Staircase leading up to Highball Express, Level 1, 82 Alinga St, Civic

©George Francis Dunford/Lonely Planet


You'll need all your travel nouse to find this louche tropical take on a 1920s Cuban rum bar. Among the barrels and the palms are Canberra's smoothest cats, sipping on rum-soaked cocktails and bopping their heads.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Canberra attractions

1. Canberra Museum & Art Gallery

0.21 MILES

This local museum is worth it for the Sidney Nolan paintings alone – 141 works, including canvases from his Ned Kelly series and Burke and Wills…

2. Drill Hall Gallery

0.3 MILES

The Australian National University's main gallery displays specials exhibitions and items from the ANU's art collection. On permanent display is the…

3. Glebe Park

0.45 MILES

This spacious green park is filled with leafy elm trees that turn a lovely golden yellow in autumn. There's a playground for kids and lots of paved paths…

4. National Film & Sound Archive

0.51 MILES

Set in a delightful art-deco building (look for the stained-glass platypus in the foyer dome), this archive preserves Australian moving-picture and sound…

5. Nerang Pool

0.8 MILES

This lovely pool is a serene spot in Commonwealth Park, with an abundance of bird life and some beautiful landscaped gardens.

6. National Capital Exhibition

0.83 MILES

This small but fascinating museum tells the story of how Canberra came to be Australia's capital. Displays include reproductions of the drawings entered…

7. Captain Cook Memorial Water Jet

0.92 MILES

Built in 1970 to mark the bicentenary of British explorer James Cook's landfall, this memorial near Regatta Point consists of a 6-tonne column of water…

8. National Museum of Australia

1.05 MILES

As well as telling Australia's national story, this museum hosts blockbuster touring exhibitions (admission prices vary), which often outpoint the…