Interesting Tasmanian bars
We often get asked by interstate visitors which bars, restaurants and other food and wine places they should experience while they are in Tasmania. This list includes places that we think provide a good representation of the best Tasmania has to offer. We have also provided a link to more detailed stories about most of them.
- Lucinda, which you will find in Collins St at the front of one of Tasmania’s best restaurants (Dier Makr), is one of Australia’s best bar experiences. The wine list is very deep, the food is interesting (for example, some of the best terrines you will find anywhere as just one example) and the music is eclectic. You will find more information in our story here and here where you can see photos of some of the stunning food they serve.
- Two Metre Tall is a farm, a production facility and a bar where you will find some of the most interesting beers in the country. We say this because there are very few places in Australia where you can find beers and ciders that have been made naturally with wild ferments – an extraordinarily difficult task which Ashley and Jane have mastered to perfection over the years. It is also a pleasant drive from Hobart which can be incorporated with a visit to the Agrarian Kitchen. You can read more here.
- Tom McHugo’s has the appearance of a standard Australian “pub”, but those in the know are attracted here both for the carefully selected range of beers and wines as well as the stunning food which is based on the very best produce from some of Tasmania’s outstanding organic suppliers (like the amazing pink eye potatoes we had there recently). You can read more here.
- Rosie in My Midnight Dreams is a very appealing bar in the Brooke Street Pier on Hobart’s waterfront. We are often seen in here enjoying a toastie for breakfast, a mid-morning coffee accompanied by one of the beautifully-cooked cakes or for a glass of wine from their well selected list (there might even be one of our imported wines available here). You can read more here.
- If your itinerary includes Launceston then there are two places that you should give a try. The first is Saint John Craft Beer Bar which always has a deep array of beers on tap – if you are a beer lover then this venue is definitely worth a visit. You can read more here.
- The other bar we often visit in Launceston is Havilah where the wine selection is interesting (the owner is a wine maker as well) and the food very good – it is a pleasant place to hang out. You can read more here.
- Another interesting Hobart bar is Institut Polaire, also near the waterfront. Here the food is always interesting and the wine selection very good. The owners are also wine makers so you can always try one of their Tasmanian wines here. You can read more about this venue here.
- Sonny is a very popular bar in the Hobart CBD just two blocks from the central mall. It is quite small, so expect to join the queue outside while waiting for a seat. The food is always interesting, the wine selection very good and the music wide ranging. You can read more here.
There are other places that we like which straddle the definition of both bar and restaurant such as Ogee is North Hobart and the about to open Pitzi which is a new concept for the team at nearby Fico.
We have not included any country offerings as we rarely find anywhere with a good selection of drinks offerings accompanied by interesting and well-cooked food. An exception is the Waterloo Inn in Swansea which is one of our favourite venues that we have classified as a restaurant rather than a bar and you can read about here.
