Fish, OnBar and Raincheck, North Hobart

Living near the North Hobart strip means that a quick eat is within five minutes walking distance. Just at the moment, five minutes takes the breath away and just getting there is the first real achievement of the night.

Our quick eats centre around three restaurants - Fish, Raincheck and OnBar. While all three provide good quality quick meals, each is quite different.

I am not fantastically fond of seafood - and Fish tends to be a bit more production line than I would like, so this is probably the one that sweetheart and I fight over most. But when we get there and order I am always pleased that we have come. Not that the menu changes that much. The service is always friendly and professional. And fast. You can be in and out of there within thirty minutes easily. And you can stay longer if chatting and people watching is what you want to do. The atmosphere is bright and energetic. The coloured pictures on the wall is testimony to the number of family groups that come through. But they get a wide cross section of people - young ones on their first date, local residents doing what we are doing, parents taking out their kids, and kids taking out their parents.

OnBar, on the other hand, offers much more than it delivers. It is stylish and slick, and has a great location for sitting and watching the bustle of the city. The staff are really friendly and the service is great. The menu looks fantastic, but that's where it all unravels a bit. Sweetheart and I don't go here often - especially at the moment because its the furthest to walk to and lets face it, bloody cold. Anyway, back to the food. Menu looks great, presentation done very well, execution ... hmm, I reckon competent is about as good a description as I could give. Don't get me wrong, its still good ... we are particular about where we eat.

Ah, Raincheck. They have introduced the chefs table. Been there for a while now - twelve months? Available Wednesday to Saturday. Sometimes a bit hit and miss, but most often bloody fantastic. About $55 for four courses - tapas style, for two. Throw in the recommended wine and you are out of there for less than $90. And the food is cooked with love. And the staff treat you like you are long lost friends dropping in to visit. And if you are really lucky you see North Hobart street life at its best ... who knows who or what is going to walk in through the door or go past the window.

There ... three great restaurants all within five minutes walk of home and perfect for quick eats on those down nights when fine dining is not on the menu but you don't feel like cooking. Love it.