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Canberra's best bars and pubs
Thanks to the large proportion of students among Canberra’s population, the city’s nightlife is a vibrant affair. With a choice of cosy bars where you can catch up over cocktails with a date or a mate, pubs humming with burgers, beer and music and dancefloors with DJs pumping out great tunes all night long, you’re bound to find a great night out within walking distance of ANU.
Overview
- Canberra is well-known for its pubs and clubs; from nightclubs to bars, there's something to suit all tastes and ages.
- Discover nights out filled with winter-warming pub meals, classy cocktail bars with tapas and live music, and nightclubs that thrum to the sound of DJs.
- And, of course, some of the national capital's clubs are open until the early hours of the morning.
So, what are you waiting for? It's time to raise your glass to the best bars and pubs in Canberra within and around the CBD. Here are our top picks.
Mooseheads
Can’t decide whether you want a pub meal and a beer or a dance party until the early hours? Head to Mooseheads and decide once you get there, thanks to this venue’s ‘upstairs/downstairs’ configuration.
'Downstairs at Mooseheads' has a relaxed vibe where you can enjoy a good meal and a beverage. Have fun at the pool tables and in the photo booth, then dance to the best of 80s, 90s and Noughties music.
The upper floor is one of the best party venues around, with fog machines, confetti blasts and DJs pumping out the best of dance, R&B, old school, and club music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until 5 am.
Spaces are also available to rent for private events like big birthdays or your family coming to town to see you.
Badger & Co.
The local ANU uni pub, Badger & Co. is open every day except Sunday. Pop in for a tasty lunch or dinner. Grab a cold beer and catch up with your uni mates and the locals while enjoying some good tunes.
Badger & Co has students and local DJs running the music, with chances to join the line-up if you’re interested.
Or, for those freezing winter nights when it’s too cold to be out and about, stop by Badger's and grab a takeaway dinner on your way home.
Badger has some of the most delicious burgers in Canberra.
High Jinks
Winner of the ACT Cocktail Bar of the Year Australian Bar Awards in both 2021 and 2022, High Jinks is sure to impress.
Within walking distance of the ANU campus, this intimate cocktail bar embodies classy but enjoyable fun. A range of tapas-style food and drink options are on offer. Think antipasto plates, chicken wings and cheese platters. You might like to sign up for a cocktail making class with a friend at least once; you’ll have a ball and even get the chance to pop behind the bar and shake up your own cocktail.
A bartender mixes a drink at High Jinks, a prohibition-style speakeasy just off campus in New Acton.
Assembly
Fondly known as ‘the people’s pub’, Assembly is on Lonsdale Street in the heart of bustling Braddon.
As the biggest pub in Canberra, it’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between.
Enjoy eggs and coffee from the front terrace when the day is new. Bring your family for a tasty lunch off the woodfired grill in the afternoon, or pop into the front bar for a beverage. Then round up your friends for cocktails and a dance after dark.
Tilley's
Named after the infamous 1920s Sydney underworld figure, Matilda ‘Tilly’ Devine, this café has a rich history to match its rich décor. First opened during the 1980s as a safe space for women to socialise, men were only allowed entry when accompanied by a woman and this culturally significant café quickly became an important spot for Canberra’s LGBTQIA+ community.
With dark timber tables, window booths set under antique lighting and live jazz music on the piano every Saturday night, it’s worth venturing up the road to Lyneham shops just to relax at this local favourite.
Or pop past earlier in the day for a good coffee, slice of cake and heartening brunch in the sunny outdoor courtyard. Another option is to curl up in one of the booths under the windows to read a book bought from the second-hand bookshop next door or to finish an essay on your laptop.
Bar Rochford (Civic)
Tucked away in the heritage-listed Melbourne building is a lovely wine and cocktail bar all about tasty seasonal tapas-style food, fine wines and good vibes – not to mention scintillating cocktail mixing performances.
The food and drinks on Bar Rochford's menus change throughout the year based on produce availability, so there’s always something new to experience every time you visit.
The Old Canberra Inn
Housed in one of Canberra’s oldest buildings, constructed in 1857, this pub on the outskirts of Lyneham serves tasty meals made from local produce and carefully selected craft beers along with live music.
Bring your mates (or your family) and enjoy the fun and relaxed atmosphere. Sip on a cheeky local beer or grab some quality– and affordable – grub at this family-friendly pub.
A beautiful sunny day in the beer garden in front of the historic Old Canberra Inn.
88mph
Pull on your rainbow leg warmers and pump up your hair volume! This bar is a must for everyone, whether you remember the 80s or not. With a menu of colourful cocktails and delicious pizzas, DJs, a dance floor and private karaoke suites, this is a place to bring your friends and your sweatbands for a fantastic night of retro 80s fun.
On a budget? Visit 88mph on a Thursday for discounted beverages and to use the karaoke rooms for free.
88mph bar.
Getting a taste for the best bars and pubs in Canberra? Explore the student accommodation options for ANU students that will put the city on your doorstep - and our accommodation guarantee for all first years.
