Catch of the Day: The Best Seafood Restaurants in Hobart

The best seafood restaurants in Hobart range from Omotenashi’s ten-seat Japanese tasting counter on Elizabeth Street and Institut Polaire’s seafood-led brasserie on Murray Street to Restaurant Maria’s Mediterranean dining room on Brooke Street Pier. For classic fish and chips, Mures at Victoria Dock and Blue Eye in Salamanca Place are longstanding favourites, while Aloft brings a more refined approach to waterfront dining.

Tasmania’s extraordinary seafood is the reason so many of these kitchens shine. Bruny Island oysters, southern rock lobster, wild-caught fish, abalone and plump local scallops arrive in dining rooms across the city, often with very little distance between the water and the plate. From ambitious tasting menus to a hot scallop pie eaten beside the harbour, these are the Hobart seafood experiences worth making time for.

For more dining inspiration, explore our guide to the best restaurants in Hobart.

Best Fine Dining Seafood Restaurants in Hobart

For seafood worth dressing up for, Hobart’s fine dining scene makes remarkable use of Tasmania’s surrounding waters. These are the restaurants to book for a special occasion, an ambitious tasting menu or an excellent bottle of wine.

Omotenashi

Ten seats. One intimate dining counter. A Japanese kaiseki experience hidden inside a Lexus showroom on Elizabeth Street. Omotenashi is one of Hobart’s most extraordinary dinner reservations, led by chefs Sophie Pope and Lachlan Colwill.

Their multi-course menu celebrates Tasmania’s lesser-known seafood and exceptional seasonal produce, with delicate preparations of local fish, abalone and vegetables presented on beautiful Japanese ceramics. Sake and tea play their own considered part. The experience is personal, detailed and unlike anything else in the city.

Sitchu Tip: Book well ahead. With only ten guests seated each evening, securing a reservation requires planning.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Wine lovers
Need To Know: Only ten seats, so advance reservations are essential. Dinner is $350 per person.

Institut Polaire

A Southern Ocean sensibility runs through everything at Institut Polaire, from its marble and dove-grey leather interiors to the seafood and exceptional bottles waiting at the table.

On Murray Street, this intimate brasserie and wine bar takes inspiration from Tasmania’s Antarctic connections. Order oysters with elderflower mignonette, Flinders Island abalone tonnato or handmade pasta dressed in prawn and southern rock-lobster butter. The wine list has earned national recognition, while the signature Süd Polaire Antarctic dry martini is reason enough to arrive early.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Seafood
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Special occasion
Need To Know: Choose between a seasonal set menu in the dining room or à la carte in the wine bar. Book ahead for the set menu.

Dier Makr

At Dier Makr, chef Kobi Ruzicka lets Tasmania’s ingredients determine the evening. Seafood often takes a leading role in the changing tasting menu, with recent dishes like torched mackerel with salted kohlrabi and tomato water.

The kitchen works with remarkably few ingredients, giving each dish a clarity that feels entirely its own. Beyond the food, there’s a cellar devoted to minimal-intervention wines, an intimate dining room and the pleasure of having no idea what might arrive next. For adventurous diners, this Collins Street restaurant remains one of Hobart’s most rewarding bookings.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Wine lovers, Date night
Need To Know: Tasting menu only, $210 per person. The menu changes regularly, so seafood dishes depend on what’s in season.

Aloft

High above Brooke Street Pier, Aloft gives Hobart’s waterfront one of its finest dining perspectives. Broad windows frame the River Derwent, while an open kitchen places Tasmania’s exceptional produce at the centre of the experience. Seafood has long been central to the restaurant’s seasonal cooking, with local oysters, fresh fish and other coastal ingredients prepared with precision.

Choose a window seat for the harbour views or sit at the kitchen counter to watch the chefs at work. An excellent choice for an anniversary dinner, especially with a Tasmanian wine pairing.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Waterfront
Need To Know: Located on the upper level of Brooke Street Pier.

Best Waterfront Seafood Restaurants in Hobart

Seafood and water views make a very good pairing in Hobart. From the working boats of Victoria Dock to the Derwent’s broad expanse, these harbourside restaurants put the city’s maritime setting to absolutely correct use.

Restaurant Maria

At the end of Brooke Street Pier, Restaurant Maria brings the flavours of the Mediterranean to Tasmania’s waterfront. Chef Christian Ryan draws inspiration from Lisbon to Lebanon, giving local seafood a sunny, generous treatment. A seasonal chef’s menu might move from oysters with wild fennel pollen mignonette to delicate crudo with watermelon and cucumber, followed by octopus with orzo and nduja. The dining room is beautiful, the wine list travels widely and the harbour views make an occasion of dinner. One of Hobart’s most appealing tables for a long evening.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Seafood
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Waterfront
Need To Know: On the ground level of Brooke Street Pier, directly below Aloft. The seasonal chef’s menu is $140 per person.

