Lucinda – A Dynamic Bar and Restaurant

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Lucinda – A natural wine bar and restaurant

Lucinda, the bar and restaurant in front of (and owned by) one of Hobart’s leading restaurants, Dier Makr, is now an essential part of the Hobart eating and drinking scene.

The food and wine is closely overseen by Kobi Ruzicka who is also the driving force behind Dier Makr.

It is a welcoming place where you will sit shoulder to shoulder with locals and international visitors who are seeking the comforting food and interesting wines that are a hallmark of this exciting venue.

The food on the chalk board changes regularly with the seasons and with the availability of ingredients. There is usually at least one dish of fresh fish on the menu and there is always an interesting selection of dishes based on organic vegetables sourced from some of Tasmania’s growing legion of organic suppliers.

Speaking of fresh fish, we recently has a delightful dish of pan-fried flounder served with cime de rapa (which we love for the slight bitterness it exhibits). The flounder was cooked perfectly and a bonus was the roe that was still inside – it was delicious!

Although at a quick glance, you might think that Lucinda is a bar and that the food is an afterthought. Nothing could be further from the reality. The food is carefully considered and made using excellent produce, as mentioned above from some of the best producers in the state. And some of the dishes that you can enjoy here are anything but straightforward to make such as the beautiful French dish of stuffed cabbage (choux farci) that sometimes features.

Sometimes the menu will features a dish of caillettes that had just the right amount of fat and just the right amount of silver beet. These fabulous meatballs are treasured in France in the Ardeche and in Provence. We have often eaten them at La Fourchette in Avignon where they nearly always feature on the menu. The caillettes at Lucinda

We also have been enjoying complex terrines that chef Kobi is experimenting with and the accompanying pickles or other treats that he is matching with them. They are always packed with flavour.

We treat Lucinda as a bar when we are meeting people for a chat or dropping in after a day of work in our warehouse and as a restaurant when we want a delicious but not ostentatious meal.

The music here is also very interesting while not being overwhelming to congenial conversation. Think Simple Song by The Shins or Hold On by Alabama Shakes. On a recent visit the playlist ranged across The Weight by The Band, I’m Waiting for the Man by The Velvet Underground then on to Like a Hurricane by Neil Young.

The wine list is exemplary with a panoply of the best from the natural wine world. You will find Australian producers such as Momento Mori (we tried their lovely Nosiola recently), Jauma with their 1000 Fires or the Manon Geoponica which is a delightful blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin. From Europe you will find Gut Oggau, Thomas Pico, Le Temps des Cerises, Domaine Mosse, Jean-Pierre Robinot, Domaine du Possible from Bandol or you could go for broke with a magnum of the Domaine Mosse Chenin or the Cantina Giardino Gaia.

Just forget all your current preferences such as a preference for a particular grape variety. In Europe the style of wine made from the same variety can vary dramatically from one region to another depending of the exposure of the vineyard, the type of soils and the microclimate. Therefore a Chardonnay from the Jura is way different to a Chardonnay from Burgundy (which is only an hour’s drive away) and in turn, different from Chardonnay from the Loire Valley or Champagne.

But Lucinda is also the place to get adventurous and try wines that are made from rare indigenous grape varieties such as Gringet, Pineau d’Aunis, Fer Servadou, Petit Manseng, Grolleau, Gamay d’Auvergne and many more.

The staff are very happy to make a recommendation if you are unfamiliar with these wines. Note that we have also included Lucinda in the Bottleshop category because you can peruse the wines in the adjacent wine room and buy bottles to take home if you wish.

Disclaimer

The editors of foodtourist.com supply some of the wines to Lucinda through their wine importing business Living Wines.

You can find out more about Lucinda and the wines they sell by clicking on the link below:

Lucinda: A wine bar

We have included Lucinda in our recommendations for eating and drinking in Hobart here.