Saturday 20 October 2018

Hobart city guide


It is coming up to one year since we moved to Hobart, and over these past 10 or so months, I have put myself to the task of discovering all that this city has to offer. After scouting out numerous cafes, restaurants, natural sites, museums and other tourist attractions, I've put together a city guide of the top places I would recommend to anyone visiting this beautiful city.

Where to stay

 

Grand Chancellor

It has been quite a few years since I stayed at the Grand Chancellor, but I have had friends stay here recently who have spoken highly of this hotel. It is located right on Hobart's waterfront in the CBD, so it is an excellent option if you don't have a car and are wanting to explore the city on foot.

Mac01

Mac01 is a fairly new addition to Hobart, and again, it is located on the waterfront, not far from the Grand Chancellor. It is a very modern and trendy hotel, and while I haven't stayed here personally, a couple of friends have given this hotel a very positive review.

Pecks on Pine

We have stayed at Pecks on Pine a couple of times, and it is an excellent option if you have a pet. We discovered it on Stayz.com, and the combination of the friendliness of the owner (Fiona), the value, and the location in North Hobart made it an excellent option for the times that we visited Hobart with Moose before we moved here.

Where to eat

 

Breakfast

  • Born in Brunswick - this is a trendy cafe in North Hobart that serves healthy smoothies, excellent coffee and Melbourne-style brunches, such as potato and pecorino hash with fermented tomato, corn salsa, charred eggplant cream, fried egg and fragrant herbs.
  • Brooke St Larder - this is a great option if you're wanting waterfront dining in the centre of town; their slow cooked eggs with smashed avocado, feta and tomatoes on toast was particularly excellent.
  • Small-fry - Small-fry is a small, quirky cafe located in the CBD and serves up beautifully presented breakfasts and excellent coffee (sourced from Ritual in Launceston), but the real winners here are the donuts (particularly the chocolate and salted caramel flavour) - make sure you get there early though, as the popular flavours do sell out quickly.
  • Machine Laundry - situated in Salamanca Square, this laundromat-turned-cafe is a cool retro cafe serving hearty breakfasts and lunches. I'd recommend the ricotta hotcakes with banana and caramel sauce.
  • Room for a Pony - Room for a Pony is a great option in North Hobart if you want to sit outside and bask in the sun on a warm day (or evening, for drinks and dinner). Both the nutella pancakes and the veggie Bhudda-style bowl were excellent options.
  • Pilgrim - my go-to coffee stop in town is Pilgrim, however unfortunately it was hit by a fire a couple of months ago and so is currently closed, but hopefully it won't be too long before they are up and running again.






Lunch

  • Preachers - situated in Battery Point, this is a great pub-style restaurant which has an old converted bus in the courtyard with seats and tables inside it, or if you'd prefer to dine in a more standard form, you can sit at picnic tables in the courtyard or inside. Their beef burgers are up there with some of the best in Hobart. 
  • Bear with Me - Bear with Me recently opened in Hobart a couple of months ago, and gives a very hipster vibe with its hanging plants and spacious interiors. I have only had a coffee and a green smoothie from here (both of which were delicious) but am very keen to hit up their brunch and lunch menu soon.
  • Susie Lucks - if you're after some delicious pan-Asian food in Hobart, Susie Lucks in Salamanca Square is a great option, particularly their chicken and coriander dumplings, their DIY salt and pepper tofu roll-ups, or their dessert of palm sugar caramel pudding with coconut brownie, soft chocolate and puffed rice honeycomb.
  • The Standard - the Standard is a great place to grab a burger and fries in a retro, throwback-to-the-80s style cafe. Unfortunately, The Standard shares a kitchen with Pilgrim so is also currently closed as a result of the recent fire, but once they re-open, I'll definitely be heading back for another burger.
  • New Sydney Hotel - for the ultimate pub experience in Hobart, I'd definitely recommend heading to the New Sydney Hotel, particularly on a cold winter's day when they have their fire roaring, plenty of craft beers on tap, hot mulled wine and an array of pub grub, such as beef burgers, fish and chips and crumbed scallops.
  • The Beach Restaurant - if you're further south of the city, The Beach Restaurant at Blackmans Bay is a great option for beachfront dining. They serve great pizzas, salads, polenta fries and fish tacos.
  • Beachfront 32 - situated on Kingston Beach, this is another awesome beachfront option that serves up delicious brunches, lunches and dinners. The "light start" with smoked salmon, halloumi, poached eggs, pesto and toast is one of my favourites for breakfast.
  • Salty Dog - the Salty Dog is also located in Kingston and is wonderful on a sunny day where you can sit in the courtyard (which is dog friendly) and enjoy a glass of wine with a grilled chicken burger served with Asian slaw and crunchy fries.



