Hobart has long been known as one of the best places in Australia for foodies, given the capital’s density of high-quality restaurants like Templo and Fico. But there are just as many top-tier pubs in Hobart, carving out some of the city’s most historic buildings and turning them into old-fashioned drinking holes that are just as heavy on the atmosphere as the drinks list.
I’ve already told you where to find the best restaurants in Hobart and run you through a list of the best Tasmanian whiskies. Now, I’m going to give you a list of exactly where to grab a drink next time you’re down in Hobart and looking to put together a bit of a pub crawl for the boys.
Note that I haven’t included any of the many cocktail bars or wine bars laid out across Hobart’s CBD. This is for pubs only, so you won’t find the likes of IXL Long Bar, Sonny, Mary Mary, Rude Boy or the great Bar Wa Izakaya – all places also worth visiting if you’ve got the time.
RELATED: The Best Country Pubs In Tasmania
Best Pubs In Hobart – Table Of Contents
Hobart’s Best Pubs
Preachers, Hobart CBD
I’ve included Preachers as part of our where to eat in Hobart guide as well, simply because this historic venue does up the best classic pub food in the city. Bar none.
Positioned in the heart of Battery Point, Peacher’s sprawling beer garden should be your first stop if you’re hopping around the city trying to find the best pubs in Hobart. In fact, I could just stop at Preachers and be done with it.
Everything from the food and drink to the prices and atmosphere is just so on point that you wouldn’t really need to park yourself anywhere else. It’s the ideal place for a cold one.
You’ll find Preachers on Knopwood Street, just a short walk from Salamanca Market. So on weekends most locals would grab some lunch at Hobart’s most famous outdoor activity and head on up to this former 1849 sailmaker’s cottage for an afternoon session. The dining area is thick with grease from all the hearty classic pub food and the beer garden is mecca on a sunny day.
Address: 5 Knopwood St, Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: (03) 6223 3621
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday (12 pm – 12 am); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 1 am)
Hope And Anchor Tavern, Hobart CBD
Anyone who has been to Hobart before would have crossed paths with the historic Hope And Anchor Tavern, which stands stately on Macquarie Street, facing Hobart’s waterfront head-on. Australia’s oldest continuously licensed pub, which opened in 1807 as The Whale Fishery, is brimming with the kind of heritage that defines this great city and inspires just about everyone who visits.
A drink here is non-negotiable, and while we tend to gravitate towards Preachers when we’re down in Australia’s southernmost capital there really is nothing in Hobart that compares to this old dame. With such reverence and renown, you can bet the pub has an extensive reach when it comes to procuring the best craft beer, wine and cider around. You’ll never want for variety here, that’s for sure.
Plus, choosing to eat here instead of a restaurant doesn’t feel like a compromise; you’ll be well taken care of with a nifty kitchen highly-prized for turning Tasmania’s best produce into classic pub fare. The kitchen’s signature beef wellington rivals a meal at any of Hobart’s best restaurants, and that goes double if you pair it with some local scallops in the upstairs dining area.
Address: 65 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: (03) 6236 9982
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Thursday (12 pm – 9 pm); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 10 pm)
Tom McHugo’s, Hobart CBD
Tom McHugo’s is known in equal measure for its food and drink. You’ll find a frequently rotating list of local brews on tap at this historic pub on Macquarie Street but the reason most people pop by is for the pub food.
It’s all produce-forward and inventive here. Hobart kind of demands that you respect Tasmania’s bountiful produce and with their own farm, the owners are able to showcase plenty of fresh flavours. My most recent visit was during Dark Mofo 2023 and it’s always great tucking into that haggis fried bao and following that up with a charcoal lamb sandwich.
Address: 87 Macquarie St, Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday (11:30 AM – 10 PM)
Boodle Beasley, North Hobart
Boodle Beasley is one of the best-known pubs in Hobart and a great expression of sophistication meets heritage up in North Hobart. Just a short walk from Hobart’s waterfront, this heritage charmer is the perfect place to end your night and is quite often the first port of call for pre-drinks for anyone in town for Dark Mofo.
The warm heritage architecture is proudly on display through large glass windows so anyone walking by is usually tempted by the quaint aesthetic, building up an affable atmosphere that aligns perfectly with Hobart’s chiselled history. Although that wouldn’t mean much if the drinks weren’t on point – everything from the extensive, locally-minded wine list and delicious snacks to fine, well-made signature cocktails and a great beer list help make Boodle Beasley a fine choice when we’re discussing some of the best pubs Hobart has to offer.
Plus, there’s a strong focus on more substantial food as well, with the bar menu running through everything from local cheese platters to Asian-inspired bites like tempura prawns and the signature Boodleburger with beef, kewpie mayo, kimchi, lettuce, American cheese, tomatoes and mustard
Address: 315 Elizabeth St, North Hobart TAS 7000
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday (12 pm – 10 pm); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 12 am)
Crescent Hotel, North Hobart
A recent refurbishment ran through Cresent Hotel and has helped this historic North Hobart pub play nicely with contemporary tastes. And yet nothing can quite dull the old-world charm of this great pub, which always seems to get every single touchpoint right – friendly staff that are efficient and know exactly what they’re talking about it, an excellent selection of local beers on tap and a pub food menu that plays nicely into Hobart’s superior culinary scene.
