Hidden Canberra bars worth searching for

Posted on 24 November, 2018

We scratch the surface to reveal five hidden Canberra bars worth searching for.

Did you know that in some parts of Canberra you have more chance of living next door to a spy than in any other city on earth?

Secrets are a part of Canberra’s culture, so it’s only fitting that a new generation of bars is embracing the hidden. We scratch the surface to reveal five bars worth checking out.

Lola’s

Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola.

Blink and you may miss it but for the faint sounds of disco and the smell of a New York-style pizza emanating from within Canberra’s newest speakeasy.

You will have to look hard for the tiny neon sign that proclaims the latest space from Canberra’s bar and restaurant guru Frank Condi–Lola’s.

A friendly, cosy and intimate space that is all dark corners, graffitied walls and tiny booths. Share a long-neck or a local spirit with friends and enjoy a woodfired pizza or other authentic Italian bite.

Lola’s | 50 Bunda Street (next to Shorty’s) | Tuesday to Saturday 4 pm til very late (and by late we mean early hours of the morning). Friday lunch from 11 am. | lolasbar.com.au

Molly

Even locals can’t find this bar — and that’s just how the owners like it. It’s a modern take on a Prohibition era speakeasy and it’s so cool it hurts.

Guided to the unmarked door only by map coordinates, Molly embraces the ‘hidden drinking den’ theme with moody lighting and secret rooms. A cheese and charcuterie station means you can settle in for the night, and during winter Molly serves up roasted chestnuts and heated cognac.

With live jazz during the week, cocktail lessons and whiskey tastings, this is one place worth whipping out the GPS for.

Molly |Wooden Door, Odgers Lane, Canberra City | Monday to Saturday, 4pm – 2am | molly.bar

Bar Rochford

In the nearby Melbourne Building is Bar Rochford, a bar-cum-restaurant that’s sophisticated with a touch of grunge, and equally fitting for a quick after-work drink or lengthy session.

With a cracking wine list, and a menu boasting European and Modern Australian flavours, this is a destination for those barhops who are as serious about their food as they are their drinks.

As has become the norm for Canberra’s coolest bars, don’t expect obvious signage — Bar Rochford’s entrance is deliberately low-key, an unassuming door in the Melbourne Building, just next to Lemon Grass Thai.

Bar Rochford | First floor, 65 London Circuit (Melbourne Building), Canberra City | www.barrochford.com

Black Market | 15 Edinburgh Street, NewActon | Open seven days, 5pm to late |  www.bmbar.com.au

Lucky’s Speakeasy

From the outside it looks like a barber shop, but make your way past the antique leather chairs and you’ll find one of Canberra’s most spirited bars (excuse the pun!).

The Prohibition theme looms large in Lucky’s, played upon with posters from the era displayed on rotation on the screens around the room, and staff who could have stepped out of the 1920s.

It’s a sprawling space, yet somehow sophisticated and intimate, with booths providing privacy. With a well-crafted list of classic and newer cocktails, regular entertainment, and a varied snacks menu, you’re sure to ‘get lucky’.

Lucky’s Speakeasy | 1 London Circuit, Canberra  (inside the QT Hotel) | Friday and Saturday from 5 pm ’till late |www.qtcanberra.com.au

BLACK MARKET

Tucked into the basement of acclaimed eatery Morning Glory is Black Market. Dusky and intimate, it’s a bar for grown-ups, and its proximity to Palace Electric Cinemas make it the perfect spot for a pre- or post-movie tipple.

With rockabilly beats, small plates, and a focus on local wines, select spirits and ‘comfort cocktails’, Black Market is one to track down if you’re looking for something small and friendly.

Black Market | 15 Edinburgh Street, NewActon | Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm to late | blackmarket.bar

Feature image by Tim Bean Photography.