Novotel Canberra will launch its new dining venue, First Edition Bar & Dining, on 27 July following a refurbishment of the first floor mezzanine.
Executive chef Jennie Tressler has created a diverse all-day dining menu, which showcases seasonal fresh produce available from the nation’s capital and surrounds. The menu will feature share-style dishes such as cured meats from Balzenelli Smallgood and home-style olives and oil from Fedra Olive Grove.
Entrées include burratina, winter fruits, crushed rye and Fedra Extra Virgin Olive Oil, with mains including peppercorn beef pot pie. Diners can also choose from salads such as the ‘Forager’ roast wild mushrooms, bitter leaf, blossoms, endives and a bush tomato vinaigrette, which can be topped with the guest’s choice of protein, like grilled haloumi, mint, lemon and toasted almond or Balinese baby back pork ribs.
The dessert menu features a range of sweet and savoury options including the taste of Tilba cheese selection with local bush honey and accompaniments and the American sugar pie with double whipped cream and gold coated whole fresh strawberries.
On the drinks list, cocktails pay tribute to local distilleries and taphouses, with First Edition’s own gin — handcrafted in collaboration with The Canberra Distillery — also on offer. The all Australian wine list offers all wines by the glass and bottle including varietals from the Canberra region’s Lerida Estate and Mt Majura wineries.
Brandworks Australia is behind the refurbishment, transforming the 180-seat venue in collaboration with AccorHotels. The revamped space features bespoke woodwork highlighted by clean and modern hardware. Drawing inspiration from old world reading rooms, chesterfields are combined with emerald velvet lounge chairs, dark wood tables and novel-style trinkets displayed on iron shelves.
First Edition Bar & Dining will be open seven days a week for breakfast 6.30am–9.30am Monday to Friday and 6.30am–10.30am on weekends and public holidays. All-day dining will be from 11am with dinner from 5.30pm to 9.30pm.