Much to our disappointment, service was subpar as was the food. Our group ordered the tasting menu…read moreeven though, oddly, our waitress couldn't tell us what was on it. Food presentation was nice but every dish was over seasoned and too salty... except for dessert. The worst was the risotto which was severely undercooked. I told the waitress and she explained its supposed to be "al dente" and "chewy". I told her that it was undercooked and crunchy and she said "yes, that's how it's supposed to be". Um... ok, so she gave 2 opposing definitions of al dente. Both she and the cooks either have a delusional sense of what al dente really is or they've redefined it. Most dishes I didn't bother finishing because they just weren't good. I would not recommend this place at all.

Best meal I've had in Australia, and one of the best anywhere in years. It's an interesting…read moredeconstruction of dishes from Italy and beyond, focused on local ingredients, without a hint of pretentiousness. The food is both highly creative and deeply satisfying -- a rare mix. Extensive and delicious wine menu. Save room for the strawberry aero dessert, it was sublime!

Wow lots of variability in this Yelp review as well. But overall we really liked this spot. It is a…read moregreat reputation for inventive cuisine and under the able helm of the new chef they have continued the tradition of New Australian cuisine. We really liked the inventiveness that she displayed at every course. The ambiance of this place in an old Ford showroom from the 1920s is cool urban chic. We really got the sense that we were not in a tourist trap but getting a sense of the local community. The kitchen is at the center of the show with a bar all around for those who want to learn how it's done. We sat in the back and it is quiet spot. They also have a private room that looks like a good spot for celebrations or business functions. We had a terrific calamari with salt that was fried perfectly. We also loved the octopus which was well grilled. The lamb was also terrific. Cooked to perfection. Finally we loved the wine selection and has a good tour of Tasmania. We also loved the carpaccio of albacore tuna which was really great Overall this isn't the kind of

Hobart has a great dining scene with many interesting restaurants. I decided to give Franklin a try…read morebased on some positive Yelp reviews. The restaurant is located in Hobart CBD (city centre). If you are staying in this area, everything is pretty close so you can probably walk there from your location. The restaurant is located in a non-descript building so you might miss it since it is not very obvious that it is a dining establishment. The interior of the restaurant continues that vibe as it has an industrial like feel to it. The menu here is modern Australian fare which includes a lot of ingredients sourced in Tasmania. I came here to grab a light dinner. Opted for a chicken liver parfait on rye ($4.50) and grilled blue eye w/ braised sunflower seeds, endive and dried oyster ($36). Before the meal, I was served bread and butter. Butter was particularly good as it was very creamy. The chicken liver parfait was enjoyable, albeit a small bite. Texture is like a pate. The blue eye is a fish I haven't had before. I thought it was just okay. The fish texture is chunky. Though I was thought it was quite inventive that they used sunflower seeds in this dish like a risotto. Overall, my experience here was okay. I kind of felt like this restaurant is not the type of the place I would usually go to. Still I am glad to have tried Franklin because I like their concept of using local Tasmanian ingredients in their food which would be the reason to give this spot a try.

In our last night on the island, we hopped down to Peacock and Jones for dinner. It's on the…read moresection of town that Peacock and Jones (two separate individuals) apparently had jam empires located back in the day, so the decor when you step in is basically the same as it was in the past - lots of old brick structures with some concrete filled in here and there for repairs over the years. As such, it's got a bit of a cozy hipster vibe. Getting seated was pretty quick, and the service was also quite quick as well - we were done with our meal in a little over an hour. The drink selection isn't all that large; I ended up sticking with a glass of local red, which was alright but nothing too spectacular. As for the food...sadly, I came away pretty disappointed. We started out with a table salad and grilled octopus as the appetizer, both of which fell short of the mark. The salad was just lettuce in a bowl and nothing else - there was a faint whiff of vinaigrette, but that was it. The octopus, while it had a nice curry sauce with it, was cooked poorly - a rubbery, chewy texture that is what you try to avoid with this dish. The mains were a bit better; my dry-aged strip loin had pretty solid flavor (although it was a bit dry), and the slices were a bit on the thicker side. My wife's duck missed the mark a bit, IMO - while the flavor was pretty standard, the slice was way too thick, and each bite was pretty chewy. Perhaps I got my expectations up a bit high - Peacock & Jones showed up on some of the 'Best Of' lists when looking at where to dine in Hobart - but sadly, I don't think the cuisine would be worth another visit. I did enjoy the ambiance, and the waterfront / old industrial location is nice, but it doesn't offset the food missing the mark.

I would come back to Peacock and Jones again if just for the service. So many gorgeous, smiling…read morestaff members, introducing themselves by name and just being utterly charming with every interaction. Oh, stop! I'd made a booking for our group of four (super easy online) and didn't know much about the layout but was utterly delighted to be led through the small bar-style restaurant out the back to a little courtyard. After such a warm day, sitting out there was stunning (but I'm expecting it to get more than a little cooler out there over winter and will be interested to see how they handle it). The food itself was also kind of perfect. The menu isn't huge, but full of delicious bits and pieces that can change not just every night, but even by the hour. Our meal started with fresh bread and butter, and my only disappointment for the evening is that the profiterole entrees weren't available that night (it just means I'll have to go back, though, which can't be a bad thing). We ate the salt ling fritters, french fries, heirloom tomatoes, chicken liver parfait, and the meat for two, which was a lamb shoulder. I said the menu changes by the hour because there were a couple of lamb shoulders left by the time we got to ordering, or there were roast chickens (we quickly bagsed a shoulder). Everything was outstanding and capped off with the gingerbread creme brulee, because how could we not? Possibly the best brulee I've ever had, and served in a BOWL. No little plopped out brulee mould for Peacock and Jones diners, no sir! The four of us agreed we could easily come back just to eat the fries and the brulee any day... so that's ilkely exactly what we'll do. Treat yourselves! P.S. the "thank you" text message after we left for the evening was the cherry on top. You absolutely won me over, P&J. Nicely played.