Check out our picks of the best bites of the dark delights

If you haven’t been yet, there’s still time to catch Winter Feast – Tassie’s tastiest food ritual returns this Thursday. Here are a few delectable treats I highly recommend, writes Alix Davis

One of the dishes at this year’s Winter Feast is the tasty, delicious Formosa Bites’s squidlipops. Picture: Dearna Bond/Dark Mofo

There’s no denying the chill in the air, but as we approach the entrance to the Winter Feast, it’s mixed with something else. Woodsmoke, an eerie soundtrack, puffs of flame and the excitement of locals and visitors who have braved the cold to experience food and drinks from more than 70 stallholders and 100 musical acts over two mouth-watering weekends.

We arrived early for our first visit (yes, there were multiple visits over the first weekend) and did a lap of both inside and outside stalls to get the lie of the land and make a bit of a plan.

There’s so much on offer – much of it unique to this event – that it’s hard to know where to start. Perhaps a drink as you consider your options. Many local wineries have a presence, as well as distillers who have created Dark Mofo cocktails to help you embrace the darkness. Punch & Ladle puts vermouth to good use with a rhubarb Americano or a cherry mulled vermouth, along with an alcohol-free spritz of blackberry with finger lime. Hot drinks are popular (with good reason) and we’d recommend a hot honey toddy from Taylor & Smith, a hot spiced cider from Willie Smith’s or a hot dark red from Small Island Wines.

Winter Feast 2025 guest chef Niyati Rao. Picture: Rosie Hastie Image Courtesy of Dark Mofo 2025

One of Niyati Rao’s Winter Feast dishes which is a gently spiced broth topped with seaurchin. Picture: Rosie Hastie/ Image Courtesy of Dark Mofo 2025

This year’s guest chef is Niyati Rao, who has collaborated with Craig Will and the team from Launceston’s Stillwater (celebrating 25 years this year) to combine Tasmanian produce with flavours from Asia and the subcontinent. Rao spent time at Noma in Copenhagen before opening her own restaurant, Ekaa, in Mumbai. Take a seat and enjoy dishes including fork-tender wallaby wings with a spicy, sticky glaze ($26) or a gently spiced broth topped with sea urchin, pickled beetroot and a thick slice of buttered bread ($23). There are four dishes on offer and you can pick and choose or enjoy all of them for $85 as you watch the wallaby rotate on a custom-built spit over a bed of hot coals.

Some of Niyati Rao’s Winter Feast delights are the fork-tender wallaby wings which are doused with a spicy, sticky glaze, then charred. Picture: Rosie Hastie, 2025. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo.

Just next door is the Heavy Metal Kitchen led by Mona’s Vince Trim. Regular readers will know my weakness for brussels sprouts and Trim’s spin is a version I could eat on repeat. Charred brassicas sit on top of a puddle of Brazil nut sauce, winter greens and spiced seeds ($22) and make an excellent accompaniment to a plate of goat asado ($34) over a green wheat and ancient grain risotto. Both these dishes are full of complex flavours that make every mouthful a delight.

If you’d like to graze, rather than have an entire meal from one place, there’s no shortage of options. A chicken parfait profiterole from La Sardina Loca is a cute riff on a Women’s Weekly classic and comes neatly presented on a paper doily, while roasted pumpkin ($22) from Devonport’s Pam’s Bottles & Cups is dusted with black Persian limes with a slick of spiced tahini.

One of this year’s popular Winter Feast treats are the Dark Dogs. Picture: Dearna Bond/Dark Mofo

My husband doesn’t generally eat white bread, but he’ll make an exception for Lilly Trewartha’s pork katsu sando, a perfectly spiced pork patty served with finely shredded cabbage and a magical sauce that makes this sandwich hard to resist.

Wonderfully light lamb and ricotta meatballs ($20) from Braised (based on a sheep farm near Hamilton) are served with a tomato vodka sauce, creamy cheese and charred focaccia for swiping and a portion that’s generous enough for two to share.

Another of this year’s Winter Feast treats are the tasty possum baos. Picture: Dearna Bond/Dark Mofo

Also rating highly on the cheese scale are the venison cheeseburgers ($20) from Stabla, which are topped with scrapings from fat balls of aged mozzarella heated over the flames the burgers are grilled on.

Showing outstanding commitment to the Dark Mofo theme is the squid ink paella ($14/$25) from Kiltro, who can usually be found at Salamanca or Farm Gate markets. Spiked with squid tentacles and Tasmanian scallops, this dish is not only delicious, but also understands the brief.

Trophy Room’s hugely popular doughnuts are also not to be missed at this year’s Winter Feast. Picture: Dearna Bond/Dark Mofo

One of the many decadent desserts at this year’s Feast is the pandan milk pudding with flaming honey whisky. Picture: Aiesha Hanson/ Image Courtesy of Dark Mofo

Desserts have not been overlooked, so make sure you save some space. A slice of perfectly blackened Basque cheesecake from Basque Moon ($12) is light and not too sweet, leaving me plenty of room for a second (and possibly a third) dessert. Trophy Room doughnuts ($9) are hugely popular – for good reason – and I can highly recommend the burnt butter with honeycomb variety as well as the Meyer lemon curd with Italian meringue. Fun fact – the lemons come from a local who delivers her excess crop straight to the restaurant’s door in North Hobart.

Dubai chocolate has been a thing on the internet recently and the team at Soufra has parlayed that into a bombe Alaska comprised of knafeh, pistachio ice cream and Swiss meringue. A lick of flame really brings it to life.

Feast director Amanda Vailis has done an outstanding job bringing together some of Tasmania’s most delicious and innovative chefs and producers and my only criticism is that it’s on for just two weekends. But honestly, I think that makes us value it all the more. Don’t miss this celebration of food, music and mid winter!

Tasmania’s tastiest ritual – Winter Feast – is on again from June 12 and runs until June 15. Picture: Linda Higginson

Winter Feast at PW1, Salamanca starts back up again Thursday, June 12 and runs until Sunday, June 15.

Opening hours:

The event continues nightly from June 12, from 4pm until 11pm, building to the final free community day on June 15.

Admission: Tickets start at $10, with entry free after 9pm and under-16s are also free provided they are accompanied by a trusted adult.