Canberra’s Low-Lit, Wine-Fuelled Dining Spots Our Editor Is Booking This Cosy Season
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
Canberra might be best known for its galleries, government and roundabouts, but right now, it’s the restaurants doing the talking. With top-tier produce on its doorstep and a dining scene that's toe-to-toe with some of the country's best, your next weekend trip to the capital could quickly turn into a long list of bookings.
At the same time, dining out isn’t as simple as it once was. People are choosing more carefully—looking for places that justify the spend, whether that’s through the food, the room or the overall experience. And with more venues in the mix, knowing where to start can feel like its own task.
That’s where Ed’s Picks comes in. As part of American Express delicious Month Out, we’ve pulled together a tight, editor-led shortlist of where to eat this May—based on our own on-the-ground research (read: we ate well).
Think of it as the shortcut: less time scrolling, more time booking. Even better, eligible Amex Card Members can redeem the Amex delicious. Month Out Offer at these participating venues, making it that little bit easier to turn a good plan into a seat at the table.*
These are the ten Canberra restaurants we keep coming back to right now—and exactly why they’re worth locking in.
Lunetta
Level 1/60 Red Hill Drive, Red Hill
Image credit: Lunetta | Supplied
Overlooking all of Canberra, Lunetta is a meticulously styled, two-part restaurant in a completely unique, mid-century landmark. If you blocked out the view of Canberras most recognisable buildings, you could believably be anywhere—the hills of Los Angeles? Spanish wine country?
Downstairs, Lunetta Trattoria is a casual Italian-leaning spot, but upstairs, things are taken up a notch in the completely glass-walled dining room. Expect elegant and creative dishes blending culinary traditions with modern spins
Insider Intel
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On our visit, we loved the potato and ricotta-filled ravioli covered in roasted garlic, honey butter and pecorino; and a vibrant green dessert with flavours of parsley, pear, pea and honeycomb under a meringue top.
Edgar’s
1 Edgar Street, Ainslie
Image credit: Edgar's | Instagram
Edgar’s covers just about every kind of night out, all under one roof. Downstairs, the pub and café handle the everyday—coffee, burgers, beers and a busy beer garden—while Wakefields Bar leans into pizza, pasta and cocktails with a bit more liveliness as the night goes on.
Upstairs, The Inn is a polished dining room built around Canberra’s only Asado grill, with a menu designed for sharing—think smoky cuts from the coals, handmade pasta and seasonal plates. The wine list stays tight, the service relaxed, and the whole experience feels like a natural step up from the pub below.
Insider Intel
- Book upstairs for dinner, then work your way back down—it’s the easiest way to do the full Edgar’s run in one go.
Terra
Unit 4/115 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra
Image credit: Terra | Instagram
Terra has found a new home in the city and picked up right where it left off, with a menu centred on fiery charcoal cooking and seriously good produce.
Charcoal and rotisserie lead the way, turning out dishes like lamb from the coals, glazed pork belly and whole roast chicken, alongside a tight lineup of seasonal sides. During the day, it runs as a canteen-style spot—quick, customisable and ideal for a solid lunch—before shifting into a more curated menu for dinner service.
Insider Intel
- Come hungry and go for the “Feed Me” menu—it’s the easiest way to get the full Terra experience.
Raku
148 Bunda Street, Canberra Civic
Image credit: Raku | Instagram
You'd be forgiven for mistaking Raku for an uber-traditional Japanese joint, with its tatami-screened private booths and elegant, demure fit-out in Canberra's CBD. While you will find the executive chef masterfully plating beautiful spreads of sashimi, nigiri and maki rolls, there's also an expansive menu of plates with thoroughly modern and Australian twists.
There are a couple of lucky counter seats, long communal tables and screened booths, and a dedicated gluten-free menu.
Insider Intel
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This spot’s known for being super intimate, so if your special someone deserves celebrating, this is the place.
