Fab Italian Hobart restaurant still a class above

If you’re ready to be reminded how great Tasmanian food can be and how lucky we are to have some truly fantastic restaurants in Hobart, make a booking here post haste, advises Alix Davis.

FICO

151 Macquarie St, Hobart

Opening hours: Dinner Thursday to Sunday, from 6pm; and long lunch on Sunday from 12pm.

On the menu

Muttonbird piadina, arancino with scamorza, squid ink tagliatelle with oyster emulsion, cacio e pepe risotto, buffalo milk sorbet with quince.

Fico’s classy, elegant interior. Picture: Sam Rosewarne

I don’t really do Italian,” said my husband as we tumbled through the door of Fico on a recent rainy night. This was fine by me as, while the broad brushstrokes of Fico’s heritage may be European and Italian, the details are very much Tasmanian.

Although we had an early booking, the cosy dining room – lined with paintings by local artist Tom Samek – was already bustling with guests looking forward to enjoying an evening of good food, wine and hospitality. Spoiler alert – they were not going to be disappointed.

It’s been a few years since I last dined at Fico, and back then it was an a la carte menu. Now it’s a set menu of 13 elements or courses for $150 per person and, I must say, I’m a fan of not having to make any decisions about dinner. The printed menu gives a few clues as to what’s to come, but it’s more of a vibe than anything really specific so we sit back on the comfy leather banquette and let the evening unfold.

Federica Andrisani and partner Oskar Rossi who are chefs and co-owners of Fico restaurant in Hobart. Picture: supplied

We begin with small snacks – a perfect piece of raw kingfish topped with local wasabi and a delicate, twiglike grissini wrapped in a paper-thin length of guanciale (cured pork cheek). The breadstick is wonderfully crisp and the guanciale melts in my mouth. Next up is a small arancino – a walnut-sized ball of rice stuffed with smoked mozzarella. Arancini are usually crumbed before frying, giving them a smooth, crisp exterior but these are uncoated, resulting in a crunchy rice-studded crust. I’m a little trepidatious about the muttonbird piadina (a traditional Italian stuffed flatbread) as the last time I ate it was on Flinders Island many years ago and it wasn’t an experience I was keen to repeat. This petite bite is wonderful – yes, there’s the tuna-esque taste of the muttonbird (caught on Babel Island by the Mansell family) but it’s not overpowering and the whole experience is one of crisp, fried saltiness.

Fico's petite Muttonbird piadina, which is traditional Italian stuffed flatbread with the perfect amount of crispiness and salt; and arancino – a walnut-sized ball of rice stuffed with smoked mozzarella and scamorza. Picture: Oskar Rossi

Hefty chunks of housemade sourdough are served with a dipping bowl of hazelnut oil infused with anchovies. “I don’t like anchovies,” says my husband before delicately dipping a piece of bread into the oil. Well, apparently he does now, because I had to fight for my share of this umami-packed condiment. Delicate Tasmanian scallops have been steamed then sliced and served topped with shavings of fresh horseradish – it’s a beautiful dish both visually and to taste. There have been some hints at owner-chefs Federica Andrisani and Oskar Rossi’s Italian heritage but with our next course that comes to the fore in a dish described on the menu as ‘squid ink tagliatelle, oyster, charred broccolini’. “I am not eating an oyster,” says my husband emphatically as our plates are put down. Strands of perfectly chewy inky black pasta are enrobed in a velvety oyster emulsion that tastes briny and fresh and is topped with finely chopped charred brassica. “Where’s the oyster?” my husband asks as he eats the last strand of tagliatelle and scrapes any remnants of sauce from the plate.

Fico’s Pappardelle dish featuring chewy inky black pasta are enrobed in a velvety oyster emulsion that tastes briny and fresh and is topped with finely chopped charred brassica. Picture Oskar Rossi

Like the food, the wine list is a blend of Tasmanian and Italian offerings with plenty of options by the glass and half-bottle. Diners are a mix of larger groups, couples and a family with a young daughter who’s being quizzed on arithmetic between bites. Service is calm and efficient – everyone here knows exactly what they’re doing and how to do it well. Fico has long been a favourite of Hobart locals and visiting gourmands for good reason – hospitality and fine food seem to be second nature here. The table is yours for the night, so there’s no sense of being rushed, which is lovely.

Fico’s cacio e peppe – a perfect example of Italy-meets-Tasmania cuisine – is a cheese and pepper risotto which features Parmigiano Reggiano, from northern Italy, paired with native Tasmanian pepperberry. Picture: Oskar Rossi

A warming bowl of cacio e pepe (literally cheese and pepper) risotto is a perfect example of the Italy-meets-Tasmania cuisine that Fico is doing so well. Funky Parmigiano Reggiano from northern Italy is paired with native Tasmanian pepperberry to create a dish that’s uniquely Hobart by way of Rome. Every course is surprising, in a completely wonderful way. Textures and flavours are well balanced and the amount of food is also just right. The menu changes regularly – there was recently a Dark Mofo special menu and it will change again after their three-week winter break in August. The two dessert courses are small but exquisitely formed. Sorbet made from local buffalo milk is paired with quinces that have been cooked with emulsified bee’s wax – it’s simple yet effective.

One of Fico’s exquisite desserts – a gelato made from local buffalo milk paired with quinces that have been cooked with emulsified bee’s wax. Picture: Oskar Rossi

The second dessert of burnt butter ice cream with a limoncello mousse is a little more elaborate but equally delicious. If you’re ready to be reminded how great Tasmanian food can be and how lucky we are to have some truly fabulous restaurants in Hobart, make a booking at Fico post haste. I’ll be back. As will my anchovy-oyster-and-Italian food-loving husband.