Love!!! Currently number 11 of the 50 best restaurants in the world. http://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/1-50-winners/steirereck/ Driving through the park in the evening... I thought what an enchanting and beautiful restaurant! They have a large outdoor seating area and indoor seating as well. The inside is very modern with lots of red tones from the wall tiles to the hanging blown glass. We started off the evening with some sparkling wine and four amuse bouches. Their plate presentations are absolutely beautiful even for something as simple as the butter plate! The butter plate had grooved salted butter lines with a dollop of basil butter and sweet butter sitting on top. Bread was wheeled in and boy do they have a spread. We tried the bacon, pumpkin, original sourdough, sundried tomato, and pretzel breads. We decided to go with a 4 course a la carte and we were delighted by every course. Our servers had lots of personality and were very attentive. For each course they put a description card of your course which I loved. After all this, they rolled out a cart full of "jewelry" petit fours that was absolutely amazing! It was unreal how real this stuff looked! And it tasted delicious as well!! Warm Artichoke Salad with herbs Confitted and Fermented Turnip with Smoke Foie Gras and Sea-buckthorn Charcoal Grilled Tubers with Turmeric 'Caviar' and Shoots Piglet Cheeks with Kohlrabi, Rhubarb, and Pine Needles Barbecued Cap of Alpine Forerib with Beans, Truffle, Potatoes and French Sorrel Barbecued Sturgeon with Quinoa, Elderberry, and Pea Shoots Rice Pudding Souffle with Rhubarb and Sorbet read more

The service was outstanding but the food was not exciting compared to what we had last night at Mraz and Sohn. Also this review is also based on my past and present Michelin Star restaurants I've dined at. Right now Amador's is still my top 1 for Vienna now followed by Mraz and Sohn based from our amazing experience from start to finish. Let me explain why this lunch experience left me underwhelmed. This review will include my friend's dish as well based on her thoughts and experience. Amuse bouche was flat and not tasty at all. Came here for lunch and we ordered for the 4 course lunch menu. The variety of breads offered was nice but sometimes variety versus taste is more important for my opinion. We both ordered smoked eel for our first course. This was an excellent dish. It left me wanting for more. The ingredients were fresh and light, seasoned well and it left my palate a perfect balance of earthy tones and brightness. So after a letdown on their amuse bouche, this dish kicks us back to excitement of what will follow. 2nd course: I ordered Pike while my friend ordered for the artic char. My fish dish was heartier and its sauce was creamy but not heavy. It was a good dish overall. I had a chance to taste my friend's dish. The dish was well balanced, with texture and a very tasty and bright bloody orange sauce. My friend also loved her dish. 3rd course: lamb shank. The only draw back is that we wanted 2 different main course. But we had no choice but to give up what the other person want since the 3rd course is good for 2 persons. My friend wanted the sturgeon dish and I wanted the lamb shank. Since it's my reservation and I am paying, my friend just said she'll be fine with the lamb shank. I wished they would just let their guests order what they prefer to eat. The lamb was cooked to perfection, perfect serving and the kale was a good side dish. Overall it's a good dish but not great. I've had better preparation of lamb shank from other Michelin Star restaurants. 4th course: I got the crepe while my friend ordered the pear. My dessert was good, beautifully plated and it's a good balance of flavors. While my friend flat out did not like her dessert. I did try after she gave her remarks after just 2 bites. There's something with the blandness and bitter after taste which we can't pinpoint which ingredient is making that bad after taste. Anyhow, the ice cream was the savior. We got some complimentary amuse to end it. But nothing really stood out. Not memorable at all. read more

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My favorite fine dining restaurant throughout my Europe trip! I love the location of the restaurant, and it was interesting to see that they also had a less formal a la carte restaurant below Steirereck. I loved being able to see the chefs at work and the twisting angles of the restaurant. I loved the location, right in the middle of Stadpark, which was lovely walking through before getting to the restaurant. You bet I got lost coming back from the restroom but the waiters kindly guided me back to my table. My favorite parts of the meal were when the connoisseurs of cheese and bread came to our table to introduce us to the largest array of cheese and bread I have ever seen. It was a shame I did not get a picture with the bread man at the end of the meal. Going in, I did not have much knowledge about Austrian cuisine. The waiters did a great job of explaining each dish, explaining the history and culture of Austria and how it weaved into the creation of certain dishes. I loved how they had little cards that described what was in each dish so you could read it while you were eating. Something special about this experience that is different from other places is the intentional and thoughtful way that they use all their ingredients. I loved the cleverness in using the same ingredient multiple ways in the same dish, not just as the highlight of the dish, but also using the same ingredient with different technique for the sauce, and using it as a garnish as well. I liked their balance of having the meal be an interactive experience and still being very much a filling meal. I ordered the 6 course tasting menu, and I was absolutely filled at the end. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is staying in Austria to stop by and dine at this place. You won't regret it ! read more

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This restaurant is a total scam. First, there's a COVER charge just for sitting down, 9 euros per person. WTF this is not a dance club! They tack on a 10% service charge as well. The food tastes have no balance; one thing overpowers the rest. The cheese is super salty. Very underwhelming compared to Providence in LA. They drag on 6 courses for 3 hours and you are so bored you want to get up and leave. Save your money, its 520 euros for 2 ppl. They don't tell you the price of anything they bring in front of you to make you embarrassed to ask, then you find out its 80 dollars a glass. These are the hallmarks of a PREDATORY restaurant. Also for you Instagrammers, no the food is not photogenic see pic attached. they ruined my wife's ice cream scoop, it just plopped down onto the sauce in the plate. the dude just said enjoy and walked away. like those olympian gymnasts that don't stick the landing. oh well! i personally suspect they cheated to get their Michelin stars. read more

Steirereck - terrible looking food not photogenic - Austrian Near Me - Vienna, 9

One of the best meals I've ever had! A two Michelin star restaurant and one of the top restaurants in the world, I would recommend this place to everyone! We chose the 7 course meal with the wine pairing. The wines were amazing and went well with the food. We tried different foods that we've never had before and the location in the middle of the park was beautiful! High class service and the food well worth the price! read more

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Truly a magical dining experience! This place is tucked away in a park and immediately recognizable by the beautiful architecture that feels more like an art museum! They have a variety of menu options, but you can always mix and match how many courses you want, so not everyone has to get the same number of courses. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with dish choices, so pick what you fancy and know they also have a delightful bread cart and cheese cart (if you choose to have a cheese course). I'd highly recommend the black pudding bread. Something else to note is that they do have a sister restaurant on the other side of the building. It looks more like a cafe and is a great option for a less pricey meal. I believe you can still get things like the cheese cart as well. Plus there is a lovely view overlooking the river. read more

Where do you even begin? The building itself is stunning, and the atmosphere inside is very warm and inviting. The service is absolutely expert, as you would expect from a literally white-gloved service. They allowed my wife and I to select two different tasting menus, with two different wine pairings - which I thought was unheard of. The aforementioned wine pairings were without any shadow of a doubt, the best I've ever had. All of the courses were extremely thoughtful and perfectly textured. I'd say that was the focus moreso than bold flavors, but thats kind of what you get a such a high class fine dinning establishment, in my opinion. The suckling pig was probably the best bite of pork I've ever had, which is really saying a lot. The meat was so tender, it almost seemed wet (with its own juices), and the skin was beyond crispy - I have no idea how they achieved such a perfect combination. There is a cheese cart, for the cheese course, which is beyond reproach. There were at least 200 types of cheeses to chose from, and the gentlemen helped us pick out all of our tastings. One of which was a blue cheese aged in a cave for six months (seriously), and it was the best I've ever had. read more