Old Wharf Restaurant

Hobart’s maritime history is written into the setting at Old Wharf Restaurant, inside the waterfront MACq 01 Hotel. Once a working stretch of jetties and warehouses, the site now provides a handsome backdrop for dining beside the harbour.

Chef Alvin Sim’s kitchen celebrates Tasmanian growers and seafood producers through familiar dishes given a contemporary treatment. Local fish and oysters are natural choices, with seasonal accompaniments and a wine list that rewards an interest in Tasmania’s vineyards.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian, Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Group dining, Date night, Breakfast
Need To Know: Inside MACq 01 Hotel on Hunter Street. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Pearl + Co

Fresh oysters, cold wine and fishing boats bobbing beyond the windows. Pearl + Co has the makings of a very good afternoon on Victoria Dock.

This waterfront oyster bar brings plenty of personality to Tasmania’s seafood. Start with freshly shucked oysters, then move to southern bluefin tuna, wild fish crudo or scallop tacos. Larger appetites are well served by seafood pasta, Tasmanian scallops and a rich bouillabaisse. Pull up beside the water, order another glass and enjoy one of Hobart’s best casual waterfront dining settings.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Group dining, Date night, Outdoor dining
Need To Know: On Victoria Dock. Walk-ins welcome, with indoor and outdoor seating on the water.

Mures Upper Deck

Few Hobart seafood names have the history of Mures. The family-run business has spent more than five decades bringing Australian seafood to the table, with its Upper Deck restaurant overlooking the working harbour at Victoria Dock.

Upstairs, seafood receives a more refined treatment, from Tasmanian oysters and locally sourced fish to scallops and seasonal specials. Much of the fish comes directly from Mures’ own vessels. The harbour-facing dining room and proudly Tasmanian wine selection make this an excellent choice for a seafood lunch or dinner with a view.

Sitchu Tip: For a more casual feed, head downstairs to Mures Lower Deck for fish and chips, a fisherman’s platter or a curried Tasmanian scallop pie.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Group dining, Special occasion
Need To Know: À la carte dining on the Upper Deck. The Lower Deck downstairs is a more casual, family-friendly option for fish and chips.

Best Casual Seafood and Fish and Chips in Hobart

Hobart knows its way around a good seafood feast, and some of the city’s finest are also its most relaxed. We’re talking oysters freshly shucked, golden fish and chips, generous platters piled high with local catch and a cold glass of something Tasmanian.

Bar Wa Izakaya

Bar Wa Izakaya brings together two of Hobart’s greatest culinary strengths: exceptional Tasmanian seafood and a serious appreciation for Japanese cooking. The Elizabeth Street restaurant is lively, social and excellent for an evening spent sharing plates. Its daily-changing menu celebrates local produce through sashimi, oysters and Japanese-inspired seafood preparations, backed by sake, Japanese beer and cocktails. There’s plenty to explore beyond the fish, but seafood lovers will find good reason to make this a regular stop.

Sitchu Tip: Visit between 4pm and 6pm for half-price oysters, available daily with any drink purchase.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Date night, Locals
Need To Know: The menu changes daily, so dishes may vary.

The Drunken Admiral

Ropes, timber beams, nautical curiosities and a dining room filled with decades of Hobart stories. The Drunken Admiral has been a fixture of the Old Wharf since 1979, and very little about its appeal has changed. The family-run restaurant favours generous seafood dishes and a lively atmosphere. Its famous fish market chowder has been a house tradition since opening, while the nightly fish selection showcases the day’s catch with a choice of preparations. Bring an appetite, embrace the maritime theatre and order something comforting.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Seafood
Best For: Group dining, Locals, Families
Need To Know: Open for dinner daily. Reservations recommended.

Blue Eye Seafood Restaurant

For excellent fish without the ceremony, Blue Eye Seafood Restaurant in Salamanca Place delivers exactly what its name promises.

The kitchen specialises in locally sourced seafood, including blue eye trevalla, oysters, scallops and freshly grilled fish. Go for a generous plate of fish and chips, or start with oysters shucked to order and served natural with lemon or a sharp mignonette. With takeaway available alongside relaxed table service, this is a particularly appealing choice for a casual seafood lunch near Salamanca.

Sitchu Tip: Blue Eye currently advertises freshly shucked oysters for $2.50 each from 3pm to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, excluding public holidays.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Seafood, Fish and chips
Best For: Quick bite, Locals, Group dining, Waterfront
Need To Know: Dine in or take away. Bookings recommended for the restaurant.

