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Portrait Cafe, Parkes, AU-ACT

Portrait Cafe

4.1
4.1
29 Reviews
$40 and under
Café
King Edward Terrace, Parkes, AU-ACT 2600

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Great for brunch
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Charming
Located within the National Portrait Gallery, Portrait Cafe is the perfect location to rest and rejuvenate in between exploring some of Australia's most renowned artwork. This beautiful light-filled space with an expansive terrace, offers a casual dining experience in a relaxed environment serving a selection of dishes suitable for all-day dining. The food is fresh, homemade where possible and features seasonal produce from local community-focused producers. There is a broad selection of home-baked pastries, cakes, snacks, freshly made salads and sandwiches complemented by a selection of coffee, soft drinks, wine and beer.

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

  • Mother's Day High Tea at National Portrait Gallery

    A$35.00 - A$90.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 11, 2025 only
    11:00 AM
    Indulge Mum on a leisurely Sunday morning stroll through the galleries of the National Portrait Gallery to see some of the people and artists who have shaped our national identity. Follow this with an elegant High Tea on the Terrace overlooking the gardens and Lake Burley Griffin featuring a selection of finger sandwiches and savoury snacks, scones with cream and jam, and dainty sweet treats, all enjoyed with a glass of bubbles on arrival and brewed tea or coffee.
    Mother's Day High Tea at National Portrait Gallery Photo

What 29 people are saying

Portrait Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

29 Reviews
  1. Suzanne

    Victoria7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I looked at the weather report for the day and made a booking for the Terrace. It was lovely sitting outside in the Autumn sun with a relaxing view of people passing, birds flying and the beautiful lawns and eucalypts.

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  2. Heather

    Canberra1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Generally very good, though 1 person found it too noisy.

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  3. Debbie

    Canberra3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Following my last experience at the Cafe, where it was exceedingly loud because the chairs were unendingly being scraped across the tiled floor, I'm now delighted to say that that noise has been corrected. I saw that each chair had rubber feet on them. This is an outstanding outcome & despite its simplicity, has rejuvenated everyone's experience there. Well done Portrait Gallery Cafe. I'll be back. Thank you & regards, Debbie

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  4. Anna

    Canberra1 review

    3.0

    Dined on January 8, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Nice place to visit and lovely to sit out depending on weather. Food quite ordinary however.

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  5. Steve

    Canberra1 review

    4.0

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We sat outside looking towards the lake and the High Court building. Was a bit warm but sheltered from the sun. Food was served promptly and was very good.
    Portrait CafeResponded on January 9, 2025
    Hi Steve, Thank you for your kind words—we look forward to welcoming you back!

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  6. Debbie

    Canberra3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on November 25, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    While the cafe is lovely with respect to decor & outlook, there was one hugely annoying & disappointing action by one of the waiting staff. As the floor is tiled (marble) and the chairs have metal legs, there was a constant and excruciating noise by the positioning of chairs by the person, as well as patrons coming & going, almost the entire time we were there. It was difficult to talk to each other because of the constant dragging/scrapping the chairs & stools across the tiled floor, getting into them into the correct position wanted by them. If they weren't in the exact position, then they would be dragged until they were. It was not only painfully noisy, but totally unnecessary if the chairs were instead lifted into place each time. I would strongly recommend purchasing & fitting rubber feet to every chair & stool leg, so that patrons won't have to endure such unpleasantness when dining there. In general, the staff were very nice & the meal was tasty. However, until the chair & stool issue is resolved, we won't be returning.
    Portrait CafeResponded on January 9, 2025
    Hi Debbie, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you didn't had a good experience because of the chairs dragging noise. We’ll definitely take your comments on board to improve. We're glad to hear that you liked your food and our service. We hope you’ll give us another chance in the future.

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  7. Linda

    Melbourne1 review

    5.0

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved Portrait Cafe. You can talk here in perfect ambience and there is no time limit!
    Portrait CafeResponded on January 9, 2025
    Hi Linda, Thank you for your Kind words- We look forward to welcoming you back!

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  8. Peter

    Canberra2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on October 31, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food and service in a great venue, parking under and worth spending time in the gallery and shop.
    Portrait CafeResponded on January 9, 2025
    Thank You Peter for the Lovely Feedback!

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  9. Martha

    Canberra1 review

    4.0

    Dined on September 1, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    The Cafe was busy and crowded, being Father's Day, but staff were very efficient and capable. The tables were a bit close together, so felt a tad claustrophobic, but despite this we had a fun time.

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  10. Sean

    Canberra1 review

    4.0

    Dined on September 1, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, lovely service fantastic ambiance, highly recommend.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Portrait Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (02) 6102 7162.

Portrait Cafe is rated 4.1 stars by 29 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. Australia
  3. Canberra
  4. Inner North
  5. Parkes

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Portrait Cafe

King Edward Terrace, Parkes, AU-ACT 2600

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Parkes
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 8:30 am–4:30 pm Sat, Sun 9:00 am–4:30 pm
  • Price
    $40 and under
  • Cuisines
    Café
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Public transit
    YES
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Cafe, Non-Smoking, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access
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