Restaurants
Labstelle Seasonal dishes from local products
© Labstelle
At the Labstelle in the heart of Vienna's city centre, sustainability and seasonality are top priorities. Nature determines what goes on the plate. Using regional products, the kitchen team conjures fresh dishes that delight the eyes, stomach and soul.
Laben, as the dictionary says, means: to refresh, to refresh with food and drink. And that is precisely what you can do at the Labstelle. The restaurant is centrally located but away from the hustle and bustle, in a hall-like room with high ceilings. Inside, modern elegance (black steel and light wood) meets design classics (Y-chairs by Hans J. Wegner). Outside, in the quiet guest garden, you sit secluded from the street under hanging green plants. Very refreshing - no matter how high the thermometer climbs.
Seasonal cuisine is served, which playfully takes up culinary classics but is always guided by regional products and the seasons. The list of producers printed on the menu includes many well-known names - from Krautwerk to Zotter - and most of the ingredients used are organic.
We happily place ourselves in the hands of Chef Matthias and enjoy the five-course farm-to-table menu (95 euros with fish and meat, vegan 85 euros). But if you like, you can also assemble your own variation from the menu.
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To start, there is homemade bread with lentil hummus and (keyword classic) a taco - here with kohlrabi cream and coriander. The first course is also a familiar dish: Vitello Tonnato becomes Vitello Trout. Organic calf's back meets local smoked trout and green tomato chutney.
The sommelière pours us a biodynamic Gemischter Satz to go with it. This is also a classic, at least in Vienna, but in this case - grown on volcanic soil and courageously vinified - it surprises and is a great pleasure to drink. Instead of the conventional wine accompaniment (for 65 euros), the Labstelle also offers a non-alcoholic pairing (45 euros), which is also matched to the individual dishes.
The next course smells so intense that any explanation from the waiter is redundant: the best tomato essence I've had in a long time (or ever?). The rosé wine served with it, called Springbreak, is not initially convincing on the nose - at least as far as my companion is concerned. However, satisfied nods after the first sip: "Tastes much better than it smells". And it goes perfectly with the fruity essence.
A classic is cited again for the fish course: A char from the local mountains swims in an aromatic bouillabaisse broth. In the meat course, the kitchen team shows that sustainability is not an empty phrase: Duroc pork is served in various ways - including black pudding ravioli and curly baked pork skin.
For the finale, another classic that immediately brings back happy childhood memories: The much-loved Hot Love. Given the summer temperatures, it has been cooled down a bit. The vanilla ice cream is accompanied by marinated raspberries and a fruity sauce that I would love to lick off the plate.
And then, while we are still sipping our sweet berry selection, another surprise comes from the kitchen. Chocolate pralines hiding pistachios, miso caramel and sour candied apple pieces. The gourmet version of the sour apple rings from childhood.
And then we leave the refreshment point, thoroughly refreshed by food and drink.