Fish Frenzy

At Elizabeth Street Pier, Fish Frenzy keeps Hobart’s seafood traditions reassuringly straightforward. The waterfront restaurant has been serving fish and chips since 1998, with the working harbour providing an excellent backdrop.

Order crumbed or battered fish with hot chips, a generous bowl of seafood chowder or the pier platter, laden with prawns, oysters, smoked salmon, grilled octopus and more. Service is counter-style, the atmosphere is easy-going and takeaway is available. A great option for families or anyone after a substantial seafood feed without a long wait.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Seafood, Fish and chips
Best For: Quick bite, Waterfront, Group dining
Need To Know: Walk-ins only. Dine in or take away.

Best Seafood Experiences in and Around Hobart

Some of Tasmania’s finest seafood experiences happen beyond the traditional dining room. These two adventures reward anyone happy to make a little more of the occasion.

Tasmanian Wild Seafood Adventures

There are seafood lunches, and then there’s eating freshly harvested Tasmanian seafood aboard a catamaran in the waters around Bruny Island.

Tasmanian Wild Seafood Adventures’ Deep-to-Dish cruise takes guests from Hobart into southern Tasmania’s spectacular coastal landscape. Watch experienced divers gather sea urchins and periwinkles, then enjoy a seafood feast featuring abalone, southern rock lobster, oysters and salmon, accompanied by Tasmanian wine and other local drinks.

Just so you know, the journey is every bit as glorious as the menu, with sea cliffs, open water and a rare opportunity to understand where the food on your plate comes from.

Oirthir, Bream Creek

About 45 minutes from Hobart, a small restaurant overlooking Marion Bay makes a rather extraordinary case for venturing beyond the city. This is Oirthir, where Scottish-born husband-and-wife chefs Bob Piechniczek and Jillian McInnes draw on their culinary heritage and French training to create a seasonal menu shaped by Tasmania’s coast and countryside. Fresh seafood, garden produce and carefully sourced meats take their turn on an ever-changing set menu, guided by the best of what’s available locally. With only 20 seats and sweeping coastal views, it’s a truly memorable destination for a long, leisurely lunch.

Suburb: Bream Creek, TAS
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Weekend plans
Need To Know: About 45 minutes’ drive from Hobart. Set menu, $195 per person. Reservations only, with a 50% deposit required.

Where to Try Tasmania’s Scallop Pie in Hobart

The Tasmanian scallop pie deserves its own chapter in any serious Hobart seafood guide. A state speciality, it typically pairs sweet scallops with a lightly spiced or curried filling, all enclosed in golden pastry. From old-school bakeries to waterfront counters, there are several places to try this delicious Tasmanian tradition. Our guide to Hobart’s best bakeries has more pastry inspiration.

Jackman & McRoss

There’s a reason the scallop pie at Jackman & McRoss has earned such a devoted following. At this much-loved Battery Point bakery, golden, flaky pastry gives way to a rich, creamy filling of scallops, vegetables and a little wakame for an unexpected taste of the sea. It’s a delicious interpretation of Tasmania’s signature savoury bake, and reason enough to visit the Hampden Road institution. Order one for lunch, admire the beautiful pastry counter and take something sweet for a wander through Battery Point’s historic streets.

Suburb: Battery Point
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Bakery
Best For: Quick bite, Locals, Budget-friendly
Need To Know: Scallop pies are on the menu. There’s a second location in New Town.

Smith’s Pies at Salamanca Market

Some Hobart traditions are best enjoyed standing up, preferably with a hot pie in hand and Salamanca Market in full swing. Smith’s Pies first created its famous curried scallop pie for this very market, and more than three decades later, it’s still the one to order. Beneath that golden pastry, sweet Tasmanian scallops meet a gently spiced curry sauce made to a treasured family recipe.

Sitchu Tip: Find them at stall 222 every Saturday, and consider this your initiation into one of Tasmania’s most delicious food traditions.

Suburb: Hobart
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Bakery
Best For: Quick bite, Locals, Weekend plans
Need To Know: Saturdays only at Salamanca Market, stall 222. A permanent bakery operates in Cambridge.

Best Seafood Restaurants in Hobart: FAQs

Hobart’s appetite for good food doesn’t end at the waterfront. Once you’ve had your fill of oysters, scallops and the freshest catch, there’s plenty more to discover. Settle in for a local pint at one of the city’s best breweries, find something sweet at our favourite Hobart bakeries, or start tomorrow with excellent coffee and breakfast at one of the best cafes in Hobart. There’s always another good reason to stay hungry.