One of Hobart's most beloved venues, this pub vibrates to serious bands every night, while non-music fans will find plenty of secret corners to hide in with a cold beer.
Elizabeth Street has emerged as Hobart's equivalent of Lygon Street in Melbourne's Carlton or King Street in Sydney's Newtown - the sister to whichever street your city treasures for its range of food and interesting retailers. Smack in the middle of Elizabeth St is the Republic Bar and Cafe. This great art deco pub squats comfortably in a sort of middle ground for pubs - not trying so hard that it loses the grungy pub edge, but working hard enough to attract a good mix of students, musos, locals and tourists.
The live music is fair dinkum - serious bands play hard for a pub crowd every night, with music genres skipping haphazardly from rock to blues, folk to pop. The layout of the pub suits the music; a big centralised bar allows you to escape the press if you just want to chill out in a mosh-free space.
Tired music fans can seek refuge around the back in the beer garden or in a space that has, in a nice community touch, been turned into a gallery dedicated to local artists. Away from the heart-racing pound of the drums, one can sip a quiet beer (Republic has a range of Cascade ales on tap, along with Guinness, Kilkenny and Hoegaarden) or munch on some of their impressive modern Australian food.
Robert Stevenson
