Kaptans - MOUNT BULLER

Stayed at Pension Grimus 2017 Ski Season and ate at Kaptans 3 times for dinner. Food was a lovely surprise. Service was good on average especially when Johnno was serving. Having the owner Hans visit the table and have a chat and a shot of snaps reminded my partner and I of visiting similar restaurants in Europe where they are family run and treat their customers more like old friends come to visit. It's no wonder this place is a Mt Buller institution.

LOCATION; I will brave the wind, snow, ice, bad drivers, and random people walking in the middle of the road to make my way to Mt Buller with the sole purpose of going to Pension Grimus' restaurant "Kaptan" (which was the name of Hans Grimus' skiing German shepherd). So,... I nominate Kaptan's Restaurant at Pension Grimus, the BEST restaurant at Mt Buller... This place requires a booking ahead of time, especially for the weekend... So hopefully my review won't make it impossible for me to get a table due to too many hungry skiers/boarders. I have been going to this restaurant since I was a little koala group skier, and I've always loved it. Everything about this Austrian chalet style hotel/restaurant is adorable. When you enter, there is a wall heater with a rack above, to put your coat/gloves/scarf/hat... Then you enter the cosiest restaurant, with a fireplace, and decorated wooden beams showcasing the chronological order of the ski resort's ski lifts. White Table clothes are the icing on the cake. But don't let this fool you, this is a family friendly place. The waiters are always attentive and very well trained, have a good understanding of the menu and are very friendly and accomodating. I really can't say enough about how great they are, and especially kind and attentive the little ones. Hans Grimus is often walking around, having a friendly chat to the patrons of his long standing establishment. Great wine and drinks selection from all over the world. FOOD; Austrian food, which is OH so appropriate or the cold and snowy weather. Think comfort food deluxe. My favourite is the platter with pork knuckle, sour kraut, sausages, kartoffel (potatoes) and more... It's for two hungry people. We also ordered some vegetables for side dishes. DESSERT; The Salzburger Nockerl is a must. This hazelnut soufflé style dessert is massive but somehow you always manage to finish it. I suggest that halfway though your main, if you feel you can handle it, order it. It takes 20-30 minutes to make this dessert, so order early... or sit around, enjoy the cozy atmosphere and have a schnapps.

We tried this restaurant once before and wasnt that impressed with the food then and thought Id try it again, unfortunately this visit concreted our first impression. The risotto was disappointing and the schnitzels were nice but they came out without any trimmings, just a schnitzel on the plate - you think they would say something when ordering? On our arrival we were told we had to order two meals (ie an entree or a desert with our main meal) which we wernt told when we booked 2 months prior. Had the sticky date pudding for desert with banana ice cream (yes banana ice cream, go figure) and it didnt ring any bells for me, it tasted like it was a packet job to me. One other issue that put my nose out was that I called to add in another person and was abruptly made to feel like I was putting the whole nights bookings out for the whole mountain. However on a positive note the staff in the restaurant were friendly and attentive.

Going to Kaptan's is really like getting a big warm hug. The lovely staff, crackling fire and delicious comfort food make this place a must go to when visiting Mount Buller. The schnitzel is melt in your mouth, the goulash soup for lunch wonderful! They have great choice of wines and cocktails as well as the obligatory schnapps. If you are really lucky you will get to meet Hans who is a legend on the mountain and can entertain you with some wonderful tales. It is truly our favourite on the mountain!

We had been to Kaptans several times in the past and again the restaurant did not disappoint. The service was very efficient, courteous and prompt, without being rushed or overbearing. We had the Pate and bratwurst as starters and all had the schnitzel for mains. The schnitzel is great, maybe a tad over priced, but this is a snow town.Diners need to be aware that you must order a minimum of two courses (entree and main or main and desert, which can add to the cost for the night out. We noted that the size of the glass of wine servings were generous, which made them quite reasonably priced.