It’s a beautiful scene. You take your cocktail from the well-dressed waiter and sit yourself by the water’s edge. Soaking up the warm sun, you run your fingers through the surface of the water feature and immediately notice the contrast in temperature to the warm summer air. Sipping from your drink, you feel cool and refreshed… the worries of the world seem a million miles away.

No, you’re not in The Maldives, rather The Mawson Club’s Garden Bar – an amazing oasis in the heart of Mawson. It’s something that has to be experienced to be appreciated – over the winter months, an amazing transformation took place to deliver one of the most beautiful bars in Canberra.

It’s the perfect place to be during long summer days when the heat of the season means there’s little energy for anything other than lazing about. Flop yourself in one of the low-slung couches and chat with a couple of friends, or grab a whole bunch and make use of the flexible function space on the other side of the decorative water feature.

If you’re feeling like a lazy day in front of the cricket with a couple of mates, then simply grab one of the delicious craft beers, some beef sliders from The Garden Bar’s tapas menu and settle in for a session or two. What better way to spend the last remaining days of 2014?

There’s also live music on Friday and Saturday nights from around 8.30pm, as well on Sundays from 2.00pm. Some of Canberra’s best acoustic acts have taken to the stage in the short couple of months since The Garden Bar reopened, throwing its doors open to a fresh and funky crowd, and this summer promises to be no different. To see what’s happening in the weeks to come, check out their Facebook Page for further details.

Here’s to summer at The Garden Bar!