Top 7 Places to Visit in Canberra!

Spring is here.. Bird is chirping.. Flowers are blooming.. Bla bla bla.. It's a clear sign for a quick weekend GETAWAY for both of us!

Only a short three hour drive from Sydney, Canberra is packed with Australia's history and culture, tasty food, bike riders, roundabouts and all those magic make Canberra attractive on its own way.

When it comes to a getaway, I'm sure everyone has their own to do list and some special places to eat. In case you don't, here are our top 7 places we'd love to share with you!

1. The Cupping Room, ACT


This cafe was a project of world barista champion, Sasa Sestic and his team from Ona Coffee, to share their passion about coffee. We arrived around 8.30am on Sunday and waited for 20 -25 minutes for our table (be prepared to wait longer especially during the peak hours).

They only serve one type of milk coffee and you get to choose either their House or Seasonal Blend. Mr. Nomnom chose their House Blend and it was rich and aromatic with a smooth hint of nut and chocolate.

 

In addition the specialty coffee, their Salted Caramel and Popcorn "King" Shake is also a crowd favourite! We didn't order it this time as it was a cold morning and their Mörk 70% Dark Hot Chocolate was the only thing in my mind! 

Their menu was quite extensive with various new spring dishes and some weekend specials. Mr. Nomnom ordered their mouthwatering Tuna Tartare and it was marinated with some kind of Middle-Eastern herbs and spices, seasoned with charred pepper, lemon and sumac yoghurt and served with chickpeas, crispy flat bread and a poached egg wrapped in crispy kataifi pastry.

I've been eyeing this French Toast from the moment they introduce the new spring menu! This fluffy and lightly sweet coconut french toast was so pretty and perfect with fresh strawberries, soft and creamy ewe's curd, tangy citrus gel, crunchy pistachio praline and sweet sherbet meringue. So many elements and textures, so many different flavours but they all work in a perfect harmony.

The Cupping Room

Address:

1-13 University Avenue, Canberra, ACT

Opening Hours:

7am - 4pm on weekdays and 8am - 3pm on weekend

2. Silo Bakery - Kingston

Known as Canberra's best bakery with its artisan pastries and breads, I joined the queue in Silo Bakery while staring at their display cabinet and just hoping I could still get some as it began to disappear one by one. People came non-stop but service was quite quick to accommodate the crowds. They also serve breakfast menu here but I only fix my eyes on their baked goods.

So glad I got this Vanilla Brulee Tart at last! They were no longer be seen by the time I finished this and decided to buy more =( This smooth and rich tart was so perfect from the first bite. Flaky and buttery shortcrust pastry, creamy smooth but firm vanilla creme, 

crisp caramelised sugar on top, this was truly a sweet way to start the trip!

Chocolate Croissant was soft and had that cakey core with a slight crispiness on the outer top. It was still tasty and buttery but a slightly heavier with generous chocolate sticks filling. 

Silo Bakery
Address:
36 Giles Street, Kingston
Opening Hours:
7am - 4pm Tuesday to Saturday

3. Brodburger/Old Bus Depot Market - Kingston

Starting from a red caravan serving the flame-grilled burgers to the locals, Brodburger has now permanently taken up a place at Glassworks building. One thing that has remained the same is their waiting time! One must prepare at least one hour before grabbing this huge burger with both of your hands. This original Brodburger will never go wrong with its A-grade premium juicy beef patty cooked medium well (you can specify your preferences if you want), fresh crusty yet airy bun, your choice of cheese (swiss, cheddar, brie, or blue - we went with brie) and their homemade aioli sauce and relish. 

I'd really suggest you to order ahead by calling them or using their new instant app. Otherwise if you have too much spare time, you can kill it by visiting Old Bus Depot Markets that happens to be in the same area. 

Situated in an old industrial building, this Canberra's national award winning indoor Sunday market shall not be missed if you're around the area and need some place to visit while waiting for your burger. They have hundreds of stalls offering unique wood craft products, gourmet food, nuts, sweets, clothing and many others. 

