I have been here twice now, and both times I was blown away. A note to other patrons: our second visit was to celebrate our daughter's 19th birthday, and unfortunately an unbooked party arrived before us on a busy night, looked over the waitress' shoulder, pointed our name out on the reservation list and said "that's us" and took our table. Please, don't ever do this to patrons who have done the right thing and booked, it's beyond rude. Have the good grace to take no for an answer and leave. When we arrived and the staff realised someone else had tricked them and taken our table, the staff were very apologetic about it, and took us straight to the bar for complimentary drinks until a table became available. I don't blame them for the error at all, I blame the self-centred patrons. But, again, the staff were great about it, and got us seated as soon as they could even though it was a really busy night. The food is no nonsense food, done really really well. Everything is incredibly flavoursome and satisfying. Even though it's hard to, try and limit yourself to two courses, otherwise you'll keep eating and eating because it's so good (I made this mistake on my first visit, and felt like I was going to explode, but seriously didn't want to stop at the main). Everything is made on premises, so even the bread is amazing. The lamb shoulder falls off the bone, as another example, nothing is overdone and complicated, nothing takes away from the taste. Again, the staff are very friendly and personable, and will happily have a chat about the food or the extensive beverage list. We didn't have to wait long for service at any time. Decor is tasteful, comfortable and cosy. The bar is great. Not too noisy so you can enjoy a good chat with friends over dinner without having to yell at each other. The bill is the most surprising part - I don't think I have ever had such a satisfying meal in a Canberra restaurant and it been as reasonably priced as this. I was prepared to pay double for the quality of food and service. A tucked away gem, but worth finding and visiting more than once.

Approximate cost: $35.00