In recent years, Canberra’s eating and drinking scene has really grown and developed into something worth talking about. This trend is continuing with the opening of Joe’s Bar, the Italian bar and eatery that is found within the East Hotel.

Opened by brother and sister pair Dan and Dion Bisa, the space isn’t what you’d expect from a wine bar. The interior is unique, colourful, vibrant, and filled with personality. Chairs are bright green, there’s interesting hanging lights, and a beautiful textured marble bar. Named after their father, the space also offers a beautiful family atmosphere.

Another thing that sets the bar apart is that the Joe’s Bar team create everything from scratch. From ginger beer to limoncello and even all of the syrups used for the cocktails. They use this homemade attitude and get creative by whipping up unique bar snacks like the house spiced popcorn and pancetta floss. Italian-born chef, Francesco Balestrieri is the man in charge of the menu. You can expect smaller dishes like the Italian meatballs, Tuscan chicken liver parfait with pancetta, porcini, and crostini, smoked burrata with shaved truffle, olive oil, and crusty bread, or larger dishes like the lasagne with slow braised pork ribs, and the wagyu beef brisket with charred polenta, and porcini butter. Balestrieri sources all of his ingredients from within 100km of Canberra, keeping the produce local and sustainable.

As a bar and eatery, the wine list is just as important as the food. Fergus McGhie (The Canberra Times Wine Reviewer and Wine Judge) has handpicked the list that’s on offer at Joe’s. The rotating list will feature both Italian varietals as well as local drops.

Whether you’re staying at the hotel or not, Joe’s is worth a visit.

Joe’s Bar
East Hotel, 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston, ACT
www.joesateast.com