Canberra’s burgeoning bar scene sees new drinking spots arriving in town, seemingly by the minute. Here’s where to grab a drink in the nation’s capital.
Good service is alive and well at Bar Rochford, in Canberra’s Melbourne Building, where welcoming bar staff bestow excellent cocktail and wine recommendations. After a Chicago fizz cocktail, retire to a table for top-notch food with a backdrop of fine tunes.
A microbrewery that draws in a big crowd, BentSpoke is a hub for craft beer lovers. Try the brewery’s selection of small-batch ales alongside its robust pub food menu.
This secret bar (in Hobart Place) harks back to the age of prohibition. In this clandestine spot, whisky and jazz music reign supreme – and whisky masterclasses are frequent.
A bar with an interesting story, The Highball Express is a Cuban-themed bar serving up rum cocktails and party vibes. This colourful bar’s calendar is filled with events and classes to keep Canberrans entertained and watered.
Inside Canberra’s QT Hotel, Lucky’s Speakeasy is a sleek, moody bar, perfect for hobnobbing after dark. Expertly blended cocktails are poured alongside sparkling wines, and charcuterie plates sustain the after-work crowds.
A sprawling bar and beer garden in the heart of Braddon, Hopscotch is a hotspot for group gatherings over pizza, burgers and bar snacks cooked over flames. A large cocktail menu keeps thirsts quenched, with all the usual suspects plus a number of special concoctions.
Of a weekend, this large brewery warehouse space is filled with locals and visitors seeking locally made brews – which happen to wash down perfectly with in-house burger joint Brod Burgers’ delicious fare.
If the negroni is your jam, Joe’s Bar boasts an entire menu dedicated to the Italian cocktail. This, family-run space is also home to a well-curated wine list and sustaining Italian fare.
