Zapf Hall, Fremantle

Website: http://zapfhall.com.au/

Zapf Hall is one of the first pop-up restaurants in Perth, the food is German inspired and it is located upstairs (above Pizza Bella Roma) in a small alley-way along South Terrace, the central food strip in Fremantle. As we entered the well-decorated space, a lovely waitress then seated us in cute spot on the balcony with a fantastic view. However we were put off by the overly loud music, even though it was a Saturday night, it was still quite early and around dinner time. 

Our Twisted Mojitos arrived shortly and they were great! It was the perfect balance of sweetness, bitterness and minty-ness, with a lovely hint of strawberry and sherbet. They even made one without alcohol for us, as one of us was driving, we were impressed as most restaurants don't offer this option. Not long after, our meals arrived...

Potato Chips with Crispy Chicken Skin and Aioli $7

We were disappointed as soon as we received this dish, as we were expecting proper potato chips not crisps. Nonetheless we still tired it out and just as we predicted, it was underwhelming and a waste of $7. The "chips" and crispy chicken skin barely had any flavour, the texture of it was also a little soggy from being soaked in oil. The only decent thing about this dish was the aioli, so we'll give it a rating of 3/10.

Lemon and Thyme Salmon Gravlax $19

This dish was fresh and tasty. The smoked salmon complemented the coleslaw quite nicely, but to be honest it did not blow us away. Unfortunately what really let this dish down was the rye bread underneath which was thin and soggy from being soaked in the sauces.  We give this dish a 4.5/10.

Beef Short Ribs with Hot and Spicy BBQ Sauce $22

The meat was beautifully cooked, it was juicy and tender while still being a little pink on the inside. The tanginess from the notoriously German sauerkraut and the spicy sauce created a pleasing flavour combination with every bite. However we have had lamb that has been better. The price for this dish was quite reasonable and it was one of the more appealing choices on the limited menu, so we rate this dish 6.5/10.

Overall Review

Overall this pop up restaurant was a good concept however, the food was very underwhelming and the atmosphere could be a lot better. The restaurant is a little pricey and we think there is more to offer in Fremantle for more value for money. It is nice to see a little bit of German culture in Perth and we're glad we gave this place a shot. We give them a rating of 5.5/10.