First look at Gungahlin’s newest gastropub: Palmer’s

Posted on 13 May, 2026

It’s been barely six months since Josh and Jesse Sidaros took a leap of faith and opened Wanniassa’s The Valley Pub.

Turns out, they were on the money with the concept for a large, family-friendly restaurant and watering hole, with The Valley Pub quickly becoming embedded as a popular Tuggeranong venue.

Now the brothers have cast their hospitality sights across the city to Gungahlin, opening Palmer’s this week in the old Sirens site.

Palmer’s follows the brothers’ successful formula of hearty, well-priced and well-executed food, a busy bar, beer garden and plenty of space to meet friends and cheer on a game from one of the overhead screens.

“The space came up and they asked if we would be interested in operating it. We just decided to go for it,” says Josh.

They got it up and running within six weeks.

Head chef Jarrod Lord, formerly of Akiba and now running The Valley Pub, has developed the menu, which follows the general gist of what’s on offer in Tuggeranong but has a few distinctive tweaks as decided by sous chef Anil Sapkota.

It’s elevated pub food, more sophisticated than simply pizza or schnitzel, and presented on the plate to impress.

Take, for instance, the Haloumi Chips, which are salty golden strips served with dollops of pesto mayo. The perfectly tender Salt and Pepper Chilli Squid has a heat best paired with black garlic aioli.

Jarrod has perfected his taco technique, and you cannot visit without ordering a serve – choose between pulled pork, prawn or chicken, served with tomato and avocado salsa, chipotle and lime mayo.

There is a selection of mains, including more conventional pub meals of Beer Battered Flathead and Chips, Chicken Schnitzel and Chicken Parmy, and a more elevated Herb Crumbed Lamb Rack served on carrot puree with a fennel and apple slaw.

If you’re after a steak, the Grill menu offers a 250-gram Wagyu Rump, a 300-gram Scotch Fillet and a 400-gram T-Bone, served with good old-fashioned veg and a scoop of buttery herbed mash.

There are burgers aplenty – from Southern Fried Chicken to a Classic Beef, Portobello Mushroom or Fish, all of which come with fries.

Then there are pizzas – Pepperoni, Peri Peri Chicken, Cheese and Garlic, Supreme, Meat Lovers, and a classic Veg.
While it has only just opened, we predict customers may be swayed by the weekly specials, with meals priced between $25 and $30, Happy Hour taking place from 4-6 pm with schooners and house wine priced at $6, and Wednesday trivia.

Did we forget to mention dessert? A White Chocolate Crème Brûlée, Chocolate Fondant, or Sticky Date Pudding should cover off most sweet cravings.

And kids get their own menu with meals priced at just $15.

“We just want it to be a fun and family-friendly local where you know you are going to get a really good meal,” says Josh.

The bar staff know their stuff, and a large feature wine fridge means you have plenty of options if you want something special to wash down your Wagyu. We loved the fresh and fruity mix of mocktails that they made up for us after finding out our preferences.

Like The Valley Pub, there is absolutely no shortage of space at Palmer’s, and you can take a high bar table outside during the warmer days to watch the world go by. It’s relaxed enough to let your hair down, but elevated enough for a good meal out, any night of the week.