Earlier this year I locumed as a cat vet for the Hobart Cat Clinic and discovered a humble little café just up the road called The Picnic Basket. For lunch breaks I found it hard to tear myself away from the clinic as I’m not used to working somewhere as the sole charge vet. I am paranoid that an emergency case might rock up when I’m not there to treat it. Fortunately, the brilliant nurses at the Cat Clinic are very experienced and in all honesty would have been more than capable of holding the fort in my brief absence. After buying take-out lunches for the first week, they encouraged me to walk up to The Picnic Basket and dine in for lunch.
It is a curiously decorated café that feels like a fusion of a corner store, a farmstead living room, a bakery and a café. It is owned by a husband and wife team who are dedicated to promoting local produce and you can actually buy picnic baskets and fill them with take away goods for your own outdoor experience.
For those not wanting to brave the cold Tasmanian outdoors, there are plenty of cosy places to dine inside and it was lovely to sit and sip my coffee with the sun shining through the large ceiling height windows.
The Boy ordered himself a freshly squeezed juice as he doesn’t drink coffee. The juice was made with beetroot, apple and a hint of ginger. He gulped it down with minimal conversation which I always take as a positive sign.
For lunch he ordered the “Gaza Breakfast” which turned out to be a much larger meal than either of us were expecting. I guess this is a good demonstration of the difference between Hobart and Perth prices!
The soft, warmed pita was smeared with hummus and topped with boiled eggs, tomato, cilantro, red onion and a dash of paprika.
I was keen to try the “Miss Watson’s” dish which came with their home-baked gluten free nut seed bread. The moist, protein rich bread was dense and heavy making this a very filling dish. It was piled high with smashed avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes and delightfully squeaky haloumi.
Not knowing how generous the servings would be, I also ordered a side of mushrooms to share. The mushrooms weren’t served separately as I expected but were added onto my toast. The Boy’s Gaza breakfast was more than enough to keep him going so I just ate them all to myself.
The Picnic Basket is located on the southern side of Hobart and the route takes you along a picturesque winding coastal road. It is worth a visit should you have the time during your travels. For those of you who are my regular readers, you are probably thinking I am turning into a broken record by going on about how amazing all the food is in Tasmania. I guess this means you will just have to check it out for yourselves!
The Picnic Basket
176 Channel Highway, Taroona, TAS 7053 | 0477 225 427 | Facebook
Well I DO have friends in Tassie who have been trying to get me to visit….
I cannot wait to follow your feasting when you get yourself there…eat all the foods!
Such beautiful light in this cafe. And loving the heartiness of Miss Watson’s too. That bread looks awesome!
It was so filling and satisfying! This place is a hidden gem!
Mmmm – love the look of both these meals – and your bread looked amazing:-)
It was amazing bread, I will have to try and replicate it at home
What lovely, healthy meals. The seed bread is a perfect filler with the delightful fresh vegetables and lots of mushrooms. I agree Hobart is a foodie’s delight and nice to hear of a lovely cafe out of the centre
I just cant wait to get back to Tassie! Why does it have to be so far from Perth!
What a lovely little cafe Martine! And the prices are awesome-I always think of Perth’s prices as similar to Sydney’s but even a bit higher!
I wouldn’t be surprised at that….although I do think I need a Sydney holiday to make sure this is true 😉
Yummy! I love Miss Watson’s elegant and delicious recipe stuff with mashroom.
It’s always nice to find comfort in food and in a cafe especially when you’re alone, or after a day’s work. The place looks quiet and cosy and we like it
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
They really got the ambiance just right in this place, so lovely
i was in hobart in May and I loved the ambience of the whole city, cant wait to return!
Me neither! It is a foodie’s heaven!