hotel (Kingston)
On a sunny afternoon, head straight for Kingston Hotel’s Garden Bar. Tucked into a leafy garden with plenty of outdoor tables, it’s made for settling in with a few drinks and something to eat.
The bar snacks menu is much more interesting than your standard bowl of chips, with fish tacos with battered flathead, coleslaw, guacamole and Sriracha, sticky pork bao buns, handmade pork dumplings and crispy buttermilk chicken bites.
If you’re after something more substantial, Maddies Restaurant has pub favourites including chicken schnitzel, chicken parma, fish and chips, twice-cooked BBQ ribs and steaks.
73 Canberra Avenue, Griffith | kingstonhotel.com.au
Public Bar (Manuka)
Public’s spacious outdoor area puts you in the middle of the Manuka action, with food, cocktails and plenty of people-watching thrown in while you work your way through the menu.
Choose from something light – pork belly sliders, lemon pepper squid, tempura zucchini chips or tacos – or tuck into something more substantial, like a Public Burger, chicken schnitzel, fish and chips or Nasi Goreng.
And if the sun is still shining, there’s a cocktail list to match the mood: Aperol Spritzes, Margaritas, Mojitos, Espresso Martinis and Strawberry Mojitos, as well as jugs including the Passion Mojo and Pick Me Up.
1/33 Flinders Way, Griffith | publicbar.com.au
Wildflour (Fyshwick)
A charming café, shaded outdoor area and a dedicated fenced playground for the kids – there are plenty of reasons Wildflour is a popular spot, and we haven’t even got to the food.
As an artisan bakery and café, the sourdough is a big part of the draw, alongside a full breakfast menu. You can go for Spanish eggs with chorizo, black beans, corn and chipotle, corn fritters with smashed avocado and crispy grilled zucchini, or the Karaage Burger with purple cabbage slaw, pickled ginger and cucumber and spicy Kewpie mayo.
There are also pancakes – including a butterscotch version with banana, caramel chunks, vanilla gelato and Biscoff crumb – plus plenty of kids’ options.
8 Townsville St, Fyshwick | wildflour.com.au
Two Blind Mice (Curtin)
A neighbourhood favourite with a relaxed outdoor setup, Two Blind Mice is a good option when you want a casual meal for the whole family.
The Curtin local combines wood-fired pizza with Italian-inspired dishes, from beef ossobuco ragu and seafood marinara to venison gnocchi Bolognese and chicken schnitzel, with a great range of wood-fired pizzas.
There are also some incentives to make it a midweek outing, including $19 wood-fired pizzas on Tuesdays, $25 schnitzels on Wednesdays, and $25 rump steak with chips and salad on Thursdays
6/44 Curtin Place, Curtin | twoblindmicecurtin.com.au
Fox & Bow (Farrer)
Fox & Bow is a good southside option for a relaxed outdoor brunch or lunch, particularly if you’re bringing the kids along.
The menu has plenty to suit different appetites, from Spanish eggs with Rodriguez chorizo and guindilla peppers to zucchini fritters with dill yoghurt, tabouli and hummus, while the Reuben comes packed with 18-hour smoked beef brisket, pickles, mustard, cheddar, sauerkraut and sour cream chive sauce.
When it warms up, swap the usual flat white for something chilled – the everchanging menu currently includes Vietnamese iced coffee, iced matcha, iced chai and a lychee and passionfruit iced tea.
4 Farrer Place, Farrer | foxandbow.com.au
Beltana Farm (Pialligo)
For a long lunch that feels miles from the city, head to Beltana Farm in Pialligo, where the menu is designed around sharing and the produce of the region.
Start with South Coast oysters with pepperberry mignonette, truffle and cuttlefish salami, or whipped buffalo ricotta with watermelon radish, then share dishes such as chargrilled Bermagui bluefin tuna with roasted garlic and saltbush, Humpty Doo barramundi with fennel, orange and samphire, or bay-smoked lamb rump with burnt pear and mustard seed.
In summer, the floor-to-ceiling walls open up to connect the dining room with the outdoors.
14 Beltana Road, Pialligo | beltanafarm.au
Two Before Ten (Greenway)
You can have your coffee with a lake view in Tuggeranong, too. Two Before Ten Greenway sits right on the edge of the water, with outdoor seating and a sunny north-east-facing aspect.
The menu covers everything from chilli eggs with lemon-spiced labneh, smoked chorizo and roast peppers to apple crumble hotcakes with vanilla mascarpone and berry compote. If you’re after something savoury and substantial, there’s also an Aussie beef burger loaded with bacon, egg, beetroot, pineapple and caramelised onion, or a Reuben toastie with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and pickles.
And given we’re talking warmer weather, there’s cold brew, iced latte, iced long black and a range of pressed juices – including watermelon, apple and mint.
Cynthea Teague Crescent, Greenway | twobeforeten.com.au/cafes/greenway/
Little Luxton (Gordon)
Little Luxton’s sun-dappled deck is made for lingering over coffee, while the astroturf outside gives little ones a bit more room to roam. There’s also a large sandpit, making this a handy spot for a relaxed catch-up when the kids are in tow.
The food is simple café fare done well, with Sonoma banana bread toasted with butter, Croque monsieur and Reuben toasties, plus a pesto, tomato and cheese option for vegetarians. Pair your toastie with an iced latte or kombucha once the temperature climbs.
Little Luxton operates in partnership with the Gordon Community Centre, with $1 from every coffee supporting community programs in Gordon and a pay-it-forward system providing free coffees to people in need.
110 Lewis Luxton Avenue, Gordon | littleluxton.com
Photography; Andrew Ly, Nineteen Creative
