The Agrarian Kitchen

Great food and service. Tasmania has a lot to be proud of in terms of high quality produce and it was very pleasing to see it all on display.

It’s a somewhat pricey experience and the portions could be a tad more generous (definitely put more crispy kale with the chicken please!) but all in all hard to fault.

We went to the Agrarian Kitchen after visiting Mona (Museum of Old and New art). From one quirky establishment to another, Agrarian Kitchen has set up in an ex mental asylum and this time we were committed. The fit out was impressive, keeping many of the original ornate features and sprucing them up.

My foodie friends and I made this reservation quite far in advance as we knew it was a definite go to! Located outside of Hobart, luckily we had hired a car as made it much easier to get to after our visit to Mona.

The facade on the outside doesn’t really reflect what’s on the inside as used to be an asylum. Once you enter the gate and head towards their garden, you totally understand the paddock to plate philosophy as a chef was actually cutting a few ingredients from the garden when we arrived. The brainchild of Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, we fully embraced how lovely it was on the inside as it was very light and had a modern farmhouse feel. The servers were absolutely delightful and nothing was a problem for them.

The food is designed to be shared so we took that on board.

We started off with some House Made Sourdough Bread With Kefir Butter. Fluffy bread and delicious butter was a great start. Haven’t had a bad slice of bread in Hobart!

Onto the Fried Sourdough Potato Cakes With Spicy Ketchup and Stracciatella With Peach, Pancetta + Olive Oil. The potato cakes were an upmarket potato scallop to me with its crisp batter and soft potato inside. The stracciatella was nice and stretchy in texture with nice fresh peaches and topped with pancetta and doused in olive oil.

The main highlight was the Half Wood Smoked Duck To Share. It also came with potatoes, beetroots, cherries, and sauces. The duck was perfectly cooked and the sides accented the tastiness of it all. We also got a Farmer’s Cheese Dumpling which was served with zucchini, olives, and Parmesan. It was presented as one giant ball of polenta like dumpling.

To finish our meal we had Salted Honey Ice Cream + Fennel Pollen. It was so creamy and had a rich intense flavour. We had ordered the Bread Pudding however the Buttermilk Pudding was brought out instead. The waitress apologised profusely for the mix up and whisked it away to check with the kitchen. She then brought it back and advised they did mix up the order and that this dessert would be complimentary whilst we waited for the correct dessert. I found it to be creamy and a lovely consistency. The sour cherry granita was refreshing. After a short while the Bread Pudding was brought out. It kind of wasn’t what we thought it would be texture wise. Lots of crunchy bits and plenty of apple, there wasn’t any softness that is in a traditional bread pudding. The cream gave it some much needed moisture.

Overall it was a great meal and perfect for a long lunch amongst friends. Just make sure you book in advance to nab 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.

Love this place! Great dining room, great food, drinks and service.
Had a quick late lunch today.
Started with the peach cocktail, very peachy and refreshing.
Starter of stracciatella was great, served with warm flat bread. Never had anything like it. Good size for price too.
I had the pasta, cooked al dente, sauce very simple but well executed. Partner had the flounder, I didn’t try but he said was really good. Said he would have liked a couple of baby potatoes with it to go with the butter sauce but was still happy.
Staff were all very nice, friendly and efficient.
Highly recommend!

Made a detour to visit The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery for lunch and it did not disappoint. Love the fresh, local produce - shows that one can make simple ingredients taste amazing (the carrots & tomatoes were so sweet). The only thing is that for lunch & a largely vegetarian meal (apart from the oysters & pork belly), at $130pp it is quite pricey for Tasmania.

Service and food on point. Casual feels with amazing quality local food, perfect long lunch vibes, drinks paired with meals were perfectly matched with each meal and best of all enjoyed with good company. I would recommend this place and would definitely revisit next time I'm in Tasmania. About 30mins drive from CBD so having a car and designated driver is a must. Service by the team was very humble and friendly. We all enjoyed our time at this historic mental asylum turned eatery. Set menu $130 with matching drinks $70 at the time of this review. Well worth it for special occasion.

Probably the best meal we had so far in Tassie! Definitely love the non-alcohol pairing option (we had way too much wine prior to this but still want something fancy pairing with the meal).

Another wonderful outdoor meal at the Agrarian Kitchen. They now have picnic tables and umbrellas as well as their bench seats. Service is wonderful and the outdoor setting fits well with the heritage buildings on the site. We had the lamb sausage roll and zucchini salad and they were delicious - served with a lovely Wille Smith cider. Great experience in a lovely little town.