Utter letdown. In an amazing food city where I've had outstanding meals, Steirereck was by far the worst. Cool atmosphere and building. A quick walk from the Innere Stade. Service was personable and good. Strong wine pairings. I really enjoyed the menu setup as you get two choices for each course. However, the problem is all the courses sound boring. The bigger problem is not only do the courses sound boring, they taste even more boring. Inauthentic ripoff French food that has no flavor, nor is appetizing. Who wants boiled beef, tongue and veal? The pigeon was great but that was the only good course. High expectations but missed on all levels. Mraz and Amador kill this place and its not close. read more

I made a reservation a month in advance for lunch here. It was our last day in Austria, so my dad, husband, and I showed up with all of our luggage. The staff did not even blink an eye. In a moment, all of our luggage was safely put away for us to enjoy our experience and meal. We accidentally stumbled into the wrong part of the restaurant, and had to be escorted (luggage and all) to the correct place. Once we were found, we were immediately seated in an intimate room - no more than 5-6 tables total, and served an aperitif immediately. We ordered from the prix fixe lunch menu. The char is obviously a must, but I have to say you cannot order a wrong thing on this menu. We opted for 4 courses without the cheese option. The ingredients and innovation that came with each course was delightful. I also really enjoyed how the restaurant sits right within the park with trees, basketball courts, and pathways. It was lovely on a crisp, clear fall day. The service was one of the best parts of the experience. Everyone was beyond friendly. My favorite was the bread cart, with almost 30 different types of bread options. I also ordered tea from the tea cart, where they chopped fresh mint, lemongrass, and made a unique concoction right in front of our table. This was an experience never to forget! If you are a foodie, and the best restaurants in the world are on your bucket list, i would hands down recommend this place to you. read more

Truly enjoyed one of the most talked about restaurants in Europe, though there were a couple of bumps I would not have expected. First, the amuse bouches were great, multiple very interesting tastes. The bread trolley was also a great experiences, so many very interesting options (though I would have loved if it had come back, just some different breads we would have liked to try). I started with char in bee pollen wax. It was a very unique dish, as it was cooked at the table in hot bee wax, then taken to the kitchen to be prepared. Although the char looked raw, it was perfectly cooked and tasted wonderful. Followed it with venison. Again a great dish and made even better as the waitress brought out some additional venison shoulder (without asking). I very nice touch. The dessert was beautiful, a red apple (red meat as well as skin) with ice cream and othe accompaniments. The dessert highlight, though, was all of the little items served with the cheque. They were beautiful and very interesting. Service was good but as I said at the start two problems. First, my wife and daughter are vegetarians and there were surprisingly few options. These days you expect a lot more options in top quality restaurants. The lack options forced me (and my non-vegetarian son) to stick to three courses. The other roadblock was when we asked the waitress to explain the desserts. She seemed to have no idea. I realize English may have not been her first language but otherwise her (and the whole staff's) English was perfect. I was literally cringing for the pastry chef as she tried to explain the desserts, describing one as "like coffee", it was nothing like coffee. She either never tried the desserts (which were brilliant and worthy of great stories) or the language was a bigger issue than I thought. In either case, she should have at least been trained to find a colleague who could give the desserts justice (or invite out the pastry chef). We still found three wonderful desserts (my guess is they were all great) but I was surprised given the overall quality of everything. Rightfully one of the top restaurants in Europe, recommended. read more

(Dined December 2016) Thoroughly impressed with the entire experience at Steirereck. We opted for the ala carte menu options instead of the tasting menu because we were a bit under the weather, and we were satisfied with the staff's recommendations to experience a broad slice of Viennese cuisine. The highlight of our trip. read more

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We had the most satisfying culinary experience from beginning to end of our 3 hour visit. I am very "pro-choice" when it comes to my meals so I very much appreciate it when a fancy restaurant has an a la carte option. We picked out the perfect meal for ourselves and then some. Everything was perfect- service, ambiance, aperitifs, the infamous bread cart, all of our courses, wine pairings, and dessert. Steirereck truly left a lasting impression on us- to the point where I now compare all other Michelin rated experiences to it. read more

Sad trombone...bbbbbbbbeeeebuummmm I was so excited to try this place considering its ranked higher than any other restaurant I have tried and we were in Europe. They were extremely accommodating when we arrived 20mins late due to problems with our taxi. That was great because we were stressing! The service started out fantastic but fell short by the middle of the meal. They served us when I was in the bathroom. They took the napkin while we went to the bathroom and didn't replace it. We were served several dishes without a pairing for at least 5-10mins. Water glasses left empty. Dirty plates left on the table for a considerable amount of time....the list goes on and on. Unfortunately for this caliber of restaurant...it was an epic fail for us. Most of the dishes were delicious with a few falling short. Carrot dish, pea dish were amazing! We weren't a fan of either desserts. The other thing I found annoying was they would just put a card down explaining your course and say absolutely nothing about it...maybe it was because we were English speaking? I'm not sure. Again, service just fell short. I wanted a more personable experience and it just felt cold. We made friends with another couple from Chicago that was seated right by us. and they ended up joining our table towards the end of the meal. We felt like we were then outcasts. Our server didn't offer more service. We had to get up and ask for our check. We weren't offered the herbal tea at the end. We had to bring up our check at the end. Just unacceptable for a Michelin 2...if I'm ever back in Vienna...I won't be going here. And to be honest, Alinea blows this place out of the water! read more

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Steirereck is fantastic and I would definitely recommend coming in for the unique atmosphere, dishes, and service. Atmosphere: 5/5 The building is beautiful and almost looks like the sky and the metal are connected. The inside is a crisp white and the decor is fancy yet comforting. Every single plate and piece of cutlery is chosen specifically for the dish and the decor matches what you're about to eat. Food: 4/5 I enjoyed everything that I ate here-- with the exception of a single dish but that was more because I'm not a fan of onions rather than the quality of the dish itself. The people I ate with all thought it was delicious. They also had a dish where they sous vide a piece of fish in hot bee's wax and they let us watch. This was particularly amazing because I'd never seen this done before. Service: 5/5 The service is simply superb. The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I particularly enjoyed the person in charge of bread-- he was very kind and helped explain every ingredient. You could really tell that he loved bread! You can get seconds ;) so be sure to take advantage of that! Overall: 5/5 I would definitely recommend coming here if you're in Austria. It's not super expensive (I believe I paid around 100 euros) compared to most Michelin places and the experience is definitely something amazing. read more

