Landhaus Bacher, Mautern Austria

Landhaus Bacher is an Austrian Gourmet Restaurant about an hours drive away from Vienna. It is located in one of the most famous Austrian wine regions, the Wachau in Lower Austria. This is a good location for a day's trip or more. There are various other nice small traditional restaurants in the area. When going there for lunch, one can choose the lunch menu, which costs 45 Euro per person.

Seafood amuse bouche

We ordered the menu with a glass of champagne as an aperitif. There was a variety of amuse bouches to start with. 

Filled cheese balls

Butter and cream as well as lentils in mouse

Carrots with curcuma and basil

I am a great fan of the little things which really tickle your taste buds. The variety of amuse bouche and home made bread was very generous. 

Beef bouillon with 3 different types of dumplings

As a starter we had the beef bouillon with semolina dumplings, a sort of liver dumpling and bacon dumpling. The combination was interesting and the portion was not to big, which was convenient.

Fish with vegetables

There was also a cold fish dish with vegetables as a starter.

Beef cut with potato balls and vegetables

I had the beef cut with potato balls and vegetable in a sauce they poured over when serving. The beef was good, the combination interesting but not extraordinary. I had a glass of an Austrian cuvée from the region with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Blaufränkisch. The wine (by the glass) was ok but highly priced for one glass.

Trout with Krautfleckerl

We also had the trout with "Krautfleckerl". Krautfleckerl is cabbage with onions in small Austrian pasta. Everything was delicious as expected.

Pancakes with apricot jam and ice cream

When in the Wachau region, one has to try something with apricots. During the season, they sometimes have apricot dumplings which are a signature dish but I guess the season was not now. We had pancakes with the menu. The jam was fresh and the pancakes were good. I do not consider pancakes a special dish when in a gourmet restaurant but they were very good of course. 

Sweet variations from the house

After the desert, with coffee or without we were also offered some sweets variations. They offered some home made Cointreau chocolates, a peach soup, a caramelised plum as well as some delicate small chocolate breads/crackers.

The small surprises in between were a highlight of this restaurant. Overall it is a very nice place with good service. The wine menu is expensive, you could say overpriced. The restaurant is on the higher price range, especially for this area, I do have to reiterate that. If you consider that the evening menu is about 100 Euros per person without drinks, this is quite a lot. Value for money is not at the top notch of my personal ranking. Overall, we had a very nice experience and were satiate after this quite generous lunch menu. I would definitely recommend this restaurant but would like to warn everyone about the high prices especially when thinking about having aperitif, wine and digestif which we did not have as we one would usually because we were there for lunch and were driving back to Vienna that day.

Mole West, Neusiedl am See, Austria

Mole West is a restaurant which is very popular during summer. It is about a 40 minute drive away from Vienna located in Neusiedl which is also not far from the airport.

Sunset at Mole West

When tying to reserve a table there, one has to reserve at least a week in advance in order to get a table on the weekend. You can always arrive and just wait to get a table. The waiters at the restaurant are mostly Hungarians or Slovakians and do not speak proper German and most probably English. We did get a table outside. The scenery is picturesque and it is also a nice place to just sit by the lake and have a drink at.

Smoked duck breast with beetroot and truffles

As a starter we had the smoked duck breast with beetroot and truffles. This was delicious and a very interesting combination of tastes.

Mole West Fish sticks

We also ordered the fish sticks, which are a signature dish of this restaurant. They contain salmon, scallop, tuna fish with a sesame crust and a giant prawn in potato stripes.

Lobster tortelloni with egg plant puree and trout caviar

We ordered different dishes as main courses. We ordered the lobster tortellini. This dish was presented very well and was sensational in taste. The tortelloni themselves were quite modest in size.

Wild meat with potato croquettes, vegetable and dates rolled in bacon

I ordered the wild meat with potato croquettes, vegetables and dates rolled in bacon. This was absolutely delicious. The meat was tender in its sauce and the combination with the truffles and vegetables was a revelation.

Cooked lamb with rosemary carrots and home made tagliatelle

We also had the cooked lamb with rosemary carrots and home made tagliatelle. This was also an excellent dish. The wine we chose to accompany these meat dishes was a very good Austrian cuvée, the Bela Rex from Gesellmann.

Bela Rex is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This wine reminds you of a Bourdeaux wine rather than Burgenland.

Cottage cheese nougat Knödel with raspberry sauce 

We had a typically Austrian desert, the cottage cheese nougat Knödel with raspberry sauce. They were simply delicious and a perfect conclusion of a great meal.

Crème caramel with pistachio ice cream

We also had crème caramel with pistachio ice cream and Powidltascheln. Powidl Taschen is a plum filled desert similar to the Knödel. It was so delicious that we did not manage to take a picture fast enough.

Overall, this restaurant's quality is very good. The scenery is very nice. It is a great hangout on a nice summer day or summer evening with a great sunset. The service is not very good. We asked for a table inside, which was not possible at the time we came and was also not given to us after tables were free. They did give us blankets outside though. This is a place everyone wants to visit anyways, which is why the staff does not try very hard. The food, the location and presentation is very nice. The service staff seems to be seasonal and could be majorly improved. The prices are on the higher side for an Austrian restaurant. For us it was a nice experience with our friends who came to visit Vienna.

Figls, Vienna

Figls is a well known traditional Austrian restaurant in the 19th district in Vienna. The restaurant is frequented by locals who live in the area. This restaurant is a place which you can go to for a business lunch menu or for dinner or just for a beer or a glass of wine with some food. Figls is owned by the same owner who also owns Figlmüller in the 1st district in Vienna. In case you don't know that place, it is a famous schnitzel place. They probably have the biggest and thinnest schnitzel in Vienna but you will have to wait in line for about half an hour to get in. I really recommend this restaurant in the 19th district as an alternative. There is more variety and it is not touristy. You can check out the website for the menu: www.figls.at

Menu

As a starter we had cold beef with salad which is a signature dish of this restaurant.

Cold beef with salad, Brattlcarpaccio

Garden

We sat outside in the garden. During summer this is quite nice. You can also sit inside. There is also a smoking section within the restaurant.

Steak with egg and backed potatoes on the side

Beefsteak with vegetables

The restaurant is a nice family restaurant where you can sit for a while. There is no rush. We also had some Zweigelt house selection which went well with the meat dishes we had. I do recommend to try the house beer as well which is home brewed. There is also a good selection of Austrian deserts.

Chocolate cake, Schokokuchen

We had a nice chocolate cake for desert which was warm and fresh with chocolate cream gushing out as you make the first cut. This was absolutely delicious and a great ending. Overall Figls is a down to earth traditional Austrian restaurant with good food and constant quality. They change their menu according to season on a regular basis. The portions are very generous. Value for money in Vienna is definitely on a top level. This is a nice place in Vienna which I definitely recommend. I have been their with many guests who visited Vienna and we always had a nice experience.

Ramien, Vienna, Austria

Kitchen in the middle of the restaurant

If you like Asian noodles, you will see them make them and cut them right in front of you in the middle of the restaurant.

Chicken Curry with noodles

This is a restaurant which I recommend for diversity as I have stated when I started writing this blog. This is a typical place for a business lunch for everyone who works in the vicinity and also not bad for tourists looking for a quick Asian lunch in the greater centre of Vienna. The place is always packed. You can have noodle soups or curries or just noodles with spicy chicken or something of the sort.

Chicken curry with noodles

The chicken curry dish comes with noodles. The portions are quite generous. It is a little spicy which is good if you like it. Overall this is a good restaurant for lunch for a good quick bite in between things.