Strongly recommended by a friend of the same name who discovered it by chance, Lucinda Wine Bar is the little sister of the highly regarded Dier Makr (where I'd failed to make a booking due to its popularity on this trip). The concept is fun: instead of a wine list, you tell the staff what you like, they bring you whatever they have opened, you taste a few and settle on your pick of the glass. The food list is ever-rotating and curated, and extremely well-priced.
Resolutely refusing to take bookings, going to Lucinda is something of a romantic affair: either you are the right person at the right time, or you are not. There is something serendipitous about the whole thing, including the artsy, beautiful, slightly unconventional clientele it appears to attract.
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| Bread with schmaltz, $5 |
Schmaltz, I learned, is rendered chicken or goose fat. Silkier and more decadent than butter, it is surprisingly light and non-greasy in consistency, with a lovely saltiness that is perfect with bread.
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| Whipped anchovies, charred greens, $12 |
Through this trip I am learning to love anchovies - wonderfully salty and umami, I enjoyed this dish by taking a piece of the charred greens and rolling a dollop of anchovies cream inside, then popping the delicious, moreish parcel bursting with flavour straight into my mouth. Whatever we couldn't finish with the greened the bread mopped up.
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| Cabbage, kelp, $16 |
Vegetables cooking deceptively simply yet full of satisfying flavour has been a mark of this Hobart trip. The cabbage is cooked until tender and is a perfect vehicle for the savoury, lovely broth hiding just underneath it.
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| Lemon verbena ice cream, sherry caramel, $5 |
Lucinda's ice cream flavours are always creative, unexpected and often showcasing Australian native flavours. This quinelle of fresh, vibrant lemon verbena ice cream was the perfect end to the meal.
Score: 5/5
Cost: approx $50pp, including drinks
Address: 123 Collins St, Hobart TAS
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