The 15 best bars in Canberra

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 lassi 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.

Inspired by the glamour of old-world Hollywood, Blue Eyes transports spirit sippers to the golden age of Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire. Pull up a stool at the glittering bar and enjoy classic cocktails, or pop a bottle of sparkling in the plush leather booths. You’ll want to swing by for $10 custom cocktails served upstairs every Monday to Saturday from 4-6pm, and linger late into the night with smooth live jazz from 8pm. 

It’s all fun and games at this hidden basement bar right in the centre of town. To find High Jinks, you’ll need to take the elevator or stairs behind Parlour restaurant and follow the sounds of clinking glasses, laughter and rockabilly beats. You can trust High Jinks’ quirky cocktail wizards to shake up your perfect drink, with local wines and tap beers also ready to go.

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. 

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. 

As one of Australia's longest-running cocktail and jazz venues, Hippo Co is “all about slingin' good booze to good tunes with good people.” You’ll find more than 280 types of whiskey stashed behind the back bar, perfect for enjoying as part of a barrel-aged cocktail in the dim-lit drinking den or sipping al fresco on the balcony overlooking Garema Place. Wednesdays are the busiest night of the week – as they have been for the past 20 years – with live jazz kicking off at 8pm. It’s also worth rallying around Hippo’s whiskey tastings on Thursday and Saturday nights, where you can sample six special whiskies paired with a cheese platter.

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.

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.

Perched at the top of the heritage Melbourne building with views over London Circuit, Highball celebrates all things tropical. The food menu takes hints from Spain, Mexico and South America to complement its vibrant cocktails. Try one of the seasonal Daiquiris with a generous serving of guacamole or a salmon ceviche ‘taquito’ made with crispy wonton wrappers. Our favourite of their tiki cocktails is the Mandarin Mai Tai, where Curaçao liqueur is swapped out for Mandarine Napoleon cognac. If you like Piña Coladas (getting caught in the rain is optional), try their spruced-up edition featuring spiced pineapple, caramelised coconut cream and a hint of nutmeg. Highball is a good time no matter what day of the week, with salsa classes and dancing every Tuesday, $15 frozen cocktails every Thursday, cocktail-making classes, and DJs on offer.

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 seven signatures and three mocktails that incorporate 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.

Atop the Burbury Hotel in Barton sits Canberra’s classiest rooftop bar. Leyla Bar’s bright, minimalist fit-out with pops of foliage frames stunning views of Canberra, from Parliament House to Lake Burley Griffin. Martinis are Leyla’s specialty, with classic Martinis to unleash your inner Bond, or ones that stray further from tradition like a Lemon Drop Martini with limoncello. Wines are a mainly local affair, and pair excellently with the bar’s tapas menu. Work your way through their range of croquettes (we rate the gruyère cheese ones) and try their pulled pork empanadas with a cool coriander yoghurt. Taco lovers should book their bottomless deal where $80 per person will get you free-flowing Margaritas, sangria, rosé and sparkling wine, plus a selection of tacos.