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Monster Kitchen & Bar, Canberra, AU-ACT

Monster Kitchen & Bar

4.2
4.2
1192 Reviews
$41 to $100
Modern Australian

Make a booking

2 people
22:30
Booked 10 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
Monster Kitchen and Bar wanders through the ground floor of Ovolo Nishi, preoccupied with local and seasonal produce prepared for sharing.

Where primal meets refined, and where taste knows no boundaries. Monster is a space where herbivores and carnivores alike can share a meal together without compromise. The menu is a celebration of bold flavours and strikes a harmonious balance between carefully curated, locally source meats produced alongside years of plant-based expertise. With a dedicated vegetarian or omnivore set menu and dishes designed to shine as standalone or shared plates, Monster offers something for everyone.

Monster Bar offers an elevated cocktail experience created with modern techniques, and flavours ever changing to highlight the season. Implementing our very own twist on the most iconic cocktails you’d only find in the best hotel bars around the world. Since layering the produce driven menu to hero key vegetables, the wine list has followed in similar suit.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Modern Australian, Fusion / Eclectic, Global, International
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:30–10:00 Sat, Sun 07:00–10:30 Bar Daily 12:00–22:00 Dinner Daily 17:30–22:00
  • Phone number
    (02) 6287 6287
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    David Wykes
  • Catering
    Full catering menu can be supplied upon request.
  • Private party facilities
    Monster Salon is perfect for one-of-a-kind private events and is available upon request. Contact our events team at events.nishi@ovolohotels.com or 02 6287 6287
  • Area
    Canberra City
  • Parking details
    Underground paid public parking available
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Giant Steps Wine Dinner

    A$160.00 per person

    Prepaid

    20 Feb 2025 only
    18:00
    Monster omnivores, level up your next dining experience with an expertly curated wine pairing from Giant Steps in Yarra Valley. Led by award-winning sommelier Andres Aragon, enjoy four courses with paired wines as he walks you through the background of the vineyard, tasting notes and pairing potential. Starting your journey with Abrolhos Island scallops with hazelnut and coriander butter paired with a delicate rosé, savour dishes like tuna tartare with black bean finger lime and potato wafer with a crisp chardonnay, and Adobo marinated whole spatchcock with blood orange and watercress salad served with a pinot noir. 5:30pm arrival for a 6pm sitting.
    Giant Steps Wine Dinner photo
  • World Margarita Day Weekend

    21 Feb 2025 - 23 Feb 2025
    We’re stirring the beast with the smell of tequila. To celebrate World Margarita Day on Saturday 22 February, the Monster bar will be slinging three classic margaritas, including classic, Tommy’s and spicy. Plus, two house margaritas – frozen chilli & mango and passionfruit & vanilla. Off the booze? Sip on a non-alcoholic version. Available from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 February.
    World Margarita Day Weekend photo
  • Express Lunch

    Multiple dates available
    Enjoy an express lunch in a space that feels anything but rushed. Monster has started the New Year with an enticing $35 meal and wine menu for your weekday indulgence. Available Monday to Friday. Walk-ins welcome.
    Express Lunch photo

What 1,192 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Canberra

    Good for business meals

  • Canberra

    Healthy

  • Canberra

    Good for special occasions

  • Canberra

    Vegetarian-friendly

  • Canberra

    Lively

  • Canberra

    Most Booked

  • Inner North

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monster Kitchen & Bar offers a delightful culinary experience with "fantastic food" and a "calm and romantic" atmosphere. Known for its "amazing vegan food" and "superb vegetarian options," the restaurant provides a memorable dining experience. While service can be inconsistent, the "friendly and attentive" staff often enhance the visit.

1,192 Reviews
  1. Levi

    Canberra

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Lovely food, definitely a place for a special occasion as it’s a bit pricey but overall it was a beautiful experience. The pork belly, spatchcock and salad was delicious. Leave room for dessert too as the tiramisu and hazelnut cream/mouse thing was delicious!

