Agrarian Kitchen Eatery
Situated in the Bronte building in New Norfolk’s Willow Court, which happens to be an old mental asylum, the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery is the simple way to sample the Agrarian fare without having to prepare it yourself at the legendary cooking school, a few minutes up the road. The paddock-to-plate ethos is the same, unsurprisingly, with the produce sourced from their own farm and lovingly prepared under the watch of owners Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet.
A: 11a The Avenue, New Norfolk Tasmania 7140
Ph: (03) 6262 0011
W: theagrariankitchen.com
Black Cow Bistro
Black Cow Bistro is the sister restaurant to Stillwater, with the name giving away the style. A bistro? Yes, and one with a bovine focus. Working primarily with Cape Grim Beef, Great Southern Pinnacle, King Island Beef and Robbins Island Wagyu, this steakhouse also pays homage to the surrounding ocean, with pristine seafood studding the entree selection. The wine list focuses on local wines from the Tamar, with pinot noir a strength, but it travels more broadly, too.
A: 70 George St, Launceston TAS 7250
Ph: (03) 6331 9333
W: blackcowbistro.com.au
Dāna Eating House
Although mid-2020 was difficult for the most established of restaurants, Ollie and Dan Lancaster’s Dāna Eating House was swinging its doors open for the first time. However, with a bowerbird take on Asian cuisines and a modern spin, the pair have hit the ground running, quickly inserting the restaurant as a Hobart favourite. Pick through the selection of share plates or hand the menu back and opt for the “chef’s feed me” option. And every meal eaten at Dāna is for a good cause, too, with a donation being made to a nominated charity – and you can add your own contribution, making dining there feel especially good on many levels.
A: 131 Murray St, Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: 0416 161 756
W: danaeatinghouse.com.au
Dier Makr
Before Lucinda, Kobi Ruzicka made his mark with Dier Makr – and continues to. It’s a degustation-only restaurant in the belly of the Georgian building that Lucinda also occupies. Ruzicka is both chef and chief wineslinger, crafting largely snack-sized plates from the compact kitchen. The menu gets chalked up daily, not that you get a choice, with ever-changing cocktails also listed. The wine options are delivered via a conversation, though, rather than any explicit list, with the thread decidedly lo-fi and ‘natural’ in its leaning.
A: 123 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: (03) 6288 8910
W: diermakr.com
Fico
Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi’s Fico opened in 2016 and has firmly established itself as one of Tasmania’s finest restaurants. With a bistro sensibility but a menu laced with their fine-dining experience, the pair’s modern cooking is unbound by tradition but delivered with an Italian accent. The wine list roams more broadly, but the focus is on small producers from Tasmania and Italy, including from ‘natural’ icons Radikon and Frank Cornelisson. Menus are either six or eight courses, with a bar menu available for those wanting a glass of wine and a snack or quick bowl of pasta.
A: 151 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: (03) 6245 3391
W: ficofico.net
Lucinda
Kobi Ruzicka’s Dier Makr has become one of Hobart’s most acclaimed dining experiences, with Lucinda its more casual late-night foil. Ruzicka describes the food as taking a caves à manger route with house-made charcuterie, terrines, chou farci, quenelles with crab sauce, gougères and truffle crème caramel, and naturally the bounty turned from an essential meat slicer. Wine takes a lo-fi and high-environmental-welfare route.
A: 123 Collins Street, Hobart TAS 7000
W: lucindawine.com
Pachinko
Situated in Launceston’s Quadrant Mall, Pachinko is a cosy 24-seater turning out modern pan-Asian cuisine with a focus on locally sourced produce. Al fresco dining expands the seating somewhat, weather permitting. The wine list walks down the more natural line, with lo-fi biodynamic and organic producers a feature.
A: 23 Quadrant Mall, Launceston TAS 7250
Ph: (03) 6778 9758
W: pachinko.net.au
Port Cygnet Cannery
– In its first year of operation the Port Cygnet Cannery quickly became a buzzing 200-seat restaurant in the normally sleepy Huon Valley town of Cygnet. But owner Franca Zingler took the opportunity that the COVID crisis provided to refocus on her original intention for the historic site. That was to create a multi-purpose facility, a “hub of food, beverage and agricultural businesses.” A wood-burning stove powers the kitchen, which turns out perfectly blistered pizzas as well as wood-roasted vegetables and proteins, for both casual visits and increasingly for both public and private events. The Cannery is also home to Huon Valley star wine producer Sailor Seeks Horse, operating as their winery and cellar door.
A: 60 Lymington Rd, Cygnet TAS 7112
W: portcygnetcannery.com
Sonny
Matt Breen’s homage to handmade pasta, handmade wine and music delivered solely via vinyl has become a Hobart institution in its short but rich life. This is close quarters stuff, with only 20 hotly contested seats available – luckily, Sonny is also one Hobart wine bar that welcomes late evening traffic.
A: 120a Elizabeth St, Hobart TAS 7000
W: sonny.com.au
Stillwater
Stillwater was raising the bar and praising Tasmanian produce twenty years ago, well before the boom of interest in the Apple Isle’s finest was in full swing. Pioneers, that’s for sure, but the restaurant has also remained at the cutting edge. Sample Craig Will’s acclaimed food from breakfast through to dinner, from casual right through to the finest of dining. You can also drop in for a snack and a glass of wine, with James Welsh’s wine list offering the best of Tasmania as well as a compelling collection from around the country and the world.
A: 2 Bridge Road, Launceston TAS 7250
Ph: (03) 6331 4153
W: stillwater.com.au
Timbre Kitchen
Situated at Veló Wines, a short drive north of Launceston, chef Matt Adams’ Timbre Kitchen is a homage to local produce and wood-fuelled cooking. Choose from the à la carte shared plate list of small and medium offerings, or opt for one of the two tiers of set-course options. And vegan options can be expanded upon on request, with the kitchen – unusually – welcoming the challenge of creating interesting animal-product-free dishes on the fly – just ask.
A: 755 W Tamar Hwy, Legana TAS 7277
Ph: (03) 6330 1582
W: timbrekitchen.com
Tom McHugo’s Hobart Hotel
Whitney Ball and Tom Westcott took over a notoriously rowdy pub on Macquarie Street in Hobart, turning down the volume and turning in the focus on eating and drinking well. Ball and Westcott had both previously worked at the now sadly departed Franklin, and took the locally focused ethos with them, with Westcott favouring nose-to-tail cooking and Ball featuring the best local wine, beer and cider makers on her generally lo-fi lists. And while the food and drink is some of the best in town, Tom McHugo’s is still very much a pub at heart.
A: 87 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: (03) 6231 4916
F: @tommchugoshobarthotel
Willing Bros. Wine Merchants
Pioneer of wine bar culture in Tasmania, Willing Bros. is a bustling affair with classic bistro and wine bar fare – think charcuterie and steak frites – and a list of 300-odd wines with a good 20 typically offered by the glass. Owners Carl Windsor and James Kingston also own Ettie’s Bar & Bottle Shop – a wine bar with a more genteel feel and a dedicated dining space.
A: 390 Elizabeth St, North Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: (03) 6234 3053
F: @willingbros
The Winston Bar
Kris and Caroline Miles took over their local pub in North Hobart, in 2013, reshaping into a buzzing mecca for craft beer and American-themed eats. There are a dozen taps, which feature local and imported brews, as well as ones from the pair’s Winston Brewing Company micro-brewery. You can take food and drinks away, or sink in for a bit and shoot a few racks of pool to while away the time.
A: 381 Elizabeth St, North Hobart TAS 7000
Ph: 0482 538 528
W: thewinstonbar.com
