Labstelle

While staying at Ritz Carlton Vienna I decided to eat at Labstelle. Labstelle is a Bib Gourmand restaurant. Bib Gourmand is referred to by Michelin as good food for a reasonable price. Labstelle is one of the restaurants in Vienna to receive this designation. There are not many restaurants in Vienna with this designation.

The interior is stylish, come back to this later. It is also possible to eat outside. It was the end of September and the weather was still very nice, so decided to dine outside.

As a starter I took duck liver crème brûlée with rhubarb and brioche. The duck liver was a kind of mousse topped with the caramelized layer of sugar (crème brûlée). The duck liver was very creamy and had a good taste. The sour rhubarb was a huge contrast, but it worked better than I expected. The homemade brioche was very crunchy and nice and greasy. A very successful starter. I drank a Riesling with the duck liver, very good match.

As a main course I had hite fish with mashed potatoes and dried cod, wild broccoli and a foam of cava. When I heard about the ingredients, I had no idea what to expect. The plating was very successful, the fish lay on mashed potatoes with dried pieces of fish. This made the puree quite salty. On top of that was broccoli that had been cooked short. The fish was fried very crispy, compliments to the chef. A very successful dish.

There are many wines to order by the glass, on the wine list there are more than 20 wines by the glass and it is noted that if you do not find the wine of your choice, the sommelier may still be able to recommend wines by the glass. You don’t often experience this in a restaurant that is not a wine bar.

Interior

The interior is modern. Many tables are set up in the room. Very sleek, modern black lamps hang above the tables. White vaults with wood attached to the posts, very tasteful. Upon entering you walk past a bar with many bottles of wine and spirits. At the end of the restaurant is an olive green wall. What a great picture this is.

Outside the tables are actually on the street. Sometimes people walk by, but usually only the waiters walk between the tables. The tables are set up on both sides of the street, here and there there is also a table in the middle of the path. It is not wide, but it does not feel oppressive. There are mood lights on the tables. The seats are made of iron, but they are quite comfortable. Umbrellas brighten up the whole. If you look up you see plants hanging from iron beams.