Meierei Vienna, Austria

The day after visiting for lunch the Steirereck im Stadtpark [2 Michelin stars] in July 2016 we went to have lunch at their sister restaurant the Meierei im Stadtpark on the next day. The restaurant has won a Bib Gourmand from Michelin.

 

We had already cake and fresh strawberries enjoyed there when we visited Vienna for our first time a few years ago.

 

The Meierei im Stadtpark has kept the classic villa exterior. The interior is modern and the colors are neutral, mostly white.

 

We liked that the whole front was made of glass and could be opened completely. It overlooked the canal and the park.

 

The Meierei is a place to see and be seen, so if you are looking for a more private venue, this isn’t the right one.

 

We had booked a table and were glad. The restaurant was already humming. The Meierei does accept walk ins, but it is very favored, so in order to avoid disappointment it’s better to reserve.

 

The staff was businesslike, friendly and efficient.

 

We had two Donnerwetter Apple and pear juices, one apricot juice, cucumber elderflower cocktail, one large bottle of still Voeslauer water, a mozzarella tomato salad, watercress soup, stuffed courgette flowers, venison goulash, and shared a portion of the banana snow as dessert.

 

The quality was very high and we enjoyed the time we spent there in July 2016.

 

The bill was ca. 100 Euro (ca. 106.60 USD).

 

We would return again when in Vienna, as this gave us the chance to enjoy typical Austrian produce in a modern bistro setting overlooking the Stadtpark by the canal.

 

Of note, the Meierei im Stadtpark does also serve breakfast and wouldn’t say no to try this one in our future when visiting Vienna hopefully again.

©2017

Steirereck im Stadtpark, Vienna, Austria

To make my landmark birthday in July 2016 even more special, my fiancé and I booked a table for two at the two Michelin stared restaurant the Steirereck im Stadtpark in Vienna, Austria which we knew for about ten to fifteen years and wanted always to try. The restaurant is also ranked 9th in the 50 best Restaurant in the World list.

The architecture of the restaurant is futuristic and there is an organic herb garden on the roof.

When we entered we saw to the right the open kitchen and slightly more to the right Steirereck produce to buy. Straight ahead was the reception, where we were greeted warmly by a very young maître d', confirming our reservation we were brought to our table. It overlooked the Stadtpark and the interior of the Steirereck.

Even so the restaurant was large, it was private. There were walls dividing the space into pods. Two to four tables were sharing one area.

The interior was postmodern as well and we enjoyed the design tremendously.

My birthday was acknowledged by an imprint "Happy Birthday" on the table cloth. There was also a little stand where you could put your handbag which we found a thoughtful addition to our table.

The staff was very attentive, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. For example we could take the brochure of "Le Grandes Tables Du Monde", where the Steirereck is a member, after asking nicely. The guests at the neighbor's table wanted their mobile phone charged, so that they could take photographs of their meal. Their wish was immediately fulfilled too.

We also liked the uniforms of the female staff, which fitted perfectly with the postmodern design, looked on the one side simple, but was elegant and free flowing on the other.

As drinks we had a bottle of still Voeslauer water, one of our favorites when in Austria, and a mocktail made with mandarin and lime juice. It was delicious, so he had a second one, but there were at least five others available to choose from. They were made right in front of us and the ingredients came on a trolley.

The bread selection was fantastic. There were at least twenty to thirty to choose from. The bread was shown to us and named and had been too many to remember. We both had olive ciabatta. My fiancé took another slice, but couldn't eat them all due to having "bigger eyes than his stomach was" as they say.

Next arrived the greetings from the kitchen, which was four different dishes, that showed by which other nations Austria has been influenced and included chips with potato cheese, falafel with sumac yogurt dip, semolina, roasted corn pudding and cucumber and tomato salad with yogurt dressing. The roasted corn pudding was an acquired taste. We both liked it, but it was the least favorite in terms of taste compared to the other offerings.

We chose a four course meal and started with "Schwarzauer" Mountain Trout with melon, cucumber and etiolated pea shoots and artichoke & veal kidney with radicchio and sweet clover.

Both dishes were delicious and melt in the mouth.

Next were the Viennese soft gulash from Alpine beef with leek -bread roulade and pickled vegetables and Jerusalem Artichoke with Pak Choi, pea shoots and Viennese snails.

