Bavarian Bier Cafe

After sticky-beaking a famous Queen, you’d think I’d go home and snuggle safely in my bed. But since it’s such an arduous trek to the city from the sticks where I live, I was going to make the most of it and eat as much as I could dammit!

Because we were in the area, and I promised Mr S. some German food, the Bavarian Bier Café – a common haunt amongst my circle of friends – was the obvious choice.

If you were hoping for big-breasted Lowenbrau-esque wenches, then you’re going to be sorely disappointed, as Bavarian Bier Café exudes a more sophisticated dining experience compared to Lowenbrau’s touristy gimmicks. We’re talking slickly dressed waitstaff and gorgeous interiors, to fit in with the suits at corporate Sydney.

Bavarian Bier Café is situated in Ashington House on O’ Connell Street, a gorgeous heritage building built in 1938 or so and so utterly gorgeous with its Art Deco exterior that bring back shades of the roaring 40s.

Mr S orders a Crackling Roast Pork Belly ($26.50) served with a Granny Smith Apple Compote and Speck Red Cabbage (strange because the menu listed sautéed potatoes instead).

I order a Bavarian Tasting Plate ($25) – pork belly, sausages and schnitzel and served with traditional Bavarian condiments – sauerkraut, speck red cabbage, apple compote, herb mayonnaise, fried onion rings and potato mash.

The pork belly is a lot meatier than a pork knuckle with a bit more succulence and less dryness. The crackling isn’t as salty but because it’s a pork belly, it’s more tooth-achingly crunchy compared to a pork knuckle’s salty delicate crisp. My verdict? Viva la pork knuckle!

I’m not a fan of the fermented cabbage of sauerkraut even though it’s incredibly good when eaten with the salty and fatty sausages. However I preferred the speck red cabbage. It balanced out the salt and fat in the same manner as sauerkraut but with more bite and a more sweeter touch. All this minus the tangy fermented taste.

The sausages were standard fare and I much preferred the Bavarian snags of Belgian Beer Café. The chicken schnitzel was also tasty enough and of course perfectly accompanied with the herb mayonnaise. Potato mash was a letdown, as it was dry, grainy and bland. A far cry from the heavenly creamy and buttery mashes that Lowenbrau boasts.

By the end of the meal we were slowly slipping in and out of consciousness as we were approaching over 25 hours without any sleep. I do enjoy

Bavarian Bier Café normally but I must confess – I couldn’t stop thinking of de-skirting a pork knuckle at Lowenbrau the whole time we were there (as well as a big fluffy bed!).

Bavarian Bier Café
16 O’Connell Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
(02) 9221 0100

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(02) 8297 4111

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