Silo Bakery

Canberra Times Top 20 Restaurants for 2013: No.4

Silo opened more than a decade ago, back when good bread was a real rarity in Canberra. The crusty, wonderfully textured stuff is a joy to eat, and still the best available in Canberra.

But the place is much more. Open for breakfast and lunch, and focused on mostly European -staples, with a real cheese room, you can rely on Silo to surprise and thrill at every visit. Perhaps it will just be a coffee and one of the jewel-like array of tarts, or a winter chestnut soup with that bread, but it is difficult to leave this place feeling anything other than revived and excited by the food you have eaten.

The Toulouse sausage and oysters is a classic light combination set off with a little pile of witlof; the plate-sized pizza has minimalist topping, such as mushroom and blue cheese or chilli jam; potato and anchovy come blistered from the oven and the chilli and chorizo piperade omelette gets the day started with a bang. There's often a slow-cooked dish, and perhaps fish, and a range of cheese plates - blue, Roquefort, ewe and goat.

The concise wine list is great, ranging across less well-known makers from Australia and Europe, all carefully matched with food and all available by the glass.

The original orange and green tiles remain outside, marking Silo out on the strip, and shiny concrete and wooden tables fill the bustling space. Service here is usually attentive and well-informed, if sometimes a little distracted at busy times.

If you eat at only one place on this list, make it Silo, and don't leave without a loaf to take home, and perhaps a creme brulee tart, a perfectly ripe French washed rind, or biscotti from the wrapped treats on the counter.