The Mandalay Bus: Where to Eat in Canberra (4.7★)

A carpark after dark

The address is a carpark, and that’s the point. The Mandalay Bus serves takeaway from Haig Park Carpark on Lonsdale Street, at the quiet northern end of Braddon, where the strip’s bars and cafés give way to the long rows of trees in Haig Park.

It’s a takeaway operation with a short night. You won’t find tablecloths or a booking system. It’s also cheap, among the more budget-friendly meals in inner-north Canberra, and it’s consistently well rated by the people who find it.

It has a lower profile than Braddon’s brunch spots, so for most visitors it’s a late-night find rather than something they planned the trip around.

When it’s actually open

The hours are narrow, so check them before you walk over:

• Wednesday to Saturday: 6:00pm to 1:00am
• Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: closed

It opens at 6pm, so don’t plan it as a lunch stop or an afternoon snack. It works for a late dinner, or for food after a drink on Lonsdale Street. Closing at 1am makes it one of the few places in Braddon still serving after the kitchens around it shut.

For a long weekend, remember that Sunday is off. Friday or Saturday night is your last chance.

Getting to Haig Park Carpark

Braddon sits just north of Civic, Canberra’s city centre. From the Canberra Centre it’s a flat walk of about 10 minutes up Lonsdale Street.

• Light rail: Route 1 runs along Northbourne Avenue. Get off at Elouera Street or Ipima Street and walk a few minutes east to Lonsdale Street. Late-night services thin out, so check the Transport Canberra timetable before relying on a ride home near 1am.
• Driving: it’s in a carpark, so parking is right there, though evening spaces fill when Braddon is busy.
• On foot: from anywhere on Lonsdale Street, keep walking north towards Haig Park.

Haig Park itself is a long strip of old plantation trees. It’s dim at night, so stick to the lit streets and the carpark when you walk back.

Ordering from the bus

The system is simple: walk up, order, take your food away. Here’s what helps:

• Know what you want before you reach the window. Service is quick when people order promptly, and after the bars close there’s often someone behind you.
• Plan where you’ll eat. It’s takeaway, so eat in the car, on a nearby bench, or on the walk back along Lonsdale Street. Keep the park clean; bins are the obvious courtesy in a shared carpark.
• Paying: card and tap payments are standard across Australia, but small takeaways vary. Carry a backup in case the machine or the network goes down late at night.
• Tipping: it isn’t expected in Australia. Saying thanks at the window is enough.
• Timing: coming soon after 6pm usually gets you ahead of the post-bar crowd. After midnight on Friday and Saturday, expect to wait behind people coming out of Lonsdale Street’s venues.

Want a whole evening? Have a drink at one of Braddon’s bars first, then walk north to the bus before 1am.