The gulash was light-red brown and mildly spicy, while the other dish was the right combination between being soft and crunchy.

Our main courses were Wiener Schnitzel and barbecued sturgeon with kohlrabi, quinoa and elderberry.

Both were very good. The schnitzel was very thin and melt in the mouth. While the barbecue flavor of the sturgeon was strong. The kohlrabi, quinoa and elderberry were a nice counter balance.

Our desserts were cherries with shiso, rice and soured cream and Java coffee with yellow dates, plums and cinnamon flowers. We loved both.

Before we received the bill there was another sweet greeting from the kitchen with a typical Austrian pastry called a kicherl served from a traditional trolley, We had the choice of toppings including nuts, strawberries, dried figs, apricot and cherry jam.

We enjoyed each a beautiful hot chocolate to round up our memorable lunch at this modern gourmet temple in the heart of Vienna, the capital of Austria. The Stierereck has been consitently voted by several guides incl. Falstaff [100/100 points] as the best restaurant in Austria and it shows in our opinion. 

We enjoyed our lunch tremendously, which cost 270.60 Euro (ca. 288.30 USD), and would love to return for another special occasion in our future when visiting beautiful Vienna.

©2017

Rote Bar @ The Sacher Hotel Vienna, Austria

Even so my fiancé and I had decided not to stay at the Hotel Sacher Vienna during my milestone birthday in July 2016, we still wanted to gain some insights and check out if we would like the hotel, so we booked a table for two at the Restaurant Rote Bar for our lunch and hopefully get to stay at this landmark hotel in our future too.

E-mail contact with the reservation team was quick and warm.

Years back when we were the first time in Vienna it was a very formal city and the Hotel Sacher didn't allow people into reception, if they didn't have a reservation at one of the restaurants or bars or stayed there.

In July 2016 it was a totally different environment.

The lobby was now accessible to all and the public spaces could be explored up to the Blaue Bar.

The entrance to the Restaurant Rote Bar was in the lobby and the space is relatively small. It didn't look like an official entrance. I was sure this was where we had to go in. My better half  thought otherwise, so we checked with the bell captain, who confirmed it was the entrance.

As the name implies the Restaurant Rote Bar was furnished in red damask with classic paintings and chandeliers. The restaurant was cosy and felt special.

The maître d' brought us to our table in the conservatory, which was also part of the Restaurant Rote Bar. We had nice views over the Vienna Opera House and passers-by, who could look in too, but this didn't hinder us to enjoy ourselves here at this landmark address.

The cuisine was traditional Viennese and was beautifully presented.

Two waiters took care of us. One was a young lady with a similar haircut as mine, the other an older gentleman. Both were charming, efficient and service oriented.

Most fellow diners were older than us - I guess from sixty onwards. One other party also celebrated a special occasion.

There were couples and a few small groups.

We ordered a bottle of still Voeslauer water, two orange juice and one hot chocolate with "Schlag" (cream). 

A bread selection was brought to our table and included a tasty amuse-bouche. It was delicious.

Our starters were the original Sacher goose liver tart and the watercress and pea soup. Both were very good and the goose liver tart was smooth. Equally, I liked the different textures and being able to taste the ingredients of the well balanced soup.

Our main courses were generous portions of Wiener Schnitzel with parsley potatoes and mixed salad and braised beef roulades with vegetables, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber and mustard. 

There were extra helpings of the potatoes and the escalopes, which my fiancé enjoyed. 

The roulades and the Schnitzel were melt in the mouth and both come highly recommended as mains.

The combination of velvety mashed potatoes, gravy and the tanginess of the mustard were heavenly.

I hadn't had roulades since my childhood and this were the best so far.

We still had room to share a dessert, which was Valrhona chocolate and cherries. At first we thought the cherries were harmless, but they had been dunked in kirsch schnapps and the flavor of the alcohol built slowly up until it burst into full flavor and was long lasting. A beautiful and indeed memorable dessert.

Before settling our bill we also received a tiered stand with pralines/chocolates which was a wonderful and tasty touch to remember.

We enjoyed our lunch tremendously. The quality was high, service excellent and the surroundings sumptuous. We would return for more when visiting Vienna again in our future. 

