The Bavarian – where the best is not the wurst

A link to one of the biggest names in Australian restaurants adds extra intrigue to a rowdy tavern with an Oktoberfest theme

The Bavarian, Tea Tree Plaza

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! While cowbells may have their place against the backdrop of an alpine pasture, or encouraging downhill skiers, they are less welcome in a restaurant where a few well-lubricated tables and a thumping sound system are already bringing on a headache.

The bellringer, who goes about his work with commendable vigour, is followed out by a waiter bearing a board holding a stack of six cheese-oozing parmies. Some poor sod, or maybe his “mates”, have signed up for a challenge in which the meal is free if eaten in full within an hour. The medical costs? That’s another matter.

Loaded schnitzels and wilful gluttony are not the usual territory of this column but The Bavarian, part of the recently completed food precinct at Tea Tree Plaza, comes with some added intrigue. This is the first SA venture of the Rockpool Dining Group, the private-equity-owned eating conglomerate that has grown from (and taken the name of) the high-end restaurant empire started by much-admired chef Neil Perry.

New Bavarian restaurant by Rockpool in Tea Tree Gully / Tea Tree Plaza

And while no-one is expecting to see him in the kitchen, Perry remains “chief brand and culinary officer” of the group, and it’s not too big a stretch to hope his high standards might somehow rub off here.

So we head off to TTP on a summery Saturday night and, for a few minutes at least, feel like we’ve stumbled on Eden.

The new dining zone is wonderful, an open-air strip of garden beds, shady lounging spaces and elaborate landscaping which must have taken a bunch of Jamie Duries to put together. There’s live music playing and not a cowbell in earshot.

The eateries, a mix of stand-alone businesses and chains such as TGI Friday and Grill’d, run down either side, with The Bavarian in a prime possie at the entrance.

It has thrown open bifold doors to embrace the outside, with tables that spill on to a deck expanding what is already a cavernous room. The garden setting continues with greenery hanging overhead, albeit of the plastic variety and set against an industrial black ceiling.

The Bavarian, Tea Tree Plaza

The theme is Oktoberfest Down Under, so seating is at park-style picnic benches and beer is poured into steins (or a glass boot) holding up to a litre – though the wait staff, thankfully, aren’t required to wear lederhosen or plaits. They take orders at the bar, where the process could be smoother, but then bring out plates in good time.

To start, a trio of pork baos are a cross of Hanoi and Hamburg, the steamed buns loaded with a slab of belly pork, crackling, slaw and a sweet barbecue sauce. They aren’t bad at all. And spicy squid, while flabby in texture (surely not local?), is saved by a more-ish, scattering of crunchy chilli crumbs.

The mains are dominated by the Bavarian triumvirate of schnitzels, pork and sausages. It could be wurst. Crumbed and fried frisbees of chicken breast form the base for toppings such as a wild mushroom ragout that makes the whole thing a little soggy but has a pleasant, earthy flavour.

It’s way better than the “Classic Wiener”, which at $29.50 should be made with quality veal. Instead it is a nasty grey and tough at one end, before becoming marginally better eating beyond half-way. The fries, a $2 surcharge, are shameful: dry, chalky, limp, cooked beyond golden to brown, they have all the joy of unplanned dental work. A perky pile of cabbage slaw is easily the highlight.

Squid at The Bavarian

The best bet is a big, crackling-topped lump of pork belly, which, while challenging to slice, has layers of juicy, sweet flesh and a little fat in the right proportions. Throw in a silky mash, red cabbage and apple compote and it’s much better value for your money.

The “Haus-Made” strudel is a sugar-dusted pastry parcel, plump with a filling of apple and dried fruit tasting a lot like mince pies.

To be honest, we don’t manage more than a few mouthfuls. However, our slight queasiness is nothing compared to the state of the challenge chappie, who has a bad case of the meat sweats and a schnit-and-a-half still to go. That’s Bavarian 1, Punter 0.

THE BAVARIAN

Dining Precinct, Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, 976 North East Road, Modbury
7221 1699; thebavarians.com

OWNER Rockpool Dining Group CHEFS Don Lama, Yuranan Wanaree.

FOOD German STARTERS $5-$20 MAIN $23.50-$80 DESSERT $10.50-$11.50 DRINKS Range of beers from Sydney’s Urban Craft Brewing and German imports, on tap and in bottle. Bare-bones wine list.

Open for

LUNCH Daily

DINNER Daily

SCORE 11

Reviews in SAWeekend are judged out of 20. Points are allocated for food, service, drinks
and “X factor”. As a guide, total scores indicate: 1-9 Fail; 10-11 Passable; 11-12 Satisfactory;
13-14 Recommended; 15-16 Very good;
17-18 Outstanding; 19-20 World class.