Armada Bar opens for summer at The Boat House restaurant

There's a bigger marquee, it's 20 per cent larger than other years, with styling by Show Pony Events giving it a modern luxe vibe.

In more good news, given our changeable weather of late, the space can be more fully enclosed this year, making this the perfect place to enjoy a drink and food with family and friends regardless of the rain.

Off the back of their recent Restaurant and Catering Award for best restaurant of the year, the team is excited to be putting together the bar menu.

"I think the big difference with Armada Bar is the quality of our food and drinks," says general manager James Souter.

"It's casual eats beyond the 'fried with chips' variety - although you can still grab your fried fix if you want it! - with East 33 South Coast oysters shucked fresh to order, and a wide range of options for both herbivores and carnivores."

This year the team has re-imagined the cocktail menu, which brings six dazzling new summery concoctions along with two classics, as well as adding Capital Brewing Co to the beer list to sit alongside Canberra's other favourites from BentSpoke.

"I'm particularly excited about the Mango Tango XPA from Capital Brewing Co," Souter says.

"I feel like it was made for drinking at Armada Bar."

Bookings are available from 4pm on Friday, and 11.30am on Saturday and Sunday, and walk-ins are encouraged, with a large section of the bar reserved for unbooked arrivals as well as tables that want to stay beyond the standard two-hour sitting.

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