Great venues don’t respond to trends. They adhere to a classic style, and simply infuse the fashions of the world around them without implementing dramatic change. This is certainly the case with The Old Canberra Inn and is a philosophy strongly held by its new owners.
The 150-year-old-pub defies Canberra’s contemporary architecture by offering a glimpse into a different era – a time when nearby farmers and villagers might have arrived by horse to wash away the aches and pains of a hard day of work.
Fast-forward to 2016 and, while the world has changed around it, this Federation-style building maintains a place in the heart of Canberrans.
Make your way through the large beer garden to the front door to discover the old-world charms of The Old Canberra Inn. Grab yourself a glass of something cold (perhaps one of the eight craft beers and ciders available on tap) and settle in for the many delights contained within the clever menu.
To match your drink, there are plenty of bar snacks to get your fingers into. A great way to start is with the Pickle Chips with Kimchi Mayo – a startling discovery that reflects the contemporary side to this classic venue. Lightly fried beer batter with just a hint of dill, the interplay of salty pickle and sweet kimchi is fantastic. It’s hard not to keep going back for more… and more… and more!
If you’re looking for a burger, there are a few on offer – Beef, Haloumi, Chicken and a Cheeseburger. The classicBeef Burger doesn’t attempt to reinvent the concept – rather it reaches new heights through the quality of meat in the patty.
Succulent and rich, the texture of the patty is the hero – dripping with flavour just underneath its perfectly seared exterior. After that, the other ingredients – including Swiss cheese and tomato chutney, are reduced to supporting roles, but deliver all the same.
For steak lovers, there’s plenty to get excited about. The Old Canberra Inn has sourced four different cuts from across the East Coast, all of which are grass-fed and defined by breed. Similar attention is given to the classic Parmigiana, which is made from free-range chicken.
It’s a much subtler take on what you might find in a typical Chicken Parmigiana. The ham is also free-range, and you can taste the happiness. Perhaps, like other well-cared for farm stock, they simply had ‘one bad day’. The chicken tastes like chicken, the ham tastes like ham – which is a lot rarer than you’d expect in this day and age.
The great news is that unlike traditional pub grub, all large plates come with your pick of two sides. The choice of grilled corn and a Jamaican slaw makes a great dish even better, but the pièce de résistance is a small bowl of lime salt which ramps all the flavours up to eleven. This is a Parmy to drive across town for. Seriously.
The Old Canberra Inn’s menu is indicative of what is happening across the entire venue. Clever ideas are being slowly introduced. The amazing Happy Hour special that brings $4.00 schooners of Pact Beer and half a kilo of free-range Buffalo Wings for $6.00 eery weekday from 4.00pm – 6.00pm. At the same time, the new owners pride themselves on respecting the character of the old building.
And it all works. It really does.
