The best Braddon restaurants sit at the heart of Canberra’s food scene, both literally and figuratively

I love Canberra’s Eat Street. Lonsdale Street in Braddon is one of the reasons why heading on down to Australia’s capital always feels like such a treat, with its own distinctive food scene that crawls through every price point, offers numerous cuisines, and has been built with the kind of consistency that’s lost on many modern food precincts.

Braddon is far removed from its industrial past, but you won’t have to squint to see the distinct edge still wrapping around the inner-city suburb’s best restaurants. It is to Canberra what Fitzroy is to Melbourne or Surry Hills to Sydney, pushed as the capital’s centre of cool with a healthy mix of vintage stores standing next to studious bakeries and agenda-setting restaurants.

If you’ve ever wondered why Canberra’s restaurant scene is constantly praised, just walk down Lonsdale Street and walk into any one of the best Braddon restaurants. You’ll walk out with a sharp understanding of why locals are so fiercely proud of their dining scene, and why visitors can’t seem to get enough.

I have my favourite restaurants in Braddon, but it always seems like something new has popped up every time I make the drive from Sydney. Importantly, I actually want to try it just because it’s new, and just because it’s in Braddon. I guess the true test of a successful food precinct is that it gives you the confidence to explore, rather than stick to one or two spots.

The Shortlist

Best for Business Lunches: Corrella Restaurant & Bar
Best for Vegan / Vegetarian: EightySix North
Great for Special Occasions: Italian and Sons
Hidden Gem: White Chaco
Best Date Spot: Lazy Su

1. Italian and Sons

Italian and Sons is a fast and fun trattoria leading Canberra’s dynamic food scene since opening in 2010. The simple, unadorned dining room has that arrestingly casual, almost bistro-like familiarity, focusing purely on authentic pasta and proteins on a menu that switches daily and rests on seasonality.

I’ve found that restraint is always the best way to approach the Italian and Sons menu, so I always only order one or two dishes. This could mean anything from texturally perfect pappardelle with wagyu short rib ragu or a pumpkin and leek tortelli with ricotta and burnt sage butter, to a lightly spiced 300g wood-fired pork cutlet with prosciutto.

This is where you go in Braddon if you want loud, fun and delicious.

Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Casual, noisy and theatrical with an open kitchen
Location: 7 Lonsdale St

2. Corrella Restaurant & Bar

Corella Restaurant & Bar opened in April 2021, immediately setting a new agenda for Canberra foodies with its effortlessly chic interior and highly snackable share plates. Native flowers frame a Euro-styled space splashed with elegant terrazzo floors, while grand arched windows pull in just the right amount of outside.

The kitchen’s deep reverence for native ingredients can be found all over the menu, from simple house focaccia with saltbush and buttermilk to a fan-favourite wagyu tartare casualised with salt and vinegar onion rings. There’s an irrepressible sense of creativity strung throughout, keeping Corrella front of mind in any discussion on where to eat in Braddon.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: Fun and intimate with a strong sense of community.
Location: 14 Lonsdale St

3. Zaab Street Food

The top Braddon restaurants maintain a grungy backbone while offering something modern and visually impactful. That’s Zaab Street Food in a nutshell, translating moreish Lao and Thai food for Canberrans with stellar cocktails and an approachable, graffiti-laden atmosphere.

Pick anything on the menu, and you’re guaranteed a good time. My favourites, like crispy pork belly and massaman curry, are staples, but the share-style menu rewards exploration, so venture outside your comfort zone.

The flamed cauliflower, beautifully spiced with a mix of paprika, ginger, garlic, pomegranate, and sweet potato curry blend, caramelised corn puree and roast chilli oil, is the subversive showstopper you never knew you needed. Pair it with a Snicker’s Old-Fashioned if you’re feeling adventurous. Fortune favours the bold at restaurants like this high-energy gem.

Cuisine: South-East Asian
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: Trendy and upbeat with a loud, clangy kitchen
Location: 2/9 Lonsdale St

4. Rizla

You’ll find Rizla on the corner of Lonsdale and Eloura, billed as Braddon’s best wine bar. The menu mostly dances around the ACT to hero the region and support Canberra’s best wineries.

I’ve always found it to be a bit of a Canberra wine tasting hack when I don’t have the time to pop around to some of the state’s many award-winning cellar doors. The Rizla team sources the best from the best, so you’ve got everything in one spot.

Riesling is always the answer at Rizla, pulled in many different directions with a diverse selection of bar snacks to pair. Try the biji chicken skewers with banana ketchup, or roast pork loin with almond romesco and eggplant caponata or grab a highlight reel with the $80 feed me menu.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Intimate with a fine-casual ambience.
Location: 24 Lonsdale St

5. Lazy Su

Bright, buzzy and big (notice a theme here?). Lazy Su is another strong reason to eat your way up and down Londsdale Street with Mod-Asian cobbled from different countries around the continent.

On paper, the menu is diverse. Overwhelmingly so. But what you get is a burst of big, focused flavours fused by a constant need to experiment.

Speedy service means you’ll get those wagyu cheesesteak spring rolls piping hot, but your feast should also include the fun jalapeno noodle poppers, maybe some Japanese roast chicken, and definitely the spicy prawn and bacon wontons.

Cuisine: Modern Asian
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: A lively atmosphere perfect for date night or an after-work meal with friends
Location: 1/9 Lonsdale St

6. EightySix North

Grab a seat as close to the furiously busy open kitchen as possible and enjoy the drama at EightySix. It’s pure open-counter chaos.

