Brunch at The Cupping Room, Canberra

On my third day during my trip to Sydney, we made the three hour drive down to Canberra for a day trip. Canberra is the capital city of Australia located in the aptly named state, Australian Capital Territory. The story goes that in the early 1900s both Sydney and Melbourne were vying to be Australia’s capital city. As a compromise, it was decided that Canberra, which is located between both cities would be the nation’s capital city. Even to this day both Sydney and Melbourne are often in friendly competition to be the best city in Australia, from sports to lifestyle.

Canberra is the only city in Australia that is an entirely planned city. This is similar to Washington D.C. in USA for example, though nowhere near as historic, grand or populated. Many people often say (complain) that Canberra is a bit of a boring city and that it’s not worth the visit. Since one of my bucketlist items is to visit the major city of each state in Australia, I decided to pay it a visit while I’m in the area. I’m glad I did. Yes it’s a quiet little city (quieter than Perth), but it’s a lovely city. I am glad I went.

The day we happened to visit Canberra was actually a public holiday in Canberra, this meant offices and many shops were closed. But it also meant the touristy sites were filled with more people than normal. Our first stop after the long three hour drive was Cupping Room for brunch. As it was a public holiday and one of the top cafes in Canberra, there was a bit of a line to get a table.

The modern interior of the cafe was beautifully styled, with wooden finishes and hanging lights. The food and coffee at The Cupping Room did not disappoint. Many of the dishes on the menu sounded delicious. I decided to have the Salmon Tartare ($21), consisting of Atlantic salmon tartare, confit egg yolk, avocado puree, wasabi kewpie and black rice cracker. The meals were beautifully presented, it was like a feast for your eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed my brunch, which set me up for an exciting day ahead of exploring Canberra.