©2017

The Visit

Doly Bhottacharjyo met Frieda Noose at a party the aunt of her husband had organized. The two had a few things in common.

Doly was born in India and had grown up in different countries, since her father was a diplomat.

Frieda was Colombian and had spent the first four years of her life in Bogota, before her parents moved to the US.

Both had gone to university, were married and had young daughters.

Doly told Frieda about her work as a human rights lawyer at a charity, helping acid attack victims. Frieda was intrigued and asked if she could visit the charity to see what they were doing. Doly wasn’t sure if it would lead to anything, but she liked Frieda, so she agreed.

 

A few days later Frieda, who was dark haired, brown eyed and had a heart shaped face and olive skin, arranged the visit with Doly.

 

Doly wore business attire. She wanted to be taken serious and believed if she wore Western clothing it would help. At home she preferred to wear saris or a salwar kameez, a body shirt and pantaloons. Doly had some feminine touches too, like long black hair and large golden hoop earrings. She was 1.52 m tall and a bit shorter than Frieda.

Both were curvaceous.

 

“Welcome. I’m glad you could make it, Frieda.” Doly greeted Frieda warmly and hugged her. “I’m glad I could make it too.” “If you’re ready I’m giving you the grand tour.” “I am.” Doly explained what the different departments did and introduced Frieda to her colleagues. Doly provided Frieda with some statistics too. “There were officially 222 attacks last year. They involved 277 people and the majority were women.  The main reason for acid attacks is sexually motivated, for example a woman refuses a proposal. Other justifications are a too low dowry, conflicts over property, religious believes or social and political activism. We offer help from the beginning. We identify and investigate attacks, make sure the victims are brought to our hospital, which is specialized in the treatment of acid burns, offer psychological support, rehabilitation and reintegration and provide legal support. Of course we also have awareness campaigns. Our approach pays off. The numbers are down, but there is still much to do and too few funds available. I wished we could afford more beds at the hospital.” Frieda nodded in agreement. I’ve heard many times, that there is never enough money around. Can I see the hospital too?” “Of course.” The hospital was located in the outskirts of the city in a small, low rise building. It was clean and state of the art, which surprised and impressed Frieda. All beds were occupied. The patients were four women, a man and a young girl. The women weren’t related and all had been in different incidents.

“This is Bushra. Her family in law was unhappy about the dowry. They claimed her parents and her husband’s parents had agreed on a higher amount and Bushra was useless and lazy, so they dowsed her in acid.” The acid had burned away most of the skin of Bushra’s face including the left eyelid, which had caused blindness. Frieda was glad the victim’s face was covered in bandages. She would have had troubles looking at the wounds without recoiling. “Zineea refused a suitor, so he attacked her. The same with Yeasmin and Dina. Zahir and Lucky are father and daughter. They were not the intended victims. They were waiting for a taxi and standing beside a stranger, who was attacked. Father and daughter were splashed by mistake. Frieda tried hard to hide her horror. Yeasmin’s head had deformed. Zineea, Dina and Zahir had lost one ear each and their hearing. Lucky had been burned across her right arm, leg and part of her torso. Frieda saw red scars sneaking up her neck.  Some had lost their nostrils too. Frieda’s heart went out for them. She decided to help on the spot. Doly said: “It’s really great you want to help. We always look for volunteers…” She was skeptical, though, if Frieda would keep her promise or get fed up or bored. The work was very lowly and mundane, like cleaning the floors, preparing meals for the patients or assisting the nurses, administration work or fundraising.

“You also need to get a written permission from your husband that you can work here.” Frieda wasn’t taken aback. She knew men enjoyed a higher standing in Bangladeshi society than women did and that they were the property of their husbands. Since she couldn’t change this, she accepted it. “I will get it.”

Her husband Fin didn’t mind Frieda wanted to work for charity while their three year old daughter Casey was in kindergarten. He was willing to work around Frieda’s schedule, if necessary.

Having overcome this hurdle, Frieda started volunteering.

 

She was at first eyed suspiciously, because there weren’t many foreigners working at the charity. It was obvious Frieda came from a privileged background and some of the staff were betting how long she would last and which work she would refuse to do.

