The Best Restaurants in Hobart
Every part of Australia has advantages when it comes to produce, but few like Hobart, and Tassie more generally. In recent years the unrivalled quality and availability of ingredients has lured high-flying mainland chefs like Peter Gilmore, Analiese Gregory and many others.
Hobart’s intimate, chef-run restaurants are the best place to taste this for yourself. At 12-seat kaiseki restaurant Omotenashi, you’ll eat genuine wasabi grown near Launceston, and perhaps wakame and abalone harvested from nearby waters. At top Italian spot Fico, the possibilities include Tasmanian truffles and mozzarella made with local buffalo milk. Get around it.
Restaurant
Omotenashi
Fine dining is rarely more intimate than at this 12-seat Japanese restaurant. The two owner-chefs impress with a degustation of fermented veg, seafood, local Wagyu and delicate pastries, plus imported sakes, local wines and house-made non-alc drinks.
Restaurant
Peppina
An Italian chef is behind this 190-seat Italian restaurant, which takes cues from his Nonna’s cooking. The produce is locally sourced, the pasta is made in-house, and the herbs are plucked from the on-site garden. Plus, there’s a 200-strong wine list.
Restaurant
The Agrarian Kitchen
Visit this idyllic, nationally renowned cooking school, restaurant and garden to taste some of Tasmania's best produce, cooked just right.
Restaurant
Fico
Fico is the work of Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi, two of the country's most exciting young chefs. Their colourful diner in the heart of Hobart is a celebration of Tasmanian produce by way of their Italian and Australian backgrounds. Come for artful plates, exciting wines and a big sense of fun.
Bar
Sonny
Excellent wine, snacks and vinyl are the focus at this intimate 20-seat wine bar. At the front you can order delightful lo-fi wines from the chalkboard menu (or ask for a mystery glass). And further back, watch the chef cook house-made pasta in the open kitchen.
Restaurant
Dier Makr
One of Tasmania's essential dining experiences is hidden within a grand grey building near the centre of Hobart. Come for a thrilling degustation that pivots daily, plus characterful wines plucked from the commanding open cellar.
Restaurant
Suzie Luck’s
The energy is always high at Suzie Luck’s – a pan-Asian-style canteen and bar in the heart of Salamanca Square. Go for its punchy tempura eggplant, creamy massaman curry and creative cocktails.
Bar
Ogee
A casual open kitchen takes pride of place at this moody wine bar. Watch as chefs prepare house-made pasta, crudites and freshly sliced charcuterie. Pair it all with lo-fi wines, or a bottle from the inconspicuous cellar list.
Restaurant
Aloft
Set on the top level of the Brooke Street Pier, this set-menu restaurant has plenty of impressive vantage points.
Restaurant
Restaurant Maria
The sister to fine diner Aloft packs in the same epic view of the Hobart waterfront. The difference? A Mediterranean-inspired menu that’ll transport you to the Aegean coast. Plus, a roving amaro trolley and a cool vinyl soundtrack.
Restaurant
Bar Wa Izakaya
This neon-lit bar is inspired by Tokyo’s lively izakaya, where the food is just as important as the drinks. Alongside sakes, Japanese beers, whisky and local wines, find agedashi tofu and a Tasmanian twist on tataki.
Restaurant
Frank
Seek out this slick and vibrant restaurant for its classic South American cocktails, Argentinian steakhouse classics and plenty of Tasmanian produce. Plus, 180-degree views of Hobart’s waterfront.
Restaurant
Ti Ama
Ti Ama is a rollicking good-times Italian diner from the team behind Local Pizza. The disco ball-themed woodfired oven turns out perfectly blistered and chewy pizzas. Add in its share-friendly antipasti and sharp cocktails for extra fun.
Restaurant
Dana Eating House
Order fun cocktails and share-friendly plates like kingfish sashimi and wallaby dumplings, then check your bill – a cut is donated to local charities. That’s how it goes at this buzzy pan-Asian diner.
Cafe
Rosie In My Midnight Dreams
A snack from the rotating blackboard menu, a glass of local wine and views of the River Derwent makes this one of Hobart’s most underrated cafes. Plus, there are comforting breakfasts and coffee for the early risers.
Restaurant
The Source
The Museum of Old and New Art’s on-site fine diner is just as intriguing and eccentric as the rest of the museum. At this French-style restaurant, try Pacific oysters, wallaby tataki and venison, which might be served atop artworks from Mona’s collection.
Bar
Institut Polaire
Two wine and spirit makers are behind this upscale wine bar, which nods to Tassie’s proximity to Antarctica. Come for Wagyu tartare, its signature Antarctic Dry Martini and a standout Paris-Brest dessert.
Restaurant
Templo
This rustic 25-seater, set in a former butcher’s shop, is one of Hobart’s top restaurants. The reservations fill up early for its Italian-leaning snacks, elegant house-made pastas and local lo-fi wine list.
Restaurant
Pitzi Pasta Bar
Pitzi is the younger sibling to Fico, one of Hobart’s favourite Italian restaurants. At this pasta bar, the team lets its hair down a little with house-made focaccia, tagliatelle alfredo with truffles and chinotto spritzes.
Restaurant
Scholé
Acclaimed chef Luke Burgess has transformed a heritage confectionery shop into a one-of-kind wine bar with a Japanese accent. Come for Burgess’s take on a tamagoyaki omelette, plus a focus on interesting sake.
More Options
Pancho Villa, North Hobart
Watch your hair – the wait staff are flame-happy at this modern Mexican diner. Owner Fabio Di Tommaso (Burger Haus, Maldini and Capital) has been running the Villa for a decade, known for its lamb barbacoa tacos and tequila-driven cocktail list. We love the gothic look, complete with a stained glass window and a tunnel that takes you to the loo. Head out the back to sibling Voodoo Bar if you’re kicking on.
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