Alia Bar — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

Dined here after seeing it mentioned on Access Canberra website as a new restaurant and reading mostly positive reviews. It's the old uni bar and done up nicely. Firstly was told by the lady who booked my table in person over the phone that parking was free after 5pm - it's not - we paid $5 for less than an hour in the car park nearest the law courts and police station across the road. From 6.30 to just under 7.30pm on a Friday night. Secondly no offer of water with our drinks order. Entrees I was excited about - unfortunately not realised. The haloumi with chilli and honey was in a cast iron dish, melted and gooey and covered in liquid something. Really bad. I pointed it out before eating and was told that's how it's served. Never had saganaki or halloumi like this ever, anywhere. The calamari entree could have been good if it was hot and had a creamy sauce of some kind - it was very dry and lukewarm. Also pointed this out before the meal was finished and was told there was no sauce. How hard to say "I'll bring out some aioli or mayo" or something? Too hard. By this time I'd finished a glass of wine and no one had asked if I wanted a refill or if my husband wanted another drink. Mains were ok. As my husband says there was no love on the plates or in the kitchen. I had lamb cutlets. Ok but potatoes awful - stodgy and too lemony. My husband had the chicken souvlaki and it was dry, virtually flavourless and not souvlaki by any means - more chicken satay. Relayed all of this to the male staff member who said he'd tell the...

Looking for a place to leave you feeling happy and full without breaking the bank? Look no further than Alia Bar! The food is well priced and the portions are huge! I had pan fried chicken which can easily be shared between 2 people.

One dish easily feeds two, sometimes even three, depending on your appetite. I have tried Saganaki at other restaurants but your Saganaki is the absolute best!!!!!!!! I absolutely cannot forget the taste. It was so soo amazing! I feel like I ate so so much that I have eaten for the next 2 days in advance.

But it's not just about quantity; the quality is top-notch too. The ingredients are fresh, the flavors are well-balanced, and everything tastes homemade and authentic. You can tell they put a lot of love into their food here.

The staff Annika and Jey had been really accommodating and had bright and beautiful smiles on their face with everyone. They made sure our dietaries were catered for helped . Annika - You were incredibly attentive and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal and your recommendations were spot on! We loved everything you suggested."

My friends and I had a really good dining experience as it was enjoyable with you and Jey's friendly personality. Your service was super efficient and professional. We truly felt cared for.

Overall, Alia Bar is a must-try for anyone looking for a hearty and satisfying meal at a great price. You won't be...

Great looking place to replace unibar, however I'm disappointed with the service which was clearly secondary to the aesthetics. Everything is through QR code, though paper menus are provided and wait staff available.

I was surprised that after ordering small and large plates, everything came out together. I would have expected a progression from small plates to large plates i.e. oysters to come out before the larger plates. That being the case, it would have been nice to have had the menu explained by our hosts particularly as the 'large plates' described as share plates were individual servings.

The place was far from full, and yet our first round of drinks took a while to come to the table, and the larger plates were all cold by the time they arrived for consumption. Each plate was on the salty side, and I am someone who likes their salt. As such, it was difficult to appreciate the quality of the food. The cocktails were actually the highlight.

This may be due to teething issues, but may also just be due to their approach of a 'bar that serves food'. If that is the intent, then it may suffice, however as nice as the space has become with large tables seemingly intended for an enjoyable meal, I felt this approach is a...