Hobart's Rim Has Tasty Treats Aplenty

Go past the airport, turn right at Sorell, and on your way to Bangor, make a stop at the Nonesuch Distillery to sample some of Rex Burdon’s delicious drops. His Sloe Malt Whisky is incredible, and he’ll explain the process and the botanicals if you ask. You’ll want more of a taste, so take some home. Your family will love you. (Just do check that he’s there before you go.) From there, wind your way to Bangor Shed where the oysters are farmed in front of you, and the restaurant, with views that will make your jaw drop, is way beyond a ‘shed’.

Bronwyn Strange is the chef, (and makes the best mussels around), and continues to come up with tasty dishes from just caught local seafood and produce. At Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed they are equally serious about their wine. Matty Dunbabin, runs Bangor and tends the grapes (and sheep) with love. Sample their cool climate wines and then match them with fresh local seafood dishes in the restaurant. This is a taste experience you don’t want to miss.

Often acknowledged as ‘the best fish and chips in Tasmania’, TGS has much more as well. These guys are the wholesalers, so you can bet their fish is so fresh it’s still kicking. In season, the lobsters are straight from the ocean and are the cheapest around.

Their seafood dishes are generous, incredible value, and whilst the café decor is unassuming (some rough wooden benches and that’s about it), the owners are focussed purely on what they do best: fresh seafood, cooked to order with love and care. Magnificent.

As you head out towards Sorell, a village on the way to Port Arthur, a stop off in the Cambridge Homemakers’ Centre is a must. Don’t be put off by the bland outer-urban shopping centre. Herein lies a fantastic tribute to the wonder of pizza, and Adrian Beckett along with chef Andrew Clark are serious about this superb Italian food. The décor is cutting edge, the woodfired pizza oven delivers much more than pizza, and there’s a great selection of wines and beers to wash their incredible food down. They are always experimenting, so there’ll be something new to try for sure. Don’t miss it.

If you’re looking for a four star meal at a reasonable price, look no further. Frogmore was first and foremost a winery, but chef Reuben Koopman (we think he’s a genius), produces what a lot of locals acknowledge is ‘the best food anywhere in the world – bar none’. Part of the wine trail, and just 20 minutes from town, Frogmore is a food experience to be savoured. Exquisitely presented small share plates, incredibly caring and attentive service, and views that stretch across the vineyards to the Coal River, just go and find what the fuss is about.

If you’re heading to Bruny Island, and that’s a must visit for any self-respecting food lover, then coffee and a snack or cake at the Hairy Giraffe shouldn’t be missed. Set in a grand old church, chef Antony does the best vegan chocolate cake on the planet, and Paul and Pagan oversee a bustling lunch trade as locals sit and knit in corners. Different? You bet.

So you’re on Bruny Island, and the Bruny Island Cheese Co. looms. Spend some time there. Nick Haddow, part of the team that brought Matthew Evans’ Gourmet Farmer to television, makes award winning cheeses that are boutique and unique. And what better to go with some amazing cheese? Some of the new brews that Nick has developed to match. Beer and cheese. Perfect.

Heading in the other direction, in Birchs Bay, lies a whimsical cheesery that you’ll find hard to forget. Diane Rae makes spectacular sheeps’ milk cheese on the premises, and you’re welcome to taste, and taste. There’s a sunny verandah to drink in the views, and while the old girls (sheep) have their own retirement village, Diane’s son has been whipping up award winning whey liqueur. Ewe will love it!

Masaaki met and married a Tasmanian girl, and Geeveston is the lucky town he landed. A sushi master, Masaaki hand makes with care every item in front of his devotees in this tiny place which he runs to his rules, his time. This is seriously, the best, freshest and cheapest sushi you will buy anywhere.

Even the garnish is fresh from his garden, and sometimes, he’ll just close up to go fishing. And why not? Life’s short and Tasmania is beautiful. Masaaki intends to enjoy every moment.

Since the landmark Museum of Old and New Art, or MONA, opened in 2011, Hobart suddenly sprang onto the world stage. Privately owned by eccentric gambling millionaire and Hobart’s favourite son, David Walsh, MONA is a wonderland of food, wine, beer, art and antiquities that rival any collection in the world.

The big daddy is The Source, a top end restaurant that is quirky, but delivers outstanding food in surroundings that sing. Also on site is a great bistro (with fantastic pastries); a café that spills out onto the water’s edge and both a wine bar and a subterranean cocktail bar - Void Bar. You can also buy Moorilla wines - from the original MONA winery and the popular MOO Brew – at the MONA Cellar Door.