Stella’s By The Lake cafe in Belconnen is perfectly situated with Lake Ginninderra on its doorstep.

STELLA’S By The Lake cafe is owned and run by father and daughter David and Ashlinn Reid, each of them bring their years of experience in hospitality. With David as chef and Ashlinn as manager, they provide a friendly and warm cafe experience where everyone is welcome – especially four-legged friends!

For David, whose career as a chef spans more than 30 years, opening Stella’s By The Lake with Ashlinn was a proud moment for him as both a father and a business owner.

He says that having weathered the covid lockdown storms, Stella’s is now making a great name for itself with locals, shoppers, families, office workers and, of course, lake walkers who enjoy the all-day breakfast and lunch menu options, coffee and drinks that also includes alcoholic beverages and sweet treats.

“We focus on simple but good food and creating a relaxed and happy atmosphere,” says David.

“Our popular dishes include our salmon bagel, potato stack and Tank’s breakfast roll, which is named after Tank, one of our beloved dogs,” he says.

David started his career as an apprentice chef at the Hermitage Restaurant in Woden in the late ‘80s, and worked at other restaurants such as the Hyatt’s Promenade Cafe, Maddison’s at the Vikings Club and the Queanbeyan Leagues Club. He also owned and ran the Metro Espresso Bar at Woden.

David says he had an urge to own a cafe again and the opportunity presented itself to open Stella’s with Ashlinn in 2020.

“When this cafe came up, the previous owners had closed it due to covid. We didn’t know what the trade would be like, but we knew it was a great spot with the lake right in front of us and residents living in the apartment buildings behind,” says David.

“We are thrilled to see our cafe grow in popularity.”

They say that they named the cafe in memory of another family pet – Stella the staffy – and they warmly welcome all dogs with outdoor seating, grass mats, treats and puppachinos.

“We love dogs and it’s special for us to remember Stella and Tank in what we are doing at the cafe,” says Ashlinn.

Finalists in both the 2021 and 2022 ACT Restaurant and Catering Awards in the categories for best breakfast restaurant and cafe dining, Ashlinn says that she loves working with her dad.

“We are both similar personalities and most of the time we are on the same page. Dad’s experience is such a great help to me – I wouldn’t be able to do it without him,” she says.

Stella’s By The Lake has a team of 15 staff and Ashlinn says it’s very rewarding to see the cafe go from strength to strength.

Stella’s By The Lake, 63/1 Beissel Street, Belconnen. Open 7am-3pm, Mondays to Fridays and 8am-3pm on weekends. Call 6253 0370.