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Lebrina

Step through the door of this 1840s cottage and you enter the domain of chef/owner Scott Minervini, whose food is as warm and intimate as the series of rooms in which guests dine. Imam bayildi, translating as ‘the priest swooned’, is a heady mixture of eggplant, tomato, coriander and mint with a healthy pinch of cumin. Minervini’s use of local ingredients is a lesson to all restaurants, the menu listing local pigeon, abalone, cheddar and beef. A lengthy wine list, although exploring all the corners of the grape-growing globe, also supports the local industry. The daube of lamb is a Lebrina classic, deservedly so; with a melting texture, rich broth and tender morsels of black-eyed peas and olive dumplings, it’s the perfect foil to a chilly Hobart night. Though there is a recent-retro sense about this restaurant, it’s hard not to be taken in by Lebrina’s charm and sense of occasion.