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  2. Deb

    Canberra

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I knew it to be a good option for vegetarians. Yes, there were vegetarian dishes but not the previous variety. Food, still excellent Service, still ordinary to ok. We had to look for staff to get menus (damaged pages in the drinks folder) and coffee. Payment is card or exact cash. Yes, you can split the bill. Ambience. Unless you are sitting near the windows it is a dark space. Even in the day. Honestly, it’s a good place to go before or after a movie and I do go there regularly to study, but I wouldn’t bother again for a nice catch-up with friends. It’s too hard to get served. The space is open with multiple areas making it hard for the staff to actually see what is going on in each area. The day we visited there appeared to be two staff doing the floor for multiple areas. They did their best.

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  3. Debbie

    Canberra

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 January 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    I won't go back, we had both the vegetarian and meat tasting plates and all but 2 items were awful. Past meals here were awesome, I have no idea how they have fallen so far. The food was tasteless and oily, the chairs all stained and glasses dirty, 3 attempts to get a clean wine glass due to lipstick is unheard of.

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  4. Lauren

    Gold Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My partner and I dined here for the first time tonight. We ordered the feed me menu - omni for him and vegetarian for myself. There was no issue when we asked for my food to be made vegan and gluten free. Some replacements had to be made to suit my dietary requirements and everything was absolutely delicious. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was calm and romantic. We are looking forward to going back.

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  5. Kristen

    Canberra

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 January 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Terrible service! Not recommended for food allergies. On one visit I was served caviar with a vegan dish (i.e. should be no seafood). We were very clear when ordering and ordered items that were specifically labelled on the menu as vegan options. Allergies were recorded upon booking as well. Waiters communication skills are lacking. One of our waiters on tonight's visit thought I was asking for sugar on my pasta when I was describing the tomato sugo. After notifying two other waiters of the issue with my meal, a replacement was eventually provided that looked like a 1 star kid's meal. My partner's meal wasn't great either - he's had it before and it was good, so must be hit and miss depending on the night. We left and I had popcorn for dinner from the cinema downstairs, which had more vegan and food allergy safe items! Won't risk going back.

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  6. StueyR

    Canberra

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 31 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, awesome location. A real mix of very experienced and attentive staff, and inexperienced staff that really shouldn’t be in the roles they’re in as yet. An enjoyable night. Even though they’ve switched to an omnivore menu I enjoyed the vegetarian menu as much or more than the omnivore one. Order the salads for a real taste sensation… truely!

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  7. Frances

    Canberra

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 31 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Booked a table with bar food only. Food we ordered was delicious - corn ribs and mussels particularly. Would have liked a wider variety of small share plates, but still great. Cocktails were interesting. Unfortunately the one I really wanted was not available.

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  8. Susan

    Victoria

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 31 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    When I booked, I expected we would get table service. Had to put credit card up for the booking to be a bar menu and service.

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  9. Sally

    Sydney

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 24 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a family dinner for 10 on Xmas eve. Food was fantastic, had a lot of share plates which were easy and plentiful. Service and atmosphere was good, we did not get rushed out and stayed until late. Would definitely come back again.

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  10. Matt

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 18 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Loved the food so much more when it was vegetarian. The vegetarian dishes altered to be made a vegan dish were all mushy / oily/ same flavor profile. Pretty disappointed with price and flavor. Presentation was beautiful, but texture and flavor was ordinary. So much different to what it used to be!

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FAQs

Monster Kitchen & Bar is rated 4.2 stars by 1192 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
22:30
Booked 10 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Monster Kitchen & Bar

25 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra, AU-ACT 2601

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    Canberra City
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:30–10:00 Sat, Sun 07:00–10:30 Bar Daily 12:00–22:00 Dinner Daily 17:30–22:00
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Modern Australian, Fusion / Eclectic, Global, International
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Underground paid public parking available
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    David Wykes
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (02) 6287 6287
  • Catering
    Full catering menu can be supplied upon request.
  • Private party facilities
    Monster Salon is perfect for one-of-a-kind private events and is available upon request. Contact our events team at events.nishi@ovolohotels.com or 02 6287 6287
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