Stepping into Hobart’s Maria feels like entering a charming villa on the Aegean coast. Set on the Brooke Street Pier below fine-diner sibling Aloft, owner-chef Christian Ryan’s luxe restaurant brings a slice of the Mediterranean to the city’s iconic waterfront.

A firepowered hearth is the beating heart of Maria’s kitchen, where Ryan draws inspiration, flavours and techniques from Lisbon to Lebanon. But the twist here is a focus on native ingredients, found in dishes such as charred octopus with taramasalata and mountain pepper; and a lemon and filo cake infused with kunzea, an indigenous shrub.

A wine list by sommelier Hedley Monks (who’s also behind the acclaimed program at Aloft) reads like a bucket-list of holiday locations, from Sicily to Kefalonia. There are cocktails, too, with options such as the Lebanon Martini showcasing a Med-inspired gin made in collaboration with local distillery 7K. An aperitif trolley has your post-dinner amaro covered.

The space is bathed in a sun-faded pink hue, with warmth and texture everywhere you look. Custom Pitt and Giblin speakers are matched with a well-curated vinyl collection. Like its sibling upstairs, Maria's dining room delivers smashing, floor-to-ceiling views of the harbour.