The dark arts of puff pastry are shown to devastating effect at this iconic Battery Point bakery and café. From sausage rolls of duck, cranberry and walnut or pies filled with rabbit and ham hock in a creamy mushroom sauce, these baked goods are the stuff of reveries. Take away to enjoy alfresco or grab a seat for in-house brunch fare such as a mushroom sourdough bruschetta with hummus and sundried tomato.

Stunning water views from the Brooke Street Pier and Christian Ryan’s searching menu combine to make this the city’s leading fine-dining restaurant. Hyper-local ingredients – many of them native – harnessed to modern Asian inspiration equals creations such as Tassie mountain pepper with sticky caramel-sauced tempura eggplant, or charry medallions of wallaby with macadamia miso purée and crisp saltbush. Put yourself in the hands of the sommeliers for an equally convincing tour de force of Tasmanian wines.

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There’s an excellent chance you’ll get to know your neighbours at this tiny 20-seater, where space is at a premium but the Italian flavours are boundless. The blackboard menu constantly changes thanks to the pious micro-seasonal focus but the gnocco fritto – puffs of fried dough draped with whisper-thin shavings of prosciutto – is a regular, along with haute-rustic pasta and a wine list flying the minimal intervention flag.

Expect the unexpected at this adventurous Italian-ish restaurant, where the menu fizzes with outré yet sympathetic combinations that take their cues from elsewhere, whether that’s tagliolini with “Italian XO” sauce, dainty quail canelés or a dessert of gooey-centred coulant with rich chocolate and wasabi caramel. Settle in for a 9-course set dinner or make your Sunday lunch a long one.

Kobi Ruzicka has been making big waves at his little Hobart restaurant since 2016 thanks to an eclectic parade of small dishes backed by a serious natural wine program. Trust the ever-changing set menu, which might start with a bouquet of brassica shoots and flowers to swipe through an oyster emulsion, move onto celeriac and smoked fish ravioli in a mushroom broth and finish with the supreme comfort of apple tart Tatin with chamomile ice-cream. This is exciting fine dining in casual clothes.

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The menu at this cultish café is a portal to the owners’ farm in southern Tasmania. Their sustainably grown produce is a fixture of the menu that sings in a key of comfort, from poached fruit with ginger panna cotta drizzled in orange syrup to the potato hash ballasting a hearty mix of chorizo, eggs and herby mojo sauce. And if you want to manifest those Pigeon Hole memories, the take-home range of farm produce includes honey, paprika and smoked garlic.

Banish the southern chill at this fiery Pan-Asian newcomer housed in an historic central Hobart building. Though it flits around Thailand, Malaysia, China and Vietnam like a backpacker on summer break, the menu shows no dissonance when conjuring bold flavours in new ways. From a chilli XO and tofu emulsion with kingfish sashimi to pork belly skewers dabbed in roasted red chilli oil and smoked duck breast with chilli mustard emulsion, it’s a flavourful trip off the beaten path.

Dive deep into the history of Tasmania with the help of an evocative cocktail menu at the waterfront “storytelling hotel”, Macq01. Spinning a tale of the Apple Isle from then and now, it includes a Sleeping Beauty, mingling 666 lemon myrtle and honey vodka, and a Convict’s Old Fashioned made with rum – but don’t be shy to simply order a local craft beer.

This Spanish favourite recently relocated to smart waterfront digs at the Macq01 Hotel. Keep things on a casual keel with the tapas bar and outdoor terrace, where smoked cod croquetas are accessorised with a dab of romesco and smoked crème fraiche soothes the fire of charry padrón peppers. Bigger appetites are ballasted at the restaurant by the likes of Pedro Ximénez pork cheek and wild-caught local octopus with a sprightly mojo verde.

Take a Greek holiday at this inner-city warehouse where an imposing mural of Zeus watches over the hubbub. The owners’ heritage is evidenced in a Cretan spin on hummus (made with the addition of basil), “village” salad made with barley rusks and a herby charcoal-grilled octopus, while the classical Hellenic ouvre is honoured in the form of moussaka, dolmades with dill yoghurt and an addictive taramasalata whipped to silky smoothness. To drink? Greek beer, of course.

For more than 160 years, this community-focused pub has been a stalwart presence in the heart of Hobart. A $5 million renovation in 2022 not only restored the Telegraph Hotel to its former glory, but also added a stylish first-floor dining room and a rooftop terrace overlooking Hobart’s waterfront. Serving a menu of local produce-led pub staples – think free-range Nichols chicken parmi, Cape Grim beef pie and Meander Valley cream panna cotta – you can expect a relaxed atmosphere and warm service with a side of epic views.

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Located just a 10-minute stroll from Short Beach on the edge of town, “Shippies” (as the locals call it) has been pulling pints and serving hearty grub for almost 180 years. The front bar of this quintessential seaside pub thrums with history but its stylish restaurant, Shoal, is a bright, modern affair, housed within a glass-walled pavilion. Here, diners can enjoy a seafood-leaning menu featuring Barilla Bay oysters, Maria Island calamari, and Shippies’ signature chowder, brimming with freshly-caught fruits of the sea. 

Perched 17 stories above the River Derwent with stunning panoramas of Hobart’s waterways, this elegant fine diner at Wrest Point first opened in the early 1970s – an era when revolving restaurants were at the height of their popularity. While The Point’s titular selling point may be considered retro today, its French-inflected menu – using showstopping culinary techniques including at-table flambé – is deliciously timeless.

Tasmania’s Cosiest Winter Stays