My experience here was similar to "Hunspointer X." It's very expensive, they charge a cover fee which doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere, and they will treat you like crap. I noticed that we were grouped with the other Americans on the side of the room, next to one single male diner from Texas who was crazy fidgety, eating with his mouth open and taking pictures of himself constantly. Service wise, we were given a second amuse bush. When I explained that we already got one, the server just walked away and we were compelled to eat a second helping of something we didn't really like. Otherwise, the service was slow and inattentive. I feel like the German speaking section got much better and quicker service. The food was hit or miss. Some items like the beeswax fish were fairly good and entertaining, but other like the wienerschnitzel were boring at best. Bread was good, but who pays around 500 euro for a good bread dinner. Overall, it was pretty bland and not very enjoyable. I probably had a better time at McDonalds in Vienna... read more

Steirereck - Char slow cooking in warm beeswax. - Austrian Near Me - Vienna, 9

This is a more detailed review of my prior visit. Steirereck Restaurant, located in Stadtparkin Vienna Austria has been named the #9 restaurant in the world for 2013, and holds 2 Michelin Stars. Conveniently located across the street from the Intercontinental Hotel, and minutes away from the Ritz Carlton Vienna stands this culinary landmark, which has been in the Top 100 for the last several years. The ceiling of the restaurant looks like a more elegant version of the Bellagio lobby done by Dale Chihuly. Like most fine dining establishments, dinner is theater and the experience will likely last several hours. Service begins with a hot towel. Next comes some paper thin breadsticks. An amuse bouche of figs with candied lemon peel and basil started off the night. This dish was surprisingly not too sweet, being offset by the basil. A second amuse bouche was served, however I forgot to write down what it was. I don't recall this dish being spectacular in any way. Next, the bread cart arrived with nearly 20 different types of bread to choose from. With the vast variety there is something for everyone. The Mountain Trout with Melon, Cucumber and Etiolated Pea Shoots was a good way to start off the meal. The trout is firm and subtle in flavor, enhanced by the sweetness of the melon and pea shoots. The cucumber helped to add some floral notes to the dish. The Marinated Venison with Funnel Chanterelles, Wild Brokkoli and Black Walnuts is an absolute winner. The venison has just a hint of gaminess which is accentuated by the earthiness of the mushrooms and brown butter. The Barbecued Sturgeon with Kohlrabi, Quinoa and Elderberry was just an okay dish. The sturgeon was firm and meaty, but the sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. The dish just didn't seem to come together for my palate. The Cauliflower with Salted Plums, Romaine Lettuce and Veal Sweetbreads was another dish wasn't coherent. The sweetbreads were somewhat firm on the outside but tender in the middle. The cauliflower and lettuce added some earthy tones, while the plums added some acidity. The Mallard with Salsify, Red Cabbage and Chestnuts was another outstanding dish. Although wild, the mallard did not have a strong taste. The dish was a little overpowered in sweetness by the Isabella grape jus. The Apple with Amaranth, Pine Needle and Mushroom Herb was a very surprising dish. The apple was perfectly poached, tender yet still firm. The amaranth, which had the appearance of a piece of bark, was ice cold and refreshing. The contrast in temperature along with texture due to the apple tuile and amaranth crumble made this a light way to end the meal. No trip to Steirereck is complete without a trip to the bathroom to check-out their futuristic bathroom. The urinal looks like a space pod that begins to flush as soon as you step onto the floor mat. The sink, soap dispenser and trash can looks like a drum set from the future. The soap dispenser is in the upper left. Upon sticking your hand into the opening liquid soap will be dispensed. Placing your hands within the interior of the yellow sink sends jets of water from all directions to rinse your hands. The orange bongo drum is there for you to dispense your used towels. I am glad to have eaten at Steirereck, but not sure if I would come back. Service was superb at times, very lackluster at others. At one point, the employee working the bead cart was acting as busboy and server to some tables. There is a service charge to eat here which is not disclosed. Although it is only €6 per person, this is not disclosed anywhere and seems very out of place in a fine dining establishment. Food for the most part was very good to great, but some dishes really seemed to miss the mark. Many people have complained about the cost of the restaurant. At dinner, the 6 course tasting menu is €125, while the 7 course menu is €135 without the wine pairing, which I feel is very reasonable considering the cost of Vienna as a whole and that this is a 2 star Michelin restaurant. I do like the fact that they present you with descriptions of each dish before presenting them so you know what you are eating, or can reflect back at a later time. read more

I don't think I've ever felt so coddled in a restaurant as I did during our lunch at Steirereck im Stadtpark. We showed up a few minutes before our noon reservation, and were greeted warmly. Once our coats were taken, we were led to our table in a bright room with views of the Stadtpark on three sides. We were only the third party to be seated in a room which over the following 45 minutes to an hour became totally filled. The service was exemplary whether we were among the few or the many. Our minds were read; our needs intuited. Glasses were continually filled, silverware replaced by white-gloved hands. A slight tilt of a head, and someone was there. They seemed to know if I wanted to rise before I even did, and were somehow behind me to pull back my chair the moment I'd think of it. And the meal went as long as it did not because we were forgotten, but because we were allowed to savor the experience. In fact, if I hadn't finally asked for the check, who knows? We might be seated there still. I can't think of a single complaint with how we were treated at Steirereck. The level of service was as close to perfection as I can imagine a restaurant getting. My first course was Wild Boar's Head with 'Purple Haze' Carrots, Pineapple, Radicchio and Buckwheat. How can I be so sure of the ingredients? Because at the beginning of each course, a server would bring over a card describing what you were about to eat. No having to wonder, hmmm, what is that I'm tasting, as those of us without Michelin palates sometimes do. I was very grateful for this, and would love to see the practice picked up by other restaurants. My wife started off with the duck casserole with Pearl Barley, Nasturtium Root and Horseradish Herb. I followed my wild boar with Veal's Heart with Oxheart Carrots and Mizuna, a dish which delivered the best veal's heart I've ever had. And "how much veal's heart have you had, Scott"," you might ask. Over the past few years, more and more. And I'm sure there'll be more in the future, but I don't expect it to be as tender as this. My wife's second course was Crayfish with Spiced Parsnip Strudel & Limes, which certainly was one of the more beautiful dishes presented to us. My wife tells me that her strudel was wonderful! Then it was time for the third course, which for me meant Roast Pigeon with Parsley, Amaranth, Millet & Sesame. I'd only had pigeon once before, at a restaurant in Sydney, and had been quite disappointed. It had been tough and dry and pointless. But the Steirereck pigeon was moist and rich and vital, creating an extremely high bar for any other restaurant with pigeon on its menu. How will I ever dare order it again? The pigeon came with a side that was my favorite dish of the day--a puff pastry filled with pigeon offal, foie gras and button mushrooms ... there were fireworks. While I was enjoying my pigeon, Irene ate barbecued Alpine beef forerib with Salsify, Viennese Figs and Celery. This was a course we didn't share. I know better than to get between that gal and her beef! (Though Irene did let me nibble a bit of her celery. Then came course number four, the cheese course. Once more a huge cart was rolled to our table, this one packed with 50-60 exotic cheeses. I went with hard cheeses, my favorite being the Red Leicester. My wife, a blue cheese fanatic, chose the ripest cheeses they offered. This was her favorite course, and she lingered over it, smiling all the while. Then it was time for dessert. I went with the Rice Pudding Souffle with Rhubarb and Sorrel. Extremely light and delicate. For her dessert, my wife chose, as I knew she would, Warm Trinitario Chocolate with Pineapple & Pericon Sorbet & Coconut Macaroons. At this point, we were asked whether we wished coffee or tea, and I asked for tea, not knowing quite what to expect at a restaurant operating at the level of Steirereck. But they ended up going far above and beyond what I'd anticipated. Up came a server with our third (but not final) cart of the afternoon, one which contained live potted plants! The flavor of each was explained to us, so I could choose any or all in whatever combination I wished. There was even blooming stevia, should I wish a sweetener other than sugar. Once I'd made my choice, the server snip, snip, snipped, and then went off to get the hot water so my tea could steep for 10 minutes. While waiting for my tea to be ready, we nibbled at Christmas cookies--and at the edible "giftwrap" on which they'd been set. A snow globe was then placed on our table to put us in more of a holiday mood as we nibbled and sipped. More than four hours had passed since we'd arrived yet none of the employees seemed anything but pleased we were there, or appeared to wish to hurry us along. We might as well have owned the place. And I felt so happy and content that for those few hours, I guess we did. For a restaurant to imbue customers with that feeling, well ... that's quite an accomplishment. read more

