Riding the Hobart wine-bar new wave, Ettie’s is the safe word to its more outré peers – a bistro where the pan-roasted chicken evokes rose-hued Sunday lunch reveries and the house sourdough is worth smuggling home for supper. Its slick CBD digs has the ghost of that sweet little wine bar in Paris, while the menu is a sympathetic beast of straightforward flavours designed not to give the broad, globally searching wine program any troubles. It’s manifesto-free dining to make the most jaded of palates eat like no one’s looking: things like spaghetti Napoli dressed to impress with fresh curd, toasted breadcrumbs and basil leaves. A tumble of mussels on the shell with white beans and ‘nduja, the spicy Calabrian salami, presses the same buttons – come to think of it, so does a quietly sophisticated dessert of dense crème fraîche parfait and poached greengage plums. Ettie’s feels like an old-timer, not a new-timer. Welcome to the ‘hood.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
