The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

First look at Ivy and the Fox, the new brunch-cafe spot at Old Canberra House

Natasha Rudra

Ivy and the Fox.
Ivy and the Fox.Jay Cronan

Canberra's latest cafe and brunch spot might be a bit of a hidden gem - it's tucked away in the heritage Old Canberra House in Acton.

Ivy and the Fox is surrounded by rolling woodlands overlooking Lake Burley Griffin and features a tree-shaded outdoor terrace for Friday evening drinks or weekend brunches.

Alex Piris, the owner of the popular Fox and Bow cafe in Farrer, has joined forces with restaurateur John Stokes to revamp the existing cafe at Old Canberra House, bringing some of the Fox and Bow magic to the eatery.

John Stokes and Alex Piris at Ivy and the Fox.
John Stokes and Alex Piris at Ivy and the Fox.Jay Cronan
Advertisement

Ivy and the Fox launches with a VIP party on Friday and Piris wants Canberrans to discover a hitherto slightly unknown jewel on the lake.

By day it's the cafe for the ANU's Crawford School of Public Policy, serving lunches and coffee to academics, students and visiting scholars.

But come Friday afternoons there'll be tapas, beer and wine for post-work relaxation - including a special Ivy and the Fox chardonnay blend created for the cafe by Oak Barrel Wines.

Haloumi and thick cut bacon at Ivy and the Fox.
Haloumi and thick cut bacon at Ivy and the Fox.Jay Cronan

And starting the weekend of September 10 there will be brunches served on the terrace and in front of the fireplace indoors.

Advertisement

"When people come and they visit us at Fox and Bow or if they come here I want them to have an experience. [Fox and Bow] is fun, it's vibrant, it's a little bit noisy," Piris says.

"What we've tried to do is make sure our food is good, our drinks are good, we've got some cool tunes playing and here you've just got a magical location. Hopefully we bring all that together."

Old Canberra House.
Old Canberra House.Supplied

Stokes - a very genial Irishman - previously owned Das Kapital bar in Narrabundah and has run the cafe at Old Canberra House for the past five years. The collaboration with Piris came about earlier this year.

"It's something we've mucked around with for a few years and we finally decided just to go for it this time," Stoke says.

Advertisement

"He wanted to replicate [Fox and Bow] at the cafe a little bit and I think he's done a really good job. It's a really good place to just chill out and unwind."

Why the name Ivy and the Fox? The cafe was previously called Ivy Cafe - and Ivy is the name of Piris' young daughter. "It was perfect," he says.

Piris says the cafe, with its views over the lake, the sweeping terrace and large outdoor area, would be perfect for weddings and events in the summer.

There's also a private function room tucked under the Crawford School with a fully covered balcony that could be used for wet weather receptions.

Piris has already lined up a series of event partners for prospective brides or people celebrating birthdays or planning parties.

Advertisement

"We wanted to partner with some people so we could form a relationship with locals. Jill [Hart] from Show Pony Events has been fantastic, Loulou Moxom from Moxom and Whitney is like an old kindred spirit of mine, and then people like Oak Barrel Wines and Stuart Barlens Hire... have been super helpful," he says.

He plans to organise live music on the lawns, with picnic baskets and blankets for diners who want to enjoy the outdoors.

"We think we really want to make a bit of live music part of our scene, definitely on Friday afternoons and Sundays outside, weather permitting," he says.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Default avatarNatasha Rudra is an online editor at The Australian Financial Review based in London. She was the life and entertainment editor at The Canberra Times.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement