Tasmania Food

Hobart won’t let you go hungry, although few restaurants here have menus designed for budget travelers. Your best bet for cheaper fare is local produce and baked goods, displayed at their best in a number of cafes located in Battery Point. Restaurants downtown serve meals from nearly every region of Asia, while the pubs and grills of Salamanca Pl. provide their clientele with more traditional Aussie dishes. Elizabeth St. in North Hobart is home to a cluster of restaurants that showcase a variety of cuisines—from Indian to Mexican to Vietnamese. Woolworths, 179 Campbell St., North Hobart, is the only fully stocked supermarket near the city center. (Open daily 7am-10pm.) For a decent selection of groceries smack dab in the heart of Hobart, City Supermarket, 148 Liverpool St., has everything you need. (Open M-F 8am-7pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su noon-5pm.) The Saturday Salamanca Market is your best option for wonderful produce, sauces, spreads, honey, cheese, and more. The market has cheap takeaway vendors with surprisingly good food and offers excellent people-watching to boot. (Open Sa 8:30am-3pm.)

Devilishly Delicious. Traditional Tassie tucker is abalone or salmon with a cold Cascade beer. The many seafood restaurants along the waterfront are your best bet, but expect to pay $15 or more.

Jackman and McRoss, 57-59 Hampden Rd. (☎03 6223 3186). Bright cafe in Battery Point offers delicious breakfast pastries ($4.50), innovative lunch pies (lamb shank and rosemary pie $6.50), and excellent coffee ($3). Treat yourself to the berry-and-cream-cheese tart ($5). Exposed brick walls and worn wood floors complete the picture. Open M-F 7:30am-6pm, Sa-Su 7:30am-5pm. Cash only.
Little Bali, at the corner of Harrington and Collins St., next to Little India and Little Salama. Follow your nose to this little restaurant with decidedly non-little servings of Indonesian curry dishes ($8.50) for eat-in or takeaway. Most expensive dishes ($10.50) comfortably satisfy 2. Open M-F 11:30am-3pm and 5-9pm, Sa-Su 5-9pm.
Retro Cafe, 31 Salamanca Pl. (☎03 6223 3073), on the corner of Montpelier Retreat. Enjoy fine food and coffee in an atmosphere that matches the cafe’s name. It can be hard to get a seat, but their all-day brekkie (scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and melted cheese; $14.50) is worth the scramble. Open daily 8am-6pm. Cash only.
Criterion Street Cafe, 30 Criterion St. (☎03 6231 0890), just up from the YHA office, is one of the best lunch bets in the city center, with daily soup specials ($4.50-6.50), healthful smoothies ($4.50-5.50), and excellent muffins ($3.50). Grilled beef salad with zucchini makes a great splurge ($14.50). Open M-F 7:30am-4pm.
Ball and Chain Grill, 87 Salamanca Pl. (☎03 6223 2655). Plates of char-grilled meats cover wood tables. Although not cheap (steaks $15-42), the meats are specially aged and expertly cooked to order. Open M-F noon-11pm, Sa-Su 5:30-11pm.