NOW EXPERIENCING:Rebel Rebel

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 23 Oct 2024

By
Pat Nourse


As catchy as its namesake Bowie song, Rebel Rebel has a take-all-comers approach that chimes nicely with its pleasingly broad drinks list and masterful snack menu.

Food at Rebel Rebel
Why you go“Hey babe, your hair’s all right / Hey babe, let’s go out tonight.” Do the words “rebel rebel” instantly press play on a David Bowie tune embedded in your brain? If you spend any time in Canberra, chances are that those two words could equally put you in mind of really good eating and drinking. The thing about Rebel Rebel is that despite the rebellious-sounding name, it’s exactly the sort of venue that’s there for you whenever you need it. Not for this venue lots of different menus – this thing rolls from noon ’til late, “day and night”. It’s very much one of those places set up so if you’ve had quite the Tuesday, you can pop in for an oyster and a Martini, knowing that you can order the oysters one at time (natural or dressed with pomelo and pink peppercorn, even), and that the Martini will be crisp and bitingly cold, maybe even made with Balcombe Coastal gin, just as it should be. Or, if it’s a different sort of day, you can roll in with a bunch of pals and make a feast of it, going for a big, beefy rib-eye with seaweed butter and something nice and juicy from the wine list – a Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier, if you’re feeling all pride-of-Canberra. Whatever the vibe, Rebel Rebel has what you need.
What drink to order

With that take-all-comers day/night approach, Rebel Rebel fields a nicely broad list while still keeping things wieldy. And should even these smart few pages seem too much, they’re very good with the suggestions. Our tip? Just order something from the aperitivo section straight off the bat while you browse the rest. Whether you end up with a nice briny “I Think” manzanilla sherry from Equipo Navazos, a Velo rosé from local heroes Ravensworth, or something more left of centre like a rakija (the fruit brandy from the Balkans) with tonic from Sydney distillery DNA, it’s going to be good.

Cocktails are inventive: the Santo Pauletto mixes Campari and sweet vermouth with espresso from nearby café legends Barrio for a drink that’ll wake you up and shake you up, while the Pipeline introduces Earl Grey as the twist into the harmony of Animus gin, citrus and bitters. Mocks? Just as clever. Beers? Craft benchmarks from up and down the east coast, plus a little Peroni Red, just because. Wine? Good local credentials ground the list nicely, but if you want to trot the globe or just go large, they’ve got you, with the regions of the moment (Jura, Loire, et cetera) represented alongside the bigger names.

Drinks at Rebel Rebel
Food & Drinks at Rebel Rebel
What to pair it withChef and co-owner Sean McConnell is part of the fabled McConnell family – his brothers Andrew and Matt loom large in the Melbourne food scene – and whether it’s nature or nurture, he certainly holds up the McConnell name when it comes to the snacks. His flavours hail from all over, but come together on the plate in compositions that tick all the boxes: looks, texture and flavour for days. How about a little pig’s ear sandwich with a nice cold zero-alc lager from Capital Brewing? You could throw a vegetable party with share plates of sugarloaf cabbage with tahini and harissa oil, Jerusalem artichoke, Taleggio cheese and hazelnut, and eggplant with the spicy porky goodness of ’nduja salami spread, cucumber and almonds, and then invite a bottle of Philip Lardot’s Kontakt rosé from Germany or Delinquente’s Hell Series light red from South Australia’s Riverland to really get things going.
Regular’s tipIf you’re decision-averse, or just like to see where the night (or indeed the afternoon) takes you, leave the whole food side of things up to the kitchen – the $90 “all in” feed-me option is a winner.
Make it fancyWhether you’re dining on your own or with a crew, the little add-ons like the oysters can take any meal from simple to special. Why not throw some grilled prawns with bay-leaf butter into the mix? What day isn’t improved by a Parmesan and black-truffle doughnut? And if you are with the squad, you might also want to investigate the magnum section of the list for when nothing but wine sold 1.5 litres at time will do. Case in point: a nice big bottle of the Timotheus grüner veltliner blend from Gut Oggau – everybody’s favourite highly Instagrammable Austrian wine label.
Why we love itYou’ve gotta love a venue that can somehow be perfectly reliable and yet still fresh every time. There’s something about Rebel Rebel that attracts good vibes in both the staff and the customers, and that’s always a vibe worth chasing.
Ambience at Rebel Rebel
image credits: Rohan Thomson; Pew Pew Studio