Discover who’s serving Holm Oak wines around Tasmania
It’s been a difficult few years for everyone in Tasmania and beyond our shores. The hospitality industry is still really doing it tough. Here at Holm Oak, we know only too well how much the pandemic is affecting our friends and colleagues. We’re always happy to share our tips on where you can eat great food and drink great wine – and try ours! So we’ve put a list together of places to eat, drink and help support Tasmania’s brilliant restaurants and cafes.
Hobart and surrounds
63° Espresso & Bar (Three Japanese)
After a renovation, and name change, the team from Three Japanese is back with an extended menu – for brunch and dinner. The new name sums it up – Japanese-inspired café by day (Japanese style omelette, Tamagoyaki French toast), licensed Japanese restaurant by night. And the 63 degrees? Apparently, that’s the ideal temperature to cook fresh ingredients to retain optimum flavour and texture. The wine list offers plenty of choice, from Japanese beers, sake and fruit liqueurs, to Tassie drops including a couple of our own.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris, NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling
38 Waterloo Cresc, Hobart, 0444 566 830, https://www.63degree.com.au/
Rockwall bar + grill
This longstanding Hobart favourite in an historic warehouse in Salamanca Place continues to serve up crowd-pleasing food, showcasing local produce. The signature Rockwall Blue, an eye fillet steak stuffed with blue cheese is a must-try, while the seafood is also outstanding, from Tasmanian rock lobster pâté to a two-person platter of salt & pepper calamari, pork belly and tempura prawns. The wine list is made up of predominantly Australian labels, with plenty of local drops on offer.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris, Pig & Pooch Moscato, Cabernet Merlot
89 Salamanca Pl, Battery Point, (03) 6224 2929, https://www.rockwallbarandgrill.com.au/
Image source: Rockwall Bar and Grill
Monsoon
While it calls itself ‘Thai fusion’, Monsoon is much more than that, offering a wide range of really delicious, modern twists on ‘pan-Asian’ flavours. Its menu includes plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, too, including red and green curries, pad Thai, and even a spicy ‘duck’ roti. There’s also a sister restaurant in Launceston.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Protégé Pinot Noir
46 Battery Point, Hobart, (03) 6224 4101; 178 Charles St, Launceston, (03) 6776 1612, https://monsoonthaifusion.com
Lewisham Tavern
North-east of Hobart, at the Lewisham Tavern, they’re serving up generous meals in front of a roaring fire for their loyal local following. Burgers, grills and winter warmers like lamb shanks are popular, as are the seafood platter and panko-crumbed Tassie scallops. With its beautiful Clark Bay views, this is a great spot to head to as the weather warms, too.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris
46 Scenic Dr, Lewisham, (03) 6265 8144, https://www.facebook.com/LewishamTavern/
Panko Chan
Head south of Hobart to Kingston Beach on the River Derwent for a homemade ramen lunch or a dinner menu of great Japanese-style seafood, in a style they call ‘Japas’ (basically, a Japanese take on tapas). So you can choose from the freshest sashimi kingfish to Panko Chan’s specialties such as crispy yuzu (a Japanese citrus) salt & pepper calamari, and a variety of tempura fried fish, perhaps served with black sesame or Furikake (a sprinkle of seaweed & bonito flakes.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Cabernet Merlot, Pinot Gris
23 Beach Rd, Kingston Beach, 0479 093 511, https://pankochan.com.au
Image source: Panko Chan
Cradle Mountain
The Devil Lounge at Peppers
While this cosy lounge bar’s drinks menu focuses largely on Tasmanian-produced spirits, such as the evocatively named Iron House Strange Omen Small Batch Gin, there’s a small selection of Tassie wines, on offer, too, including our Estate Pinot Noir, by the glass or the bottle. Settle in by the fire and relax over a glass or two after a day’s exploration of this incredible part of the world.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Estate Pinot Noir
4038 Cradle Mountain Rd, Cradle Mountain, 1300 987 600, https://www.peppers.com.au/cradle-mountain-lodge/
East Coast
Piermont Homestead Restaurant
Just south of the pretty seaside town of Swansea, you’ll find Piermont’s beautiful retreat accommodation on the shores of Oyster Bay overlooking Freycinet National Park. Its award-winning restaurant is open all day – don’t miss a sunny lunch with a view on the terrace –and takes things up a notch at dinner, with a short but sophisticated menu featuring locally sourced produce, such as oysters and abalone, and heirloom vegetables grown specially for the restaurant in Launceston. The compact drinks list is also proudly pro-Tasmania, particularly nearby wineries and breweries, and you can pick up a range of local goodies to take home, too.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Estate Pinot Noir
Tasman Hwy, 3 kilometres south of Swansea, (03) 6257 8131, http://piermont.com.au/restaurant/
North Coast
Belly’s Bar & Grill
Situated not far from Devonport in the little enclave of Latrobe, this classic American-style diner looks like it’s straight out of an Edward Hopper painting. Belly’s Bar & Grill pumps out great food from morning till night. The kitchen prides itself on keeping things local, with Cape Grim beef, Wild Clover lamb and Petuna salmon on the menu, plus a mighty range of local drops on the drinks list, including yours truly’s.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Estate Pinot Noir
160 Gilbert St, Latrobe, (03) 6426 3086, http://www.bellysbarandgrill.com.au
Launceston
Levee Food Co.
