Flip
23 George St. Phone: (03) 6334 6844.
7 days from 10am – 10pm
Burgers every which way – beef, lamb, fish, vegetarian and chicken – all 24 of them with wacky names and a wack of stacked ingredients. Shaun the Sheep burger was about a foot high, skewered to hold it together and, foot-in-mouth-jokes aside, was too big to bite. Deconstructed, it revealed six slices of tomatoes, a pile of shredded lettuce, red onions, thick slices of cucumber, rocket, tzatziki, black olive tapenade and house relish in hot and cold layers - and, oh yes, at the bottom, a crumbly, scorched lamb burger flavoured with cumin. There are steak sandwiches and desserts and, at 10 in the morning, a family was in for the breakfast and kids’ burgers with chips. Opened two years ago and hugely popular but, after only a single visit to each, not as good as the similar Burger Got Soul at 243 Charles Street. To my knowledge, there’s nothing like them yet in Hobart.
SaSaSo
109 St John Street. Phone: (03) 6331 1542
7 days 10am – 9pm
BYO
A sassy modern and shiny metallic new venture by the owners of Burger Got Soul. Designer armchairs, stools, brightly coloured acrylic chairs and a big communal table, serving fresh salads, light lunches and dinners with lamb, beef and fish and chips on mainstream menus. Very New Yorkish.
Café Culture
1 – 3 Osbourne Ave. Trevallyn Phone: (03) 6334 9588
8.30am – 4pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday; dinners Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A nicely fitted-out and welcoming indoor-outdoor space but, after two just-OK breakfasts and two less-than-OK lunches over a period of seven months, nothing has improved and its continuing popularity seems to be a matter of fashion over flavour, trendiness over taste.
Rossilli
43 George St. Phone: (03) 6334 3488
7.30am – 4pm Monday to Saturday
Still an Italian name but now with much lighter and brighter décor and in the hands of Damon Wecker from Luck’s restaurant opposite. Very popular with the CBD breakfast-on-the-run brigade for good Genovese coffee, freshly frothed juices and a small breakfast menu of the usuals, including house beans and bacon, the beans a bit mushy and flavourless, the bacon good.
Cocobean
82 George St. Phone: (03) 6334 3411
9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, 2pm on Saturday.
The Swiss Chocolatier has gone but the array of excellent chocolates remains, now produced upstairs to Paul Haflinger’s original recipes. The street-level space has been completely remodelled, serving coffees and sweet treats in a stylish ambience reminiscent of an elegant, miniature Viennese coffee and chocolate parlour.
Pierre’s
This George Street institution, celebrating it 50th birthday last year, is now a cement-dust-bowl shell as the new owners completely revamp the interior. The planned opening date is undecided but the very experienced chef, Xavier Mouche, is on board as a consultant to design the new food style and menus.