Bavarian Bier Cafe - York Street

11:57pm Wednesday 1 September 2010 Sydney (gmt+10)

Earlier this evening Sheila and I had dinner at the Bavarian Bier Cafe at York Street. We turned up at 7:15 and the restaurant was just starting to get full. And of course because it's a Bier Cafe we first had beer! Sheila had a half litre Stiegl and I had a full litre of Lowenbrau Stein. I always liked German beer 'coz of it's pure smooth taste. And because of the Purity Law of 1487 I know I won't have a bad hangover the next day. And once you've had German beer every other beer taste weird or bland, which is a good thing!

I'm really not sure why. Maybe there was some serious issue in the kitchen, or maybe they got too many orders at once, but the food took ages to come out. We ordered a Bavarian Platter and a Munich Platter, and they both took about 30 minutes to reach our table. And looking at what the platters are made of it shouldn't have taken that long. Anyway, we got them and they're pretty good!

If you're into high-end gourmet food, or if you're health conscious then you shouldn't go anywhere near what we're eating. But if you like something that will compliment a litre of good beer then the Bavarian Tasting Platter and the Munich Brewers Platter are perfect!

They both have Sausages, Schnitzel, Pork Belly with some really nice crackling on top, Sauerkraut, Cabbage and Mash. The only visible difference (aside from the shape of the platter) is the grilled Kassler, or ham. We finished both platters but I was still a bit hungry. Plus I still felt like drinking. So I ordered the Swiss Sausages. Four Bratwurst on top of Mash with some Jus, peas and crispy fried onions.

Sheila and I agree that the real highlight of that dish are the slivers of Crispy Fried Onions. Everything else was good, but the fried onions were amazing. I really wish they'd put a bowl of just crispy fried onions on the menu. I wouldn't mind snacking on that while having beer.

Then we had desserts. Sheila ordered the Walnut and Date Pudding. The pudding itself was good. But the sauce that came with it was a bit too runny. I think it's caramel sauce, or could be butterscotch. I can't really tell 'coz it's consistency is like that of water. It should coat the pudding, but instead it just soaked it like pouring soup on bread. But the whole thing was good nonetheless.

I had Apple Strudel. It came with whipped cream, but I asked for Ice Cream just to liven it up a bit. And it was good. The pastry is crunchy, and the apple inside was tasty and warm. After dessert we had a 5 Bier Flight, which is a group of 5 different beers in 200ml glasses. And on the laminated sheet underneath is a description to better appreciate the flavor and texture of each individual beer. For a Beer Lover like myself it's kind'a like having a platter of assorted macaroons or cupcakes. Yum! :)

By 9:30pm things were starting to quiet down. Most of the guests already left and we were down to the last few 'gulp-full' of beer. I'm quite happy with our dinner. The food, in fact, the whole menu itself is designed around the beer. It is a Bier Cafe after all. And it would've been all perfect if the food came out sooner than it did, or if we didn't have to order the Swiss Sausages twice 'coz the waitress forgot to put it through. But it's all fine! While we had good beer on our table we were in no hurry to leave anyway. Coolness!

Bavarian Bier Cafe

24 York Street

Sydney NSW 2000