The Canberra Edit: Where Culture, Coffee & Creativity Meet

Think you know Canberra? Take a second look. Beyond the polished façade of the nation’s capital, is a city quietly shaping its own creative identity. Full of bold design, inspired food, and local makers who give it heart, here’s what you’ve been missing.

The Creative Heart of Canberra

This is Canberra, curated; a guide to the capital’s creative side, where architecture meets art, and the café scene burst with local character.

Forget the old clichés of school trips to the capital and political buildings. Canberra’s energy today is modern, thoughtful, and quietly confident. In this Canberra Edit, we take a look at the people, spaces, and flavours redefining what it means to live, and travel, here.

From art-filled laneways to markets, makers, and the nature that frames it all, this is the capital through a fresh lens: creative, grounded, and entirely its own.

Let’s give Canberra a second look.

Canberra: The Design Edit

Canberra’s creative side shows up in more ways than one, not just in its galleries, but in the spaces you eat, sleep, and wander through. We’re talking about everything from striking architecture, to working artist studios.

Design here feels thoughtful, tactile, and quietly bold.

Nishi Building & Ovolo Nishi

At the heart of NewActon, the Nishi Building is a love letter to sustainability and creativity. Think concrete and timber, vintage finds, lush greenery, and art tucked into every corner. The contemporary building is proof that good design can feel both beautiful and lived-in.

Canberra Glassworks

Housed in the city’s old power station, Canberra Glassworks is where you can watch artists shaping molten glass before your eyes. Would you believe it, it’s actually the largest of its kind on the Southern Hemisphere? This spot is part studio, part gallery, and completely mesmerising, especially when you realise how much of the city’s creative pulse runs through spaces like this.

National Portrait Gallery

With its clean lines, light-filled halls, and constantly evolving exhibitions, the National Portrait Gallery turns portraits into storytelling. And don’t just expect faces on walls, you’ll get a good look at Australia through art, culture, and identity here.

Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG)

CMAG champions local stories and Indigenous art in a way that feels both grounded and fresh. The spacec brings Canberra’s creative community together, showcasing the people and perspectives that give the city its voice.

The Neighbourhood Edit

Canberra’s personality really comes alive when you wander through its neighbourhoods, each with its own rhythm, flavour, and creative streak. From street art and slow mornings to riverside dinners, these are the pockets of the city that give it some edge.

Braddon
This neighbourhood has that class ‘once industrial, now effortlessly cool’ vibe. Braddon is certainly Canberra’s creative heart. Cafés spill onto the pavement, boutique stores showcase local makers, and murals bring colour to the laneways. Come for a coffee and end up staying for the energy.

New Acton
Sleek, sustainable, and full of surprises, New Acton is where design takes centre stage. Architecture, art, and food all blur together here, it’s home to the striking Nishi Building, a cinema, and some of the city’s most interesting restaurants.

Kingston Foreshore
By late afternoon, Kingston Foreshore feels like one long invitation to slow down. Locals gather by the lake for wine, long lunches, and sunset strolls, the kind of simple pleasure Canberra does best.

The Taste Edit

Canberra’s creativity runs deep, and you can taste it, too. The city’s food scene is built on care and craft, from small-batch coffee roasters to inventive fine dining and Saturday markets that draw the whole community out. You’ll find that it’s less about trends and more about people who really love what they make.

Barrio Collective & Lonsdale Street Roasters
Coffee here is serious business, but never pretentious. Barrio Collective and Lonsdale Street Roasters keep it simple; perfectly made coffee and a crowd that’s equal parts local and loyal.

Pilot & Such and Such
Both Pilot and Such and Such have turned Canberra into a destination for inventive dining. Expect clever, creative dishes built around local produce and served with an easy confidence that makes fine dining feel fun again.

Capital Brewing Co & BentSpoke Brewing Co
The craft beer scene here is full of character. At Capital Brewing Co and BentSpoke, you’ll find locals spilling onto sunny patios, live music, food trucks, and that laid-back Canberra social energy that’s hard to fake.

Haig Park Village Markets
Every Saturday, Haig Park Village Markets brings the community together with fresh produce, local bites, and a bit of live music under the trees. What a perfect start to a weekend.

The Nature Edit

In Canberra, nature isn’t something you escape to, it’s actually part of the city itself. The rhythm of daily life seems to move with the light, the seasons, and the hills that frame it all. A natural sense of calm is found just moments from your hotel.

Mount Ainslie Lookout
For the best view in the city, follow the walking trail up Mount Ainslie, a local favourite for sunrise and sunset. From the top, Canberra spreads out in perfect symmetry, ringed by mountains and lake.

Lake Burley Griffin
Right in the middle of the city, Lake Burley Griffin is Canberra’s social heart, ideal for a morning cycle, an afternoon walk, or an evening picnic by the water. This is typically where locals come to unwind, move, and breathe in that fresh Canberra air.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Just a short drive from the city, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve might feel a world away but it’s not at all. Walking trails wind through eucalyptus forest and open valley, home to kangaroos, koalas, and emus. Head here for a serene reminder that even close to the capital, the wild is never far.

Comfortable Stays in Canberra

After a day of exploring, Canberra’s mix of design-led and laid-back stays makes it easy to unwind. From city convenience to leafy tranquillity, there’s something for every kind of traveller.

ibis Styles Canberra

Located just minutes from the city’s main attractions, ibis Styles Canberra blends comfort with easygoing style — perfect for those who want a relaxed base with everything close at hand.

ibis Styles Eagle Hawk

Set among native bushland on the city’s edge, ibis Styles Eagle Hawk offers a peaceful escape without losing the convenience of being near the action. Expect wide open space, fresh air, and a sense of calm that’s distinctly Canberra.

Explore Canberra With Aus Weekend Escapes

Creative, calm, and full of character, this is Canberra, your next city escape.

See more in our Ultimate Guide to Canberra.