Canberra eats better than its reputation: a Saturday farmers' market feeding 10,000 people, a cool-climate wine district on its doorstep, and chefs who left Sydney for cheaper rents. This is three days of markets, riesling and suburban shopfront cooking.
Saturdays 7:30–11:30am only, in the EPIC showground pavilions. Around 100 stallholders from within 250km — Araluen citrus, Batlow apples, Bungendore honey, Tathra oysters shucked to order. Entry is free; parking $3. Traders pack up sharp at 11:30.
One suburban street holding Canberra's densest Asian dining: Au Lac (vegan Vietnamese, mock-duck pho ~$18), Rasa Sayang for Malaysian char kway teow, Jewel of India, and hotpot at Little Sichuan. Most mains $16–26, cash-friendly, no bookings at lunch.
The old panel-beater strip turned eating district. Ona Coffee's Lonsdale roastery pours competition-grade filters ($6–8), Sweet Bones does vegan doughnuts, and Frugii Dessert Laboratory scoops nitrogen-churned gelato in flavours like miso caramel and Pedro Ximénez.
Canberra's best-known brewpub, opened 2014 by Richard Watkins, brewing in-house downstairs. Crankshaft IPA is the flagship; 18 taps rotate constantly, schooners around $10–12. Kitchen does loaded fries and burgers until late; no bookings, communal tables.
Forty minutes north on the Barton Highway, in the Canberra District wine region. Tim Kirk's Shiraz Viognier is the wine that made cool-climate Australian shiraz famous. Cellar door open daily 10–5; tastings $10, waived with purchase. Riesling is the sleeper buy.
A smokehouse farm on 150 hectares curing free-range smoked meats since 1992 — smoked chicken, kangaroo prosciutto, cold-smoked trout. The Smokehouse Cafe serves grazing boards paired with Wily Trout wines grown on the property. Lunch Thurs–Sun, bookings advised.
Fifteen minutes from the city centre on limestone slopes, the Australian benchmark for Tempranillo — the 2010 vintage put the variety on the national map. Cellar door daily 10–5, tastings from $10. Also pours Riesling, Mondeuse and a rare Graciano.
The lakeside dining strip on the old power-station site. Morks does modern Thai from chef Mork Chantasri (banana blossom salad, twice-cooked duck; mains $34–42) with water views; Brodburger's shipping-container burgers sit at the northern end for $16.
Canberra's serious sourdough operation, milling and baking daily since 2013. Croissants, kouign-amann and a rye-caraway loaf sell out by mid-morning; coffee $5, pastries $6–9. The Kingston shop opens 7am weekdays, 8am weekends, and there's a Braddon branch.
Sundays 10am–4pm in a 1920s tram depot beside the lake. The food hall runs Sri Lankan hoppers, Turkish gozleme, Polish pierogi and Hungarian langos alongside 200 craft stalls. Entry $3 adults, under-16s free. Eat standing at the long communal benches.
The ACT's craft spirits scene, built on cryo-filtration technology developed locally. Underground Spirits' gin and vodka use a cold-filtering method invented at ANU; tastings run $15–25 with a flight of four. Canberra Distillery in Mitchell does barrel-aged gin.
Behind an unmarked door off Odgers Lane in the city centre — no sign, just a bare bulb. A 1920s-styled whisky bar with 200-plus bottles, low ceilings and no bookings after 6pm. Cocktails $22–26. Sister venue Highball Express next door does rum and tiki.