By Trevor Pepys reviews Café Tapas, Hervey Bay
To be honest, Trev was feeling a bit unloved by sections of the Noosa food industry, in need of a reviving break, some time on the road perhaps, some fresh horizons, a chance to smell the drying mud of the Mary, if not the roses.
So he and the missus chucked a change of clothes and their toothbrushes in a Boomerang bag, jumped in the jalopy and headed north by north west, stopping only to invest a year’s salary in a tank of gas. After dallying in the valley for the better part of the day, we found ourselves at sunset at God’s waiting room, Hervey Bay, checking into a motel that should have been cheap but wasn’t.
In need of sustenance and good cheer, Trev propelled the missus down the long esplanade until he could make out geriatric revellers outside what appeared to be a Mexican restaurant. Closer inspection revealed it to be a rather over-crowded one, but the eagle eye of the semi-professional restaurant reviewer had already focused on the place next door, a rather smart looking frontage below a sign that said Café Tapas.
Half a dozen groups were spread around the varied seating from corner tables to banquettes, enjoying what looked like tasty tapas as drone footage of other tourist hotspots around the world played out on big screens that could not be avoided. This could get annoying, Trev thought as he slid into a comfy lounge and perused the wine list, but he soon found himself mesmerised as he floated high above a Brazilian rainforest one minute, then edged through a snow-covered Swiss ravine the next.
Relaxed as all get-out, Trev ordered a bottle of one of his favourite quaffers, the Torresella Pinot Grigio ($30), and this was where it could have come unstuck. Our happy-faced waiter informed us that the fridge had gone silly overnight and he didn’t have a cold bottle. Of anything. Trev fixed his gaze upon the Swiss Alps for a moment and smiled: “No matter. Bring ice, lots of ice.”
Looking around the room, Trev noted the dishes were quite substantial, so he and the missus decided to start the party rolling by ordering just the special deal of three choices of tapas for $27, choosing coconut king prawns, Peking duck crèpes and grilled button mushrooms.
Our shared tapas arrived promptly, but not too promptly, and all at once. This was a substantial shared meal for two, and everything was delicious. The mushies (six of them) sizzled on the platter, the kingies (four of them) were crunchy on the outside and succulent inside, the crèpes (three of them) perfectly textured and the generous portions of duck set off by the Hoisin sauce.
Count the pieces – 13 tapas for $27! We considered going again, but we were pleasantly full and the Pinot almost drained, and to be honest, Trev didn’t want to break the spell.
The verdict: In the unlikely event that Trev finds himself overnighting again in the whale-watching capital of the world, he won’t even look elsewhere. A smart room on an appealing stretch of the esplanade, Café Tapas did everything right for us, and judging by the happy campers around us, they do it on a regular basis.
Café Tapas, 417 Charlton Esplanade, Hervey Bay. Phone 4125 6808.