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12 fine dining restaurants in Canberra worth splurging on

Melissa Mason Melissa Mason
Canberra is fast becoming one of the top foodie destinations in Australia, with a wealth of fine-dining restaurants to choose from.

Once known as merely the capital of Australia city, Canberra has proven critics wrong over the past decade, fast becoming known for its thrumming hive of creative, unique restaurants and, in particular, a fine dining scene to rival that of Sydney and Melbourne.

A visit to Canberra would not be complete without splurging on one of the many luxury dining experiences the city has to offer. From modern European cuisine to Japanese-style feasts, these are the best fine dining restaurants in Canberra.

1. Mu

a fresh oyster on a stone plate at Mu, Canberra
Dine on seafood in style. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Using the Japanese dining experience of Omakase (which translates to ‘leave it up to you’), at Mu you won’t be selecting your dishes – rather, the chefs create 11-course menus inspired by what produce and ingredients are best on the day.

Dining is tasting style, with plates starting with lighter fare and moving on to heavier courses. Premium sake pairings are available to really make a night of it, too.

Bookings go fast, so it’s worth locking down a spot in advance – there are two sittings between Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm and 7pm, with Friday and Saturday sittings at 5:45pm and 8pm.

Cuisine: Japanese

Atmosphere: Immersive

Address: 1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra ACT

2. Corella Restaurant & Bar

the cosy seating inside Corella Restaurant & Bar, Canberra
Settle in for a set menu complemented by a cosy ambience. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Corella Restaurant & Bar may only be a few years old, but it’s already renowned as one of Canberra’s best fine dining restaurants.

Inspired by native Australian flavours and ingredients, expect fresh fare and a cosy ambience, with good service and an extensive wine and cocktails list. Whether it’s date night or just dinner with friends, Corella is the perfect place to pop in.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Neighbourhood intimacy

Address: 14 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT

3. Pilot

a degustation-only menu at Pilot, Ainslie
Take delight in Pilot’s gastronomic menu. (Image: VisitCanberra)

This intimate 24-seater in Ainslie is all about experience. You won’t have to worry about fussing over a bunch of options and picking between two (or more) delicious dishes. The menu here is set, taking the onus off you and letting you sit back, relax and enjoy your meal.

There’s the $105 lunch menu, $150 Pilot menu and, if you want to splash out, the $195 extended menu. Each features an array of fresh produce with seasonal additions, plus a selection of Australian beverages. Pilot is a true hidden gem, and once you find it (hint: it’s tucked behind the local shops), you’ll be coming back for more.

Cuisine: Modern Australian with a quirky twist

Atmosphere: Immersive

Address: 1 Wakefield Gardens, Ainslie ACT

4. Capitol Bar & Grill

a gourmet dish at Capitol Bar & Grill, Canberra
The dishes at Capitol Bar & Grill are to die for. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Many of Canberra’s best hotels also house some of the city’s best fine dining restaurants. The QT Canberra is a perfect example, where you’ll find Capitol Bar & Grill . Local ACT and NSW produce is the hero on its extensive menu, which favours wood-fired grills and fresh ingredients.

Known for its prime meat cuts, it’s no surprise the steak is to die for, arriving cooked to your liking and perfectly juicy. You can also order fresh seafood and sides to enjoy, as well. Order a Canberran varietal from the carefully curated wine list by Sommelier Ashleigh Smith.

Cuisine: Modern Grill

Atmosphere: Vibrant

Address: 1 London Circuit, Canberra ACT

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5. Monster Kitchen & Bar

Chances are, if you’re relatively across Canberra’s fine dining scene, you’ve heard of Monster Kitchen & Bar . A cavernous, moody space at Ovolo Nishi, Monster has long been known for its intriguing dishes and creativity.

Once 100 per cent plant-based, Monster is now “an omnivore", as their website puts it, with seasonal dishes share-style, like golden fried calamari with chilli and fennel salt, and steak frites with rich, creamy Paris butter. Don’t fill up too much though, the dessert options are also to die for.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Moody & cool

Address: 25 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra ACT

6. Courgette

a gourmet dish at Courgette, Canberra
Courgette is a staple of Canberra’s high-end food scene.

Fine dining at its most classic is found at Canberra institution Courgette . Think opulent dining rooms, crisp white tablecloths and an intimate, unhurried experience, with modern European cuisine and premium wines.

Open for both lunch and dinner, Courgette is the perfect place for your next special occasion. You can dine via a three-course a la carte menu, a five-course degustation or the extensive, 100 per cent vegetarian degustation.

