If you like meat, beer and river views then you won’t regret heading over to the Bavarian Bier Café! Featured as one of the latest additions to Eagle Street Pier, this joint offers a sophisticated alternative to pub grub and golden ale.

To be quite honest I actually expected the venue to look like a proper german beer hall, with long tables and waitresses in red, blue and white puffy uniforms. I was kind of wrong. This restaurant/bar is less pub and more bistro with exceptional 180 degree views to match.

My first tip – book in advance. We got there early on a Saturday evening and got lucky with a table, however we were only two. The Bavarian Bier Cafe was full for most of the evening and it is not classified as a small restaurant.

The main area is separated into three portions, all radiating from the main central bar which seemed to be constantly pumping out 1litre glasses of beer of differing golden tones. We were seated in the outer area of the internal space, directly next to the glass wall that divides the interior from the balcony and the river.

As soon as you enter you will notice the smaller bar to the right as well as the many wooden tables on the balcony – clearly designed for beer drinking and the occasional nibble. Luckily the outside is undercover so this uncontrollably wet weather we are having will not interrupt your happy beer drinking!

One of the unique feature of dining at the Bavarian Bier Café is of course, the wide range of Bavarian beers which come in 300ml, 500ml or 1lt glasses (in most cases). Don, our friendly and knowledgeable server, helped us translate our favourite Australian beer of choice to its Bavarian equivalent and he did so very well as the Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Hell was great!

The menu focuses on the house speciality – schnitzel, however it also offers plenty of other mains from Swiss Bratwurst Sausages to King Prawn Linguine. Most dishes are meat based, although, there are  also a couple of seafood or vegetarian options.

We ordered a pretzel to start and accompany the first glass of beer. It was served with a knob of butter however I thought that the sweet mustard (already on the table) was a much better accompaniment. I could have technically ate a second pretzel, as I was quite hungry but luckily the mains were brought out quite quickly.

The first main was the Zigeuner Schnitzel i.e. a piece of veal schnitzel topped with their Hot and Spicy Gypsy sauce and a side serve of either fries or mash (I had the fries). The sauce gave the schnitzel a good kick without the need for excessive beer drinking to put out the burn. It was just right for my taste buds.

The second main was the Bavarian Tasting Platter which was made up of a piece of pork belly, three different kinds of sausages (small ones), a mini piece of schnitzel along with red cabbage, sauerkraut, mash and apple compote. Both mains were quite large – we got through them however were stuffed after! Apparently the Munich Brewers Platter (a slightly larger take on the tasting platter) is a good option for those with a healthier appetite.

Stuffed as we might have been, we couldn’t miss out on sharing a portion of apple strudel which was served with vanilla ice cream, vanilla Anglaise and a couple of strawberries. Coffees were also in order to wake us up and get us in shape for the rest of the evening!

The cost of the whole meal added up to $100, including drinks. The only minor gripe was that dessert took a little bit long to come to the table, however the restaurant was full and we just chatted the time away so it was not much of an issue. Don chased it down a couple of times so he was relatively on the ball which meant that we hassled less.

I would definitely recommend giving this place a try, at least once. Speaking for myself, I think I will be back pretty soon as I would like to try some more of the beers.

Bare Essentials:
A: Level 1, 45 Eagle St, Brisbane
T: 07 3339 0900
Mon-Fri: 11.00-late
Sat & Sun: 9.00-late

P: $$
Drinks: Licensed
W: http://www.bavarianbiercafe.com