In a pier-end attic space, Elspeth Callender finds new Hobart perspectives both outside the window and on the plate.
Brooke Street Pier, also technically a barge, was designed by local architect Robert Morris-Nunn and recently constructed upriver from Hobart.
Aloft occupies the type of top floor space an artist would choose to live out their days.
When I arrive for a late sitting at the kitchen bar – where the banquet menu is the dining option – the restaurant, almost at capacity, feels both roomy and intimate.
The place isn’t huge, but a wall of glass, open-plan kitchen and vaulted ceiling let you breathe. Charred wood that frames the kitchen is balanced by pale sails stretched above light timber floorboards and concrete tables.
Pre-dinner Aperol spritzers served at Aloft in Hobart.
Lighting is artfully subtle, side seating cleverly built into angled walls and no diner’s back is to either the cooking or the river.
This Nordic-named restaurant with Danish-designed black cutlery was steering towards a Scandinavian-style menu until Glenn Byrnes put a spatula in the works.
His Australasian menu seasonally shifts with local produce heavily represented. A keen forager, Byrnes substitutes Asian ingredients with Tasmanian-found alternatives.
Formerly of Hobart’s ground-breaking Garagistes under Luke Burgess, Byrnes is on his first holiday since Aloft opened late last year.
However, the kitchen runs smoothly under chef and co-owner Christian Ryan, who worked with Byrnes at Melbourne’s Taxi Dining Room and The Source at Mona.
Sommelier Alice Chugg, previously at Ethos Eat Drink, has built a wine list suitable for the menu with a focus on smaller sustainable producers – local and overseas.
Co-owner Heiki Stanley heads front-of-house and service overall is respectful and attentive with disarming casualness and care.
Dishes are passed to us as they’re prepared, starting with mouthfuls of poached spanner crab and crispy ginger in a savoury custard.
A bowl of sliced, deep-fried pig’s ears confirms this is no place for faint-heartedness. Perfection is achieved over the Asado grill’s open flame and we eat the prawns in coconut sambal and fig leaf cream on a soft taco-like turmeric wafer with our hands.
In Horbart, Aløft restaurant serves dainty wood ear and shiitake mushroom dumplings.
Somewhere between the pork belly and the mushroom dumplings – full of fungi sourced from Cygnet – I may have licked my plate.
Verdict: Aloft has already found its voice and is singing high and strong.
Score: 4.5/5
We rated: Unpretentious people committed to achieving greatness.
We’d change: Not a thing.
Notes: Aloft is open for lunch on Fridays and for dinner Tues-Sat from 6pm until late. Banquet menu is $85 per person.
All AT reviews are conducted anonymously and our writers pay their own way – so we experience exactly what you would.
Elspeth Callender (she/they) seriously considered being a fiction writer until she began travelling and realised nothing is more fascinating than real people’s true stories. Now based in lutruwita/Tasmania, which is palawa Country, Elspeth is as dedicated to writing about the island she considers home as she is to places beyond its shores.
Welcome to Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.
I arrive at The Tasman in Hobart at 10pm. Two McLaren 620Rs are parked out front, and a welcome cup of mulled wine – made from local chardonnay, not red wine – lands in my hand. It’s already clear this isn’t your average hotel stay. The last time I was in the Tassie capital was in 2022, when my family stayed at MACq 01 and cheered on my brother-in-law who raced in the Sydney to Hobart. This time, I’m moving away from one of my favourite Australian hotels and checking into this award-winning stay.
What I love most about Tasmania is the dedication to good produce. Farmers, chefs and locals alike create and grow some of the country’s finest offerings – plump oysters, world-class gins, irresistible cheese and fresh berries. And much of it can be savoured from the comfort of the unique accommodations peppered across the island, each impressing with its attention to detail. Perhaps none do it as well as this month’s chosen hotel, though.
Having opened its doors in December 2021, The Tasman was named in The World’s 50 Best Hotels list for 2024, putting Hobart firmly on the map for international travellers. Visitors and locals are also drawn to its onsite restaurant Peppina, an Italian eatery helmed by Tassie-born and Napoli-raised chef Massimo Mele, whose food philosophy centres on using the best produce, simply.
The hotel is a short walk from Salamanca Place, the waterfront and Battery Point.
