Cataract on Paterson

The meals and service were absolutely excellent, ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend.
The ice cream cone tasted crummy.
³⁄₁₀ would not recommend.

Cataract on Paterson is a restaurant that uses local food products from Tasmania, and it definitely shows in their menu and cooking. The food was great, I loved the décor of the restaurant (modern trendy… I want to say hipster but can’t bring myself to use that word), and it was reasonably priced for the quality. We had the eye fillet and the seafood platter, with some oysters and scallops for entrees, and everything was really fresh and just solidly done. The steak was cooked exactly how I ordered it (medium-​rare) and the seafood platter was huge. I think they definitely aim to let the flavour of the food shine through, rather than doing too much fancy stuff with seasoning and sauces. Don’t get me wrong, everything was seasoned properly and there was a variety of sauces to choose from for the steak, there just wasn’t anything super creative on the menu, but that’s okay because sometimes the basics are all that are needed.
There was also an extensive beer and wine list, featuring Tasmanian beers and wines along with a few broader offerings, so plenty to choose from there.
The service was okay but nothing outstanding. The service was at a relaxed pace, and our server didn’t really seem to have an opinion on the food or drinks, when asked, she just kind of told us what the popular options from the menu were.
There were a couple of large groups in the restaurant at the time, I can see how it’s a good place to have a celebratory dinner like for a birthday or something, but it was also good for just two people.
Overall, a really good place to eat, especially if you want fresh, local produce.