Indulge: Berta 2.0 opens in Liverpool St in Hobart

A favourite Hobart CBD eatery was reborn just a few months after closing and we’ve got the verdict on the new must-try tastes.

Berta owners Alisha Wilson, seated, and Alex Jovanovic in their new Liverpool St eatery. Picture: ROGER LOVELL

Way back when age 50 seemed a world away and Hobart was a wasteland in winter, a colleague asked me what I would order for my last meal if I was on death row. A duck pancake, I replied without hesitation, from the (sadly now defunct) Mahjong Room in Crown St, Surry Hills.

I had reason to revisit this rather odd question recently while enjoying my Last Supper for TasWeekend at the latest incarnation of a North Hobart favourite in Hobart’s CBD.

Breakfast-and-lunch eatery Berta and its night-time forerunner Piccolo operated on the Elizabeth St strip for a decade before owners Alex Jovanovic and Alisha Wilson shut up shop late last year.

This left fans of brunch-time staples like the spring onion pancake with sticky pork belly — including yours truly — rather bereft. But the disappointment was short-lived, with Berta reborn just a few months ago in the Hobart’s CBD.

The new-look Berta at 119 Liverpool St, which many will remember as Cafe Kara. Picture: ROGER LOVELL

We visit on the final Saturday night of Dark Mofo, strolling past the Odeon towards Berta in Liverpool St as beanie-topped, black-clad revellers are already beginning to gather to paint the town red.

Outside, it’s cold enough to see your own breath. But inside, Berta is warm and welcoming, with two large communal tables running the length of the slim space that many will best remember as Cafe Kara.

ON THE MENU Duck croquettes, $6 each; Octopus toast, $6 each; Veal tartare, $19; Grilled calamari, $16; Roast lamb rump and braised shoulder, $32; Handcut chips, $9.50; Roast carrots, $9.50.

There’s also a cluster of smaller tables near the service counter at the front. The culinary crew, including Jovanovic, can be observed working through textured glass shrouding the kitchen at the rear.

A group of five diners is already exploring the European-styled menu at a neighbouring table.

Available from Wednesday to Saturday nights, after-dark offerings range from small bites through to entree and main-sized dishes that invite sharing.

It has a Euro-cool bistro feel that’s like a pared-back version of Ettie’s in Elizabeth St, where I spent the previous night sipping Negronis and catching up on girl talk with old friends in the subterranean piano bar.

White Bose speakers suspended from the high ceiling are playing Diana Ross’s Remember Me as we order a few wines by the glass from the compact list.

The waitress offers helpful advice on ordering — how much is enough for we three being our primary question.

First to land is the octopus toast. The wafer-thin crisp of bread is topped with rounds of fat-speckled chorizo crowned with tender morels of octopus. Green tomato pickle adds a delicious tang.

The octopus toast was the standout dish. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

The shredded duck croquettes with prune relish that follow take me back to a recent holiday in my partner’s land of birth, Holland, where we ate bitterballen (traditional Dutch croquettes) in a canal-side bar, with the heady aroma of special coffee-shop cigarettes never far away.

The veal tartare. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

The veal tartare, with a deliciously rich anchovy dressing, rocket and preserved squash, is topped with colourful rounds of watermelon radish, which looks beautiful but can be a little bitter.

And beware of the padron peppers in the more-ish calamari and hummus dish. They’ll warm

your cockles and then some.

The grilled calamari. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Our winter repast is punctuated with a hearty serve of lamb, still-pink rump and slow-cooked shoulder with golden baked Jerusalem artichokes. Broccoli greens and kohlrabi are a fresh foil to the rich fattiness of the meat.

A side dish of rustic roasted carrots — orange, black and white — is another highlight, bathed in tahini and sprinkled with toasted almonds, fresh coriander and dill. Yum.

But what was the favourite dish of my Last Supper? The octopus toast, hands down — although I don’t have any intention of turning my toes up just yet.

BERTA

119 Liverpool St, Hobart

Breakfast and lunch: Sunday 8am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday 7.30am to 4pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm.

Dinner: Wednesday to Saturday, 5.30pm to 9pm. Fully licensed.

6234 4844

bertahobart.com.au