Lēoht: Bringing Light To Battery Point
A new dining space in nipaluna/Hobart has harnessed its light-filled Battery Point location to bring light and positivity through nourishing food and specialty coffee.
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Most daytime dining venues claim their own take on a shortlist of ubiquitous brunch staples. Variations on the themes of eggs benedict, omelette and a corn or zucchini fritter are as commonplace as they are beloved by Australian breakfast café enthusiasts. But, every now and then, someone does something different. Lēoht, a new dining room in Hobart’s Battery Point, is one such someone. In lieu of hollandaise sauce-drenched eggs on English muffins, Lēoht experiments with nourishing and wholesome flavours rarely found on Hobart’s other very good breakfast menus.
Case in point: the umami punch of a cool broth served up from 8am. Inspired by the practice in many Asian cultures of giving love to one’s digestion first thing in the morning, the bowl is padded out with seared grass-fed beef, udon noodles, cucumber, sesame and seaweed.
Cool grass fed beef broth, noodles, seaweed and sesame (image supplied)
Lēoht’s brunch offering isn’t shy about seafood before noon, either, nor does it depend on a smoked salmon bagel to incorporate an early Omega-3 hit. Here, pescatarians delight around a plate of smoked kippers, perched on ayurvedic-spiced rice and green lentils, and accompanied by a poached egg.
Smoked kippers, ayurvedic spiced rice, green lentils, seeds and poached egg (image: Valerii Cherskikh)
Local produce is important to Lēoht, whose menu has been curated around the very best Tasmanian and nutrient-dense wholefood available. A plate of locally-produced capocollo, Pyengana cheddar, soft-boiled Clucking Good egg, pickled seasonal vegetables, Just Add Moonshine onion jam, and Pigeon Whole sourdough, is perhaps the most succinct expression of this love for local. That it’s served on a bespoke plate crafted by local ceramicist Emma Targett ties the philosophy up with a very luxe bow.
Local plate of capocollo, jammy eggs, raw milk cheese, pickled vegetables, butter and bread (image: Yippie Pie Yay)
For their ability to tick more than one mealtime box, some of Lēoht’s breakfast offerings extend later into the afternoon, on a lunch menu that’s padded out with pan-fried local fish, pasta, oysters and a warming daily soup. While the menu will evolve regularly with the seasons, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options will always be available, and some dishes can be ordered in a “cutie patootie serve” for the little people.
An uncommon take on the dining experience extends to Lēoht’s drinks list, which commences with excellent Campos coffee, and quickly ventures into novel territory. Think a macadamia milk base of cacao, ashwagandha and chilli, a black sesame and honey latte on oat, and the ultimate hot cocoa: dark couverture melted into proper milk. Cool beverages include daily cold pressed juices, nutrient-packed smoothies, and a French-style strawberry soda that somehow manages to make soy milk and bubbles the combination you never knew you needed.
Making its home in an 1843 Georgian cottage on historic Hampden Road, Lēoht - which harks back to the Old English for ‘light’ - plays its north-facing card to its guests’ advantage. The front terrace and rear courtyard share a flood of sunlight, with a newly fitted skylight centrepiece ensuring an all-day interior glow.
Lēoht’s sun-drenched rear courtyard (image: Valerii Cherskikh)
Light by name and by nature, Lēoht promises joy and optimism alongside a very welcome new food and beverage offering.
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