Abell's Kopi Tiam

Coming from Melbourne, this is the kind of small Asian restaurant you expect – but rarely find – in Canberra.  It blends good-humoured waitstaff and non-feral décor with excellent ‘modern Asian’ food.  The restaurant is a manageable size – seats maybe 25 – and has a tasteful, simple and colourful ambience, though like most Canberran restaurants the lighting is probably too bright.

Ethiopia Down Under

As we drove around for ages searching for a car park, I began to wonder if there is something amazing going on in Pearce on Thursday nights that I don’t know about. Wandering across the square, we were greeted by a spirited Bollywood dance number belting out of Pearce IGA. Fess up Wodenians, is Pearce an untapped highlight of Canberra’s notorious nightlife?