Start planning your road trip to visit these new places where you’ll want to eat in Tasmania with tips for dining around the state. Tasmania is plate perfect with plenty of tempting tastes to discover, especially on the East Coast, where the seafood is amazing. Add these best restaurants in Hobart and the best restaurants in Launceston, along with my favourite East Coast restaurants, to your travel list and pack your stretchy pants.
SOUTH & EAST – Best restaurants in Hobart and surrounds
Discover the best new restaurants in Hobart below, but I have also included my pick of the best restaurants I dined at during my eight-day Tasmanian road trip in November 2021. It was an epic journey and the dining did not disappoint.
For more food delights, explore my favourite shortlist of the best restaurants in Hobart.
- Faro Bar + Restaurant (Mona, Museum of Old and New Art, 655 Main Road Berriedale, Hobart – Expect amazing river views and food to match at the ever-interesting MONA (The Museum of Old and New Art). Faro has a revolving theme that spins through cuisines and cultures. The latest is El Culto de Espana, a spin on Spain with flamenco-fuelled live performances, a deeply Spanish menu complete with Gaudí-inspired edible cellophane and more tapas than seems plausible. It’s on during autumn. Don’t miss the chance to tour MONA while you are there.
- Dier Makr (123 Collins Street, Hobart) – Highly recommended but hard to get in- book ahead
- Fico (151 Macquarie Street, Hobart) – European style food with Italian influences and simple, abundant flavours.
- Templo (98 Patrick Street, Hobart) – Totally local produce sourced within 50 km of the restaurant only in this 20 seater restaurant, so book ahead. Also, let them know if you want a chair with a back as most of their seats are stools.
- The Glass House (Main Deck, Brooke Street Pier, Hobart) – Perched right on the end of Franklin Wharf, serving locally sourced food in share plates. Check out the fabulous glass collection as you walk in.
- Sonny (120a Elizabeth Street, Hobart) – A quirky wine bar with snack style food and walk-ins only.
- Tom McHugo’s (87 Macquarie Street, Hobart) – So much more than the corner pub that it looks like. Fabulous, well-priced food here. Check the Instagram link for their daily menu.
- Prospect House (1384 Richmond Road, Richmond) – A short drive from Hobart, you can taste the Coal River Valley with food sourced from their vegetable garden while dining in an amazing historic house. They offer a five-course degustation set menu.
- Pilgrim Coffee Dining Room (54 Liverpool Street) is the perfect stop when you are looking for a high-grade coffee made by award-winning baristas with simple, locally sourced food. Breakfast or lunch sorted.
There are plenty of top new restaurants in Hobart to add to your where to eat in Tasmania list, but there’s also the tempting opportunity to take a day trip to experience destination dining. If you are a seafood lover, don’t miss the chance to taste the freshest you will ever enjoy with a Tasmanian Seafood Experience boat cruise.
THE ISLINGTON HOTEL – SOUTH HOBART Heritage hotel high tea with Mt Wellington views
The Islington Hotel’s deliciously decadent new High Tea is served in their beautiful Conservatory Restaurant on the first and last Saturday of every month. Curated by Islington Head Chef Anthony Illingworth, it includes an exquisite range of bite-sized, homemade savoury morsels such as goats cheese tarts, crayfish and dill cream cheese profiteroles and petite, tasty finger sandwiches as well as a selection of signature sweet treats, including fluffy scones slathered with jam and cream, pistachio cannoli and chocolate mousse shots. All complemented by an assortment of Tasmanian teas and barista-made coffee with breathtaking views of Mount Wellington for $85 per person.
Ideally located in the exclusive enclave of South Hobart, The Islington Hotel Hobart is an award-winning five-star boutique hotel that features 11 elegant guest rooms with a world-class art and antique collection showcased within a heritage facade of striking glass, marble and sandstone features. Celebrating its 175th birthday this year, the beautifully curated hotel boasts breathtaking views of Mt Wellington and is home to an enthralling collection of bespoke furnishings and art that reflects the property’s rich Tasmanian history.
OSTERIA VISTA – GRANTON
Revisit Tuscany in Tassie
They say a visit to Osteria Vista (Stefano Lubiana Wines, 60 Rowbottoms Road Granton) is like travelling to Tuscany. Standing under the vine-covered pergola, with Tuscan sun-bleached coloured compressed granite under my feet and a bright blue sky to enjoy, I know why. Inside it’s all dark, moody exposed timber beams and terracotta tiled floors in a room filled with happy people feasting and drinking fine wines. The giveaway that it’s not Tuscany? A subtle scent of wattle and a laconic red kelpie playing the long game for treats.
