Just recently the bar changed its name from Rundbar to Weinskandal – R&Bar and now dips heavily into the natural wine hype. I can’t really say that I am a fan of natural wine, because honestly, what’s unnatural about regular wine? I don’t care how the filtering is done. But that’s beside the point. R&Bar – Weinskandal has a young chef and this is why I wanted to come for drinks. And of course for something to eat.
We got a table (with reservation) outside. The bar was on this warm summer evening a very popular spot, with the neighborhood and the urban crowd. Before we started with the food we ordered some drinks, recommended by our lovely Ukrainian waitress. Not really sure how she did it and what she gave us, but she got the drinks just right. So good in fact that we ordered a second round. With the drinks we got roasted almonds and olives, while we studied the menu.
drinks and snacks @Weinskandal – R&Bar
Weinskandal – R&Bar is a place for sharing. So think about with whom you want to split your food. We started with a ‘ciabata tostata‘, roasted ciabata bread with feta and tomatoes. Lots of whipped feta with roasted cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes were bursting with flavor, but hard to eat without juice dripping down your chin. Delicious!
ciabata tostata @Weinskandal R&Bar
Next up was a salad of kohlrabi, carrot, fennel, and elderberry. The berries must have gotten lost along the way, the salad came instead with pomegranate seeds. Very much appreciated by me, since elderberry is one of the few fruits I don’t like. And that despite one should bow before the elderberry since it is so healthy (says my mum). Nevermind, the salad was fresh and crunchy and the pomegranate seed added a nice acidic touch. A hint of bitterness came from radicchio. Very colorful indeed.
kohlrabi, fennel, carrot, pomegranate salad @Weinskandal – R&Bar
A soft boiled egg was hidden underneath roasted king oyster mushrooms and a lavish amount of lovage. Not a dish to share easily as well, but then I dipped my fork right into it. You don’t want to waste any yummyness of the yolk.
egg with king oyster mushrooms and lovage @Weinskandal – R&Bar
The only dish I didn’t like was the Wagyu skirt steak. Instead of roasting aromas, it came slathered in oil. Not sure what’s the point of ruining a perfectly good piece of meat, but that’s what happened. This was boring to say the least. Also it came naked, with nothing on the side. So we ordered some more bread. But no matter, the meat was a disappointment.
Wagyu skirt steak @Weinskandal – R&Bar
By the time we had dessert I might have been on my next drink already. So maybe my recollection is not completely accurate. I do remember though that the dark chocolate cream with roasted apricots was heavy and unappealing. Way too rich to be enjoyed. The mascarpone cream with salted caramel and strawberries fared better. Still, it was overall too sweet. The mascarpone cream was unfortunately rather bland and the salted caramel didn’t get through at all.
mascarpone cream with strawberries, and dark chocolate with roasted apricots @Weinskandal – R&Bar
Overall, Weinskandal – R&Bar is a fun place with interesting food. I can’t say anything about the natural wines, I stuck to the drinks. But it’s definitely a spot I will keep on my radar for when I am in the area. Yours, Pollybert
Weinskandal – R&Bar
1070 Wien, Lindengasse 1
Tel: +43 676 83858696
Email: rundbar@weinskandal.at
Mon-Fri: 16:00-24:00
https://weinskandal.at/pages/rundbar
