The Agrarian Kitchen

Beautiful setting, gracious service—but a steep price tag The experience was undeniably enjoyable: the grounds are stunning and immaculately maintained, and the staff were warm, attentive, and welcoming throughout. The food was delicious—elegantly presented and expertly prepared. However, at $220 per person before drinks, expectations are understandably sky-high. While the meal was excellent, we couldn’t help but compare it to other top-tier Hobart restaurants like Trophy Room, where we enjoyed food of a comparable standard at half the price. To truly match the premium price point, a few thoughtful additions could elevate the experience: a short garden tour to share the rich history of the grounds—especially given its past as an asylum—would create a deeper connection to the place. Similarly, offering the welcome drink in the greenhouse as a complimentary gesture (or including it in the overall cost) would feel more gracious and help set the tone for the experience. We’re definitely glad we went—it’s a memorable outing—but for us, the value for money just didn’t quite add up.

Such a special experience! From the moment we arrived we were greeted by the team and walked through the garden and enjoyed our first course and a wine in the greenhouse before making our way back to the main dining room. Huge shout out to David, our waiter who took care of us - exceptional service and very friendly and to Sam our new chef friend! Thanks Team, will be back on our next Tassie trip!

Dining at The Agrarian Kitchen is more than just a meal, it is a beautifully curated experience. Housed in a thoughtfully restored old asylum, the setting is rich with character and surrounded by stunning gardens. It is peaceful, immersive, and absolutely worth the drive out from Hobart. You will want to allow at least three hours. The degustation is generous, relaxed, and filled with so many thoughtful little surprises. I will not spoil them here, but trust me, they are part of what makes it so special. The menu is built around produce grown on-site and sourced from nearby, celebrating the best of what is in season and sometimes daily changes. We had the wine pairing, which was seamless and elevated the meal beautifully. My business partner chose the non-alcoholic pairing, and I have to say, it was a standout in its own right. Not only does The Agrarian Kitchen offer a non-alcoholic beverage pairing, which is rare enough, but it is entirely made in house by Beverage Manager Alex Keene. These drinks feature house made syrups and fermented concoctions using foraged and homegrown ingredients, crafted with just as much care and creativity as the wine. Each was completely unique, and I ended up trying every one. All were impressive and absolutely delicious. You can also order individual non-alcoholic drinks separately, which is a great option for those who do not want the full pairing. The whole experience, from the warm and genuine service to the attention to detail in every course, makes this one of the most memorable dining experiences I have had. A true Tasmanian gem that delivers both substance and soul.

I loved my experience at Agrarian Kitchen. Was lucky with amazing winter weather & sitting outside on the lawn. Did the garden tour and the gardener(brazilian fella) did a great job answering questions etc. nice food. Definitely worth a drive👌🏽

If you value clean, fresh, homemade and sustainable food experiences then you must try this restaurant/garden. Not only was the food simple yet beautifully complex in its flavour profiles, you could taste the freshness of the ingredients grown on site. With the non-alcoholic pairings, the whole experience was perfect. The gardens were beautiful, the service was prompt and well thought out, and the history is also really interesting! Loved being able to see the kitchen up close, it made the food feel even more special. If you’re someone who likes your meat, this experience may not be as fulfilling! Just putting it out there, for me the one meat course was so stunning it was enough! Thank you to the whole Agrarian team, for putting so much time and effort into the food you make. It shows on the plate and can be tasted with so much joy.

Flawless - totally lives up to the hype! We had the best day out at The Agrarian Kitchen. We started with the garden tour, had a coffee then did the asylum tour. We concluded with the magnificent degustation. Laura and Amy took amazing care of us. The food is exception and the atmosphere perfect. I was particularly impressed with the alcohol free flight option. We will definately be back!

The absolute best food experience I have ever had. We started our visit with the garden tour which is well worth the price. Rodney one of the owners took us through their garden and gave us some history as well as info about their plants and why they do certain things. He also answered all questions of the group. We started with a drink and snacks in the yard for our restaurant experience and we’ve never had vegetables taste so good especially raw. Once inside the restaurant it was just magnificent. The vibe is very sleek but doesn’t feel too fancy, just right. The food is served with care and the wait staff are very knowledgeable but down to earth and can have a chat. Want to give a shout out to Riley & Jess who made us feel right at home in the restaurant and in the garden. And now the food! Oh my what a treat, everything that came out was finished and sparked conversation. It has me so curious about food and they switch menu every week! I couldn’t believe it, the chefs must be so talented! Absolute stunner spot for food lovers or people who just want to be wowed by food!

