Almost 15 years ago Mr G and I dined at Stillwater in Launceston. It is one of my best dining memories for over a decade and we are now back. Does it hold up?
The Arrival
There’s a particular kind of anticipation that comes with returning to Stillwater. The walk around the bay with all its moody weather patterns. That stunning main dining room with its soaring ceilings, wooden beams, quiet elegance and views onto the water. This time, though, we found ourselves in the wine bar section with views across the Tamar, and light doing what Tasmania does best. Not quite what we’d hoped for, and it changed our experience.
The History of Stillwater Restaurant
Stillwater occupies a 19th-century flour mill on the banks of the Tamar River, a heritage building dating back to the 1830s that once powered Launceston’s early industrial life.
The restaurant opened in 2000, founded by Rod Ascui and Kim Seagram (with Don and Mel Cameron), at a time when Tasmania was beginning to find its modern culinary voice. Stillwater focused on Tasmanian produce, seasonality and restraint, helping to position Launceston as a serious dining destination.
In the 2010s, the restaurant entered its next chapter when chef Craig Will, alongside front-of-house and wine specialists James and Bianca Welsh, became co-owners. It has evolved into the most sought after, ingredient-driven expression of Tasmania.
The Venue
The main dining room remains one of the state’s most beautiful places to eat, the wine bar section has its own appeal with those river views, high chairs and tables, but it misses the romance of that hushed, cultivated elegance we remembered, the sense of ceremony and gravitas. Which is a big part of why you dine there. Absolutely fine if you want a glass of wine and a few bites to eat.
The Chef
Chef Craig Will lets the island speak for itself and it works so well with a contemporary Asian kick. He’s working with what’s around him and their dedication to sourcing and farmers is intimate and personal.They have built decades long relationships with small producers from Cape Grim Beef, Tas Oyster Co, Lenah Game Meats, Yorktown Organics, Savor Food, Misty Meadows and more.
These producers are artisans. We chat about Tassal, Huon and salmon farming on Tassie, it’s contentious and has a huge environmental impact on not only the area, but others around it. This is a nod to their ethics that you won’t find salmon on their menu – one of the highest rated restaurants in Tasmania does not serve salmon. Mmmmm.
The Food & Menu
The Tasmanian scallops arrive. They are the hero of the night. Mr G and I always have a competition of who ordered best. Hands down these sweet in-shell caramelised nuggets are bathed in a generous pool of frothy butter of miso, mustard and lemon. The gnocchi fritto are a fun crispy snack with a topping of parma ham and parmesan. The dumplings are firm and generously filled with juicy prawns with an addictive chilli, black bean and earthy wood ear mushroom dressing.
The Blue-Eye Trevalla is a creamy, pristine flesh against a backdrop of black rice, the whole thing brought together with a prawn brown butter bisque that has sweetness and depth. It is the salted daikon sambal that makes the dish sing, cutting through all that richness with an acidic contrast that wakes everything else up.
Mr G orders Tassie’s most beloved tourism emblem, wallaby. Lenah Game Meats wallaby is the pinot noir of red meat, it’s sweet, beautifully cooked and has the bonus of low carbon emissions. Mr G’s plate is filled with bbq brassicas, cracked freekeh, celeriac and I can’t stop stealing spoonfuls of that roasted garlic sauce. We add two majestic hasselback potatoes. Each finely sliced layer is crisped to a golden crunch holding pools of brown butter, sage and lemon sauce.
Mr G can’t decide on desert and encourages me to order two, but a dish between us both is perfect, in a battle of indecision the burnt honey parfait, with rhubarb is the winner on paper and on the plate, that brown sugar tuile and brown sugar crumb end the eveing on a playful high.
The Drinks & Service
Their wine list has received industry recognition, including being inducted into The Australian Wine List Awards Hall of Fame a testament to the depth and thought behind its wine program. To mark 25 years of Stillwater, they have curated a selection of 150 wines-each at the heart of this list are Tasmania’s four flagship expressions: Sparkling wines, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
Stillwater runs on a tight trio: owner Bianca Welsh, her sommelier husband James, and chef Alastair Waddell. Between them, they’ve got every angle covered: service, wine, and kitchen, each executing without fanfare. No weak links, no dropped threads. Just three people at the top of their game making sure everything lands exactly as it should.
We both order by the glass and start with a Pipers Brook hero, Clover Hill sparkling. It’s got a lovely mouse with a fine bead, and bright orchard fruits with a creamy palate, Mr G by passes the Helm Oak 2025 Riesling and dives into the corvin section with a Coal Valley 2023 Star gazer at $38 a glass ($90 a carafe), Samantha Connew shows the best of what chardonnay can do with lots of pear on the nose and a rich palate with great structure. The Meadowbank Derwent Valley Pinot Noir lots of bright red fruits and berry flavours in the glass ( $35)., Each glass reinforces what is happening on the plates and our sense of terroir.
The Daily Addict Verdict
What we are Addicted to? This is cooking that transcends its setting. It’s everything you want from an iconic night. Stunning views, local ingredients, treated well, by people who know what they’re doing. Sometimes it really is that straightforward. But there is a magic to this place, its wine list and the cooking.
What we need to be more Addicted? We’ll be back. And next time, maybe we’ll be in that other room. But if we’re not, we’ll come anyway. Because this is the kind of food that’s worth sitting anywhere for.
Stillwater Restaurant, 2 Bridge Road, Launceston Tas 7250
