Josie Rozenberg-Clarke

Hobart may be tucked all the way down the bottom of Australia, but it’s a destination not to be slept on. Tasmania’s capital city is blessed with natural beauty, with the glittering waters of the River Derwent on one side and the rugged peak of kunanyi / Mount Wellington on the other, and there’s plenty to do both outside and inside. From mountain walks and self-guided history tours to top-tier restaurants and the incomparable MONA, everyone will find something they like about Hobart. Whether you’re headed to this waterfront town for a quick weekend getaway or you’ve got time on your side, our expert writers have rounded up the best things to do in Hobart. For Time Out's Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, a perfect Hobart day starts with pastries from Pigeon Whole Bakers, a sauna boat experience and a trip to the underrated Farm Gate Market. Happy exploring! 🍽️ The best restaurants in Hobart🖼️ Hobart's best museums and galleries🚗 The coolest day trips from Hobart

Sandwiched between kunyani/Mt Wellington and the River Derwent, Hobart’s breathtaking landscape sets the stage for budget-friendly adventures – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From peaceful picnics and urban art walks to historic neighbourhoods, we've picked out the best free things to do in Hobart. Our Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, loves perusing the local markets (her favourite is the Sunday Farm Gate Market), and she hopes to tick off all of Hobart's best hikes one day. You might break a sweat, but you won’t break the bank. ☕️ The best cafés in Hobart🖼️ Hobart's best museums and galleries🚗 The coolest day trips from Hobart

Hobart really is the perfect place for a holiday, given the fact that it manages to combine glorious vistas with a top-tier foodie scene. The perfect day in Tasmania’s capital combines outdoorsy exertion before toasting your adventures with a local beer, wine, gin or whisky, and treating yourself to dinner at one of Hobart’s best restaurants. And just how exerting is totally up to you – Hobart itself has hikes that range from easy to challenging, or venture further afield for a day trip to Bruny Island, Mount Field National Park or Hartz Mountains National Park. This place is quite literally your oyster, if seafood’s your thing. So pack your puffer jacket, pull on those trainers and tackle one of Hobart’s best hikes. 🌳 The best hikes in Australia🌊 The best beaches in Tasmania🥐 The best cafés in Hobart

Looking for a top-notch café while travelling around Australia? Boy, you’re in luck. Australians know how to cook up a damn good brunch, and we roast – arguably – the world’s best coffee to wash it all down. Whether you’re craving a big brekkie with a batch brew, corn fritters with an iced chai, smashed avo with a smoothie, or buttermilk pancakes with a Bloody Mary, these are just a handful of the best cafés to visit in Australia's capital cities.  Melissa Woodley is Time Out Australia’s Travel and News Editor, based in Sydney. She curated this list with the help of local writers who know their cities inside out.  🍽️ The best restaurants in Australia🥐 The best bakeries in Australia☕️ The best coffee in Australia

From big hitters (*coughs* MONA) to tiny independent spaces, Hobart is full of incredible museums and galleries. Tasmania’s capital is a city rich in history and culture, and both have plenty of representation here.  If you’re in the mood for learning, head to one of the many museums dedicated to preserving Tassie’s past. If you’re an art connoisseur, there are large and small galleries filled to the brim with the work of established and emerging local talent. With almost too many to choose from, we’ve narrowed down the best museums and galleries in Hobart for your next history or culture hit. 🎨 More of the best galleries in Australia🔍 The top museums in Australia🌳 All of the best things to do in Hobart

For a relatively small and humble capital, Hobart punches well above its weight when it comes to luxury – with some of the country’s best fine dining restaurants and plenty of bougie accommodation to match. The city's day spas are no different – in terms of spaces to properly switch off, get pampered and feel truly rejuvenated, you’ll find a bunch of elevated options in the Tassie capital. Whether you’re craving a chic minimalist experience, a full bathhouse, holistic treatments, organic products, indulgent spa packages or state-of-the-art body therapy tech, you’ll find the perfect day spa in Hobart. Before you completely clear your mind, you’ve got a couple more important decisions to make: which of the best spas in Hobart to grace with your presence, and which treatment to pick. Enjoy – we’re jealous. 🥐 The best cafés in Hobart for a post-spa feed⭐️ The best day spas in Australia🧘🏻 Australia's best health and wellness retreats

When the moon hits your eye, it’s time to find the best purveyors of pizza in town. There’s nothing quite like that doughy goodness topped with tangy tomato and lashings of cheese and toppings, and the great news is that this delicacy reaches way beyond Italy – all the way down to Hobart, in fact. Yes, like literally every other cuisine out there, Hobart does pizza extremely well. From takeaway joints loved by locals to dine-in options with immaculate pizza and Spritz, you’ll find the perfect slice to satisfy. Our local pizza lover, Josie Rozenberg-Clarke, has eaten her way across the city to bring you this ultimate guide on the best pizzas in Hobart right now. 🥐 Hobart's best bakeries🍷 The best bars in Hobart🍽 The best restaurants in Hobart

Hobart’s got a rep for having one of the best food scenes in Australia, and it’s not limited to fine dining and wine bars. When you’re up and at ‘em early, ready for a day of exploring Tassie’s capital and surrounds, you’ll find plenty of cafés serving great coffee alongside breakfast menus ripe with local produce. There are well-known staples and places hidden at the end of laneways behind secondhand bookshops, namely Dandy Lane Café, as well as newcomers like Lēoht and Erda, bringing a breath of fresh air to the city. Luckily, you have our local writer, Josie Rozenberg-Clarke, and Time Out Australia’s Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, to round up the best cafés in Hobart right now. All you have to decide is: which one to hit first.  For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍝 The best restaurants in Hobart🥐 Hobart's top bakeries🍕 Where to get the best pizza in Hobart

Call us biased, but we think Australia is one of the most incredible and diverse places on the planet. A sizeable place (you know, continent-sized), it can be overwhelming to decide where to go on your first, fifth or 50th trip – but that's where we come in. From turquoise beaches and ancient rainforests, to flaming red deserts and buzzy metropolitan cities, our Travel and News Editor Melissa Woodley (who has visited every Aussie state and territory) has picked out the most breathtaking places you should visit in Australia right now. No matter who you are, or what you like – be it art, wine, sports or festivals – rest assured, there's something on this list for everyone.  Jump to list:  QLD | NT | WA | NSW | SA | VIC | TAS 🇦🇺 The 20 top tourist attractions in Australia🌈 Australia's most beautiful places to explore🚘 Regional towns worth visiting in Australia

If you didn’t know already, Australia is home to some of the most incredible hikes on the planet. From week-long treks through red deserts and green mountains to easy day hikes through rainforests and along beautiful beaches, the land Down Under has every possible kind of walk imaginable – and trust us, they’re all bloody good.  If you’re looking at lacing up your hiking boots this year, we’ve got you covered with our pick of the best hikes and walks to do in Australia. Using the age-old philosophy of variety being the best spice, this list has a little bit of everything. From self-guided, kid-friendly day walks to life-changing multi-day treks that can be done independently or in a guided group, we’ve rounded up the most beautiful hikes in Australia. 🥾 The most epic national parks in Australia🌊 Australia's best beaches🤿 The best things to do in Australia

Tasmania’s capital city isn’t exactly heaving with activity after dark like its bustling mainland counterparts. But if you know where to look, Hobart’s bar scene is lively, with plenty of drinking holes for the curious and thirsty. From luxury dive bars like Manky Sally's and underground cocktail joints, namely Society Salamanca, to the age-old Cascade Brewery Bar among the greenery, no matter what kind of establishment you’re looking to pull up a stool at, you’ll find it in Hobart. It helps that the local booze, like the food, is world-renowned – the beer, the wine, the whisky, the gin. Whatever your poison, it all adds up to a good time. So whether you're a Dirty Martini person or partial to a tinnie (or three), our expert writers, including Hobart local, Josie Rozenberg-Clarke, and Time Out Australia’s Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, can both attest to these 15 best bars in Hobart. Bottoms up! For more about how we curate our reviews and guides, see our editorial guidelines. 🍽 The best restaurants in Hobart🍕 Hobart's best pizzas🍣 Where to go for Japanese in Hobart

Australians have a love affair with art, and with incredible galleries dotted throughout the country, it’s also one of the top reasons we travel interstate. Every year, our nation welcomes blockbuster international exhibitions, along with major showings of our most colourful and creative local talents.  Whether it’s contemporary Aboriginal art in Alice Springs, delicate glassworks in Wagga Wagga, topical portraits in Canberra or 21st-century Chinese art in Sydney, these are the top public galleries worth visiting in Australia. The best part is that most offer free entry to the permanent galleries! As a bonus, our Arts & Culture Editor, Alannah Le Cross, along with Travel & News Editor, Melissa Woodley, have also put together a guide on the best art exhibitions to see in Australia right now. 🌳 The 20 top tourist attractions in Australia👀 Australia's finest museums☀️ The best things to do in Australia

Not to be confused with Pigeon Whole Bakers (a great place to grab a takeaway coffee and pastry, not so much an actual café), Pigeon Hole is a must-visit Hobart café, especially if you’re a paddock-to-plate foodie type. Everything at Pigeon Hole is locally sourced, right down to the chairs that diners sit on – made by a craftsman in the Derwent Valley. Food-wise, the owners of Pigeon Hole also own Weston Farm, which provides plenty of the menu’s fresh produce. Any dish with honey, apples, veggies, pickles and preserves is likely to be sourced from the farm, and anything the farm hasn’t provided comes from local producers. It’s a true Tassie brunch experience.

Another local favourite café that gives itself away with a line of folks outside, Island Espresso clearly makes good coffee – given the fact that city workers brave the morning cold to wait for their pre-work takeaways outside. But if you pop in for a sit-down breakfast, you’ll find not only top-notch caffeine and a friendly family-run vibe, but also hash brown fries (with housemade tomato relish) on the menu. It’s a scientific fact that hash browns complement every breakfast dish and make your day infinitely better, so for that reason, Island Espresso will always hold a special, deep-fried place in our hearts.

