Welcome to yet another of BHโs signature city-based dining guides. This time around, weโre exploring the very best restaurants in Hobart.
From waterfront fine diners to characterful wine bars โ bound even to give whatโs on the Mainland a run for its money โ there is no shortage of great dining options in the Tasmanian capital. Letโs dive in below.
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The Agrarian Kitchen
Admittedly, The Agrarian Kitchen is about 40 minutes drive from Hobart. However, after claiming Gourmet Travellerโs โRestaurant of the Yearโ for 2024, it would be an oversight not to include it in this list of the best restaurants Hobart โ and its surroundings โ have to offer.
A dining destination unto itself, The Agrarian Kitchen is one of the few restaurants that can lay claim to the farm-to-table ethos. With a kitchen that sources over 90% of the menu ingredients offered from an on-site garden, the Head Chef Stephen Peak-led team also does its own โcheese-making, whole animal butchery, smoking, fermentation, wood-fired cooking, bread-baking and charcuterieโ.
For an unforgettable dining experience that will make you appreciate what true โlocal sourcingโ actually looks like, the set menu is $195 a head ($220 from April this year) with the option of a $110 wine pairing. After winning โRestaurant of the Year,โ reservations are sure to be hard to come by.
Address: 11a The Avenue, New Norfolk TAS 7140
Opening Hours: Friday โ Sunday (11 AM โ 2 PM)
Omotenashi
Omotenashi has been on the Hobart dining scene for less than two years, yet has already made its mark as one of the finest venues in the city.
With just ten seats inside, the Kaiseki-style restaurant is open just four nights a week and serves a 15-course set menu with accompanying sake and tea, with a price tag of $312. No, itโs not the most affordable restaurant in Hobart, but thanks to its fusion of Japanese culinary technique and locally sourced Tasmanian produce, itโs already proven popular for locals and tourists alike.
If youโre hunting for an unforgettable Japanese meal, this is where youโll find it.
Address: Unit 4/160 Elizabeth St, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Friday โ Sunday (6:30 PM โ 10:30 PM)
Templo
This diminutive 25-seat dining room has frequently been hailed the very best restaurant in Hobart. In fact, plenty of passionate diners would go so far as to call it the best restaurant in Australia.
We donโt necessarily know about all that noise, but itโs difficult to deny just how consistent Chef-Owner Matthew Breenโs output at Templo has been over the past decade.
A leading figure in Tasmaniaโs hyperlocal approach to cooking, Breen continues to whip up morsels worth the price of a short flight to Hobart. The seasonal veggies are wonderful, as are the ever-rotating pasta courses: cooked with warmth and an intuitive generosity that may well spur you to relocate.
Even with the hospitality industryโs mounting food costs and endemic staffing issues, Templo continues to offer some of the best value fine dining in Australia. Assuming you can finagle a reservation, the six-course set menu here will set you back $120 per head. Not too shabby.
Address: 98 Patrick St, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday (12 PM โ 2:30 PM, 6 PM โ 11 PM); Wednesday (6 PM โ 11 PM); Thursday โ Sunday (12 PM โ 2:30 PM, 6 PM โ 11 PM)
Frank Restaurant & Bar
Squirrelled away on the ground floor of an unassuming waterfront building in Midtown, Frank is an often unsung hero in the panoply of excellent Hobart restaurants. Inspired by the flavours of South America, dishes here provide a serious bedrock for a similarly on-theme wine & cocktail list.
Although the kitchen at Frank mixes things up regularly, your best bet is to opt for carnivorous staples. Thereโs a strong Argentine culinary through-line: evident in dishes like the 800g entraรฑa (โhanger steakโ) or beef and cheese empanadas.
Whatever you do, be sure to save some room for the tres leches cake: an optimal way to end your meal.
Address: 1 Franklin Whrf, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday โ Thursday (12 PM โ 10 PM); Friday โ Saturday (12 PM โ 10:30 PM); Sunday (12 PM โ 10 PM)
Fico
Fico is another name thatโs forever in the conversation when it comes to the โbest restaurant in Hobart.โ Located on a relatively quiet stretch of Macquarie Street, it specialises in comforting, quasi-fine European fare. There are risottos, en croรปte preparations, and a wide range of pastas โ all definitively delicious.
At $185, the โLet Us Cook For Youโ menu is a touch pricier than what youโll find at, say, Templo. Yet we still feel this offers a robust value proposition (especially considering Ficoโs two-hat status).
Chef-owners Oskar Rossi and Federica Andrisani constantly find inventive ways to wring new joy from old classics. How about oysters with your carbonara instead of guanciale? Or a simple pudding of gelato โalbeit made with local Tassie buffalo milk โ garnished with hazelnut praline?
Our former colleague, Chris Singh, visited the restaurant as late as July 2023; and if his review is any indication, expect Fico to remain a fixture of this Hobart restaurants list for many years to come.
