Decent establishment if you are into live bands and challenging games of pool, the basement is a…read moregood option.

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.

Best eggs on sourdough in Canberra that I've tried and I've lived here my while life. The coffee is…read morepretty really good too.

Very casual atmosphere, order food and drink at the bar. The Spicy Margarita was delicious. Sweet…read moreand spicy the way I like it! The fish n chips were delicious! The fish and batter have been flavored each so every bite is tasty! The salad has a nice sweet dressing. Just the right size for eating in one seating. Be aware that with everyone in a large party ordering separately can mean uneven servings. As long as everyone is patient it's been worth the wait! Oh and someone in our party ordered the cheeseburger spring rolls, and they were a hit!

The food was pretty good, fresh and definetly has flavor. Had the Banh Mi and it had some korean…read moreflair but the pork was a bit fatty. However the rest of my colleagues enjoyed the tacos, chicken sandwich, wings, and pretzel appetizer. The service was efficient and the atmosphere was chill and great for an afternoon work lunch

Cozy place with good selection of craft brews. Fire was on live music was playing so we went in…read more Chilled on the leather couches in front of the fireplace before heading back to the city. There are a few restaurants nearby which look pretty cool as well.

Nice little spot, good music playing, and a great selection of beers on tap. I had a belly burger…read moreand it was absolutely awesome! highly recommend this place for a relaxed night out with some friends, or drinks after work.

Pretty cool and trendy pub in Canberra. Came here for the weekend with some friends, two of which…read morehad been and raved about the cocktails. The cocktail menu was pretty extensive and every drink sounded amazing. They all cost $15 which isn't bad compared to drinks in Sydney. For my first round, I got the So Ho Lychee flavored drink - YUMMO! And the thing with the cocktails are, you can actually taste the alcohol, they don't skip. I tried my friend's Cherry Blossom drink, very yum and very strong! My next drink with the Japanese Geisha Drink which had midori and sparkling champagne - very tasty as well. Later in the evening, an R&B singer started performing and she was really talented. This is a very cool place to hang out and have a cocktail!

A true gem in Canberra. Great whiskey selection, friendly staff, I love the warm atmosphere of this…read moresmall upstairs speakeasy. I spent an evening drinking whisky, eating cheese and listening to jazz. Hard to beat. If you like whiskey or mixed drinks, this is the place to go. I'm an American and I arrived in Canberra on a Wednesday afternoon. The first thing I did when I got to my hotel was Google "Canberra jazz" and Hippo Bar was the top hit. It's located right in the heart of the city center, but its vibe is very different than the touristy stuff around it. It was dark and cozy with a film noir atmosphere. If a complex murder mystery had erupted in front of me, I would not have been surprised. They are skilled mixologists too. One bartender made a drink where he filled a rocks glass to the brim with water. Then half-filled a small brandy glass with some brown liquor, lit it on fire, began spinning the brandy glass on top of the water glass, then started shaking in something from what looked like a pepper shaker, causing sparks to fly within the brandy glass. He did this for a lot longer than I expected. It was quite a show. He finished by pouring the singed brown liquor into a new glass and grating what smelled like cinnamon on top. I was impressed. The only disappointments were the wine. I had two glasses to start and both choices were mediocre. They are clearly focused on mixed drinks and whiskey. The food choices were minimal as well. I enjoyed a cheese platter, but it wasn't a meal.

Fun restaurant with very friendly staff with great decor for a Pub. Wood sticky tables and mostly…read morestools for seats. Both of us had the ribeye steak and both thought the steaks were just ok, lots of gristle and not super flavorful.

My wife and I found this place during a weeklong stay in Canberra. It is near the Central Bus Stop…read moreand City Central, surrounded by many other eateries, shops, etc. This is your typical Irish bar, featuring Giuness beer, but they have plenty of other beers on tap including our favorite: BentSpoke Crankshaft. Food is good and the seating, inside and out, is pleasant. One thing to watch for are the homeless and beggers. During one afternoon we saw several people trying to beg for money; one woman was brazen enough to ask specifically for A$2, then proceeded to walk throughout the outside eating area, drinking what was left in abandoned glasses and eating what food was left behind. This is a minor annoyance but something to be aware of and expect. If we ever make it back to Canberra you can expect us to visit this pub again.

Pretty quiet on a rainy Sunday but the music is chilled and the staff are friendly. Drinks are…read morestandard price for Canberra. The rigmarole to start a tab makes you want to have more than one drink to make it worth the effort. The only negative is that the floors and table surfaces are very sticky, could warrant some hot water and a scrubbing brush.

Got pulled in by a band they had one evening... bar was pretty standard. I did not sample any food…read more Tacos in Australia.. ha! Not for this guy. Good crowd of birds milling about. Friendly bar staff. Good music. Decent selection of beer (for Canberra). I could spend a few more hours there... Outside seating is decent if it's warm.

Fantastic food & great coffee, very popular so a booking is a good precaution. I had the Guru, an…read moreawesome dish (Tomato curry with spicy vegetables and an onion bhajee. :)

This is one of these little establishments that have popped up that make me very happy to come back…read moreto Canberra. If I had one word to describe it, it would be: relaxed. There are families in here, students, hipsters, couples, the works. Everyone happily sharing a kind of intentionally 70s space (that's the only way the 70s can be cool -- 70s ironic). The food is really good. I've been a couple of times; tapas plates for dinner, which were really good (I remember some pretty amazing calamari, but then, I always remember the calamari) and a buddy of mine had the vegetarian pizza, which, shockingly, was actually good. Also swung through for brunch, which was equally good -- baked eggs and great coffee. It's just a fun space, with good food, good coffee and a really nice crowd -- both patrons and staff.

I must admit that place is awful. We were sitting in the main area with chimney. After 15 minutes…read moreof thick smoke I couldn't breeze anymore and had to go out. However the food was good and reasonably priced. Once owners fix the smell problems - winter heavy smoke and summer smelly sewage this place can be good for socialising and ocasional dinner.

If this place didn't smell like an open sewer (seriously, the smell is disgusting) and they kept…read morethe kitchen open past 8pm, it would be awesome. It's a great venue and the local covers bands they get out there are excellent. I've been there a few times and the smell is getting worse, it's inane they haven't done anything about it. Get on it guys, so people can enjoy this venue fully.