Institut Polaire - Hobart

Small restaurant with big ideas. We were visiting Hobart and this restaurant completely blew us away with quality of food and cocktails. All dishes were well designed, flavours textures were complex and enjoyable. The highlight must be the cocktails, we all had two rounds and all of them were delicious. We will return when we visit Hobart again!

If you are a big fan of Tasmanian gin, this place is a must. 4 of us came there for the gin tasting, but ended up finishing almost the whole snack menu and many of their cocktails. We went there on Sunday so we had the special pork katsu sandwich as well. It is definitely the best one I have ever had in awhile. We came back for their seasonal set menu to celebrate our anniversary last month. The food was absolutely beautiful and tasty. That story of local white asparagus they served recently made me feel special to be a tasmanian residence. The handkerchief mushroom is surely an art, and the eye fillet is the star of the night. And believe me, you can never go wrong with any of their cocktails. I had the gin bramble and my partner had a manhattan which is always the best one he has around Hobart. The atmosphere, the service and the food were exceptional. Institut polaire is a must try in Hobart.

We only had a drink and a snack but the place has an interesting menu that is worth coming back for. Friendly and informative staff. The drinks and snack were a sign of more good things. Wheelchair access was awkward with one step at the door to the footpath which is on a steep incline. This makes the step shallow at one side. Looked like there were steroid to the toilets but there may have been an alternative path.

We had a fantastic culinary experience at the restaurant. We opted for the seasonal tasting menu, which consisted of six dishes, all of which were served at the table, and we had to choose from the available options. They happily accommodated a slight modification to one of the dishes.

Exceptional experience! The beautifully presented food was outstanding, and the Katsu sandwich (available only on Sundays) was definitely a highlight. The cocktails were excellent as well. Pro tip: request a custom cocktail with Cynar, and if the right bartender is working, you might just get something truly special!