Steirereck - The fanciful sinks at which you wash your hands outside the restrooms. Really. - Austrian Near Me - Vienna, 9

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Steirereck has been listed as one of the best restaurants in the world, and for me, it's certainly won its place. The restaurant was located in a grand, modern building in the middle of Stadtpark, and I was completely blown away by the experience. The gourmet restaurant provided fine dining with a strong focus on creative culinary technique and sourcing of ingredients as they relate to flavor (terroir). As with other fine dining restaurants, there's just so much going on in terms of the details of the dishes and the choreography that it would be impossible to describe everything, so I'll point out a few highlights that show exactly what I mean. The first thing we were started with was the bread service. One of the waitresses rolled over a huge cart with an unbelievable variety of breads (at least 30)--some of them were more typical, and some were astoundingly unique. How do you even choose?? I asked the waitress to pick a few varieties that were unique to this restaurant and couldn't be found anywhere else, and she pointed to the house specialty: a bread made with black pudding (blood sausage). While this bread was certainly interesting (it had a moist, meaty texture and flavor), it wasn't my favorite, and I preferred the slightly more normal seeded breads that she also picked out. We also chose a few varieties that contained lavender (which, while not tasting particularly good, had an amazing smell), as well as a parmesan-arugula bread and a potato-based bread made with chives and sour cream. After the bread service came one of the most impressive parts of the meal: the amuse-bouche. There were seven of them in total, including an air-dried mushroom that was imparted the flavor of bacon, bites of polenta, bites of fish, a creamy/buttery potato puree, seeded crackers, falafel with mint/sumac tahini sauce, and a salad of bell peppers. This was an unbelievable start to the meal and it showcased perfectly the variety of culinary techniques of which this restaurant was capable. For our meal, we decided to share the six-course tasting menu with wine pairings and two additional items (an appetizer and a main course) ordered a la carte. It's worth mentioning that with every single course, the waiters provided us with a little card that described the components of the dish in detail. This was extremely helpful--in fancy restaurant experiences like this, there can be so many different courses and so many different details that get completely overlooked or forgotten, so having a written description handy is so useful for learning more about dishes and for documentation. The appetizer that I chose to order a la carte was the char fish, which was brought to us tableside and cooked right in front of us in hot beeswax, which hardened after a few minutes, encasing the fillets of fish right in the middle. The fish were then removed from the beeswax and served with a sour cream ravioli. The fish was salty, tender, and flavorful and was complemented by the sweet and sour flavors of the sides. While this wasn't the best fish I've ever had, the cooking technique was simply fascinating and certainly one of my most unique culinary experiences. My favorite dish of the night was the a la carte entree: lamb shank and sweetbreads (in case you didn't know, sweetbreads are the glands/inner organs of the lamb). The two items were served separately; the lamb shank had been deboned and was served in the shape of a little disc, topped with fermented black garlic and drowned in a lamb sauce. The lamb shank was fall apart tender and savory (though ever so slightly dry), but the sweetbreads were the highlight of this dish. There were four pieces in total, and they were served with artichokes and both mashed and crispy potatoes. Unfortunately, I don't know my sweetbreads well enough to identify which glands/organs they actually were, but one type looked like white meat on the side--it was tender, juicy, and ever so slightly funky; the other type looked more like dark meat and was crispy and perfectly salty--both types were cooked exceptionally well, and the attention to detail in this (and every) dish here was astounding. We ended our meal with a dessert called Milk and Hay. This was certainly one of the most unique desserts I've had, and as a showcase to the restaurant's attention to sourcing, the highlight of this dish was the "hay ice cream," which was made from a raw, unpasteurized cow's milk that had the aroma of 50 different grasses and herbs. And it was certainly easy to taste the difference between this ice cream with its deep, complex flavors and ice cream made from the generic, industrialized milk that can be found anywhere else. Overall, Steirereck was the best meal I've ever had in a fancy restaurant. The attention to detail, the unusual cooking methods, and the emphasis on creating flavors using honest sourcing of ingredients made this entire meal worth the price. read more

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There is a reason why this restaurant is rated 11 out of the 50 best in the world. This place is the best I have ever seen. The food and service were 100% first class from the moment we walked into the door until the moment we left the restaurant. There were multiple servings of H'orderves, which were very tasty and exquisite. Plus the rolling bread bar was to die for. If I remember correctly they had around 12 different freshly baked breads ready at your disposal. I had the Wild Broccoli and Alm Ochsen, which were nothing less than first class. The 1/2 bottle of Rioja wine was outstanding. Just wish I had enough money for two bottles. In all the desert finished the perfect meal and the perfect restaurant setting. Yelp has the statement correct: "As good as it gets!" "The Texan" read more

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I was extremely underwhelmed by this place. Don't get me wrong, the food was great. But they seated a table with a toddler, and allowed that guest to play their iPad on full blast during the entire dinner service. This place is a two star Michelin restaurant, and supposedly the number 10 restaurant in the world. But the vibe we got was more of a €700 Applebee's. I understand that one has to accommodate most guests, but maybe you should turn away the inconsiderate jerks who bring their toddler to dinner rather than hiring a sitter, and allow them to play children's programming on full volume running the other guest's experiences. It was embarrassing having to bring the matter to manager. And I can't imagine this would be allowed by any other restaurant of Steirereck's caliber. read more

