Last week we brought you a fast and furious recap of all the new bars, cafes and restaurants that opened up in the first half of 2015 – and there were no fewer than 25 of them, meaning there was a new place to visit every time Friday came around! This week, it’s time to march on and look back through the second half of the year, which has been just as exciting and frenetic.
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It’s been a big year for the Belconnen area, especially with the addition of three new bars in the last six months (which also gives us a great excuse for a Belco bar crawl). The Pot Belly is now under new ownership as a boutique craft beer venue, The Well @ UC is helping our future leaders relax after a hard cramming session, and The Bolt Bar joins Two Before Ten at the Aranda Shops (try out their Aranda Pale Ale).
Our inner south continues to deliver quality dining and drinking options, with the East Hotel adding the part-wine-bar-part-bookstore Muse and stylish, Italian-inspired Joe’s Bar to its stables this year. Kingston’s Salotto kept the Italian theme going, while XO in Narrabundah has had tongues wagging (and drooling) with their modern Asian cuisine.
A bit further south, Ricardo’s Café has expanded its operations (and amazing cakes and pastries) to Space Kitchen in Woden; and while you don’t often associate airports with great food, Helix Bar & Dining in the new Vibe Hotel is serving up some amazing European-influenced dishes.
What do Braddon and your favourite suitcase have in common? Every time you think it’s full, something else manages to squeeze in! So in the second half of the year, Burger Hero on Mort Street got us hooked on their fresh, custom burgers, and The Hamlet welcomed Fillos Souvlaki and The Hutch (Canberra’s smallest bar) to its lineup. Elsewhere on the northside, The Knox is bringing some suburban style to the Watson Shops, and The Drawing Room in Crace is proving to be a neighbourhood hit.
Right in the heart of the CBD, the CoCu group invited us in to share a meal with Nonna at Provini, the Milk Crate café is giving workers in City West another excuse to go out for coffee, while Ivy & The Fox in Acton is doing everything from brunch to afternoon drinks in a leafy, historic setting. And if you’re after something a bit stronger, the team at Molly have recently opened the Cuban-themed Highball Express, and the White Rabbit Cocktail Room has taken over the space previously occupied by Kremlin Bar.
Canberra’s willingness to proudly support our local bars, cafes and restaurants has brought about a bumper year for 2015 – perhaps even the best year for our hospitality scene. We’re sure 2016 will have something to say about that though… so bring it on!
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Did you miss out on Canberra’s 2015 Year In Review Part 1? Read it here.