Address: 151A Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Thursday โ Saturday (6 PM โ 12 PM)
ALOFT
Hovering majestically above Brooke Street Pier, Aloft is among Hobartโs best-known fine diners. Reflecting Tasmaniaโs bounty of ever-changing natural and seasonal produce, thereโs more than a whiff of Nordic sorcery suffused throughout this award-winning harbourside eatery.
The sleek, industrial space is undoubtedly a favourite of the content creator set, but itโs the food menu โparticularly the $140 chefโs menu โ that has won Aloft a legion of foodie fans from across the country.
Snacks, so often an afterthought in high-end kitchens, are a delightful interlude in every meal here. Lately, weโve been enjoying the lamb ribs braised in black vinegar and the wallaby tartare โ a load-bearing amusement that embraces Aloftโs ethos of local produce first.
Address: Pier One, Brooke Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Tuesday โ Saturday (5:30 PM โ 10 PM)
Landscape Restaurant & Grill
Located inside the Henry Jones Art Hotel, Landscape Restaurant & Grill makes brilliant use of its setting, the former IXL Jam Factory, filling the space with reclaimed timber and the imposing works of John Glover โ the โfather of Australian landscape painting.โ
A great big asado grill (fueled by a selection of wood cut from Tasmanian Cask Company barrels) is at the centre of the action, resulting in some of the best steaks in Hobart. Sample local MBS9+ Wagyu rump cap from Robbins Island, or alternatively, bone-in Cape Grim sirloin โ aged for 30 days in-house.
Address: 23 Hunter Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday โ Sunday (6 PM โ 9:30 PM)
Dier Makr
Somewhere between a friendly neighbourhood wine bar and Hobartโs best-catered house party, Dier Makr is โan odd little establishmentโ where produce is cooked out of an improvised kitchen and guests are invited to peruse their choice in beverages from a small purpose-built wine room.
The brainchild of Melbourne transplant Kobi Ruzicka, this intimate eating and drinking den specialises in turning unassuming foodstuffs into something sublime. Inventive morsels, like a gelato of sweet corn, served over a cookie made from the same maize staple, are โon until [theyโre] notโ; as are a range of courses that highlight whatever veggies are in season (itโs always a great time to visit whenever celeriac is on).
For visitors from the Mainland, thereโs a good bet you could dine at Dier Makr multiple times per year and never eat the same thing twice. An essential pitstop on any gastronomic tour of Hobart.
Address:123 Collins Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Thursday (6:45 PM โ 11 PM); Friday โ Saturday (6 PM โ 11 PM)
Peppina
The flagship restaurant of The Tasman (far and away Hobartโs most luxurious new hotel), Peppinaโs brief can more or less be boiled down to โbig-hearted Italian hospitality.โ
The venue serves a properly solid buffet breakfast seven days a week, but really, what you should be venturing down here for is the dinnertime service. The childhood table of Culinary Director Massimo Mele serves as inspiration: reflected in antipasti such as a satisfyingly simple tomato salad or Genovese-style paccheri โ a variety of pasta, originating in Campania, resembling wide flattened tubes.
If staying in-house, a post-dinner tipple at Mary Mary (directly accessible via the restaurantโs main dining room) comes highly recommended.
Address: 2B Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday โ Thursday (7 AM โ 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM โ 8:30 PM); Friday โ Saturday (7 AM โ 10:30 AM, 5 PM โ 8:30 PM); Sunday (7 AM โ 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM โ 8:30 PM)
Bar Wa Izakaya
Unsurprisingly, there isnโt a surplus of high-quality Japanese dining in Hobart, yet Bar Wa โ located in the cityโs urban core โ certainly fits that description.
Opened by brothers Richard and Julian Hensens back in 2017, this popular Hobart venue pays tribute to the archetypal izakaya of the Kantล region. Popular dishes include tataki, local oysters (naturally), and a range of fried morsels (e.g. karaage) that pair well with the various Japanese lagers served on tap.
If youโre visiting during the cooler months of the year, consider ducking in between noon and 3 PM. At lunchtime hours, the Hensens do a mean sideline in Japanese noodle soups; with creative fan favourites such as a green peppercorn duck ramen.
Address: 216-218 Elizabeth Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday โ Sunday (12 PM โ 2 AM)
Sonny
Another exceptional opening from the team behind Templo, Sonny is a similarly intimate (yet noticeably more anarchic) venue โ specialising in small plates and a smartly curated wine list.
Notwithstanding a handful of chairs perched up against the restaurantโs teeny tiny window, at Templo, most of the action unfolds across a central wooden countertop. Overhead, a pair of bone-crushingly powerful speakers (built bespoke by local audio firm Pitt & Giblin) blast a flurry of Motown, French disco, and old-school slow jams โ piped from a turntable setup youโll see co-owner Al Robertson lovingly attending to throughout the evening.
