Godiva Canberra

Godiva Canberra brings the legendary Belgian chocolatier experience to the heart of the nation's capital, located in the bustling Canberra Centre on Bunda Street. While the global brand is synonymous with premium handcrafted chocolates, its Canberra boutique also delights locals and visitors with a celebrated ice cream offering, creamy soft serves, and an indulgent hot chocolate menu. This is a destination that marries almost a century of Belgian chocolate artistry with the relaxed, modern atmosphere of a city-center treat stop.

The store itself, nestled on the ground floor of the Canberra Centre, provides a welcome respite from a day of shopping. The glass displays are filled with the brand's iconic pralines, truffles, and chocolate-dipped strawberries, while the counter service offers immediate gratification in the form of their famed soft ice cream and rich drinking chocolate. Customer feedback consistently highlights the warm, attentive service as a standout feature, making it more than just a quick retail stop—it's a place to linger over a sweet indulgence.

From the Double Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream, which appears as a highlight on their in-store menu, to the Crème Brûlée hot chocolate described by one reviewer as "a wonderful break from the winter in Canberra," the beverage and dessert menu is designed to showcase the depth and quality of Belgian chocolate. Whether you are picking up a gift box of assorted biscuits or treating yourself to a cone, the focus remains on that signature Godiva richness and silky texture.

Sweet Treats and Signature Menu at Godiva Canberra

The menu at Godiva Canberra is a curated selection of ready-to-enjoy desserts and drinks. The store specializes in ice cream, with a particular emphasis on their velvety soft serve, available in classic chocolate and swirled varieties. The Double Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream is a menu favorite, often paired with the brand’s famous chocolate shavings or other toppings. Beyond the soft serve, the store offers the Chocolixir, a blended frozen chocolate beverage that provides a refreshing, intensely chocolatey kick.

For those seeking warmth, the hot chocolate program is a centerpiece. The menu features a range of drinking chocolates from the classic to the innovative, including the celebrated Crème Brûlée Hot Chocolate—a creative twist that adds a caramelized note to the familiar comfort. The Belgian hot chocolate is consistently praised in reviews for being perfectly sweet with a beautiful foam, delivering a luxurious texture that sets it apart from a standard café offering.

Handcrafted Belgian Chocolates and Gifting

While the immediate consumption items draw the in-store crowd, Godiva Canberra’s roots are in gifting. The boutique stocks a wide array of the brand’s globally recognized chocolate collections. These include the G Cube Truffles, the Grand Place gift boxes, and the chocolate biscuits—such as the Langue de Chat cookies. Shoppers can also find seasonal and collaborative lines, like the Godiva x Labubu collection, which merges premium chocolate with playful art-toy design in limited-edition tablets and gift tins. These items make the store a key destination for corporate gifts, anniversaries, and celebratory presents in the city.

Customer Reviews and the In-Store Experience

Godiva Canberra holds a solid 4.2-star rating on Google Maps based on 75 reviews, reflecting a generally positive reception with a common thread of praise for the service team. Google Maps reviewers consistently mention the "excellent service," describing staff as "absolutely accommodating and polite" and "wonderful." One detailed review called out individual team members by name, noting Joane’s extensive chocolate knowledge, Sam’s great coffee, and Jas’s joyful service, painting a picture of a store that prioritizes a welcoming and engaging experience.

The quality of the Belgian chocolate remains the primary draw. Reviewers frequently describe the pralines as "fantastic" and the chocolate as "very good." The hot chocolate receives particular acclaim for its ideal sweetness and foam, while the ice cream is noted for its "light" taste that offers a distinct profile compared to other chocolate shops. Feedback also touches on areas where the store could improve. One customer noted a "long queue to pay" and felt the staff could have been more organized, suggesting that during peak shopping periods, the wait time might require a bit of patience.

Service and Amenities

The panel text from Google Maps indicates that Godiva Canberra offers both takeaway and delivery service, expanding access to their soft ice cream and beverages beyond the physical storefront. The ability to order delivery or grab a quick takeaway cup aligns with the needs of busy shoppers and nearby office workers. The store also participates in the broader Godiva Australia services, including same-day delivery, click-and-collect, and complimentary express shipping on orders over $100 online, though the in-store focus is on immediate enjoyment and personal selection.

Godiva Canberra in the Canberra Centre

The store is situated at EG11B, 148 Bunda Street, on the ground floor of the Canberra Centre. This central location places it in one of the city’s primary retail and dining hubs, easily accessible to both local residents and tourists exploring Civic. The area is well-served by public transport options listed on Maps, including public transit, bicycle access, and traffic routes. Being inside a major shopping center also means that parking can be found in the adjacent center parking facilities, though no dedicated parking is noted for the store itself.

The store’s operating hours reflect its position within a retail center, with typical hours running from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM on several days, and extending to 9:00 PM on certain days, likely to accommodate late-night shopping. Weekend hours vary with a Sunday opening from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This flexibility makes it a convenient stop for an after-work treat, a weekend family outing, or a post-dinner dessert run.

What Sets Godiva Canberra Apart

Godiva’s heritage is unmatched in the mass-premium chocolate space. Founded in Brussels in 1926 and honoured with a Royal Warrant as the official chocolatier to the Royal Court of Belgium in 1968, the brand carries a legacy that is palpable in the product quality. The Canberra store translates this luxury into an accessible, everyday format—the soft serve ice cream and hot chocolate act as an entry point to the brand, while the full range of gift boxes and seasonal specials appeals to the dedicated chocolate enthusiast looking for a refined present.

The combination of premium ingredient sourcing, the Belgian chocolate-making tradition, and the specific focus on ice cream and beverage service makes Godiva Canberra distinct from a traditional chocolate shop or a standard café. It straddles a unique category where you can purchase a $30 Labubu gift tin alongside a $10 cone of soft serve, all within the same elegant, gold-accented retail environment.

Common Questions

What are Godiva Canberra's opening hours?

Godiva Canberra generally opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 5:30 PM, with extended hours until 9:00 PM on some days. Weekend hours are more limited, with Sunday hours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Contact the store directly or check the Godiva Australia website for public holiday hours.

Does Godiva Canberra offer takeaway and delivery?

Yes, according to the store’s Google Maps panel, both takeaway and delivery services are available from this location.

What is the most popular ice cream at Godiva Canberra?

Based on the in-store menu highlights on Maps, the Double Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream is a popular pick. Customer reviews also praise the unique light taste of their ice cream compared to other chocolate shops.

Does Godiva Canberra sell gift boxes?

Yes, Godiva Canberra stocks a wide range of gift boxes and tins, including the Grand Place Gift Box, G Cube Truffles, seasonal collections, and limited-edition collaborations like Godiva x Labubu. These items are also available online through the Godiva Australia website.

Is Godiva Canberra part of a larger chain?

Yes, Godiva is a global Belgian chocolate brand founded in 1926, and the Canberra store is its boutique location in the Australian Capital Territory. The brand holds a Royal Warrant from the Royal Court of Belgium.

What else does the store sell besides ice cream?

In addition to ice cream and soft serve, the store sells hot chocolate and coffee beverages, pralines, truffles, chocolate-dipped strawberries, cookies, biscuits, and a variety of packaged chocolate for gifting.

Where exactly is Godiva Canberra located?

The store is at EG11B, 148 Bunda St, on the ground floor of the Canberra Centre, a major shopping destination in the Civic area of Canberra, ACT.