Heading south for the winter? We have the low-down on Hobart’s new wine bars and breakfast spots as well as a cosy ramen counter.
After a short hiatus, Australia’s most outlandish arts festival, Dark Mofo, is ready to once more engulf Hobart in June. Whether you’re heading south for the festivities, or just planning a winter weekender in Tassie, there’s been an influx of new dining and drinking destinations worth your while. From an exceptional bakery, to a nine-seat ramen bar, to an energetic diner by a chef with serious Tasmanian pride, here are eight new openings to have on your radar.
Scholé, CBD
Chef Luke Burgess was at the cutting edge when he co-opened Garagistes in Hobart in 2010, championing natural wine and hyperlocal produce. It closed in 2015, but a decade later Burgess is back with Scholé, a Japanese-influenced restaurant and wine bar in an old lolly shop.
A meal at the 10-person communal table – a golden glow and timber cladding all around – feels like a sake-fuelled dinner party. The menu changes frequently, but a recent standout was skilfully sliced garfish and pike sashimi in a fermented green tomato and sansho pepper sauce. Bookings are essential, except on Tuesday nights, when it channels tachinomi – Japanese-style standing bars.
227 Liverpool Street, Hobart, schole.com.au
Ranita Ramen, CBD
Just across from Scholé on Liverpool Street is Ranita, a nine-seat ramen bar where organic wheat-flour noodles are the star of the show. It was recently opened by couple Zoe Erskine and Javier Garcia Tornel, whose offer is concise but considered. There are two soups, including a shoyu ramen with braised pork jowl and a vegetarian shio ramen with pickled shiitake and greens, plus a koshihikari rice bowl with seasonal toppings. NB: it’s only open for lunch Tuesday to Friday, and you can’t book.
206 Liverpool Street, Hobart, instagram.com/ranita.ramen
Six Russell, Sandy Bay
This sleek half-bakery, half-bistro isn’t winning any awards for its outlook – the (very red) side of a Coles supermarket – but it’s what’s on the inside that counts. By day, the bakery deals in excellent sourdough and pastries, and a sausage-and-egg muffin that’s a bestseller for a reason. By night, the adjoining bistro takes over, serving the likes of abalone Rockefeller and steak au poivre. If you love Hobart fine diner Dier Makr and its sibling wine bar Lucinda, co-owner Kobi Ruzicka is also part of the Six Russell team.
6 Russell Crescent, Sandy Bay, sixrussell.com.au
Oirthir, Bream Creek
Tasmania’s regional dining scene took a hit when well-regarded fine diner Van Bone closed late last year. But the idyllic site near Marion Bay, about 45 minutes from Hobart, lives on as Oirthir (pronounced “oor-heid”).
It’s all about Scottish food, Tasmanian produce and fine-dining flourishes, helmed by Scottish chef couple Bob Piechniczek and Jillian McInnes. House-made haggis accompanies Bangor lamb, sourced nearby, and there’s whisky-spiked honey ice-cream with rhubarb and oatmeal.
357 Marion Bay Road, Bream Creek, oirthir.com
Leoht, Battery Point
Among the historical homes of Battery Point – and with misty mountain views from the front terrace – Leoht is a warm, light-filled cafe with a globetrotting all-day menu.
Breakfast might be buckwheat pancakes with halva caramel and a black-sesame latte, while lunch could look like mafaldine carbonara or flank steak with pepita salsa, bolstered by a locally charged wine and cocktail list (ice-cold Sheep’s Whey Vodka martini, anyone?). It’s currently daytime-only, but regular nights are starting in August.
46A Hampden Road, Battery Point, instagram.com/leoht__batterypoint
Wunderbar, CBD
Don’t be fooled by the name: the most German thing about this suave new all-day bar and restaurant is chef and co-owner Julian Volkmer. French is the main play, and the menu du jour jumps from tartines and croque monsieurs to French-onion soup and gnocchi Parisienne, to fish with beurre blanc and ratatouille and steak frites. Rustic exposed brick is a feature in the dining room, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows.
45 Goulburn Street, Hobart, wunderbar.au
Sullivans Cove, Cambridge
Whisky distillery Sullivans Cove has garnered acclaim far from Tassie, winning many prestigious international awards. But its presence at home is now even more impressive, thanks to a $14-million refurb of its distillery and subsequent revamp of its visitor experiences, to align with its 30th anniversary. Visit the HQ just north of Hobart for guided distillery tours or myriad whisky tasting options, in luxury surrounds.
1/10 Lamb Place, Cambridge, sullivanscove.com
Lost in Asia, CBD
It seems the only thing Hobart locals love more than Bar Wa Izakaya is raving about Bar Wa Izakaya, the neon-lit, late-night Japanese joint. The team behind it has zoomed out a little for their new venue, taking inspiration from across South-East Asia. You might find beef tartare with sambal mayo, chicken (or mushroom) larb, and smoky char kway teow with plenty of South-East Asian beers.
131-133 Murray Street, Hobart, lostinasia.com.au
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