Emiko Davies Guide to 72 Hours in Canberra

Updated 26 May 2026

Emiko Davies is a food writer, celebrated cookbook author, chef, photographer, and teacher. Born in Canberra and based in Tuscany for the past 20 years, she reveals her guide to making the most of 72 hours in Canberra.

Canberra is always home to me, no matter where I am in the world, and although I have lived most of my life overseas (the last 21 years have been spent in Tuscany), I love coming home and exploring what has changed and what has stayed the same, finding new places to be excited about and revisiting old favourites — both are equally important, I think, because Canberra is constantly evolving, constantly offering new and exciting things and building on what beautiful offerings were already here.

One of the things I really appreciate about Canberra is its size and how, much like European cities, it has all the most important sights and attractions in close proximity to each other. I love being able to just pop in to the National Gallery on a whim, and then float over to the National Portrait Gallery for a wander, or walk across the lawns to the Old Parliament House to the Museum of Australian Democracy (a really underrated gem). Nothing is very far to get to in Canberra, which makes it so easy to be able to enjoy the incredibly rich cultural experiences of the capital city.

I also love how each suburb is its own little universe, with many great food spots to be found in the local neighbourhood shops — Griffith, Narrabundah, Ainslie, Campbell and Lyneham to name a few. It adds to the village feel that I love about Canberra.

Day One

The first thing I do when I arrive in Canberra from overseas is head to Silo Bakery in Kingston, which I think we can safely say is a Canberra institution, for a flat white and one of their delectable pastries — the berry brioche is my favourite, tart and not too sweet. If I’m feeling hungry, their appley raisin toast or chanterelles on sourdough hit the spot.

From here, Canberra Glassworks is just down the street. Not many people will know this, but glass as an art form is a thing that Canberra excels at! Canberra’s ANU School of Arts has been internationally renowned for its glass department for decades, so it is no surprise that Canberra is also home to this stunning contemporary glass arts centre. Take a free tour of the fascinating heritage building (the old Kingston power house) and watch the resident studio artists at work, or take a class where you can learn how to cut or blow glass and make your own glass masterpiece to take home with you. My children love the classes offered during the school holidays where they can make their own mosaic objects.

For lunch, head over to Under Bakery. They recently opened a second, larger location at the Dairy Road precinct in Fyshwick, where they offer a small menu of wonderful brunch and lunch offerings. The Bakery Plate is the ultimate: smoked ham, mustard, housemade pickles, cheddar cheese, soft boiled egg, a lovely herb salad, generous lashings of Pepe Saya butter and, of course, their sourdough. I always take a cardamom bun for the road — these are not to be missed, with just one bite, you will feel as if you have been transported to Sweden.

Fortified, head to the National Gallery of Australia. If you can, join one of their tours (there are free one hour tours at 2pm) to gain an understanding of the collection. For me, the absolute highlight is the Aboriginal Memorial, which was made in 1988 by Ramingining artists in Arnhem Land. It is a powerful and moving installation of 200 painted log coffins that commemorates the First Nations people who, since 1788, have lost their lives defending their land. Don’t forget to enjoy the artwork outside, too. This is my kids’ favourite part of the gallery, especially the James Turrell and Lindsay Lee installations. But I adore the sculpture garden with its beautiful natives and bronze sculptures by the likes of Rodin and Tracey Emin, and the pensive Penelope by Emile Bourdelle with the lake shimmering in the background.

Ready for a break, head up Red Hill to Lunetta Trattoria (or, if you prefer, upstairs to the restaurant for a special occasion). The best time to get here is when it is still light enough to enjoy the panoramic, birds-eye views of Canberra and then to watch the pink skies and sunset with a drink in hand, as Italian antipasti like gnocchi fritti with white anchovies and pillowy flat bread are brought to the table. I love the sharable kingfish crudo and vitello tonnato here, perfect for grazing. There is nothing like enjoying a meal with a view of the surrounding rolling hills — and boy is Canberra spoilt for these views.

Day Two

Head to Recess, a neighbourhood joint at the Griffith shops, for an excellent coffee and breakfast. The kids like the giant fluffy pancakes and egg and bacon muffin here, but it is hard to go past the chilli eggs. Either way, snuggle into a booth, enjoy the vinyls and browse the eclectic collection of print magazines and books on the shelves. Maybe grab a few of the tiny cinnamon doughnuts for the road.