A sister café of long-standing inner-city staple Machine Laundry, Plain Jane has been bringing cheerful vintage goodness to the northern suburb of Moonah for a couple of years now. Locals flock here for the top-tier coffee, huge takeaway three-cheese toasties, and plentiful indoor and outdoor seating for those dining in. The tunes are always good, the decor is pure joy and so are Nonna’s baked eggs on the menu. Bellissimo.

Tucked in a narrow one-way side street in Hobart’s CBD, this café is a favourite with locals, but a very badly kept secret given it’s always packed with diners spilling out onto the footpath seating. We challenge you to walk past on your way to the Elizabeth Street Mall shops without gazing longingly at someone’s stack of corn fritters heaped with avocado smash and popping in to try your luck at a free table. The super-friendly staff will always do their best to find you a spot, and trust us, the food makes any kind of wait worth it.

Pilgrim is one of the best cafés in Hobart CBD for brunch, with a commitment to pouring the best coffee in the city, as well as serving the kind of obscenely good food you’ll feel mildly guilty for indulging in (before your enjoyment takes over). Think four types of toasties stuffed full of goodness, sloppy joes, crispy potatoes, a quesadilla stack and more. With the space’s exposed brick, exposed light bulbs and exposed floorboards, the upscale industrial feel teamed with the expert-level brunch menu will make you feel like you woke up in Brooklyn rather than Hobart.

On the other side of the Tasman Bridge is Bellerive’s Marla Singer, named for the character in Fight Club. But the name is where the similarities end, as this Eastern Shore eatery is as far from chaotic as you could get. Situated in a quiet waterfront suburb, this cool yet welcoming café serves up brunch treats like housemade crumpets with whipped ricotta and preserved fruit, pecorino omelette, nduja baked beans, and the muffuletta – a New Orleans-style breakfast sandwich layered with meat, pickles and cheese.

A stalwart of Salamanca Square, this bright and welcoming spot has been serving the people of Hobart for decades. A must-visit for breakfast, it’s especially pleasant to take refuge in this brightly-coloured, retro-tinged space when the Tassie weather is at its most bleak. If the decor isn’t soul-warming enough, the hearty breakfasts – like chunky sourdough heaped with avocado and perfectly squeaky halloumi, or the breakfast chicken cassoulet with a fried egg – certainly will. And yep, you can literally do a load of laundry here at the coin-operated machines.

The definition of hidden gem, Dandy Lane is one of Hobart’s best cafés and best-kept secrets. You’ll find it down the end of a pedestrian laneway called Collins Court, serving all-day brunch with a hefty side of Tassie friendliness from the staff. Treat yourself to French toast, fried chicken benny or the baby Dutch pancake served in its own little cast iron pan. All of it pairs perfectly with Dandy Lane’s excellent coffee and warm, welcoming atmosphere. It’s tough to brave the winter air after brunch at this place.

Surfers love Clifton Beach, as its south-facing position brings in some decent swells. It’s not just for hanging ten, though. The shallows are perfect for a paddle and a splash – watch out for rips near the rocks – and the cliffs provide lots of shelter for all-day beach hangs and picnics. It’s patrolled on weekends and public holidays, and can be busy with locals in the warmer months as they defrost post-winter. Good for: Surfing, picnics, beachcombing in the sand dunes.

Not to be overlooked, the southeast of the state offers up some beaut beaches to visit, too. There’s a bunch of lovely little spots dotted around the Tasman Peninsula – Pirates Bay Beach and Lagoon Beach are highlights – but if you’re an outdoorsy type, add Fortescue Bay to your list. Tucked within Tasman National Park, this remote spot is bordered by towering forests but is worth the hike – or drive – to get there. You can camp nearby, or simply stop off for a dip as you navigate the popular Three Capes Walk. Good for: Adventuring, kayaking, camping, walking.

The waters on the wild West Coast of Tasmania aren’t the most ideal for a safe swimming session, but that’s not why you visit Ocean Beach. A trip to see this majestic landmark is all about taking in its rugged beauty – a huge 40km stretch of sand, some of the biggest waves you’ll see in Tassie, and the howling winds of the Roaring Forties. Plus, you’ll experience something you won’t find if you’re from the East Coast of Australia: a sunset over the ocean. Good for: Long (and we mean long) walks along the beach, marvelling at giant waves, sunset watching.

Up in the north-east of Tasmania are the calm, clear waters of Waterhouse Point. Just east of the popular holiday town of Bridport, the beaches around Waterhouse Point are hugely popular with Taswegians who enjoy fishing and family beach holidays. Camping around the area is free, and lots of locals and tourists take advantage of not only this, but the perfect swimming and snorkelling conditions. Check out Waterhouse Point, Croppies Beach and the beautiful and secluded Ransons Beach. Good for: Fishing, rockpools, snorkelling, family beach holidays.