Canberra Cafes

If you’re looking for the best Canberra cafes, I’ve done all the research for you! Australia’s capital – my home – offers some of the best coffee and cafe experiences in the country, and I’ve put together a comprehensive list for you. Whether you’re looking for Canberra’s best coffee, food, service, view or vibe, I’ve got you covered!

Table of Contents

Canberra’s Best Coffee

The best place to start is always with coffee, so let’s dive right in and find out where the best coffee in Canberra is! I’ve selflessly (haha) done all the leg-work by sampling coffees from all over Canberra, as well as polling friends and family, so the results are thoroughly tested! I’m assuming most locals already have their favourite spots, so these are the best cafes in Canberra that a visitor should know about:

Močan & Green Grout – 1/ 19 Marcus Clarke Street, New Acton. Well deserved first place! Simply put, Močan serves the best coffee made by highly skilled baristas. The owner is a well travelled foodie and coffee connoisseur who focuses on fresh, local, and seasonal produce (including wine) and she ties it together seamlessly with a warm, welcoming boho vibe. You’ll go for breakfast and stay for lunch – it’s just that good.
The Cupping Room – Cnr London Circuit & University Avenue, Civic. Catering for both the corporate city crowd and uni students, you have to make consistently good, well priced coffees, and that’s something The Cupping Room takes seriously.
Ona Coffee House – 68 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Roasting Ona coffee on the premises, these folks really know their coffee! Small but tasty and well priced food menu, too.

Closeup of a flat white coffee with a swirly decoration on top presented in a black cup and saucer in a Canberra cafe. — Coffee by Močan & Green Grout in New Acton, Canberra

Canberra Cafes with a View

Canberra is a pretty little city but until recently, very few cafes made good use of its views. However, things are a-changing and more and more Canberra cafes are situating themselves to make best use of the views. Being a city around a lake, lots of the best view spots are lake-focussed, but there are some exceptions. I’ve listed my favourites below:

Walter Cafe – Barrine Drive, Parkes. In all honesty, Walter Cafe probably has the best lake views in Canberra. It sits perched atop the grassy knoll overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, providing a stunning view of both the National Carillon and the Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet. The coffee and food are great, but let’s be honest: we’re there for the terrace view!
Margot – West Kiosk, Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes. Small but mighty! Tucked between the International Flag Display and Lake Burley Griffin, Margot has made its mark serving fabulous coffee.
On Lake Cafe – Bowen Park, 6 Bowen Drive, Barton. When I first moved to Canberra, I couldn’t believe that there were so few cafes making use of Lake Burley Griffin. Luckily, the On Lake Cafe is on one of my favourite walking routes, so I’ve been a regular for years. It’s slowly building up its operation and now has permanent decking out the front so you don’t get soggy underfoot after rain! The inside is warm in winter, and there are lots of sunny spots in summer. A truly lovely place to sit and enjoy the beauty of the lake and surrounding deciduous trees.
Queen’s Terrace – Parliament House, Parliament Drive, Capital Hill. I’m a bit of a nerd – from a proud family of nerds – and having coffee/ lunch/ high tea in ‘the seat of power’ seems kinda cool to me! The coffee and food are reasonable, the high tea is really lovely, and the view from Capital Hill is unique. Very well worth checking out for something a little bit different, and if you’re showing visitors around.
Pollen – Botanical Gardens, Clunies Ross Street. While most of Canberra’s “view” cafes focus on Lake Burley Griffin, Pollen offers a different vista. Set amongst the gorgeous greenery of the Botanical Gardens, Pollen presents consistently good coffee and good food.
Cafe Sosta – Red Shed, John Cardiff Close, Acton. A newbie to the Canberra cafe scene but one likely to take the capital by storm! A beautiful lake-view environment where you know you’re supporting the not-for-profit efforts of the community-focused Red Shed initiative. I love the Italian-inspired menu that’s a bit different, serving deliciousness like an Italian breakfast porridge or a smashed avo panini with peas, mint, and goat cheese – delish!
Local Press – 35 Eastlake Parade, Kingston Foreshore. A plant-y (yes, it’s a word, even if I just made it up!) wholefood cafe that overlooks LBG in the heart of the foreshore. There are a bunch of cafes along the foreshore, but Local Press is my favourite among them because they tick all the boxes: views, service, food, and coffee.
The Museum Cafe – National Museum of Australia, 1 Lawson Crescent, Acton. Expansive, light and airy, the Museum Cafe is a lovely spot to sit indoors or out. The coffee is OK, the food is good and the views are lovely. I probably wouldn’t visit if I wasn’t already in the area, but it’s a great spot if you’re close and looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Civic.
Wildbark (@ Mulligans Flat) – 25 Rosenberg Street, Throsby. Wildbark Cafe is located on the edge of the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary. The sanctuary is 1200 hectares of fox-free bush, grassland and woodland reserve that boasts a variety of wild Australian animals. The cafe…

Canberra Cafe Sosta landscape view inside cafe with warm hued wooden tables and chairs, no people, and big glass windows overlooking lake. — Cafe Sosta, Acton

(Note: There is another cafe with a great view, Cafe at the Arboretum (National Arboretum, Village Centre, Forest Drive). The National Arboretum is spectacular spot at any time of year, and the cafe sits in prime position. However, while the views are fabulous, I’m loathed to actually recommend it because it’s echo-y and loud, often chaotic, and I don’t like the food or service at all. However, it is the only option inside the Arboretum, so you decide.)

