Perched on Red Hill - fine dining above the lights of the capital

The top of Red Hill in Canberra is a prime location. Over the years there have been a series of restaurants and cafes, but late last year a new player appeared and not one, but two, restaurants opened in the iconic heritage building perched above Canberra. All in all, Lunetta marks a welcome addition to Canberra dining and finally a return of a fine restaurant to the premium Red Hill location.

Having recently moved to the Southside of Canberra, we were very excited when Lunetta opened its doors atop Red Hill late last year. In fact what opened was both a fine dining restaurant and below it a trattoria, so we were spoiled for choice. We’d last eaten there what seemed a lifetime ago, when it had been On Red restaurant, set up by the chef who previously ran a fabulous kitchen at Grazing at Gundaroo (a restaurant still going strong). This week we finally went to the upstairs restaurant for a special occasion. 

Ravioli with roasted garlic honey butter, potato, pecorino and ricotta

Treating every outing as a special occasion

We’d been a bit wary of the prices, which are not cheap, but then so many restaurants are closing their doors nowadays precisely because they can’t charge enough to cover costs, that in the end you have to treat it as always being a special occasion and make the most of it. The good news is that at Lunetta you get what you pay for. 

Duck breast with beetroot, currants, radicchio and hazelnut

On this special occasion, my special dining companion and I had a marvellous evening. For a start every aspect of the location is stunning. Sitting upstairs watching as the late day turns into evening and the wide expanse of the city below starts glowing is spectacular. The fitout is extremely fine and both venues look very sharp and polished. The real test of a venue is the toilets – I can report the toilets look very good. If you preferred, you could sit outside at the long bench running around the outside of the building and watch Canberra light up as you ate and drank.

'For a start every aspect of the location is stunning. Sitting upstairs watching as the late day turns into evening and the wide expanse of the city below starts glowing is spectacular.' 

The cocktails and wine list were interesting and enjoyable. Prices were at the expensive end, but there was enough choice to have more modest options. We started with a house martini, with Prohibition gin, Maidenni dry vermouth and Sicilian olives and a boulevardier (which I’d enver encountered before) with Campari, Maidenni sweet vermouth and Gospel solera rye, both $28 each. A glass of wine costs round $20-$25, with a very tempting, but too extravagant for us, Burgundy Aligoté for $30. We had a Chalmers Pecorino white wine from Heathcote that I’d never seen before for $17 and a Meltwater Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand for $18, followed by an Italian Nebbiolo for $19.

Murray cod with pumpkin risotto

Ravioli with roasted garlic honey butter, potato, pecorino and ricotta

All the food was excellent. I started with ravioli with roasted garlic honey butter, potato, pecorino and ricotta. That was followed with duck breast with beetroot, currants, radicchio and hazelnut. It came with morcilla, which didn’t personally appeal to me, but my companion loved it – but then she’ll eat haggis. My companion started with Italian rockmelon with prosciutto di parma, charred orange and a citrus and aperol dressing. She then had Murray cod with pumpkin on a really good risotto – Murray cod must be having a resurgence because for some strange reason that’s the third meal we’ve had this month featuring it. Some woodfired molasses sourdough (warning: sticky) with whipped Pepe Saya cultured salted butter and a terrific garden salad complemented everything. We finished up sharing a nectarine, honey, strawberry and fior di latte dessert, followed by glasses of Ardberg and Bushmills 10 year old for $18 and $14 respectively. 

Lunetta at night

'All in all, a welcome addition to Canberra dining and finally a return of a restaurant to the premium Red Hill location.'

It was a fine end to a very fine meal. Along the way the source of all the produce we were eating was clearly listed in the menu. Table service was smooth and effective throughout – these are little touches worth paying for. All in all, a welcome addition to Canberra dining and finally a return of a restaurant to the premium Red Hill location.

© Stephen Cassidy 2025

See also

The island to the North – the islands to the North East
‘The awkward relationship between Tasmania and the island to the North is not the only clumsy relationship between islands in this part of the world. The history of the ties between the island to the North and the islands of the Pacific is even more troubled’, The island to the North – the islands to the North East.

Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific
‘Our near neighbours in the vast Pacific are often overlooked by Australia in its slavish focus on America, Britain and Europe. Yet this is our own backyard. The lack of knowledge has ranged across many aspects of the culture and history of the Pacific, including its culinary traditions. Yet, behind the scenes over more than a decade, a culinary revolution has been underway. This is the story of New Zealand chef, Robert Oliver, his fascination with the traditional food of the Pacific Islands, and an internationally award-winning cookbook, described as a ‘culinary love letter from a smattering of islands in the South Pacific’, which has developed a life of its own’, Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific. 

 

The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney. 

 

Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style

‘While I was in the city recently I noticed that Raku restaurant was open. It’s an old favourite and we’d looked at takeaway from there in the midst of the first lockdown, when everyone was ordering from their favourite locals to help keep them afloat. However, we hadn’t been to the restaurant since the pandemic struck. Since we needed to grab some lunch, we thought why not go there and support one of our local businesses while the coast is clear since the hospitality sector has been the only one to be harder hit by the pandemic shutdown than the creative sector. A stream of Japanese dishes seemed a suitable way to enjoy the charm of a local restaurant that serves up seafood with style’, Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style.

In search of wild mushrooms
‘Growing up in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, foraging for wild mushrooms was a regular part of life. Now living in Canberra, a landscape markedly similar to where I grew up, mushrooms have an altogether more deadly reputation. However, it all comes down to specialist knowledge about the subject, as I discovered on a chilly evening with one of Canberra’s mushrooming experts’, In search of wild mushrooms. 

 The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney.

In a corner with a cake (or two) – the hidden attraction of local hangouts

‘Tucked away in a corner at the Ainslie shops where it’s easy to miss entirely ­– in the heart of the suburb know as the Red Centre for it’s exceptionally high Labor vote – is an unexpected delight. The location has hosted a series of less than successful ventures but this most recent has been an unqualified success. Who would have thought that a cafe hailing from Brittany could attract such a crowd. The secret of success is that it focuses on what it does and it does it well. You can park yourself inside the small venue or outside if the weather is fine and pick from some unexpected sweet pastries, throw down the odd glass of French wine or eat buckwheat pancakes or baguettes. The cafe also runs to daily specials that can be very unexpected. Long may it reign over us – Rule Brittany rather than Rule Britannia’, In a corner with a cake (or two) – the hidden attraction of local hangouts.

We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii
‘I realise I may have just become a statistic. I have a suspicion that I have eaten more sorbet, gelato and icecream since local Canberra icecream outlet Frugii opened in Canberra’s Braddon perimeter than I have eaten in my whole previous life. Tucked away in hipster heaven, it keeps churning out flavours, in an ever changing smorgasbord of coldness’, We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii.

A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven
‘On a bustling Friday night in hipster heaven, I popped into my favourite Canberra restaurant, Italian and Sons, planning for little more than a quick bite to eat. I managed to get my favourite spot – when I’m not settled comfortably in Bacaro, the adjoining bar out the back, that is – sitting in the window, watching the action on the street. I headed straight for a real blast from my Adelaide past, part of my earliest discovery of Italian cuisine – saltimbocca. Then I beat a path down Lonsdale Street to Frugii, Canberra’s own dessert laboratory. What is happening to this city? It’s getting cooler by the minute and it’s not just the icecream or the approach of winter’, A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven.

Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven
‘It had been quite a week and I had been crushed by too many encounters with the crazy world of Centrelink as I fulfilled my long list of aged care responsibilities. I needed cheering up so last night ate out at the venerable Italian and Sons, the very first of the many funky venues which now enliven Braddon. My attention was drawn to the rare appearance of vitello tonnato. My imagination had been captured decades ago when I was a young boy by seeing the recipe for the dish in Margaret Fulton’s classic cookbook. I finally tried it in a tiny restaurant in Florence, during my first visit overseas, after a stint at the massive Frankfurt Book Fair in 1989. This most recent one was the best I have ever eaten outside my own home – well, perhaps the best anywhere. This is a favourite place, probably my most favourite in Canberra. Coming here always makes me feel happy and what more can you ask?’, Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven.

Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century
‘On a day and night which was bitterly cold – as cold as Canberra has been this year, with the hint of snow clouds overhead – I was reminded why I live here. As we wandered along after a full day of cultural institutions and design events, looking for somewhere to eat we impetuously popped into Restaurant Eightysix and even more impetuously were able to get a table. I had forgotten reading somewhere that famed long-former Adelaide chef, Christine Manfield was here for the month, cooking up an Asian-inspired menu. How much better could it get?’, Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century.

Provenance - knowing where good things come from
‘It took me only five years but I finally found my way to Provenance, the legendary regional restaurant established by chef Michael Ryan in Beechworth in 2010. Provenance is widely considered one of the best restaurants in regional Victoria, in a tiny state that contains many good regional restaurants. I had been meaning to eat there since it was established and given how regularly we travel to Beechworth and its surrounds I was amazed I hadn’t been earlier. It took some time but it was worth it’, Provenance - knowing where good things come from.

Getting about in the days of pandemic

Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we made the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they had become. In 2020, as we drove home from South Australia, through a shuttered and deserted Beechworth, we joked that we hoped we would be able to get across the border. We decided that Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT were so intertwined that the borders would never close – until they did less than four months later, kicking off a long series of closures and lockdowns. However, the border between NSW and the ACT always remained open, even with a few roadblocks checking credentials. Destinations closer to home, like the Southern Highlands, were an easier alternative.

My fellow traveller and I recently came back from a glorious three day break in the Southern Highlands, staying at impressive new Moss Vale venue, Moss Manor. I was so struck with the place that I started to write about the trip, then realised that I had already written an article about the previous trip, over a year before in early 2022, and never published it. I’m posting that here and then in a week or so I will post my latest article, with more about the most recent trip and our stay at Moss Manor. 

Ducks crossing sign, Berrima

Regional road tours – the travel you do when you are not travelling
Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we still tried to make the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they may have become. We were on one road tour – to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island – when the pandemic first began to bite, in early 2020. We were in glorious Daylesford the night before Victoria went into its first lockdown. As we drove home, through a shuttered and deserted Beechworth, we joked that we hoped we would be able to get across the border. We decided that Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT were so intertwined that the borders would never close – ha, ha, that’s exactly what happened less than four months later, kicking off a long series of closures and lockdowns.

‘Pandemic or not, for a couple of years we still tried to make the most of our regional road tours – threatened species that they may have become.’

Duck breast and rosé on a wet spring day

Accompanied by an elderly relative who likes eating out, we needed somewhere new on a wet spring day in the nation's capital. We decided we'd try out The Italian Place, tucked away in a back street near the busy part of the Braddon restaurant and coffee precinct. We hadn't been back for a while but it turned out to be a wise move – a view obviously shared by plenty of others.

The small precinct in Braddon in the heart of Canberra where the Italian Place is located is becoming quite attractive – or at least it will be once the roadworks are finished. We popped in for a quick lunch during the week. Luckily we booked because as we ate, people kept on turning up until the whole place was full. Co-owner, Tony Lo Terzo, is a long-term institution on the Canberra restaurant scene and he knows his stuff. His neighbouring deli and mini-supermarket is also terrific – try the negronis, especially in summer sitting out on the footpath. To be exact his Mort Street mini-empire comprises The Italian Place Enoteca, Providore and Bottega – three bundles of goodness in one.

Duck breast with cauliflower puree, radishes and sour cherries

We ordered a couple of specials and I was impressed by a duck liver paté to start, followed by an exceptional duck breast with cauliflower puree and sour cherries, asparagus, spinach, watercress and radishes – oh, and a glass of local Lerida Estate rosé. Sometimes with duck it can be so rare that you feel that if you closed your eyes it might walk off the plate, but this was moist and tender while still cooked through – thoroughly enjoyable.

