Hobart pub’s hearty meals are just what the Doctor ordered

We wanted hearty comfort meals, beers on tap and decent service – and a meal at one of Hobart’s oldest and dining and drinking establishments – delivered on all three, writes TasWeekend food reviewer Alix Davis.

DOCTOR SYNTAX

139 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday, 11am-10pm, Sunday, 11am- 6pm

ON THE MENU

Onion rings, $9; slow-cooked pork loin, $28; seafood chowder, $22; sticky date pudding, $13.

I feel like Tuesdays are the unloved stepchild of the week. Mondays are a fresh start, Wednesdays mean you’re over the hump, Thursday has a good view of Friday and Friday, well, no further explanation is necessary. But Tuesdays … can be a bit blah. Dinner inspiration was non-existent on a recent Tuesday so we headed out for a pub meal instead. We wanted hearty comfort meals, beers on tap and decent service. A meal at Sandy Bay’s Doctor Syntax was just what the, ahem, doctor ordered.

Ignore the lack of curb appeal (it’s not one of Hobart’s prettiest pubs) and head for the off-street carpark from where you can make your way into the restaurant. Bookings are recommended – at 6.30pm on a Tuesday night every table is full and we are led to a table by the window with a cosy banquette seat. The lights are bright and there’s Keno rolling non-stop on the big screen so this might not be first-date material but that’s not an issue for my husband and me.

Sandy Bay’s Doctor Syntax Hotel is an institution in Hobart and one of the city’s oldest dining and eating establishment. Picture: Chris Kidd

The extensive menu is thoughtfully presented in a neat timber binder, along with an explanation of how the pub, which originally opened in 1846, got its name (Doctor Syntax was a British racehorse who won at least 36 races between 1814 and 1823 before being retired to stud in 1824). Drinks orders are taken promptly and there are enough beers on tap to keep my husband happy. The wine list is short and snappy with a good selection of mainly Tasmanian crowd pleasers on offer.

Doctor Syntax’s crispy, golden onion rings are served with sides of aioli and tomato relish. Picture: Chris Kidd

Previous experience has taught me that the portions here are generous so we limit ourselves to a serving of onion rings ($9) for starters. A large bowl of crispy, golden rings, served with sides of aioli and tomato relish is delivered swiftly. The batter is light and crunchy, the onion inside is sweet and soft and really, I couldn’t ask much more of an onion ring.

It’s hard to choose a main from a menu that offers traditional favourites like rissoles or sausages and mash (both $26), pub classics including chicken schnitzel ($26) and a wide selection of seafood dishes. There are also nightly specials up on the board. I linger over the slow-cooked meats selection and, while I’d happily devour any of them – the 48-hour slow-braised beef cheeks served with mash and rhubarb relish ($30) are tempting – I land on the 18-hour apple and fennel braised pork loin ($28).

Doctor Syntax’s 18-hour apple and fennel braised pork loin is a generous serving which features two loin chops on the bone with garlic slicked baby spuds, broccolini and a jug of jus and poached pear. Picture: Chris Kidd

As predicted the serving is generous – two loin chops on the bone with half a dozen garlic-slicked baby spuds, plenty of steamed broccolini, a jug of jus and a poached pear. The meat is fall-off-the-bone-tender and wonderfully moist. The pear has been flashed under the grill resulting in some wonderfully caramelised edges and a mouthful of pear and pork, with a little jus, is making Tuesday seem a bit more bearable.

Doctor Syntax’s Seafood Chowder is a creamy bisque with a curry base that is studded with prawns, mussels, scallops and fish. Picture: Chris Kidd

My husband opts for the seafood chowder ($22) – which stacks up well against the numerous versions he ate while on holiday recently. This version has a curry base and again, the portion is large and comes with buttered Turkish toast. The creamy bisque is studded with prawns, mussels, scallops and fish and his only complaint is that it’s a “little bit too fishy”. Which, given it’s a seafood chowder doesn’t seem entirely fair but he goes on to explain that he would have liked a bit more shellfish in the mix.

Doctor Syntax’s sticky date dessert is a warm pudding topped with a crown of crunchy toffee and a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce. Picture: Chris Kidd

Having planned ahead and only eaten about half my main (fear not, it didn’t go to waste!), I have room for dessert. My husband has his eye on the classic ice cream sundae ($13), but I pull rank and order the sticky date pudding ($13). Regular readers may remember that he has previously declared himself to be “not a fan” of sticky date pudding. This theory was disproved at The Waterloo Inn and confirmed again on this occasion as he is a willing participant in the eating of this classic winter dessert. The warm pudding is topped with a crown of crunchy toffee and a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce and of course, there’s ice cream on the side. It’s a sweet finish to a meal defined by great food, excellent value and service that’s on point. It might just become a Tuesday night regular.