I find the raw industrial interior very blunt and impersonal, but the simplicity hides some of my favourite produce-forward dishes in Canberra. Like a lovely prawn and saffron risotto flecked with tomatoes and drizzled with light crispy chilli oil, or the fragrant crispy eggplant with Sichuan chilli caramel.

Playful desserts like a banoffee pie with pretzels and strawberry cheesecake are also included in the $100pp vegetarian tasting menu that’s always in such high demand at this fun and approachable fine-casual diner. There’s no obvious style or technique, just great food and good times.

Cuisine: Modern Australia
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: Low-key and approachable with a beautiful sense of theatre
Location: Corner of Eloura & Mode3, Lonsdale St

7. WineRoom

As per its name, WineRoom slots in as Braddon’s favourite neighbourhood vino-slinger and pitch-perfect snacks, wrapped with a transportive atmosphere that’ll place you anywhere from the tight laneways of Spain to the cobblestone streets of Florence.

Seasonality is key, so work through the enthusiastic list of worldly snacks like charred king prawn with roasted tomato puree and broccolini with an onsen egg and soy mirin. That or you can grab a “Trust the Chef" menu for $89, giving you plenty of ways to bring the most out of the lovingly curated wine list that’s always pushing you to try something new and exciting.

I’ve been introduced to some of my favourite wines in Australia through this reliable wine bar, so it’s always an easy pick when I’m in the area. The communal feel certainly helps as well, especially if I’m in Canberra by myself.

Cuisine: European
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: A neighbourhood wine bar channelling your favourite European summer holiday
Location: 24 Mort St

8. White Chaco

Taking up just a tiny part of the Nibu Building on Lonsdale Street, White Chaco gives off that if-you-know-you-know vibe, billing itself as a hidden gem. Most visitors brush over this Asian fusion restaurant, but the quality is unquestionable.

There are only two sittings per night for the space, which seats around 20 people and presents delicate, beautifully executed dishes typically marrying Japanese and Taiwanese flavours.

Take whatever plum wine the highly knowledgeable staff suggest (trust me) and then see what’s new and interesting on the menu, with previous dishes like warm scallop sashimi with butter soy, smoked nuts and pecorino cheese showcasing the kitchen’s creativity.

Cuisine: Japanese (predominantly)
Price: $$$
Atmosphere: Secretive, intimate space with a smart use of light and shadow
Location: g10/27 Lonsdale St

9. Braddon Merchant

Braddon Merchant is that tireless Lonsdale Street favourite that has consistency down to a fine art. Head along for breakfast, dinner or weekend brunch and you’ll find Canberra’s most discerning foodies fooling around with fresh, simple Mediterranean dishes done well and kept affordable.

The award-winning drinks menu has over 150 local and international wines paired with simple fare like meatballs with smoked mozzarella, cod with coconut and chilli, and a fan-favourite steak ciabatta with caramelised onion and sundried tomato. Yes, it’s really that simple. And the results are effortlessly excellent.

Cuisine: European
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Simple and bright with all attention given to top-shelf produce
Location: 1 Elouera St

10. Grease Monkey

Each city’s hip and happening foodie strip needs at least one reliable burger joint. For Lonsdale Street, that prerequisite is filled by the bare-bones Grease Monkey.

American-style burgers with an Australian twist are dialled in with strong flavours. You’ll regularly see this spot take out yearly lists of Canberra’s best burgers. But to be quite honest, I’d say these are some of the best in Australia simply because of how reliable Grease Monkey has been over the years. They’re cheap, definitely cheerful, and small enough that you could put away two without feeling guilty.

You’ll always find a queue pouring out of this former mechanic’s garage, which has kept the industrial vibe and even brings on DJs on weekends. Forget the Coke; wash that burger down with a shake or local craft beer.

I love coming here because of its community. Canberra locals swear by Grease Monkey, so you’ll always find a fun-loving crowd here

Cuisine: American
Price: $
Atmosphere: Grungy and industrial with DJs on weekends
Location: 19 Lonsdale St

11. Wilma

James Viles and chef Brendan Hill have found purpose in primitive cooking techniques, stripping Asian BBQ down with strong, fatty flavours. Fire cooking is popular all across Australia, but Wilma seems to outgun even famous spots like Adelaide’s arkhé and Sydney’s Firedoor.

Why? The distinction is in those Asian flavours. Hill and Viles are masters at carefully balancing flavours with consistency, propping up dishes like the popular scallops with crispy egg noodles and wood grilled zucchini with whipped tofu.

My least favourite thing about Wilma is how hard it is to snag a last-minute reservation. Booking ahead is essential if you’re dining in groups, but I’ve had luck showing up solo before and taking one of several spots at the counter.

Cuisine: Asian BBQ
Price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Fiery and fast with the strong scent of Asian BBQ
Location: 1 Genge St

12. Yaki Boi

Oversized soy sauce bottles hang nearby, shadowed by mood lighting. It’s not an art piece, but it very well could be. Yaki Boi’s boxy design is peppered with these fun references, reflecting the very approachable menu that pitches pizza and burgers next to poke bowls and premium sushi.

Yes, Yaki Boi might be trying to appeal to a broad demographic, but the quality is surprisingly far beyond what you’d expect from an affordable fusion restaurant in Westfield. My favourite roasted beef meatball udon is my go-to if I’m feeling indecisive and need some supplies from Canberra’s biggest shopping centre.

Cuisine: Japanese-American
Price: $$
Atmosphere: Fun and family-friendly with playful references to Japanese culture
Location: Shop 083B/5/5 Keltie St