THE Bicton Tavern must be doing something right.
Since opening in September last year, it’s gone down a storm with locals and is regularly packed to the gunnels.
One of the highlights is the sprawling beer garden with several large screens, making it a favourite with punters to watch live sport.
I’ve been down with “Pete the Scouser” to watch some soccer (he’s a Liverpool diehard and has a poster of Mo Salah above his headboard) but I have never tried the food. Only beer.
So, I bundled the family into the Chook jalopy and headed to the tavern on a cold Wednesday night.
I should have booked a table as the indoor seating area and even the smaller alfresco was packed.
Situated on the site of the old Limones, an Italian family favourite, the tavern has a great layout and feel.
It’s modern and inviting with high ceilings, a swish bar and unfussy, contemporary decor.
It strikes the perfect balance between modernity and a cosy neighbourhood tavern of yesteryear.
The menu was pretty standard for a modern pub with burgers, fish and chips, mains, share plates, pizza and salads. There was also a decent kids menu with four options and some desserts.
Highlights included the veggie Thai green curry, crumbed pork cotoletta, togarashi-spiced squid and the braised lamb shank.
I thought some of the dishes were slightly on the pricy side for a suburban tavern—fish and chips was $29 and the lamb shanks were $36, but I appreciate operating costs have risen in recent times.
But the Bicton Tavern compensates on the specials front with one every day of the week including $25 porterhouse on Thursdays, $20 fish and chips on Fridays, $25 chilli mussels on Saturdays and a $30 Sunday roast.
I couldn’t get past Wednesday’s special veal parmi ($20), while my wife Special K went for the pasta of the day ($30) and the kids shared a Margherita pizza ($22).
The service was a bit tardy, but the live bingo with prizes kept us entertained.
Armed with a scorecard and fluorescent pen, we circled away as the young host reeled off the numbers displayed on the widescreen TVs.
There were also games of heads and tails, where you had to stand up and answer true and false questions. It was delightfully old-fashioned and lots of fun. Like a country pub in Sons and Daughters meets the social media age.
My parmi eventually arrived and it was a beast.
A lovely thick cut of veal slathered in molten hot cheese with chips and salad (they also had a chicken parmi and a Kashmiri version).
I’ve had some wafer-thin veal parmis in my time, so for $20 it was fantastic value.
The meat was lovely and tender with that telltale latent sweetness and the cheese was creamy and complemented the meat.
The moreish chips were nice and crispy and the mixed leaf salad had a subtle vinaigrette, although I would have liked a few cherry tomatoes on there.
In between Legs Eleven, my wife was getting hoed into her house-made gnocchi.
“It’s lovely and soft with the San Marzano sauce adding a tomato richness,” she said.
“The burrata is an indulgent little touch and overall it’s a simple yet comforting option for a cold winter’s night.”
Excited about the prospect of winning a bungalow in Spearwood in the bingo [sic], my kids devoured their Margherita pizza (large $22).
It was a cheesy affair with the medium base somewhere in-between an Italian style pizza and its more modern, thicker inbred cousin.
The pub also has a great range of beers on tap, including the always excellent Balter, with the full-strength Hazy a standout.
The Bicton Tavern is a great modern venue with lots of community spirit and its specials are fantastic value.
We even spotted a Dockers player in there. I wonder if he got a full house?
Bicton Tavern
1 Point Walter Rd, Bicton
bictontavern.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK