5 Magnet Court, Sandy Bay As the oldest restaurant in Hobart, Don Camillo knows who they are and exactly what they’re offering – good quality Italian food in a comfortable setting. We decided to take the kids for a ‘nice’ Sunday night dinner recently, a little more elevated than our usual haunts. Sensing an occasion, the boys got changed into their best soccer kits, ready to enjoy a night out.

The Magnet Court shopfront hides the dimly-lit room that lies beyond it. Filled with tables covered in traditional red and white checkered tablecloths, it’s adorned with Italian iconography at every turn. Our fellow diners were a mix of couples, families like us, and one larger group. The menu reads as a classic Italian menu. Starters such as arancini, bruschetta, garlic bread, olives, followed by pastas, meats and salads.

We started with the arancini al ragu ($21), fried risotto balls with beef and pork ragu, peas and scamorza (smoked cheese, we discover), served with aioli, rocket and parmesan, with some garlic bread. The serving was generous and delicious, a wonderful start. My eldest and I chose the spaghetti alla capesante ($31) – he’s an adventurous eater and hadn’t tried scallops, so ordered this dish to find out. Luckily when his big steaming bowl of scallop-laden spaghetti arrived, he liked them. The serving of spaghetti with Tasmanian scallops, cherry tomatoes, garlic, white wine and butter sauce was large and utterly satisfying. My youngest enjoyed a kids serve of plain pasta ($15), while our other tablemates both ordered the penne con pollo ($29) with chicken thighs, mushrooms, caramelised onion, red capsicum, garlic, cream, white wine, parmesan and a touch of chilli. I’m one to go for an entree over a dessert and by the time we’d enjoyed our pastas there was no room for something sweet, but next time I have my eye on the tiramisu ($15), of course, and the pan dolce ($15) a sticky fig pudding with hot butterscotch sauce. Don Camillo is like a big Italian hug in restaurant form, from their family to yours.

GAMAY

Exploring one wine variety, with a local bottle and one from afar.

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Sinapius 2023

Esmè ($42):

Located in the heart of the Pipers Brook wine region in northern Tasmania, Sinapius makes quality wines with as little intervention as possible. Their Gamay opens with an intense smell that screams, “Red!” We’re talking strawberries and redcurrants, which carries over into its taste which is bursting with more red fruits. It’s the kind of drink you keep pouring because the conversation’s too good to stop, even though you know you probably should. But who’s stopping? Not you, not this wine.

Set the vibe:

Music: Ancient Water by Future Islands

Food: Roast duck

AWAY

Eldridge 2023

Gamay Noir ($60) The Mornington Peninsula, with its sunny coastline and salty air, is the birthplace of this limited-edition Gamay with plum, raspberry, and earthy undertones. This is a wine with an attitude, with gravelly tannins on the tongue, and a scent like rain-soaked pavement. It would be a surprise to anyone not familiar with Gamay’s game, because this is a classically French Gamay, with a bit more grit than its kin. This ain’t no beach bum, it’s a chainsmoking 1920s Paris detective.

Set the vibe:

Music: Deceiver by M83

Food: Mushroom tart