Suburban icons: the Cuckoo Restaurant in Dandenong Ranges is one of Australia’s most famous restaurants
IT’S been a drawcard of The Dandenongs for decades but you might not know how the Cuckoo Restaurant got its name, or how it invented the celebrity chef.
Melbourne
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THINK sauerkraut, goulash or potato dumplings washed down with a litre Dab stein amid a stunning forest backdrop dusted with snow.
There’s no mistaking you’ve arrived at the Cuckoo Restaurant, a must-stop iconic feasting spot along the Dandenongs scenic tourist route, 50km from Melbourne’s CBD.
Perched on a steep hill next to the Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd in Olinda, a large timber replica of a cuckoo clock greets its guests at the entrance of the Swiss-chalet style building, one of about 50 ding-donging at the famed premises.
But inside it’s the real deal with the largest freestanding operational cuckoo clock in the world near the bar, originally from the Black Forest in Germany.
“They all go off at different times, it’s beautiful,” said Cuckoo’s spokeswoman Rosemary Marchington.
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Once you’re inside, you’re transported into a glorious Bavarian-themed winter wonderland, all about pure indulgence in a lifestyle so far from our own, with a “wunderbar” (wonderful) atmosphere created by wood carvings, cuckoo clocks galore and curiosities.
Staff in traditional costumes create a jolly atmosphere where yodelling and folk dancing are reinvented daily as guests scoff down a traditional German smorgasbord.
The quirky and highly amusing Bavarian style floorshow has warmed hearts from all over the world.
But the Cuckoo wasn’t always the Cuckoo.
The modest building was brought to life in 1914 as a refreshment stop for travellers, known simply as ‘Quamby’, known for its fresh strawberries and cream costing just six pence.
Under the Dorey family, it thrived for the next 44 years — becoming particularly popular during the tourist boom in the 1920s and 30s — and evolved into the Quamby Tea Rooms, a popular pit-stop for visitors serving homemade cakes and scones, as well as picnic foods like sandwiches to take away.
In 1958, the business was sold and new German-born owners Willi and Karin Koeppen took over.
Legend has it, that shortly after they moved in, Karin heard the sound of a cuckoo calling in the darkness. She woke her husband and said: “We will call the café The Cuckoo”.
She was unaware the word also meant a bit crazy, but the idea stuck.
Smogasboard restaurants were hugely popular in Germany in the 1950s and as wild as the idea seemed in Australia at the time, chef Willi set about creating the nation’s very first.
He was a pioneer in many ways: long before the days of MasterChef, Willi hosted Australia’s first TV cooking program, The Chef Presents, in 1957, becoming our first celebrity chef.
But the good times for the couple came to an abrupt end in 1976 when Willi vanished in the early hours of February 29. His disappearance remains one of Victoria’s most baffling mysteries.
Karen, now in her mid 70s and officially retired, didn’t give up, and went on to create a massive, 450 seat eatery employing 80 staff.
“She still comes in every day. She’s an inspiration for women in business. So many people know her and want to come in to see her,” said Ms Marchington.
“And just about every family on the mountain has had a staff member working here at some point.”
It’s the kind of place every Melburnian knows, has heard of, or aspires to take foreign visitors — especially come Oktoberfest.
These days the famous buffet offers soup of the day, entree, main, salads, cold meat platters, cheese platters and tempting desserts.
But you are in the hills after all, so drop in for Devonshire tea or “Kafe and Kucken” (coffee and cakes), you will probably roll out with a smile.
Need to know:
Cuckoo Restaurant
508 Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, Olinda
Opening hours: Open 7 days a week
Phone: 9751 1003
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