15+ new places to eat in Canberra this spring
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Many a new place to eat has sprung amongst the flowers this spring. Here’s our latest round up of Canberra’s freshest eats.
This is the season to stow away the heavy winter coats, dust off the sundresses, and enjoy a bite of some of Canberra’s best new fare in the sun. Here’s where to find it.
Baby Su
Image: Ashley St George
Lovers of Lazy Su’s Americana/Korean/Japanese fusion menu will no doubt flock to its more casual offshoot in City West. Expect salmon rice bowls, Cheese Bao-gers, noodle soups and their cult favourite, Wagyu Cheesesteak Springroll.
Floor-to-ceiling windows flooding and a pastel colour scheme make this a space you’ll want to visit any time of day.
Read more about Baby Su in our First Look article.
54 Alinga Street, City West | Open 12–10 pm, seven days a week | baby-su.com.au
BOFFINS
Photo: Martin Ollman.
The newly reopened Boffins at University House is all about regional and seasonal —with even the plates and cutlery crafted locally.
There are small plates of burrata with caramelised garlic and walnuts, seared sesame and miso salmon, substantial plates of Golden Plains suckling pork belly and housemade spaghettini. And for dessert? Panacotta, local cheeses, and chocolate ganache.
Read more about Boffins.
1 Balmain Crescent, Acton | Open Lunch Tuesday–Friday 11.30am–2.30pm, Dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5pm | 6125 5285 | unihouse.anu.edu.au/eat/boffins-restaurant
EAST PIZZA KINGSTON
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Pizza was made to be shared, and what’s better than when you can do so with a magnificent view? Located near the Kingston Foreshore, East Pizza is a takeaway-only stop for those in search of a traditional slice, with favourites such as Margherita, Funghi, Tropicale, or their own meatlovers’ delight, the Affetato. As the weather warms up, this will be the perfect place to grab a bite and watch the sunset in the evening.
39 Eastlake Parade, Kingston Foreshore | Open Wednesday–Sunday 5.30pm–9pm | 0438 462 708 | eastpizza.com.au
HOMESLICE CO.
Fyshwick already boasts a stellar selection of cafes, and new entry HomeSlice makes the trip all the more worthwhile. There are wholesale goods and a café menu including seven different flavours of banana bread (think blueberry ricotta, walnut and choc chip), a range of croissants (miso caramel and Croqué Monsieur among them) and a daily range of pizza bagels.
Most of the HomeSlice recipes have been passed down through the owner Tess’ Czech family, so everything is imbued with a lot of love.
70 Barrier Street, Fyshwick | Open Monday–Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday–Sunday 8am–2pm | 0434-371-959 | homesliceco.com.au
INTRA
Photo: Keelan Goodisson
Fusion foods are the flavour of the moment, and Intra offers its own twist on breakfast food. You can pick up the usual fruit toast, granola or poké, or you can try some of their Japanese-inspired offerings such as tofu bagel with pickled zucchini and yuzu jerk sauce, kimchi jaffle, or avocado with yuzu and ricotta on sourdough.
Read more about Intra.
12 Provan Street, Campbell | Open Tuesday–Friday 7am–3:30pm, Saturday–Sunday 8am–3pm | intra.coffee
KNEAD BAKERY
Photo: Emma Macdonald
A stalwart of the Belconnen Markets and a favourite of Casey locals with its Tinker Tailor offshoot, Knead is giving the people what they want with its new Campbell bakery. Prepare for this to be your new Inner North stop for a quick pastry and coffee (think Nutella scrolls, rye sourdough and toasted coconut brookies), or a pie on the go during your lunch hour. Not the pastry hero we deserve, but the one we knead.
Read more about Knead in Campbell.
55 Constitution Avenue, Campbell | Open Monday–Friday 7am–4pm, Saturday 7am–3pm, Sunday 8am–3pm | 02 6162 3200 | facebook.com/kneadartisanbakery
KYŌ COFFEE PROJECT
Café, wholesale and coffee shop – KYŌ does it all. The team are influenced by Japanese styling and culture, with their in-house blends including seasonal Kikan, Ekisu and single origin Shinguru. You can drop in for a brew and a bite (tapioca porridge with miso pear anyone?) or pick up any of their contemporary grinders or press. And if that’s all not enough to sell it, KYŌ also offer a coffee subscription, where they’ll send you a 200g bag of beans every fortnight. Never fear not having a morning drop again.
27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon | Open Wednesday–Saturday 7am–4pm, Sunday 7.30am–3.30pm | kyocoffeeproject.com
MOMODA
Photo: Emma Macdonald
From the team behind Kingston’s Wild Duck comes Momoda, a cheeky kiss-kiss to traditional Chinese fare with unconventional twists. The moody fit out uses traditional red lanterns to set the scene, as you eat urban treats such as double cheeseburger dumplings, 14-hour slow braised beef cheek, smoked scallop croquettes, and BOBA pannacotta.
Read more about Momoda.
