xo

best dining experience i have had in canberra! every dish we had was amazing. the service was friendly and professional and the restaurant was small and yet felt spacious. looking forward to coming back to try the rest of the menu.

when you eat an amazing meal somewhere once, you wonder was it a fluke / just ordered all the right things? though when you go back for a second visit and it still knocks your socks off, you know it’s quality and it’s consistent. love the creative menu, the helpful staff, the space and oh my - the food! don’t be fooled by how the menu reads - the simple / familiar favourites such as pho dumplings, asian spag bol and soft-serve bring finesse. flavour & texture bombs. i can’t wait to eat there again.

if you’re chinese don’t bother coming here, food is horribly presented and what we consider simple dishes they try to present it in a fancy way with some twisted fusion which doesn’t match! quantity is mean and waste of money!
the only thing they did well was the deconstructed golden gay time for dessert.

i believed the hype and rushed to xo hoping for the best. unfortunately i was disappointed and found the food over seasoned, over cooked and under refined. the flavours were bold but not in a sophisticated way. the tastes became lost against each other and the service was slow. our food came out in a bizzare order and we found the price tag a little to hefty for what was delivered.

fantastic restaurant tucked away at the nondescript narrabundah shops. lovely ambiance along with very friendly and efficient staff. the shantung bao and crispy lamb ribs were standouts for us on this evening. every mouthful was a taste explosion. we also had the steamed dumplings, sexy squid and cauliflower nuggets. dessert was a delightful pandan panna cotta with gula melaka and sesame tuile. yum! great restaurant - can't wait to come back to explore the rest of the menu.

not being a canberra local, i’ve got literally no idea where narrabundah is. to find xo, i rely upon uber, and my friend’s assurance that nothing in canberra is more than thirty minutes away from anything else. the restaurant’s straight white neon lights cut an oddly modern swathe through the retro suburban shopping strip. blonde wood panelling down one side gives the simple, modern fit out some organic form. the same wood is inset into the ceiling horizontally to stop the long, narrow space from becoming too loud. periodic curtains on the exposed brick side also work to dampen sound, and create a sense of intimacy. rudely, we’re early for our busy friday night booking, but personable co-owner kent nhan makes it work without making us feel inconvenient. he even accommodates our preference for a table with chairs, rather than bar stools. we soon kick off our two-night canberra sojourn with an appropriately named cocktail – the weekend ($18). it takes tanqueray gin, lime, ginger and chilli syrup and muddles them into a feisty adventure. the japerol spritz ($18) updates the italian aperitivo with a fifty-fifty yuzu sake blend, and clues you into the xo brief: unapologetically loud modern asian fusion. we get our first dish - strange taste eggplant ($17) – almost...

wow, what a restaurant. looks amazing and the food is fantastic. the service is impeccable. good restaurant to go with a group of friends to enjoy different dishes

xo is one of my current favourite restaurants in canberra and heaps of my friends and people i speak to love it as well! i love the decor, the vibe and the service was great when we went. the food was delicious, especially the sexy squid! the dumpling sauce is so tasty and there are heaps of other dishes i want to try. if you're looking for a restaurant with sophisticated dining with high quality food then this is the place for you. it's not super expensive but it's not cheap!

it’s approachabilty and accessibility remind me of supernormal and cumulus inc. in flinders lane melbourne. the staff are very lovely and the atmosphere is sophisticated, but relaxed. while it has great energy at night, it’s also good for a light weekday lunch, cobbling together a few of the smaller dishes like the….

this place is unusual by its location but delivers big time! whilst certain sections may be a bit on the noisy side the place has a very cheerful vibe (maybe being christmas eve helped). if i were here longer i'd go through the entire menu but alas had to settle for some of the highlights. the asian bolognese is a must try (twice perhaps) and the sexy squid is a world away from the standard calamari you'll find elsewhere. don't forget to check out the chrysanthemum tea ice cream and the tasty black rice dessert. give this place a shot and then come back again!

wow, only good thing i have to say is their chrysanthemum tea soft serve. i highly recommend that. a loud and bustling atmosphere, packed into a rather small place. i could bearly hear the people i was dining with. food is tasty and packs a punch but is on the pricey end and portions aren't that fantastic. service was good for most of the part. i wouldn't be jumping to go back but again, maybe only for their tea soft serve.

food is amazing, and the ambience is great! have been here with my family and friends quite a few times, the food has never disappointed. interesting twist in asian food.

i've been travelling to canberra frequently lately and discovered this restaurant this week, and will definitely be added to my "must go again" list.  the modern south east asian menu is right up my alley and the food was absolutely delicious and we all walked away very satisfied.  the attentive service was also great with friendly staff that really helped with making food choices (i wanted to taste everything on the menu) and we left it in their hands.  looks like i will be heading back to taste the other items on the menu that our bellies could not fit in this time round.  well done xo!

all the food on xo's menu is amazing, but one thing you can't miss is the chrysanthemum tea soft serve. it's by far one of the best things on offer in canberra, and it's also one of their cheapest menu items. something definitely not to miss.

time and time again, i've been impressed with the amazing standard of restaurants that have appeared in canberra. i had the pleasure of visiting xo restaurant, during my downtime on a recent work-related trip to canberra. xo is a cosy restaurant nestled in suburban narrabundah; the menu is innovative modern south-east asian focused.