Alpine Larder, Crackenback (Thredbo)

Alpine Larder, Lake Crackenback

The style: Alpine Larder is rustic, warm, cosy and charming. There is a raging fire in the winter, high ceilings, warm timber and beautiful stone walls. If you visit on a snow day, its a great place to sit and eat comfort food while you watch the flakes fall. When the weather is fine, there is some outdoor seating so you can eat in the fresh mountain air. 

The taste: Alpine Larder's menu offers a range of tapas, pasta, burgers and wood fired pizzas. "Gourmet' pizza can sometimes go horribly wrong but the Alpine Larder hit the mark with a great dough and generous, scrumptious toppings. The Alpine Larder supreme was my pick and was perfect. Alpine Larder offers some vegetarian options too.

Pizza at Alpine Larder, Thredbo

The service: The day I visited was super busy in the height of winter but the staff managed to stay polite and delivered the food pretty efficiently considering the number of people they were looking after. Best to call ahead for a reservation especially if you are visiting in peak season.

The price: Prices for lunch ranged from $15-$22 with desserts around the $12-$14 mark.

The location: Alpine Larder is located within the Novotel Lake Crackenback complex off the Alpine way between Jindabyne and Thredbo. Parking is available near Alpine Larder.

Useful links:Alpine Larder menus

The interior at Alpine larder, Thredbo

Jean-Michel at the Knickerbocker, Thredbo

Snowy day at the Knickerbocker, Thredbo

From the moment you walk through the quaint orange door, you know this place is going to be fun. Jean-Michel at the Knickerbocker is like a quirky little bit of France plonked right into Thredbo village. The decor comes complete with a snow-themed mural, fishing baskets, terracotta ducks on the wall and even an impressive stack of antlers. It is cosy and warm and the windows offer a panoramic view of the mountains and the Thredbo River.

The food here is absolutely delicious! The hearty pork cassoulet (special) is just the thing to warm you up on a snowy winters day. The burger is jam packed with big flavours and the steak is juicy and tender. The french fries with rosemary and parmesan take the humble plate of chips from something ordinary to something spectacular and the selection of desserts are just the thing to finish of a great meal in style. 

Wagyu and truffle burger, Knickerbocker, Thredbo

Pear and ginger pudding, Knickerbocker, Thredbo

The service here was spot on - friendly, efficient and warm, really adding to a great overall dining experience.

The menu isn't the cheapest with entrees around $19 and mains in the low to mid $30s but the quality justifies the cost - I seriously cannot wait to get back here for another meal!! Take a look at Jean-Michel's menu by clicking here.

Jean-Michel at the Knickerbocker is located  at 1 Diggings Terrace, Thredbo Village. Beware there is VERY limited parking nearby - if you get stuck, the shuttle from Friday Flat will drop you right outside the restaurant.

Pork cassoulet, Knickerbocker, Thredbo

Dessert, Knickerbocker, Thredbo

Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery, Thredbo

Kransky, saurkraut and mustard, Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery

The style: The Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery is like a quirky little piece of Bavaria right here in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains. Wild Brumby is part schnapps distillery and restaurant, part art gallery. There are sculptures throughout the gardens which add an interesting side-attraction. It is set in a beautiful valley and sitting outside on a sunny day is heavenly.

The taste: The food here is described as 'continental'. The menu is small and dominated by sausage, schnitzel and  gulasch. The food is nice but the sides are tiny so it can be a little bit difficult to chomp through a giant schnitzel with not much to break it up with. Its a shame because it is delicious but a little bit more generosity with salad and sauce would make the meals a lot more satisfying. There is German beer on tap and the schnapps which is distilled on-site is a must try. 

Wild Brumby Schanpps Distillery

The service: This is one area Wild Brumby really falls flat. I have eaten here a lot and each time, I am shocked by a)how few staff they have, especially at peak tourist times; b) how downright unfriendly some of the staff are (a friend even got hit in the head with a large branch by one who was hell-bent on ignoring us and redecorating around our table right in the middle of a busy lunch period); c) how the staff who are friendly seem to have no idea about the menu. Rant over. Don't be put off, it is still a great place to go, it is just frustrating that somewhere so popular still can't get basic customer service right...

The price: Lunches range from $9 to $20. 

The location: Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery is located on the Alpine Way between Jindabyne and Thredbo.

