The Riverfront Motel Hobart is a great place for a winter feed

Visiting this classic Hobart motel for a meal is like time travelling, but with all the benefits of modern life, including a great wine list and extensive menu full of good old fashioned favourites, writes TasWeekend food reviewer Alix Davis.

THE RIVERFRONT MOTEL

11 Strathaven Dr, Rosetta

Opening hours: Lunch, Thursday-Sunday 12-2pm, Dinner, 7 days, 5.30- 8pm.

On the menu

Crusty cob loaf with garlic butter, $8.50; beef cheeks braised in red wine, $34; rissoles with duck fat potatoes, $24.50; Eton mess, $12.

It was February 1954 and Hobart was buzzing with excitement – Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were making a visit. Local companies EZ (now Nyrstar), Titan, Cadbury’s, and Silk and Textiles joined forces to build a royal arch to span the Brooker Highway, welcome the royal couple to Glenorchy and showcase the municipality’s skills. Topped with a crown and taking design cues from the atomic age architecture that was popular at the time, the arch was a royal gateway to a modern city.

The thrill of the royal visit faded, but the arch remained until, in 1961, it was moved to the newly built Riverfront Motel, a classic Mid-Century Modern motel on the banks of the River Derwent. And there it remains – without its crown but still a much-loved and recognisable symbol of one’s arrival into Hobart. The motel is a fitting home for the arch and recent renovations have brought updated 50s style back to its rooms and restaurant.

Visiting the Riverfront Motel for a meal is like time travelling, but with all the benefits of modern life, including a great wine list and extensive menu. The dining area is large with a beautiful timber-lined ceiling and the low-pitched roof so evocative of the time. Paint colours are soothing pastels and the original central stone fireplace has been restored to create a double-sided fireplace that serves to both heat and divide the room. Large-format black and white photographs of the motel when it was first built adorn the walls and it’s fun to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.

The Riverfront Motel’s ½ Kilo Bourbon BBQ Glazed Port Ribs. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

At our mid-week dinner, the room is bustling, with tables of couples, foursomes and a large family group celebrating a birthday. The acoustics are great (thank you timber-lined ceiling) and conversation is easy. Upholstered chairs are also much appreciated. While we take a look at the menu, my husband heads to the bar to order some drinks – I love this system as it means no waiting around for a drink and everyone can immediately relax and enjoy the evening.

We decide to order mains only, no garlic bread, until the waiter arrives and ask if we’d like garlic bread. Yes! my husband says with alacrity. Here we go. In addition to the garlic bread ($8.50), he orders slow-cooked beef cheeks in a red wine jus ($34).

I’m tempted by the lamb and quinoa salad ($26.50) made with lamb from the owner’s farm, but then decide to order a dish in the spirit of the times and go with rissoles ($24.50).

Our garlic bread is a generous loaf of hot, crusty bread with a side of garlic-laden butter and we happily start slicing and smearing. Other starters include a local seafood chowder ($18.50) and salt and pepper tofu ($13.50).

The Riverfront Motel’s Red Wine Braised Beef Cheek’s which are fall-apart tender. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Our mains arrive in a timely manner and are the perfect, hearty dishes we’re looking for on a cold night. The beef cheeks are fall-apart tender and the red wine jus is rich without being overpowering. The creamy mashed potato is ideal for soaking up sauces and the broccolini is crisp-tender, just as it should be.

The Riverfront Motel’s crusty Cob loaf with garlic butter. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Rissoles weren’t a part of my childhood, but, if they had been, I’d like to think they would have been like these ones. Pan-seared to create a crisp, caramelised crust, meaty with a hint of shredded vegies in the mix (I see you, carrot) and served with a rich gravy. There are chunky duck fat-roasted potatoes on the side, along with perfectly cooked greens. These are rissoles to make The Castle’s Daryl Kerrigan jealous. It’s a generous portion of three patties and I offer my husband a taste. He demurs, saying he really couldn’t eat another thing after those beef cheeks, then takes a small forkful, smiles and promptly demolishes the last rissole.

The Riverfront Motel’s classic Eton Mess dessert which features a neat collection of meringue, raspberry macaron and fresh cream. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The dessert line-up is full of classics including sticky toffee pudding ($12), apple strudel ($12) and New York cheesecake ($12). We opt for the Eton mess ($12), which is a neat collection of meringue, raspberry macaron and fresh cream – a light finish to our meal.

The peaceful view of the River Derwent from the motel. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

There’s plenty more on the menu that I’d like to try and the friendly vibe and cool fitout are a winning combination for this little piece of mid-century style in Hobart.