A Bite to Eat

For as long we we've lived in Canberra, Silo in Kingston has been viewed among most of our friends (and this being a view which we've shared), of being the best cafe in Canberra. After having visited A Bite to Eat in the Woden suburb of Chifley the other day though, we think it may have a peer. We'd heard good things about Bite, and it turns out those things were all true.

Despite their mutual food excellence (and reasonable pricing) the two cafes have a number of notable differences. Silo is minimalist and monotone in its decor, whereas Bite is bohemian bright and multicoloured - each table and chair set is different to the next. Silo is favoured by the elected representatives, bureaucrats, and lobbyists of the political elite, the main demographic at Bite on our visit on a midweek lunchtime were middle-class women dressed for comfort. Silo makes Canberra's best fresh bread and has a cheese room, Bite has Zierholz beer on tap - and so on.

We ate duck and potato pancakes, and felafels with chili-tomatoes on sourdough - both of which were delicious, and the latter costing less than $10. And importantly, whereas Silo is often too popular and crowded to be easily enjoyed, while Bite was busy, it was in no sense the upper middle class feeding frenzy that Silo can be on many mornings.

Overall, while Bite doesn't surpass its Kingston competitor, it does seem to suggest that the latter does have a rival - and that quality food in Canberra can be found beyond the fashionable suburbs.