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There are two types of people in the world: those who eat to live and those who live to eat. I proudly fall into the latter category, making it my mission to try as many new restaurants, cafés and bakeries while travelling around Australia. Luckily, our nation is overflowing with fantastic places to eat – and while Melbourne and Sydney get most of the glory, I firmly believe Hobart is equally worthy of the spotlight.
Earlier this year, Travelbag published its annual ranking of the top foodie destinations in the world. Australia’s undisputed culinary capitals, Melbourne and Sydney, both cracked the top ten, with Victoria’s capital even landing second behind Dubai. I’ve been lucky to dine at award-winning restaurants and beloved cafés in both cities, and I fully support their top ten status – but I’d like to make a case for Hobart on next year’s list.
At the southern tip of Australia, Tasmania is best known for its rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, breathtaking hikes and crisp climate. These very elements also fuel the state’s thriving food scene, which is largely centred in Hobart and its surrounding regions.
The greatness of Hobart’s food scene starts well before the plate. Fertile land, pristine waters and cool climate mean fruit, vegetables, seafood, dairy and meats are exceptionally fresh and high quality. You can taste – and see – the difference too: oysters are double the size of those on the mainland, Atlantic salmon is served mere hours after being caught, cheeses are aged on-site and many restaurants change their menus daily based on what’s freshest from local farms. Two standout experiences for me were The Agrarian Kitchen and Aloft, where the chefs personally explained the origins of every ingredient on my plate, giving me a true appreciation for the food miles behind each dish.
Tasmania’s finest producers aren’t just reserved for chefs. Locals and tourists can sample the season’s best bounty at the famous Salamanca Market, featuring more than 300 local growers, bakers, distillers and artisans. My personal favourite is the Sunday Farm Gate Market, where chefs and locals shop side-by-side from 70-plus producers directly selling goods grown, caught or crafted in Tasmania.
Hobart doesn’t just have excellent local produce; it also attracts serious culinary talent. Many big-city chefs have traded the fast-paced kitchens of Melbourne and Sydney for smaller, high-end ventures in Tasmania, where innovation and seasonality take centre stage. Take Melbourne chef duo Sarah Fitzsimmons and Kobi Ruzicka, who moved to Hobart to open Dier Makr, a seasonal, tasting-menu-driven restaurant, with a neighbouring wine bar, Lucinda. Then there’s Scholé, an intimate ten-seater wine bar and restaurant opened by acclaimed chef Luke Burgess after returning to Tasmania. Even legendary Sydney chef Peter Gilmore is planning to make Tasmania his home following the closure of Quay – and he’s teased future culinary projects there.
So, while Hobart may not have as many flashy new openings or glossy restaurants as its mainland counterparts, the city makes up for it in more ways than one. The produce is genuinely next level, menus are mostly seasonal (so you’ll rarely have the same dining experience twice), and the culinary talent is as good as it gets. In my humble opinion, Hobart deserves serious consideration as one of the world’s top foodie destinations.