Inka
Shop B11A/148 Bunda Street, Canberra
Image credit: Inka | Instagram
Inka brings something a little different to Canberra’s CBD, leaning into Nikkei cuisine—a blend of Japanese technique and Peruvian flavour. The menu moves across ceviche, robata and kitchen plates, so you can build out a table with everything from kingfish ceviche and prawn tacos to wagyu nigiri and crisped potato snacks.
It’s designed for sharing, and best approached that way, especially with dishes coming out of three separate sections of the kitchen. The drinks list keeps pace, running deep across wine, sake, whisky and pisco—more than enough to match the breadth of the food.
Insider Intel
- Go with a group—the more people at the table, the more of the menu you can cover.
Bar Rochford
Level 1/65 London Crescent, Canberra CBD
Image credit: Bar Rochford | Website
In a minimal, heritage building, Bar Rochford is a classy Canberra bar offering a polished experience over dinner and drinks, all soundtracked by spinning records. The main event here is wine, but the seasonal cocktail program also holds its own.
Grab a spot in a green leather booth or by a window bar overlooking the street to explore the comprehensive but compact menu of Aussie or Euro (mostly Italian) wines with plates like anchovy toasts with gribiche, potato galette with miso and caviar, and Wagyu skirt steak with Warrigal greens.
Insider Intel
- The menu here is constantly changing based on seasonality, so make sure you double-check what you're getting in advance.
Pilot
1 Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie
Image credit: Pilot | Lean Timms
The 30-seat Canberra restaurant Pilot offers one set menu for dinner and one for weekend lunches, with a liberal dose of style, intrigue, and shared trust. Priced at $160pp, your nine-course menu will weave together nostalgic flavours, complex dishes and produce that the team is excited by on that day, all elegantly plated on an array of organically formed and textured crockery.
You can peruse the entirely-Australian drinks list, or opt for a beverage pairing (available boozy, or not). Buckle up; you're in for an unforgettable experience.
Insider Intel
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These guys run an exclusive non alcoholic and cocktail program that uses native ingredients, local produce and ingredients that would otherwise be considered waste
Such And Such
220 London Crescent, Canberra Civic
Image credit: Such and Such | Supplied
A modern eatery and bar, Such and Such is the second venue from the team behind awarded Canberra restaurant Pilot. Busy terrazzo textures, bright colours, eclectic art and design elements by local creatives complete the bold but welcoming venue, where the cuisine is globally inspired but, somehow, harmonious; burnt zucchini bucatini with provolone sits alongside jerk-spiced half chook with caramelised lime, potato-stuffed agnolotti, and hash brown prawn toast.
There's room for 40 guests inside (plus bar seats) and another 40 outside to enjoy pre-theatre nibbles and drinks, long lunches on a set menu, or shared dinners accompanied by the sustainable and interesting wine selection.
Insider Intel
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Hit up Such and Such for happy hour snacks 3pm–5pm, Tuesday–Friday.
If your May calendar is starting to fill up, these are the restaurants we’d be locking in first—together, they cut through the noise of where to spend your time (and money) right now.
As part of Amex delicious. Month Out from 28 April to 31 May, eligible Amex Card Members can redeem the Amex delicous. Month Out Offer at these participating venues, making it easier to commit to plans that feel worth it. With many also part of the Amex Shop Small network, it’s a chance to back the local spots shaping Canberra's dining scene, while you’re at it. Learn more this way.
Consider this your cue to stop overthinking things, and start booking.
P.S. before we forget, it’s not just great offers and standout local dining that come with a trusted Amex Card. Depending on your Card, you can earn points year-round, secure Amex Presale tickets, and enjoy lounge access at entertainment venues—all while shopping with your favourite businesses (T&Cs apply). To learn more about the benefits of an Amex Card, click here.
*Amex Card Members who save the Offer to their eligible Card and spend in-person only, in one or more transactions, at participating Amex Delicious Month Out venues by 31/05/2026, can get 20% back, until they get a total of $25 back on their Card. Limited to the first 80,000 Cards to save the Offer. Exclusions, T&Cs apply.
Hero image credit: Bar Rochford | Instagram
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by American Express and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.