Hall is a short drive from Canberra CBD but when you arrive it feels like you’re a world away. There are lots of things to do in the charming village of Hall. You can easily spend a whole day, or even two, seeing, eating and exploring everything that’s on offer. We recently spent a few Sundays there so we put together this itinerary for you. It will help you plan a perfect day in Hall. If you don’t fit it all in one day then you’ll have to return. Because once you’ve visited some of these places, we have no doubt that you’ll go back.
How to get there?
The easiest way is to drive. I’m currently carless so the lovely people at PopCar let me take the Toyota 86 for a spin. PopCar is a car sharing service so it was really convenient for me. It’s really easy to use, the prices are reasonable and they have several parking stations in Canberra where you can pick the car up from. Head to Hall early so you can make the most of your day.
What to have for breakfast
We had a delicious breakfast at family-run café, Daughters at Hall. They have a range of breakfast and lunch options and Jenny makes some incredible homemade baked goods. There’s plenty of seating available inside and outside and the building is more than 120 years old. You can also order homemade Christmas sweets from Daughters at Hall.
What to have for lunch
The Epicurean Tasting at Capital Wines is a fantastic way to spend a few hours. It’s available on weekends and you need to make a booking. You get 4 food tastings matched with 4 glasses of wine for only $40. You can add a 5th dessert tasting with an extra glass of wine for $10. Capital Wines have a selection of award-winning wines and you can also enjoy an extra wine tasting while you’re there.
How to spend the afternoon
Check out Hops & Vine but make sure you give yourself some time to explore their shelves that are packed with a range of food products. They have lots of Canberra products and 200 types of craft beer from Australia and New Zealand in their fridge. They also offer tastings and you can grab a cheese platter and a bottle of wine to have a mid-afternoon picnic in the park. Or grab some goodies to take home with you. They’ve just released their beer advent calendar and have a range of hampers that you can choose from. Hops & Vine also run unique food and beverage events and workshops, including cheesemaking.
What to have for dinner
1882 Bar and Grill is a gorgeous little country pub. They often have live music on Sundays and they have food and drink specials throughout the week. Their menu includes wood-fired pizzas and a range of gourmet pub-style meals. You won’t find the typical chicken schnitty on their menu although they do have a chicken parmigiana. They also have a great selection of Canberra region beer and wine on their drinks menu. You can choose to sit in the many indoor and outdoor spaces. It’s a great spot to enjoy dinner and a drink or two while listening to some live music.
What else?
The Hartley Hall Markets are held on the first Sunday of every month (January excluded) from 10am until 3pm. There are over 200 stalls offering a range of products including food, fresh produce, baked goods, clothing, gifts, plants and more.
I really want to do the One Trill Hill hike but we ran out of time. You need to allow for a few hours to do this but it would be perfect for an early morning activity before breakfast. Depending on the weather you could also do it mid-morning before lunch, after lunch or in the early afternoon. You could pick up some yummy homemade goods from Daughters at Hall or some gourmet produce from Hops & Vine and reward yourself with a little picnic when you make it to the top. It’s on my list to do over the Christmas break!
Spend some time perusing the gift stores and walking down the street so you can learn more about the history of hall. There are lots of informative signs that will tell you many stories about the village.
If you want to learn more about the Hall-Ginninderra district history and heritage then stop in at the Hall School Museum and Heritage Centre. It’s open between 12-4pm on Sunday and between 9am-12pm on Thursday. It’s also open on the first Sunday of the month to coincide with the Hall Markets. You can also visit by appointment. Find out more on the website.
Remember Bombolini Doughtnuts at the Capital Region Farmers Market? They’re no longer at the market but the owners now run Kynefin in Hall. So you get your bombolini fix while you’re there!
Photos by Amelia Bidgood.
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.