We could wax at length about Temploโs excellent pizza fritti-style prosciutto toast, or the mouthwatering pasta courses youโll spot being cooked โ in real rockโnโrolla fashion โ over portable stoves. But for brevity, all weโll say is that if you havenโt had the pleasure of quaffing an entire bottle of Loire Valley fizz, the sound of Do Yourself A Favour brimming into your ears, then make it a priority to dine here the next time youโre in Hobart.
Address: 120a Elizabeth Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday (4 PM โ 11:30 PM); Thursday โ Sunday (4 PM โ 11:30 PM)
Malik Restaurant
At Malik, widely billed as Hobartโs best Middle Eastern fusion restaurant, meze (a selection of small, snackable dishes) plays the starring role. Traditional Levantine preparations โ kefta, homemade falafel โ are given a contemporary twist; yielding dishes that work well with the restaurantโs tightly edited wine list.
Located at the NoHo end of Hobart, this venue has been a popular local haunt since it opened in 2018. A fantastic option if youโre after a weekend crowd-pleaser, Malik also traffics in one of the best value set menus ($65 per person) of any restaurant to grace our list.
Address: 277 Elizabeth Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Monday โ Sunday (5:30 PM โ 9:30 PM)
Suzie Luckโs
Suzie Luckโs is perched proudly in Salamanca Square as the brainchild of Hobart hospitality veteran Kif Weber (ex-Frank, late Smolt), and itโs here to throw a flavour-packed, cocktail-fueled soirรฉe with a distinctly Tasmanian spin.
The cocktails are great, with the Thai-Pirinha (lychee, lemongrass, rum) being a zippy opener, while the Express Ya Self, an espresso martini crowned with torched marshmallow, is dangerously drinkable. The food menu is equally impressive, with DIY roll-ups an excellent starting option, available with pork, duck, or tofu.
The tempura eggplant, drenched in chilli-lime caramel and showered in cashews, is another winner, alongside the panang curry with wagyu beef shin and Thai red curry of slow-cooked lamb shank. With a menu tailored to nearly every dietary demand, Suzie Luckโs is a proper crowd-pleaser.
Address: 2 Salamanca Square, Battery Point TAS 7000, Australia
Opening Hours: Monday โ Tuesday (5 PM โ 11:30 PM); Wednesday โ Friday (12 PM โ 11:30 PM); Saturday (5 PM โ 11:30 PM); Sunday (5 PM โ 11 PM)
The Source
At The Source, the first masterpiece youโll see isnโt on your plate โ itโs John Olsenโs sprawling, wriggling ceiling mural, that greets diners as they ascend the stairs. Part of Hobartโs avant-garde playground, Mona, this French-inspired fine diner is all about grand gestures, from the sweeping views of the Derwent to the surreal โliving tablesโ sprouting moss and succulents.
The menu is as playful as the art. Pacific oysters with wasabi mayo can kick things off, followed by the equally impressive cured Tasmanian Wallaby tartare. Arriving at the main, options include seared Tasmanian wild venison or tomato saffron risotto with heirloom tomatoes and pecorino cream.
The drinks are unapologetically Tasmanian โ Moorilla wines, Moo Brew beers, and crisp cider. Beneath the glass tables, youโll find treasures from David Walshโs personal collection: Picasso plates, ceramic phalluses (yes, really), and minerals straight out of a wizardโs vault.
Address: Ether Building, 655 Main Rd, Berriedale TAS 7011, Australia
Opening Hours: Monday (12 PM โ 4 PM); Thursday โ Sunday (12 PM โ 4 PM)
Pitzi
If the idea of fighting tooth and nail for a dinnertime slot at Fico doesnโt appeal, ducking into Pitzi is easily the next best thing.
Billed as a more casual alternative, focused around pasta and aperitives, this 2024 opening is already generating a heap of buzz from clued-in locals and the Australian food press. (It helps, to no end, that the venue is just across the street from Fico.)
As with all great neighbourhood haunts โ sure to be what Pitzi becomes โ the menu here is reassuringly compact. Thereโs an (absolutely luminous) spaghetti seasoned with Tassie uni; addicting slices of fennel โsalamiโ; and pappa al pomodoro โ traditionally, a Tuscan pantry-sweeper of a dish, enriched with the addition of tomatoes sourced from local legend Sulyn Lamโs garden.
On the wine front, co-owners Oskar Rossi and Federica Andrisani have opted for producers that buck the โlocal firstโ groupthink of Hobartโs hospo community. Truly, thereโs stuff here that would look equally chic on the back wall of wine rooms in Fitzroy or Newtown: think Nero DโAvola by award-winning Sicilian outfit COS, or a bottle of Abruzzo winemaker Emidio Pepeโs fantastic Trebbiano.
Address: 4 Victoria Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Tuesday โ Thursday (4 PM โ 9 PM); Friday (12 PM โ 9 PM); Saturday (4 PM โ 9 PM)
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