Nine ways to enjoy a night out in Canberra City
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Dinner with friends? Cocktails with a date? Live music and a dance floor? Whatever your plans, Canberra City has your night out covered.
Forget the idea that Canberra goes to bed early. From intimate restaurants tucked into heritage buildings to buzzing bars, live music venues and dance floors that keep going into the small hours, there’s plenty happening in the heart of the capital after dark.
Whether you’re planning a special occasion, catching up with friends or just looking for an excuse to get out of the house, here are nine places worth adding to your next night out in the city.
SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE
For live music, creative company and something unexpected.
If your idea of a good night involves discovering a new musician, listening to poetry or enjoying a performance that makes you think, Smith’s Alternative (pictured above) deserves a place on your list.
A much-loved home for Canberra’s creative community, Smith’s has a wonderfully eclectic program that extends well beyond traditional live music. Tuesday nights might bring a jazz jam, life drawing or an open mic for singer-songwriters, while Wednesday to Friday sees a rotating program of performances, afternoon jams and lunchtime life drawing. Saturdays typically feature three live shows, and Sundays are open to everything from community jams to evening performances.
There’s poetry, comedy, cabaret, folk music, workshops, book launches and plenty more in between – check the gig guide to see what’s coming up!
The bar serves local and imported beers, wines, coffee and tea, alongside a small selection of toasted sandwiches, savoury platters and house-made sweets.
76 Alinga Street, Canberra City | smithsalternative.com
CHOP CHOP
For Japanese feasting, inventive cocktails and a little table-side theatre.
Set inside the heritage Melbourne Building, Chop Chop brings a lively take on Japanese dining to Canberra City. Think colourful interiors, eye-catching details and a menu that moves between Japanese favourites and inventive contemporary dishes.
Start at the raw bar, where Pacific oysters, salmon carpaccio and an impressive selection of sashimi and nigiri sit alongside sushi rolls, before moving on to small plates such as wagyu beef skewers, chicken karaage, takoyaki and soft-shell crab bao.
Feeling hungry? The Feed Me and Zeitaku set menus take the guesswork out of ordering, while the wagyu sukiyaki makes a centrepiece of thinly sliced Australian beef cooked in a traditional Japanese-style hot pot.
There’s also a substantial drinks list, with Japanese beers, sake, Japanese whisky and a playful cocktail selection featuring everything from yuzu bellinis to lychee mojitos.
43 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City | chopchopdining.com.au
SQUEAKY CLEAN BAR
For cocktails, pool competitions and a venue with attitude.
A little gritty, a little irreverent and a lot of fun, Squeaky Clean Bar is proof that a good night out doesn’t need to be polished to perfection.
Hidden upstairs off Verity Lane and open until 2 am every night of the week, this dive bar combines creative cocktails, bar snacks and a lively program of weekly entertainment. There’s Killer Pool on Saturdays from 5 pm, with pool competitions every Thursday from 7 pm followed by Berra Bars, a showcase of Canberra’s leading hip hop artists.
Prefer a little friendly competition of a different kind? Trivia takes over on the first Tuesday of each month. Sundays are for free pool, and there’s a special lunchtime opening on Fridays for those looking to kick off the weekend early.
Level 1, 45 Verity Lane, Canberra City | squeakycleanbar.com
CHARCOAL RESTAURANT
For an old-school steak dinner that never goes out of style
Some restaurants chase trends. Charcoal Restaurant has spent decades doing its own thing, and Canberra diners keep coming back.
This longstanding institution in the Melbourne Building on London Circuit is all about the pleasures of a traditional steakhouse. Start with oysters Kilpatrick, sizzling garlic prawns or a prawn cocktail before moving on to the main event: generous cuts of 100+ days aged Black Angus Reserve beef cooked over charcoal.
The in-house cuts include eye fillet, scotch fillet, prime sirloin and a seriously impressive tomahawk, while more indulgent options include Carpet Bag – eye fillet with a pocket of oysters served by request – and Reef & Beef, topped with seafood in a creamy sauce.
Round things off with sticky date pudding, vanilla bean crème brûlée or an affogato with your choice of liqueur.
61 London Circuit, Canberra City | charcoalrestaurant.com.au
PJs IN THE CITY
For pub classics, live music and a night that keeps going.
PJs has been part of the Canberra City pub scene for years, bringing together good food, cold drinks and a regular line-up of entertainment.
The menu covers all the pub favourites, from schnitzels and parmas to burgers, pizzas, pasta and substantial steaks. And if you’re not quite ready to call it a night, the late-night bites menu runs until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Whether you’re there for Monday trivia, live music on Friday night or a long session with friends, PJs is ‘Where everyone’s a local’.
