HISTORICALLY the Northbourne side of the Sydney Building has been populated by seedy night clubs which people only go to when they can’t get into Mooseheads.

“It’s not Mooseheads but I can’t face that line” is not a wonderful recommendation but businesses have for many years hung their business plans on that peg.

So it’s a slightly odd spot to find a refined place like The Treehouse Bar doing $9 a la carte lunches.

You order at the bar but after that it’s pretty reasonable table service (“would sir like water?”).

For an extra $3 I got a schooner of the most excellent Rogers beer from the Little Creatures stable.

I had the penne with spicy sausage but there’s a selection of options.

The penne was well turned out, nice and firm, and the sausage had some genuine sweat-on-the-neck fire in it.

They’re not open Mondays and Tuesdays, but you’ll be hard pushed to find a more pleasant place to enjoy a great value lunch in Canberra.

[This article is the sixteenth in a series on cheap lunches to be found in and around the city. If you have any suggestions leave them in the comments or email them to john@citynews.com.au . The complete series can be found on our cheap lunches tag]