Cuisine: Modern European

Atmosphere: Sophisticated and refined

Address: 54 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT

7. Raku

the fine dining interior of Raku, Canberra
Delight in refined Japanese plates. (Image: VisitCanberra)

If you’re looking for the best Japanese in Canberra, head to Raku . Known for its sushi and sashimi dishes, you can sit around the central workspace and watch chefs deftly slice your fish before it reaches your plate.

Order your dishes individually or choose from one of two tasting menus, priced between $120 and $170. If you’re in town on a weekday, you can get the less leisurely (but equally as delicious) experience with their $60 express menu. Go the extra mile and order something from the wine or dessert menus; perhaps both. Raku also has a dedicated gluten-free menu with extensive options.

Cuisine: Japanese

Atmosphere: Upscale

Address: 148 Bunda Street, Canberra ACT

8. OTIS

a truffle dish at OTIS
Indulge in truffle decadence at OTIS. (Image: VisitCanberra)

OTIS technically aligns itself with ‘fine-casual’ dining. Still, with head chef Damian Brabender’s stellar CV filled with Michelin-starred London restaurants and acclaimed Aussie resorts, OTIS will give you the fine dining experience you’re seeking.

The menu here is fresh, creative and seasonally-led, and all guests share the same selections. Choose from either the classic three-course menu, or the extensive degustation, then go all-out with paired wines for a truly luxurious experience.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Address: 29 Jardine Street, Kingston ACT

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9. Rubicon

Cosy, private and surprisingly laid-back, Rubicon is a Griffith icon, and well worth a visit if fine dining is your love language. The contemporary Australian restaurant has a menu packed with flavour, like cognac prunes and pistachio-stuffed pork fillet, and Canadian scallops with bacon jam.

We love Rubicon’s layout – four intimate dining rooms that offer seclusion and romance.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Intimate

Address: 6A Barker St, Griffith, ACT

10. Wilma

food and drinks on the table at Wilma, Canberra
The menu at Wilma leans into Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisines. (Image: VisitCanberra)

Classifying themselves as a “progressive Asian BBQ that is fun and approachable", you can probably guess that a visit to Wilma is about having a good time. The menu is broken up into small and large plates, with a heavy emphasis on the grill, like wood-roasted John Dory with charred lime and the “Wilma Snag Sanga", which is absolutely nothing like what you might pick up at a kid’s footy game.

Cuisine: Asian BBQ

Atmosphere: Fun

Address: 1 Genge St, Canberra, ACT

11. The Boat House

the fine dining interior of The Boat House, Canberra
The award-winning fine diner delivers stunning waterfront views. (Image: The Boat House)

Sometimes, fine dining is really about the atmosphere, and The Boat House delivers on this and then some. Tucked away inside Grevillea Park and overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, the Modern Australian menu is sourced impeccably, with barramundi from the Northern Territory’s Humpty Doo region, pork from NSW’s Northern Rivers and Sydney rock oysters to chow down on.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Bright and outdoorsy

Address: Grevillea Park, 7 Menindee Drive, Barton, ACT

12. Water’s Edge

Speaking of atmosphere, another Lake Burley Griffin jewel in the fine dining scene is Water’s Edge, one of Canberra’s most famous restaurants with arguably the greatest view. Topping TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards three years in a row, the menu options celebrate Australian produce and change with the seasons, plus you can expect special occasion menus, so it’s a great choice for celebrating.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Atmosphere: Classically refined

Address: Grevillea Park, 7 Menindee Drive, Barton, ACT

Melissa Mason
Melissa Mason is a freelance journalist who loves road tripping and car snacks. Previously holding Editor roles at ELLE, marie claire, Broadsheet and Pedestrian.TV, she now writes travel and lifestyle content for a wealth of Australian titles like SMH, Mamamia and Urban List, as well as copywriting for international brands. Outside of writing, she loves walks with her dog Ted, a great Sunday afternoon with friends, and op shopping. If she could be anywhere right now it would be lounging on a hammock at a tropical resort with a great romantic fantasy book.
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Good food, beautiful nature & history: your guide to a long weekend in West Gippsland

(Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.

    Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.

    Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.

    But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences.  Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.

    Getting there

    Messmates Dining west gippsland
    Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)

    Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.

    Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.

    Visit historic villages

    Walhalla historic township
    Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)

    The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.

    European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.

    The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township , a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.

    Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.

    Alpine Trout Farm west gippsland
    Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.

    Back in Warragul , the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.

    In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.

    Walks, waterfalls and wild places

    Toorongo Falls in west gippsland
    Stroll Toorongo Falls Reserve. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)

    Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.

    One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve . A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.

    Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.

    Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail , which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.

    Taste the best eats of West Gippsland

    Hogget Kitchen west gippsland
    Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.

    For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.

    Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.

    Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.

    For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter.  Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.

    Time your visit with the Truffle Festival

    Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival , running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.

    Start planning your long weekend in West Gippsland at visitgippsland.com.au .