Gourmet Germany, Austria & Switzerland: 2003
When you take your tongue out sightseeing in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, what are its favorite taste treats?
Food - Vienna & Salzburg
My cousin and I were just in Salzburg and Vienna for 2 weeks. In Salzburg,
we found that the Gasthaus zum Wilder Mann in Salzburg (in Rick's book)was
absolutely delicious. The food was not only filling but the prices were
great. Be prepared if you order something with a dumpling - they are the
size of a softball. Try the appel strudel: WOW! The place is a little hard
to find -- if you get off the bus at F. Hanuschplatz, look across the street,
there is an unlit sign above the entrance to one of the alleys joining Griesgasse
and Getreidegasse. Go down the alley and the restaurant is on the right
hand side across from the Chinese Buffet.
In Vienna, try the Zum Kulchdragoner for some typical Austrian food.
The address is Seitenstettengasse 3 (take the U1 to Schedenplatz and after
leaving the underground head down the street towards the Billa market
on the left hand side. Go up Raben (?) and bear right on to Seitenstettengasse,
the restuarant is on the right han side across from the synague. Try the
Weiner Schnitzel; portions are big (had to take some back to the hotel).
The Sturm is also delicious. Waitresses are nice and helpful and prices
are for the budget traveler.
Trina <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA 11/22/03
Munich, Germany
For great coffee, hot chocolate and a few pastries, try Karnoll's Kaffee
stand located in the Viktualienmarkt area. Good pizza: Riva Pizzaria, a
few blocks south of Marienplatz at Tal 44. For a variety of good foods,
go to the Viktualienmarkt where you can select a variety of hot & cold foods,
grab a beer and sit outside at picnic tables.
Mike <email>
Arlington, VA USA 11/09/03
Good Eats
I found far too many great places on my last trip to list them all. But,
a few that really stood out were, Schneider Weisses Brauhaus in Munich,
the Arena Greek Restaurant near Wembley stadium in northwest London, and
the Fuhrich restaurant in Vienna. Fuhrich has the biggest Wiener Schnitzel
I have ever seen. Great staff. Great service. Highly recommended. It's inside
the ring between the Theater Museum, and the Lobmery Museum.
Bret Spencer <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 09/17/03
KaDeWe in Berlin
Thanks to a prior posting, I went to KaDeWe on my recent trip to Berlin.
Their rooftop cafeteria is definitely worth a visit. I agree that even though
the food is not the cheapest, it is good and there is a huge selection.
We ordered 2 dishes and they were big enough to be shared by 3 people. Plus
it is a very bright and airy environment with smoke-free section. Don't
forget to visit the floor below where they sell food from all over the world
(including caviar that costs 290euros for 50grams).
yuen <email>
philadelphia, PA USA 09/11/03
Sausage dishes @ the Johanniter in Zürich, Switzerland
Sausage dishes at the Johanniter restaurant in Zürich, Switzerland, are
very delicious, and you can substitute side dishes from what is on the menu,
like instead of red cabbage, you can ask for dumplings or boiled potatoes
or whatever. And as condiments, they offer Thomy mustard in tubes like toothpaste.
The blue one is the mild mustard, but my favorite is the very spicy mustard
in the yellow tube. Usually at that restaraunt I order the Spätzle with
ham, cheese and onions, but as I did order something like that in Baden
(in the Swiss canton of Argovia, between Zürich and Basel), I thought I
would have something different. But it was so good! As dessert I had the
apple/raisin strudel with vanilla sauce. That was the best I ever had in
Switzerland! The Johanniter is along the Niederdorferstrasse in the eastern
bank of the Limmat, about half a mile from the central station, and a few
hundred yards from the trolley hub "Central" next to the Polybahn cable
car. This restaurant is open until 2 AM Sunday to Thursday and to 4 AM Friday
and Saturday, and warm dishes up to an hour before closing.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, ca USA 09/01/03
The wuerstal stands in Vienna are key. The best one in town is one
block off stephansplatz on Kaertnerstrasse on the right - one word Kaesekrainer
(cheese filled bratwurst.. watch that first bite. It'll pop.) Centimeter
- 3 locations in Wien - one behind teh Rathaus, one off Neubaugasse and
Mariahilfer Strasse... Super big, pretty cheap, and lots of good Stiegl
(good austrian beer). The best Kebabs in town are 3/4 of the way down (away
from the ring) the Naschtmarkt on the right side. When you get near you'll
know, they'll start aking you twenty feet away how many you want. Mahlzeit!
