The Pork Barrel is a very popular lunch spot with pizza lovers who work nearby. I'm not a pizza person, so I always order the home-made hummus with lightly toasted Turkish bread, which is consistently delicious.

The Cafe is always very busy at lunchtime, but the staff are unfailingly polite and efficient.

The cafe is situated near the Rose Garden, which makes for a very pleasant experience in good weather.

The MCA Cafe is my all-time, hands-down favourite place to dine in Sydney. We have been there many times over the years and it has never failed to delight.

The service is great, with friendly and professional staff; the food is fantastic and creative; and the view is spectacular. It's not inexpensive, but especially given the location on Sydney Harbour, I think it provides excellent value for money.

Lunch at the MCA Cafe is a must on our visits to Sydney.

Portia's is a favourite among my colleagues, so I have had many lunches there. The food is always excellent, albeit on the expensive side.

What sold me on Portia's is that once I mistakenly ordered a dish that wasn't on the menu, but it was cooked for me anyway! The last time I was there with a large group, we were taking photos outside after lunch, and a staff member came outside and offered to take our photos.

Portia's is definitely a good place to visit with a large group.

We used to visit the Coffee Club regularly until one of the waitresses served me mint tea, instead of the black tea I had ordered. When I raised the issue, she became very argumentative, and even brought out the container of tea so I could smell it - it was definitely mint tea! Then she brought me a second pot of mint tea.

This experience has soured me on the Coffee Club.

We have been to Max Brenner several times for coffee, hot chocolate and strawberries. Each time we visited was during a non-busy period, but the service has always been extremely slow. I would only recommend Max Brenner if you have lots of free time.

I treated my family to Christmas Eve lunch at Tongue And Groove. The service was good during a busy time, the staff were friendly and professional, and everyone enjoyed the food - and asked for take-away boxes!

I like the atmosphere, with lots of inner-city bustle and plenty of natural light.

We used to visit Kingston & Co regularly, but no more. While the food is good, the service leaves a lot to be desired. The waitresses frequently mess up my orders.

The clincher for us is the margarine and marshmallows - the little things really do make a difference! Kingston & Co don't serve butter, only margarine, which is very odd, given that margarine isn't healthy, and I'm sure most people would prefer butter anyway. My husband asked for marshmallows for his hot chocolate and was told "People keep asking for marshmallows, but we don't serve them!"

We often visit Raw Sugar for a coffee or quick lunch. The food is consistently good quality, with a wide range of teas to choose from, and the atmosphere is pleasant.

The service can be a bit hit and miss - we're usually served promptly, but there have been a few times when they seem to have forgotten about us.

The National Museum of Australia is one of Canberra's most underrated tourist attractions. It provides a contemporary and ever-changing view of Australian life, history and culture. I would definitely bring overseas or interstate visitors here to give them a good overview of our heritage.

There is always something new to see. Entry to the permanent exhibition is free, and entry to special exhibitions is reasonably priced. Our favourite part of the permanent exhibition is "Australian Stories" which uses objects, audio, video and still photos to provide insights into Australian history through the personal stories of well-known and everyday Australians.

The Museum Shop on the ground floor offers lots of intriguing toys and gifts, either for yourself or friends overseas.

The Bookplate is a pleasant little cafe tucked away in the Parliamentary Triangle. It's handy for a coffee or quick lunch if you work nearby, are visiting the national attractions, or for a pit-stop on a walk around Lake Burley Griffin.

The food is a little on the expensive side, but always consistently good quality. In good weather, lunch on the outside deck is one of Canberra's simpler pleasures.