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This restaurant is so amazing. You MUST go! For reservations, email with the restaurant, and hopefully you can both find the time to make it happen. We were in Vienna for three weeks, and our schedule kept changing, but the nice lady at Steirereck made it WORK! We had a 4 1/2 hour lunch there, with wine pairing. It was a lovely summer day; not too hot or cold, and we were seated at a table under a tree, facing the park. It was exquisite. As my boyfriend and I settled in for a cuddle, an AMAZING champagne cart rolled up. "Champagne?" Why, yes. Yes, please. The ensuing dining experience was epic. There were two amuse-bouche courses even before the meal began. The first: a selection of artfully displayed tiny cones made of local veggies prepared different ways. The second: two thin, delicate slices of cured ham, and dried watermelon. Ah-MAZING. At this point, imagine the odd leaf wafting through the air, classic, horn-driven jazz lilting along, and my boyfriend & I holding hands... Next thing you know, a GIANT breadcart rolls up, and there must have been thirty types of bread on it. It was SO AWESOME. They also gave us butter four ways: seeded, basil, regular, & black walnut. Beautiful. Another amuse-bouche arrived, this one of local river fish & Jerusalem artichoke. At this point I joked to my boyfriend we could have just ordered soup (instead of the tasting menu), because three courses of amuse-bouche are filling me up! hahah The first course arrives, and with it, wine. I had a glass of Weingut Hajszan Newmann, Gemischter Satz 2011. Which was a delightful, light-colored, crisp, white wine. I love wine, and am EMBARASSED to admit how little I know of Austrian wine. I have opted to do wine pairings all over town to learn, and recommend you do too! My first course was: Porcini with Yellow Pepper & Lettuce. For a tasting menu, I felt it could have been half the size, but because it was a veggie dish, we easily mowed through it. My second course: Confited & Fermented Turnip with Smoked Foie Gras & Sea-buckthorn. This dish was striped with beautiful bright colors: pink/yellow/orange/white, and the foie gras was fluffy and yummy. Definitely not your average foie gras. Then again, I ADORE average foie gras. That was paired with a sweeter Weingut Biegler Rotgipfler Brindlbach 2011 to great effect. Third: Marrow with Sweet Potato, Tomato, Almonds and Lavender. They were green almonds, which are unripe and have a juicy, jelly-like consistency. This was paired with a yummy, dry, Prieler Seeberg Chardonnay 2009, from Burgenland. We are at this point DYING to figure out how to do an Austrian wine country tour, because the wines are amazing. Fourth: Perlfisch with Baby Artichokes, Pineapple Tomatoes and Pistachios. (Perlfisch is a very rare member of the carp family which exists today in just five subalpine states. A small number are allowed to be caught by licensed fishermen in order to control the population - so no panicking!) This dish was beautifully displayed with pops of orange and green, and the fish was succulent and delicious, with very crispy skin! Yes!! Fifth: Piglet Cheeks with Kohlrabi, Rhubarb and Pine Needles. (I have become OBSESSED with kohlrabi since being in Vienna. It's like this turnip/potato/celeriac-type thing, and I've had it packaged so many ways here, I want to grow it when I get home.) The piglet cheeks were poached in buttermilk infused with pine needles. Seriously. Does anything sound more alpine than that? With this dish came a 2008 Ried Pfaffenberg Steiner Riesling. Usually, I avoid riesling, because I'm not a fan of sweeter wines, but this was drier, and PERFECT with the piglet cheeks. SIXTH!!: Tree Spinach with Baby White Radish and Bone Marrow. (Tree spinach/Magenta Spreen have large leaves with pink shade to the tips. The flavor is reminiscent of chard and spinach, with a slight asparagus note when cooked.) The wine was a Zagersdorf Sankt Laurent. At this point, we are happy and totally wine-marinated ourselves. But, there's MORE! Seventh: Roast and Braised Guineafowl with Mustard, Beans and Summer Truffle. The guinea fowl was so juicy and delectable, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. And, well, SUMMER TRUFFLE. Come ON. This is the BEST. LUNCH. EVER. (I stopped taking notes of wines at this point, SORRY) Eighth: Barbecued Cap of Alpine Forerib with Beans, Truffle Potatoes and French Sorrel. Aaaaaaaand THEN: dessert. I am obsessed with cheese (heck, all dairy) in Europe. It's just creamier, awesomer and better. There, I said it. Remember the champagne cart & bread cart from three hours ago? Well, their CHEESE CART is like NOTHING I've EVER seen. I swear, angels were singing when they unveiled it's glory to us. Hard cheeses on top, softer cheeses under a rolling cover, and STINKY cheeses in multiple drawers. I. Die. It won't let me write any more. Look for my pics! GO!! read more

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One word: amazing. Over the top opulence served by a team that makes you very comfortable with a wonderful combination of familiar and adventurous flavors. read more

Dining here is an experience. My opinion that Austrian food is not inherently delicious, but comfort food. Steirereck opened my eyes to a different spin on the Austrian food I was used to. We started the set lunch with fresh butter; so fresh you can see the muslin cloth marks on the knob of butter. A bread cart was rolled around and boy was I spoiled for choice! I particularly enjoyed the blood pudding bread. Earthy, hearty, and heavy. Yum. Food here is simple yet sophisticated, but I was blown away by the sheer amount of food. For a big eater like me, where I usually scarf down more food than most people twice my size, I was quite defeated here. I do love the choices, for bread and cheese. I gave up eating my poppy seed nudle dessert. They do put some effort here, given it was the Christmas season, and vanillekipfler is a Christmas delicacy, they specially had a cart full of powdered sugar and a waiter coming around to "dig" up vanillekipfler for you. Very delicious. This is an experience I won't forget, but I will be sure to not eat for at least half a day before coming here. read more

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We came here for my husbands birthday meal and had a fascinating meal. We came with our young daughter and they were super helpful bringing out a chair and her own little setting. They brought paper and pen out for her to draw and always had a smile for her. We received little cards for each course that came out to describe what we were receiving and how it was cooked as well as a little bit of history behind each dish. Each course was so different and surprising. Some of the dishes were a bit on the salty side but overall were still delicious and portions were much larger than expected so we ended up cutting out the cheese course. The location of the restaurant is beautiful in the park with a light and airy atmosphere. As we walked up to the restaurant, we saw a chefs hat bobbing around on the rooftop garden!!! read more

