Places to Eat in Devonport
Set in the stunning Cradle Coast in Tasmania, Devonport is a popular stop for anyone on a food and wine road trip in Tasmania. It’s the landing point for those travelling to the Apple Isle via the Spirit of Tasmania from the mainland, and a handy base to explore the wineries and pristine wilderness of the Cradle Coast and the Tamar Valley. An hour drive from Holm Oak Cellar Door, it’s a part of Tasmania that we spent a bit of time in as a family and there’s lots of great restaurants and cafés to discover. Read on for our local’s guide of the best places to eat in Devonport that covers breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.
Cafes and casual dining
From artisan coffee to the best breakfasts in town, here is our round-up of the top casual dining spots in Devonport.
Laneway
Laneway serves breakfast and lunch in a relaxed cafe setting. The menu features local produce and covers all the bases when it comes to fuelling your day. There are healthy power breakfasts of coconut chia pudding with activated almonds, super smoothies and avocado toast. Looking for a more indulgent start to the day? Try fried chicken and maple waffles, their signature breakfast burger and delicious steak and eggs that comes with bearnaise sauce and miso mushrooms. When it’s time for lunch, there are hearty salads, panini and burgers you can enjoy with a glass of our Holm Oak Cabernet Sauvignon.
Drift Cafe
This is the spot to sip your morning coffee to the meditative sound of the waves crashing on Devonport’s Mersey Bluff Beach. Drift Cafe offers local, seasonal all-day dining in a casual and relaxed atmosphere smack bang on the beachfront. For brunch, local producers pop up in dishes such as chilli scrambled eggs with Scottsdale pork thick-cut maple smoked bacon, shakshuka and zucchini fritters. Lunch is best enjoyed out on the grass, and covers everything from Sri Lankan market seafood curry to prawn and Sriracha soft-shell tacos. Dinner is served on Friday and Saturday nights, and the Tasmanian seafood platter for two is a great way to sample some of Tassie’s best seafood.
Giaconda Coffee Roasters
Coffee? Check. Cronuts? Check. Giaconda is specialty coffee roaster and coffee bar in Devonport and a local favourite for its great brews, freshly made cakes and warm service. Come at the right time and you can catch the coffee roaster in action, before pulling up a seat inside or outside to satisfy those caffeine cravings. Be sure to save room for the sweet treats (many gluten-free) that come from the kitchen daily. There’s vanilla bean cheesecake with honeycomb crumble, apricot and rhubarb muffins, lime panna cotta and their signature cronuts, of course.
Bars and restaurants
The Cradle Coast is home to a wealth of local produce – and many serving Tamar Valley wines, of course! – and the following restaurants are where you can get a taste of the region.
Mrs Jones
You can’t get closer to the beach than this bar and restaurant. Located at the bluff above the Devonport Surf Club, Mrs Jones is the spot for a long seafood lunch with sweeping ocean views, a sunset tipple of our Holm Oak NV sparkling with a dozen oysters, or a special-occasion dinner. The menu is contemporary and features local ingredients with global flavours – think braised pork belly with cassia and star anise, pan-fried Atlantic salmon with harissa potatoes, and wallaby porterhouse with mountain pepper berry. There are gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free options, and a substantial takeaway menu if you’d prefer to eat with the sand in between your toes.
Verona Italian Wine Bar & Restaurant
Many consider Verona to be the best Italian restaurant in town. There’s classic Italian fare – yes, but the warm hospitality and live music in the evenings round-out the offering. The menu is designed for convivial feasting with antipasti, woodfired pizzas, pasta, and meat and seafood mains featuring local Tasmanian produce. Plus, there are gluten-free and vegan cheese pizzas for those on special diets. On the drinks menu you’ll find local Tasmanian wines and craft beers, and Giaconda coffee is served from 8am daily except Sunday.
Ghost Rock Wines
A 15-minute drive out of town, and just 10 minutes from the Spirit of Tasmania, Ghost Rock is one of the region’s most exciting food and wine destinations, and the perfect place to stop for a long lunch among the vines. The Cellar Door & Eatery is open for lunch Thursday to Sunday and set on the picturesque grounds of the popular Ghost Rock winery. On the concise menu, you’ll find local Tasmanian produce treated with a modern sensibility. Start with a charcuterie board overlooking the patchwork of vines, then move on to baby beetroot salad, grilled fish souvlaki with fried capers, and tandoori slow-roasted lamb shoulder with spiced yoghurt. It’s a casual, family-friendly space surrounded by sprawling green lawns with plenty of space for little kids to play and there’s a cooking school on site, too.
Visit us!
As you venture further afield, put a trip to our Holm Oak Cellar Door on your itinerary. We’re only an hour east of Devonport and offer an extensive range of award-winning wines at our Tamar Valley Cellar Door, with at least eight being available for tasting on any given day. We cater for all tastes, have a sensory garden to explore and there’s a range of local produce to discover and enjoy. Why not book in for a wine flight whilst you are here!