 

On Frieda’s first day she was asked to clean the floors of the hospital. She hadn’t any problems with it. Thank goodness most of the staff spoke English, so they could easily communicate. “Okay, tell me where I can find the equipment.” Frieda was shown where the cleaning material was stored and what she had to clean. Frieda minded her own business and got some ground covered. She had seen a handyman with his case at the fuse box. He had left the doors of the box conveniently open. Frieda had a glance inside before closing them.

She returned to mopping the floor. Frieda stopped dead in her tracks, when she saw the man again. This time around he was about to repair an outlet. Having scanned the fuse box, Frieda realized the electricity hadn’t been switched off. “Stop!” she shouted. The electrician gave her a condescending smile and continued. Frieda dropped everything and tackled the man, before he could insert the screwdriver. They both fell. The electrician got up and shouted at her in Bangla: “Tumi ki pāgala? Ēkaṭā gādhā!” Whatever it meant, it wasn’t something friendly. Frieda cowered, when the upset gentleman made the impression of wanting to kick her. He got his temper under control, but continued to swear. Zainab, one of the nurses, had been attracted by the commotion. “Zuti, what is going on?! Why are you shouting like a mad man? Did I hear right you called Frieda crazy and a stupid cow?” Zainab was older and well respected, so Zuti looked immediately abashed and accepted Zainab’s chiding. The conversation was held in Bangla. Frieda couldn’t follow. She only understood her name. Zuti explained rapidly what had happened. Zainab believed Frieda must have had a good reason why she tried to stop Zuti, so she asked her for an explanation in English. “I prevented Zuti from being electrocuted.” Zainab translated what Frieda had said, while Frieda herself got up as well. Zuti shook his head in disbelief. He said: “But I have switched off the electricity for this section!” “No, you haven’t.” Frieda replied calmly, even if she would have preferred to strangle Zuti. They went to check and realized Frieda was right. At least Zuti was man enough to realize his error and to apologize sincerely to Frieda. She accepted graciously. Zuti felt very bad about the situation. It was the first time he encountered a female, who had some knowledge about science. Of course Zuti had heard there were female engineers and math teachers, for example, especially in the West. Frieda felt a bit awkward when Zuti stared at her as if she had two heads. Zuti tried to see if there was something different about Frieda. He couldn’t identify anything unusual. For a woman she had very short hair. That was the only thing Zuti could recognize. “Are you an electrician?” Zainab asked Frieda, breaking the spell. “No, I’m an electrical engineer.” Zainab translated for Zuti. Both were suitably impressed. Frieda only realized then that she probably had scraped her knee. “Okay, let’s have a look at it.” Zainab said briskly, overcoming her surprise and sudden shyness. Zainab ushered Frieda into a treatment room. The injury wasn’t that bad. It looked like Frieda was going to have a bruise, but there weren’t any open wounds. “Okay, I’ll suggest we cool it for a while and you can rest in the kitchen.” Babar was a bit surprised to see Frieda so soon again and with a slight limp. Zainab told Babar what had happened. “Oh, you deserve something sweet!” Babar exclaimed. He had just finished chomchom and dished out a few to Frieda. It was a connotation made with flour, milk, sugar, lemon juice, saffron and coconut flakes. The little balls were delicious and calmed Frieda. After half an hour of rest she returned to her work.

Frieda was wondering how she was going to explain her sore knee to Fin. Her husband was protective.  Knowing Fin he would not let it rest until he felt he had dealt sufficiently with Zuti. Frieda sighed. She hated lying, so she was going to tell Fin the truth and try to convince him to forget about it. Frieda had dealt already with the situation, so there was no need for Fin to get involved. Speaking of the devil Zuti approached Frieda, who was a bit apprehensive. He had asked Babar to teach him an English phrase. He thanked Frieda for preventing him doing a stupid thing. “Don’t mention it.” Zuti wasn’t entirely sure what Frieda had said, but gathered from her smile that she didn’t hold a grudge and had forgiven him. He was glad. Still Zuti believed he had to make it up to her. It would have been awful if his wife and son would have had to fend for themselves after his death.

 

Of course in the evening Fin wanted to hear everything about Frieda’s first day. He frowned, when she told him about the incident with Zuti. “Should I have a word with him?” “No, that’s not necessary. I have solved the issue. Promise me you won’t interfere.” “Alright.” It wasn’t easy for Fin, but he had given his promise, so he didn’t approach Zuti and threaten him as he had planned.

