Category: Beer

Eating and Drinking in Hobart

A highlight of any visit to Hobart is the locally produced food and drink that is on offer in a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Quality is high here and locals take real pride in their locally produced produce and when its this good why wouldn’t you. This post is by no means the definitive guide but does represent some of the places we enjoyed on our two recent visits.

Jackman & McRoss (57 Hampden Road). We rented an Airbnb in Battery Park and this delightful cafe was only a five minute walk away and was ideal for breakfast. It gets busy, especially at weekends, but service is quick and there is some pavement seating if you prefer. There are some excellent choices on the menu.

Machine Laundry Cafe (12 Salamanca Square). Bright, colourful and a great place to stop for coffee and cake as you explore the shops and galleries of Salamanca.

Retro Cafe (31 Salamanca Place).

Located close to the waterfront and serving very nice coffee .

Fish Frenzy (Elizabeth Street Pier). A lovely waterfront location overlooking the harbour, with indoor and outdoor seating, and serving some fantastic seafood at reasonable prices. If fish and chips is your fancy then try the Blue Eye Trevalla, you won’t be disappointed. One of the nicest fish I have ever had.

Syra (8 Salamanca Square). We had a lovely dinner here. The food is Middle Eastern and comes in either small or large plates. We went for the option where the kitchen decides what you eat, which is available for parties of two or more. Takes all stress of choosing and we were not disappointed, everything was delicious. The service was also excellent.

Honey Badger Dessert Cafe (7 Salamanca Square). Despite its name it does serve a small number of savoury dishes but that’s not really what people come here for. For those that dessert is the best part of a meal this is the place for you.

Tom McHugo’s (87 Macquarie Street). What more could you ask for, a pub serving restaurant quality food at reasonable prices. They also have a first class selection of craft beers, the Ocho Seasonal IPA was one of the best beers we had on the whole of our time in Australia. It can get busy so it is best to book ahead if you want to eat here.

MONA. There are a number of options when visiting this fantastic museum. The cafe serves some very tasty sandwiches and snacks and as everywhere in Tasmania the coffee is excellent. If you require something a little more substantial there is The Source Restaurant. There are some pretty good options for drinks here also including The Void Bar ion the depths of the museum.

Preachers (5 Knopwood Street).

If craft beer is your thing then a visit to Preachers, just a short walk from Salamanca Place, is a must. Located in an old victorian house it also has a very large beer garden into which they have integrated an old single decker bus should it get a little chilly or wet. With twelves or so beers on tap there is always a good range of styles and breweries on offer. They also do a nice line in food too.

The Whaler (39 Salamanca Place). There has been some sort of public house here since 1829 and the current incarnation serves some very nice beer indeed. Outdoor seating enables you experience the bustle of Salamanca first hand.

House of Beer Krakow

There is a thriving craft beer scene in Poland and the city of Kraków has a number of good places to sample the local brews. Admittedly there are a lot of bars selling the more traditional lager style beers from the big brewers such as Tyskie, Zywiec and Okocim and if you drink on the main square this is likely to be what is on offer. Walk just a few short streets away and you will find a much wider choice of beers. Craft beer In Polish is piwo rzemiesinicze and this is worth looking out for on bar menus if you are unsure. In Kraków head to the House of Beer at Tomasza 35, only a short walk from the square, where you will find a superb range both on tap and in bottle.

It certainly gets busy here but if its full in the main bar they open the downstairs area which is huge with very comfortable seating. We were in the city from Sunday to Friday and so did not experience the weekend. crowds.

There are usually eleven beers and one cider on tap, from both Polish and international breweries. We visited three times during our stay and there was usually something different to try each time. They also have a large selection of bottled beers from around Europe. You need good eyesight here to see what’s on offer as they don’t have a list of beers available, at least not one that I could find, but the staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable so its not really an issue.

Food here is also very good with burgers, hot wings and nachos on the menu.

Pracownia Piwa. Mieszanka Krakosa. Session IPA. 3.7%. Yellow, hazy with a good white head. Nice hoppy flavour here with a touch of malt and sweetness. Very drinkable. Good session beer.

