La Capanna — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

Let me start by saying I am not someone who frivolously leaves scathing reviews on local businesses. I also want to commend the staff. You guys were great.

I am a loyal Canberra patron, I seek out local businesses and I commit my money into Canberra’s hospitality industry.

But the dining experience I had at La Capanna, while attempting to celebrate a huge milestone in my personal life, was possibly the worst I’ve ever encountered…

Wine: an “orange blossom, pear and crisp” Pinot Grigio that tasted like it was harvested in the midst of a natural disaster. Honestly could have been infused with liquid smoke.

Entree: rockmelon earned its name. Absolutely rock-hard, infant melon served with dry prosciutto and garnished with an enormous set of thick, bright green, plastic handle kitchen tongs.

Mains: we shared our mains and had the luxury of choosing between: One dimensional sauce without any indication of a wine broth, littered with old mussels encased by brittle, chipper shells, shard of which found their way into the sauce, paired with a side of literally two pieces of Dom’s toast; or, a newborn-sized carbonara which tasted mostly of supermarket butter.

Can I also quickly query why a restaurant that produces its own dough is serving bread sides and garlic bread via supermarket loaves? It seems like a waste of money for both the business, and for consumers.

Dessert: we attempted to order a second wine to cleanse our palette, and were awarded with yet another overpriced, stale and possibly rancid wine.

After a trip to a concerningly dirty bathroom, accessed via an alley adorned with pest control items, chunks of used steel wool and trays of old, stale lasagne, I washed my hands and my memory of spending an extortionate $100+ for the worst meal of my life. I’ve honestly never enjoyed water at the end of...

Had a group dinner there with the fam. While they didn't expressly say we had to have a banquet, they sure pushed it on us. No regular menu was given to us until we asked for it. They were all sticky. We got banquet 3, it says chefs selection of pasta and pizza but the chef wouldn't select for us. Is that not the why they have a banquet menu? Never heard of a place insisting we choose the pasta and pizza dishes. Our waitress tried her hardest but she didn't have to keep asking us if we wanted more water or for empty plates to be cleared. Yes give us water when the bottle is empty and take the empty plates, that's your job. She also had no idea what was in any of the menu items or what specific ingredients were. She later told us she got yelled at by the chef cause we asked for them to choose our pasta and pizza. Food was pretty rubbish when we finally got it 2 hours after arriving. Will not go back here again and would not recommend. Plenty of better places to get your...

As an Italian, I can be a bit picky when it comes to Italian food—but La Capanna absolutely blew me away. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming, just like a true trattoria back home.

I ordered the parmigiana pasta and the crostini al prosciutto, and both dishes were incredible. The parmigiana was rich and full of flavor—perfectly cooked with that beautiful cheesy top and just the right amount of sauce. And the crostini were amazing! the prosciutto genuine Italian prosciutto di Parma, fresh and delicate, paired perfectly with the toasted bread and a touch of olive oil. The service was efficient and attentive the lovely staff made sure I was looked after the whole time. It genuinely felt like a little slice of Italy in the heart of Canberra. Highly recommend to anyone craving authentic Italian food made with love. I’ll...