OK, we said, Mure's upper deck it is. Our interstate friend knew Hobart's reputation for seafood, and somehow Mures have long held the reputation for providing the best of it. Now, we long term residents of this beautiful city know that reputation was forged at Mures Battery point, that quaint restaurant in Knopwood street, not in the tourist trap now known as "Mures".
Anyway, off we went to upper deck with our friend. First impression is this is a high quality venue for visitors - the beautiful docks full of fishing boats and surrounded by the Bond stores of Salamanca and Hunter street made all the more attractive by the sparkle of street lights reflected on still seas. The service was pleasant - friendly and professional - and the restaurant is full (of tourists).
Unfortunately, that's about as good as it got. The chowder was workmanlike - most pubs would do a similar version, many would do better. The flavours were commercial, not fine. Her scallop linguine was gritty. My seafood platter was similar to the chowder - passable as pub food, but too reminiscent of dishes we all cut our teeth on in the seventies and eighties. Our friend had a prawn platter, which she ripped through with gusto. The conversation was great, and in the end, a good time was enjoyed by all.
But in the overall scheme of things, Hobart visitors can do a lot better when it comes to seafood ... try Catch, which has a FANTASTIC chowder and several great seafood dishes; or Flathead for a homely but extremely professional range of great seafood; or even Fish Frenzy, which still rightly claims the best fish and chips in Australia.
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