The Hyatt Canberra has been forced to apologise to diners after mislabelling a dish as "grilled Moroccan Aborigine and rocket salad".

The error was spotted by an ABC journalist Liz Foschia on Friday, who tweeted a photo of the offending menu card, which should have read "aubergine".

The Hyatt's initial response on Twitter was to make a joke of the incident.

@HyattConcierge, the official Hyatt Twitter account, tweeted: "Definitely a unique menu option! Hope it's as good as it is complicated :) Have a fabulous day at Hyatt Canberra."

The tweet has since been deleted.

Hotel spokeswoman Kaarin Dynon said it was "a regretful mistake".

"We're sincerely sorry ... and we deeply apologise for any offence caused," Ms Dynon said.

"We are multicultural employer and an equal opportunity employer."

The incident caused a stir on social media, with some tweeters taking offence to the Hyatt's initial response.