1. Café Stepping Stone


What is it? A vegetarian café supporting migrant and refugee women.
Why we love it: Café Stepping Stone isn’t just cooking up great food – it’s changing lives. Co-founders Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello were named Australian of the Year Local Heroes in 2025 for their work employing migrant and refugee women, giving them a ‘stepping stone’ toward a brighter future. With locations in Dickson and Strathnairn, the café’s heart lies in its wholesome vegetarian menu, inspired by Asian, Middle Eastern and South American flavours. Set in a charming 1920s homestead, the Strathnairn café serves up everything from potato masala toasties and mushroom medley pies to a soul-warming red curry with mixed vegetables and jasmine rice. If you’re known to be a bit of a sweet tooth, there’s no going past the brownie or burnt basque cheesecake either. Meanwhile, the Dickson spot offers a shorter but equally delicious menu, ensuring every meal here does good – both for your taste buds and the community.
Time Out tip: Café Stepping Stone in Strathnairn is the place to be for grassy flats to dine upon with Canberra’s divine hilly vistas and gum tree surroundings.
Address: Dickson & Strathnairn
Expect to pay: Brunch from $17.50, coffee from $4.20