Fresh produce, farm-to-table restaurant offerings, cool-climate wines and exceptional seafood – for Taf Chiwanza, co-founder and CEO of food discovery app Secondz, these are the key ingredients that define Hobart’s food scene and make it unique. And when you’re part of a game-changing app that gives users personalised restaurant recommendations in seconds, it’s safe to say you know a thing or two about finding good food. 

Taf is a frequent visitor of Tasmania’s excellent and ever-growing food scene. Recently, he cruised the capital in the all new Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé, with Secondz assistant producer Anai Godfrey, to discover its best dining spots.

“The AMG CLE 53 is the perfect combination of power and elegance,” says Taf, who loves the feeling of navigating Hobart’s hilly streets with the car’s powerful six-cylinder engine and intuitive AMG Performance steering wheel. “Driving the AMG CLE 53 made us enjoy every drive, even in between food stops.”

Read on to discover Taf and Anai’s top recommendations for spending 48 hours in Hobart – from must-visit eateries to hidden culinary gems.

Day one: pastries and panoramas 

“Always get the croissant,” says Taf who rates Pigeon Whole Bakers as the ultimate local spot for coffee and pastries. “Having the open kitchen-bakery where you can see the bakers is a great experience.” 

Locals flock here for snacks, often before visiting Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) on the Berriedale Peninsula. 

For lunch, Taf and Anai head north to the picturesque Pooley Wines, luxuriating in the coupé’s comfortable AMG Performance seats during the 30-minute journey.

“Pooley is a beautiful vineyard with a very underrated pepperoni pizza,” says Taf. “And you've got to pick up a bottle of pinot noir when you're in Tassie. Pinots thrive in this cool-climate region.” 

After lunch? Taf and Anai steer east toward the coast for an hour-long drive. The verdant countryside opens on the way to Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen, a stunning natural bridge rock formation with a deep trench carved by the Tasman Sea. Taf describes the drive as “thrilling”, thanks to the coupé’s power and stability. “I really enjoy going from comfort to Sport mode and then Sport+,” he says. 

After an equally satisfying drive back to Hobart, the temperature drops and dusk settles over the city. Taf and Anai head to Hobart’s prized fine-dining restaurant Fico, a sophisticated yet relaxed place with European influences and top-notch local produce. 

What do they like best about Fico? “Everything! The food, the people, and the story,” says Taf. 

To finish the evening, Lucinda Wine Bar was the perfect place for a nightcap.

Day two: a leisurely country tour

Even on the coldest mornings, folk queue on Murray Street seeking warmth, breakfast, and freshly baked pastries at Daci & Daci Bakers. “It’s a classic!” says Taf of the 14-year-old artisanal patisserie. “Get your baked goods and coffee in the morning from a bakery that's stood the test of time.” 

Next up is a leisurely 30-minute drive northeast, following the River Derwent to the lauded Agrarian Kitchen. The pair pulls up at its casual, sunlit outdoor space, the Kiosk. 

“You must do the garden tour before you eat,” says Taf. “It’s a spectacular farm-to-table experience like no other. The standout moment of the trip is being taken around the gardens with Rodney Dunn [the venue’s chef and co-founder]. His knowledge and passion for produce is a joy to watch.”

For dinner, Taf and Anai head to the Trophy Room. “Neighbourhood expressions of Hobart like Trophy Room are my favourite type of meal because it feels like you’re eating with locals,” says Taf. Their pick? It depends – the menu changes daily – but they loved the miso caramel cruller with strawberry gelato and shiso leaf.

Taf and Anai also recommend the petite wine bar Sonny for low-intervention wines, top-notch snacks, and a soundtrack of vinyl playing in the background. They love visiting places like Sonny because they are “intimate, and feel like an adult playground where everyone has a good time”. 

On their last morning in Hobart, Taf shares one final gem: “Adam from Rough Rice has a food stall at the Farm Gate Market on a Sunday where he sells unbelievable congee.” He loves the traditional Chinese savoury rice “porridge” for breakfast. 

Taf and Anai agree the stylish AMG CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé elevated their travelling experience and Taf says, “This was the best way to navigate the beautiful winding roads of Tasmania.”

Secondz is available for download via Apple and Google Play.