6 Hobart & Tasmania Foods You Have to Try — Salmon, Abalone, Pavlova and Fish and Chips Fresh from the Sea

Tasmania isn't widely known for its food, but serious eaters around the world know its cold, clean seawater produces the best seafood in Australia. Atlantic salmon, blacklip abalone and oysters pulled fresh from bays just a few dozen kilometres away — Hobart is where you eat them at their freshest, no extra flight required.

#1

📍 Waterfront restaurants, Salamanca Market and Constitution Dock

Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon · Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon raised in Tasmania's cold, clean seawater is a major supplier to premium Japanese sushi restaurants and supermarkets across Europe. The flesh is firm, a bright pink-orange, with slightly more fat than Norwegian salmon. Eat it raw as sashimi or baked with lemon and local herbs. In Hobart it costs far less than anywhere else in Australia because it's produced right here.

Best time Lunch through dinner. The fish punts open from the morning; the waterfront restaurants serve every meal.

How to get there Constitution Dock and Brooke Street Pier sit on the waterfront in central Hobart, an easy walk from the city centre.

Travel tips

• The fish punts at Constitution Dock sell fresh salmon straight off the boat — around AUD 15-20 for a plate of salmon fish and chips.
• The Saturday Salamanca Market has stalls with smoked salmon in various styles, with free tastings before you buy.
• If you want to sit down at a good restaurant, the spots around Franklin Wharf and Elizabeth Street Pier use fresh salmon every day.

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#2

📍 Waterfront restaurants and Salamanca Market

Tasmanian Oysters (Fresh Oysters) · Tasmanian Pacific Oysters

Pacific oysters from Tasmania's bays and estuaries are recognised as some of the best in the world. The cold seawater makes the flesh firm, the sea smell clean, the taste faintly sweet and never fishy. Eat them raw in the shell with a single squeeze of lemon and they're complete. Prices in Hobart are very low because they come straight from local farms — AUD 20-25 a dozen at the market.

Best time Lunch or dinner. In winter (June-August) the oysters are at their freshest and most delicious.

How to get there The Saturday Salamanca Market, or Mures restaurant on Victoria Dock in central Hobart.

Travel tips

• Order the raw oysters by the dozen and ask for them shucked fresh in front of you — don't buy ones opened long ago and frozen.
• Waterfront restaurants like Mures Upper Deck are known for high-quality oysters paired with Tasmanian wine.
• Eat them raw first, without much added — just a light squeeze of lemon is the best way to enjoy oysters this good.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Tasmanian Pacific Oysters on Klook →

#3

📍 Bakeries and pie shops across Hobart

Scallop Pie (Tasmanian Scallop Pie) · Tasmanian Scallop Pie

Scallop pie is the soul food of Tasmania, something locals have eaten since childhood. Short, crisp pastry wraps fresh Tasmanian scallops in a smooth white cream sauce; some shops add parsley or cheese. The flavour is much richer than an ordinary pie because Tasmanian scallops are naturally sweet. It's a cheap snack you'll find at nearly every bakery.

Best time Morning through early afternoon. Pie shops often sell out before evening.

How to get there Bakeries and pie shops across Hobart; Battery Point and Elizabeth Street in the CBD have several.

Travel tips

• Jackman and McRoss in Battery Point and The Pie Stop in the CBD are known for the best scallop pies in Hobart.
• Eat them hot, fresh out of the oven — that's best. Around AUD 5-8 a piece, ideal for breakfast or a snack while you're out walking.
• Scallop pie tastes very different from an ordinary meat pie — try both on the same day to compare.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Tasmanian Scallop Pie on Klook →

#4

📍 Mid- to high-end seafood restaurants in Hobart

Tasmanian Blacklip Abalone · Tasmanian Blacklip Abalone

Blacklip abalone from Tasmania's cold seawater is the highest-value seafood per kilogram in Australia, mostly exported to Japan and China — but in Hobart you can eat it at a more reasonable price than elsewhere. The flesh is firm, with a sweet, sea-salty taste; sauteed in garlic butter or grilled with olive oil gives the best results. Anyone who loves seafood shouldn't miss it at least once.

Best time Dinner. Mid- to high-end seafood restaurants in Hobart open from 6pm.

How to get there Mid- to high-end seafood restaurants around Victoria Dock and Elizabeth Street Pier in central Hobart.

Travel tips

• Tasmanian abalone costs far more than other shellfish — expect AUD 30-50 a plate. Trying it once at a good restaurant is worth it.
• Mures Upper Deck and Franklin on Argyle Street are known for the best-cooked abalone in Hobart.
• Live, fresh abalone is much better than frozen — ask the chef which day the fresh catch arrived before ordering.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Tasmanian Blacklip Abalone on Klook →

#5

📍 Restaurants, cafes and Salamanca Market

Tasmanian Pavlova · Pavlova

Pavlova is an Australian dessert icon (Aussies and Kiwis have argued over its origin for decades), but the Tasmanian version is special because it uses local wild fruit like leatherwood berry and wild strawberry that grow in Tasmania's forests in season. The meringue base is crisp outside and soft in the middle, topped with thick whipped cream, the sweetness cut by fresh tart fruit. It's a dessert you'll find at every Australian cafe, but in Hobart the fruit is fresher.

Best time After lunch or at tea time. Most Hobart cafes have pavlova all day.

How to get there Cafes across Hobart, the Saturday Salamanca Market, or dessert shops in the Battery Point area.

Travel tips

• The Saturday Salamanca Market has several pavlova bakers; some stalls use seasonal Tasmanian wild fruit.
• Good pavlova should be eaten fresh on the day it's made — the meringue base collapses and goes soggy if left too long.
• Try adding Tasmanian leatherwood honey over your pavlova — honey from Tasmania's wild flowers has a distinctive aroma and taste you won't find elsewhere.

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#6

📍 Salamanca Market, delis and supermarkets across Hobart

Tasmanian Cheese and Dairy · Tasmanian Artisan Cheese and Dairy

Tasmania has Australia's most important dairy industry, with lush green pastures and quality cattle breeds. Tasmanian cheeses from Pyengana Dairy, King Island Dairy and Bruny Island Cheese have won international awards, with flavours ranging from soft brie to rich aged cheddar. Eaten with leatherwood honey and local crackers, it makes a perfect light meal.

Best time Saturday morning at Salamanca Market, or any day at a Hobart deli.

How to get there Salamanca Market, or delis such as Farm Gate Market every Sunday morning on Bathurst Street.

Travel tips

• The Saturday Salamanca Market has several stalls with cheese from local farms — you can always taste before you buy, no need to feel shy.
• Bruny Island Cheese Company has special cheeses you won't find elsewhere; if you have time for a day trip to Bruny Island, it's well worth it.
• You can buy Tasmanian cheese as a gift, but watch the food import rules of the country you're returning to — hard/aged cheese usually passes more easily.

🎟️ Book tickets & tours for Tasmanian Artisan Cheese and Dairy on Klook →

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