It was a short drive up the Derwent Valley and a long Italian lunch. The $65 set menu is offered for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The food was full of deep, rich flavours matched by Stefan Lubiana Wines. We lingered over dessert to take in more of the view and left reluctantly with the promise of a return firmly planted in our memories.
AURA Sky-high tastes
Hobart’s first rooftop venue, AURA restaurant and lounge bar (Level 12, 110 Liverpool St, Hobart) stands high in the sky atop Crowne Plaza, between the River Derwent and kunanyi/Mount Wellington, offering spectacular views of both. Using the best of Tasmanian produce, diners enjoy high-quality service a part of a relaxed but intimate dining experience. Sit back with a cocktail and bar snacks from the lounge bar menu or book in for lunch or dinner featuring seasonal Tasmanian produce on an ever-changing menu.
Want to see the view the opposite way? Take a drive up Kunayi/Mount Wellington and if you are lucky, you will even see snow.
SEVEN AND A HALF Size doesn’t matter
There are just 10-seats at Seven and a Half, a dining experience by acclaimed chef and photographer Luke Burgess named for its position in the building. The rooftop “pod” has harbour views and overlooks Macquarie Street in central Hobart. The dining room has been inspired by Burgess’ experiences dining high above Tokyo, in the most unlikely of spaces. Bookings are available for leisurely Sunday lunches. There also are plans for dark sky and full-moon dinners.
DANA EATING HOUSE Cuisine with a cause
Eat well, do food at Dāna Eating House (131 Murray St, Hobart), a modern South-East Asian restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of Hobart’s CBD. Opened by brothers Ollie and Dan Lancaster, Dāna operates on a simple ethos: eat good, drink good, do good. A percentage of the profit from each meal is donated to a series of charities, with diners invited to match Dāna’s donation to create a uniquely ethical dining experience. There’s no pressure to donate, however, and regardless of your choice, you’re guaranteed a fresh, seasonal meal in the relaxed atmosphere of a beautiful, historic Hobart building. Enjoy a meal at this feel-good place to dine in Tasmania.
Dana Eating House, Hobart. Photo: Dana Eating House
GIN(BAR) / GIN-STITUTE Gin, the personal way
Located above Pigeon Whole Bakery, the luxe Gin(bar) (30 Argyle St, Hobart) is intricately designed to resemble the nest of Tasmania’s endemic and endangered Forty Spotted Pardalote. Gin(bar) serves handcrafted cocktails with the full range of Forty Spotted gins, including a range of experimental varieties such as Tassie Bush Honey Gin or Raspberry and Rose, exclusive to the bar. It also offers a selection of hard-to-find gins from Tasmania and beyond. The truly unique gin on offer, however, is the personal one – made by visitors’ own hands at the bar’s daytime Gin-stitute gin-blending masterclasses.
Make your own spirit at GIN(BAR), Hobart,Tasmania.
LA SARDINIA LOCA Hidden tapas
Having cut its teeth in Hobart’s In The Hanging Gardens precinct, La Sardina Loca recently relocated to a repurposed historic carriageway (100 Elizabeth St, Hobart). It combines the charming and cosy quarters with a vibrant range of Spanish and Basque small plates to share – think pillowy pastries of Manchego cheese, fish stew, cured local salmon and Tasmanian pink eye potatoes with herbs. Dedicated to the concept of the aperitivo – the Italian take on happy hour where light drinks and snacks are enjoyed in good company – La Sardina Loca offers a high-quality drinks selection and friendly and welcoming staff.
Las Sardinia Loca restaurant Hobart. Photo Rosie Hastie
SIROCCO SOUTH FORAGING TOURS BYO basket
Mic Giuliani of Sirocco South has been a long-term fixture at Hobart’s Farm Gate Market. Known by some as a “caped crusader of Tasmanian food”, Mic is now sharing the secrets of his foraged ingredients. Small-group tours of up to six guests can join him in the hunt for wild ingredients, including native greens, wild asparagus, edible mushrooms, saltbush and more. Then, beside sparkling Frederick Henry Bay, Mic prepares the foraged finds with local meat and seafood to create a six-course long-table lunch. Lunch is shared with Bream Creek Vineyard founder Fred Peacock, who offers an insight into the process of making the boutique wines as you enjoy them with the meal.
Foraging with Sirocco South, Hobart. Photo Mic Guiliani.
STOCK MARKET Excellent return on investment
Get bullish about Brooke Street Stock Market Bar + Restaurant (8 Brooke St, Hobart), a Wall Street-inspired venue tucked away behind Hobart’s waterfront. Chef Josh Retzer has constructed a tight menu focused on the kitchen’s showpiece asado grill and fine Tasmanian produce. Invest in an Allpress espresso or balance the books over a selection of Tasmanian, Italian and French wines, craft beers and a range of classic cocktails created with Tasmanian spirits.
