Wunderbar - Rye - review

Name: Wunderbar

Address: 2409 Pt. Nepean Road
Rye, VIC 3941
03 5985  9187

Food: German, European

Average price: $4 - $34.

Complimentary:  Nothing,

We ordered: Langos - $7.50
hungarian fried flatbread, served with sour cream and grated cheese

This was our favourite dish. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. It was decadent and yummy with the sour cream and cheese. It's not gourmet but it's still yummy, trashy food.


Mozzarella, pear, prosciutto, honey - $13

We were surprised at how nicely this was plated up. Mr.M liked it but I found the pears to taste rather 'old' and grainy which was a shame as the other ingredients were fresh.


Thick cut chips - $7

Nicely cooked chips that were well seasoned.

Apfelstrudel - $12
with vanilla sauce and whipped cream

I love Apfelstrudels and unfortunately this one was the worst I have ever had, two mouthfuls was all I could eat. The pastry was tough and the filling was tasteless. The accompaniments were no better with the sauce tasting like sugar and cornflour and the cream like water.
Service: Good. We were the only patrons in the place so it is a bit hard to tell what the average service would be like.

Atmosphere: European pub with a view of the ocean. I can't comment on the atmosphere as we were the only people in the place so it was deadly quiet when we dined, but they have lounge areas as well as tables with board games to play as well.

Website: http://www.wunderbar-rye.com.au/

Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 4pm till late
Friday and Saturday: 12noon till late
Sunday: 12noon till 11pm
Tuesday: closed

Would I return: Yes, the langos and chips were nice enough and cheaply enough priced to warrant another try.

Matteo's - Fitzroy - Raymond Capaldi - German

Name: Matteo's

Address: 533 Brunswick St
Fitzroy 3068 VIC
Phone: (03) 9481 1177

Food: ModOz, European, Asian (German for tonight only)
Average price: Entree: $15-$20, Mains: $32-$39, Dessert: $16
Degustation menu: 7 courses, $85
Set menu: 3 courses, $78

We enjoyed ourselves so much the last time that we couldn't resist coming back for the second round of the Extended European Vacation with Raymond Capaldi - tonight's theme was German.

Complimentary: Bread with butter.


We ordered the 3 course set menu ($60 pp - I had vegetarian one) plus one starter and two sides:

Drink: Blackforrest Cocktail - $17


Starter: Warm Kransky sausage, mustard - $8


Entree: Kartoffelsalat - potato terrine, smoked eel, sour cream, rye crumbs


Stephanie really enjoyed this.

Watrercress soup


Peppery and thicker and creamier than last time.

Main: Eisbein - crisp pork knuckle, sauerkraut, pea puree


Stephanie is German so she was expecting a giant piece of meat and was uncertain, but the size was much more manageable than she's had before.

Cheese souffle with beetroot salad


This was yummy. The sweet salty cheese souffle was soft and delicious and played well against the sweet beetroot and fresh salad with tangy buttermilk.

Sides: Mashed Royal blue potatoes - $8


These were thick, smooth and buttery.

Salad Blindhuhn - pear, apple, carot, bacon, green beans, buttermilk


Dessert: Apfeltorte mit Rum - Apple torte with rum soaked currants


Flaky pastry, rum soaked currants, slightly crisp apple and a gorgeous, smooth and sweet custard.

Cost: $161 for 1 starter, 2 entrees, 2 mains, 2 sides and 2 desserts.

Service: Great as always.

Atmosphere: Relaxed. Lovely dark hues, wallpaper accents, feature lighting and fresh flowers give it a polished, refined look.

Parking: Ample. We went on a Tuesday night at 7pm, there was plenty of unlimited parking right in front of the restaurant.

Website: http://www.matteos.com.au/

Hours: Sun-Fri noon-3pm, daily 6pm-10pm

Would I return: No.