Tag Archives for traditional

The green cottage that is no longer green

Today, I was already pretty hungry. First I thought I would go to this one vegetarian restaurant but then I thought: “No, I need some typical Austrian food that is not healthy at all but fills my stomach”. And you can find that food in Vienna pretty easily. One of the restaurants that serve you just that is “Die grüne Hütte” which translates to “Green Cottage”.

Since its renovation the Green Cottage is no longer green.

In the past the Green Cottage was really green and a cosy place not the most exclusive to put it more diplomatic but cosy. Then they build the subway and it turned from green into light brown. Today it is less cosy but still very typical Viennese. It is also pretty easy to reach. Just get off at U2 “Messe – Prater” take the “Prater” exit and you are standing right in front of it.

I did the same today because, remember, I needed some food to fill my stomach. The restaurant was almost empty when I arrived. It was already 3:00 in the afternoon. The waiter was there, maybe the boy standing next to him was his son. I don’t know. I don’t go here that often. The prices are decent still I would not come here every day. Those that were sitting at the tables were all Viennese. When tourists go to the Prater they usually go to the Schweizerhaus, which has adapted its prices accordingly. This place is not so much a place where tourists go.

During the week they serve lunch specials but since it was friday they had the usual fried fish which I don’t like. The menue itself was not very extensive. Maybe because of the time of the day, I went there.

The menue at 3:00 p.m. was limited. In the evening they have a more extensive one.

Somehow I already knew what I would take. I just had to decide whether I’d like to have the Schnitzel or the Berner Würstel. I decided for the Berner Würstel. Now, Berner Würstel just means sausages filled with cheese and rolled in bacon. They usually come with fries, tomato ketchup and mustard with chopped onions. It is very typical Viennese food – not very fancy. You just need to get some sausages, put cheese in them and then put the bacon on the outside. I like them and it is usually the food on a menue which falls into the lower price category. In most restaurants they also serve pretty large portion when it comes to this kind of food.

Berner Würstel: sausages somehow Viennese style … the kids like them, I like them too

And after I ate all this food I was pretty stuffed. Yes, I think it was the right decision to go for this instead of the vegetarian restaurant. I do like vegetarian food though but maybe next time. It is nice to have some typical Viennese once in a while. And the “Grüne Hütte” is really a good place to go. If you visit the Prater I can truly recommend it. It is off the beaten track, not very touristy.

Info: Restaurant zur Grünen Hütte (http://www.gruenehuette.at), Prater 196, 1020 Vienna; phone: +43/1/729 27 10, fax: +43/1/729 27 10 – 12; mail: office@gruenehuette.at; opening hours: Mon – Sun from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; right at U2 “Messe – Prater” exit “Prater”

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Viva Vivus Crispy Chicken

The Vivus Salettl in Prater opened almost two years ago. The concept is simple: serve typical Austrian cuisine but modern and not inn style. And so this restaurant is a simple wooden building and in summer you can sit on a wonderful terrace outside.

Getting some Austrian style crispy chicken at Vivus Salettl

I have to admit that the first time I came here I did not like it – probably I just did not order the right stuff. Since I really like Bruschetta with tomatos and basilicum I ordered that here as well. That was a mistake because the bread was not toasted and so I already had a bad start.

So the other day I thought I give it another try and I just felt like crispy chicken. Just for your information: crispy chicken is an Austrian speciality. We usually serve it really crispy with a slice of lemon and a potato lettuce salad and then it is called “Backhendl mit Vogerlsalat” – it is the small bird salad. In Vienna we have this habit of making things even smaller than they are by adding the ending “-erl” to words and so we have the “Vogerl” which is a small bird even smaller than small.

The lettuce in this case is called “small bird salad” – Vogerlsalat

Ok, that’s it – a small excursion to the Viennese language. Back to the important stuff which is the food at Vivus in Prater. It is good food. You need to have patience though as the service is not very fast. Maybe because there were just two waitresses to take care of the whole terrace. That might be the reason. But that was ok, cause I was not in a hurry. It was a wonderful afternoon and the sun was shining.

