Molly
Speakeasy
Built inside an old bank vault behind an unassuming wooden door off Odgers Lane, a candlelit speakeasy for whisky, cocktails and live jazz.
📍 Odgers Lane, Canberra ACT 2601
Our top 10 Canberra bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- Molly
A speakeasy in an old bank vault.
The City and New Acton - Hippo Co
Jazz, candles and 280 whiskies.
The City and New Acton - Bar Rochford
Wine and cocktails under arched windows.
The City and New Acton - Volstead Repeal
300 whiskies down a Braddon alley.
Braddon - Devil You Don't
A basement den at New Acton.
The City and New Acton - Blue Eyes
Old Hollywood over Garema Place.
The City and New Acton - Parlour
An intimate New Acton wine bar.
The City and New Acton - Leyla
Rooftop views from Barton.
Kingston, Barton and Fyshwick - Romanée Wine Bar
Fine local wine behind Lonsdale Street.
Braddon - Ambrosia Lounge
Velvet and marble on Dairy Road.
Kingston, Barton and Fyshwick
Map of Canberra bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars in the City and New Acton
Garema Place, Odgers Lane, London Circuit and New Acton hold most of Canberra's cocktail bars, many of them up stairs or behind unmarked doors.
Swipe to see all 8 bars →
Hippo Co
Cocktail and jazz bar
Above Canberra's first Chinese restaurant, one of Australia's longest-running cocktail and jazz venues, lit by candles, with more than 280 whiskies, guided tastings and a balcony for warm nights.
📍 1/17 Garema Place, Canberra ACT 2601
Bar Rochford
Wine and cocktail bar
ACT Bar of the Year (VisitCanberra)
Up a flight of stairs in the heritage-listed Melbourne Building, with huge arched windows, wine-bottle candles, a fireplace and an ever-changing food menu.
📍 65 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2601
Devil You Don't
Basement cocktail bar
A moody basement cocktail den beneath New Acton, in the space that was High Jinks, from the team behind Volstead Repeal and Peacemaker Saloon.
📍 Basement, 2/15 Edinburgh Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601
Blue Eyes
Cocktail bar
A first-floor bar over Garema Place inspired by old Hollywood glamour, pouring classic cocktails.
📍 Level 1, 5 Garema Place, Canberra ACT 2601
Cicada
Cocktail bar
A street-level cocktail bar at Constitution Place with a sake list.
📍 Constitution Place, Canberra ACT 2601
Bar Beirut
Cocktail bar
One of Canberra's edgiest cocktail bars, Parisian meets Middle Eastern, with dark hues, wooden bar tops, live DJs and a bunker bar downstairs serving boozy bubble tea.
📍 Canberra ACT 2601
Parlour
Wine bar
One of Canberra's most intimate wine bars, at New Acton, with vintage furniture, marble-topped tables and share plates such as oysters and chorizo.
📍 New Acton, Canberra ACT 2601
Bars in Braddon
Just north of the City, Lonsdale Street and Mort Street for whisky, Riesling, a saloon and a brewery.
Swipe to see all 5 bars →
Volstead Repeal
Whisky bar
A New York-inspired whisky bar down an alley in Braddon, with more than 300 whiskies, walls lined with bottles and green leather chesterfields.
📍 7/32 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Romanée Wine Bar
Wine bar
Tucked behind the Branx building on Lonsdale Street, pouring wines from the ACT and its surrounds alongside some of Australia's finest vintages.
📍 105/16 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Peacemaker Saloon
Saloon bar
A saloon-style bar with craft beer on tap and a bartender ranked among Drink World's top 100 in Australia.
📍 Braddon ACT 2612
Rizla
Wine bar
A Braddon wine bar given over almost entirely to Riesling, with share plates.
📍 Braddon ACT 2612
BentSpoke Brewing Co.
Brewery
Canberra's buzzy double-storey craft brewery in the heart of Braddon. Its beers are poured in pubs all over the city.
📍 48/38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Bars in Kingston, Barton and Fyshwick
South of the lake: a cellar bar and wine bar in Kingston, pubs on the Foreshore, a rooftop in Barton and a loft lounge on Dairy Road.
Swipe to see all 6 bars →
Leyla
Rooftop bar
A rooftop bar on level seven in Barton with big windows that open to the outdoors, views over Canberra and a weekly sunset hour.
📍 Level 7, 1 Burbury Close, Barton ACT 2600
Ambrosia Lounge
Cocktail lounge
A loft-style cocktail bar in the Dairy Road precinct, with marble tables, green velvet chairs and marble statues.
