Top 7 Tasmania Food Experiences

Tasmania – the island state, home to the Tasmanian Devil, and renowned worldwide for its breathtaking wilderness and stunning scenery. But more than just an adventure seekers dream getaway, Tasmania is a food mecca when it comes to fresh produce and fine wines.

Tasmania is resplendent with epicurean delights to satisfy even the most fastidious foodie. From coast to coast you will find a comprehensive selection of farm gate, cellar door, and fresh seafood offerings to some of the best restaurants in Australia.

So, satiate your tastebuds and experience food in new and exciting ways with a trip to Tasmania.

Hobart and Surrounds

The heart of Tasmanian produce. Nestled between Mount Wellington and the Derwent River lies the state’s capital, Hobart. This storied city steeped in history boasts some of the finest eateries in Australia. Well-matched with world-class dining experiences you might expect to find in Sydney or Melbourne. 

Showcasing the magnificence and majesty of Tasmanian food, you can take in all the flavours the state has to offer from a number of top restaurants in and around the city. Start your foodie tour of Hobart on the wharf, with a bite from Aloft at the Brooke Street Pier, before heading up the road to the city centre for a menu filled with locally sourced produce and wine from Dier Makr. Next, tempt your palate with a trip to North Hobart and local favourite Templo, then top off your day of delicacies with a Tasmanian whiskey from world-class merchant Lark Distillery.

With an endless array of fine foods, first-rate restaurants, and the freshest offerings available anywhere in Australia, the city of Hobart alone makes Tasmania a must-visit when you are planning your next escape.

MONA

When it comes to experiences with Tasmania food, few can come close to the innovation, creativity and daring of MONA. Just a short 15-minute drive from Hobart, the flagship fine dining restaurant, The Source, now has some fierce competition in David Walsh’s new offering, Faro, presenting tapas in a way you have never encountered nor imagined you would encounter ever in your life.

Where The Source is an artistic restaurant within an art museum, Faro is an art installation in and of itself. The restaurant is incorporated within the new wing of the museum, Pharos, and along with a unique interpretation of tapas dining, you will be taken on a visual and visceral journey from the minute you step within the doors.

Tassie local and architectural/lifestyle photographer, Adam Gibson, and Gourmet Traveller favourite, captures the uniqueness of Faro perfectly in his latest work. From the opulence of the food to the overall ambience of the surroundings, his images pique interest in the extraordinary environment and entice lovers of art and foodies alike to visit this fun and wild way to enjoy food.

The Deep South

With its tumultuous past and world heritage historic site, a day trip to the town of Port Arthur in the state’s southeast is certainly worth the 90-minute drive from Hobart. The mystery and magnificence of your surroundings will be complemented by a Tasmanian whiskey and gin experience at Nonesuch Distillery where you can join in the process of decanting a vat or assist with bottling. Or for a bite to eat while enjoying sweeping views over the former convict penitentiary, drop into 1830 Restaurant & Bar and sample the fresh, seasonal produce sourced from local growers.

Another day trip definitely worth investing your time is located 30 minutes from Hobart in the Huon Valley. Giving a name to Tassie’s colloquial Apple Isle moniker, the Huon Valley boasts some fantastic cider-based experiences that should not be missed. Willie Smith’s Apple Shed, in Grove, features both restaurant and bar inside an old apple packing shed and is bookended by an apple museum and display of around 400 apple varieties. Pagan Cider Cellar Door and Frank’s Cider House also offer a delicious glimpse into the history and versatility of cider produced and sourced in the local area.

Lastly, for a one-stop tour of local produce, Bruny Island is a short 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland of Tasmania. This self-contained foodie haven (off the coast of a self-contained foodie haven) produces artisan delights ranging from cheese, chocolate, honey, fudge, and freshly shucked oysters that are all grown on the island. So, make the trip to Bruny and soak up the rugged scenery as you sample all the gourmet delights the mini-mecca has to offer.

Paddock to Plate

With inherent rural foundations, you will find the freshest produce on offer all throughout Tasmania. But if you are seeking the true farm to fork experience there are a few must-visit locales that stand out.

Approximately 45 minutes south of Hobart, Cygnet is home to Fat Pig Farm. Run by owners, Matthew Evans and Sadie Chrestman, the 70-acre family farm is the source of your dining experience. Direct from the surrounding paddock and gardens you will be served honest, breathtaking food hand grown, nurtured, and delivered from the farm gate to your table. Interspersed with your feast, you will be taken on a guided tour of the farm. Definitely, an experience to remember!

The Agrarian Kitchen is another first-class farm gate journey that is worth the 40-minute drive from Hobart. With a focus on produce sourced from the direct vicinity, New Norfolk plays host to this fine dining experience where you will be treated to some of the best offerings the local area can provide. You will literally taste the town as you work your way through the specially formulated menu of seasonal delights.

Seafood Bonanza

Fresh seafood is the epitome of opulence and extravagance when it comes to Tasmania food. Surrounded by sea, there is no end to where you can find the most delectable array of oysters, abalone, scallops, rock lobster, and salmon. All fresh, all flavourful, and all plucked from the sparkling blue waters of Tasmania.

The Freycinet Peninsula, located on the state’s east coast, is one such region where fresh seafood is available in abundance. At Freycinet Marine Farm you will experience oysters and mussels harvested fresh from the farm, with the opportunity to don a pair of waders yourself, head out to the oyster farm and harvest your own oysters direct from the racks. It doesn’t come much fresher than that!

Launceston and the Tamar Valley

Heading to the north of the state, Launceston and the Tamar Valley offer a range of high-quality restaurants and dining experiences that expertly showcase local produce in all its exquisite beauty. From paddock to plate style dining at Stillwater, located in a renovated flour mill beside the mouth of the Cataract Gorge to the panoramic vistas and endless vines of Josef Chromy Wines, situated on 61 acres just south of Launceston, in Relbia, you will find a stunning selection of local wines, fresh flavours, and artisan foods that will quite literally take your breath away.

The Tamar Valley provides the ideal climate for grape growing, making the area a renowned wine region, producing some of the state’s finest drops. Spanning over 60kms northwest of Launceston and running along both sides of the Tamar River, the fertile valley is famous for its chardonnays, sparkling, pinot noir, and aromatic whites. You will find a number of cellar door options within the region meaning you can purchase directly from the grower, sample the wares, and take in the picturesque surroundings from world-class wineries such as Holm Oak, Tamar Ridge, and Goaty Hill.

Italian Delicacies

Tasmania has a rich and vibrant relationship with Italian food, and you will find the strong cultural connection on display at some of the state’s top Italian restaurants.

From new up and comer Fico, along with Battery Point stalwart Da Angelo Ristorante, Hobart and it’s surrounds boast a plethora of authentic dishes that encompass a passion and commitment to gourmet Italian fare.

So, be transported as you dine your way across Italy during your next trip to Tasmania. You won’t be disappointed.