Melbourne Building, Northbourne Avenue | Open Monday–Saturday 12pm–2.30pm & 5pm–late | 02 6262 9814 | momodacbr.com.au
MORNING GLORY
Photo: Tim Bean
What’s the story on Morning Glory? She’s the bright and bubbly younger sister of dinner favourite XO, striking a harmonious balance between eastern and western dining. Taking over the space formerly occupied by A.Baker, Morning Glory is putting their self-described spin on “daylight dining” with options such as red bean and crème caramel milkshakes, toast with Chinese five spice jam, kaya or yuzu marmalade, and a black sesame waffle.
Read more about Morning Glory.
NewActon Pavilion, 15 Edinburgh Ave | Monday–Sunday 6am–4pm | 026257 6464 | instagram.com/morningglory_dining
MS BA CO STREET FOOD
Stock image.
“We don’t preach about noodles. We make noodles.” Or so say the team behind Ms Ba Co, who are inspired by street food from Saigon. With Vietnamese favourites such as banh mi and pho, as well as spring rolls, crispy pork belly and grilled lemongrass chicken, there’s a lot to love about this new Majura Park hotspot.
18-26 Spitfire Avenue, Majura Park | Open Monday – Friday 9am – 5.30pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm | 02 6249 7363 | msbaco.com
OH! CANBERRA RESTO BAR
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Phillip’s newest addition offers traditional Indian cuisine at a reasonable price and with impeccable service, serving up favourites such as creamy butter chicken, home-style Rogan Josh and palak paneer. And if that doesn’t tikka your fancy, there’s always their selection of 13 (yes, one-three) tandoor breads, with everything from roti to stuff kulcha (crispy bread stuffed with spicy potatoes and onion) and cheese and spinach stuffed naan.
28 Corinna Street, Phillip | Open Monday–Sunday 5–10pm | 02 6281 1999 | ohcanberra.com.au
ORIGIN BAKE
New to the Woden area, Origin Bake is an artisan bakery inspired by Egyptian flavours and recipes. Bread and pastries are made fresh every day, with a changing rotation of flavours that (fortunately) take multiple visits to sample. Along with a fresh cup of coffee, you can savour an almond croissant, nutty fruit bread, macarons and carrot cake.
25 Altree Court, Phillip | Open Monday–Thursday 6.30am–4.30pm, Friday 6.30am–3.30pm, Saturday 8am–2pm | 02 6281 1100 | facebook.com/originbake
PHAT PANDA
Pretty Hot and Tempting, that’s Phat Panda. Taking its name from a mix of exotic foods and flavours and the furry creatures that love to eat and socialise, the new fusion place mixes traditional Asian street food with Western influences.
Think fried chicken and crispy tofu bao buns with hot chips, panda rolls and phat bowls. And if you think mains sounds good, there are also puffles and gelato for dessert, with a choice of the taro, mango & coconut, black sesame and green tea scoops to be blended into milkshakes.
210 Anketell Street, Greenway | Open Monday–Thursday 10.30am–6pm, Friday 10.30am–8pm, Saturday–Sunday 11am–4pm | shop@phatpanda.com.au | phatpanda.com.au
PITCH BLACK CAFÉ
Looking for a new place to start your daily grind? Drop in on the newly opened Pitch Black Café in Rivett as they start theirs. You’ll find plenty of good fare too, with twists on classics such as their naughty and nice popcorn chicken salad, a vegan breakfast burrito with fried tofu, spiced chat potato, roast capsicum, avocado hummus, and cherry tomatoes and choc chip and brownie muffins. With gluten-free options, there’s something for everyone.
14 Rivett Pl, Rivett | Open Monday–Friday 6am – 4pm, Saturday–Sunday 7.30am–2.30pm | instagram.com/pitchblackcafe
TACO TACO
Taco Taco. Image: Emma Macdonald.
The newest addition to bustling No Name Lane in Civic is aiming to add a little spice to the food hub. From the creative forces behind Barrio Collective, the cantina will mix authentic Mexican street food (chicken tinga tacos and guac gorditas) with a dash of local favourites (Capital Brew to wash it down).
The mosaic tiles, polished timber floors, exposed concrete walls and ceramic flatware all add to that street food with flair experience.
Read more about Taco Taco.
No Name Lane, 40 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra City | Open Monday – Thursday 7.30am – 3pm, Friday 7.30am – 11pm | hello@tacotacocbr.com | tacotacocbr.com
WODEN CENTRAL
Canberra Southern Cross Club’s newly renovated dining space in Phillip, Woden Central, is a light, cleverly multi-faceted space that instantly draws comparisons to Sydney’s Coogee Pavilion or The Fernery.
Now split into four distinct sections: The Clubhouse and Bar, Henry’s family dining section, The Café and The Patio, Woden Central offers an elevated take on club dining.
Canberra Southern Cross Club Woden, 92-96 Corinna Street, Woden | See website for opening hours | cscc.com.au/woden-central
Feature and slider images of Baby Su by Ashley St George.
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