This morning, I’d go to the National Museum of Australia. Blockbuster exhibitions aside, the free permanent collection here is also fascinating and I would recommend dedicating your time here — it is one of the rare places where my kids (13 and 7) are equally as enthralled as me. It is the right combination of interactive technology and storytelling through objects that bring to life First Nations culture, as well as Australian history since European settlement.

If you’ve made your way towards the Canberra Centre for some retail therapy, Raku is my go-to in the city for really beautiful nigiri sushi done well. At lunchtime their Express menu is a total steal — it includes a platter of sashimi on ice, nigiri sushi, miso soup, seasonal tempura and a main — and you’ll be in and out in less than an hour (I can never resist their nasu denkaku, or miso eggplant — do add that on to the regular Express menu).

A truly underrated gem is the National Film and Sound Archive, which is housed in one of Canberra’s most beautiful Art Deco buildings (it was once the national history museum, so you will spot Australian flora and fauna decorating all kinds of features on the building — look up for the most adorable platypus glass skylight). They have an excellent series of regular screenings of films in the Arc Cinema, including cult classics and a book club series (school holiday time has plenty of family friendly options too). Or you can come in just to visit the beautiful courtyard for a coffee, the library of nostalgic memorabilia from their archives or for the Vinyl lounge, for an afternoon session of music.

For dinner, head to Bar Rochford, the place that put Canberra’s dining scene on the map. It is hidden upstairs in the Melbourne building, and once you find it, it will be hard to leave, especially once the sun goes down and the atmosphere turns up, even doubly so when the fireplace is flickering. Wind down with a cocktail or a glass of wine from their excellent, constantly changing list of interesting producers. If you can only make it to one place for a drink or dinner, then make it this little magical corner of Canberra. They are closed Sundays and Mondays so note this down and plan your trip around it!

Day Three

Time to explore Piallago. To me, spending a morning here has always felt like you’re visiting the countryside even though you’re still in the heart of Canberra (and only minutes from the airport). Piallago Bakesmith is a darling cafe in a cottage, where everything is good — the coffee (never have I before been given a coffee with latte art this good), the meals, the pastries (their fluffy, sticky cinnamon buns won best cinnamon buns in Australia). It is extremely popular on the weekends so get in early if you can. While you’re here, pop your head into Bison next door for iconic, colourful Canberra ceramics to add to your home.

Not far down the road is Majura Valley Farm, Canberra’s oldest running heritage farm — it dates to the 1820s. In the autumn, when their sunflowers are in bloom, they open up the sunflower maze to visitors, where you can spend time taking photographs of the flowers or set up a picnic blanket and settle in and listen to the live music or play games. There’s a coffee machine, a gelato cart and food vans for nibbles. The kids love feeding the animals here (sheep, goats and cows). When the flowers aren’t in bloom, the farm also runs workshops or you can just stop by to stock up on eggs and other specialties at their farm gate shop.

Grabbing lunch at the Fyshwick markets has become a tradition for my family. My kids love the Vietnamese fried chicken bao and hands down the freshest spring rolls from the unassuming little shop, Em Mai — the Banh mi are also excellent. I think it really comes down to the fact that everything is made on the spot with fresh ingredients from the market. Even if I’m not planning on cooking anything specific, I cannot resist browsing the markets myself, especially the Asian grocer and the German and Italian delis. A look at the second hand books at Lifelife is a must, too.

For dinner, I’d head back to the Dairy Road precinct for a bowl of ramen at Canteen by Ramen Daddy, I especially love the Tokyo style shoyu broth. If you’re not a fan of noodles, then just order all the small dishes to share — the dan dan scotch egg and scallop chawanmushi are a must! And check the daily specials, there is usually something enticing on offer. It’s a great space inside the warehouse style precinct, informal but sleek, perfect for the family but also for a romantic dinner and cocktail.

And it is just the place for an early dinner before going to see a show at the Mill Theatre, which is just down the corridor. A really exciting, unique, small theatre that was transformed from a cool room into a performance space, it seats just 67 people, which means pretty much everyone in the theatre experiences the show in a very intimate, immersive way.