Picnic Basket

Top choice in Hobart


This old petrol-station building has been reworked as an earthy cafe, with a quirky retro interior, staff dancing in the kitchen and herbs growing in planter boxes – a far remove from its petrochemical past. Order some Dr Seussian green eggs and ham, a breakfast burrito, some sweet-potato waffles, a salad or some homemade muesli with local yoghurt. Wake-you-up coffee, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hobart attractions

1. Shot Tower

0.73 MILES

On Taroona’s southern fringe stands the Shot Tower, a 48m-high, circular sandstone turret (1870) built to make lead shot for firearms. Molten lead was…

2. Mt Nelson

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The Old Signal Station atop Mt Nelson (352m) provides immaculate views over Hobart and the Derwent River estuary. The Mt Nelson semaphore station …

3. Kingston Beach

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This relaxed swimming and sailing spot has steep wooded cliffs at each end of a long arc of sand. There’s a picnic area at the northern end, accessed by a…

4. Lower Sandy Bay Beach

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This sweet little beach is a decent spot for a stroll or a dip on a hot afternoon: swim out to the pontoon and warm up in the sun before re-entering the…

5. Australian Antarctic Division

3.78 MILES

Just south of Kingston is the government HQ responsible for administering Australia’s 42% wedge of the frozen continent. Australia has a long history of…

6. Blackmans Bay Beach

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About 3km from Kingston, Blackmans Bay has a safe-swimming beach and a blowhole. The water is usually quite cold, and there’s rarely any surf…but it sure…

7. St George's Anglican Church

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Designed by colonial architect John Lee Archer (with a tower designed by convict James Blackburn), this landmark 1838 church sits atop the highest bit of…

8. Battery Point

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Tucked in behind Salamanca Pl, the old maritime village of Battery Point is a tight nest of lanes and 19th-century cottages. Spend an afternoon exploring:…