Monaro Street before the complete road closure. Photo: QPRC.
People talk about once-in-a-hundred-year floods, droughts and bushfires. But what about once-in-a-hundred-year roadworks?
That’s exactly what the border town of Queanbeyan is facing, with its main thoroughfare, Monaro Street, now closed for a six-month rebuild. The rip-the-Band-Aid-off approach has been in place since 12 March, and businesses are already feeling it, with some reporting trade down by as much as 50 per cent.
Layer that over rising interest rates and fuel costs, and it’s shaping up to be a tough stretch, particularly for the town’s pubs and restaurants.
So here’s where you come in. If you’re planning your next meal out, make it Queanbeyan. The food’s always been worth the trip no matter where you’re coming from, and right now your support matters more than ever.
Here are a few places to start.
Turquoise Turkish Restaurant
A long-standing Queanbeyan favourite, Turquoise has built its reputation on generous, affordable banquets and a warm, inviting dining room in Monaro Street. The house-made Turkish bread is a standout: light, fluffy and made for scooping up a spread of dips, while the kebabs, whether meat or seafood, are consistently tender and full of flavour.
Tourist Hotel
One of Queanbeyan’s sprawling country pubs, the Tourist stands out for its service as much as its size. Expect exceptionally warm welcomes that go above and beyond what most people think of when it comes to that famous country town service, and stay for dinner to enjoy generous pub classics done right. There’s Asahi on tap, hot-rock steaks and weeknight specials that keep meals under $25.
Villa Olivio has an extensive pizza menu, all woodfired. Photo: QPRC
Villa Olivio
Comforting and familiar in the best way, Villa Olivio leans into classic Italian cooking. Woodfired pizzas roll out of the courtyard oven; pastas are rich and indulgent (the gnocchi gorgonzola is hard to ignore); and the mains, from lamb shanks to veal saltimbocca and chicken parmigiana, are perfect for the chillier nights the region is now coming into.
Aleksandar and Melissa Trpkovski are the new owners of Eleven on Monaro, taking over where Pronto left off. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Eleven on Monaro
Opening just as the roadworks began, Eleven on Monaro hasn’t had the easiest start. But in the kitchen, former Pronto head chef Aleksandar Trpkovski is doing what he does best: turning out beautifully balanced woodfired pizzas with light, chewy bases. Beyond that, there’s a full Italian menu spanning hearty pastas like spaghetti alla puttanesca and linguine gamberi and crowd-pleasers such as veal marsala and chicken parmigiana. The modern, light and bright dining room makes for a pleasurable experience.
New Cathay Chinese
New Cathay is your classic country town Chinese restaurant. Ever-reliable, it’s always tasty and packed full of the classic Cantonese dishes you know and love: Mongolian beef, BBQ pork, full and hearty Chinese omelettes, satay chicken and everything else you crave when it comes to Chinese food. The twist here is the additional Malaysian menu, which will have you enjoying laksa, Malaysian curries and sambal dishes.
Sai Gon Pho is tucked away in the back of an arcade in Queanbeyan. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Sai Gon Pho
Tucked down the back of Monaro Street in a 1960s arcade, this eatery has always been a little hidden and now even more so, but it’s worth seeking out. The pho is deeply aromatic, the banh mi are spot on and the grilled pork chop is rich with lemongrass. If you’re in a hurry, the bakery counter covers all bases, from pies to lamingtons to a grab-and-go bahn mi, with the roast pork and crackling being a must-try.
The Royal Hotel always brings the vibes. Photo: QPRC.
The Royal Hotel
Dating back to 1850 and rebuilt after a fire in 1926, The Royal blends heritage charm with a modern edge that always brings the vibes. The vast menu will please the whole family: think classic pub grub meets contemporary dining, a place where a schnitty sits side-by-side with a Japanese salad bowl. Check the schedule of entertainment for regular live music, meat raffles, Tipsy Sketching, and even the popular Faulty Towers dining experience.
Queanbeyan’s food scene runs far deeper than this short list, but the message is simple: every meal matters right now.
For the people behind these venues that have been feeding the community for years, the next six months will be critical. Showing up, grabbing a meal or planning a night out isn’t just a good time; it’s a small way to help keep the lights on.
