The Usual’s regulars are made to feel right at home here. Photo: Kazuri Photography. Jutting out from the corner of Gungahlin Pl and Efkarpidis St, The Usual cafe boasts ample space out front for patrons to bask in the sunshine, hands cupped around steaming mugs. It is a freezing morning, so I beeline for a warm table inside. The first thing I notice is how at home the regulars feel here. They are chatting across the counter with the cafe team, pulling their loyalty cards from the magnets at the front. I spot a pulled pork benny making its way to a table and my mouth begins to water. The Vi ..read more

Leyla Bar’s sweeping views over Canberra take in Parliament House, Black Mountain’s Telstra Tower, Lake Burley Griffin and all the pretty foliage dotted in between. Photo: DOMA Hotels. Winter is well and truly here, meaning single-digit temperatures (in the negatives and positives) and puffer jackets are the height of fashion in the capital for the next few months. But staying out of the cold doesn’t have to mean staying away from amazing views of the bush capital, especially as the yellow, orange and gold leaves slowly fall away. Here are three bars where you can hang the puffer over the ba ..read more

The Raclette Igloo experience is a fun communal meal. Photo: Supplied. Canberrans are invited to live out their cosiest European Winter dreams with a specialty raclette dining experience coming to warm our bellies in June. The Raclette Igloo Melted Cheese Experience is returning for another year of melted cheese, mulled wine, cured meats and French fun. The 14 private igloos – each named after a French ski resort – are cosy and beautifully arranged with fairy lights. This experience is made for groups of friends, with bookings for six or eight people at a time. The igloos are a cosy place t ..read more

Wayne Haslam and other truffle producers have been working with Southern Harvest Association for this year’s truffle season. Photo: Blue Frog Truffles. The chill of winter has well and truly set in, which means it’s time for truffles! Canberra is fortunate to be surrounded by prime truffle-producing areas that foster a season of deluxe festivities and gourmet events. Wayne Haslam is the owner of Blue Frog Truffles and has been involved in the Capital Region Truffle Festival since its beginnings in 2009. This year the festival will support the local not-for-profit Southern Harvest Association ..read more

The country’s best of the best wines will be in the spotlight at the National Wine Show of Australia in Canberra in June. Photo: National Wine Show. The big reds will take a back seat, with more alternate varieties expected to shine at this year’s National Wine Show of Australia. The event, with judging in Canberra from Monday 5 June to Thursday 8 June, will showcase Australia’s best wines across 42 classes. And this year a few new varieties have been invited to the table. Wines must have been awarded a gold or silver medal at one of 32 accredited shows around the country to qualify. Those s ..read more

Following its reopening in 2020, this Canberra favourite has dedicated millions to renovations in accommodation, venue and amenity spaces. Photo: Rydges Canberra. Rising proudly amid the bustle of central Canberra stands a venue distinct in both style and offering. Rydges Canberra is somewhat of a household name in the nation’s capital, but after spending most of 2020 closed following damage from extreme weather, this local favourite felt the need to refresh. And, thanks to countless demanding hours and an investment of more than $8 million, the reactivation of Rydges has produced one of the ..read more

Debbie Hunt and Kieron Malone next to one of their solar-powered aquaponic tanks. They are growing strawberries, fig tree cuttings and grevillea cuttings among a variety of plants. Photo: John Thistleton. Bungonia would not be many people’s first choice to grow fruit and vegetables. The soil is mostly heavy clay, summer’s heat is extreme, the rainfall is low and winters are below freezing. When Debbie Hunt and her partner Kieron Malone turned up from the Central Coast on a 25-acre (10-hectare) block near Bungonia to grow their own food, some locals laughed at them. Undaunted, the couple came ..read more

Husband and wife owners of BD Dine, Sha Hi Dul and Fatima Islam. Photo: James Day. Who are you?My name is Sha Hi Dul Islam, I am originally from Bangladesh but moved to Australia in 2008 as a UNSW PhD Engineering student. In 2012 I completed this program, along with the long journey to receiving my citizenship. Since then, I have worked in the public and private sectors on a full-time basis, but this side business is my passion. What is your business?Initially, I purchased the business in Harrison from another Bangladeshi person and ran it with a group of others, but now I am the sole owner ..read more

Lerida Estate’s winemaker Jacob Law. Photo: Thomas Lucraft. Distinctive, complex, world-class – just a few of the buzzwords used to describe Lerida Estate’s renowned cool climate wines. And after some challenging years for local wine growers, this year’s vintage looks to be shaping up nicely. Set lightly into the picturesque Lake George landscape, Lerida’s vineyards produce some of the most desirable wines in the region – highly sought after by locals, visitors and wine lovers from around the country. Alongside its signature Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the estate thoughtfully develops Pinot G ..read more

Franchisee Christian Candelori has opened the first El Jannah store in Canberra. Photo: Lucy Ridge. Lebanese-Australian chain El Jannah has gained cult status for its delicious charcoal chicken and famous garlic sauce, and now the Western Sydney institution has opened in Canberra. El Jannah started as a family business in 1998 in Granville, Sydney. Twenty-five years later, a second generation is involved in the business, and their charcoal chicken empire extends throughout Sydney and beyond. The first interstate franchises opened in Melbourne late last year, and now El Jannah has come to Can ..read more