Frequently Asked Questions

Hmmm, we don’t really mind what you call us between the two. Restaurant with great wine? Wine bar with great food? We flirt with using both interchangeably and would happily claim both.

We would love you to!! As we say above we’re either a wine bar with great food or a restaurant with great wine and don’t get too caught up in the difference. 

What we do love is having people pop by for an afternoon wine, or maybe you’re booked for dinner next door at eightysix or up the street at Zaab and have 15mins for a cheeky wine. Pop in, we’ll make it happen quick smart if you need or we can take it slow if you’ve got the time.

You can also just pop in for a snack ~ sans wine ~ and that’s totally fine too. 

Please don’t bring a cake. We don’t allow for guests to bring cakes for entirely pragmatic reasons.

Firstly, we’re tiny! Our little wine bar only has 2 fridges dedicated entirely to our wine list, and one fridge for our kitchen which probably has a capacity around the same as yours at home. We do not have refrigerated space enough for cakes of any size. 

This brings us to the second reason of not allowing cakes: leaving perishable foods at room temperature for an extended period of time - which is our only way of stowing your cake while you have your savouries - creates an unacceptable risk of spoilage and breach of food safety standards.

If you’re celebrating a birthday, we would love to embarrass the guest of honour with a birthday candle and Marilyn Monroe Happy Birthday Mr President impression at dessert time! Just let us know when booking, and discreetly let us know whose birthday it is and we will gladly make it happen.

No we dont charge a cakeage fee because see above; we do not allow for outside food to be brought in to Rizla, specifically cakes. 

No. We are primarily a wine bar, or you could call us a restaurant that specialises in wine.

Our entire concept is about bringing together great wines you’ve not tried before and are not available at every bottle shop, and so BYO’ing really defeats our purpose.

No, sorry! Our liquor licence permits us to sell alcohol in open containers for consumption on the premises only.

Absolutely! We do offer childrens meals at $18 and options are dependent on the menu at the time, but typically include a pappardelle Napoli, plus a meat+chips/veg option

No, sorry! Because of our spatial limitations we just do not have space for a high chair. 

You are more than welcome to byo high chairs, booster seats, or prams. Let us know at the time of booking so we can allocate you some extra space beside your table as required. 

There is also an infant change table in our accessible bathroom in the Mode3 building foyer.

Yes we are, and we have an accessible bathroom. 

However, because of vertical movement between the footpath and the Mode3 building a raised edge has developed making for a bumpy entry/exit. 

Absolutely yes.

As a mostly outdoor venue we allow and love meeting doggos. We would love advanced notice, just so we can pop you on a table not in one of the main thoroughfares for comfort for you and your furry pal! dogs are not allowed inside for Health & Safety reasons

We’re right in the heart of Braddon overlooking the rainbow roundabout intersecting Lonsdale Street and Elouera Street. We’re in the ground level of the Mode3 building, with the official address:

Unit 146

22-24 Lonsdale Street

Braddon ACT 2612

There’s lots of car parks when you know where to look. While the street parking on Lonsdale Street has diminished slightly over the years there is a tonne of parking downstairs (access via Lonsdale street at the North end of the Mode3 building) and in the back of the Mode3 building (access from Elouera Street) 

There’s also parking on the street along Torrens Street, up on Girrahween Street, Fawkner Street, Farrer Street, or a short stroll from Elder Street next to Ainslie Arts Centre.

The parking at the Canberra Centre is also just a 7 minute walk away, so plenty of options.

Kind of. We’re happy to pour all of our By The Glass wines as half-pours, so you can maximise variety without maximising consumption.

It varies depending on just how busy lunch was and dinner will be, but typically we offer our raw seafood dishes, cheese boards, desserts, and Parmesan fries in between 2:30pm and 5pm Friday Saturday and Sunday.

We will occasionally be ahead on prep and have a broader offering and will let you know at the time.

Most of the common dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for at Rizla, however our menu becomes quite limited if dietaries “stack-up” I.e if you’re a vegetarian who is also coeliac, and have a nut allergy, just as an example.

In isolation the following dietaries are easily catered for through existing dishes or by modifying dishes:

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten free

Coeliac disease

Dairy/lactose intolerance

Nut allergy

Onion/garlic allergy

Chili allergy

Shellfish/crustaceans allergy 

And more

As with any request, the more information we have in advance gives us the best chance to look after you. 

If your allergy is severe and/or you’re anaphylactic we advise you to bring your EpiPen. We will do EVERYTHING so that your allergies are not activated, but always better safer than sorry.