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I don't know how they landed the real estate, but Steirereck is a gorgeous building in the middle of Stadpark. Our table had the adjacent table for the wine and and the little bench for my purse - so few restaurants do it these days, so that was a nice touch. The champagne / aperitif car came by, and I started with a 2013 Austrian sparkling wine, which we found in the end was actually very reasonably priced (no prices listed). The sommelier helped us navigate the wine list, as we wanted an Austrian red. In retrospect, we probably should have just done the wine pairings since the wine was a bit heavy for many of the earlier dishes, but I still loved the wine (2012 Weingut Pockl Admiral). Amuses: I loved that there were so many! 1. Cheese dumpling filled with cottage cheese, with apple and cabbage on top 2. Pork dumpling with potato 3. Mushrooms with crunchy potato and radish 4. Smoked fish foam with dill oil 5. Reinanke: with home made sour cream and caviar in artichoke chip 6. Asian marinated pork belly with potato and root vegetables Next came the super impressive bread cart with over 20 types of freshly baked bread. I tried an olive, olive + tomato, double baked sourdough, and a cheese bread - the sourdough was my favorite. Onto the menu: we both got the tasting and ordered different dishes for each course so that we got to try everything. With each course comes a little explanation card with the ingredients and information on the dish, which I loved. You get to keep them in the end. 1a. Reinanke: wild fish with young coconut (super tender), sorrel, and fennel pollen. They were generous on the fennel pollen, which I loved 1b. Superschmelz: a special type of kohlrabi marinated in citrus, with kohlrabi juice, with ice crystal salad, pineapple tomato paste 2a. Green asparagus with medlar(loquat) and fried chickpea bits and hop shoots 2b. Carp millet: I hate shirako in sushi, but this one was very different. It also came with green asparagus and then coral tooth fungus 3a. Arctic char: slow cooked in brown butter with blood orange, crispy quinoa, bok choy, cabbage braised in sauerkraut juice 3b. Pike: the star was the courgette flower for me (stuffed / fried squash blossom). The grilled courgette sauce on top was great. There was caper leaf wrapping the steamed fish, which I had never tried before this 4a. Forest perennial rye: with chard, shimeji mushrooms, Japanese woodruff, elderflower - it was an all vegetarian dish but was great in flavors and textures 4b. Pig trotter: with chervil, caraway, and woodruff 5a. Kid goat: presented as a whole piece first, then brought back to be cut. It was very tender and was not gamey like regular goat. The beets and monarda (wild flower) were unexpected accompaniments fhat worked well with it 5b. Sturgeon: this was a substitute from the a la carte menu since I didn't want the venison that was the other protein on the menu. It came with a good amount of Viennese caviar, as well as Cornell cherries, artichoke, and red chicory 6. We both skipped the nasturtium in favor of the cheese cart. The cheese cart was even more impressive than the bread cart. You get to choose 4. I told them what I liked and was happy with what I was served, with my favorite being the affidelice. 7a. Pear: thinly sliced with sugar snap peas (interesting combination!), geranium, and Trappist beer 7b. Cox orange apple with apple chamomile jelly, canihua (a relative of quinoa), heymilk ice cream, and salted apricot Petit fours: Rhubarb themed - Rhubarb soup - Cake of rhubarb - Rhubarb Crisp - Rhubarb Jelly - Waffle with milk and cream inside The overall experience was impeccable, and all of the food had so many intricate and thoughtful details to it. We got to try so many very unique and interesting ingredients, and the detailed information cards helped us to better appreciate the dishes. I'm not sure why other restaurants don't do this, but it really highlights how carefully each ingredient was chosen for the dish. Steirereck sets the bar very high and is a good reason to go to Vienna. read more

A wonderful restaurant with equally wonderful food. The bread cart is more like a bread wagon, over twenty different breads to sample. You can either choose the six or seven course meal with wine pairings, or you can opt to order ala carte, either way you can't go wrong. Located in the middle of the park the surroundings are great. read more

Steirereck - Austrian Near Me - Vienna, 9

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It's the best work of art with locally produced ingredient. If you want to taste the best flavour of what Austrian ingredient can offer, try it here! read more

Occasionally a restaurant rises above the fray and transcends itself from being simply a "meal", to becoming an "experience". So it is at Steireck. Steireck is located in Stadtpark, in a very modernistic building. The restaurant was given the accolade "one of the 50 best restaurants in the world" in 2015, as well as being a designated two-star Michelin restaurant. Enormous glass doors, unusually textured ceilings set the restaurant apart from more plebeian settings. When seated, you are given a small table to set your purse upon (or DSLR camera, in my case). Even the silverware has an accessory, a small rectangular block to place your fork and knife on so the tablecloth is not stained. The meals can be ordered ala carte, in a prix-fixe six course meal, or a prix-fixe seven course meal. The six course meal will set you back a tidy 142 eu, the seven course 152 eu, and if you select the paired wines with each course that adds 79/89. If you're concerned about value, well, you're at the wrong place. Each course is accompanied by its own "business card" that describes the origins of the ingredients, how the course was prepared, etc. Every attempt has been made to locally source ingredients of the highest quality and prepare them in the best possible way. There were three instances in which Steireck sets themselves far and above any other restaurant that I have ever attended. And granted, I am far from this restaurant's target market, so take this with a grain of salt. The bread cart contained over thirty types of bread. The "bread cart guy" described in depth each of the types of bread available, how they were prepared, and their tastes. It was like a mini-bread dissertation. High-brow as I am (cough, cough), I selected the bacon bread, which was awesome. The second occasion concerned the cheese cart, which contained 160+ types of cheese. I don't even know enough about cheese to be able to intelligently repeat any of the information that "the cheese cart guy" imparted to us, but as I recall, one of the blue cheeses had been aged underground for over six months. On the third occasion, a gentleman wheeled up a large cart that resembled an industrial-size copier. The copier made a curious buzzing noise. This was the honey cart, and the buzzing was a live bee colony encased within the cart! They served us our honey dessert several different ways, and in one of them, they scraped off the honey directly from the live bee colony honeycombs right at our table. It was a mind-blowing experience that surprised all of us. I haven't even described the food in any detail, I'm not enough of a foodie to be able to render any type of intelligent comment that their chef wouldn't laugh at. All five of us were truly wowed by the experience. Naturally, it set us back a bit, at $910.47 including tip (dollars, not euro) for the dinner (for three of us). Keep in mind, you need reservations in advance, typically several weeks to experience this type of service. You may or may not think that a single meal and the experience is worthwhile for that kind of change, but you will remember the experience and it will expand your expectations for what is truly a high-end meal. And I'm not a 1%'er, so I won't be coming back anytime soon, but it was quite an experience and it expanded my horizons! read more

The restaurant is considered to be in 10 best restaurants of the world, but I don't think is very accurate. We made a reservation for our very special event when in Vienna, explicitly saying that it's our 30-th anniversary. When we arrived noone acknowledged our big day. They didn't make us feel special, we felt like we are at the business meeting and restaurant is our counter part. Everyone was super professional but very COLD, no smile, no face expression. I could think it's cultural but still- we have something big to celebrate, come on! We reviewed the menu before and decided that we would go for something special, something that should have a very distinctive taste and very unique ingredients. We decided on a la carte menu and not the tasting one. I guess the server was disappointed in our choice.... It was firs but not last. My husband is not into wine, like James Bond he prefers cocktails. So he asked for their signature cocktail but they said that they don't have one and cocktails is not their specialty. They said they can try to make one of the basic ones- my husband ordered Manhattan- he got one without cherry ( the important part!), I ordered a glass of Rose and was told that they usually operate by bottle not by the glass. I ask them to check my options in rose and white wine which could be purchased by the glass. After a while the server came with a bottle of rose and poured it in my glass without even showing it to me. I'm not use to it- usually if I pay for my wine, I'd like to chose it. The dishes were one big disappointment too. We ordered sturgeon and saddle of lamb. Both this dishes were supposed to be full of flavor. The sturgeon could be any other fish since it was lacking any sturgeon specific taste. The saddle of lamb was tough and tasteless even my husband who is a real carnivore said that he liked broccoli ( accompanied the dish) better than the lamb. It's very unfortunate that the chef was using such expensive and unique ingredients like sturgeon, saddle of lamb, porcini mushrooms, buckthorn and their taste was hidden beyond the recognition. I need to be fair and say that presentation was very impressive and free appetizers were very nice touch. The bread was probably the best part- it was super fresh and delicious. read more

