Bayside Brasserie

25 Stanley Markey Rd, Stanley
Visited 26th May

Stanley, do I love it or hate it? Sitting on the waterfront, having an alfresco lunch and sucking on a couple of beers seems a superb way to spend a Saturday afternoon, yet hidden just round the corner from this apparent bliss there's the market. Shops, lots and lots of scary shops, filled with souvenirs, designer rip-offs and really spooky stuff like baby clothes. Saturday lunchtime I faced my phobias, rushed past the market and met up with friends for a casual lunch at the Bayside Brasserie. This open, breezy restaurant is at the market end of the dinning strip along Stanley waterfront.

The menu contains an eclectic assortment of modern Western, Italian, Asian and Indian dishes, everything from bangers 'n' mash and pizzas to laksas and tandoori chicken. I skipped entrees, but the Vietnamese rolls, samosas and spring rolls the others had looked great. Naomi ordered an amazingly chunky hamburger that was served with gloriously crispy wedges and salad. I decided on sea bass and was presented with two big fillets; they were excellent, perfectly pan-fried with a crispy outer and flaky flesh. Dished up on a bed of ultra creamy mash and roasted capsicum, I thought $138 was good value for this excellent dish. The others seemed very happy; both the prawn packed Singapore Noodles and blackened cod with crab omelette and bok choy enjoyed next to me looked fantastic. Drinks wise I had cool, crisp bottles of Sol, Naomi had a freshly squeezed guava juice and the others chose from the good selection of wine by the glass - Rosemount Chardonnay and Crane Lake Cabernet. The desert selection was an interesting mix. Naomi had a very tasty, but somewhat small serve of lime gelato, while another friend enjoyed a tumbling creation called 'Nicker Bocker Glory'; basically an explosion of fruit, ice-cream, gelato and cream; heaven for a ten year-old. The only culinary let down for the day was the pavlova, a solid, burnt brick of meringue which you almost needed a chainsaw to hack through.

The Bayside Brasserie offers pleasant, but withdrawn service in a fantastic setting; book early and ask for a window setting so you can soak up the sea views. With the exception of the pavlova the food was excellent and I thought pretty well priced. If you can somehow avoid the racks of baby clothes at scary Stanley market the Bayside Brasserie is most definitely worth a visit.

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