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.
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.
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
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‘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.
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The Asian food century begins in Sydney
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