Please skip this restaurant if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. I dined at Steirereck tonight with my husband. The setting in the park is lovely! We had made a reservation months back and in doing so, I indicated that I am pescetarian (fish only, no meat) and allergic to mushrooms. Upon ordering, I also told the waiter this and he suggested we replace the main course on the tasting menu to accommodate. Off to a great start! We were given a variety of amuse bouche and when those were presented together, the server noted some that were adjusted for me. Wine was poured and drank, the bread cart visited to our delight. Right around the time our dinner courses began, a couple was seated next to us who the waiter seemed very excited about. After that things fell off for us, unfortunately and significantly. One of my courses arrived with foie gras. I did not eat the dish once I noticed this, but said nothing and watched more closely. The main dish card arrived with its description containing bone marrow and mushrooms. To the person who dropped off the card, I asked him to verify my dish would be adjusted not to contain those. He nodded. Main course came with mushrooms and bone marrow inside. I took one bite and discovered this. I pushed my plate away but the waiter was too busy to notice. When he came to clear, I pointed out the plate's ingredients and he apologized. I said no worries, we will just move onto the grand cheese course about which I was very excited. A long while later, the cheese cart finally arrived -- at the table next to ours which had arrived much after we, and which was so fawned over. They were served and the cart rolled away, much to our chagrin. The hostess came over and said, sorry the cheese trolley has too many customers tonight. Would we like to skip to dessert and maybe it can come 15 minutes after that? No. We would not like to be ignored any longer thank you. We paid, receiving a €12 "discount" on our six course dinner for only receiving four (and me only three I could eat). And we left. In hindsight we were lucky my allergies are not life-threatening and that our table was brightly lit so I could dissect each course before eating something that I cannot. read more

Food was great. Service was just ok (need to really step it up for Michelin Star restaurant). The air conditioning was non existent with 90F temperature outside. We asked if they could turn the air on or adjust it as it was warm and stifling in the restaurant. They were very nice and said they adjusted it, but there was never any air conditioning. By the time we finished our meal and went outside to the 77F temperature, it actually felt better than inside the restaurant as there was at least a slight breeze outside. Brought a ticket with one price then a different price after they ran our credit card. We did change out a wine on the pairing we did not care for. Not a big deal they charged us for those glasses, but for a Michelin Star restaurant, they should have that taken care of before bringing the bill the first time around. They also never came and cleaned crumbs from the table and did not clear wine glasses (I did not drink all of my wine for each pairing, but I had to ask them to clear 4 glasses from the table at one point). Again, food was great, wine paring was good (just one wine we didn't prefer and they changed to one we did like), service is mediocre (think they're living off reputation and their "stars"). Just don't go in the summer or when the temperature is more than 65F outside. read more

HOLY smokes! This is officially the best meal I ever had. I go to a lot of michelin starred restaurants and this one blew me away. I was able to snag lunch reservations fro Valentine's day and everything was fantastic from start to finish. Let me start off by tell you that their bread cart is beyond amazing. It probably has over 15 freshly baked varieties. I tried a few including the twice baked sourdough, blood sausage, spicy chicory, poppyseed grain and more sourdough. Then came the amuse bouches, there was about 5 of them total and each was supposed to represent a different region of Austria. I loved how each course came with placecards to denote the ingredients and fun facts! I think every restaurant should have this, especially if you're hard of hearing like I am! I also love that you get to pick each of your courses, often times in these establishments, I wouldn't like a few courses because it's not my preference. For instance, I'm a total meat eater so I always opt for the gamier versions rather than seafood and I love that they do that! They were also really accommodating when I wanted two courses from the first course! I ended up ordering the char poached in beeswax, the boar's head carpaccio, the quail with truffles and the poppyseed noodle dessert. I also opted for a nice light beer, not sure of the name but the sommelier had great recommendations! Let me tell you that everything was amazing, but most of all the presentation was beautiful and vibrant. They definitely did not skimp out on any ingredients like the truffle (there were huge shavings!). After the meal came the petit fours that included dried and candied fruit a few pieces of white chocolate and some small light pastries filled with jam. After that, they came by with tableside end of meal cocktail! You can choose from a frozen gin fizz with freshly grated meyer lemon or an elderflower frozen tea. Both sounded fantastic, but I opted for the gin fizz. Definitely a nice light palate cleanser. The only cons I have of this place is that they charge a cover. It's around $10 that I wasn't aware of and had to google what that was. Not to mention my sparkling water (for 1 person) was close to $13! That's a bit much, but I guess you can charge whatever you want when you have food this good! read more

One of the finest restaurants in Vienna if not all of Europe. Superb doesn't really do it justice from the food to the service to the atmosphere. Arguably deserving of 3 stars from the Michelin Guide. read more

I honestly don't think that I've ever had a more amazing experience. This is Michelin restaurant was well worth the wait! I enjoyed it every step of the way. The ingredients were amazing and well presented. I went last fall and the I had the gulash! It was amazing. Top to bottom an amazing experience. read more

Steirereck - Love'd the explanation provided - Austrian Near Me - Vienna, 9

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Delicious food with well-chosen wines. You can eat 4 or 5-course meal and choose one from two dishes per course. Every course is complimented by wine. Unfortunately the staff could be more helpful. I was sitting as the only client with my wife outside when the rain started pouring and the weather turned really cold. There were empty tables inside but no one proposed to switch. Moreover the delay between courses is very long, I spend there 3 hours! read more

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So I'm on a trip to Amsterdam & Vienna for the holidays. The 2 places I was looking forward to were Vinkeles in AMS and Steireck. I can't believe how disappointed I am. Arrived at 6:55 for my 7pm reservation and was seated right away. After looooog periods between my aperitif, getting the menu and ordering, literally an hour later I got my amuse bouche (I did check the time). Once the food started the timing was fine. But once the food stopped, finding a person to get my bill (4 hours later) was a challenge. Then finding a hostess to get my coat as one walked right past me to go chat w the others over to the side... Then there were the charges in the bill - cover charge, tap water and the upcharge for an item not on the tasting menu. The upcharge would have been fine if the older gentleman taking my order had *mentioned* it. Food - good but not amazing; portions were large for the tasting menu Service - a couple of people were good who brought out the food but honestly the people (bread, wine, "Christmas cookie" folks) were in the rinse & repeat mode. So 4* for food and 1* for service A few other notes, I didn't take long looking at the menu. I'd already viewed it online & knew what I wanted. 2 tables that came in after me had their order & such taken before me. 2 tables that came in 1.5 hours after me were almost finishing up when I did. So come late apparently Really, really disappointed. read more

