La Sardina Loca — Restaurant in Hobart

The dishes were hearty and flavourful. The patatas bravas and octopus with creamed corn were highlights. The mussel on flatbread was disappointing as it consisted of a lot of tough doughy pizza style bread to a very small number of mussels.

We were expecting a wine list with a selection of Spanish wines and were sadly disappointed. The wine list was expensive and consisted mainly of Australian wines.

Service was efficient yet somewhat awkward and aloof. Staff were much friendlier to customers they appeared to already know and made little effort to make welcome those that did not fit the hipster vibe of the venue.

The venue was cold, dark, and loud. Tables had metal surfaces which were cold to the touch. Metal is great for outdoors and kitchens, not so much for guest warmth and comfort - a poor design choice that is more suited to an ice bar aesthetic. Turning on the heating and table cloths would address this. The venue was cold, and the lighting was dimmed to such a level that it was difficult to read the menu, creating a nightclub as opposed to restaurant atmosphere. As the night progressed, the owners dimmed the lights further and turned up the music.

Overall, we had exceedingly high expectations of this restaurant given previous reviews. Whilst our experience was satisfactory, it fell short of expectations. More focus should be devoted to customer experience and less on the aloof...

My wife and I had a great night, mid-Oct 22. Meals were imaginative and tasty; atmosphere delightful (have a drink in the courtyard then come inside to the warm intimacy of well distanced tables); wine was well matched and reasonably priced; servers (or whatever the politically correct term is these days) were attentive, patient and helpful. One told us that they were encouraged to try the food themselves so they could give an honest assessment of your delights. Good move!

Note to others: when you find 100 Elizabeth Street don't be deterred by the dark alleyway entrance. Walk up just a few metres into the lovely surprise of a courtyard and then through doors to the restaurant.

Only had one, small observation which is probably very peculiar to our taste: too much batter on the white bait. Such small fish only need a light dusting lest the flavour is lost to the batter. (We have so many other choices though we might just leave this one out next time.)

We have already started spreading the word so if you notice an influx of matured/retired Canberrans lowering the age demographic of your establishment ... sorry! We enjoy spending our pensions on good food and wine though!

Many thanks for affording us such...

We recently had my husband’s 60th birthday celebrations at La Sardina Loca! It was an incredible night in such a beautiful venue. The courtyard is magical with fairy lights, surrounded by historic brickwork and olive trees - it feels like you are in a Spanish village! We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and delicious canapés in the courtyard. The canapés were chicken liver parfait with cherries vermouth, manchego cheese puffs, salted cod croquettes with Salsa Verde and Boomer Bay oysters with apple and parsley granita. We then continued to celebrate the special occasion in the upstairs private dining area. We enjoyed an amazing Mediterranean shared plate feast that consisted of sardines on toasted sour dough tapas, slow cooked lamb, saltbush chicken, potato bravas, greens and roasted carrots. All so delish! Josh, Pat and the La Sardina Loca team were amazing and so helpful! The service, food and choice of beverages were extensive and outstanding! La Sardina Loca offers different seating options; in their beautiful carriageway, courtyard, booths, long room and upstairs private dining room. I would highly recommend for...