The Best Rooftop Bars In Canberra For Epic Views And Cocktails

Enjoy the sunshine from one of these sky-high haunts.

You will see the nation’s capital in an entirely new context when you perch yourself at one of the best rooftop bars in Canberra. From sunset vistas over Lake Burley Griffin to lively venues with salsa, live music and luxe lounges, the nation’s capital has a lot to offer.  Here is our guide to the best rooftop bars in Canberra.

1. The Inn at Edgars

diners at Edgar’s Inn, Canberra — Edgar’s Inn is a serene haven for foodies looking for a hearty brunch.

Edgar’s Inn is an institution in Canberra. As well as being one of Canberra’s best places for brunch, it offers the kind of camaraderie that makes it a community hub. By day, the multi-venue destination is a place where families converge for coffee and croissants after Saturday soccer. As day turns to night, the bar transmogrifies into a buzzy night spot for a catch-up with the girls or cosy dinner date under a cloud of giggles and clinking glasses.  Follow the scent of wood smoke upstairs to The Inn where everything from carrots to cauliflower to premium wagyu gets kissed with fire over an asado grill. While the views from the rooftop aren’t sky high, this is prime real estate.

Address: Level 1, 1 Edgar Street, Ainslie

2. Highball

the rooftop bar at Highball, Canberra — Highball sits atop the Melbourne building overlooking London Circuit.

Canberrans know how to al fresco. And Highball feeds into their lofty ambitions. Come spring, you’ll see locals gathering here to admire the trees below with their canopy of feathery, iridescent green leaves. Canberra doesn’t have the towering skyscrapers and soaring views boasted by its big-city counterparts. But it still has some of the best rooftop bars in Australia. Sit – highball in hand, of course – at Highball , which sits atop the Melbourne building overlooking London Circuit. Given its proximity to Parliament House, you’ll find public servants here with all kinds of political persuasions. Sign up for Tuesday night salsa or cocktail-making classes. It’s definitely worth a tipple or two.

Address: Level 1, 75 London Circuit, Canberra City

3. Leyla Bar

the Leyla rooftop bar, Canberra — Leyla Bar features views of the Canberra city skyline.

It’s very easy to lift your spirits when you’re sitting, cocktail in hand, overlooking sweeping views of Canberra’s city skyline, Lake Burley Griffin, and beyond. Watch the sun set and pour liquid amber over some of the city’s most iconic buildings from Leyla Bar so you can contextualise your place in the nation’s capital. The bar is bright and breezy and a top spot for bar bites inflected with a Spanish accent. Canberra’s newest rooftop bar is on the rooftop of the Burbury Hotel in Barton. We recommend the cheese toastie with hot mustard and pickles and a glass of something local and funky.

Address: Level 7, 1 Burbury Close, Barton

4. Howling Moon

the rooftop bar at Howling Moon, Canberra — Head to the Howling Moon for a sundowner.

Looking for a central hotel close to all the action in Canberra? The Rex Hotel is located amid the hustle and bustle of Braddon. And the views are just as vibrant as the cocktails. Do a few laps of Lonsdale St and then retreat to the covered rooftop, which is in action year-round.  Howling Moon is one of the best rooftop bars in Canberra for its location. But there’s also plenty of green corners where you can sit and watch the sun dip over the distant hills. Order the aptly titled ‘Above the Avenue’ and wolf down some wood-fired pizzas. Howling at the moon optional.

Address: Level 6, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon

5. Bar 59

the rooftop bar at Bar 59, Canberra — Sip on local spirits overlooking Lake Ginninderra. (Image: Bar 59)

Bump your way up one of the rutted mountain tracks of Mt Ainslie so you can earn your calories at Bar 59, atop the Mercure Canberra Belconnen . Bar 59 is your absolute go-to for its stunning outlook over Lake Ginninderra.  It’s open from 4pm until late on Thursdays and Fridays, where you can enjoy everything from local spirits and craft beers to wines and classic cocktails. Those who think Canberra remains forged around public servants and roundabouts need a rethink. Invite your cynical mates from Sydney for sunset cocktails using a smug tone (verging on victorious) to Bar 59 for live music on a Friday night. Take that Syd Angeles and Bris Vegas.

Address: 59 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen

6. OHNO!

the entrance to OHNO! rooftop bar in Canberra — Enter this buzzy bar for casual drinks.

OHNO! … is frankly more of a ‘hell yes’. It’s one of Canberra’s newest elevated bars and a standout on the casual drinking and dining scene. You might gather from the almighty Google that OHNO! is your go-to in Griffith. And it’s a civilised experience to be encouraged to wait upstairs for your table with a drink before you dine. Don’t miss out on the house DJs and do ask for the waiter’s advice when it comes to ordering off the menu (which is so extensive it reads like an instructional manual). It is quite likely you will go with the suggestion of mud crab with betel leaf, green papaya, coconut and salmon roe or the Japanese curry donut with apple, carrot, potato and onion. Expect an extensive wine list, too.

Address: 13 & 15 Flinders Way, Griffith

7. The Duxton

diners at The Duxton, Canberra — Enjoy hearty pub grub at The Duxton.

You might find yourself at The Duxton due to the insistence of your local mate, who raves about its Suits & Sips nights. We get it – your vibe is your tribe – but there are plenty of ways you can loosen the necktie at The Duxton.  The recently reimagined pub has DJs and hearty pub grub as well as lighter, healthier meals. Best of all: you can take in the sights of Canberra from an entirely new vantage point when perched at its new rooftop terrace, a leafy extension of The Loft. Let’s face it, enjoying the city views from the dynamic pub is a much better option than staying in at your Canberra accommodation in your PJs. You can also choose your own adventure in The Oak Room or Living Room downstairs.

Address: Corner Sargood and Macpherson Street, O’Connor

8. Yaki Boi

Bounce into Yaki Boi with a bit of swagger so you can feel at home among the rest of the pilgrims converging here for sunshine, pan-Asian snacks and spritzers. Consider your perch to be designed for prime people-watching with the crowd a mix of university students shuffling in after their last tutorial, and some local political pundits engaging in soft chit-chat in the corner. It’s not overstating it to say the Japanese fusion bites are fab. The cocktails are also fun and will get you very excited indeed about the prospect of hunkering down here for the evening. Another round is only an option if you order just one basket of dumplings. Head here for happy hour to beat the #cossylivs crisis.

Address: ORI Building, 72/30 Lonsdale St, Braddon.

9. Public Bar Manuka

the rooftop bar Public Bar Manuka, Canberra — Public Bar Manuka reels you in with its industrial-retro aesthetic.

Make sure you know how to pronounce Mahnika before you start waving your credit card around at Public Bar Manuka . Regardless of how many eye rolls you elicit from the locals if you pronounce the suburb ‘Muhnooka’, it has a ‘visitor’s welcome’ vibe that can’t be manufactured. Public Bar Manuka has a gritty, glam, industrial-retro aesthetic we love, with brass accent lighting, curved wooden tables and velvet chairs. But make no mistake: it’s the locals that hold this place together. Sit upstairs in the dining room and cocktail bar to enjoy a gossip and a giggle while looking out over the neighbourhood.

Address: Manuka Arcade, 1/33 Flinders Way, Griffith.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

The best rooftop bars in Canberra to enjoy stunning views and cocktails