In a city where carparks are an endangered species, their numbers dwindling by the day, the promise of an easy park is starting to become a very enticing deciding factor on where to eat. So we're off to a great start when we visit The District in Crace, with four parking options available within hopping distance of the front door.
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But it's not like the venue is quiet - even on a blustery evening in the middle of a cold snap, this place is packed. It appears we should have booked, but staff are more than happy to find us a table. It doesn't take long to realised The District is a place for regulars, but even if it's your first visit, you'll be welcomed as such anyway.
The District sits out the front of Crace's Supabarn, and it shares a kitchen with an outlet of Chicken Gourmet, also owned by The District's owner Gerry Sanfrancesco.
The venue has the modern gastropub look downpat, with darker tones, lower lighting and an industrial design, with a bar made out of Canberra Red bricks.
The interior eating area is quite narrow, with a much larger outdoor dining space that's enclosed by plastic and has heaters that look up to the task of keeping things toasty out there in winter.
As a pub, the main focus at the bar is obviously on drinks. With beers, there are your usual suspects on taps plu one from Capital Brewing, plus some more interesting options in bottles. The wine list is basic but well-priced with a huge amount available by the glass, and a few locals thrown in. A glass of the 2014 Collector shiraz ($11) - the featured wine of the week on the specials board - is internally warming in all the right ways and goes down very nicely on a cold evening.
The menu is quite extensive and covers all your pub bases - starters, salads, burgers, pastas, schnitzels, steaks, other mains and four options on the kids' menu - and you order up at the counter. It turns out there is also a whole page of pizzas on the back which we failed to see before we ordered, but given the amount of people who come through to pick up takeaways fresh from the pizza oven all night, it seems they're worth a try.
To start, the grilled garlic prawns ($18.9) are fresh and cooked well, served with their tails on so you can scoop up the bright orange chilli mayo they're served with, which gives them a nice kick.
The arancini balls ($14.9) come out piping hot, and while they have a good crunch to them on the outside, the inside tastes a bit mushy, with just a hint of thyme and a couple of mushroom chunks. The particularly good aioli they're served with though still make them enjoyable enough to eat.
Given we're at the pub, it's hard to go past the classics, and The District does the chicken parmy well ($25.90). It's a nice breast of chicken, crumbed well, with a good covering of ham and melted cheese which stretches right to the edge of the schnitzel, served on beer battered chips and a basic salad. (Hot tip - if you order gravy with your meal, we were fairly certain is was the elusive Chicken Gourmet gravy).
For a pub, The District also really gets the healthier options right. The 'District barramundi' ($28) is a lovely and generous piece of fish, nicely teamed up with a mango aioli and avocado salsa, which adds a real freshness. The fish sits on roasted potatoes and two spears of asparagus, and is also gluten free.
The warm pumpkin salad ($18.90) isn't just an afterthought, but filled out with hunks of the good stuff - roast pumpkin, roast peppers, baby spinach, and feta. It's gently dressed with a white balsamic and the glazed walnuts add a bit of a twist. You can also add protein (chicken, smoked salmon, lemon pepper calamari or barramundi) for $8.
The meals are big - staff won't bat an eyelid if you ask for a container to take what you couldn't eat home with you - and we really probably didn't need entrees. It means we've left no room for dessert, but options include a creme brulee, chocolate brownie, sticky date pudding and baked ricotta cheesecake.
A meal at The District is everything a trip to the local should be, with generous meals, a cosy space, and genuinely friendly service.
Address: 56 Abena Ave, Crace
Phone: 6174 3147
Website: thedistrict.com.au
Owner: Gerry Sanfrancesco
Chef: Chencho Dorji's
BYO: No
Hours: Open 8am-late, seven days a week
Wheelchair access: Yes
Noise: Comfortable, especially for a pub.
Vegetarian: A few options.
Score: 14
