The Tasmanian Inn: A Pub For The People
By Amanda Vallis
On North Hobart’s industrial strip, The Tasmanian Inn offers up classic pub fare and an atmosphere to match.
Every town needs a good pub and, thankfully, Hobart is home to a few. Tucked in amongst car dealerships and building supply stores on the corner of NoHo’s Campbell and Warwick Streets, The Tasmanian Inn (affectionately, the Tas Inn) is one such pub.
First licensed in 1851 on the eastern side of Campbell Street, the Tas Inn was originally a public and lodging house, later moving to its current location in 1872. In 2015, Warrick Deveson (also co-owner of nearby Deep South Brewing Co.) purchased the pub, and has continued to operate it as a reliable and welcoming watering hole for locals over the past 10 years. Fellow Deep South co-owner Dave McGill bought in early this year, followed by chef Tod La Marr.
The change in ownership has seen the Tas Inn undergo a menu revamp, but the vibes remain reminiscent of its previous iterations. Walk inside and you’ll find a wrap-around wooden bar, art deco pendant lights, rustic red brick, and a classic pub dining room out the back.
With a pedgiree including the kitchens of Tom McHugo’s and Sunbear, as well as his own pizza pop-up brand Supalenta, La Marr’s food menu is unsurprisingly stand-out, with staples like the Innkeepers Parmigiana ($31) featuring panko-crumbed chicken breast, arrabiata sauce, mozzarella, provolone and pesto (and chips and salad, of course), and a beef and Guinness pie ($31) served with mushy peas and gravy. Less traditional pub-by options include a Thai red curry ($28), served with market fish, chicken or tofu, and a curried potato and winter green pie ($26), with cucumber and mint raita and lime pickle. The menu’s burger section is also exceptional, with a classic fried chicken burger and cheeseburger sitting alongside a vego-friendly chickpea and herb burger.
Innkeepers Parmigiana
With an array of sides also on offer, La Marr works closely with Felds Farm’s Mike Layfield and Lauren Byrne to create his vegetable-forward menu which, La Marr says, is how he prefers to eat.
“I learned so much from Tom (Westcott) and Whitney (Ball) at Tom McHugo’s, which has influenced my food greatly, as did my time at Sunbear,” he says. “Everything Mike and Lauren do at Felds Farm is perfect, so as a chef you really don’t need to do much to the produce, because it tastes incredible to start with.”
Carrots, labne, pomegranate molasses, hazelnuts and herbs
The Tas Inn’s beverage offering reflects a similar philosophy to the food, featuring “things I want to drink by people I want to support,” says La Marr.
Visit on any given evening, and you’ll observe a varied demographic - families with kids, university students, tradies, date nights and retirees. The clientele reflects the space La Marr describes when asked what his vision is for the venue.
“Ultimately I want it to be what a pub should be - a public gathering space where anyone is welcome,” he says. “A type of hospitality that doesn’t come with pretence or an excessive price tag, and that offers great service and great food. I want people to feel like it’s an extension of their own home and living room.”
172 Campbell Street, Hobart
Tuesday-Saturday, 4pm-late
