Vibe Hotel Hobart open for business, with The Belvedere restaurant harking back to the good old dance hall days

Margaret and Herbert Harding have been taken back in time to when they first met at the Belvedere dance hall in 1946, with the opening of a new restaurant of the same name. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE >>

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STANDING in one of Hobart’s newest restaurants and hotels is like being transported back in time for Margaret and Herbert Harding, who first met at the Belvedere Ballroom in 1946.

The Howrah couple, who have been married for 70 years, were among the first to experience the new Belvedere restaurant at the new Vibe Hotel on Argyle St.

The 4.5 star hotel was due to open before the pandemic, but the delay gave owners extra time to fully kit out an art deco restaurant as well as a stunning pool modelled on the famous Disappearing Tarn.

Developed by Tasmanian company Raadas Property, the hotel is now open to guests and the Belvedere restaurant will also open to the public from Tuesday.

The 15-storey building is TFE Hotels’ first Vibe branded hotel in Tasmania and includes 135 regular hotel rooms and seven apartments.

Margaret and Herbert Harding, both 94, who have been married for 70 years and met at the original Belvedere Ballroom, inside the new Belvedere restaurant at the Vibe Hotel Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The ground floor restaurant has been named called The Belvedere, in honour of the former ballroom that was on the site from the 1930s to the 1970s, and features Tasmanian paddock-to-plate, modern Australian dishes.

Artwork and historical features from the time feature throughout the venue.

Artwork inspired by photos from the original Belvedere dance hall. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Mr Harding, 94, said returning to where he and his wife first met was “out of this world.”

“It’s like they’ve resurrected the ballroom,” he said.

“Hobart people will be so pleased to come back and see this. The people who built this have done a wonderful job. You can sit here and reminisce on years gone by — it was the place to be for many years.

“The ladies all wore long frocks and I had patent leather dancing shoes and the men were all dressed fine,” he said.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the music and the dancing.”

The new Belvedere restaurant with convict brick feature wall. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Belvedere head chef Matthew Griggs previously worked under Gary Mehigan, of MasterChef fame, at The Boathouse in Melbourne.

He said he aimed to keep the menu “approachable.”

“We want to focus on Tasmanian produce as much as possible and deliver a menu with modern twists on old classics,” Mr Griggs said.

Barista Caitlin Moss with a couple of the modern Australian dishes on offer at The Belvedere. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Co-owner Annalisa Doedens said there wasn’t really anything she would change about the hotel given her time again.

“Opening to the public is a bit like raising a child to adulthood and then sending them out into the big wide world — you hope you’ve done your best,” she said.

The Disappearing Tarn-inspired pool was completed over the weekend and is now open to all guests.

Artist’s impression of the pool area at the Vibe Hotel Hobart.