Advent season in Vienna is in full swing with Christmas markets all over the city. Some people like to eat directly at these markets, others prefer to sit down somewhere warm and enjoy a meal in a different surrounding. Leto Restaurant and Bar lies around the corner from the Am Hof Christmas market and makes therefore an ideal location, whenever you are in the area. As busy as it is around the pedestrian area of the market, the moment you turn a corner you leave the masses behind.
We had of course a reservation for Leto, which makes sense in the first district and this busy time. While there were still some tables available when we arrived, thirty minutes later the restaurant was packed.
inside @LETO Restaurant Bar
We shared two starters to begin with, the Fava Santorini and the zucchini patties. The beans especially I have in fond memory, as the ones from Sifnos this year had been to die for. Usually the Greek patties are not my thing but at LETO I was in for a surprise. Four small patties arrived on a plate with some tzatziki on the side. The patties were deep fried to a golden hue. The coating was crunchy, while the inside was soft and mushy. The tzatziki provided a nice cool contrast and together it tasted quite delicious.
zucchini patties @LETO Restaurant Bar
The Fava Santorini spread arrived warm, which threw me a bit. But it had a great texture and I actually enjoyed the warmth very much. The only problem we had was the lack of seasoning. Most dishes didn’t have enough salt or pepper. Once seasoned, the fava beans tasted lovely. It doesn’t always have to be hummus, other beans do the trick as well.
Fava Santorini @LETO Restaurant Bar
My friend ordered the LETO Mezze plate as a main dish. It arrived with small bowls containing more Fava Santorini, hummus, tzatziki, cubes of feta cheese, Kalamata olives, eggplant salad, as well as two pita breads. The hummus was a bit dense in my opinion. The eggplant salad had a nice smokey flavor and the olives were big and juicy with a lot of meat on them. The feta needed olive oil, which was brought immediately upon request. The tzatziki and the Fava Santorini spread need no more words. Overall my friend was very pleased with her choice.
LETO Mezze plate @LETO Restaurant Bar
My vegetarian ordered the eggplant ragout, which was unfortunately no longer available. As much as this is inconveniencing I quite like it when some dishes are finished for the day. So instead she got the cauliflower steak with olive-shiitake velouté, truffle oil, and sweet potato purée. As nice as it looked, there were just too many mushrooms on this plate. I didn’t see any olives, and I am not sure where the velouté hid. My main problem was that cauliflower was a bit undercooked and still quite tough to cut, the mushrooms and the purée were only lukewarm. The dish lacked seasoning as well, it just doesn’t do the trick to sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top before serving. I was glad I didn’t order that.
cauliflower steak with olive shiitake velouté @LETO Restaurant Bar
The daily special was Kritharaki Frutti di Mare, which is a Greek orzo pasta prepared with prawns, octopus, and calamari in a flavorful tomato sauce. I didn’t know that this lunch menu and there was a bit left. The orzo was completely overcooked, it definitely had soaked up too much of the liquid. I found that the Fruitti di Mare were few and far in between. There was not enough flavor, and all in all just bland. Which I told the owner when he came back, that while it was okay it was nowhere near great. He offered to exchange it, but I was okay with eating bland food and just be done with it. What a nice surprise then when I found that I got he reduced the price for this dish.
Kritharaki Frutti di Mare @LETO Restaurant Bar
My second visit was as enjoyable as the first one. At least this is how I remember it. The service was really friendly and attentive and I loved the relaxed vibe. Definitely a place to come back to again. Yours, Pollybert
LETO Restaurant Bar
1010 Wien, Schwertgasse 3
Tel: +43 1 9926189 or +43 676 4210241
Email: leto@restaurantleto.at
Mon-Thu: 11:30–23:00, Fri: 11:30–24:00, Sat: 12:00–24:00, Sun: 12:00–23:00
https://restaurantleto.at/
