Ten Years At The Top: Aløft Turns 10
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Aløft Restaurant (image: Jon Gazzignato)
When Aløft Restaurant Co-Owner and Executive Chef Christian Ryan left Hobart to pursue a cooking career, his hometown had little to show for itself on the national culinary map.
“There were maybe two restaurants that stood out on the interstate scene,” he recalls. “The kind of people who travel for food would fly down, eat dinner at one of these venues, and then fly home the next day.”
By the time he returned - via stints at hatted Melbourne restaurant Taxi Dining Room, and with the Gordon Ramsay Group at London’s prestigious Savoy Hotel - change was well and truly in the air. With the opening of Mona (the Museum of Old & New Art) in 2011 came a reinvigorated tourism economy and entrepreneurial opportunities. Tassie’s capital was more than ready for the immersive dining experience that Christian had dreamt of bringing to Hobart’s waterfront.
“This world-class museum made Hobart and Tasmania a cool place to live and visit, and provided a real stimulus for the restaurant scene to grow and change,” Christian says.
Growth and change have been critical to the longevity of Aløft, which this November celebrates 10 years of fine food, relaxed ambience and stunning views from the peak of Hobart’s Brooke Street Pier. Though Christian admits that the first five years of restaurant ownership were especially challenging, the post-Covid Aløft has emerged as a more confident version of itself.
Christian Ryan (right) with Restaurant Manager Hedley Monks (image: Jon Gazzignato)
“Having that chance to spend three months just sitting, resting, and getting passionate again turned out to be the best thing for me and the restaurant,” Christian reflects. “The first five years were about survival, and I took on the different ideas of everyone around me. When we came back from Covid, though, I had more confidence in myself and in what I had always intended for the restaurant to be.”
Today, Aløft offers a nine-course set menu, inspired by the broader Asian region and prepared with the best Tasmanian produce. Christian and his team partner with small local producers to source unique ingredients that tell a story of clean air, pristine terroir, and passionate individuals, both on the plate and in the glass.
(image: Jon Gazzignato)
“It’s about really bold, punchy flavours, and keeping things as traditional as we can, while infusing native and local ingredients that probably aren’t ever seen in this kind of food anywhere else,” Christian says. “We’ve created an experience that’s right on the knife’s edge of being really refined, but also really fun, approachable and enjoyable, thanks in huge part to the energy from our team.”
Aløft will celebrate its 10-year milestone with two exclusive dining experiences on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November, featuring some of the restaurant’s most iconic and beloved dishes from the past decade. For more information and to book, email info@aloftrestaurant.com
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