It was clear that Tasmania was on the cusp of something exciting on my first visit in 2011. A gastronomic identity was just beginning to take shape: high-quality Cape Grim beef was appearing on menus, The Agrarian Kitchen was attracting serious cooks and curious eaters, and distilleries like Lark and Sullivan’s Cove were gaining recognition at home and abroad. MONA had opened after a A$75m transformation, instantly becoming one of the world’s most provocative private museums. At the time, Hobart had only one boutique hotel – The Henry Jones – and yet the city was already earning a reputation as Australia’s next big thing.
Fast forward more than a decade and Tasmania has cemented itself as one of Australia’s great gastronomic destinations. The island is deeply tied to the concept of provenance, home to some of Australia’s best ingredients, including seafood, cool-climate wines, beef, whisky, fruit and vegetables of outstanding quality. In Tasmania, ‘sourcing locally’ isn’t a marketing phrase, it’s simply how the inhabitants eat and drink.
Tasmania makes around 1% of Australia’s total wine output but punches far above its weight in quality terms. It’s no wonder that mainland producers such as Giant Steps, Yabby Lake and Bird in Hand are investing there, drawn by the island’s cool-climate magic.
Tasmania is alive with creativity, ambition and a fierce connection to land and sea
I hail from the Hill-Smith wine family, so it would be remiss of me not to mention the new tasting room at Tolpuddle Vineyard, where visitors can now experience Topuddle wines amongst the vines that make them. Samantha Connew’s Stargazer, Pressing Matters, Pooley and sparkling wine producer Jansz have also either recently opened or are building tasting rooms to meet the boom in wine tourism on the island. More established cellar doors such as Stoney Rise, Stefanio Lubiana and Clover Hill are also well worth a visit.
If you’re heading to the island, Hobart now boasts MACq 01, set right on the waterfront where the Sydney to Hobart yacht race finishes, while The Tasman earned a place on the World’s 50 Best Hotels list in 2024. Beyond the city, Saffire Freycinet – often ranked among the world’s finest luxury lodges – offers an immersive stay overlooking Wineglass Bay, complete with experiences from oyster shucking to guided walks in Freycinet National Park. In the Central Highlands, Pumphouse Point transforms a 1940s hydroelectric station into one of Tasmania’s most atmospheric retreats, its rooms perched above the still waters of Lake St Clair. And for something even more remote, Satellite Island promises an off-grid escape that feels like the edge of the world is often fully booked months in advance.
Tasmania reminds me, in some ways, of a hipper version of the UK’s Lake District; brooding skies, lush hills, a unique pace. It’s alive with creativity, ambition and a fierce connection to land and sea. What was once full of promise is now fully realised, namely an island whose food, wine, culture and natural beauty are inseparable, and where every experience is rooted in place.
Nine of the best Hobart restaurants
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Institut Polaire
Central Hobart
Institut Polaire is part wine bar, part restaurant, part cocktail bar with an interior that feels as glacial as its name suggests. The food celebrates Tasmania’s cold-climate produce – gin-cured ocean trout, wallaby tartare, wild herbs and wasabi leaves – paired with a strong selection of wines. The cocktails are equally compelling – they make the best Martini in town using their very own Sud Polaire Gin.
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The Whaler
Central Hobart
For something casual, The Whaler on Salamanca Place is a Hobart institution. A historic waterfront pub with a focus on local seafood, craft beers and, somewhat surprisingly, an excellent Burgundy selection. It’s the kind of place that buzzes day and night – perfect for a dozen oysters and a pint after the market or a dram of Tasmanian whisky on the way home.
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Omotenashi
Central Hobart
Omotenashi offers one of the most authentic Japanese dining experiences in Australia. With just ten seats and an omakase-style menu, the focus is on balance, delicacy and the quiet theatre of service. It’s intimate, meticulous and unforgettable – a world away from the island’s pubs and bistros, yet perfectly in step with Tasmania’s obsession with detail and quality.
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The Agrarian Kitchen
New Norfolk
Not technically in Hobart but only 30 minutes from the city by car, The Agrarian Kitchen is the beating heart of Tasmania’s provenance ethos. Housed in the historic Willow Court, a former psychiatric hospital, the team serves a thoughtful set menu, much of it grown in the on-site garden. Cordials and cheeses are made in-house, including a burrata that arrives at the table moments after being tied. Book the garden tour before lunch; it transforms the experience into something more profound, a meal layered with stories of season and place.
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Sonny
Central Hobart
Sonny is a 20-seat wine bar in Hobart serving handmade pasta to drinkers while spinning some great records. It’s a local hangout and a pilgrimage for visiting chefs and wine lovers.
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MONA
Berriedale peninsula
MONA’s restaurant, The Source, is underpinned by a rigorous food philosophy. Duck, for example, won’t appear on the menu unless it has been raised to their exacting welfare standards – and the same scrutiny is applied to everything from seafood to vegetables. Dining here is about more than flavour; it’s an ethical stance that challenges how we think about the food on our plates. The result is food that is elegant and surprising yet inseparable from MONA’s broader mission to question, disrupt and entertain. In that same spirit of provocation, they’ve hosted ‘Eat the Problem’ dinners, at which guests confront environmental issues by eating them via a menu of invasive species such as deer, boar, rabbit and even cane toads.
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Ogee
North Hobart
Ogee is another of Hobart’s small but mighty dining rooms. With just a handful of tables, it serves unfussy Europe-inspired food alongside a sharp wine list focused on interesting imports and local favourites. Dining here feels more like eating at a friend’s than at a formal restaurant. It’s warm, low-key and captures Hobart’s charm: ambitious without seeming ostentatious.
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Fico
Central Hobart
Fico takes a more refined approach, navigating the line between neighbourhood bistro and fine dining. Oskar Rossi and Federica Andrisani bring a playful, modern sensibility to their tasting menus, weaving together European techniques and Japanese precision. They also have a guesthouse that makes for a perfect stay in Hobart.
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Peppina
Central Hobart
Peppina, inside The Tasman hotel, is a restaurant where high-profile chef Massimo Mele channels his Neapolitan heritage into trattoria-style dishes that feel both homely and elevated.