Brodburger
Address:
11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston
Opening Hours:
11.30am - 3pm and 5.30pm - late on Tuesday to Saturday
12pm - 4pm on Sunday 
Closed Monday

Old Bus Depot Markets open from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 

4. Frugii Dessert Laboratory - Braddon

Canberra's Ice Cream man, Mr. Marshall is already well known for its ice cream and desserts creation around town. A trip to Canberra now is simply not complete without dropping by at his new dessert laboratory in Braddon area. The design is minimalist with every delicacies are all made in-house. 

Mr. Frugii keeps on changing its flavours depending on what season it is with some classic vanilla and chocolate flavour. I chose their Bergamot and it was so light but still full of lovely floral and citrusy note flavour just like the one you find in Earl Grey tea. 

As great as their ice cream is this irresistible Choux! They have several flavours to choose from but this time I went with their best seller, the Lemon Meringue Choux! The choux pastry was so light and perfectly puffed up with finest crispy crust, the filling was so refreshing, lemony and not too sweet with creamy toasted meringue on top.

Frugii Dessert Laboratory

Address:

30 Lonsdale St, Braddon

Opening Hours:

12pm - 11pm Wednesday to Sunday 

5. The Hamlet: Chasing Mr. Morris and Broddogs - Braddon

I love how this small urban village bring all food vans and pop-up stores together in one place. The Hamlet is an addition to the local dining scene where you can try bits of everything while enjoying the friendly vibe with friends and families. 

One of the van, Chasing Mr. Morris, is considered as one of the local favourites serving their delicious homemade donuts and fresh brewed coffee (it's the expansion of Nookie Espresso Bar). Their classic cinnamon donut is everyone's old favourite, but this time we opted for their popular Golden Gay Time Flavour! The combination of smooth toffee and vanilla glaze with crunchy chopped nuts (instead of cookie crumble) truly hit the spot with the soft, cakey and fluffy base.

Yes the red caravan from BrodBurger era has changed its name to BrodDogs and situated nicely inside The Hamlet. They offer "big dog" which is their normal size or the "puppy" one if you want to sample more from their menu. 

People's favourite is their Broddog that came with bacon, coleslaw, pickles, ketchup, corn relish and topped with sweet potato ribbons and shaved gruyere cheese. You can also choose from three types of dog they offer; Vienna Frankfurt, Spicky Kransky and Pork Free.

We decided to try their New Yorker with Vienna Frankfurt in puppy size the moment we saw "pork belly" on their menu. The roll was so soft and light and it held the dog securely with the triple smoked pork belly (cooked with sauerkraut) topping, corn relish and the mustard sauce. 

The Hamlet

Address:

16 Lonsdale St, Braddon

Opening Hours:

Broddogs: 11.30am - 3pm and 5.30pm - midnight on Tuesday - Saturday, 12pm - 4pm on Sunday, closed on Monday.

6. Akiba - Civic

Akiba has become Canberra's hottest eatery with its bright neon lights, earthy wooden colour with fast, affordable and vibrant atmosphere. Serving Asian-inspired fusion food, be prepared to line in a long queue if you come after 6pm. 

We came around 5.30pm for a quick and light dinner as we're too full and decided to start from their raw bar menu.

Kingfish is a popular sashimi choice, thinly sliced and served with coconut cream, nam jim and corriander dressing. It's simply sweet, fresh, tangy and definitely addictive. 

This Beef Short Rib was served boneless and drenched in tamarind caramel sauce and topped with fresh basil. The meat was so tender and nice to be eaten with the not so sticky sweet and tangy sauce.

A perfect snack for our light dinner were their Pork Belly Bun served with Char Siu and Asian Coleslaw while the Soft Shell Crab Bun was served with pickled baby gem and ponzu sauce. 

Akiba

Address:

40 Bunda St, Canberra

Opening Hours:

7.30am - midnight from Monday to Wednesday

7.30am - 2am on Thursday and Friday

11am - 2am on Saturday

11am - midnight on Sunday

7. Parliament of Australia 

Last but definitely not the least is a visit to our country's most iconic building, Australian Parliament House!