The building is located in the heart of Hobart CBD in the Parliament Square precinct – a short walk from the waterfront – making it a convenient base for exploring the city. Designed by Sydney-based architects fjcstudio with heritage guidance from Design 5 and interior design practice JPDC, the project involved melding and restoring three distinct architectural styles – 1840s Georgian, 1940s Art Deco and the new Contemporary Pavilion – while celebrating the city’s maritime heritage. The result is an elegant fusion of heritage character and modern sophistication.
There are 152 rooms and suites divided into Heritage, Art Deco, and Pavilion. My room is in the Heritage part of the building and features dramatic ceilings, a mini bar stocked with local treats and a huge marble-swathed bathroom with an enticing freestanding bath and Tasmanian dairy cream and leatherwood honey soap.
I decide to order room service since the onsite speakeasy, Mary Mary, is closed and I don’t have a dinner reservation. The late-night menu tempts withseafood chowder served with crusty bread and a ham and cheese toastie – but whenever I see a cheese plate, I can’t resist. Have I ever had a truly great one in a hotel? Not even in Bordeaux. But this time, it’s different: the spread is beautifully presented with thinly sliced apple and pear, three local cheeses, honey and an assortment of crackers made onsite. I pair this with a gin and tonic made with Forty Spotted Classic Tassie Gin and Tasmanian Tonic Company gin – it’s my perfect night in.
The minibar is stocked with local treats. (Image: Rachael Thompson)
The next morning, I opt for the buffet breakfast. Hotel buffets can be hit or miss, and I generally see them as a waste of money, but my sister claimed the offering at Peppina was her favourite she’s ever had. Coincidentally, one of her closest friends is in town for a conference and, having stayed here before, chose The Tasman and breakfast at Peppina again; more assurance of its deliciousness.
The space is light and bright with two productive olive trees boosting the mood. I load up a plate of chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach, pickles, the world’s creamiest mushroom quiche and slices of cheddar. A bit unconventional, but it’s all perfect, and I’m convinced this is the best breakfast I’ve ever had. I finish with a pear and lemon pastry, which is on par with the baked goods I savoured on a recent trip to France.
Peppina celebrates seasonal Tasmanian produce.
I spend the rest of the morning and afternoon walking around Salamanca Markets and the waterfront areas in the historic Sullivans Cove precinct, enjoying 12 Bruny Island oysters for just $20 – a steal! Back at the hotel, I squeeze in a quick gym session. It’s small, but the preserved sandstone walls give it a unique charm that makes the workout feel more like a novelty rather than a chore.
There’s no spa or swimming pool onsite – a disappointment I have to admit – but what it does have is a wine cellar and that might excite me even more. The cellar is stocked with Tassie drops as well as notable international bottles. During my tasting I decide to stick with local sips, which will be paired with a charcuterie plate, and to my delight, another cheese plate. Our sommelier Adrian guides us through eight different wines, including a very tasty 2023 Syrah, Bubb + Pooley and a 2024 Pinot Noir, Stoney Rise. The region is known for its cool-climate wines, especially sparkling wine and Pinot Noir, and Adrian’s animated commentary on each pour transforms the tasting into a performance. That or the wine is just working its magic…
Sample Tassie drops in the wine cellar. (Image: Rachael Thompson)
I make the tipsy pilgrimage back to Peppina to try their dinner offering. I dive into a memorable line-up of kingfish ceviche, Bruschetta al Tonno, and gnocchi with pink oyster, nameko mushrooms, mushroom-celeriac broth and parmesan cream. Retreating to my ultra-comfy bed and almost eerily quiet room, the blend of character and comfort makes me feel like there’s nowhere I’d rather be after a full day of eating and exploring.
Although part of the Marriott family, The Tasman’s respect and celebration of its location allows it to exude personality and charm, making it feel worlds away from the impersonal atmosphere often found in large hotels. Where many hotel kitchens are fine but forgettable, The Tasman stands out for its dedication to great produce. And with rooms starting from $300 per night, it offers luxury at a more attainable price.
Details
Address: 12 Murray St, Hobart TAS 7000
Best for: Couples, foodies and design-savvy travellers.
Family-friendly?: Yes
Accessibility: The Tasman has a number of accessible rooms for each room type.