Yes, we stock non-alcoholic Riesling, plus a short selection of soft drinks, tea/coffee, water, and usually a mocktail or two.

We focus on Riesling, hence the shortness of selection.

Yes. Lots!

While we are Australia’s only Riesling Bar we appreciate and love a lot of other varieties, and we also show a lot of support for the Canberra Wine District in our listing of local wines.

Our wine list is approximately 50% Riesling and 50% other; Rose, Sparklings and Champagne, other white varieties like Chardonnay, Fiano etc, and lots of Reds including some back vintage wines we’ve worked hard to source and offer if you are hunting something super special.

Our wine list changes often; our record is 26 wine list changes in 1 week! We endeavour to keep the list updated frequently on the website too, but aren’t as rapid at that change as we are with the in-house lists.

We take reservations for dinner from 5:30pm until 8pm from Monday to Thursday, with last orders for savouries taken at 8:30pm.

On Friday Saturday and Sunday we open for lunch at 12pm, with last lunch reservations at 2pm and last lunch savoury orders taken at 2:30pm.

On Friday Saturday nights our first dinner orders are taken from 5pm, and last orders at 9pm.

Sundays are typically a little quieter and earlier, so last orders are at 8pm.

Yes, but not always. business levels may dictate an early close because dinner reservations have finished and vacated and the street is quiet. Or sometimes it’s a full house at 11pm and we have to call last drinks at 11:45pm (liquor licence expires at 12am).

If you’re unsure give us a call (02)6230 0771 to check ahead.

If we are closed or closing we’ll always point you in the direction of somewhere we like nearby (here’s looking at you Volstead Repeal).

It can get loud, but generally any super loud noise at Rizla comes from the busyness of traffic on Lonsdale Street and not from our music or guests.

We used to do takeaway during Covid lockdowns, but now we can’t do takeaway while continuing to effectively servicing in house guests.

No, everything offered here at Rizla is to be enjoyed here at Rizla.

Yes, many of the wines we stock advise that they are vegan friendly. As our list changes so frequently you’ll need to ask when you get here.

It always depends on how many people you’re planning on coming with, and when you’re hoping to come along.

Our peak times of Friday and Saturday night are a good time to make a booking, and the larger your group size the earlier we recommend you book.

That said, we love the spontaneity of popping by with friends, so if you’re that way inclined we’ll always find room and time if we have it to host walk-ins around any reservations we may have.

For groups of 6 or more at lunch and dinner we do require groups of 6 or more to dine as a group on our ‘Sort it Out’ Set Menu. The reason we have this rule is because of the spatial and functional limitations of our 3m x 3m kitchen.

To effectively serve all of your guests, and all of our other guests, we insist on the set menu so that we can expedite food in a reasonable timeframe for all guests.

We change up the set menu inclusions based on the time of day, your group size, and any dietary requirements we may need to navigate around for your group. 

It typically consists of at least 3 entrees, a main to share between 2 guests (more as the group size increases), multiple sides dishes, and dessert for the table..

We’re open to negotiation, for sure! We will advise if your choices throw the experience out of balance though (for example if you choose meat, meat, meat and more meat dishes, or too many dishes of similar flavours) then we’ll make recommendations and meet somewhere in the middle.

We require credit card preauthorisations for groups booked on the ‘Sort it Out’ set menu so we can be sure that you’re coming. Simply, we cannot risk booking 1/4, 1/3, or 1/2 of our entire capacity without an understanding that those booked are indeed booked,confirmed, and super keen for a Rizla experience.

A preauthorisation acts like a ‘hold’ on your card. It is not a charge! The only charge ever occurs if you cancel your booking within 24hrs via the online portal, or if you do not show up for your reservation. 

No charge is ever applied if your numbers change and you notify us, which we deeply appreciate!

Absolutely! We love solo diners. We like to think of our indoor bar seating as the perfect place for a solo dinner.

We can do the Sort it Out set menu for solo diners, you can order à la carte, we can serve several half-glass pours for maximum variety and enjoyment, or go you can go deep and long on a bottle of your choosing over several hours alongside some snacks and/or a meal.

Choose your own adventure, we’d love to have you.

No, its just us - the one and only; the best Wine Bar in Braddon!

Jump over to www.drinkrizla.com.au/book-now or you can call (02)62300771. Just know that our voicemail directs you back to the website, so if you yearn for that human connection while making a booking our management team are there from 5:30pm every day, or from 12pm at the latest on Friday Saturday and Sundays.