Who we are

At the start of 2024, former restaurateur and current Canberra Times food reviewer, Chris Hansen, set out to create a different kind of food book — one that didn’t just rate restaurants, but truly celebrated them. After five months of interviewing, writing, editing, and photography, the first edition — Chefs Eat Canberra — was released in October 2024.

The book didn’t just exceed sales projections; it proved that diners, chefs, and industry insiders are hungry for authentic, chef-led stories that dive deep into the places that make a city’s food scene unique.

This success sparked a bigger idea. Chefs Eat Publishing was born — with the vision of bringing this model to cities all over Australia. Chris plans to work with local chefs and writers in each city to create books that celebrate the vibrant culinary history, the personalities behind the plates, and the hidden gems where chefs themselves love to eat.

The Canberra edition also documented the history of local restaurants and personalities, dating back to the 1920s, giving readers a true sense of place and legacy. The book is available in restaurants, local retailers, and online — with delivery available anywhere in Australia.

Stay up to date:
Instagram: @chefseatcanberra
Website: chefseatcanberra.com

Two men in a modern, well-lit restaurant with wooden tables and chairs, set with plates, glasses, and napkins, engaged in conversation.

  • Being part of Chefs Eats Canberra has been a great experience for our team. We’ve had so many locals come in after reading the book and our Anchovy Toast is more popular than it could have ever been!

    Nick Smith, owner Bar Rochford

  • As we are based outside of the main CBD but targeting the higher end business customers as well as locals, inclusion in Chefs Eat Canberra was a wonderful thing for The Inn. It got us in front of a more targeted market than what we would have achieved with local media.

    Frank Condi, Owner: The Inn at Ainslie

  • Inclusion in Chefs Eat Canberra has been an amazing marketing exercise for Les Bistronomes! So many people who bought the book have made it a challenge to visit all 30 venues included - this has created a great influx of customers for us!

    Clement Chauvin, Owner Les Bistronomes

  • Chefs Eat Canberra has been a great inspiration for the industry. For every restaurant mentioned in this book, it has been both a tangible and an intangible promotion. It celebrates the fact that Canberra is a gathering place that accommodates all rivers, the essence of the Chef Eats book is that it shows the importance of different cultures, people and ideas. We are honoured to have been included.

    Hao Chen, Owner Raku Restaurant