Dinner

  • Pancho Villa - located in North Hobart, this is definitely the best Mexican in town. Their fried chicken tacos and their churros ice cream sandwich with dulce de leche are definitely my favourites off the menu.
  • The Lounge by Frogmore Creek - this is a beautiful restaurant on Hobart's waterfront, situated within the Mac01 Hotel. The variety of smaller entrees (such as the snapper ceviche or octopus carpaccio) as well as larger meals (such as roasted saddle-tail snapper or Lenah Valley wallaby roast) makes for a great fine-dining option.
  • Frank Restaurant - if you're after some excellent South American style dining, Frank is the place to go. Their range of steaks offers great variety, their charred sweet potato with goats curd is a must-have side, and the nemesis cake is a rich but incredibly delicious chocolate dessert to end the meal.
  • Aloft - Aloft is a beautiful restaurant situated on the top level of the Brooke St Pier. The share-plate style of dining allows you to try a few different dishes, and in particular, the master fish curry and the Cape Grim beef with cabbage and anchovy are must-try dishes.
  • The Glass House - also located in Brooke St Pier, this is another great spot for share-style dishes, including (again) an excellent Cape Grim beef or some crispy Scottsdale pork belly.
  • Urban Greek - for the best Greek food in town, Urban Greek in the CBD is the place to go, especially for their fresh dips (such as the tzatziki and pantzari), the Saganaki cheese, mousaka and Cretan-style lamb.
  • Bar Wa - this is a wonderful option for Japanese in North Hobart, particularly the braised mushrooms, the agedashi tofu and the pork gyoza.
  • Templo - one of the best Italian restaurants in Hobart has to be Templo. This small, warming restaurant encompasses the traditional Italian values of good food, good wine and family. The chef's selection is a great option, enabling you to sample a mixture of fresh pasta, local meat and seafood, and authentic home-made desserts.
  • Institut Polaire - this Antarctic-inspired restaurant in Hobart's CBD offers a range of wonderful gins, each of which pair well with the share plates on offer, including the delicious melted gruyere and artichoke dip, the Huon salmon tartar, and the katsu pork and horseradish sandwich.






Snacks/patisseries

A few months ago I published a post on my favourite patisseries in Hobart which you can read about here, but as a refresher (with a few new additions), I've listed my favourite sweet hot spots below:
  • Little Missy Patisserie
  • Daci and Daci
  • Jackman and McRoss
  • Pigeon Hole Bakery
  • Sweet Envy
  • Imago Bakery 
  • Kombi
  • Queens Pastry




What to do


There are a huge number of activities to keep you occupied in Hobart and beyond, however I've narrowed down my favourites below:
  • Drive up Mt Wellington for stunning views of the city
  • Wander down to Salamanca Markets on a Saturday morning to sample a range of local produce
  • Drive to one of the city's surrounding beaches, including Clifton Beach, Kingston Beach or Blackmans Bay
  • Visit the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
  • Visit one of Hobart's wineries, breweries or cider sheds (a couple of standouts include Frogmore Creek, Willie Smiths and Cascade Brewery
  • Go for a walk from Battery Point through Salamanca along the waterfront to the Hobart Cenotaph
  • Hop on the ferry from Kettering for a a day trip to Bruny Island 
  • Take a day trip to Port Arthur (which is about a 1.5 hour drive from Hobart), stopping along the way at the Tessellated Pavement 


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