When I mentioned this someone who is now living in Melbourne commented that they always made a point of visiting this restaurant whenever they come to Canberra. I can see why.

© Stephen Cassidy 2023

See also

Perched on Red Hill – fine dining above the lights of the capital
‘The top of Red Hill in Canberra is a prime location. Over the years there have been a series of restaurants and cafes, but late last year a new player appeared and not one, but two, restaurants opened in the iconic heritage building perched above Canberra. All in all, Lunetta marks a welcome addition to Canberra dining and finally a return of a fine restaurant to the premium Red Hill location’, Perched on Red Hill – fine dining above the lights of the capital.

The island to the North – the islands to the North East
‘The awkward relationship between Tasmania and the island to the North is not the only clumsy relationship between islands in this part of the world. The history of the ties between the island to the North and the islands of the Pacific is even more troubled’, The island to the North – the islands to the North East.

Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific
‘Our near neighbours in the vast Pacific are often overlooked by Australia in its slavish focus on America, Britain and Europe. Yet this is our own backyard. The lack of knowledge has ranged across many aspects of the culture and history of the Pacific, including its culinary traditions. Yet, behind the scenes over more than a decade, a culinary revolution has been underway. This is the story of New Zealand chef, Robert Oliver, his fascination with the traditional food of the Pacific Islands, and an internationally award-winning cookbook, described as a ‘culinary love letter from a smattering of islands in the South Pacific’, which has developed a life of its own’, Food and culture in the neighbourhood – culinary love letter from the South Pacific. 

 

The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney. 

 

Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style

‘While I was in the city recently I noticed that Raku restaurant was open. It’s an old favourite and we’d looked at takeaway from there in the midst of the first lockdown, when everyone was ordering from their favourite locals to help keep them afloat. However, we hadn’t been to the restaurant since the pandemic struck. Since we needed to grab some lunch, we thought why not go there and support one of our local businesses while the coast is clear since the hospitality sector has been the only one to be harder hit by the pandemic shutdown than the creative sector. A stream of Japanese dishes seemed a suitable way to enjoy the charm of a local restaurant that serves up seafood with style’, Returning to the city while the coast is clear – Raku serves up Japanese seafood with style.

In search of wild mushrooms
‘Growing up in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, foraging for wild mushrooms was a regular part of life. Now living in Canberra, a landscape markedly similar to where I grew up, mushrooms have an altogether more deadly reputation. However, it all comes down to specialist knowledge about the subject, as I discovered on a chilly evening with one of Canberra’s mushrooming experts’, In search of wild mushrooms. 

 The Asian food century begins in Sydney
‘Almost ten years ago much fuss was made of the rapidly looming Asian Century, full of challenge and promise. I was working in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time as Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force. The discussion White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century being developed at the same time seemed part of a similar big picture approach to Australia's future. Today it seems even more relevant than in those times of more strategic governments. In Sydney you get a much sharper sense of the Asian Century – and its culinary reflection, the Asian food century’, The Asian food century begins in Sydney.

In a corner with a cake (or two) – the hidden attraction of local hangouts

‘Tucked away in a corner at the Ainslie shops where it’s easy to miss entirely ­– in the heart of the suburb know as the Red Centre for it’s exceptionally high Labor vote – is an unexpected delight. The location has hosted a series of less than successful ventures but this most recent has been an unqualified success. Who would have thought that a cafe hailing from Brittany could attract such a crowd. The secret of success is that it focuses on what it does and it does it well. You can park yourself inside the small venue or outside if the weather is fine and pick from some unexpected sweet pastries, throw down the odd glass of French wine or eat buckwheat pancakes or baguettes. The cafe also runs to daily specials that can be very unexpected. Long may it reign over us – Rule Brittany rather than Rule Britannia’, In a corner with a cake (or two) – the hidden attraction of local hangouts.

We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii
‘I realise I may have just become a statistic. I have a suspicion that I have eaten more sorbet, gelato and icecream since local Canberra icecream outlet Frugii opened in Canberra’s Braddon perimeter than I have eaten in my whole previous life. Tucked away in hipster heaven, it keeps churning out flavours, in an ever changing smorgasbord of coldness’, We all scream for icecream – cooling down in a cold climate with Frugii.

