Revamped Hobart waterfront hotel Telegraph Hotel: Food review
After being closed for about a year, a much-loved Hobart pub has reopened with a stylish new look and a menu to suit every taste, writes food reviewer Alix Davis.
TasWeekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from TasWeekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AS a relatively recent arrival to Hobart, my only experience of the Telegraph Hotel was seeing a group of young women – dressed in strapless tops despite the icy temperatures of a winter’s evening five years ago – converging for a night out.
Given my love of thermal layers and keeping toasty, I figured it wasn’t my scene. With the hotel’s recent revamp, I stand corrected.
Originally built in 1858, the pub was known as the Electric Telegraph Hotel, it changed its name to the snappier Telegraph Hotel in 1877.
The building was destroyed by fire in 1939 and rebuilt with its current distinctive Art Deco lines.
Now, after being closed for just over 12 months, the venue has reopened with a fresh look and a stylish new rooftop bar with views over the waterfront, plenty of heaters and an open fireplace for the outdoor lounge area.
Ladies, wear your strapless tops in winter with confidence!
We ate in the level one bistro area on a recent Tuesday evening, just days after the doors had opened.
The new fit-out is fresh, with dark timbers, vintage photographs and maps, some booths, a long banquette seat that wraps around the curved corner window, an open gas fire and some classic (and tasteful) tartan carpet.
The menu is plentiful and varied – with something to suit every taste. We dive right in and order a selection that has our table groaning.
We start with the grilled wallaby skewers ($19), a large skewer threaded with tender wallaby and served with a rich gravy.
I love wallaby for a number of reasons – it’s sustainable, healthily grown and harvested and tastes great. My husband is too attached to the cuties that roam our neighbourhood every evening, so takes a pass on this dish.
Eggplant pizza with pickled zucchini ($23) is the next dish to arrive – it’s the perfect size for one (or shared as a starter).
The crust is on the thicker end of the pizza scale and the tomato base is wonderfully rich and jammy.
The baked-in eggplant has been topped with thin slices of zucchini after cooking, which provides a fresh and tangy note.
We go for pub classics for our mains – the Nicholls free-range chicken parmi ($28) is thick, with a crunchy breaded coating.
It’s generous, without being over the top and comes with a side of excellent chips. The tomato sauce and ham are covered with a layer of cheese that’s been cooked to melting, not just warmed, and it’s well-received by all.
Beer-battered kingfish is also a success – the batter is light and crisp with moist, well-cooked fish. Tartare sauce on the side is perfect for the fish as well as for dipping the chips.
My steak-loving husband orders the 400g Cape Grim rump ($49) cooked medium and it arrives cooked as ordered – which is rarer than you might imagine.
It’s tender and tasty with a side of peppercorn sauce and more of those excellent chips (if your meal doesn’t include chips, I recommend ordering a serve anyway – you won’t regret it).
There are a few excellent vegetarian options on the menu. We order the harissa spiced pumpkin salad ($25) – a couple of fat, blistered pumpkin wedges in a salad of couscous, pomegranate seeds and a dressing of coconut yoghurt.
It’s a satisfying main meal as well as an excellent side. The other plant-based dish we try is the eggplant bake ($23) - a mound of thinly shaved eggplant topped with gooey melted cheese. It’s a simple dish but I thoroughly enjoy it – handled badly, eggplant can be a let-down, but this version is worth trying.
Given Tasmania’s thriving craft beer scene, it’s a shame the beers on offer are limited and pretty mainstream, with just one “Tassie Brewer’s Tap” that gets rotated monthly.
There are tables of families, as well as a few couples and two large groups of work colleagues on the night we visit.
We order just after the groups so our food does take a while to appear and some of the items were a little cooler than I would have liked.
Given the new owner, Australian Venue Co, owns more than 180 pubs around the country I figure they know what they’re doing and that this is just a first-week teething problem.
The Telegraph bistro would be an excellent venue for a work or extended family get-together and, of course, the downstairs main bar is good for drinks anytime.
I’ve already set a date for a pre-dinner rendezvous on the rooftop terrace – no thermals required!
TELEGRAPH HOTEL
19 Morrison St, Hobart
Opening hours: 7 days, 12 noon - til late
On the menu
Wallaby skewers, $19; Eggplant bake, $27; Harissa spiced pumpkin salad, $25; Chicken parmi, $28; 400g rump, $47; Beer-battered kingfish, $29; Eggplant pizza, $23; Chargrilled broccolini,$12.
More Coverage
Wharf eatery is perfect spot to lap up some Greek Isle vibes
After a balmy night at this Hobart eatery transported me to Greece – I was thrilled to hear that when new chef Paul Foreman originally worked here it was a Greek restaurant, says Alix Davis.
Tassie couples share secrets to success
Could you work with your partner? In honour of the month of love, we chat to four Tassie couples, who live and work together, about the highs and lows and their secrets for relationship success