WALTER BAUER

Sonnenfelsgasse, 17; tel. & fax: 01 512 9871 Vienna-born head chef Christian Domschitz cooks with creativity and originality in the attractive 17th century house with high vaulted ceilings and bay windows with rose-coloured walls. This restaurant is a good example of the high gastronomic standards now prevailing in Vienna.Some of the very fine dishes that we have noticed on the menu are gingerbread souffle with Traminer sabayon, cream of chestnut soup with truffles, filet of sander in a sesame crust and venison and Tyrolean ham with pumpkin and celery mayonnaise.

STEIRERECK

Rasumofskygasse, 2; tel.: 43 1 713 3168; fax: 43 1 7133 1682 Most journalists and observers, and indeed the customers, rate this gastronomic restaurant the finest in Vienna. The exterior is not impressive but once inside you will find an attractive flower-filled dining room. The service is impreccable and you will soon be offered bread from a special bread trolley filled with freshly baked loaves. Famous chef Helmut Osterreicher has now retired and is succeeded by Heinz Reitbauer Junior son of the owners Heinz and Margarete. Heinz Jr has trained in some of the great restaurants in Europe which shows in the quality of the food. The cooking is also inspired by the southern Austrian province of Styria. The wine service is in the hands of sommelier Adolf Schmid, who has been responsible for the 30 000 bottle cellar for many years. Here are two dishes to try: turbot in an avocado crust and quail in red wine sauce. Reservations necessary.

PALAIS SCHWARZENBERG

Schawrzenbergplatz, 9; tel.: 01 798 4515, 01 798 4714 The setting is magnificent. Here is an 18th century Baroque palace in a vast private park with fountains and statues.This palace is now a luxurious hotel with an excellent terrace restaurant which overlooks the park. In winter the restaurant moves into the main sitting room and meals are served near the open fire. Chef Gerhard Klambauer likes to serve dishes that compliment the elegance of the surroundings, such as risotto with spinach and black truffles, grilled turbot with potato ravioli and quail in a mushroom sauce.

PLACHUTTA

Wollzeile 38; tel.: 01 512 1577; fax: 01 51215 7720 Ewald Plachutta has earned invaluable merits in many ways: First of all, he is one of the most reputable representatives of the Vienna cuisine. All varieties of beef specialties have become his trademark, most notably the incomparable «Tafelspitz» (boiled beef). He is also one of the most famous cook book authors in Austria. Let us only mention his most essential works here: With the two editions of «Die gute Kuche» («The good cuisine») he and Christoph Wagner created a classic that sold 400,000 copies, second to no other specialized book.

KORSO IN HOTEL BRISTOL

Karntner Ring, 1; tel.: 0151 51 6546; fax: 01 51 51 6550 Next to the opera you will find a luxury restaurant with good all round cooking thanks to chef Reinhard Gerer one of Vienna finest. He trained in Munich with famous chefs Eckart Witzigmann and Heinz Winkler. The menu offers many Austrian dishes but also some international haute cuisine. We can recommend calves kidneys with mustard and chives, crispy roast duck, and roasted sole with a tomato and olive sauñe.

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