Set into a sloping field, Van Bone quietly invites you into its seemingly humble rammed-earth walls, then takes your breath away with extravagant views of Tasmania’s east coast towards Maria Island, framed by a huge picture window. Chef Timothy Hardy works with fire and smoke in the open kitchen, the daily-changing menu focused on closed-loop sustainability with any excess produce fermented, preserved, pickled or turned into sauces and powders. The multi-course set menu might include alpine-style cheese from the nearby Tongola dairy finely grated over a perfectly smoked tomato, followed by a paper-thin sliver of locally grown potato sprinkled with powdered sea flavours. Southern calamari, sliced into paper-thin noodles, is served with a delicate pork broth. Smoked buttermilk ice-cream is made from the by-product of the housemade butter that’s served with a dense sourdough partway through the meal. The entire experience is uniquely Tasmanian, celebrating the immediacy of the land and sea.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
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Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2022
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 80.
