Gus's, European cafe in Civic, Canberra, Australia
Gus's is a cafe located inside Garema Arcade on Bunda Street in central Canberra. It has indoor seating as well as an outdoor terrace that faces the street and the foot traffic of the arcade.
The cafe opened in 1969 and is considered the first outdoor street cafe in Canberra, despite early resistance from local authorities. The founder, an Austrian immigrant, had to push hard before the concept of outdoor dining was accepted in the city.
The place was founded by an Austrian immigrant and changed how people in Canberra approach dining out. It shows how a single restaurant introduced a new way of eating and gathering to the city.
The cafe is open daily from early morning to late evening and serves both light dishes and full meals. The menu changes with the seasons, so it is worth checking what is available before you visit.
After more than 50 years of continuous service, the cafe closed its doors but is planning to reopen as part of a new hotel development on the same site. This means the place would return in a very different setting while keeping its original location.
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