Here in Canberra, when locals want to go out for a juicy steak and an icy cold beer, they often go to the local Club. In other states, the
pub may be the first choice, however in Canberra there are more clubs than pubs to choose from. Why is this? When we first moved to Canberra we weren't sure ourselves, however it may have something to do with the ACT being a "dry state" between 1911 - 1928, and locals would just go over the border to NSW to drink alcohol instead. There are some
historical pubs around from this time, however current city favourites include
King O' Malley's,
PJ's and
The Civic Pub. It also seems that the more modern
gastropubs are more popular around the city, such as
Bentspoke Brewery (Braddon),
The Duxton (O'Connor),
Public Bar (Manuka), as well as
Walt and Burley and
The Dock on the Kingston Foreshore.
If it is a Club that you are looking for however, with reasonably priced meals, family friendly kids areas and Friday night raffles, then head down to any of these clubs for an enjoyable night in Canberra. There are 3 in particular that are the largest, however all of these mentioned below have something to offer - every night of the week.
The Southern Cross Club, Woden
has a number of outlets around the city, however their club at
Woden is the largest. They have a few dining options to choose from including the
Golden Grille for your roasts, steak and club meals,
Henry's Family Restaurant for kid friendly meals by the indoor playground and
Thai Chiang Rai Restaurant for a more authentic dining experience. This spacious club also has raffles, concerts in their upstairs function rooms and lounge areas to sit with a wine and chat with friends. This is just one of three Canberra clubs that consistently win awards for its dining options, facilities or community involvement.
There are also Southern Cross Clubs at
Tuggeranong (which is medium sized) and the
Yacht Club in Yarralumla (which is smaller, but with lake views). This Club also runs
Southern Cross Cruises on Lake Burley Griffin,
Snapper On the Lake Fish and Chips and the small and scenic
Southern Cross Stromlo café up the top of Mount Stromlo.
Southern Cross Club Golden Grille and Henry's Restuarant play area
is also in Woden, just a short drive from the Southern Cross Club above. It is a large club for the Greek community - and the whole community - to come together. There are four food outlets inside the Club -
Orexi by Baxevanis (Greek),
Ginseng (Chinese),
Bistro and
Café. This
award-winning club is a popular place to visit for New Years Eve, Christmas parties and community events in their large carpark. For families there is an indoor playground called
Play World and a range of healthy kids meals to choose from. Visually, it is also particularly impressive from the front, with its large pillars and grand entrance.
Other Clubs south of Canberra include
The Canberra Services Club in Barton,
The Burns Club in Kambah, The Vikings Clubs at
Erindale,
Tuggeranong Town Centre,
Chisholm and
Lanyon,
The Calwell Club,
Eastlake Football Club,
Raiders Weston,
The Tradies at Woden and
The Mawson Club.
The popular Hellenic Club. Image: Original photos from the Hellenic Club website and Facebook
(known as "The Lakes") is another large Club that wins awards for its facilities and dining options. This club overlooks the
Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club, so the views from the large windows are green and undulating. There are three options to choose from when dining here -
The Lakes restaurant for steaks, schnitzels and club food,
Aroma Pizza and Burgers and
Ripples café. There are family friendly meals to choose from and a soft play kids room and games area to enjoy. If you join the club and visit on a Monday night,
kids eat free in The Lakes restaurant. This large club is a popular venue for the Gungahlin community to get together all year around. See
here for restuarant opening times.
Other Clubs north of Canberra include
The RUC at Turner,
Ainslie Football Club,
Kaleen Sports Club,
Southern Cross Club Jamison,
Raiders Belconnen,
Raiders Gungahlin,
Belconnen Labor Club,
Ginninderra Labor Club,
Magpies Sports Club and
The Tradies in Dickson.
The scenic Gungahlin Lakes Club. Image: Original photos from the Gungahlin Lakes Club website
If you are looking for a club in the CBD, check out
The City Labor Club, which is located in the heart of the city. Smaller clubs include
Hellenic Club City and
Canberra City Bowling Club. Most of these clubs have rules about attire in the evenings (eg. no thongs) or may require you to be a member of the club - however it usually costs around $5 for one person to join and then they can sign everyone else in.
Wherever you go tonight, or this weekend, you are sure to have a tasty dining experience, encounter friendly staff and feel part of the community at any ACT Club. With so many quality restaurants in the region, Clubs work hard to attract people in the doors with modern décor, quality dining options and competitive prices. With such juicy steaks and icy cold beers, you may find yourself there again tomorrow night!
Image: Original photos supplied by Gungahlin Lakes Club website
