For a seriously swish hang-out spot in Canberra, you can't go past Monster Kitchen and Bar. This sleek venue, which you'll find on the ground floor of the luxe Ovolo Nishi, boasts an open fire, that is perfect for chilly days.
Since opening, the eatery has designed its menu around local and seasonal produce. And in October 2020, Ovolo announced Monster, alongside the eateries in the hotel group's other Australian and Hong Kong sites, would be switching to an entirely vegetarian menu for at least a year.
At breakfast, this includes dishes like banoffee french toast and honey-baked pumpkin with whipped garlic feta. From 2pm, the venue shifts into bar mode with share-style plates like wild mushroom karaage, smoked beetroot tartare, ancient grains ragu and slow-roasted carrot with smoked kelp.
Alongside a range of craft beers and local wines, the bar serves seasonal cocktails that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are delicious, with ingredients like house-infused strawberry gin, fair goji liqueur, macadamia and wattleseed liqueur and celery bitters making appearances.
Image: VisitCanberra