Monster Kitchen and Bar

Our Philosophy on the Plate

Monster Kitchen and Bar walks a fine line between the wild and the refined. Rooted in a deep respect for the land, the venue focuses on seasonal rhythms and local producers. Every ingredient has a story, and the kitchen team works closely with growers and artisans around Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory to let those stories unfold on the plate. The approach is deliberately omnivorous, with a menu that celebrates vegetables, ethically sourced meats, and sustainable seafood, all handled with care and a spark of playfulness. Rather than following trends, Monster Kitchen and Bar builds plates around what is genuinely ripe, fragrant, and full of character at any given time of year.

Dining Designed for Sharing

The heart of the experience is the shared table. Plates land in the centre, encouraging conversation, sampling, and a sense of generosity. From crisp starters to richly layered mains, dishes are composed to be mixed and matched. A table might hold a bowl of charred greens tossed with toasted seeds alongside slow-cooked lamb shoulder or a whole roasted fish dressed with citrus and herbs. The balance between comfort and surprise is intentional. Guests are invited to build their own journey, whether that means grazing through several smaller plates or diving into a set feast. The menu format stays flexible, swapping dishes in and out as ingredients peak, so regulars always find something new. Staff are trained to guide first-time visitors through the flow, explaining the rhythm of the kitchen and pointing out highlights based on what is tasting especially vibrant that day.

Monster Bar and the Art of the Cocktail

Adjacent to the dining room, Monster Bar extends the same philosophy into glassware. The bar team treats cocktails as seasonal compositions, relying on house-made syrups, local botanicals, and spirits that speak to the Australian landscape. A drink might begin with a native-infused gin, brightened with fresh citrus and a hint of bush honey, or take a darker turn with barrel-aged rum, spiced bitters, and a curl of dehydrated fruit. The non-alcoholic list is equally considered, offering shrubs, ferments, and tonics that feel celebratory rather than an afterthought. Wine selections roam between Canberra district bottles, neighbouring cool-climate regions, and carefully chosen international labels. By-the-glass options rotate frequently, giving guests a chance to explore without committing to a full bottle. Staff at the bar are happy to chat through pairings, suggest a flight, or simply pour something crisp while you settle into the lounge.

Interiors That Tell a Story

The space itself is a conversation piece. Occupying the ground floor of Ovolo Canberra on Edinburgh Avenue, the interior layers textures and eras in a way that feels both curated and relaxed. The floor is a monolithic polished shattered terrazzo with hidalgoite green oxide seams, grounding the room with an organic, earthy feel. Vintage Australian boomerang lounges sit alongside wireframe chairs and original decorative painted-metal screens. On the walls, Greek icons mingle with 1850s oil paintings and 1960s neon prints, while objects collected from curiosity shops and flea markets add a sense of discovery. An original and unused early 1950s floral-pattern Axminster broadloom carpet, remade as a rug, anchors the seating area. Dining tables crafted from Max Lamb’s nougat-like Marmoreal engineered marble, fashioned by Molonglo Group and its collaborators, bring a sculptural quality to the room. The effect is a space that remembers the building’s past—a historic haven for talking art and politics, a room where meals were shared among waves of Australian immigration—while feeling entirely present-day. Guests can expect to notice something new each time they visit, whether a detail in the lighting, a painting they missed, or the way daylight shifts across the terrazzo.

Private Events and Group Gatherings

Monster Kitchen and Bar works just as well for a table of two as it does for a celebration of twenty. For groups up to that size, the dedicated set menu streamlines the experience, delivering a parade of share plates alongside limitless drinks packages. Larger parties can tap into the expertise of the events team, who shape bespoke packages across the broader spaces at Ovolo Canberra. The Monster Salon stands out as a venue within the venue: an intimately scaled private room featuring original artworks, mid-century modern furniture, and the same distinctive terrazzo floors. Designed to feel like a welcoming living room, the Salon includes its own fire pit, adding literal and figurative warmth for cooler evenings or after-dinner drinks. Corporate teams use it for off-site strategy sessions and farewell dinners, while couples book it for rehearsal suppers and wedding-weekend gatherings. The events crew handles everything from floral arrangements and music to tailored menus that reflect the season, ensuring each function feels like a natural extension of the restaurant’s everyday ethos rather than a generic catering package.

