Hidden in the low slope of a paddock, Oirthir is invisible as you arrive after a 45-minute drive from Hobart towards the Tasman Peninsula. But walk down the gravel path, through an entry foyer furnished with a chaise longue upholstered in vibrant Harris Tweed, and you’ll realise that this subtle building is a canvas for stunning views and food that melds cultures.
Formerly home to the lauded Van Bone, Oirthir (a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “coast” and pronounced “oor-heid”) is now home to chefs and life partners Bob Piechniczek and Jillian McInnes, who are taking their Scottish background and blending it with classic French techniques and hyper-local Tasmanian produce to create a cuisine that is distinctly their own. With never-ending views up the coast to Hellfire Bluff and Maria Island, lunch is the main event here, with a set menu that feels like approachable fine-dining.
A fáilte (welcome) plate includes a plump Boomer Bay oyster with samphire, that tastes like diving through a wave and a radish topped with classic vinaigrette. Scottish soda bread, cooked in the wood-fired oven that crackles in the background throughout the meal, is accompanied by seaweed-infused butter and served with a knife made by Piechcniczek’s father. Zucchinis were in season when the pair arrived on the island in summer, and that harvest has become a spicy kimchi served with blue-lip mussels from Freycinet in a bowl of beurre blanc that’s decadently rich.
Haggis is probably Scottish cuisine’s most well-known dish, and it’s served with a main of local lamb saddle, from just down the road in Bangor, that has been cooked sous vide before being finished in the pan. The haggis uses offal from the same animal, combined with oats and spices and is pressed, then cut and fried to create a crisp portion of earthy but not overpowering flavours.
Coastal regions arrange the wine list and include plenty of Tasmanian offerings as well as Old World wines, with many by the glass. Local whiskys, beers, ciders and non-alocholic options are also available.
A boon for locals and visitors staying in the area are the Friday and Saturday night suppers that are also on the menu. Simple but refined dishes – think vichysoisse, a perfectly cooked steak or fillet of line-caught mackerel and an elegant nectarine frangipane tart – make for a relaxed weekend meal and, over summer, those views will be there until late into the evening.
Take a drive out of town and spend an afternoon relaxing into this uniquely Tasmanian experience that offers refined tastes in a place of rustic luxury.
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