Busselton Pavilion: A Mega Pub Serving Elevated Pub Classics

For one reason or another, my family of four, plus our dog, were all seeking sustenance when we strolled into Busselton Pavilion on our inaugural visit to this down-south venue.

My children were famished after spending the morning scaling trees at a forest adventure park. Meanwhile, I was in need of a stiff drink after spending the same period panicking that our puppy, Herbie the Horrendous as I like to call him, had accidentally ingested fox bait.

A few hours later, Herbie thankfully wasn't exhibiting any of the symptoms I was advised to look out for. Confident that we were out of the woods, both literally and figuratively, but still feeling somewhat shaky, I knew I would be forgoing skipper duties as we entered the bright and airy 500-capacity mega pub.

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Beer Garden Bliss

Herbie's presence meant we automatically glided towards the beer garden, but it's likely we would have sat out there anyway given autumn had turned on a stunning sunny day.

While wine is the order of the day at The Pav, which even has its own attached wine bar and store, the weather had me craving a cold beer. I opted for a pint of Balter XPA while we perused the menu.

Elevated Pub Classics

The nautical-themed venue, part of the Parker Group's stable of reliably good venues that includes The Royal and The Standard, doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel but rather concentrates on delivering elevated pub classics.

As such, the menu featured the usual suspects, including beer-battered line-caught fish for $32, T-bone steak and chips for $52, and the ubiquitous chicken schnitzel for $29.

My daughter wasn't messing around, going in fast and sure with a request for loaded fries from the small plates section of the menu, priced at $22.

There was nothing small about the heaped plate of crispy fries and smoky pulled pork topped with cheese and pickles. The kid was in seventh heaven.

My son, who is a 'I like what I know and I know what I like' kind of guy, chose the cheeseburger and fries for $24 and quickly declared the chips some of the best he's had.

My husband and I decided to share the ricotta gnocchi for $31 and a caprese salad for $22, both dishes we, and by we I mean my husband who is quite the gourmet, regularly make at home.

The Pav's versions, under head chef Tai Yokoyama, compared favourably.

Gnocchi and Salad Delight

The ricotta gnocchi came swimming in a creamy pesto sauce with roasted zucchini and parmesan. It was love at first bite, and a fork duel promptly broke out to see who could ensnare the last puffy pillow of gnocchi goodness.

The rustic salad was as described, with torn mozzarella, fresh basil, juicy tomatoes, and a balsamic dressing. The vibrant tomatoes were the star and worlds away from the pale and flavourless variety we see all too often.

Good food doesn't require Heston Blumenthal levels of creativity. But if you want to stick to the classics, the focus should be on choosing great produce that is cooked well. The Pav delivered on both counts.

So much so that as we left, my husband declared: 'That's exactly what I want when it comes to pub grub.' That's lofty praise indeed.