Pinta. Like Fake. Peach IPA. 5.8% Pinta produced the first craft beer in Poland back in 2011. this particular beer is yellow in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of peach along with citrus. Palate has malt, peach and lemon. Medium bitterness and nice carbonation.

Birbant. Amity. Hazy IPA. 4.7% A yellow/orange colour with a definite haze. Aromas are citrus and a nice touch of tropical fruit. Low bitterness, good carbonation, gentle sourness and a nice texture.

Cztery Sciany. Sciana. APA. 5.1%. Light yellow in appearance with a small thin head. Aromas of malt, lemon and grapefruit. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a good texture on the palate. A nice bitter lemon finish.

PiwoWarowina. Coffee Milk Stout. 4.7% Wow strong coffee with some chocolate. There is some sweetness and the palate is intense, deep and strongly flavoured. Nice carbonation and an incredibly long finish. Very nice but I couldn’t drink many of these.

Tempest Brewing. Citra Citra. IPA 6.8% Yellow/gold with a haze. Aromas of tropical mango and pineapple with lemon and orange. A good texture, low bitterness, nice carbonation and lovely tropical fruit flavours. Very drinkable.

Amager Bryghus. Sabrotaged. DDH IPA. 8% Dark orange, small white head. Aroma is malty with lots of tropical fruit. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation, smooth and creamy. There are flavours of tropical fruit, orange and stone fruits.

Eating and Drinking in Mitte Berlin

Mitte is the district which makes up most of central Berlin. It is a large area and includes many of Berlin’s top sights and museums. Bearing its size in mind this post does not attempt to give a comprehensive view of the dining and drinking options available, it is simply an overview of the places I have enjoyed on recent visits to the city.

The Barn. Auguststaße 58.

The Barn not only brews the most delicious coffee it roasts its own beans and you can buy a bag to take home. This is a great place for breakfast with a good selection of pastries and sandwiches. It’s only small but turnover is reasonably fast.

Einstein. Unter den Linden 42.

Just a short walk from The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate this is a café/restaurant in the more traditional style and an excellent place for breakfast after getting up early to see the sights before it gets too busy.

Rutz Weinbar. Chausseestraße 8.

Restaurant Rutz is one of Berlin’s seven two star Michelin restaurants with chef Marco Müller at the helm. Downstairs from the restaurant is a wine bar which itself holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The wine bar menu offers creative interpretations of traditional, regional dishes and as  you would expect the cooking is first class. The wine list is excellent and naturally German wines feature heavily, there is a good choice of wines by the glass and the staff are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Beereau. Claire Waldorf Straße 4.

A small but cosy bar located just off Friedrichstraße. It may only be small but it is wonderful place to stop off for an early evening beer. There are a small number of beers on tap and a good selection in the fridges. The place is quite relaxed with a good selection of beer related books.

Muret La Barba. Rosenthaler Straße 61.

This very popular Italian is part café, part wine bar and part restaurant and it works so well on all levels. The cooking here is authentic and very good and the wine choices are excellent and reasonably good value for money. It can get very busy in the evenings so prebooking is a good idea.

The Circus Hotel. Rosenthaler Straße 1.

The Circus Hotel is an excellent place to stay on a visit to the city and it has an excellent café/bar on the ground floor. I can never quite make out if it is part of the hotel or a separate enterprise but as with the hotel the reception is welcoming, the decor is superb and the food excellent. It is such a relaxing place you have to make a big effort to get back out and carry on with your day.

Katz Orange. Bergstraße 22.

Located in a former brewery and in a courtyard, the setting is fantastic. In warm weather there are tables arranged outside, covered by large parasols, which, if the weather permits, should be your choice of seating. The interior of the restaurant is arranged over two floors and is warm and inviting. So dining either inside or outside it’s a win win! The cooking here is fantastic and the wine list excellent.

BrewDog. Ackerstraße 29.

With somewhere in the region of 30 beers on tap including guest beers this is an ideal stopping place for beer lovers. They also do a good range of pizzas and salads.

Mikkeller. Torstraße 102

The Danish brewery Mikkeller is regarded as one of the best in the world and has bars in several major cities around the world. The bar in Mitte is small with seating arranged into three areas plus tables outside for when the weather permits. The decor has a very Scandinavian feel and creates a relaxed and calming environment, ideal for drinking a beer or two!