Hobart's small bars provide warm and welcoming spaces as intimate as the Tasmanian capital itself.
By Andrew Bain
Hobart is one of the world's cosiest cities. It's small, pinched between mountain and water, and has beautiful colonial architecture built for warmth against winter. Suitably, a fine collection of equally cosy bars is sprinkled throughout the city and its inner suburbs.
Nant Whisky Bar + Kitchen
Quirky little Nant Whisky Bar + Kitchen is in the heart of Hobart, in the popular waterfront Salamanca neighbourhood. The decor is part safari lodge, part hunting lodge (barring the tartan cushions) and Nant's half-dozen whiskies come with full tasting notes. If you need an introduction, try the whisky flight with half-measures of three whiskies of your choice, including the very Tasmanian touch of a whisky matured in pinot noir casks.
63 Woobys Lane, Salamanca
Preachers
Take your pick between cosy and cool at Preachers, in a former preacher's home in Battery Point, about a 10 minute walk from the city centre. For cosy, grab a leather couch around the fire inside the bar. For cool, head to the outdoor beer garden or find a seat in the bus parked in the garden. There's a great list of craft beers from around Australia on tap, as well as a fine range of ciders and wines.
5 Knopwood Street, Battery Point
Society Salamanca
Just a few steps from popular Salamanca Place, Society Salamanca feels a bit like the library of a country manor, except the shelves are filled with bottles. About 300 bottles of spirits fill one entire wall, but top billing belongs to gin and whisky. There are more than 20 Tasmanian gins on offer, as well as a dozen local whiskies from nine distilleries. If it's just too much choice, try one of the tasting platters to sample four local gins or whiskies.
22 Montpellier Retreat, Battery Point
IXL Long Bar
Step into the warmth of one of Hobart's finest hotels – the Henry Jones Art Hotel, in a former jam factory on the city's docks – and turn right to find the welcoming IXL Long Bar. The rough stone walls and wooden ceiling beams create an atmospheric setting for Hobart's prime cocktail venue, among the locals after work, or late into the evening. The dockside setting is a cosy bonus.
Henry Jones Art Hotel, 25 Hunter Street, Hobart
Willing Bros Wine Merchants
There are more wines on offer than seats in the tiny nook that is Willing Bros Wine Merchants, along the North Hobart café and bar strip, just a few minutes drive or walk from the city centre. Find a stool at the bar or window, and grab the encyclopaedic wine list, or let the bar staff guide you towards the perfect tipple from around the world.
390 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart
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