Absolutely outstanding experience! The Agrarian Kitchen is unlike any dining experience I’ve had before. I love the juxtaposition of this converted insane asylum into a modern farm with all locally made & sourced produce. The food is exceptional especially with the non-alcoholic pairing! The staff go above & beyond too! Extra special shoutout to Riley who made my birthday extra special. 10/10

We went to the Agrarian Kitchen after visiting Mona. From one quirky establishment to another, Agrarian Kitchen has set up in an ex mental asylum and this time we were committed. The fit out was impressive, keeping many of the original ornate freatures and sprucing it up. The dining room had plenty of natural light and a good playlist contributing to a great dining atmosphere. Once seated, it didn't even register what this building previously housed. The service here was impressive from the start, with many of the waitstaff greeting us on the way in and showing genuine enjoyment for the restaurant. They weren't without error, but dealt with the situation well. An incorrect dessert, which cannot entirely be attributed to the waitstaff, as there was two puddings on the menu. This worked out in our favour as we were rewarded with an extra dessert F.O.C. With an emphasis on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, with staff foraging the restaurant garden for ingredients. Each dish was presented nicely with an emphasis on sharing. The flavours and textures of each dish were very notable. There were plenty of potatoes on offer around town, the Agrarian utilising this ingredient for their potato scallops/cakes, which had a nice crisp batter, and each scallop had a slice of locally sourced potato which they served with a tasty house made tomato sauce. The pear, prosciutto and stracchiatella was beautifully presented, and a nice cool dish for summer. This dish had a great combination of flavours the sweetness of the fruit, saltiness of the prosciutto and creamy texture of the stracchiatella. The farmer's cheese dumpling was a singular pastel yellow in colour, with a souffle like texture with zucchini, olive and parmesan adding a good hit of flavour. The pick of the bunch was the half wood smoked duck to share. The duck itself was tasty enough on its own, the skin so crisp, so good there was none to spare. It was served with a range of condiments to enhance the flavours, including mustard pickled cherries, which happened to be in season and the sweet damson plum sauce, both combined very well with the duck. The was also served sides including the deliciously crunchy roast russet burbank potatoes and an aussie favourite beetroots with shallots in red wine vinegar. After this, we decided to share desserts and the salted honey ice cream and fennel pollen was a simple sophisticated dessert which went perfectly with the Belgrove Rye; a locally distilled craft spirit. A great brunch or lunch venue not to be missed, the restaurant is bright, the service great and the food enticing.

Really good coffee, one of the best in New Norfolk. Great food too delivered with a smile and well presented.

There are so many reasons to like this place, and I do. I very much so do. The Agrarian Kitchen is a foodie's delight, a cooking school out in the wilds of southern Tasmania, run by a couple of people who love food. Cooking classes there are wildly expensive (for this pauper), hence I've never actually been able to attend one. But now they've opened the Eatery & Store, I can do one better, and just taste the good stuff (I'm not much of a cook anyway, let's admit it). Another reason I'm already in love is because the Eatery & Store is located within the grounds of Willow Court, previously known as the Royal Derwent Hospital, previously known as New Norfolk Insane Asylum. I actually worked out on the grounds last winter as part of the fourth Dark Mofo festival, when we had an artist in residence in one of the blocks during a long durational piece all weekend. The building where the Eatery & Store is now located was our back of house (and where our supervisor took some much-needed shut eye for an hour here and there). Let's talk about the food, shall we? It's delicious. I went out to the Eatery with a large group of workmates so we got to feast on heaps of things instead of just a couple of plates. Everyone had a different favourite dish, which was kudos to the kitchen. My favourite was probably the cheese dumpling, buried under delicious greens. It was one of the last courses and we were all very full but I couldn't say no to that DUMPLING. I hope it's still on the menu next time I head out to New Norfolk! But I have to reconcile myself with the fact that it's likely not to be, as the Eatery & Store will change things up regularly to stay fresh and exciting. I suppose I'm ok with that. Another good thing about going out with a group of people is that somebody else drove for once and I got to drink all the cocktails. Ok, not ALL of them, because they can make you whatever you'd like, but they also have a sweet little menu that I had to work my way through to the best of my ability. I think the standout for most of us was a simple concoction of some spirit (brandy?) and whipped orange juice. What the hell, how does whipping juice make it suddenly the fluffiest, most moorish juice you've ever tasted? I don't know, don't tell me the secret. The hours at the Eatery & Store are a little odd, and mean it's likely I won't get here often (who am I kidding, I'm unlikely to get here often anyway--if you have to drive more than ten minutes from Hobart you don't tend to go). Lunches and afternoon snacks are the main focus, with Saturday nights being the only dinners each week (though it looks like they're expanding to Friday night dinners once summer's here). ...now I want dumpling, why did I write this? Somebody go get me dumpling, please.