It seems like there’s a new restaurant or bar opening in Canberra every week, which is great for local food and wine aficionados. So, this weekend, why not move outside your usual haunts and visit one of the new kids on the block? Here’s five worth a look (in no particular order!): Sip & Chill at Kingston Foreshore, Treehouse, Autolyse, Alchemy Bar and The Loft at Duxton,

Sip & Chill

You have until Friday 14 June to experience Sip & Chill – a lively pop-up featuring local music, drinks and art to excite (and relax) the senses.

The team behind Two before Ten, offers cocktails, wines, local beers and ciders in two pop up bars, Walter and Mazz at Aurora on the Kingston Foreshore. Expect chilled out acoustic sets by local musos and a great way to wind down after the working week. Find out more at bythewater.com.au.

Treehouse 

Treehouse is the newest nightspot in town, opening just last Saturday night…and from all reports, it’s a welcome and classy addition. As is becoming quite the norm for Canberra hotspots, the fitout is impressive, with a beautiful illuminated tree the defining feature.

Spread over two floors (main bar and room for boogying downstairs and a more intimate cocktail lounge upstairs), Treehouse is good for a quiet glass of bubbles or slightly noisier cocktails with the girls. And the tapas look pretty impressive too – including the ‘gourmet dogs’ (perhaps a nod to the great tradition of late night hot dogs on Northbourne Avenue!)

Autolyse

Artisan bakery, Autolyse, is the latest venture from Darren Perryman (First Floor) and husband-and-wife team Micky Gubas (Alto) and Miriana Cavic (Milk and Money).

A  great place to head for weekend brunch, it’s a working commercial bakery which offers an assortment of hand made breads: from traditional baguettes to white and wholemeal sourdough, to pastries, to sandwiches and croissants and more. Oh, and there’s good coffee.

You’ll find it in Lonsdale Street in Braddon – why not wander up to the Lonsdale Street Traders or Pink Ink for a squiz at pretty stuff afterwards?

The Alchemy Bar

The Manuka site of The Alchemy Bar has quite a pedigree – Cabinet, Minque, La Grange – it’s seen countless tipsy Canberrans pass through its doors over the years.

But, despite the name, Alchemy is about much more than drinks. It’s open for eating every day of the week (10am til late from Monday to Thursday and 8am til late on weekends) for breakfast, all-day options and dinner. With an emphasis on classic flavours, but spanning a range of international cuisines, it looks worth a visit!

The Loft At Duxton

Situated above a suburban pub in O’Connor, cocktail, wine and tapas bar, The Loft at Duxton, has taken the ‘local’ to the next level (literally!)

With a playful wine list, a tapas menu influenced strongly by Southern Europe, and a cocktail list boasting 14 different exotic cocktails and five unique pitchers.

With live music most nights of the week, live acoustic and deejays on Sundays, this will be a space to watch.