It’s always sad when a good restaurant closes but I am all for giving successor place a chance. Die Feinkosterei opened recently in the heart of Vienna and right away one gets the feeling of déjà vu.
After a while I realized it’s because the decor, style and display fuses the neighboring restaurants of Ella’s and the Zum schwarzen Kameel. Yes, it’s a little bit different but on the whole it’s trying for the same vibe.
dining room @Die Feinkosterei
The kitchen though treads its own way with Austrian tapas creations. The recommended fare is three per person but actually two will do the trick. I started with the grilled char on red beet mash. The fish was maybe the tiniest tick too long in the pan but the overall result was perfect. Very good seasoning and the skin had a good crunch. The earthy mash of red beets rounded up the whole dish. Also a lovely dinner options without carbohydrates.
char with red beet mash @Die Feinkosterei
Other starters included a creamy pumpkin soup, which was unfortunately totally oversalted.
creamy pumpkin soup @Die Feinkosterei
The other starter of breaded and fried pumpkin with an apple carrot ragout and pumpkinseed aioli fared a lot better. Especially the ragout received raved reviews.
fried pumpkin with apple carrot ragout @Die Feinkosterei
The second round started with my blood sausage with apple tartare and onion jam. This combination always works and with the horseradish on top nothing can go wrong. Lovely dish and well-sized for a tapas.
blood sausage with apple tartar @Die Feinkosterei
Another winner was the Beuschl (innards). It needed a bit of seasoning but otherwise my friend was very happy with it. The two small bread dumplings helped to make it a more substantial dish.
Beuschl with dumplings @Die Feinkosterei
We ordered only one regular dish which was a grilled goat cheese salad with pears and walnuts. With the caramelized walnuts and the cheese grilled just to the point, the salad was beautiful.
grilled goat cheese salad @Die Feinkosterei
Overall the kitchen convinced us. One must hope that the salty soup was just a minor misstep. The tapas dishes are well sized and the idea to sample a bit more, due to the smaller sizes, is quite enticing.
What doesn’t work for me though is the drinks. The first thing I noticed was that they are expensive. The staple Viennese drink of choice, Grüner Veltliner, is so overpriced that I didn’t order one. Instead I went for the Spritzer to get more for my money. Too bad then that the wine they use as base is maybe the right grape but doesn’t have any acidity. The drink tastes flat and more like juice. I ordered a beer instead for my second drink. Personally I think this issue needs to be worked out. Otherwise it is not the place to be for me. Yours, Pollybert
Die Feinkosterei
1010 Wien, Judenplatz 7
Tel: +43 1 3961421
Email: feinkosterei@schwarz-hirsch.at
Mon-Sun: 11.00-24:00
https://www.feinkosterei.wien/