This restaurant is a tourist trap, and it's embarrassing to admit that we got trapped. Perhaps there was a time when this restaurant was a true Michelin fine dining experience, and that has become a memory only after receiving much attention from their undeserving rise to #14 on the top #50 restaurants in the world. We have had several Michelin starred dining experiences across Europe and North America, and we found Restaurant Steirereck to be an abomination. In hindsight, we should have left upon our arrival, after discovering we were seated between a 12-top table with four yelling, running children and a family taking constant flash photos of everything in the restaurant. Even the thought of unruly children or flash photography in a fine dining restaurant is preposterous. We each chose the 6 course tasting menu for 149 Euro per person, and a bottle of our favorite cava for 96 Euro. The amuse-bouches were fine - of the six, three were excellent. The wait staff was friendly and attentive, at least for the first half of the meal, and the wine was excellent. However, the wait staff needed to guide their misbehaving guests towards better manners. Our first course was the reinenke and I think it was good, but I mostly remember yelling children running around and a tourist coming to our table to photograph the bread cart as we were choosing our breads. We expressed annoyance to two members of our staff about the out-of-control children and they just laughed it off. The next two courses were not memorable, save for the tomatoes and clams which was surprisingly wonderful and complex. Most of the dishes were lacking complexity and balance in their flavor profile. The "main" course is where it got awful. We had both the kidney and the venison and they were both DISGUSTING. My partner was barely able to swallow his bite of the kidney and the venison was nearly raw. We are adventurous eaters and typically enjoy organ meats, and I prefer my steaks on the rare side of medium-rare. These dishes, however, were inedible. In a normal fine dining restaurant, this would have been corrected. The venison would have been returned to the grill, and the kidney replaced by something less horrific. Not at Restaurant Steirereck, because they do not care if their guests are happy, because their guests are all tourists who won't return anyway. It's appalling that a 5 star restaurant would take away two main courses absent two bites, and make absolutely no effort to ensure the guest is satisfied. When the bill came, one of our bottles of wine was missing, and as we wondered if they comped it without comment to apologize for the children and inedible courses, they returned with an updated bill including our second bottle of wine and other charges they'd left off earlier. As this was a "five star" restaurant and it was closing time on a Wednesday, we wished not to make a scene and request to talk to the manager, but in hindsight, we got ripped off by the con artist that is Restaurant Steirereck. We are fortunate to be in a position where overpaying for a subpar meal will not make or break our financial state, but I do feel for the visitors who expected a one-in-a-lifetime lavish five star dining treat. This "14th best restaurant in the world" is a tourist trap for tourists with expendable income and nothing more. Thanks for making our last meal in Vienna memorable for being so disgusting and overpriced. read more

Rated Austria's best restaurant, it's a rating well-deserved. The setting in the park is fabulous; the room is luxurious; and the service is formal and impeccable. We were clearly ignored at times, treated as tourists instead of diners, but that didn't change the fact it was a great meal in a great setting. Every possible part of the meal was perfectly thought out and presented. Our meal: Foie gras with orange, apple, and marjoram; duck leg with calpis, fruits and nuts; pike poached in coconut milk with ceps mushrooms and water chestnuts; catfish with chicory and potato dumplings; pan fried pear with red currant jelly, cinnamon stick and pine needle creme and mulled wine. This was followed with the greatest cheese cart I've ever seen (see my photos - it was my profile picture for the last two years). Complimented, of courses, with some great Austrian wines. It was a tasting adventure with great flavors, great combinations, and excellent preparation. One of our greatest meals ever. read more

As you might imagine, dining at Stereick is a theatrical, world class experience deserving of its Michelin stars. They forage and source local Austrian ingredients but the way they prorate their dishes is influenced by global cuisines. I made a lunch reservation a few weeks in advance via their website since bf and I were going to be in Vienna on a Euro trip. They offer a 4 course lunch pre fixe which was 78 Euros a person and a little more if you want to do the 5 course which includes cheese. The four course is dessert or cheese. You choose your course based on the way they laid out the menu (there's a section for mains, starters etc) The service, as you might imagine, is impeccable and each server obsesses in details on what goes into your dish. We had no issues communicating because we did not speak German - though I think this place is actually full with mostly natives. There are so many servers and I bet even more in the kitchen. You also get little cards that talks about each dish as you eat. There is also a cart for drinks and bread (which goes around often- so feel free to try it as much as you want, they have many varieties). I started with a glass of the Austrian white mustalker (sp?) - very clean and crisp. We also had two refreshing bottles of still water that was kept extra cold. The food is fun to eat, interesting and good for those into gastronomy. Also regarding the decor; extremely modern, futuristic but with plenty of nature touches with a live herb garden, and tons of organic products for sale. You can also see a lot of the action due to the big windows and yes the bathrooms are unique and super clean. The silver they use is even futuristic, with a super modern decor and while seem hard to handle is actually fitting for their dish ware and food. Firstly the bread cart- they have about 8-10 varieties and 3 butters. While I can't remember all the ones we samples (rye, honey wheat, Olive, sourdough, Etc) the one that we enjoyed the most was the famous bacon bread which had cubes of bacon inside pillowy, yeasty, bread. The butters are also amazing- one plain Austrian butter which was pure and amazing, one infused with corn and yellow pepper so a bit sweet, and one with popcorn inside. There were a lot of free amuse bouches which I sadly cannot remember it all. The first, a palate cleaner was a cucumber in euclapytpus tea. One was a phenomenal fig with quinoa, a delicious radish salad and something else which I forget. I started with the char which cooks for 7 minutes in beeswax. Very interesting! It had a clean flavor and came with beeswax honey- infused sour cream and caviar. Bf started off with the boar's head prorated in beef sauce which was salty and smoky. Wonderful. Next, I had the smokey Aubergine with fried chickpea doughnuts and a bunch if other goodies I can't recall entirely (please refer to menu). Aubergine is a type of small eggplant and they showcased they knew how to do their vegetables brilliantly. Bf had the heavier Viennese bread dumpling (like a ball of stuffing) which soaked up a stew of tender but not gamey veal lungs, heart and consume. As for our main, I had the duck which was recommended over the pigeon ( I was feeling in the mood for bird), given the meatiness of Austrian cuisine. It was cooked medium rare- perfect, with crunchy toppings and Asian inspired veggies like the mung beans and scallions. Bf had the best end of lamb (lamb neck) for his main which was stewed into perfect tenderness. With all these dishes came amazing sauces and details which I won't ever be able to describe - you just have to go! The duck is a 6 euro supplement. As for dessert, bf went with cheese - 4 types which they helped curate: a soft stinky Camembert, a Swiss, a blue and one other which escapes me. They have a dozen or so cheese and super stinky ones were in the enclosed drawer in the cart (not my thing). They gave a bunch of grapes and more bread for the cheese. I got the Isabella soufflé which was basically a light, airy sorbet type thing which was different than the kind of soufflés we get with a sauce in the middle. Came with a tart grape sorbet as well. Overall, I would suggest this for folks that really Like grape. I appreciated the craftsmanship of the dessert but probably would have enjoyed a different dessert. For our petit fours, we had an elegant fruit roll up candy which came on a live free branch. We also got other cherry candies and cold dumpling/frozen sorbet balls (my favorite). We also had a marzipan - plum compote cobbler type of cake which came on a beautiful headed stone marble. It is possible that you might never see these dishes if you dine at Steireck because the menu is seasonal and changes, I believe. An unforgettable experience that might be my favorite ever - make a reservation and you won't regret your 2-3 hour meal here! read more

I came here last week with my sister while we were visiting Vienna. 5 star service. Polite, nice, professional and attentive staff. I made the reservation overseas and the email correspondence was easy and efficient. Everyone spoke perfect English. Wonderful food. Tasty, unique, not heavy or salty... Just delicious. Ingredients are fresh, interesting and creative the way each dishes theme plays out. They provide little cards for each course describing what the dish is and the ingredients. Very nice touch. Note: the restaurant is IN the park. We had trouble finding it! We are light travelers and didn't bring fancy clothes for our trip. Most men were in suits and ladies in cocktail attire... a travel dress and comfort shoes were fine, but probably not recommended. FYI. Comes with a price. Be prepared to spend Eur 170 pp. (w/o the wine paring). read more