Canberrans are blessed with the amount of restaurants that regularly pop up around town. New and exciting food is around each corner of each connecting street. Meanwhile looking outwards to the surrounding regions, only a short drive away even more fresh food is waiting to be tasted.

Perhaps there is something in the country air?

Well, the air must be especially good around Murrumbateman. Just beyond the ACT border, the growing village on the Barton Highway signals an abundance of food and wine growing right at our doorstep.

The popular Flint in the Vines resides in this wonderful wine region just 30 minutes from Canberra, cozy and relaxed, scrumptious and inviting, the winery has taken several pages from the books of the Parisian wineries and provided that experience right here in Australia. Flint in the Vines is just one of the delicious authentic restaurants within easy reach of the Nation’s Capital.

Over in Bungendore, this town is not just a stop on the well-travelled road to the coast. Café Wood Works welcomes you to join the town’s folk for some local fare in a historic 1883 house. Here you can get country-style food in a spacious gallery-style room, or take your eggs and truffle oil and locally made chipolatas out on the verandah for a tasty meal at a slower speed.

It’s true that we sometimes overlook what’s in our own backyard. A short drive to Tharwa’s Lanyon Café will bring you delicious food, open air and green grass by your lunch table. Think High Tea and an afternoon of delicious cakes and delightful conversation. Once you have been drawn in by the luxurious garden views and the chance to sit among them unbothered, you’ll want to hang around for the lunch of innovative pizzas (including a roast duck version) and a range of other dishes that are at once intriguing and enticing.

Gundaroo also has restaurants vying for your attention. Grazing restaurant is the rustic result of a restored pub barely half an hour down the road, but sends us into another, older world, filled with nostalgia and fireplaces. The Grazing Restaurant is dedicated to portions that satisfy, food that is fresh, and quality wine made from the grapes grown in our very own Canberra region.

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We are living close to some delectable food and some crisp wine. These restaurants know how to treat their guests and are happy to share their fresh grown bounty. Careful not to step on the new seedlings on your way to the front door!