The Salamanca Whisky Bar — Restaurant in Hobart

As a group of 8 travellers we were excited to visit The Salamanca Whiskey bar. One of our group members had visited 5 years previously & enjoyed it. Upon arrival we found the decor was cozy & well appointed with couches, candles, lamps & fresh flowers. On a wet, cold night, this place felt like a little haven. There were not many other patrons inside and we were given two big couches. Once seated, one of our party members ordered a martini while the rest of our group took our time to peruse the detailed menu as well as the cake cabinets - which looked delicious. When we were ready to order, the waiter told our friend he could not order another drink until he had “half finished” his martini. It was an odd start to watch my friend take another two sips and say “Ok. There. It’s half empty. Now might I place my order?” The non-drinker in our party ordered a sparkling water & the waiter said “Well, that’s $7 to order a bottle. Is that a deal breaker?” This comment seemed to come across slightly insulting - indicating that we could not afford a glass of water. We also ordered 3 slices of cake. It’s been mentioned in others comments here & it must be said again. The waiter said “We can only issue you three spoons - one per cake”. One of our party asked why. The waiter: “We found groups of up to 9 people coming in, taking a table & ordering only three cakes”. Our friend: “But we’ve ordered many drinks with our order”. His response was “Nevertheless. It’s just policy.” When our cake slices arrived we couldn’t believe the incredibly large serving size - plus cream. Truly no-one in our group could have eaten one by themselves. In the interest of not making a huge mess of these towering desserts, 2 of our party members (being seasoned travellers) brought out their own unused, travelling spoons. We sat back to enjoy our night. But our waiter returned and immediately snipped “You cannot use your own spoons! I can *refund the price of the cake. But you cannot use those spoons and I need to confiscate them immediately!” One of our members said “Well. You never mentioned we couldn’t use our own”. Our waiter said in a cold, precise voice “I beg to differ. I believe it was implied in what I said before”. He then took the spoons and put them directly in his pocket. Our waiter then began to talk about the ordered whiskeys in much detail. But truly, we only half listened. The feeling of being told off as if we were naughty children - and not adults paying good money to bring business to this bar - hung in the air & soured the atmosphere. A little while later one of our party members was standing down the end of the couch eating a small bit of cake (with the regulated, assigned “one-spoon-only policy” in her hand.). Again, the waiter came over to bring his special brand of bad tidings - “You cannot stand & eat. You must be seated while eating. It’s highly unusual for people to stand eating. Can I get you a chair?” He then put a chair down the other end of the couch: “Sit here. But please don’t move the chair at all as we need a passage to get through behind you.” As mentioned, the bar was not full with patrons. There was ample room to sit & stand around our lounge area. The passive aggressive attitude of this staff member and the exceedingly off-putting “protocols” really had our group now feeling VERY uncomfortable and unwelcome in this establishment. I hate giving bad reviews so I will say this. This bar has all the makings of what could be a wonderful venue. People may come for the whiskey. But people stay (& spend more money) when the service makes you feel valued. A simple smile also goes a long way to bring that human connection to an experience like this. When service is blended with a slice of snobbery guests are left feeling alienated. The above mentioned micro-aggressions suggest that the team here might need to address the core values of this business. I hope this review might encourage The Salamanca Whiskey Bar not only to survive but thrive and be an iconic place on Hobart’s must-visit night life. *no...

Initially I would have given 5 stars as the beginning of my experience was fantastic but it deteriorated so 3 stars is generous as I walked out without finishing my cocktail or food. It was due to the mixed ambience created by having the cake option (“Death by Chocolate”) with a fab Whisky Bar so tourists (rude ones too!) kept ruining the vibe by calling out their cake orders from the doorway and each person would just come in and video or take photos which is so rude as we don’t want to be filmed. I was the only patron initially and received a warm welcome. The trio of chunky dips was fantastic. Yet, with new clients arriving, and still only two tables, the staff were not to be seen as they stayed for too long behind the bar talking and having a drink (water) so service was difficult. However, they were very friendly and attentive overall. By chance, I saw this venue by walking by and the ambience looked perfect - great music, decor and vibe and it looked like an oasis. Even though it is not the fault of the staff, it became too dominating in how tourists (and even guests) would keep filming or taking photos. The “Death by Chocolate” cakes encourages people to treat it like a cheap cake shop so the ambience is totally ruined. They should just focus on one type of business and formula ie to be a whisky bar. The White Chocolate cake was so dry and bland it was inedible. The trio of chunky dips was fantastic - great flavours and texture. I left as I got fed up with the videoing by guests which is unnecessary and invades my privacy. The concept of this venue is great but they need to remove the cake option as it then became a horrible experience due to the differing vibe and the Whisky Bar ambience is ruined. It felt like a complete waste of money. Initially I thought I would return and was going to recommend it but if they can’t focus on one vibe, the whole experience is ruined. Remove the Death by Chocolate setup. The cakes are not great anyway (I even paid for a second as the first was inedible). The Black Forest was much nicer but the serving size is too big too so it is wasted by being...

I came here last weekend after a dinner around the corner. We initially attempted to get into The Den but it was absolutely packed, so we kept walking. What drew me in was the warm and welcoming aesthetic. There is a lot of glass, candles, and exposed wood, which gives the establishment a rustic, almost French feel to it.

My only complaint, which I recognized quite early, was the smell. I'm not sure if it was a candle or incense burning or some kind of diffuser, but whatever it was, it was incredibly hard to deal with. I also have asthma, so I am hyper-aware of things like this. It may not be a huge problem for others.

We were moved from the initial table we were sitting at to the lounge, which we sunk right into. I loved the oversized pillows; it created a homely feel. We ordered the Mexican Mudslide and a Bloody Mary. They were both huge!! 5 stars for presentation and value for money. I could literally not even finish mine, which I think is always a good sign. The Mexican Mudslide had a nice scoop of creamy chocolate ice cream on top with shards of dark chocolate. I was impressed with the cheese-filled salami on top of the Bloody Mary; it's quite creative!

I saw a lot of desserts come out, and although I didn't order food, they all looked amazing. After watching people order, I assume it looked as good as it tasted. There is a HUGE range of whisky from all corners of the globe, which can create quite a bespoke experience with that amount of choice.

I was amused by some of the comments I have since read about the single spoon policy. I absolutely agree that you should be providing more than one spoon if people are sharing, as it is not the decision of the establishment whether a person is capable of or wanting to eat a slice to themselves or not. While my personal experience was a 5/5, it would certainly have been less enjoyable if I had...