We had lunch at Poacher's Pantry today, and were a little underwhelmed. We arrived early, as did another party, and were made to feel awkward about it. The staff should be aware that their rural location means that first-time guests may be unsure about how long it will take to get there.

The food was fine, but I felt that the Poacher's Pantry didn't live up to its reputation. On the day we were there, they seemed short-staffed, which may explain why we were initially billed for the wrong table.

We have avoided The Bearded Bean because of its hipper-than-hipster name, but having heard nothing but good things about this cafe, dropped in for lunch today.

We were very impressed! The Bearded Bean offers breakfast/brunch options throughout the day, and we loved our lunch dishes, which were delicious, generous and beautifully presented. Each dish was $15.00 - $16.00 which was excellent value for money, considering the quality of the food.

The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Penn Station only opened in April 2018, and has already created quite a buzz. When we arrived last week, the staff were still setting up their espresso machine, so served us pod coffee, which we enjoyed with a delicious vegan brownie. We appreciated Penn Station's attention to detail; in keeping with their green/vegan ethos, their coffee cups, plates and spoons are fully compostable.

As well as coffee and baked goods, Penn Station serves sandwiches, pies and sausage rolls, which have earned good reviews from Canberra vegans.

We dropped into Stirato Bakery Cafe for lunch this week and were pleasantly surprised. The quality of the food was excellent - my partner had a fancy beef burger with crumbed calamari, while I enjoyed a better-than-average smashed avocado on sourdough with fetta and dukkah. Our lunches, including two coffees, totalled $33.

Stirato provides a welcome alternative to the food hall across the road at the Canberra Outlet Centre.

We dropped into Catch today for lunch. The service was quick and friendly, and our food was yummy. Catch provides plenty of menu options beyond fish and chips. Their prices are very reasonable - less than $40 for two burgers and two glasses of wine.

Catch also delivers through Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

We had a great lunch at My Cafe yesterday, after not visiting for years. (I see some negative reviews here which were posted years ago, and it appears that the cafe has had a change of management, or attitude, since then.)

My vegetarian salad was super-yummy, and my partner enjoyed his pasta dish. The service was very friendly and efficient, and the prices more than reasonable.

As its name implies, Rye offers Scandinavian-influenced fare, with an emphasis on fresh, healthy food, including Smørrebrød - a Danish open sandwich served on dark rye. They serve breakfast all day, and offer a small range of wines and spirits.

The prices are reasonable, and the staff very friendly and efficient.

We had a quick lunch at Debacle recently. I thought the food was a little over-priced, but it was well-presented, and better-than-average pub grub. The staff were very pleasant and attentive.

Idelic is a bustling cafe in the Kingston shops which serves a small selection of salads, lunch rolls and wraps, as well as baked sweet treats. I loved my generously portioned roast potato salad with bacon and spinach, but my partner wasn't overly impressed with his Greek salad. The service was friendly and efficient.

Our lunches - one large and one small salad, one coffee and one tea - cost $27, which is very good value, particularly for the area.

I have been relying on Matthew for longer than I can remember. He is a very dedicated professional who specialises in conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes. I appreciate that he takes a conservative approach, rather than recommending treatment that may not be needed, and will always seek a second opinion if warranted.

The Civic premises has a wide range of fashionable frames, so you're bound to find glasses to suit you.