 

At the charity the incident between Zuti and Frieda had spread quickly. It caused Frieda’s co-workers to see her in different eyes and positive. Still some were envied and when possible they abused their position. Chandna tried her best to proof Frieda felt superior and make her leave. She gave Frieda chores most didn’t like, for example cleaning the toilets. Frieda did them without complaining and to her best ability. She preferred, though, to help Babar in the kitchen and picked up how to prepare Bangladeshi meals and rudimentary Bangla. It made communication easier. Some of the victims didn’t speak English at all, so it came in handy.

Frieda bonded with Lucky, whom she often assisted getting dressed or fed, because she couldn’t use her right arm and it was difficult for her to eat with the left hand. Another issue was the traditional believe, which was followed by Zahir and Lucky that the left hand was unclean and shouldn’t be used at all for eating.

Zuti turned into an ally and close friend.

Another girl asked shyly if Frieda would tutor her boy. He had problems with math. Frieda agreed easily.

Originally Frieda had thought she would spend three months in Bangladesh. It turned into half a year, because Fin’s plans changed. He got himself involved in the charity. Doly had recognized his organization skills and knew he was well connected, so she asked him to help fundraise, which was just up his street. If Frieda hadn’t become pregnant they might have stayed longer. It was sad to leave. Still Frieda didn’t forget the burn victims or her new friends. She supported them from abroad and sometimes returned to Dhaka to keep updated.

©2017

Clementine im Glashaus @ The Palais Coburg Residence Vienna, Austria

During our stay at the Palais Coburg Residence in Vienna, Austria (Please see also review) in July 2016 my fiancé and I had three a la carte breakfasts and two memorable dinners at Clementine im Glashaus.

The restaurant is named after Clementine of Orleans, the first resident of the Palais Coburg, who was the daughter of King Louis Philippe I of France and married to Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

A portrait of her is the center piece of the restaurant and adds to the romantic feel of Clementine im Glashaus. It is the all-day dining restaurant.

The restaurant is located in the gardens of the hotel and there is indoor and outdoor seating - weather permitting.

It can be reached via stairs or lift to the first floor. and is housed in a beautiful conservatory. It looks intricate and Victorian.

The restaurant felt Asian with dark wooden furniture and blossom prints. There was also a magnificent chandelier as another focal point.

The kitchen is located adjacent to the dining room and the small window left open, if there were no guests. Once we had breakfast indoors, because all the outdoor seating was taken. When we took our seats the window was shut and we couldn't follow the going ons in the kitchen any longer.

Mostly, though, we enjoyed sitting outside, either in the sunshine, protected by umbrellas, or in the warm darkness, lit up by the dining room and romantic lantern on the table in the evening. 

We could choose any table we wanted and it didn't matter for how many persons it was setup.

The breakfast was served a la carte with sets available and included in our rate.

Our favorite was the "Low-Carb", which included bread, butter, smoked salmon, radish, cucumber, tomato, avocado and lemon dressing, plain yogurt with berries, omelette with cream cheese and herbs, water and a hot beverage of our choice (green tea).

Another innovative item was the eggs in a glass. There was a choice between chives and garden radish, carrot, lemon, sprouts and olive oil or smoked salmon, wild herbs and spinach. We tested the salmon. The eggs made surprisingly full.

The Joseph bread was also delicious.

Dinner was based on modern Austrian cuisine. We tried the excellent cocktails, like the Re-Start or My Sweet Clementine and had a glass each of 2012 Traminer Beerenauslese "Coburg Selection" by Kracher, an Austrian dessert wine which we both found outstanding served only by the glass. Beside Tokaj Aszu Essencia it proved to be our favorite in terms of sweet wines on offer.

Some of the dishes we had were carrot-ginger soup and mozzarella as starters and the guinea fowl breast and duck with rhubarb as main courses. The quality was very high and the meals delicious. The portion sizes were generous and we were mostly totally stuffed, when we left. Dinner cost approximately 100 Euro / ca. 105.80 USD.

Other diners were locals and hotel guests. Some of them celebrated an anniversary or birthday.

