The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery

While the experience is a bit on the pricey side and the portions could be slightly more generous (I would love to see more crispy kale served with the chicken), it’s overall hard to find any faults.

We visited the Agrarian Kitchen after exploring the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Transitioning from one unique place to another, we were excited to check out Agrarian Kitchen, which is housed in a former mental asylum. We were fully invested in the experience. The decor was striking, as they preserved many of the original ornate features while giving them a fresh look.

The exterior of the building doesn’t quite convey what’s inside, as it used to be an asylum. However, once you enter the gate and stroll through the garden, you can truly appreciate their paddock-to-plate philosophy; when we arrived, the chef was actually gathering fresh ingredients from the garden. The restaurant, created by Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, features a bright and modern farmhouse decor that we really enjoyed. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating, making our experience all the better. The food is meant to be shared, and we fully embraced this concept. We started with the House Made Sourdough Bread with Kefir Butter. The fluffy bread paired with the delicious butter was a fantastic way to begin our meal. We haven't had a bad slice of bread in Hobart! Next, we tried the Fried Sourdough Potato Cakes with Spicy Ketchup and Stracciatella topped with Peach, Pancetta, and Olive Oil. The potato cakes reminded me of an upscale version of potato scallops, featuring a crispy batter and soft potato inside. The stracciatella was wonderfully stretchy, complemented by fresh peaches and pancetta, all drizzled in olive oil. The standout dish was the Half Wood Smoked Duck meant for sharing. It came with potatoes, beetroots, cherries, and accompanying sauces. The duck was cooked to perfection, and the sides enhanced its deliciousness. We also ordered a Farmer’s Cheese Dumpling served with zucchini, olives, and Parmesan, which was presented as a single giant polenta-like dumpling. To wrap up our meal, we had Salted Honey Ice Cream with Fennel Pollen, which was incredibly creamy and bursting with rich flavor. We had originally ordered the Bread Pudding, but they mistakenly brought out the Buttermilk Pudding instead. The waitress sincerely apologized for the mix-up, took it back to verify, and soon returned to let us know they had mixed up our order. To make up for it, she offered the Buttermilk Pudding as a complimentary dessert while we awaited the correct order. It was creamy with a delightful consistency and the sour cherry granita was refreshing. After a little while, our Bread Pudding arrived. However, it wasn’t quite what we expected in terms of texture. It had lots of crunchy bits and plenty of apple, but lacked the softness typically found in traditional bread pudding. The cream added some much-needed moisture. Overall, we had a wonderful meal—perfect for a lengthy lunch with friends. Just be sure to book in advance to secure a table here!

Wow. Just wow. We went to visit Tasmania and left the state with a clear standout experience lunch at the agrarian kitchen. Produce and meals in general are way above average in Tasmania and we felt like nearly every place we ate at was delicious, but the Agrarian really stood out for us. It could be the unassuming decor or the fantastic service but everything screamed high quality and style without being pretentious and snooty. The plating and atmosphere was very simple yet stylish. Between the 4 of us we had the roast lamb shoulder share plate that came with a side of roasted potatoes and collared greens, a starter of raw aged dairy beef and the wood roasted mackerel with bitter leaves. For dessert we shared the donuts, bread ice cream and berry creme. It was plenty of food and we definitely left feeling full and very very satisfied. Our waitress, TJ was so nice and down to earth, super attentive yet respectful. Would love to return next time we visit tassy.

We went to the agrarian eatery last weekend and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. It was was extremely good value for money about $115 each including three drinks with a very decent amount of food. All the dishes were delicious but standouts were the wood roasted pumpkin (I would drink the keffir cream if I could), the potato cakes (best we have ever had hands down) and pumpkin donuts. Wine was reasonably priced at the setting was lovely and not too posh which I liked. Getting there was a bit of a mission without a car but well worth the trip and the scenery is nice $13 return which beat the $150 Uber our friends got stung with when it was surging. I can’t wait to come back to Hobart and visit again.