A’PETIT BISTRO & BAR Mediterranean vibes
Just steps from the main North Hobart dining strip, A’petit Bistro and Bar (374 Murray St, North Hobart) has quickly become a local favourite. Inspired by her travels through Europe, owner and head chef Courtney Drew has sought to emulate the relaxed, neighbourhood feel of a continental wine bar. It’s small, vibrant, and relaxed, with a menu that’s a treasury of Mediterranean share plates: tasty pintxos, whole market fish, fresh vegetable sides. The drinks menu includes summer spritzes, local wines and spirits, and handmade non-alcoholic sodas.
VAN BONE Long and local
Destination dining lies 50 minutes drive east of Hobart at Van Bone (357 Marion Bay Rd, Bream Creek). Led by head chef Timothy Hardy, a boomerang Tasmanian who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and the likes of Brae (Victoria), Van Bone’s long lunches in the rolling east-coast hills stretch across four hours and up to 14 courses. Sustainability and locality underpin the experience, with an onsite permaculture garden and locally sourced produce inspiring the dishes.
Bookings are essential for this interesting destination where you can eat in Tasmania. On my last trip to Tasmania where I toured the east coast from St Helens to Port Arthur, I planned the whole eight-day road trip around the only booking I was able to snag at Van Bone.
Van Bone is an amazing dining experience with an inventive menu full of interesting tastes. There is a dedication here that goes above and beyond, including making their own salt from water harvested from the beach nearby. Guests are invited to let their lunch settle a little before dessert with a wander through the grounds and a peek inside the hot houses to see where your food grew.
Van Bone dining, Hobart. Photo Adam Gibson
IMBIBERS Toast the history
History-rich Oatlands in central Tasmania has Australia’s most extensive collection of Georgian sandstone buildings, and at its heart stands a tiny 1870s former dispensary, reborn as The Imbibers (74 High St, Oatlands). The vibe at this wine, cheese and spirit merchant is anything but old fashioned – only wines, spirits and beers produced within a 60-kilometre radius of town are served. Energetic and passionate, the wine bar-cum-delicatessen highlights the best of the region’s produce. Try a cheese flight with matched drinks, or a tasting plate featuring local artisan fare. If anything takes your fancy, drinks are available to take home.
DUNALLEY BAY DISTILLERY Views for days
Overlooking the beautiful shoreline of its namesake bay, Dunalley Bay Distillery (3496 Arthur Hwy, Murdunna) creates distinctive gins using native botanicals, designed to reflect the natural splendour of the surrounding landscape. The distillery’s rustic tasting huts are dog-friendly as well as human-friendly and offer immersive tasting experiences pairing gin varieties with fine Tasmanian cheese, seafood, fruit, and desserts. Grab a glass of the seductive Rosie & Hip, the moody Blue Blue or the classy Boney Dry, order a snack and enjoy a gin by the water.
EAST COAST
RAIDA – ST HELENS
Modern Australian Japanese
St Helens is the biggest town on Tasmania’s east coast, but it is still a small centre by most standards. However, that doesn’t stop it from having a great Japanese restaurant. Raida makes good use of the excellent local seafood available in this fishing centre. Expect everything from noodle bowls to whole miso roasted market fish. I sampled the moist and tender chicken yakitori and tuna tataki made from Tasmanian Blue-fin.
Open for breakfast too, it offers a wide range that includes American pancakes and Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette).
Could this be the perfect stop on your next Tasmanian driving tour? I dined here on my East Coast seafood safari, and we stayed in the Bay of Fires Apartments above.
THE WATERLOO INN
Honest fare designed to share
Newly opened at Swansea, The Waterloo would be your favourite cosy pub if you were a local. It overlooks the stunning Freycinet coastline and is a perfect stop for a glass of wine and a bar snack, or you can settle in for a meal in the classic pub dining room. Chef Zac Green is ex Movida and plans his menu around seasonal availability, rotating it frequently. Every Sunday, there’s a three-course set lunch menu (shared on social feeds). The restaurant has become a destination dining hot spot. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, and it’s best to book ahead.
Dining at 1830
1830 RESTAURANT & BAR – PORT ARTHUR
Local flavours with a heritage view
The honey stone walls of Port Arthur glow as the long dusk settles into night during my dinner at 1830 Restaurant & Bar in early December. It’s a mesmerising postcard-perfect view and it delays my perusal of the menu which is filled with microlocal delights. The squid comes from the nearby Saltwater River and it is so fresh on arrival it is still moving. The heavily marbled beef comes from 10 minutes away.
