Life is never dull on Lonsdale Street!
It’s been another big week for Canberra’s emerging premier dining district. We’ve seen the arrival of an exciting new venue, while some others are undergoing an upgrade.
Chez Frederic
Firstly, the new kid on the block is Chez Frederic. A cute little restaurant towards the city end of Lonsdale Street was offering a very tidy collection of Italian dishes during a soft opening prior to their formal debut this weekend.
Owned by Sara Poguet and Steve Rezo, and with a focus on sustainability and simplicity we’re expecting great things from Chez Frederic. They’re also offering a takeaway menu, so feel free to duck in and grab something on the fly if you’re keen to check it out.
Autolyse Bakery
Meanwhile, crossing the road and heading north, a flurry of activity is occurring. With FitSistas moving a stone’s throw away over to Eloura Street and leaving the space next to Elk & Pea empty, Autolyse Bakery has claimed the vacancy.
Barely eight months old, Autolyse has experienced success from day one, with rumoured expansion plans into the Sydney market, but now with a definite strategy to expand their wholesale offerings through converting the space on Lonsdale Street to a commercial bakery.
Elk & Pea
In turn, this has forced a slight restructure at Elk & Pea, who have taken advantage of the construction works to reconfigure their outside area and open up the entry to their fabulous little restaurant. It’s an entry that will be used more often as well, with revised opening times meaning you can grab a fantastic cup of coffee from 6.00am – commencing in the coming weeks.
Lonsdale Street Roasters
Finally, out of the blue, Lonsdale Street Roasters No. 23 suddenly closed half its outlet for a refurbishment. Early morning caffeine addicts would have last week discovered the shipping-container-come-coffee-shop that comes to life on weekends is now running during the week. Along with Bing Bangs Hot Dog Stand, now selling bacon & egg rolls to the early morning faithful, there is a decidedly different feel up this end of the street.
It’s great to see all these venues on the front foot and consistently working to improve the Braddon food, wine and coffee scene together. Keep a close eye on OutinCanberra for further news throughout 2014.