To drink I ordered something very Viennese – it is called a Himbeerkracherl. You recognize the “-erl” at the end of the word. Again things smaller than small. Because it is a beverage for kids that is why. They just get small things. The taste is raspberry and it is very traditional and carbonated.

Himbeerkracherl (carbonated raspberry soda) – more for kids but I love the raspberry taste

I thought it was the perfect match to the crispy chicken. And so I enjoyed my big portion of crispy chicken while I watched the people at the Prater pass by with their bikes and inline skates. It was lots of food and it justified the price which is not low. No, this is not a cheap restaurant but you get something for your money – that’s for sure.

In summer they have a BBQ disco every Monday evening – meaning they have BBQ and a DJ invited so that you have some music excitement as well. Then they serve grilled steak (Rib-Eye or Porterhouse) and bratwurst and stuff like that. If you like to get breakfast you can come here as well. I never tried that one because I am not eating breakfast. But they serve it until 1:00 p.m. so you might even take that one as lunch.

Info: Vivus Salettl (http://www.vivus.cc), Prater Hauptallee 1, 1020 Vienna; phone: +43/(0)699/144 14 040; mail: salettl@vivus.cc; opening hours: Mon to Sun 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; you can pay with credit card at least Visa; you can reach the restaurant by getting off at Praterstern and then heading towards Prater and there is the Prater Hauptallee which is not the amusement park part of the Prater but the park and there is a very long straight street and there you find that restaurant on the left side pretty much at the beginning. There is a mini golf close by.

Austrian Food with a Twist

It is about the restaurants that are off the beaten track and it is about those restaurants that kept the tradition of serving Austrian food while making the Austrian cuisine more modern.

One of this great examples is the “Gastwirtschaft zum Weissen Tiger” meaning the “Inn to the White Tiger” – wait? A tiger in Austria?! Well, the name comes from the white tiger that flew from a circus (Circus Renz) that was located in the street close by, the Zirkusgasse, and was captured pretty much in front of that restaurant, which after that incident changed its name to “Inn to the White Tiger”.

All that happened in the mid-1800s and today after some people decided to re-invent this traditional restaurant we got the “Inn to the White Tiger” again but as mentioned in the title with a twist. And that twist is the transfer of the Austrian cuisine to the 21st century. The ingredients they use are also to some extent ingredients that have been forgotten in the Austrian cuisine, like rhubarb, and they are also seasonal.

So today as I was deciding for where to go for lunch I thought it would be great to sit outside as it was sunny and warm enough to do exactly that. So it did not take me long to decide: I went for that restaurant as it is great to sit outside plus they have lunch specials at the price of 7,90 Euros which is decent considering the prices they usually charge.

The entry was a creamy carrot soup with croûtons. It was definitely yummy and very creamy. I loved it and was sad that it was gone too soon. When it comes to soups they always great ones.

Creamy Carrot Soup with Croûtons - that soup was definitely worth it

The main course was something very typical. In German it is called Surschopfbraten and this is pickled pork and the side order was mashed potatoes with roasted onions. That was yummy too although it could use some additional salt.

Pork Austrian style with mashed potatoes and roasted onions

It was really delicious. This is definitely a restaurant to go to and you can find it when getting off at U1 Nestroyplatz (exit “Komödiengasse”) and walking towards the hospital “Barmherzige Brüder”. In summer it is quite packed outside since they serve lunch-specials and people from offices close to the restaurant go there for lunch. So you might consider reserving a table.

Info: Gastwirtschaft “Zum Weissen Tiger”, Schmelzgasse 9, 1020 Vienna; Phone +43 1 968 17 23; Mail gastwirtschaft@zumweissentiger.com; Internet http://www.zumweissentiger.com (Website only in German)