If it was a birthday staff and members belonging to the party sang "Happy Birthday".

It was a nice mix of groups and couples. We had chosen the hotel for a pampering experience for my own round birthday.

The staff was efficient, intuitive, interested in what we were up to and helpful. There were different teams for breakfast and dinner. They all were an asset for the restaurant.

Carina - hope the name is spelled correctly - asked each morning how the event we had planned for today and how the previous day had gone.

On the day of my birthday I received a cake for breakfast and one for dinner with sparklers. Each member of staff congratulated me, but didn't draw too much attention to me, for which I was grateful and loved that I was really spoiled.

One waitress was happy to help my fiancé, who wanted to take photographs of our dishes in the evening/darkness. She held the lantern the way he wanted it and for how long the shoot took. She was gracious about it, even so my better half was demanding. This has never happened before or afterwards so far, the service was wonderful and memorable for the right reasons. Spot on, wonderful.

We would want to return again and again to Clementine im Glashaus, when back in Vienna, Austria in our future.

©2017

Palais Coburg Residenz Vienna, Austria

Since it was my milestone birthday we were looking for a very special hotel in Vienna, Austria.

We had the Sacher and the Palais Coburg Residenz in mind. 

The rates were roughly the same. The major difference was that for the same amount of investment we would have a City suite with breakfast included, free minibar and WIFI at the Palais Coburg, while the Sacher “only” offered a Superior room with free WIFI. Both hotels are independently owned and beautiful. In the end the Palais Coburg seemed to be more unique to us for this visit, it’s a palace heritage hotel nevertheless, so we decided to have three nights – including my birthday – there in July 2016.

Before our stay we were in contact with the hotel to organize a complimentary tour of the exclusive wine cellar and our dinner reservations at Clementine im Glasshaus at the Palais Coburg.

The e-mails were always answered promptly and felt warm and welcoming at all times.

The palace belonged to the family of Saxe-Coburg, who are related with every major royal household in Europe, and was built on the Braunbastei, a bastion, dating back to the 16th century. Part of the medieval city walls can be still seen at the hotel. The wall is currently under restoration. 

The bastion was named after the engineer.

The Renaissance casements of the Braunbastei have been preserved, which is unusual for Vienna, due to the palace being built before the fortifications of the Braunbastei were demolished to make way for the Ringstrasse.

Part of the building was rented out to the Austrian Railway at one time.

The palace was sold by Princess Sarah Aurelia in 1978 to a realtor. Other owners were two banks.

Finally in 1997 it was bought by the POK Puehringer Foundation, the current owner. 

The palace was in a decrepit condition. It took three years of planning and three years of renovation and restoration before it opened in new splendor in 2003 as hotel. For a while it was a member of Relais & Chateaux before it changed to Leading Hotels of the World.

The hotel is a magical place and we have very fond memories. It’s difficult to explain, when you haven’t experienced it.

The complete stay was flawless, luxurious and pampering in heartwarming ways.

The staff was the most intuitive we ever encountered so far. It’s very difficult to find the right balance between being professional and warm and to know when the guest needs attention and when to leave him/her in peace.

During our stay we had only pleasant experiences and each member of staff was very kind to us. Besides they managed to be warm and efficient at the same time.

The building itself was in top condition and the internet was very fast too. 

The location is just behind the Marriott Hotel Vienna with a ca. 5 minute walk to the Stadtpark, around 10 minutes to the Westbahnhof with access to the CAT for the airport. The Albertina and Stephansplatz are ca. 20 to 30 minutes from the hotel, making it a good base to explore the city in our opinon.

Check in was very pleasant with a choice of drinks as welcome gift. We had a glass of Pol Roger Champagne and Evian water.

During check in we were explained all amenities and given a handwritten card with all our “appointments” within the hotel during our stay.

The check in formalities had been swift and we were accompanied to our suite by Ivan who took our luggage and explained all features to us.

All suites are named after a member of the house of Saxe-Coburg.

The key was interesting. It looked like a medallion or badge and depicted the image of the person the suite was named after and the room number.

It was also needed to open various security doors and to operate the elevators.

Beside high security the hotel is very discreet too.