Sitting at an outdoor table at Levee in the sunshine, with a view over the harbour is always a treat. The restaurant’s menu is packed with tasty options, whether you’re there for brunch, lunch or dinner. Spanking-fresh locally caught fish and chips, pizzas, and a melting pot of multicultural flavours, from an Indian-style dahl to a Middle Eastern quail entrée, means everyone will be happy. The wine list ranges around Tasmania and beyond to the mainland, with a few good NZ drops thrown in. There are also Tassie beers and ciders on offer.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris
27 Seaport Blvd, (03) 6334 7011, https://www.leveefoodco.com.au
Image source: Levee Food Co.
Stelo at Pierre’s
Stelo describes its cooking as “Local produce through an Italian lens”, which sums it up beautifully. On the regularly changing menus, you might find Robbins Island wagyu beef cheek paired with cauliflower puree and Tamar Valley truffle, a variety of housemade gnocchi, and a dessert of mandarin cheesecake with candied almonds and mandarin sorbet. Choose from tasting menus with half or full-pour wine-matching options, or from a short but sweet à la carte. There’s also a tasting menu for vegetarians – and, in response to the pandemic, an Italian-style deli for more deliciousness to pick up and take home.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris
8 George St, (03) 6331 6835, https://stelotas.com/
Alchemy
Offering bar-snack bites (with a dizzying array of taco options!) through burgers and wraps, to something sizzling from the grill, Alchemy is a great place to relax with friends and family. The wine list’s great, too – with a wide range of Tasmanian and other Australian labels featured, and a few international stars in the mix.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Protégé Pinot Noir
90 George St, (03) 6331 2526, http://www.alchemylaunceston.com.au
Stillwater
This restaurant ‘with the lot’, including its recently opened accommodation, Seven, has been winning awards for years, and is the jewel in Launceston’s dining crown. The reasons are clear once you start reading the menu, which is a tribute to the exceptional ingredients our island state produces – Rannoch quail, Tasmanian squid and wallaby – cooked with love and finesse by a crack team in the kitchen. The wine list, too, is a standout, having won Gourmet Traveller WINE’s ‘Best Listing of a Region’s Wines’ award in 2019.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Protégé Pinot Noir
2 Bridge Rd, (03) 6331 4153, https://www.stillwater.com.au
Image source: Stillwater Restaurant
Rupert & Hound
Local ingredients are the feature here, too, on an approachable menu that spans Tassie oysters through kingfish cooked in a Tasmanian hemp crust, to a slow-cooked Cape Grim brisket to share. The drinks list is heavily geared to Tasmanian labels, and even the cocktails feature local spirits, such as the Sloe Gin Fizz, made with McHenry Distillery’s Sloe Gin.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Pinot Gris, Cabernet Merlot
30 Seaport Blvd, (03) 6331 7197, https://www.rupertandhound.com.au/
Image source: Rupert & Hound
Blue Café Inc.
Located in Launceston’s Inveresk Precinct near the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, light and sunny Blue Café Inc. has long been popular for breakfast and lunch with dinner coming soon. A seasonal, produce-driven menu might feature Sheffield eggs for breakfast, and fire-seared Tasmanian salmon or lamb for lunch.
Holm Oak on the wine list: Riesling
2-4 Invermay Rd, Invermay, (03) 6334 3133, https://bluecafeinc.com.au
Image source: Blue Cafe Inc
