The
Viennese are renowned for their superb soups. Full bodied Beef consommé
with semolina dumplings light as a feather or a consommé with sliced
pancakes. Enjoy a roast breast of chicken in a lemon sauce on a polenta
base or you could choose from a luscious buffet.
.
Delicate
Petit Fours were served with the coffee, including one, which was a
miniature Imperial Torte. There
is a story that a young apprentice chef created the Imperial Cake for
Emperor Franz Josef.
Of course the recipe is secret, but you can taste milk chocolate
blending sweetly with a stronger almond flavour, then the exquisite taste
of marzipan, which ultimately gives way to a slight hint of cocoa on the
palate.
A symphony of tastes as sweet as the music that rose and fell in
the background.
The
restaurant has a wonderful view of the Vienna State Opera. We were
enchanted by the elegance of the opera goers who wandered in for a late
supper where they were warmly welcomed with the familiarity of frequency.
After
exploring the immediate environs of our hotel and on the recommendation of
the concierge we lunched at a buzzing typical Viennese restaurant. The
Konigsbacher, Walfichgasse 5, 1010 Wien.
Telephone 5131210
The
restaurant has four smallish inter-leading rooms where you share tables
and the bustling patron seemed to squeeze everybody in. Try
spinach on rosti topped with a poached egg, divine. Deer
sausage, red cabbage and potatoes were ideal for the cold weather with a
pils beer. The restaurant sports a wonderful trompe d’oeil painting of
a cat sipping beer from a full beer mug. We took a photograph that when
developed, appeared as a window with the cat in the forefront.
Again, above the bustle and noise, we heard lilting music and it
made one smile.
In
Vienna the coffee culture is strong and there are many historical coffee
houses that compete for custom. Demels is one of the oldest and most
famous for its confectionary. The atmosphere is busy and warm, but
completely orderly. Everything
at Demels is made in house, even their own chocolate. Each of the pastry
cooks is a specialist. Its story begins in 1786 when Ludwig Dehme opened
his Court Theatre Confectionery on St. Michaels Square. Within
a short time, Dehmes was considered chic by the Viennese society and
their delicacies delivered to Emperor Franz Josef 1st at
the Hofburg Palace.
The
famous confectionery acquired the name Demels when the eldest son of the
founder passed on the ownership to his apprentice, Christoph Demel.
It remained in the Demel family and in honour of their father, they
renamed it ‘Imperial and Royal Court Confectionery CH DEMEL’S SONS’. A son, Carl, took over the confectionery in 1911 and continued to
run it together with his sister-in-law Anna Demel.
At
Kohlmarkt 14, the exquisite products are still made by hand and until
today the Demel waitresses have been using the polite form of address when
asking the wishes of their guests; ‘Haben schon gewahlt’, which means
‘Did you choose?’
Among
all Demel’s famous pastries is their ‘other-worldly’ custard slice,
heavenly smooth custard encased in a light, melt-in-the mouth pastry.
Order a filtered coffee served with milk or lashings of whipped cream. What
a treat!
A
visit to the Grand Hotel Imperial, sister hotel of the Bristol is a
must, encapsulating the atmosphere of this enchanting city. It was
rapidly approaching dusk as we entered and greeted by the joyous strains
of Strauss.
Magnificent
chandeliers sparkled and shimmered from huge stucco ceilings providing
brilliant light, causing us to forget the encroaching darkness
outside.
The
foyer of the Imperial is very grand and very large with Winterhalter’s
famous portrait of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, in cream and gold. The
exquisitely beautiful, graceful and complex Empress was
affectionately known as 'Sisi'.
These
sumptuous surroundings were originally created in 1863 as the Vienna
residence of Prince Wurttenberg. The
stately palace was transformed into the Hotel Imperial for the World Fair
in 1873.
Dine
at the famous Korso Restaurant, The KORSO bei der OPER, on the ground
floor of the Bristol. This fin
de siecle restaurant is internationally ranked.
The
restaurant has a reputation for combining the Viennese flair and tradition
with carefully selected food and exceptional service in a unique setting.
The dress code was jackets, but not necessarily ties, and yet one
felt happy to dress up to honour this elegant establishment.
The
Bristol Bar is en route to the Restaurant. It is ideal for a pre-prandial
cocktail or perhaps a nightcap.
The
Maitre d’, dressed majestically in tails, greeted us and showed us to
our table. Music. Gently in the background, a pianist played heavenly
music. We were transported to
an era of long ago.
The
Chef de Cuisine is Richard Greer. He
has earned a Michelin star and 3 Toques in Gault Millau and was named Chef
of the year in 1993.
First
an amuse gueule was served with beautifully baked bread.
The amuse was bone marrow, wrapped in phyllo pastry.
The
beef consommé was heavenly.
Reduced, yet allowing the taste of beef to protrude, beautifully
subtle, not too heavy and overpowering.
The dumplings were delicate, and all we had ever dreamed they could
be.
The
rack of lamb was pink and crisp, with not an ounce of gratuitous fat.
Succulent vegetables were served separately.
Dessert,
sweet berries with summer fruits. (Summer fruits in the heart of winter? It
remains a mystery). Two scoops sorbet, mango and lemon added a refreshing
note.
The
service in Vienna is super-efficient, unobtrusive and never at any time
did we feel hurried or harried.
The
pianist played on, and quite spontaneously some dinner guests got up and
danced in the small space around the piano. What
a good idea, swept away by the music of Vienna.
On
leaving the restaurant, the Bristol Bar beckoned.
One of the traditional meeting places for fashionable society where you
can enjoy a nightcap immersed in the ambience.
Vienna
is the home of the Spanish Riding School. The
horses only perform on a Sunday in winter but practice every morning. The public is permitted, at a price, to watch the practice
sessions.
What
a joy to watch these magnificent stallions put through their paces.
The Lipizzaner is the oldest breed of horse that is bred in Europe.
The origins of the Spanish Riding School are obscure, but it is believed
to have been founded in 1572. By breeding and training horses from Spain,
the Hapsburgs formed the School to cultivate the classic skills of
horsemanship. The horses are
born black or brown and become their wonderful colour of white or
off-white, as they grow older.
They
perform ballet-like steps, with wonderful names such as pirouette, levade,
courbette, capriole and many others. They
lift their strong legs almost daintily in time to the music in the
background.
The instructions from the riders are invisible, and horse and rider
are at one with each other. The horses appear consumed by the music as
they move in mysterious time to the beat, and dance with joy tossing their
heads and marvellous manes. An equine ballet that is amazing to behold.
Part
Two includes the magnificent Schönbrunn Castle, Opera House, Belvedere
Palace, the world famous Sacher Hotel and a host of restaurants and much,
much more. See Leslie Back's practical travel tips and recipes from
this divine city.
Top:
Gustav Klimt Water Serpents 1 (detail) 1904-1907 Watercolours and gold paint on parchment, 50 x 20 cm Vienna, Osterreiche Galerie
©
Leslie Back