Weekly Rituals and Special Offers

The rhythm of the week at Monster Kitchen and Bar includes moments that reward the regular and intrigue the newcomer. Monday to Friday, the express lunch deal offers a select dish paired with a glass of wine, priced for a midday escape that feels indulgent but respects the clock. The dining room never feels hurried, even as the offer invites a crisp, efficient break from the working day. Seasonal specials appear throughout the year, often tied to a single ingredient at its absolute peak—think a short-run tomato menu in late summer or a truffle collaboration in winter. The team communicates these limited-time moments through social channels and in-house signage, encouraging spontaneity. Sundays carry a small surcharge, while public holidays see a 15% uplift, reflecting the extra care required to open on days when most kitchens are closed.

Location and How to Reach Us

The restaurant sits on the ground floor of Ovolo Canberra at 25 Edinburgh Avenue in the NewActon precinct, one of the city’s most architecturally distinct neighbourhoods. The address places it within walking distance of Lake Burley Griffin, cultural institutions, and a cluster of galleries and independent retailers. Public transport options are solid, with bus stops on nearby streets and the Canberra light rail terminals a manageable distance away. For those driving, parking is available within the precinct, and ride-share drop-off points are clearly marked. The location works equally well for visitors staying at Ovolo Canberra who want to tumble straight from the lobby into the dining room, as well as for Canberra locals looking for a destination that feels both central and slightly hidden. The official website, monsterkitchen.com.au, carries current menus, booking links, and any last-minute changes to opening hours.

Commitment to Sustainability and Community

Responsibility threads through every decision at Monster Kitchen and Bar. The sourcing policy prioritises producers who follow regenerative farming practices, minimise food miles, and treat animal welfare as a baseline, not a bonus. Waste reduction happens both in the kitchen, where trim and offcuts become stocks, ferments, and staff meals, and in the dining room, where single-use plastics are virtually absent. The team works with local charities and food-rescue organisations to ensure surplus food is put to use rather than sent to landfill. Energy and water efficiency form part of the broader Ovolo Hotels sustainability framework, which Monster Kitchen and Bar participates in fully. The seasonal menu model itself is a sustainability tool, because cooking with what is abundant and nearby inherently reduces the carbon footprint of every plate. Guests interested in the specifics of the supply chain can ask staff, who are always ready to talk about the farm behind a particular vegetable or the fishery behind a catch of the day.

Opening Hours and Booking Essentials

Monster Kitchen and Bar opens early for hotel guests and morning visitors. Breakfast runs Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 10:00 am, and Saturday from 7:00 am to 10:30 am. All-day dining begins at noon, with last seating thirty minutes before the kitchen closes. Monday through Thursday, the kitchen winds down at 9:00 pm, while Friday and Saturday extend to 9:30 pm. The bar stays open slightly later: Monday to Thursday until 9:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday until 10:00 pm. Reservations for tables of up to five guests can be made online via OpenTable. For bookings of six or more, the team asks that enquiries be sent directly to monster@ovolohotels.com. Group set menus automatically apply to parties of ten or more, ensuring the kitchen can maintain quality and pace. Walk-ins remain welcome throughout service, though peak Friday and Saturday evening slots fill quickly.

Dietary Inclusivity and Menu Flexibility

The kitchen treats dietary requirements as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are woven throughout the menu, not siloed into a separate column. Gluten-free options are clearly marked, and the chefs are comfortable adjusting dishes to exclude dairy, nuts, or alliums where needed. The team prefers advance notice for complex restrictions, especially for group bookings and set menus, but they also keep a stash of adaptable components on hand for last-minute conversations. The overarching goal is that every guest, regardless of what they can or cannot eat, leaves feeling they shared in the same generous, communal experience. The wine and cocktail lists also reflect this inclusivity, with low-alcohol, alcohol-free, and low-sulfite options available by the glass and bottle. Children are welcome, and while there is no dedicated kids’ menu, the kitchen is happy to prepare simpler plates on request, priced accordingly.

Why Guests Return

The draw of Monster Kitchen and Bar goes beyond any single dish or drink. It lives in the interplay between the room and the food, the staff and the season. Regulars talk about the way the light falls across their favourite booth at a certain time of day, or the bartender who remembers their preference for a dry, saline white, or the quiet corner of the lounge that feels like a well-kept secret. First-time visitors often arrive because of the hotel connection or the architectural reputation of the building, but they return because the experience feels genuine rather than scripted. There is a looseness to the service, a willingness to chat or leave you be depending on the moment. Combined with a menu that refuses to stand still and a bar that rewards exploration, the net effect is a restaurant that feels increasingly like a neighbourhood fixture, even for those who drive across town to get here.