Best Restaurants in Canberra

Canberra’s restaurant scene is genuinely one of Australia’s most underrated. The best restaurants in Canberra right now span hatted tasting menus, inventive share plates in Braddon, and a handful of neighbourhood spots doing one thing brilliantly — and the city’s compact size means you’re rarely more than a 10-minute Uber from a seriously good meal. Whether you’re a local looking for a special-occasion booking or a visitor in town for a conference, these are the places worth your time.

Fine Dining Worth Every Dollar

Aubergine in Griffith holds two Good Food Guide hats and is the most consistent fine-dining destination in the city. Chef Ben Willis runs a set menu starting at around $165 per person, with a focus on produce from the Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains region. Bookings fill weeks in advance on weekends — plan accordingly. The wine list leans heavily into cool-climate Canberra District drops, which pairs brilliantly with dishes like the aged Gundagai lamb with warrigal greens.

Pilot in Ainslie is a slightly more relaxed one-hat option, where chef Mun Thit serves a four-course menu for around $120. The approach is precise and restrained — think duck with cultured butter and wild herbs, or a Jerusalem artichoke dish that sounds simple and tastes extraordinary. It’s a small room, so the atmosphere is intimate without being stuffy.

Braddon: The Heartbeat of Canberra Dining

Braddon is where you eat if you want energy. The precinct around Lonsdale Street has more good restaurants per block than anywhere else in the ACT.

Akiba is the standout for Asian-influenced share plates, with dishes like wagyu bao, scallop XO, and fried chicken with fish sauce caramel. Budget around $60–$80 per head including drinks. It’s loud, fun, and genuinely hard to get a table on Friday nights without a reservation.

Inka brings wood-fired Peruvian cooking to the Braddon strip — the beef short rib anticucho at around $38 and the ceviche verde are the must-orders. The cocktail list is creative without being gimmicky, and the space has a warm, almost rustic feel despite being on one of Canberra’s busiest dining streets.

Italian & Sons has been doing simple, excellent Italian food in Braddon longer than most, and it still earns its reputation. Their pasta is made in-house daily, the wood-fired oven gets used hard, and a solid dinner for two rarely breaks $100. Go for the bucatini all’amatriciana and one of the daily specials — they’re almost always the best thing on offer.

Casual but Exceptional

Not every great meal in Canberra comes in a linen-tablecloth setting.

Brodburger at Kingston Foreshore has a legitimate claim to serving one of the best burgers in the country. The patties are pressed thin, cooked on a flat-top, and the bun-to-filling ratio is exactly right. A burger and chips will set you back around $22, and the waterside setting by Lake Burley Griffin makes it an easy choice for lunch.

Benchmark Wine Bar in Kingston is the kind of neighbourhood spot every suburb wishes it had — a genuinely good wine list focused on small Australian producers, a short food menu that changes regularly, and staff who actually know what they’re talking about. It’s perfect for a Tuesday night bottle and a grazing board.

What to Know Before You Book

Canberra winters are cold and restaurant rooms get warm and full quickly. If you’re visiting between June and August, book ahead — even for casual places like Akiba and Inka. Most fine-dining restaurants close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check ahead before making plans around a mid-week visit.

For special occasions, the ACT’s liquor licensing means some venues allow BYO with a corkage fee (usually $10–$15 per bottle), which is worth asking about if you’re bringing something special from a cellar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best fine-dining restaurant in Canberra?

Aubergine in Griffith is widely regarded as Canberra’s top fine-dining destination, holding two Good Food Guide hats. Chef Ben Willis’s seasonal tasting menu starts at around $165 per person and consistently ranks among the best in the country.

Where should I eat in Braddon, Canberra?

Braddon’s strongest options include Akiba for Asian share plates, Inka for Peruvian wood-fired cooking, and Italian & Sons for reliable house-made pasta. All three are within walking distance of each other and accept online bookings.

Are Canberra restaurants expensive?

Canberra dining spans every budget. Casual spots like Brodburger cost under $25 per head, mid-range options like Akiba sit around $60–$80 with drinks, and hatted restaurants like Aubergine and Pilot run $120–$165 for set menus. Overall, prices are comparable to inner-city Melbourne or Sydney.