The 10 best bars and pubs in Canberra

There’s nothing normal about this friendly bottle-o and wine bar in the heart of Canberra. The shelves are stocked with fizzy, orange, sour, small-batch and sustainable things, including their very own cloudy Italian fruit-bomb ‘Paranormal Rosato’. You can grab a bottle to go, or sit in and sip (for a small corkage fee), with a zippy menu of otherworldly snacks to match, including cheese, charcuterie and pristine tinned fish. 

Shake and shimmy on down to Canberra’s buzziest late-night bar where the welcome is as warm after midnight as it is before sunset. Bar Beirut is a love letter to the nightlife of Lebanon with beats, belly dancing, burlesque and big, bold bevys. The Wasabi Martini has been a menu mainstay since 2019, but you’ll be equally tempted by the boozed-up bubble tea and house pours from the martini cart. Link up your libations with charred chicken, smoked baba ghanoush, dirty rice and grilled octopus from the mostly Middle Eastern menu.

Fyshwick has been known for a lot of things, but these days it’s super-fresh beers that are pulling people to the tap rooms at Capital Brewing Co. Being an inclusive bunch, they let you bring your little humans and your four-legged friends to play, while you sink a crisp glass of Coast Ale or their famously juicy, tropical Rock Hopper IPA for those who love the fresh bitterness of hops. You can kick back in the beer garden with a burger or hot dog from the legends at Brodburger, or laze around on the 2,000 metres of lush garden space – including the only beer river in the world (we’ll take their word for it).

When it comes to the watering hole with the best view of Canberra’s skyline, you can’t go past The Howling Moon. You’ll want to ascend to this leafy rooftop bar at sunset and stay all night until the stars come out. Sip on seasonal Spritz, fruity mocktails, and local beer and wine, while you wolf down baked mussels, crispy spiced squid and woodfired pizzas.

If anyone ever complains about Canberra’s nightlife, just nod quietly and then laugh all the way up the stairs to Bar Rochford, where you will be enjoying a glass of the grippy, slightly zesty Ravensworth shiraz from Hilltops and Murrumbateman. This is undoubtedly the best little wine bar in the ACT, and once you’re here, you’ll never ever want to leave. Let the bartenders guide you on a vinous adventure that traipses the world, but if you don’t order food too it’s a lost opportunity. 

Hidden behind an unassuming door and up an inconspicuous stairwell, Molly is a speakeasy-inspired bar where you can easily lose your sense of time or place. You can take a round-the-world trip without even leaving the bar thanks to more than 300 bottles, from surprising locales like India, France and Italy – as well as the usual suspects: Scotland, Japan and the United States. Come on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday for smooth jazz, and pair your libations with a charcuterie or cheese board.

Damn straight you’re going to find Canberra’s buzzy, double-storey craft brewery in the heart of Braddon. It’s a popular spot for an after-work beverage, or even a cheeky late afternoon meeting, so long as everyone is amenable to their straight-shooting Australian pale, called the Barley Griffin (natch). 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.

The Old Canberra Inn is a fitting name for a pub that occupies a building older than the capital city itself. Built in 1857, this suburban Lyneham watering hole is best known for its rotating selection of independent Aussie craft beer and cider. 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.

Ovolo Nishi is home to Canberra’s only cutting-edge vegetarian dining experience, with an equally fabulous and unconventional bar. Monster gives the world’s most iconic cocktails a sustainable twist, along with its six signatures and one weekly experimental tipple that incorporates seasonal fruits and vegetables. You’ll find lots of charming nooks and crannies to sip back in, and if you stay till closing, check into a designer room at the Ovolo Nishi upstairs.

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. This modern pub lives its life in many forms. There’s the downstairs bar perfect for pints and pub fare, an upstairs restaurant specialising in asado grill and affogato, an intimate wine bar serving bougie bites and bottles, and a neighbouring pizzeria known for its perfectly blistered rounds. 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.