Pilot delivers finesse without fuss. Out front, owners Dash Rumble and Ross McQuinn bring a chilled disposition and creative eye to the entire experience. Concrete and glass surfaces are softened by a wall-length bouquet of natives, splashes of contemporary art, and artisan glassware and ceramics.
Co-owner and chef Mal Hanslow’s set menu, meanwhile, is nostalgic and nourishing. The “three-piece feed” features a chicken-skin cracker, pork-stuffed wing coated in spicy maple sauce, and a remarkable babka enhanced with chicken jus, sage and lemon. There are textural creations such as palak paneer with burrata, and the kitchen’s finesse extends to desserts including pulled toffee with milk-skin sprinkles.
Growing in confidence but not formality, there’s also a cutting-edge, local-leaning drinks list with vermouth, amari, sake and minimal-intervention wines. For the past eight years, Pilot has never been asleep at the controls.
Best for: A way to experience some of Canberra’s most innovative cooking if you’re visiting town.
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.
Last visited: April 2026
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
