how to spend 48 hours eating & drinking in hobart
Breakfast Day 1: Pigeon Hole Cafe
The Pigeon Hole came highly recommended but managed to exceed even some very tall expectations. Make sure you drop in for breakfast or lunch. And the baked eggs are seriously delicious – especially the ones with taleggio and preserved lemon. So good.
Lunch Day 1: Mona Wine Bar
Even if you’re not a fan of art, you really should plan a trip to visit Tassie’s answer to the Guggenheim museum. Housed completely underground, this Museum of Old and New Art just has to be seen. Be warned, it can be quite confronting. The good news is that there is also a working winery and brewery on site so you can calm your nerves at the cellar door or grab a casual lunch in the Wine Bar.
Dinner Day 1: Garagistes
Make sure you plan your visit to Hobart around dinner at this world-class casual restaurant. With a wood-fired oven on site and a salami cellaring room, this is seriously good food. Food worth travelling to a different state for – even a different country. The vibe is casual which makes the food seem all the more special. They’re only open for dinners Wednesday to Saturday and don’t take bookings.
UPDATE: Luke Burgess the chef and owner has sold Garagistes and move back to NSW. So no longer on my favourite restaurant list :(
Breakfast Day 2: Ethos Eat Drink
Ethos is worth visiting for the sunny courtyard filled with the healthiest looking succulents alone. They make their own bread on site and the menu is inventive without being too ‘out there’. We were a little rushed for our breakfast so didn’t do it justice. Would definitely go back, although if I had to pick my favourite cafe in Hobart, the Pigeon Hole would definitely be the winner.
Lunch Day 2: The Agrarian Kitchen
They book out months and months in advance, but I can’t recommend enough that you organise your trip to Tassie around a cooking class at The Agrarian Kitchen. Be prepared to be inspired to get your own house in the country complete with chickens, a wonderful veggie patch, orchard and pigs! Lunch is included in the classes and is worth it, even if you aren’t even remotely interested in learning to cook.
Dinner Day 2: Sidecar
A new addition to the Tassie bar/dining scene. I just loved this intimate bar around the corner from Garagistes. It’s owned by the same people. Great selection of wines by the glass. And wonderful made to order bar snacks and more substantial dishes. The purple potato chips with pickles are wonderful. As are the pork scratchings. You can easily make a meal and a night of it at Sidecar, but if you prefer a more ‘restaurant’ meal, ask the guys at the bar to call and put your name down for a table.
UPDATE: Luke Burgess the chef and owner has sold Garagistes and move back to NSW. So no longer on my favourite restaurant list :(
if you have more time
Red Velvet Lounge, Cygnet
If the Agrarian kitchen is booked out, the next best option is to take a drive in the country to the tiny town of Cygnet and have a cosy, fire-side lunch at the Red Velvet Lounge. Highly recommend their pate.
Me Wah
The decor is old-school Chinese, but don’t let that put you off. If you’re in the mood for some Peking duck or Sang choi bau or even some steamed Chinese greens, this is the place to go. And if you happen to have a hankering for some seriously expensive Burgundy the wine list won’t let you down.
Piccolo, North Hobart
If Garagistes is open, go back and order the things you missed out on. But if, like us, you aren’t that lucky, the next best option is to have a cosy Italian meal at Piccolo. With a menu that includes pigs trotters and pigs tails, this is far from your boring old neighborhood pasta joint. My Irishman is still regretting that I talked him out of trying the chocolate fondant pudding with salted caramel ice cream.
Jackman & McRoss Bakery
With a couple of different outlets in Hobart, it’s hard to know whether to take pictures of the baked goods or eat them! And although we had a good breakfast here, if I had my time again I would have gone back to the Pigeon Hole to try something else on their menu.
On my list for next time
Franklin – a bit of a hipster vibe but the review I read made me instantly want to book a flight to Tassie. Expect amazing food in a beautiful and casual space.
Peppermint Bay
Either take a short drive or catch the boat South to Peppermint Bay for a long leisurely lunch with a view.
The Cupping Room
Next door to Garagistes, the place to go for ‘new wave’ coffee.
UPDATE: This restaurant has now closed.
updated: June 2016
For more cities:
See the Stonesoup Guide to Tasty Travel.