REVIEW
It’s a rare and impressive feat for a restaurant to both rock a theme and look cool doing it. A pun, obviously, given that Institut Polaire is decked out in icy shades of white and grey and is all about cool-climate eating and drinking. But it’s also a compliment, because under the personable stewardship of owner Louise Radman, this side-street Hobart diner is noticeably warm and welcoming. Radman directs both the floor and kitchen action and her menus (à la carte and set) are a roll call of local ingredients treated with respect and admiration: great tomatoes with a Tongola goat’s curd gelato, wagyu tartare enhanced with local wasabi mayo, textbook spanner crab pasta, a brilliant Eton mess cheerleading for Tasmanian berries. Radman’s winemaker and distiller husband Nav Singh’s Domaine Simha wines feature on the artisan-minded list, but don’t miss the cocktails either – they’re just as seriously considered as the food.
ABOUT
Institut Polaire
Contemporary
1/7 Murray St, Hobart
0432 925 895
Chef Louise Radman
Price guide $$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access No
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
Gourmet Traveller Annual Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national guide.
