The 8 best pubs in Canberra

The Old Canberra Inn is a fitting name for a pub that occupies a building older than the capital city itself. Located in the leafy suburb of Lyneham, this suburban watering hole buzzes with locals and tourists any night of the week. The Inn's best known for its rotating selection of independent Aussie craft beer and cider, exclusively featured on its ten taps. Grab a cold one and kick back in one of the three beer gardens while enjoying a house-smoked brisket burger, half a kilo of chicken wings, or fully loaded chilli nachos. In the cooler months, settle into comfy lounges by the fireplace with a hearty vegetarian lasagne, chargrilled kangaroo striploin or decadent sticky date pudding. With three enticing weekly specials and a calendar packed with special events like live jazz, salsa nights and games in the beer garden, The Old Canberra Inn justifies multiple visits each month.

Edgar’s Inn has been a cherished second home for Ainslie locals since 2001. However, recent renovations have elevated the pub into a popular drinking and dining destination, attracting Canberrans from near and far. The downstairs bar is perfect for pints and pub fare, featuring chicken schnitzel, duck ragu, lamb pies, and classic bangers and mash, with plenty of veggie options too. Sundays are a real highlight at Edgar’s featuring a $25 roast special, which is best served with live music in the beer garden from 4-6pm.

It’s all about location, location, location at this award-winning sports pub perched right on Kingston Foreshore. Dock yourself here for a sunset session as you overlook the sparkling Lake Burley Griffin with an Aperol Spritz or Frosty Fruit slushy in hand. The Dock’s $20 Margarita deal is hard to resist, and the rotating Docktail of the Week – think Green‘a’Coladas or Milo Martinis – is always a fun surprise. Pair your poison with pub classics, like fish and chips, schnitzel, peri peri chicken pizza and spiced fish tacos. You’ll want to book a table on game nights when Canberra’s biggest sporting fans come out to play.

The beating heart of Lonsdale Street, Civic Pub is your go-to for icy cold bevs and classic pub grub in the city. In summer, punters spill onto the footpath seating, laughing over pints, parmas and pots of mussels. Doggos are more than welcome too, with a special menu just for them, featuring steak tartare or steak and veg. Come winter, you can cosy up by the fireplace with a glass of Collector rosé or a bold Barossa shiraz. Pair your tipple with a comforting curry, fiery seafood spaghetti or one of Civic Pub's seasonal specials.

Assembly’s beer garden extends a warm welcome all year round, whether to soak up the rays in summer or escape Canberra’s chill in winter with an abundance of heaters. Dubbed as ‘the people’s pub’, it’s situated quite conveniently by the light rail line making for a great ‘plan b’ when the $15 cocktails on Sunday keep flowing. Come in the AM for barista coffee and a scrumptious brekkie, and then return in the PM for live gigs and a whole heap of dancing.

Damn straight you’re going to find Canberra’s buzzy, double-storey craft brewery in the heart of Braddon. While it's not a pub by definition, it’s a popular spot for an after-work beverage or even a cheeky late-arvo meeting, so long as everyone is amenable to their straight-shooting Australian pale, called the Barley Griffin (natch). The warehouse-sized shopfront has tucked the brewery operation up against the back wall leaving room up front for a long bar and plenty of tall tables – there’s even more eating upstairs if the footpath spots are taken. Once you get some momentum going, via the sample paddle (a four-taster of their best beers), you’ll need something to keep your spirit on the level, so load up on smoked mac ‘n’ cheese balls, steak sandos and or face-sized chicken schnitties.

Just five minutes from Canberra’s CBD, the Kingo is the ultimate pub for steak lovers. This local favourite serves up five different cuts of steak between its two kitchens, The Grill and Maddie’s. Simply point to your choice in the window and have it freshly grilled and served with your choice of sides, including chips, creamy mash or crunchy chat potatoes. The heart of the Kingo is its Main Bar, which plays all the biggest Aussie sporting games live and loud. For a more relaxed vibe, head to the Garden Bar and take advantage of $6.50 schooners during weekday happy hour from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, or sip on $14 cocktails from 4pm to 6pm every Friday and Saturday. 

The Duxton is a modern pub done right. This cosy corner boozer in O’Connor is particularly buzzing during $5 weekday happy hour from 3pm to 5pm, Wednesday night trivia, and Friday afternoons when you can score two-for-one cocktails. Its menu is more elevated than your typical pub fare, and it’s one of the few Canberra venues that offers a full menu from lunch through to late at night. Sydney rock oysters and cacio e pepe arancini set the tone as starters, while premium pizza, crispy-skinned barramundi, sirloin steak and ricotta gnocchi will please for mains. If you’re planning an alfresco event, The Duxton’s fairy-lit rooftop terrace is the perfect spot. Take advantage of their strong collection of local wines, or go hard on the classic cocktail jugs.