Need a break from schnitzel and wurst, but want to still eat authentic Austrian food? Then these dumplings at Zur Herknerin are a must. The Spinach Cheese dumpling was one of the most memorable things we ate while in Vienna. These are large, the size of a baseball. Using the perfect bread with the perfect texture, soaking up all the Parmesan spinach butter flavors, just wow. We tried this at other restaurants, but never came close to how good they were here.
The mushroom dumpling was also outstanding mixed with finely chopped mushrooms and soaking up a wonderful cream based sauce. It was similar to the mushroom soup we ordered, but that didn't stop us from enjoying both. The other soup we ordered was a simple beef broth with a dumpling that kind of reminded me of a matzo ball, but lighter in texture. For sure it was a different consistency than the spinach and mushroom dumplings which could sink a battleship with their layers of thickness.
We also enjoyed a stuffed cabbage in a light tomato broth, which was very tasty and added some meat to our carb based gluttony. A few desserts and a cookbook later and we were out the door. Very friendly service, they were happy we bought a cookbook to attempt to make some dumplings at home. This is a local place, and not very large, so make sure you make reservations through their website. You might need to bring your translation app for the handwritten menu. Although they are happy to explain the menu in English for you. But do come here, highly recommended. (cash only) read more