Canberra Cafes with Good Vibes

If you’re looking for a Canberra cafe with good vibes, I’ve got you covered! While there are a bunch of cafes around, sometimes you just want a little *something extra*. The cafes listed below each have something a little bit different – a little bit fun or unique – about them. I’m also pretty keen to hear about any cafes that you find that you think should be added to the list, so please let me know.

Kita Kafe – 59 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. Here’s one for the night owls! Boho and casual Kita is an Indonesian cafe and restaurant. It has the weirdest opening hours, but is predominantly open late at night (all night, sometimes!). So it’s great for a cosy post-movie coffee and dessert, or a post-pub curry or snack. Please check their website for opening hours.
Rosemary by Eighty Twenty – Giles Street, Kingston. Eighty Twenty is a chain, so I wasn’t expecting much from it, but I have been really pleasantly surprised. The coffee and the food are good, the decor isn’t much to talk about, but what makes this place vibe is the staff. The folks who work here are really lovely – friendly, polite, and attentive to their customers’ needs. It’s always great when people working in ‘customer service’ type roles actually like their customers!
Fox & Bow – Braddon + Farrer locations. No fuss, no drama – just good coffee, good food, and good vibes. So good that the team needed to open a second location, so that’s pretty telling!
ARC – 1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra. Modern, sleek and stylish but still warm and inviting – what an excellent combo! It’s also pretty reasonably priced, and the food is good. I’ve only been on a weekday and it gets busy with office workers before work and at morning tea time, but outside those hours, it’s great.
Sweet Bones – 8/18 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. A punk-style vegan cafe that also specialises in cakes. The decor is loud, in-your-face and fun (depending on your taste!). The coffee and food are good, and their cakes are beautiful.
Kitchen Garden at Rodney’s – 24 Beltana Road, Pialligo. A garden cafe that has become a Canberran institution! Sit among the plants outdoors on a sunny day, or in one of the little ‘garden sheds’ when it’s chilly – both are good options. The food is great, the coffees are nice, and friendly service is fast, even when it’s busy. Remember to book because even though there are LOTS of tables, they go quickly.
The Front – 1 Wattle Place, Lyneham. If you like your coffee with a healthy dose of art, this is the spot for you. Although the gallery is next door, the coffee and food at The Front are equally artistic and will inspire you!

Portrait photo of a coffee in the foreground with tree silhouettes and lake in the background under blue summer sky. — The view from On Lake Cafe is gorgeous.

Canberra Cafes’ Best Food

Best food is notoriously difficult to rate because taste is so subjective, isn’t it? But the cafes listed below each offer something unique, and what they do, they do really well.

Sandoochie – No Name Lane, Canberra. As their own website says, “fresh and toothsome” sandwiches. There are some really interesting and unusual combinations, but they’re always fresh and always delicious. It’s a small joint, but it’s cosy and you know you’ll get local and seasonal ingredients – and a nice chat. Seriously, check it out.
Wildflour Artisan Bakery & Cafe – 8 Townsville Street, Fyshwick. Small menu but everything on it is scrumptious! My personal favourites are the spicy squid burger, haloumi fries, and the knafeh pancakes. Sooooo good!
Maple + Clove – 7 Burbury Close, Barton. The Maple + Clove folks have been around for a long time so they really know what they’re doing and they know their market. The food is always and reliably high quality and presented beautifully.
Silo – 36 Giles Street, Kingston. A busy little French bakery known far and wide for its delicious pastries – so much so that a queue forms out the door and up the street on Saturdays! My recommendation is the scrumptious lemon meringue tart.
Under Bakery – 1/30 Mawson Place, Mawson. Amazingly delicious bakery treats and a totally on-trend hipster vibe. The menu changes constantly so I can’t recommend my favourite dishes, but everything I’ve had has always been good. In amongst the options are always some vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Summary of Canberra Cafes

While folks often think of Melbourne as the home of the world’s best coffee, I hope I’ve shown you that Canberra is a strong contender. Not only are Canberra cafes serving fabulous, roasted-on-the-premises coffee made by highly skilled baristas, but we’ve got some of the most scenic cafes and coolest vibes in the country! I’d love to hear your thoughts on our city’s fabulous cafes and hear about places you’d like me to check out and add to the list.