P <email>
Fort Collins, CO USA 08/22/03
Wonderful restaurant in Vienna
One of the most enjoyable meals we had while traveling in Germany and Austria
was in Vienna, at La Norma. Great ambiance inside and outside the restaurant,
on Franziskanerplatz. Wonderful food -- tortellini in garlicy creamy sauce,
artichoke-mushroom-schinken wood oven pizza, crisp green salads, yummy beer,
earthy red wine ("breathed" on our windowsill), zingy schnapps, decadent
tiramisu -- all fantastic (a feast for 45 Euro)! And incredible service
-- friendly and helpful, but never intruding on our conversation, knowing
when we wanted something right when we realized it! If we lived in Vienna
we'd be regulars. All the meals we had on our trip were good, many were
excellent, but this one was exceptional in all ways.
Marianne
Seattle, WA USA 07/05/03
Saumagen
While in Heidelburg with German friends they convinced my son to try Saumagen
which they said was a local delicacy (pig stomach stuffed with pork and
potatotes). It was excellent! We all tried it and liked it. P.S. I know
Rick says that Heidelburg is too touristy but we really enjoyed the atmosphere
a lot. We had a great time there but we were only there for a few hours
with freinds.
recently travelled
USA 07/03/03
Munich's Kartoffelhaus
In Munich, try the Kartoffelhaus. It is a nice departure from the constant
pork featured on menus. We were the only English speaking people in the
restaurant, and the food was wonderful. Of course you have to like potatoes!
We spent our next evening at Hofbrauhaus. Despite Steve's warnings/predictions
that it would be full of tourists we found it to be the exact opposite.
Yes there were tourists, but we got there early (not intending to stay long)
and made some German friends. We spent the next 5 hours singing, talking
and laughing.
Laurie <email>
Lincoln, NE USA 06/29/03
Salzburg
We had a great time at the Augustiner Brau. It was like going to a class
A minor league ballgame without the baseball. I noted that most children
under the age of 14 only drank the half litre mugs of beer. Many tables
are reserved for regulars. A great place to get into the spirit of Salzburg.
Skinke <email>
Charleston, SC USA 06/28/03
Zambaione in Lugano
I went to La Tinera on recommendations from locals. It's tucked in an alley
and down in the basement. I was the only non-local there that night. Everybody
there ordered Zambaione for dessert (eggs yolks beaten with Marsala wine).
They told me that La Tinera has the best Zambaione in town cuz it's freshly
beaten by hand when you order it. It was the best! You can order it with
or without ice-cream.
Yuen <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA 06/23/03
Munich Osterwald Garden
Was in Munich for 6 months during 2002 and there is one restaurant that
deserves attention - Osterwald Garten, Just east of the seehaus in the English
Garden. It has several amazing dishes, we went back numerous times, but
my favorites are Weiner Schnitzel - the most tender and tasty we had here,
Dunkelbier Goulash - which has a Brezenodel in it (nodel made of Pretzels
- heavy but tasty), and finally, Osterwald Teller, which is pork tenderloin
medallions with a mushroom cream sause over spatzle and topped with some
crispy bacon pieces on top... My mouth waters everytime I think about it...
Nice ambiance, nice beer garden area.
Mark <email>
Palatine, IL USA 06/18/03
Andechs Monastery's Specialty
I lived in Munich as a teenager. I remember my favorite meal was the Schweinhaxe
(roasted pork shoulder) at Andechs monastery (mentioned in Rick's book).
I went back as an adult in 99 and it hadn't changed a bit. We're going back
this summer...can't wait to treat my kids to this off the beaten path gem
with its to die for pig! Oh, and don't forget to wash it down with their
Monk brewed beer. Wunderbar!
Russ <email>
Mansfield, TX USA 02/10/03
Giggelwurst
I used to live in Munich a few years ago. On the main fussgangerzone (walking
street) by the Woolworths near the Frauenkirche, there is a sausage stand.
It has a red cover above it and is called "Giggelwurst." These are some
of the best German sausages I have ever eaten. My particular favorite was
the curry wurst. It is incredible!! Go try one the next time you are there,
you won't regret it.
D. Scholz <email>
Vienna, VA USA 01/31/03
Best duck in Munich
If u wanna eat the best duck in Munich, u have to go to the austrian restaurant "Freisinger Hof" in Oberföhringerstr. Unfortunately it´s not located in
the center, but if u spend some more days in town it´s definetly a must-go!!
The duck is served with Blaukraut and Knödeln - absolutely delicious. Never
eaten anything better, but prices for the duck are about 16€. The restaurant
itself is very oldfashioned style. Beautiful old furniture and cosy atmosphere.
Enjoy ur trip!
Nikolas
Munich, BY FRG 01/13/03