Restaurant Martin Stein: Vienna

On our recent European vacation, we hit some great restaurants, notably in Vienna. One place was Restaurant Martin Stein (or just Stein), which was the only time we ventured outside the main city center (Ringstrasse). 

It was a Tuesday evening, and the restaurant was virtually empty, meaning we got some seriously attentive service. The ambiance was casual elegance; we felt like we were in someone's house, someone's house decorated in a beach theme.

We had a good view of the beverage station and decided to start dinner with a glass of Austrian sparkling rose.

During the meal, we took the suggestion of our server and had an Austrian Riesling that was perfect for the warm summer night.

As we were loking over the menu, we noshed on bread with different spreads, a trend that we noticed in many of the restaurants in Vienna and Budapest.

While the tasting menu was tempting, one course was brain, which is one of the few things that I simply cannot eat.  Instead, we both chose an appetizer (to eat half of then swap), soup, and an entree. Before we saw any of those, we received a single ravioli as an amuse.

Husband started with the tartare of beef with homemade butter toast and fried quail egg, and while it may look a little like a block of raw ground beef, it was really an exceptional dish. 

I had a rare, thinly sliced duck breast with a mushroom and avocado salad. Lovely meat and very fresh vegetables.

We both tried their creamy, cool pea soup, which was as much as as it was a delcious dish.

We both had fish for our entree. Husband had swordfish with a cucumber salad, potatoes, and other sides.

I cannot remember the kind of fish I had, but they had created a cripsy crust on it, and it was served with fennel, cabbage, and homemade gnocchi. So good!

Our appetites were suffering by this point so we asked to split a chocolate nougat dessert. They were nice enough to plate two half portions so we each got our own beautifully designed dishes. 

Great food, wine, and service. You can't ask for much more.

Restaurant Martin Stein
www.martin-stein.at
Döblinger Hauptstraße 59
1190 Wien, Austria
01 3670130

Comments

[restaurant pos]

Wow, what a great meal. I will check it out. I wish I can taste all their dishes. Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed reading this post.