52 Alinga Street, Canberra City | pjsinthecity.com
VICE Restaurant
For a decadent dinner with a little temptation.
With its moody interiors and indulgent approach to dining, VICE brings a seductive edge to Canberra City’s restaurant scene.
From the team behind Lala Hospitality Group, this intimate restaurant puts premium beef firmly in the spotlight, with its signature bone-in rib eye cut from Stone Axe Wagyu, raised in Australia’s high country. Reverse-seared and chargrilled, it’s served medium-rare and prepared to your chosen weight.
But there’s plenty to tempt you before the main event. Start with house-baked focaccia served with a beef tallow candle, beef tenderloin tartare with potato galette, or toasted bone marrow with agrodolce. Sides include duck-fat roasted potatoes, cauliflower steaks with salsa verde and charred broccolini.
Save room for dessert, particularly the vanilla bean flan, served table-side by the slice with smoked sea salt and Irish whiskey.
Odgers Lane, Canberra City | vice.restaurant
CAPITOL BAR & GRILL
For a sophisticated dinner with an award-winning wine list.
With its polished interiors, bold flavours and Modern-Australian dining, Capitol Bar & Grill showcases the finest local produce, including fresh oysters, protein and honey from QT Canberra’s very own rooftop. Flame and finesse are the order of the day at Capitol Bar & Grill, where steaks are cooked over charcoal and served sliced to share, accompanied by watercress, lemon, a selection of mustards and your choice of sauce.
There’s plenty beyond the thrill of the grill, too. Start with the Capitol Antipasti Plate, featuring salami cotto, olives and burrata, or try the wood-kissed Fremantle octopus before exploring a menu that includes handmade pasta, seafood and seasonal dishes.
For wine lovers, the list is worth exploring in its own right, championing award-winning Canberra drops alongside Australian and international labels.
Afterwards, retreat to the cosy bar for a cocktail or two, then finish dinner with their signature hazelnut tiramisu, boysenberry granita with whipped coconut yoghurt, or a glass of something sweet.
Dinner, sorted. One steak, one side, one glass of red. All for $59. Your dinner decisions have never looked so good.
QT Canberra, 6 Marcus Clarke Street, NewActon | capitolbarandgrill.com
FLUI
For adventurous dining and a fresh take on modern Australian cuisine.
Flui is bringing a creative edge to the Melbourne Building, with a menu that puts seasonal produce, thoughtful combinations and contemporary cooking techniques in the spotlight.
The à la carte menu offers plenty to explore, from East 33 oysters with yuzu granita and Hokkaido scallop sashimi with bonito ponzu to twice-baked soufflé with truffle cream. For something more substantial, there’s house-made gnocchi with courgette pesto, dry-aged duck breast and a 300g MB9+ Wagyu rump cap.
Prefer to let the kitchen take the lead? Flui’s chef selection menu is a multi-course experience designed for sharing, with vegetarian and vegan set menus also available – a welcome inclusion for groups with different dietary preferences.
39–41 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City | flui.com.au
BREW NATION
For craft beer lovers who like to try something different.
If you appreciate a good beer – and especially one you haven’t tried before – make your way to Brew Nation.
Set in the heritage Sydney Building on Alinga Street, this intimate bar champions independent craft beer, with a rotating selection of brews that gives enthusiasts plenty to explore.
Hungry? Brew Nation is part of the Verity Lane Market precinct, so you can order from the market hall’s food vendors and enjoy your meal alongside your drinks.. Choose from Italian pizza at Una Pizza, Vietnamese favourites from Petite Saigon, Indonesian flavours at Rasa Rosa, Korean fried chicken from Seoul Chicken, Japanese dishes from Katsu 38, or Flavours of South America from newly opened Cundo Latino.
It’s an easy way to turn a few beers into a full evening of good food, great drinks and catching up with friends..
102 Alinga Street, Canberra City | instagram.com/brewnation.bar
ONE22
For when you’re not ready to call it a night.
Dinner’s finished, the bars are buzzing and you’re in the mood to dance? ONE22 is where Canberra City’s nightlife shifts into club mode.
Located in the Sydney Building on Alinga Street, this late-night venue is all about music, dancing and keeping the energy going after dark.
With a focus on DJs and electronic music, ONE22 attracts those who want to swap conversation over cocktails for a few hours on the dance floor.
Its weekly program has something for different electronic music tastes. Thursdays bring fast BPMs spanning techno, garage and trance, Fridays showcase key national and international artists, while Saturdays see fun, deep and sexy house music playing all night long.
Check the upcoming program, round up your dancing crew and prepare for a late one.
122 Alinga Street, Canberra City | one22.com.au
Feature image of Smith’s Alternative by VisitCanberra