This is a chance to experience something unique to the peninsula and it’s one of Tasmania’s hidden gems.
Bonus – it’s open for breakfast too! Perfect for pre fuelling before you explore the fascinating Port Arthur historic site.
Dining at 1830
NORTH – Best new restaurants in Launceston and surrounds
Launceston, the Tamar Valley and King Island in the north of Tasmania all have great dining.
I’ve spent some great days exploring Launceston and highly recommend exploring the city with these five top things to do in Launceston. I particularly love the Harvest Launceston Market which is an exceptional farmers market.
TATLER LANE
Tatler Arcade in George Street is Launceston’s new dining precinct. For an on-site roasted coffee, head to Sweet Brew where the focus is on explaining the coffee-to-cup process. It’s open seven days a week as a cafe and five nights as a bar. Keep watching for night dining too.
BRIDPORT DISTILLING CO
Distilling the region’s flavours
Discover a small-batch boutique distillery in Bridport in Tasmania’s northeast at Bridport Distilling Co. Using unique ingredients from the region, such as wildflowers, sea spray, lavender and lemon myrtle, they have created something new that’s going to delight your palette.
STONEY RISE WINE COMPANY
Two for one
Husband and wife Joe and Lou Holyman, bought Stoney Rise vineyard (19 Hendersons Ln, Gravelly Beach) in 2004 after a 20-year stint in Tasmania’s wine industry. Their vineyard, with its architecturally designed cellar door, is a 20-minute drive from Launceston and takes in views of the Tamar River. Two ranges are tasting: Stoney Rise wines, which are fruit-driven and ready to drink, and Holyman wines, which focus on structure, oak maturation and cellaring-length. There’s a small share plates menu including charcuterie and cheese, making for a great lunch option, and a range of imported wines available to take away. Bookings are recommended.
GLENDALE VINEYARD
Don’t forget the picnic rug
With the Tamar Valley filled with so many quality wineries, it can be hard for a vineyard to stand out, but Glendale’s (163 Glendale Rd, Sidmouth) beautifully styled apple shed-come-cellar door and farm stay accommodation make it a must-visit. Pour yourself a glass of pinot noir and relax by the open fire, take a walk to feed the pet sheep, or arrange one of their lakeside picnics. Still not convinced? Take a look at their Instagram feed to seal the deal. Open Thursday – Sunday by appointment only.
KING ISLAND BREWHOUSE
Island brews
Tasmania’s most remote brewery, King Island Brewhouse (36 Lancaster Rd, Pegarah), captures the liquid essence of King Island in every bottle. Fresh island rainwater begins the brewing process, and both the ferment and brewery are backed by a world-class hybrid wind and solar-powered energy system. Surrounded by rolling hills and lush farmland, the newly built brewhouse, 15 minutes’ drive from the island’s main town of Currie, is a project driven by a passion to share quality fresh beer with King Island locals and visitors.
KING ISLAND DISTILLERY
For the love of copper
For the past six years, King Island Distillery (1 Racecourse Rd, Currie) owner Heidi Weitjens has learned from the best spirit distillers in Tasmania, so it should come as no surprise that her first commercial batch of native gin was awarded a silver medal at the 2020 Australian Gin Awards. Heidi is the driving force behind Tasmania’s northernmost distillery and uses local native ingredients to distinguish this tipple of choice. The process starts in her custom-designed copper stills, nicknamed her “copper angels”, using pure King Island water.
Inside Story Rise Wine, near Launceston. Photo: Stoney Rise Wine
I am a TOTAL foodie, so I am all about traveling via my stomach! I would try all of these spots! You’ve got a great selection here!
Thanks Andi! It’s quite a feast. I’d like to eat my way through all of them.
Aura sounds fantastic being so high with incredible views! I also like the sound of ‘dining with a cause’ at Dana Eating House. Why not donate to a charity while you eat out if you’re able to afford it? Imbibers sounds right up my alley as well, with a touch of history. I like a dining experience that transports me to another place or time.
You had me at Gin!
But to then read all the variety of really cool places makes this a real eateries’ heaven. I would definitely start at Harvest Launceston Market, love to experience Sirocco and then hit a couple of those wineries. What a great selection that you would definitely need a few days to explore.
The Brooke Street Stock Market Bar + Restaurant sounds pretty interesting. I’ve never been to a Wall Street-inspired establishment. I like how you used the word “bullish”. One of the first words I learned about the stock market 🙂
What a wonderful list of choices for dining in Tasmania. I love the idea of a cheese board paired with drinks, but think a lakeside picnic at the vineyard might have to be my first choice for a meal.