We had booked a city suite, the entrance category. The size ranges from 54 m2 to 84 m2. We were brought to suite 106 Archduke Josef of Austria (1833 – 1905). He was the husband of Clothilde of Saxe-Coburg, the granddaughter of Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, who built the palace. 

It was also a duplex and the largest suite in the category [City Suites] on offer.

Of course we had speculated before which suite we would receive, but hadn’t expected this.

It suited our tastes completely in many ways while combining heritage and modernity.

There was a long, curved hallway with a seating area, wooden floors, a wardrobe and a guest toilet, leading towards to the living space. 
It could be closed off from the actual suite by doors, so it’s ideal if you schedule business appointments and someone has to wait. 

No wonder it is favored by politicians like John Kerry, who stayed here during the Iran nuclear talks. We could even see part of the meeting rooms where the talks had taken place in the hotel.

The suite, a duplex suite was very large, airy and bright with extremely high windows, stretching the whole two storey space and a classic chandelier.

The first part was dedicated to work. It included a classic writing desk, a matching chair and a display cabinet with books about the Palais Coburg, Austria and her history, the sister hotel Park Hotel Vitznau in Switzerland and Austrian music.

In one of the drawers of the writing desk contained all necessary office supplies and an adapter.

There were also Good Life Spirit and a Blanc Pain magazine and a telephone, suitable for deaf or hard of hearing which we found very thoughtful.

The wall mounted large flat screen TV was swiveable and could be watched from the seating area, which included a white sofa, plus sofa chair, a large coffee table, side tables, a credenza with Bose wave radio, DVD player and DVDs of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year concerts from 2005 and 2015, or the writing desk.

The 75 TV channels included regional and international ones like CNN, Bloomberg und Sky Sports 1 to 3 among many others.

The furniture was dark brown and antique. It had beautiful, simple inlays and the carpet was blue and white with a flower print. Again there were wooden floors.

The kitchen at the opposite end could be completely closed off and had every essential needed. 

It was white and included plates, cutlery, can and bottle opener, pans, glasses, a microwave, two hotplates, a Nespresso coffee machine, Nespresso capsules selection and Ronnefeldt tea bags and a minibar. Ivan explained the minibar was complementary and all alcoholic beverages were included too. Again the content of the minibar was comprehensive. It included six different Pago juices, Evian and Voesslauer mineral water, Fever Tree Tonic, Schweppes, Trumer Pils, Gruener Veltiner and Wiener Trilogie wines and different flavored schnapps (plum, apricot and Williams Christ pear).

More welcome gifts and a handwritten note from the general manager including a full-sized bottle of Pol Roger Champagne, fruits, chocolates and a brownie were waiting for us. They were replenished daily.

A substantial staircase was leading up to the elegant bedroom. From there you could overlook the living area.

There was a luggage rack, a bureau, a bench in front of the king sized bed and another flat screen TV. The color scheme was dominantly blue. There was a carpet as well and a door led to the large polished marble bath room.

It included two wardrobes, one with safe, a separate room for the toilet and bidet, double sinks, an unusual bathtub/shower combination, a weighing scale, chair and larger than usually sized Acqua di Parma amenities. All the frames and bathroom fixtures were golden. It fitted the heritage ambience and wasn’t ostentatious in our opinion.

Artwork throughout the suite was of the Archduke Josef of Austria incl. portrait photographs and the Palais Coburg.

The whole room was comfortable and invited for long stays due to it feeling residential and lots of storage space.

The bed allowed for a restful sleep and turn down was provided every night with Evian water and Valrhona chocolates. 

Views were over the building next door in the back of the hotel.

The hotel has also 24 hour in room dining – the menu is small, but good quality and we used it once during our stay, a spa with swimming pool and a terrace, the Coburg Restaurant by Silvio Nichol, who holds two Michelin stars, and as mentioned above Clementine im Glasshaus for all day dining.

Our in room dinner included one hot chocolate, two fresh pasta with basil pine nuts and Parmesan and one strawberry, quark, sour milk and almond and one chocolate with milk, banana and hazelnut dessert. It cost 75 Euro (ca. 80.70 USD).

Picnics, tours and anything else you might want can be organized by the concierge.

On the same day we arrived we asked if we could see the Prunkraeume or the State Rooms. 

