Things are beginning to pick up on Lonsdale Street just after 7pm on a Friday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Groups are weaving their way to dinner reservations along the strip where Canberra's bars and pubs are increasingly concentrated.
It is a slower start to the night, mirroring the way the city's nightlife has been steadily clamouring its way back since the end of lockdown this time last year.
It hasn't come roaring back, but instead has been a rocky path through new variants of the coronavirus, staffing shortages and a biting winter.
Nevertheless the strip of pubs, bars and restaurants is in good shape for the start of spring, business owners say.
"I don't think we're at 100 per cent," Wes Heincke says of his popular pub Assembly.
"I think we're close and I think you see the spurts of it."
"Some Saturdays it's crazy busy, there's people everywhere, but I think the consistency still not back there."
The numbers do look promising though, according to data collected by the City Renewal Authority.
The average foot traffic through Braddon on a Friday night in July has more than doubled in the last two years.
The number of non-residents frequenting the suburb has also been growing steadily since September 2021, the agency said.
The numbers also track Braddon's shift to a nighttime scene, with visitation in the evening bouncing back stronger than during the day.
"Numbers are probably, from our point of view, down at the moment but they're slowly returning," Knightsbridge owner Troy Sixsmith said.
National and international borders have reopened, and with people returning to beach and ski fields and the like, there's strong competition for Canberrans' disposable income.
"There's always a battle to encourage people to come to your venue as opposed to going somewhere else, and it's a constant battle," Mr Sixsmith said.
For venues like Assembly and Knightsbridge, keeping the scene casual and flexible has been key.
"We're a multi venue in one," Mr Heincke said.
"It's a cafe in the morning, it's a pub in the afternoons and we will have a dance floor at 11 o'clock on a Saturday."
"I think that's what people want, they want the ability to go, 'I've got some variety.'"
"In terms of ... nightclubs, you really you've got one avenue, plus the nightclub game, it's been really, really hard for those guys particularly out of COVID."
"You've got to try and adapt and change what you do, how you approach things and and try different things," Mr Sixsmith agreed.
"Adaptation has been the biggest thing that people have had to learn through this whole COVID situation.
Pubs and clubs are also starting to see rising cost of living "take a bit of a bite".
"People are picking and choosing when they're coming out a little bit more now," Mr Heincke said.
"Instead of the post-COVID boom that we had, and everyone was coming out all the time and doing everything, I think the pendulum has swung back the other way with the cost of living."
Pedestrians on the street support this idea.
IN OTHER NEWS:
They're out for an event - celebrating a birthday, a new house, a new job - but they're coming out less often than they would before COVID.
The change could be an opportunity for venues in Canberra's various town centres and suburban pockets to reshape the way people go out.
The owner of Kingston restaurant Onzieme, which has also recently opened up an underground bar, says the suburb has been revived this year.
"I think Kingston people are really stoked about having something in their local area, in that revitalisation of what's happening in old Kingston shops," Louis Couttoupes said.
"We are getting more and more people coming from across the bridge as well," he said.
"So it means I think Kingston is starting to stand on its own two feet as a destination suburb for people to come to as more restaurants open, and there's more to do after you've finished dinner."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.