Restaurant Steirereck im Stadtpark was originally opened in Vienna by Heinz Reitbauer’s parents in 1970. The name of the restaurant is based upon the first location of the restaurant. Today, the restaurant is housed in the centrally located Stadtpark in Vienna – the perfect setting for a restaurant of this calibre. It was totally renovated a few years ago and the architecture can easily be seen as one of the most remarkable in the world. The futuristic front side of the restaurant is made entirely out of metal and glass and consists of three wings. The tight lines and modern lighting give the building an ‘out of this world’ feeling. Once inside, guests are welcomed by a beautiful floor to ceiling wine cabinet, an open kitchen, and different dining compartments. The interior breathes luxury, with very spacious tables and a modern architecture, but manages to be inviting and ambient without never being too much.

Chef Patron Heinz Reitbauer from restaurant Steirereck im Stadtpark is one of those chefs who pushes the boundaries of gastronomy, reinvents and creates a cuisine which moves the senses. Heinz Reitbauer has his own culinary identity and philosophy, which he has developed for many years. A personal style which is based on traditional cooking, but evolved into a unique, modern cooking style which you can not find anywhere else. The chef moves perfectly between hi-tech and traditional techniques without any compromises and his progressive and intelligent vision of gastronomy has taken him to the absolute top of the gastronomic world.

The first and most important aspect of his cuisine are the ingredients. A lot of the produce is coming from Reitbauer’s own farm, and most of what is served comes from Austria. A special mention goes out to the many vegetables in his dishes. To give extra explanation about the ingredients, all of the dishes are presented on small cards placed on your table. The cards are informative and a nice way to introduce everyone to Steirereck’s wonderful culinary universe.

A second important aspect are the preparations themselves, often tableside experiences. This creates an extra dimension and gives diners interesting insights into the cooking methods. Experience is also important when it comes to the bread, cheeses or digestives. All of them are presented on beautiful trolleys and the variety is simply stunning. The bread and cheese offerings in particular must be some of the biggest in the world.

There are so many amazing recipes created by Heinz Reitbauer and all of them include a remarkable mix of ingredients. A good example is the char, cooked tableside in beeswax, and combined with yellow carrot, “pollen”, char caviar, basil cress and sour cream. One of the main courses is calf’s brain with salsify, tomato-peppers, and Medlar Kernel. The brain is gently cooked and covered with crispy buckwheat and salsify – a unique taste experience! As a cheese dessert, Heinze serves fresh cheese with rhubarb and sweet clover. The fresh cheese is cut at the table and served on a traditional tin.

Service at Steirereck is outstanding and led by lady of the house Ms. Birgit Reitbauer. She does an excellent job, combining a welcoming warmth and world-class professionalism. The same can be said of sommelier René Antrag, who manages a beautiful wine cellar with traditional and contemporary wines. His pairing wine menus are highly recommended as well.

At the backside of the restaurant, facing the river, Heinz Reitbauer also opened a second restaurant Meierei in Stadtpark. Here, guests can enjoy the traditional Austrian cooking, like the famous Wiener Schnitzel from mild-fed veal (one of the best in the city), Kaiserschmarr, or Goulash.

Heinz Reitbauer is one of the best ambassadors of Austrian cooking, as you can have the best of both traditional and new Austrian cuisine. His strong national identity and dedicated use of the foremost ingredients, combined with tableside experiences, amazing creativity, and a warmhearted flawless service, make Steirereck a must and one of the best restaurants of the world.

Written by Andy, Frank, Sven and Sebastiaan