24 HOURS IN CANBERRA

Eat, Sleep and Play.

Last month I took a little trip over to Canberra for the night - hey who doesn't love a mini vacay? It may only be a few hours away from Sydney but it's still nice to explore new surroundings even if it's just for a moment. I'd heard great things about the food, art and wine in Canberra so I was super excited to dive in and experience it.

SLEEP / Hotel Realm

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Realm - the room was lush with an incredible view of Parliament House. It ticked all the boxes with a balcony, free wifi, free movies, a bath tub, coffee machine and the absolute biggest and most comfiest bed I've ever slept on! This was perfect for the Sunday sleep in. I'd definitely say if I wasn't so excited to wine and dine and gallery hop I probably would have never left the hotel.

For lunch we popped over to Maple + Clove across the road. Think nut mylk smoothes, fresh juices, portobello mushroom burgers and nutrient packed raw green salads. It's like you never left Bondi.

Hot tip - the buffet breakfast Is a must! It's usually pretty hard to find an amazing buffet breakfast but their restaurant downstairs Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar was amazing. As a vegetarian it can be hard to find a good big breakie that doesn't involve eggs and is more than just avocado on toast so I was super excited. Hello marinated mushrooms, beans, grilled tomato, sautéed spinach, potatoes, sourdough toast, croissants, granola, fresh and poached fruit.

Oh and did I mention they had a DIY pancake machine? So. much. fun.

EAT / Monster Kitchen & Bar

I was actually genuinly blown away by my dining experience at Monster - the service, food and the interior decor was out of this world. When I had spoken to all my foodie friends about restaurant recommendations for Canberra, Monster was the first place everyone mentioned to book at so I knew it was a must.

Everything about it was incredible (again, I can't get over the decor! The dreamiest colour combinations of eccentric hues paired with an eclectic mix of terrazzo, wood and beautiful vintage furniture).

We ate: local olives, eggplant with smoked goats cheese, fried tofu with picked shiitake, roasted carrots salad + more.

We drank: Aperol Spritz

SEE / National Gallery of Australia

The NGA - one of my favourite galleries to visit. This is always at the top of my to-do list whenever I make my way to Canberra. Lucky for me, when I arrived I realised I was eye to eye with one of my favourite iconic art series - Mick Jagger, 1975 by Andy Warhol. A special moment indeed.