Hobart’s first rooftop restaurant and bar has opened with a splash at the Crowne Plaza Hobart. The glamourous venue boasts Derwent River and kunanyi/Mount Wellington views but a cocktail list showcasing Tasmanian spirits demands its share of attention; so does a menu delivering excellent snacks (a special callout for the gnocco fritto with red onion jam and mortadella) and dishes such as Murray cod served with daikon, black garlic and local goat’s curd.

Level 12, 110 Liverpool Street, Hobart; (03) 6236 9001

The dark arts of puff pastry are shown to devastating effect at this iconic Battery Point bakery and café. From sausage rolls of duck, cranberry and walnut or pies filled with rabbit and ham hock in a creamy mushroom sauce, these baked goods are the stuff of reveries. Take away to enjoy alfresco or grab a seat for in-house brunch fare such as a mushroom sourdough bruschetta with hummus and sundried tomato.

57-59 Hampden Road, Hobart; (03) 6223 3186

Stunning water views from the Brooke Street Pier and Christian Ryan’s searching menu combine to make this the city’s leading fine-dining restaurant. Hyper-local ingredients – many of them native – harnessed to modern Asian inspiration equals creations such as Tassie mountain pepper with sticky caramel-sauced tempura eggplant, or charry medallions of wallaby with macadamia miso purée and crisp saltbush. Put yourself in the hands of the sommeliers for an equally convincing tour de force of Tasmanian wines.

Brooke Street Pier, Hobart; (03) 6223 1619

There’s an excellent chance you’ll get to know your neighbours at this tiny 20-seater, where space is at a premium but the Italian flavours are boundless. The blackboard menu constantly changes thanks to the pious micro-seasonal focus but the gnocco fritto – puffs of fried dough draped with whisper-thin shavings of prosciutto – is a regular, along with haute-rustic pasta and a wine list flying the minimal intervention flag.

98 Patrick Street, Hobart; (03) 6234 7659

Expect the unexpected at this adventurous Italian-ish restaurant, where the menu fizzes with outré yet sympathetic combinations that take their cues from elsewhere, whether that’s tagliolini with “Italian XO” sauce, dainty quail canelés or a dessert of gooey-centred coulant with rich chocolate and wasabi caramel. Sunday nights, when owner-chefs Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi cook whatever they bought from the market that morning, are worth planning for.

151 Macquarie Street, Hobart; (03) 6245 3391

Kobi Ruzicka has been making big waves at his little Hobart restaurant since 2016 thanks to an eclectic parade of small dishes backed by a serious natural wine program. Trust the ever-changing set menu, which might start with a bouquet of brassica shoots and flowers to swipe through an oyster emulsion, move onto celeriac and smoked fish ravioli in a mushroom broth and finish with the supreme comfort of apple tart Tatin with chamomile ice-cream. This is exciting fine dining in casual clothes.

123 Collins Street, Hobart; (03) 6288 8910

The menu at this cultish café is a portal to the owners’ farm in southern Tasmania. Their sustainably grown produce is a fixture of the menu that sings in a key of comfort, from poached fruit with ginger panna cotta drizzled in orange syrup to the potato hash ballasting a hearty mix of chorizo, eggs and herby mojo sauce. And if you want to manifest those Pigeon Hole memories, the take-home range of farm produce includes honey, paprika and smoked garlic.

93 Goulburn Street, West Hobart; (03) 6236 9306

Banish the southern chill at this fiery Pan-Asian newcomer housed in an historic central Hobart building. Though it flits around Thailand, Malaysia, China and Vietnam like a backpacker on summer break, the menu shows no dissonance when conjuring bold flavours in new ways. From a chilli XO and tofu emulsion grounding kingfish sashimi to pork belly skewers dabbed in roasted red chilli oil or smoked duck breast with chilli mustard emulsion, it’s an enjoyable trip off the beaten path.

131 Murray Street, Hobart; 0416 161 756

Dive deep into the history of Tasmania with the help of an evocative cocktail menu at the waterfront “storytelling hotel”, Macq01. Spinning a tale of the Apple Isle from then and now, it includes an East Coast Martini boasting 666 vodka from Cape Grim, Spring Bay gin and saltbush-infused wine, and a Convict’s Old Fashioned made with rum – but don’t be shy to simply order a local craft beer.

18 Hunter Street, Hobart; (03) 6210 7602

The corner pub from central casting has a swirling patterned carpet in the front bar where locals nurse pots of beer along the varnished counter. But this is a favourite hangout of Hobart’s hospitality fold thanks to a giddily surprising menu that delivers smoked slow-cooked lamb shoulder with endive and fig, crumbed pigs head croquettes with feijoa and pickled cherry sauce or a bubbling pot of potato and chard gratin with kefir cream and cheddar.

87 Macquarie Street, Hobart; (03) 6231 4916

It doesn’t get any closer to the waterfront than the Brooke Street Pier. Glass walls showcase the dazzling harbour on three sides at this choose-your-own-adventure venue where the bar puts the spotlight on Tasmanian spirits, a raw bar furiously shucks the best local shellfish and the restaurant beds its modern menu in the best of the region.

Main deck, Brooke Street Pier, Hobart; (03) 6223 1032

This Spanish favourite recently relocated to smart waterfront digs at the Macq01 Hotel. Keep things on a casual keel with the tapas bar and outdoor terrace, where smoked cod croquetas are accessorised with a dab of romesco and smoked crème fraiche soothes the fire of charry padrón peppers. Bigger appetites are ballasted at the restaurant by the likes of Pedro Ximénez pork cheek and wild-caught local octopus with a sprightly mojo verde.

18 Hunter Street, Hobart; (03) 6224 2222

Take a Greek holiday at this inner-city warehouse where an imposing mural of Zeus watches over the hubbub. The owners’ heritage is evidenced in a Cretan spin on hummus (made with the addition of basil), “village” salad made with barley rusks and a herby charcoal-grilled octopus, while the classical Hellenic ouvre is honoured in the form of moussaka, dolmades with dill yoghurt and an addictive taramasalata whipped to silky smoothness. To drink? Greek beer, of course.

103 Murray Street, Hobart; (03) 6169 1129