Five cosy Canberra venues to escape the cold

A cold beer might be the last thing you're thinking about when temperatures drop but at the Dickson Taphouse there's a good handful of dark beers amongst the 18 beers on tap. Yep, 18 beers on tap. While some are on the lines regularly, there's a rotating roster as soon as the keg is dry. There was a Beer Farm Milk Stout on when we dropped in, but keep an eye out for a creme brulee porter and a Golden Gaytime stout which are due soon. The Taphouse has been converted into a welcoming place with lots of corners full of upholstered furniture and comfy leather lounges. Settle in with a house-made pasta and you might never want to leave.

The cellar door at Tallagandra Hill is something akin to your lounge room, if you had a wine bar set up in one corner. There's a roaring fire, a old-fashioned juke box and comfortable seating as well as tables for tasting and dining. Open each Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am until 4pm. There's a special lunch package where you can enjoy four tasting glasses and one of the generous cheese and charcuterie platters. Bookings are essential. If you ask nicely owners David Faulks and Mary McAvoy might light the fire pits outside. Buy a bottle of the Great Ron Shiraz, a nod to David's father, and settle in. You can always stay in one of the onsite cabins.

You're closer to the sun so the new Sky High Tea atop QT Canberra in the Sky Lounge might be a place to keep warm. If not from the sun's rays then perhaps from the delicious treats from executive chef Josh Smith Thirkell. Satisfy your peckishness and indulge in the classics sprinkled with a hint of our signature QT quirk. Think King salmon roe and crème fraiche blinis, Parmesan panna cotta and mini Pollies pies. When it comes to sweet, you'll want to save room for delicacies such as Gateau Opera with hazelnuts, Forbidden Forest Apple, tiramisu cannoli, QT macaroons and more. Tickets $55 (includes a glass of G.H. Mumm on arrival), children 5-12, $35. First Saturday of the month between June and October, 2021.

There's no better place in winter than Grazing. Sure the 35 minute drive out to Gundaroo means a little planning is in order but you'll feel as though you've actually had a mini-break rather than just a meal. With fireplaces in most rooms, the 150-year-old Royal Hotel is still a welcoming place. While stone, timber and corrugated iron are the main features there's still something warm and cosy about it. The menu reflects the changing season. Try the lamb shoulder with verde, cauliflower and slow cooked beans or the candied lemon tarte tatin with white chocolate ice-cream, walnut and burnt citrus caramel. Wash it down with a glass of Clonakilla Hilltops shiraz and finish the bottle by the fire.

Is the circular feature at Monster Canberra's most iconic fireplace? Such an elegant piece of design. The venue kind of forces you out of your winter blues, it's as vibrant and funky as ever. Particularly now they're midway through the year of the vegetable. It might seem hard to get excited by the winter vegetable - we all think of broccoli, spinach and cauliflower - but on this menu they turn up as something extra special.