A Former Coffin Workshop Is Now a Dynamic New Wine Bar for Hobart

Nick Kavenagh has been getting to know the locals since opening Atlas & Vine in August. Locals like Damian Howard from Aiden’s Fresh Tasmanian Seafood. “Damo comes in, covered in squid ink, to drop the seafood off himself. He can tell me how and where he caught it. It just feels real,” Kavenagh says.

Damo is one of a cast of Tassie fishers, farmers, artisans and winemakers Kavenagh has tapped for his Hobart restaurant’s dynamic menu. But rather than subscribing to a single cuisine, Atlas & Vine works in quarterly themes: vegetables, fermentation, meat, and currently seafood.

“Being able to work with local farms whose produce is constantly changing is pretty special, and I love being able to support these local businesses,” says Kavenagh, who’s trained in world-renowned kitchens including Melbourne’s Vue de Monde, Core by Clare Smyth in London and Noma in Copenhagen. 

But the format comes with a very Tasmanian challenge. “I can’t plan the next day’s menu,” he says. “I just have to respond to what the farmer is growing that week.”

Highlights from the opening menu included poached pink ling wrapped in nori, prawn mousse and pork fat; and a potato pavé served with a native spice cream. For dessert, a chocolate “clam” featured lemon curd, lemon verbena and black truffle from Piper Brook Truffles. Push the boat out with the $120 set menu or drop in for snacks. 

The drinks list also leans local, with around 80 per cent of the wines coming from Tasmania. A current favourite is the 2023 skin-contact Sinapius Clem from Pipers Brook. House cocktails include a Martini made with Hartshorn peppermint gum vodka and lemon verbena syrup. 

Set inside a historic former coffin workshop on Liverpool Street, the 37-seat space was designed by Taylor & Hinds Architects and features original 1890s brickwork and furniture from local carpenters. Ceramicist Kate Bowman crafted tableware from recycled bricks and oyster shells, while craftsman Stuart Williams made the blackwood stools.

Kavenagh spotted a handful of small timber robots In Williams’s workshop and asked if he could buy them. Now, you’ll notice them scattered throughout the restaurant.

“I have fond memories of going to wine bars in Melbourne and London, where they’ve had a bit of fun with their decor. I like to think if someone comes in to dine solo, they might pull up a seat at the bar and have these fun little objects to gravitate towards. It’s an instant icebreaker.”

Kavenagh says that convivial spirit extends to the restaurant’s name. “Atlas represents my travels and influences … Vine is a nod not only to my love of wine, but to bringing people together.”

Atlas & Vine

229 Liverpool Street, Hobart
0426 574 406

Hours:
Tue to Thu 4pm–11pm
Fri 4pm–midnight
Sat midday–midnight

atlasandvine.wine
@atlasvine