📍 Building 2, 2/1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick ACT 2609
Tintino
Wine bar
A Kingston wine bar with small plates built on local produce, including sourdough from L'epi and LP's meats.
📍 4/11 Kennedy Street, Kingston ACT 2604
Kingston Hotel
Pub
The Kingo, one of Canberra's oldest pubs (it dates from 1922), five minutes from the city, with steaks, pies and a fire in winter.
📍 73 Canberra Avenue, Kingston ACT 2604
The Dock
Sports pub
An award-winning sports pub right on the Kingston Foreshore.
📍 7/81 Giles Street, Kingston ACT 2604
Walt and Burley
Pub
Pub food and live music with views across Lake Burley Griffin.
📍 70/17 Eastlake Parade, Kingston ACT 2604
Canberra cocktail trails
Three routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
The City: Garema Place to London Circuit
4 bars · about 8 minutes on foot in total
- 1Hippo Co1/17 Garema Place, Canberra ACT 2601
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2Blue EyesLevel 1, 5 Garema Place, Canberra ACT 2601
- 🚶 about 5 min to the next bar
- 3MollyOdgers Lane, Canberra ACT 2601
- 🚶 about 2 min to the next bar
- 4Bar Rochford65 London Circuit, Canberra ACT 2601
Braddon: Lonsdale Street and Mort Street
3 bars · about 6 minutes on foot in total
- 1Romanée Wine Bar105/16 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT 2612
- 🚶 about 5 min to the next bar
- 2Volstead Repeal7/32 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3BentSpoke Brewing Co.48/38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT 2612
Kingston and the Foreshore
4 bars · about 26 minutes on foot in total
- 1Tintino4/11 Kennedy Street, Kingston ACT 2604
- 🚶 about 7 min to the next bar
- 2Kingston Hotel73 Canberra Avenue, Kingston ACT 2604
- 🚶 about 9 min to the next bar
- 3The Dock7/81 Giles Street, Kingston ACT 2604
- 🚶 about 10 min to the next bar
- 4Walt and Burley70/17 Eastlake Parade, Kingston ACT 2604
More Canberra bar guides
- Cocktail barsCocktail bars in Canberra: Molly, Hippo Co, Bar Rochford and Volstead Repeal and more.
- Date nightDate night bars in Canberra: Hippo Co, Bar Rochford, Devil You Don't and Blue Eyes and mor
- Hidden barsHidden bars in Canberra: Molly, Volstead Repeal, Devil You Don't and Romanée Wine Bar and
- Rooftops and viewsRooftops and views bars in Canberra: Blue Eyes, Leyla, The Dock and Walt and Burley.
- Live musicLive music bars in Canberra: Molly, Hippo Co, Bar Beirut and Walt and Burley.
- Fun bars for groupsFun bars for groups in Canberra: Devil You Don't, Bar Beirut, Peacemaker Saloon and BentSp
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Canberra: Molly, Hippo Co and Volstead Repeal.
- Cocktails and foodCocktails and food bars in Canberra: Bar Rochford, Parlour, Cicada and Rizla and more.
- Pubs and beer barsPubs and beer bars in Canberra: Peacemaker Saloon, BentSpoke Brewing Co., Kingston Hotel a
- Wine barsWine bars in Canberra: Bar Rochford, Parlour, Romanée Wine Bar and Rizla and more.
- Cocktail trailsA ready-made Canberra cocktail trail on foot, with 3 routes and the walking time between e
Know before you go
- 🚪 Look for the doorsSeveral of the best bars are upstairs or behind unmarked doors, so check the address before you set off.
- 🚶 City to BraddonGarema Place to Lonsdale Street is a short walk, so you can do both in a night.
- 🔥 Winter firesBar Rochford and the Kingston Hotel both have fireplaces for cold Canberra nights.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Canberra?
Start with Molly and Hippo Co, then Bar Rochford. Our top 10 above covers the rest.
Where is the best area for bars in Canberra?
The City for cocktail bars around Garema Place and Odgers Lane, then Braddon a short walk north for whisky and wine. Kingston is the pick for pubs by the lake.
Does Canberra have speakeasies?
Yes. Molly is behind a wooden door off Odgers Lane in an old bank vault, Devil You Don't is a basement bar at New Acton and Volstead Repeal is down an alley in Braddon.
Where can I find whisky in Canberra?
Volstead Repeal has more than 300 whiskies and Hippo Co more than 280, with guided tastings.
Is Cocktail Week coming to Canberra?
Yes. Canberra Cocktail Week is coming soon. Sign up on our Canberra page for first access to wristbands and the bar line-up.
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including VisitCanberra, HerCanberra, Region Canberra and Sitchu.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Canberra that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.