I have a huge soft spot for Tilley's. Even though it opened doors only in the early 1980s, it is a…read more1950s piano bar kind of vibe. Think plush carpet, dark wood paneling, brass and mirrors, thick velvety drapes. I know this isn't quite a fair comparison, but it feels very old school LA to me (a la The Dresden, even). Yes yes, I know; I just compared a venue in Canberra to an iconic LA institution and that is crazy talk, but it's the best that I can do.
This is a great place to sit and sip, with a friend or alone, at any time of the day. There is a huge variety of people here, betraying any attempt to cast it as a "scene" -- old couples, young couples, guys, gals, families, hipsters, tradies, lawyers, students working on laptops -- you name it. It's the kind of place where you'd run into people you know, and probably make new friends (at least with the bartenders). I know I'd be a regular if I lived here.
Bottom line: we all know Canberra can't compete with Melbourne or Sydney in the restaurant and nightlife departments, so why bother trying to reproduce a night out in either of those two cities? A couple glasses of red wine at Tilley's will help you embrace the Canberra experience as its own thing.