Here are our top 10 places to eat within 15 minutes of ANU.

1. Corella Restaurant and Bar

A finalist in the Gourmet Traveller New Restaurant of the Year 2022 awards, Corella in Braddon is one of Canberra's best restaurants.

The food uses native Australian flavours to create tasty, modern Australian dishes and a dynamic menu based around seasonal produce. The carefully curated wine list, custom cocktails and intimate setting make this cosy restaurant the perfect place for a celebratory dinner with your family or to catch up over a quiet drink at the start of a date.

2. Rye

While Rye’s vibe might be one of Scandinavian simplicity, there is nothing simple about the gorgeous food options at this Lonsdale Street café and bar in Braddon.

Open every day, Rye offers Scandi flair brunches. Choices include a Danish open sandwich on seeded rye bread, baked eggs and a soft-shell crab burger. Alternatively, choose the Dutch skillet pancake served with cherries and candied almonds and satisfy your sweet tooth. Open until 2.30pm every day, lunch is an option too – along with beers, wines, and cocktails – making Rye an excellent spot for a study break at midday or an early afternoon beverage on the weekend.

3. Snapper & Co

If you’re craving fish and chips, get yourself across to the south side of Lake Burley Griffin and enjoy fish and chips Canberra-style.

Sit at a table or booth, inside or out, or chuck a rug on the grass and relax with a beverage overlooking the spectacular views of the National Museum, sailing boats and the parklands surrounding the lake.

If fish isn't your thing, grab a pizza or a burger. Or go earlier in the day for brekky and a coffee.

On a hot summer's evening, there's nothing as good as capping off your meal with a cone of delicious gelato. Eat it before it drips down your fingers as you sip your last cup of coffee for the day.

4. Eighty/Twenty

The philosophy at this Braddon café is that life is all about balance: 80 per cent mindfulness, 20 per cent indulgence. The food and drink at Eighty/Twenty reflects this philosophy by constructing meals around raw, clean, healthy choices, with a whisper of luxury.

Whether you’re in the mood for a Vegan Buckwheat Waffle or it’s more of a French-toast-with-maple-syrup-andcaramelised-banana-and-sugar kind of day, you will have a wealth of choice at Eighty/Twenty.

5. Assembly, aka ‘the people’s pub’

Canberra’s biggest pub, Assembly is open seven days a week for brekky, lunch, dinner and snacks in between.

Bask in the morning sunlight on the front terrace over a heartening brunch. Bring your family for a tasty lunch off the woodfired grill or pop into the front bar for a cheeky beverage.

Then round up your friends for cocktails and a dance after dark. Assembly has certainly earned its title as one of the best places to eat in Canberra.

6. Sammy’s

A veritable Canberra institution, Sammy’s on Kingston Foreshore offers delicious Chinese and Malaysian food that doesn’t cost the earth. Choose to dine in a la carte, eat a set banquet or get takeaway. Sammy's menu is huge and caters for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans.

Food is paired with local and international wines and spirits, making this local icon a great place to meet friends or family or simply to pop into for a mid-week meal that’s tasty and filling and doesn’t blow the budget.

7. Blu Ginger

For delicious Indian cuisine in Canberra, you can’t go past Blu Ginger in the city. Open every day for lunch and dinner, this fine food won’t blow your budget.

The dessert menu is exceptional and worth a visit in its own right.

8. Messina

Looking for the best gelato in Canberra? You’ll find it at Gelato Messina. With 40 flavours to choose from, there's something for every type of sweet tooth.

Messina also offers a range of gifts and cakes to purchase, so picking up a delectable treat on your way to a friend’s birthday celebration is a great idea. After a long day, you might also like to order your own dessert in a takeaway tub and indulge in it after dinner.

9. Verity Lane

You can find this quirky food hall in the beautiful, heritage-listed Sydney Building in the CBD. With tables overlooking the lane on one side and Northbourne Avenue on the other, this is a great place to people-watch while eating a casual lunch or dinner with friends after a hard day studying.

For the peckish are gourmet pizzas, noodle and pasta bowls and numerous other offerings by the vendors that include South African and Mexican street food, and Modern Asian flavours served on fluffy bao buns.

10. Raku

One to keep for a special occasion, get your Instagram ready for a meal at Raku. Fine dining enhanced by Japanese elegance and minimalism, this elegant restaurant offers more than just food on a plate; it’s a dining experience.

The meals are individual pieces of art, beautifully (and sometimes theatrically) presented, constructed around fresh ingredients with flavour and balance at their centre.

Get to Raku to enjoy one of Canberra’s most rewarding dining experiences.