Fico

It wouldn’t be right to call Fico an Italian restaurant, even though the seeds for it were planted in the country’s north-east. Chef-owners Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi (ex-Vue De Monde) met working in the kitchen at the Michelin-starred restaurant El Coq in Vicenza. Life brought them to Rossi’s native Tasmania, where a one-month pop-up evolved over time into Fico proper. Today the restaurant is one of Hobart’s must-try dining experiences; a celebration of the island’s produce and its owner's Italian and Australian roots.

As the seasons shift in Tasmania, so does the nine-course menu at Fico. When Broadsheet visited, there was raw tuna with pistachio crumb and watermelon radish, followed by larger plates where Andrisani and Rossi’s creativity shine even brighter. The tortello – filled with liquified tomato and served in a pool of buffalo mozzarella cream with a single basil leaf – smacked of a classic margherita pizza. But like every dish here, it brought something entirely new to the table.

Amari, vermouths and grappa are in abundance on the drinks list. But if your meal calls for sake, you can get it here, too. Cocktails lean further into Italian territory, with spritzes and a house Negroni. Wines flit around Europe, while beers come mainly from Tasmanian breweries.

Although the ambitious offering might suggest a more hushed style of venue, Andrisani and Rossi describe what they do as “fun-dining”. That boundless sense of fun extends to the space itself, inviting you in with wooden accents, pops of colour and loads of ostentatious greenery.