A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven
‘On a bustling Friday night in hipster heaven, I popped into my favourite Canberra restaurant, Italian and Sons, planning for little more than a quick bite to eat. I managed to get my favourite spot – when I’m not settled comfortably in Bacaro, the adjoining bar out the back, that is – sitting in the window, watching the action on the street. I headed straight for a real blast from my Adelaide past, part of my earliest discovery of Italian cuisine – saltimbocca. Then I beat a path down Lonsdale Street to Frugii, Canberra’s own dessert laboratory. What is happening to this city? It’s getting cooler by the minute and it’s not just the icecream or the approach of winter’, A bustling Friday night in hipster heaven.

Peas in a pod – food takes off
‘Pod Food is in the heart of the slightly ramshackle gardening and nursery hub of Canberra, Pialligo , adjacent to the burgeoning exercise in urban growth called Canberra Airport. It was always the place you went to get large pots and even larger apples. Pod Food was always good enough – but now it is something a whole lot more impressive. On a rainy Friday I entered through their marvellous cottage garden entrance way to sit on the covered and contained outside deck. The entrance to Pod Food, formerly part of an operating nursery, is the sort of garden I eventually want to have. It felt highly suitable sitting at the entrance to the Australian high country as the rain came down, drinking the fine product of another high region on the opposite side of the world’, Peas in a pod – food takes off.

Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven
‘It had been quite a week and I had been crushed by too many encounters with the crazy world of Centrelink as I fulfilled my long list of aged care responsibilities. I needed cheering up so last night ate out at the venerable Italian and Sons, the very first of the many funky venues which now enliven Braddon. My attention was drawn to the rare appearance of vitello tonnato. My imagination had been captured decades ago when I was a young boy by seeing the recipe for the dish in Margaret Fulton’s classic cookbook. I finally tried it in a tiny restaurant in Florence, during my first visit overseas, after a stint at the massive Frankfurt Book Fair in 1989. This most recent one was the best I have ever eaten outside my own home – well, perhaps the best anywhere. This is a favourite place, probably my most favourite in Canberra. Coming here always makes me feel happy and what more can you ask?’, Vitello Tonnato for a life well lived in hipster heaven.

Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century
‘On a day and night which was bitterly cold – as cold as Canberra has been this year, with the hint of snow clouds overhead – I was reminded why I live here. As we wandered along after a full day of cultural institutions and design events, looking for somewhere to eat we impetuously popped into Restaurant Eightysix and even more impetuously were able to get a table. I had forgotten reading somewhere that famed long-former Adelaide chef, Christine Manfield was here for the month, cooking up an Asian-inspired menu. How much better could it get?’, Eating out in a cold, funky city – Canberra comes of age in the Asian Century.

Smoking for broke beside the Molongolo
‘Where the market gardens that supplied Canberra as far back as the 1820s used to be a small fortune has been spent turning 86 acres overlooking the Eastern end of Lake Burley Griffin into a superb regional restaurant, Pialligo Estate Farmhouse Restaurant. It made for a tremendous birthday lunch in a spacious airy and light space, full of exciting food treated well. I couldn’t take my eyes off the copper guttering and downpipes. I thought all the loose copper in the world had already been stolen but clearly it’s still available. It’s quite clear that even though work is still being finalised, when it is finished it will be a spectacular addition to the nation’s capital and the region’, Smoking for broke beside the Molongolo.

Provenance - knowing where good things come from
‘It took me only five years but I finally found my way to Provenance, the legendary regional restaurant established by chef Michael Ryan in Beechworth in 2010. Provenance is widely considered one of the best restaurants in regional Victoria, in a tiny state that contains many good regional restaurants. I had been meaning to eat there since it was established and given how regularly we travel to Beechworth and its surrounds I was amazed I hadn’t been earlier. It took some time but it was worth it’, Provenance - knowing where good things come from.