Food I Photographed Last Month: ROSA’S

Canberra’s hospitality scene is bumping right now. It seems like everywhere you look there’s something new and exciting popping up. Riding this wave is the exciting new precinct, The Lawns of The Lobby.

Fresh off the back of opening the hit restaurant Koto, we now have Rosa’s at The Lawns.

Rosa’s sits in a cute spot tucked behind Koto, overlooking the iconic National Rose Gardens (get it?) in the Parliamentary Triangle. A sun-soaked deck awaits as you make your way up from the street, and inside is another venue not far off - keep your eyes peeled for the imminent launch of Ballyhoo.

Rosa’s is pretty straight-up. A really fun brand engineered by the good people at TMA ties this cute, laid-back Italian spot together, where woodfired pizza, antipasto, flatbread, wines and beers await. But it’s not all sunny deck-lounging and feasting on pizza – in the mornings and at lunchtime you’ll find Rosa’s slinging coffee, pastries and sandwiches to the local Parliamentary-Zone workers, who’ve been all but starved of an offering like this.

But the pizza and wines are what I’m here to shoot, really. And man is it fun. Crisp white plates, terrazzo tables, vibrant food and hard flash, we love to see it. The pinks, reds, blues and light brown tiles are a beautiful backdrop palette.

Let me talk about the pizzas for a sec. Sure, you’ve got your classics – margherita, potato, pepperoni – but the thing that makes my eyes widen is the PB&J. That’s pineapple, bacon and jalapeno to the uninitiated. Get outtt. I heard someone say a few years ago how good this combo was, but I’d never seen a pizza place do it – I always had to order it custom. What a treat to find it on the core menu somewhere. Unreal.

Another venue-favourite is the prawn king – garlicy, prawny, cheesy goodness. I mentioned the wines and beers before too, but of course they’ve got the non-alcs covered with locals Heaps Normal, and some fun Strangelove sodas.

You might remember we’re right on the cusp of The Lawns and National Rose Gardens here. If you can’t find a seat, feel free to grab your food and drinks and throw down a picnic blanket nearby. Or, if it’s too cold for you, take your order and go get warm somewhere else. Rosa’s hits the mark, whatever the vibe.

‘Love us and leave us’, indeed xx