There was an early moment of confusion at Aloft, Hobart’s transcendent harbourside restaurant, when I was presented with a plate of flash-fried saltbush – sans cutlery. “Eat it like a koala,” advised my waiter with a smile. On raising the fragrant twigs to my mouth, my initial befuddlement was eclipsed by sheer enjoyment. Dining out in the Tasmanian capital is often like that – it delivers endless surprises, innovative ideas and unusual flavour combinations.

In the past few years, the city has solidified its place as a culinary hotbed, driven by progressive chefs, kinetic entrepreneurs, and inquisitive Hobartians and tourists who revere food. Native delicacies include octopus, kingfish, abalone, leatherwood honey, wasabi and wallaby, which, as tartare, might well be the dish du jour. Wallaby is a state favourite, says Born In Brunswick’s Josh Retzer, one of Hobart’s most intrepid chefs; he serves a sous vide wallaby shank with leek arancini and bush tomato.

Hobart blends small-city charm with big-time sophistication. There is a can-do spirit uniting the various players in the food and wine industries. When vintner Nick Glaetzer relocated here from the Barossa eight years ago, to promote cool-climate wines, naysayers doubted him. Glaetzer named his celebrated pinot noir ‘Reveur’, which means dreamer, and has since gathered prestigious awards. Hobart, you realise, is the new food frontier.

“A European-style neo bistro,” is how Oskar Rossi and Federica Andrisani characterise Fico (151A Macquarie St), an enticing recent arrival. The resourceful couple, who met in a Michelinstarred restaurant in Italy, are not averse to improvising Asian-inflected ideas, either, like a starter of kingfish with soy and wasabi.

Fico’s $65 tasting menu is one of the city’s best bets. My weekend lunch began with baby turnips in buttermilk, extended to onion-flavoured capellini and dry-aged pigeon, and concluded with a showstopping orb of white chocolate and citrus. Factor in first-rate wine and informed service, and this ‘fig’ is undeniably sweet.

Spanner crab salad, miso eggplant or trout rillettes for brunch? Anything is possible at newcomer Born In Brunswick (410 Elizabeth St, North Hobart), especially if it’s boldly inventive. Owners Con Vailas and Ben Korkmaz dreamed up the eatery’s breezy interior, and installed Josh Retzer in the kitchen, wisely giving him carte blanche over the menu. “You won’t see eggs Benedict here,” says Retzer, who will soon launch a dinner service. Coffee at this light-filled, whitewashed eatery hails from Industry Beans, a nod to its Melbourne-inspired name.

As the name suggests, The Glass House (Brooke Street Pier) is a twinkling lounge arrayed with glowing bottles, mirrored surfaces and possibly the brightest cocktails in all of Hobart. Start the evening with a Japanese Stiletto, a kicky mix of Chartreuse, Cointreau, yuzushu and lime juice. Or, perhaps, the topaz-hued Jewel Heist is more to your liking, with citrus vodka, riesling, violet liqueur and lemon.

Local wines are well represented, plus there’s a menu for grazing that’s particularly strong on seafood. Comfortable seating options and panoramic vistas across Sullivans Cove and the Derwent River encourage languorous visits.

At the gloaming hour, Aloft (Brooke Street Pier) sparkles like a brilliant-cut diamond. It’s a fitting image for this luminous restaurant, helmed by chef/owner Christian Ryan and chef Glenn Byrnes. From a large open kitchen, the duo sends out a flurry of eclectic dishes that lift Tasmanian produce to new heights.

Bruny Island oysters might come with kimchi emulsion and sesame, breast of lamb with fermented chilli and garlic, and perfectly grilled quail with lime and white pepper. The menu is constantly evolving, but some offerings, like the mushroom dumplings and the condensed milk ice cream, are much in demand from regulars.

Last year, winemaker Nick Glaetzer converted an erstwhile ice factory into an urban cellar door. The atmospheric tasting room is black with red accents, a palette that echoes the bottles. Revellers can explore the entire line-up from Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers, from lustrous riesling and chardonnay to luscious pinot and shiraz.

The Glaetzer-Dixon cellar door (93 Brooker Avenue) is open for tastings on weekends, and by appointment midweek.

It would be unfathomable to miss out on the city’s mushrooming farmers’ markets. On Friday nights in the warmer months, head straight to Street Eats @ Franko (70 Macquarie St), a food bazaar dishing up seafood paella, beef flatbreads and wallaby burgers. On Saturdays, head to the Salamanca Markets (Salamanca Place), which unwind between the water and a row of Georgian buildings. Sundays are for Farm Gate Market (Bathurst St, between Murray and Elizabeth), a cavalcade of producers, farmers and suppliers. Make sure to sample Lady Hester doughnuts, with such fetching fillings as spiced plum and lemon curd.

Only 20 diners can squeeze into Templo (98 Patrick St), an ambitious yet unpretentious restaurant on the city fringes. One benefit of the intimate seating arrangement is it’s easy to chat with your neighbours, and to peruse the blackboard menu of share plates.

On the pans is Matthew Breen, who marries authentic Italian with poetic insight. Pasta is a strong suit. Try the gnocco fritto, a fried snack shaped like a crisp pillow, wrapped in paper-thin prosciutto. Gnocchetti with broccolini, chilli and fried breadcrumbs is another textural triumph. Service is cordial, canny and cool.