They are used for meetings, banquets and celebrations, so they are not always accessible. The rooms are magnificent and very well worth visiting. My favorite was the Yellow Room. In the Green Room portraits of famous members of the Saxe-Coburgs can be admired. One of them depicted Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Ivan told us that the State Rooms were going to be used in the future for brunch, so they were going to be made more accessible to the paying public. I could easily imagine what it would look like in the future. I didn’t have problems conjuring up the past either in these very special surroundings. 

Doors leading to the terrace gave great views over the city, the small garden and Clementine im Glasshaus.

The State Room staircase was very beautiful and grand too.

Some parts of the public spaces have a medieval feel with dark wooden furniture and accordingly printed fabrics which matched the style and atmosphere perfectly at every turn.

A family tree of the Saxe-Coburg can be found near the elevators. At the time we were there it wasn’t completely updated. For example Prince William was mentioned on it, but not his marriage to Kate Middleton or the birth of their two children. We guess, updating needs a little time and will done on occasion. 

On the day of my birthday I received three birthday cakes/brownies during the day, which was a first. All members of staff were aware it was my big day and I was congratulated by everyone, I encountered, which hasn’t happened before in such a comprehensive manner. It was wonderful and again heartwarming. I felt special and welcomed at all times, a landmark birthday in a landmark heritage palace hotel.

There was also a personalized birthday card on our Suite.

We had breakfast every morning and twice dinner at Clementine im Glasshaus. A review will follow in due time.

We enjoyed strolling through the garden when it was accessible. As mentioned above it’s not very large, but perfectly manicured and has an understated water feature. It gives you the chance to admire the palace’s façade as well. 

The Palais Coburg is nicknamed the asparagus castle. The columns of the neoclassical building reminded the Viennese about asparagus stalks, hence the name. 

On my birthday we could also visit the wonderful wine cellar, which some parts date back to the 12th century, and were given a tour by the sommelier. We started off with a glass of Pol Roger Champagne at the first room. Then the tour began for real. It was a treasure trove for wine lovers. Unfortunately we couldn’t go into the Champagne cellar due to it being renovated at the time. The hotel has a large collection of rare Dom Perignon vintages.

The cellar is divided into different sections and includes one dedicated to Spanish, Portuguese and New World wines including some rare bottles of Robert Mondavi, a European section including Austrian and Bulgarian wines and a wide selection of rare dessert wines like Tokaj, wine from the Austrian producer Kracher and ice wine from the Czech Republic.

The French cellar holds Mouton Rothschild and Petrus and of course other wines. 

One cachet of Mouton Rothschild was bought at a charity auction in New York for 1 Million Euro.

The largest bottle in the collection contains 27 l and we were explained that there is specific machinery available to handle opening the bottle and filling glasses. It is suitable for a party of ca. 60 persons.

Other bottles contain 6 l.

The most expensive single bottle on offer/view is valued at ca. 120.000 Euro.

Another, very special collection, is the Chateau D’Yquem. It is one of the rarest in the world and celebrates 4 centuries of this very special wine and winery. 

Some bottles are very old and easily identifiable by the darker color of the wine. 

Near the Chateau D’Yquem cellar a quote about wine in Arabic by Suleiman the Magnificent is inscribed in red lightning on the floor. He is infamous for the siege of Vienna in the 16th century.

It was really fascinating and we learned a lot.

Unfortunately check out approached way too quick. We were a bit sad to leave, since our stay had been so pampering.

Check out was efficient and again very warm. Organizing a taxi to bring us to the Hauptbahnhof for our train wasn’t an issue at all. We even received a little bag with goodies (water, apples, Manner wafers and Mozartkugeln) for the journey to Innsbruck.

Even after checkout we hadn’t been forgotten and received another card at our return to Dublin with a short note from the manager, hoping our stay had been a good one and that we had arrived back home safely. It was a thoughtful touch and we appreciated it.

There is no doubt we would return in our future to the Palais Coburg Residence when celebrating something special, since the history speaks to us, the staff is gracious and you are really in the lap of luxury which incl. heritage architecture and modern luxurious interiors and beautiful/memorable service standards of the highest caliber befitting a “Leading Hotel of the World”. Kudo to the Palais Coburg Residenz and sincere thanks for the beautiful hospitality and attention rendered towards both of us.


©2017