1. Dier Makr & Lucinda – A Unified Design Language
📍 123 Collins Street, Hobart
Design & Architecture
The building that houses Dier Makr and Lucinda is a well preserved example of Inter-War Commercial Classical architecture, purpose built in 1929 for the Commercial Travellers Association. Its symmetrical façade, blackwood interiors and club style layout reflect both the design sensibilities of the era and the Association’s prominence in Tasmania’s commercial life.
Dier Makr
Dier Makr offers an intimate, thoughtfully pared back dining experience where minimalism is warmed by dark timbers, leather finishes, and a glass fronted natural wine cellar. With just a few tables and an open kitchen, the space invites close connection between diner, plate and producer.
Lucinda
Lucinda, next door, brings a more relaxed, social feel. Light filled and welcoming, it pairs heritage elements like pressed tin ceilings and timber floors with a communal island table and an understated bar. It’s a wine bar designed for conversation: informal yet considered.
Together, they strike a perfect balance between modern hospitality and architectural reverence each interpreting the building’s rich past in a way that feels relevant, refined, and distinctly Tasmanian.
The Experience
Partners Kobi Ruzicka and Sarah Fitzsimmons have crafted two distinct yet deeply connected venues that celebrate Tasmanian produce, thoughtful hospitality, and natural wine.
Dier Makr
Dier Makr is an intimate, immersive dining experience centred around a multi-course menu. With only a handful of tables and a open kitchen, it is a space where the boundaries between chef and guest dissolve. The food is seasonal, precise, and produce driven, each dish served with care and insight. Wine plays a key role, with a standout cellar of over 150 grape varietals.
Lucinda
Lucinda, next door, offers a more relaxed and spontaneous experience. Inspired by the European caves à manger, it’s a standing wine bar where the food is snackable yet sophisticated—think pâté en croûte, terrines and seasonal vegetables, all handled with serious technique. The by the glass wine list evolves daily, guided by conversation rather than a printed menu. It’s a place to explore, connect and enjoy good wine without the formality.
Together, Dier Makr and Lucinda reflect a unified vision: uncompromising quality, local sourcing, and a modern, approachable take on fine food and wine. They’re different in tone, but share the same spirit celebrating Tasmania, with depth and originality.
Dier Makr
Lucinda
Image Sources: Broadsheet.com, Dier Makr Instagram, Lucinda Instagram
2. Ogee & Sonny — Two Sides of the Same Story
📍 Ogee: 374 Murray Street, North Hobart
📍 Sonny: 120a Elizabeth Street, Hobart
Design & Architecture
Ogee
Ogee is an intimate wine bar with an attached guesthouse in North Hobart, owned by Matt and Monique Breen. The name “Ogee” refers to a double curve form in architecture symbolising the meeting of ideas, people, and experiences, which sits at the heart of the venue’s philosophy.
The wine bar occupies a black painted corner shop with a distinctive red awning. Inside, layout is minimal and purposeful, designed to foster conversation. Materials include natural timbers, metal accents, and soft lighting delivering a warm, understated elegance.
Adjacent to the bar, the Ogee Guesthouse was designed by local architects Mark and Adela Drury, with interiors by Aneka Sidoti. It features a fully equipped chef grade kitchen, commercial fixtures, and a custom listening lounge with Pitt & Giblin speakers extending the venue’s focus on quality and sensory detail into accommodation.
Together, the bar and guesthouse reflect a clear architectural and design vision: minimalist, tactile, and deeply Tasmanian in character.
Sonny
Tucked into a slim Elizabeth Street space, Sonny in Hobart is a masterclass in warm, minimalist design. With its timber lined communal bar, chalkboard menus, and integrated vinyl corner, the venue blurs the line between wine bar and intimate dinner party. Designed to feel like a friend’s home, Sonny’s clever use of space, tactile materials, and curated atmosphere proves that great design doesn’t shout it invites you in.
The Experience
Ogee
Ogee offers a relaxed, European inspired dining experience built around seasonality, simplicity, and shared plates. The weekly changing menu reflects what’s fresh and local, served with warmth and quiet precision. With a carefully curated wine list and a playful soundtrack, the atmosphere feels intimate, thoughtful, and welcoming.
Sonny
Sonny offers a soulful, stripped back dining experience that feels more like a house party than a restaurant. With a focus on handmade pasta, seasonal Tasmanian produce, and an ever changing list of minimal intervention wines, every visit is intimate and unrepeatable. Set to the hum of vinyl and hosted with personal warmth, Sonny blends great food, good wine and genuine hospitality into one seamless, unforgettable night.
Sonny
Ogee
Image Source: Sonny Instagram & Ogee Instagram
3. La Sardina Loca — Mediterranean Charm in a Sandstone Courtyard
📍 100 Elizabeth Street, Hobart
Design & Architecture
Tucked down a brick carriageway, La Sardina Loca is set within one of Hobart’s oldest sandstone buildings a mid-1800s coach house rich in colonial character. Built from locally quarried stone, its thick walls and timber-beamed ceilings reflect the city’s early craftsmanship. Today, it’s a Mediterranean inspired bar that honours its past. The original stable layout creates cosy, intimate spaces, while a fairy-lit courtyard once used for deliveries now hums with conversation. Inside, rustic textures bring new life to this historic gem proof that heritage and hospitality can go hand in hand.
The Experience
This neighbourhood aperitivo bar specialises in Spanish and Mediterranean inspired small plates showcasing Tasmanian seafood and local produce. Highlights include sardines on toast, lavosh with vermouth‑poached pear, and potato pavé with whipped anchovy & sauce gribiche. A rotating spritz and cocktail list and dynamic wine list keep the vibe lively. Open afternoons through late night, it’s perfect for lingering over shared plates and spritzes under the courtyard lights
Image Source: La Sardina Instagram
