The magazine “Falstaff” has just named the best restaurants in the country. From pine cones to caviar eggs, the creativity knows no bounds, but so do the prices. But where do you pay the most and is it worth it? An excursion through Austria’s top gastronomy…
A bank without money: Have you ever heard of the beautiful town of Ehrenhausen, which has just under 2,500 inhabitants? It is the gateway to the South Styrian Wine Route and is home to a very special bank: the Weinbank. There, chef Gerhard Fuchs and sommelier Christian Zach have made it their mission to enchant their guests with culinary delights – with a tavern, a wine shop and a gourmet restaurant.
The latter has been unanimously voted the best in the state by relevant trade magazines – and of course their guests – for years. What’s on the menu is what gardeners, farmers, ranchers, hunters and gatherers, or their suppliers, bring. Regionality and seasonality costs 195 euros per person for the “big menu”.
From Neusiedlersee to Traunsee: Not far from the Neusiedler Meer, in Schützen am Gebirge in Burgenland, in the Taubenkobel of the Eselböck family, where Alain Weisgerber works in the kitchen, the prices for the menu at 198 euros per person are only slightly higher than in Styria.
Prices are comparable in the boathouse on Lake Traunsee in Upper Austria. There you leave 199 euros per person for Lukas Nagl’s seven-course menu.
The 200 euro sign: The gourmet restaurant Hubert Wallner in Dellach, Carinthia, exceeds the 200 euro mark. The Wallner cuisine, inspired by the Alpine region between the lake and the sea, is available in seven courses for 208 euros per person – the view of Lake Wörthersee is included.
This is followed – equally in terms of price – by the Ikarus in Salzburg (run by Martin Klein), the Rote Wand Chef’s Table at the Schualhus in Lech in Vorarlberg (which was only recently run by Julian Stieger) and the long- undisputedly the best restaurant in the Landes, the Steirereck in the Vienna city park (where Heinz Reitbauer does his magic). All three charge 225 euros per person.
Steeped in history: Just above this lies the Landhaus Bacher in Mautern, Lower Austria, whose kitchen Lisl Wagner Bacher has made a cult following and has now placed in the gifted hands of her son-in-law Thomas Dorfer. For 228 euros per person you get a piece of Austrian culinary history – and the legendary caviar egg, which has been a permanent part of the menu for 30 years. At 234 euros, the menu at Stüva in Ischgl is slightly more expensive – but the French-inspired cuisine is combined with the Tyrolean craftsmanship of Benjamin Parth.
The most expensive restaurant: It’s back to the federal capital for the price leader of top local gastronomy. For an evening at Juan Amador, you should not only come hungry and looking forward to it, but also with deep pockets. For a menu in the restaurant, which has received four forks from “Falstaff” (100 points), five chef’s hats from “Gault&Millau” (19 points) and three stars from the Michelin guide, you have to pay 395 euros per person.
Is it worth it?
Is it worth it to spend the hard-earned money in a chef’s, fork’s or star restaurant? Of course, it is not necessary for survival, but for those who are privileged to be able to afford it and enjoy it, the answer is very clear: yes! The craftsmanship that local top gastronomy offers is in a class of its own and goes far beyond just the consumption of food. It should be seen more as art that, at its best, makes you full and happy.
Whether or not you like this kind of art is, as with so many things in life, a matter of taste and, as we all know, can easily be debated…
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
