Dining at Vividjoyline

Seasonal plates from the open hearth

Our kitchen cooks over live fire and lets the markets write the menu — Canberra district produce, dry-aged meats and generous plates built for the middle of the table. Stay for the evening; poker nights run after dinner on select days.

Live-fire kitchen Dietary paths on every menu Dinner 6–10:30 pm

Book dinner See the menus

The menus

À la carte, or let the table share everything

Two ways to eat here — pick your own path from the à la carte, or hand the evening to the kitchen with a shared flight. On poker nights the back room runs a dedicated set menu so service and cards stay in step.

Shared table flight — A$95 pp
Pre-theatre three courses — A$72 pp (6 pm seatings)
Poker-night set menu — A$58 pp (event nights)

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free paths run across every menu — flag it when you book and the kitchen plans ahead.

Charred leek & macadamiaA$24

Ember-roasted leek, whipped macadamia, lemon myrtle oil, crisp shallot.

Raw kingfish, native citrusA$27

Finger lime, desert lime dressing, sea herbs, grilled bread.

Wood-fired flatbread & dipsA$19

Hearth-blistered flatbread, smoked eggplant, green-olive tapenade.

Burrata, ember tomatoesA$26

Flame-roasted tomatoes, basil, aged balsamic, sourdough crisp.

35-day dry-aged ribeyeA$68

Grass-fed ribeye, charcoal onions, bone-marrow jus.

Wood-grilled market fishA$46

Daily catch, fennel, preserved-lemon butter, coastal greens.

Slow lamb shoulder for twoA$88

Eight-hour shoulder, harissa honey, smoked yoghurt, hearth carrots.

Charred brassicas & macadamia creamA$38

Cavolo nero, broccolini, eucalyptus oil — our plant-led main.

Burnt-honey panna cottaA$19

Burnt honey, wattleseed crumb, poached seasonal fruit.

Dark chocolate & ember orangeA$21

70% chocolate crémeux, flame orange, olive oil, smoked salt.

Cheese chariot, per personA$24

Three farmhouse cheeses, honeycomb, walnut bread — cut at the table.

Menus change with the market — this week's list sits at the table

Signatures

Dishes guests drive back for

Reserve these plates

SIGNATURE 01

The 35-day ribeye

Dry-aged on-site, finished over ironbark, carved table-side with bone-marrow jus. The plate our poker-night regulars order before the cards.

SIGNATURE 02

Kingfish & native citrus

Cold, bright and precise — finger lime and desert lime over raw kingfish. The sharpest way to open the evening.

SIGNATURE 03

Burnt-honey panna cotta

The dessert that survived four menu rewrites — burnt honey, wattleseed crumb and whatever fruit is best that week.

Terroir

Where the food actually comes from

Most of the menu travels less than 150 km to reach the kitchen. We buy whole animals, press our own oil blends and keep the woodpile honest — ironbark, oak and cherry, split for the hearth every week.

38 km

Nearest farm gate

150 km

Furthest regular supplier

Growers on the board

Woods in the library

This week's board

Murrumbateman lamb54 km

Bungendore beef, dry-aged41 km

Pialligo market garden12 km

South coast line fish148 km

Season board updates every Tuesday — the same supply feeds our poker-night set menus.

Drinks

A cellar that leans local

Canberra district cool-climate wines carry the list — Clonakilla neighbours, small shiraz and riesling growers — backed by a tight cocktail program and a serious zero-alcohol shelf for the designated drivers and early mornings.

Ask the sommelier

The cellar

~120 bottles, 60% Canberra district & ACT region. Sommelier picks by the glass rotate weekly — ask what's open tonight.

Glass poursA$14–28

Cocktails

House infusions and measured classics — the Ember Old Fashioned leads the list; the spritzes lead the terrace.

Signature rangeA$18–24

Zero proof

Seedlip builds, verjus sours and kombucha spritz — a real list, not a consolation prize.

0% rangeA$12–15

Digestifs

Amaro, local malt whisky and a short cognac shelf — the right finish whether the poker cards were kind or not.

PoursA$14–30

Cocktails lined along the Vividjoyline bar

The bar, pre-service

Private dining

Rooms inside the room

Two semi-private spaces handle everything from board dinners to birthdays. Menus are built per group, service stays out of the way, and a private poker table can be added to the night if the crowd wants cards.

The Gallery — up to 14 guests, one long table
The Back Room — up to 22, own bar station + poker setup
Full venue hire on Sundays & Mondays

Event packages

Long private dining table set for a group

The Gallery, set for 14

Back room prepared for a private poker event

Back Room, cards-ready

From A$95 pp

Shared feasting menus, arrival drinks and your own service team — packages for poker-themed private nights start at A$145 pp including a hosted table.

Good to know

How service runs

A few house notes so the evening lands the way you want it — timing, dietary care and what happens when a poker night is running next door.

Pacing

Tables are booked for the evening — no turnover pressure. Pre-theatre seatings at 6 pm are out by 7:45.

Dietary care

Allergen matrix per dish; vegan and GF paths are designed, not improvised. Tell us at booking and relax.

The room after dark

Lighting drops, playlists stay low, conversation leads. The poker room doors stay closed so dining stays calm.

On event nights the dining room fills early — check the calendar before picking a Friday.

Reserve

Dinner at Vividjoyline

Tuesday to Saturday, seatings from 6 pm. Call +61882236417, write to vividjoyline@gmail.com or send the form on contacts — and tell us if you're eyeing a poker seat after the plates.