Institut Polaire

Simply superb in every facet. This was one of the best dining experiences of my life. The staff were fantastic - knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. The wine suggestions by the team were spot on and paired perfectly with the food. We enjoyed a bottle of German Riesling, and a local Pinot Noir that were both sublime. The food was unbelievably good. The raw scallops were a particular highlight, as was the rest of the fruits de mer. The caviar service was well worth the extra cash, the blinis were to die for! I could go on and on about how much we enjoyed this place but if you take anything away from this it’s that you simply have to go! I will be telling all my friends about this place, and would give it more than 5 stars if I could. Sensational.

Institut Polaire offers fresh and amazing food in a lovely atmosphere. Their scallop sashimi is phenomenal—nicely balanced. The prices are reasonable considering the quality of the ingredients and the portion sizes. The service is outstanding, with staff ensuring every aspect of your experience is well taken care of. It's definitely a place you'll want to return to. Good choice for dining in groups, dates, or solo dinners.

We stumbled across here by walking down the street and stopping for a drink….ended up staying for dinner and the crab pasta was to die for. Absolutely incredible. Great soundtrack in the restart, friendly staff and great cocktail and wine selection. First stop for dinner next time we are in Hobart!

We went to Intuit Polaire for their martinis - which were exceptional! We decided to try a few smaller food dishes to share ... and what a pleasant surprise they were! Absolutely beautiful food too (we had fresh oysters, the Tuna Carpaccio and some Bodega toast) - as good as any fine dining restaurant! The staff were super friendly and very accommodating too. You must try the "cigarette martini" (if Lagavulin were to make a martini - this would be it!) Loved the experience souch we came back a second time a few days later! Loved this place!

Ate here recently whilst on holiday in Hobart. We had the seasonal menu. The snapper was excellent, oysters and steak tartare were enjoyable. We were not a fan of the pasta with fava beans and asparagus. The chocolate and caramel tart was nice. Overall this is a good restaurant but very pricey. The meal for two of us was around $500. I would recommend as we enjoyed it but I prob would not be a regular there.

I have been waiting to eat here for a long time and was not only not disappointed but blown away by the high level of service and innovative food as part of my seven course meal. Each course build upon each other and after 90 minutes I had thoroughly enjoyed simply one of the best meals I have had. And the portions were plentiful. Highlights were the scallop sashimi, heirloom tomatoes, snapper and an incredible whisky caramel tort. I ate by myself but the highly trained staff kept me informed and more importantly, very welcome and engaged. Highly, highly recommended!

Easily one of the best dining experiences we have had. The food, ambience, service, drinks & dedication to their craft is of the highest standard. Every dish was divine. We had a phenomenal Brazilian waitress who was provided such a great experience for us as we were sharing a birthday dinner. Thank you for such a beautiful dinner 🥰

We visited Institut Polaire on a Friday night to celebrate my wife’s 40th birthday. After hearing glowing recommendations from several friends, we were eager to try the feed me menu — and it exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel genuinely welcome, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening. The intimate setting, exceptional food, and beautifully crafted drinks created the perfect celebration. The standout dish for us was the tartare, closely followed by the snapper — both absolute highlights. If you’re still reading, do yourself a favour and book a table. We’re already looking forward to our next visit.

In my opinion (which is entirely what these reviews are, so it doesn't REALLY need to be said, and yet) I think Institut Polaire suffers from what the Nant Whisky Bar suffered from, which is that it's essentially a glorified showroom for the product behind the bar, in this case being Sud Polaire gins and Domaine Simha wines. The space itself is very on brand for Sud Polaire (check out their instagram for confirmation). Crisp, cold, white. Some fur. Much luxe. But in li'l ol' Hobart, I just don't know if it fits or works. The prices are pricey. The bar food is glam. My friends and I had a cocktail each and then scurried away to a place around the corner where we could play dumb card games in peace and listen to sick tunes and not feel like our parents were going to come in and tell us to stop touching stuff. Nice drinks but way too fancy.

Called in here for pre-dinner drinks. Cannot recommend highly enough. Great cocktail and food menu. We only had time for one cocktail each and they were delish. We returned after our dinner to finish off with another lovely cocktail. Would have loved to try their food and will next time we are in Hobart. I loved the modern décor, white, plush and classy...marble, fur and a fire. Small enough to be intimate but i think I could see a private room at back for bigger groups. So nice to see something different in Tassie.