“The difference [cooking on fire] makes to the taste of the food is remarkable… the restaurant has been around for some years now, a testament to the quality of its food and service.”

BLACK Fire or “Fuego Nero” is a Braddon restaurant celebrating authentic Mediterranean cuisine prepared on fire, whether that’s open fire, in the wood-fired oven or on the charcoal grill. 

The difference this method of cooking makes to the taste of the food is remarkable. 

Normally we’d head into the restaurant for a full experience but this time it was iso-home-delivery. Would the food stand up to the travel? It did. 

The restaurant itself delivers but we were outside the specified zone so we ordered through the relatively new Canberra Eats platform, paying $10 for delivery (minimum order $55). 

The mixed mushrooms with truffle ($15) were packed with only the type of flavour that gently sautéing brings to a dish. It’s a beautiful side and the mushrooms weren’t overcooked (which makes them mushy). It was delish. 

We couldn’t pass by the suckling pig, a specialty of the house along with sous-vide chicken breast with sautéed greens ($21), braised lamb shanks with mash ($24), pan-fried John Dory with roasted potatoes ($21), and last, but not least, suckling lamb with roasted potatoes and garlic sauce ($35).

Our suckling pig was super moist and flavourful. The roasted potatoes were divine – crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside – and the apple sauce was lovely and tangy ($35). It was a decent portion (we had some for lunch the next day) and we’d order it again in a flash. 

For salad we opted for the haloumi – the type that’s chewy and squeaky ($17), which sat on a bed of greens.

Many Black Fire dishes are readily available dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. The restaurant has been around for some years now, a testament to the quality of its food and service.

Canberra Eats popped in the capital during the third crisis of 2020 – the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s post-fire and post-hail, when so many restaurants were forced to close to in-house diners and rethink operations around takeaway and delivery. Hospitality staff needing jobs are Canberra Eats drivers and ours was appreciative, thanking us for supporting them. 

The Canberra Eats process is simple: Order before 5pm, pick a delivery time after 6pm, then wait while the chefs cook your dinner and the hospitality staff needing jobs drive it to your door. All you have to do is set the table.

Canberra Eats is about supporting local, which we love. We also love the ease of ordering (the cart system) and that you can pre-order, removing any stress.