I had been looking forward to this restaurant since the minute we checked into the Hotel Bristol. The hotel was extraordinary so I was expecting an unbelievable meal (especially after glancing at some of the prices). When we walked into the restaurant, it was pretty empty. The one thing that stood out was how bright it was. I usually like a little bit dimmer lights when eating dinner and was not expecting lights like the hotel lobby. After being taken to our seats, we had to wait 10 minutes for our waiter to introduce himself and then ask if we had a preference in water. 10 minutes later we get our water before he rushes off again. Finally after 25 minutes, we gave our entire order (drinks, appetizer, dinner).
The wine was delicious (I love Austrian wines) but they did not keep it on the table, which I thought was odd. They kept it on a table in the corner and poured it for us. At one point, my wine glass was empty and I had to wait for the waiter to come poor us the wine which had well over half left. I am not sure if keeping the wine is part of Austrian culture, so I won't be too much of a stickler about it.
Onto the food, the only saving grace. We both had the gorgonzola salad which was delicious and we both had the lamb, which also was delicious. Divya did order the lobster, but they brought out the lamb. When I said, "she ordered the lobster", they simply said "no, lamb" and walked away. Being in a foreign country and not speaking the language properly, I decided not to push it after a few attempts to explain she wanted the lobster (the lobster was cheaper than the lamb by the way....coincidence....I think not!). After dinner, we had to wait another 20 minutes before our plates were cleared and we got a desert menu. That is 20 minutes from when we actually finished our food. And surprise surprise, they had just given away their last chocolate souffle. Divya was crushed and I was getting more irritated by the second. We quickly paid the bill and left. At 190 euros for the 2 of us, I expected much better, especially considering we were staying in the hotel itself!
I loved Vienna and will definitely be back, but I will never eat at this restaurant again. I may even go so far as to try out a different hotel because of this.
If the food had not been so delicious...0 stars. read more