Beer with a view, WildBrumby Schnapps Distillery

Useful links:

Wild Brumby website

Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

The style: If you are heading to the mountains and want to feel a little bit special, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback is the place to go for dinner. It is all about low lighting, candles on your table and floor to ceiling glass walls on two sides which overlook Lake Crackenback. Tables for two are cleverly turned at an angle so you both get to enjoy the view (and each other's company) in what feels like privacy.

View from Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

The taste: The food at Cuisine on Lake Crackenback is refined and packed full of flavour. The meals are pretty to look at and fantastic to eat. The menu at Cuisine on Lake Crackenback changes with the season - scallops, spatchcock, duck, trout and lamb all feature along with wagyu beef pies and divine desserts. An extra little surprise was the tasty morsels dished up between courses - cured salmon with aioli and house-made plum ice-cream found their way to our table throughout the night. Delicious.
Its a shame that the combination of i-phone camera and really low (romantic) lighting means that the pictures here don't really do the food justice but they should at least give an idea of what was dished up.

Duck terrine, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Scallops and black pudding, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Lamb rack, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Banana tarte tatin, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Spatchcock and king brown mushroom, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Mango snow egg, Cuisine on Lake Crakcnback

The service: Aaah. How nice it is to be treated like you matter. The staff here were absolutely lovely - they made conversation without being awkward or intrusive and got every part of the order absolutely right (a rare and unusual occurrence!). 

Cured salmon and aioli - free taster at Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Plum ice cream - free taster at Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

The price: Meals here weren't cheap with entrees and desserts at $18 and mains at $37. There is also a degustation menu available for $70 or $110 with wine. Considering the delicious food, the great view and the spot-on service, the price was well worth it.

Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

The location: Cuisine on Lake Crackenback is tucked on the edge of Lake Crackenback within the Lake Crackenback Resort. Lake Crackenback Resort is located just off the Alpine Way about 15 minutes from  Thredbo (on the Jindabyne side) in New South Wales.


Useful links:


Lake Crackenback Resort

Brioche, Cuisine on Lake Crackenback

Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery and Cafe, Thredbo, NSW

Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery and Cafe, Thredbo, NSW

Schnapps, Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery, Thredbo

The Style: Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery and Cafe is a one part classy art, one part Alpine Kitsch and a lot of fun! The Distillery is located on a few acres of landscaped grounds. These are scattered with sculptures, polished granite and even the odd fibreglass horse! There are nice touches like the little orchard of pink lady apple trees which are a key ingredient in the schnapps of that flavour as well as potted tulips in the spring time.


Inside, you could be forgiven for thinking you are inside an old style ski lodge but for the huge copper distilling vats which dominate one part of the cafe. And yes, there are even home made pretzels hanging from a deer antler light shade!

Deer antler light shade, Wild Brumby Distillery and Cafe, Thredbo

Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery, Thredbo

The Taste: Delicious! The menu features a range of European inspired goodies but the pick has to be the German sausages and kraut. They come served with mustard and bread and they are cooked to sizzling, popping perfection. As I cut mine, little beads of fatty flavour oozed out and I can tell you I mopped up every last bit with the bread. (I did make sure to share a little piece with Booza the resident Jack Russell Terrier.) Other continental treats on offer include schnitzel, gulasch and Austrian salad.The Wild Brumby Cafe also offers up sweet treats and has German beer on tap. Breakfast is served from 10am - 12pm and lunch until 5pm.

Sausages and kraut, Wild Brumby Cafe

Icy cold beer on tap, Wild Brumby Cafe

Lemon Cake, Wild Brumby Cafe, Thredbo

Lovely latte, Wild Brumby Cafe, Thredbo

The Service: It was hectic and the staff were clearly rushed off their feet. They weren't bursting with excitement to help but they were efficient and got the job done pretty quickly. When I have visited on quieter days, there has been a lot more help offered so I think they get the benefit of the doubt.

Booza the resident Jack Russell at Wild Brumby

The Location: Wild Brumby is located off the Alpine Way between Thredbo and Jindabyne overlooking the peaks of Kosciuszko National Park's Snowy Mountains. The spectacular views and crisp, fresh mountain air are hard to beat. Take advantage of the outdoor tables in summer and you wont be disappointed!

Wood and stone garden sculptures, Wild Brumby, Thredbo