THE VEGAN BURGER FROM SCHNAPPS BAR (NATIONAL PARK)

With the driftwood kiwi sculpture on the corner and the building covered in the Speights colours, it’s hard to miss the Schnapps Bar in National Park.

Having visited National Park several times I finally ate at Schanpps on a beautiful March evening.

This post will tell you about my experience (tasting notes included).

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Before heading to the restaurant, I took a quick look at the menu online to see if there’d be a vegan option. There’s plenty of options for vegetarians and vegan beyond their top seller, the Lamb Shanks.

I arrived at about 6.30 on a Thursday evening and there was maybe 15 people in the venue. It certainly wasn’t empty with most people now inside as the evening shadows devoured the garden bar.

The menu is on a big chalkboard next to the bar where you make your order. From what I can tell, you can take a seat and they’ll take your order too.

I knew I wanted the falafel burger beforehand, so after making sure they could make it vegan (they just remove the cheese) I was good to go.

For $18.50 the burger comes with chips which is a decent value. I do wish they went into a bit more detail on the menu, rather than just “Falafel Burger: Vegetarian Goodness”. It’s what’s on the inside that counts 😉

RELATED POST: VEGAN BURGER REVIEWS IN NEW ZEALAND

The interior is a little dark, but I can imagine it’s super cozy in winter when you just want to be wrapped up after being in the snow all day. They’ve got a TV if there’s any sport you want to watch and a pool table.

I chose to sit outside though, the garden bar was no longer in the sunlight and the temperature had dropped…but the view! It’s so good minus that pesky cloud.

I was there at peak time, but it was a long wait for my burger, well over 25 minutes. The view meant all was well, but the service on a super busy night could be a mood changer (they’ll often have live music in the winter).

Eventually, my burger arrived.

TASTING NOTES FOR THE FALAFEL BURGER FROM SCHNAPPS BAR

First impressions are great.

• The chips are solid. Not overcooked and they’re not a stingy portion. They didn’t come with any sauce though and I was too lazy to go inside to find it.
• The burger presentation is ace.
• The falafel is actually in the form of a patty rather than balls. This always makes life easier when eating a burger as it’s less likely to fall out.
• The patty had some flavour and didn’t
• The veges aren’t overflowing the burger which I like. The lettuce on the bottom is good form to keep the rest of the vegetables in place. Though I’d prefer the patty on the bottom. The beetroot was a fun addition.
• There’s a tahini sauce, but more sauce would be ideal. Falafel burgers tend to be dry so you can’t go wrong with too much suace really.

Overall it’s a solid burger that’s just missing that extra spark to make it a burger you’d recommend people stop off at Schnapps just for the burger if they’re passing through National Park (like I do with the ones at EAT in Ohakune).

That said, I’m grateful to Schnapps Bar for having vegan options and will return there on my next visit to National Park.

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The Schnapps Bar is located on the corner of SH4 and Findlay St, National Park Village, Manawatu-Wanganui 3989

If you’ve been to the Schnapps Bar, let us know your thoughts below or email me: jub@churnewzealand.com

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