This isn’t just classic pub food either. Think anchovy doughnuts and house-made terrine as starters and lamb and mustard pie or eggplant imam bayildi as mains, right along with the standards like chicken parmigiana and a hearty sirloin best served with pepper sauce or a red wine jus. It’s a great example of why Hobart should always be seen as a bit of an upper echelon destination for foodies of all persuasions, with more than just the restaurants taking advantage of the easy access to Tasmania’s superior seasonal produce.
Address: 100 Burnett St, North Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: (03) 6231 1529
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (4 pm – 10 pm); Thursday (12 pm – 10 pm); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 11 pm); Sunday (12 pm – 10 pm)
Shipwright’s Arms Hotel, Battery Point
Battery Point wouldn’t quite be the same without Shipwright’s Arms Hotel, known to locals simply as Shippies since it first opened back in 1846. The old-school pub is covered with memorabilia from the city’s history, expressing the story of Hobart just as well as any of the nearby museums.
You can tell this pub is packed full of fiercely loyal regular patrons as soon as you walk through that sightly blue door off Trumpeter Street. Most of them at any given moment will have a catch of the day sitting right in front of them with a cold one, taking advantage of the kitchen’s scope of fresh seafood from the pub’s extensive network of local fish suppliers.
Huddled around the open fireplace is the ideal situation during the colder months, but if the weather’s playing right the best spot is in the outdoor covered beer garden with a crisp Tasmanian cider, beer or wine in hand.
You also might want to look into the tight but comfortable accommodation here as well. Given the best hotels in Hobart can be ridiculously busy for events like Dark Mofo and Mona Fomo, Shippies has some decent antiquated rooms if you can put up with the smaller living space.
Address: 29 Trumpeter St, Battery Point TAS 7004
Contact: (03) 6223 1846
New Sydney Hotel, Hobart CBD
Incredibly relaxed and consistently delicious, New Sydney Hotel is one of the best pubs in Hobart for when you want a massive feed before heading out in the city. Quite often this is the first stop on any pub crawl itinerary, given the food, which takes inspiration from all over the world, is just so damn good. The worship of local produce has a lot to do with that and you can taste the difference in detail with everything from the Shephard’s Pie to the beef cheeks,
The beer? That’s good too, and you’ll always find a constant rotation of taps geared at showcasing the best of Australia’s rich craft beer industry.
Address: 87 Bathurst St, Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: (03) 6234 4516
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (12 pm – 10:30 pm); Thursday (12 pm – 11 pm); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 12 am); Sunday (4 pm – 10 pm)
The Brick Factory, Hobart CBD
Live music each and every weekend is a major draw for visitors wanting to load up on good times at The Brick Factory. As one of Hobart’s modern pubs, you can expect this place to be heaving with a younger crowd and stepping up with a proportionately large and contemporary drinks list.
You’ll definitely want to pair your poison up with some fresh seafood pizza. The kitchen here pumps out some of the best in the area, even giving crowd-favourite Local Pizza out in Bellerive a run for their money (though make no mistake, Local Pizza is by far the best pizza in Hobart).
Address: 55 Salamanca Pl, Hobart TAS 7000
Contact: (03) 6224 3667
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday (12 pm – 9:30 pm); Friday – Saturday (12 pm – 8 pm)
The Eleventh Order Brewery, New Norfolk
Head outside of the city to find The Eleventh Order Brewery in prime position, cradled in the Derwent Valley and feeling like a true escape from everything. No doubt if you’re already crawled across Hobart’s best pubs then you’ll be familiar with the craft brews The Eleventh Order pumps out with Rosetta IPA and Valkyrie Dark Lager in particular poured up at plenty of spots across the city.
The broad list of beers and snacks is enough to quality The Eleventh Order Brewery for this round-up, even though technically this isn’t a pub.
Address: 60 Humphrey St, New Norfolk TAS 7140
How Boss Hunting Chose This List Of The Best Hobart Pubs
From a quick dip into the city’s best pub food or a cold one in a sprawling beer garden with live music, you’ve got these gems taking very good care of you whether you’re down in Hobart for Dark Mofo or just visiting in summer.
Hobart has always been a rough-and-tumble drinking city, and it shows with the number of historic pubs that sit on almost every corner of the city. These are institutions that have built the city into what it is, directly springing from the early 1800s when Hobart was a major trading port and naval stopover for the British.
Team BH is lucky enough to be able to travel for work consistently throughout the year. Many of those trips have taken us down to Hobart before. We can never resist eating around the Tassie capital, especially during the island state’s harsh winter. Across those visits, we’ve visited all of these pubs in Hobart and can confidently state that the ones listed above are our favourites.
Rest assured, these are the same recommendations we’d give to our mates.
Best Pubs In Hobart – Frequently Asked Questions
What's the oldest pub in Hobart?
The oldest pub in Hobart is the heritage-listed Anchor And Hope Tavern, an absolute must if you’re looking to soak up Tasmania’s best beers in a lively, historic atmosphere. This place often gets so busy that the downstairs bar is standing room only, so time your visit wisely.
What is the best pub for food in Hobart?
Almost all the pubs in Hobart will have great meals considering the direct access to fresh Tasmanian produce. Some of the best pubs with food in Hobart include New Sydney Hotel, Anchor and Hope and The Brick Factory.
What is the best pub for live music in Hobart CBD?
Looking to sink a cold one to a soundtrack of live music? The first pub on your radar should be The Brick Factory.
