Sopherl am Naschmarkt has opened its doors again after standing empty for a couple of years. This traditional place deserved to be reawakened from its dormant status, and I am happy to report that the restaurant was quite full on a recent evening. We got a table in the corner without a reservation and sat relatively close to each other, which turned out to be perfect since the acoustics were traumatizing. Even if you don’t need a hearing aid yet, you might feel you need one afterwards. Such a different experience from breakfast.
dining room @Sopherl am Naschmarkt
The restaurant still has the old bar, and right behind it lies the open kitchen, now run by the former owner of Spoon. I assume the ventilation system was renewed before reopening, yet there was a strong kitchen smell in the air. Not unpleasant, but I knew I would have to wash my hair later. The menu offers an enticing variety of Austrian delicacies, including stuffed veal tongue with horseradish mashed potatoes. Since tongue is something I love and it rarely appears on menus in Vienna, that is what I ordered.
stuffed veal tongue with horseradish mashed potatoes @Sopherl am Naschmarkt
And here we go again with expectations, which I know is my problem. I had expected more meat. Thin slices of tongue, stuffed with julienned root vegetables, were rolled up on small mounds of mashed potatoes. Horseradish was used as garnish, while Demi Glace sauce added some color and flavor. I liked the dish, as long as there was sauce and meat, but I would not order it again. The tongue flavor was overwhelmed by the horseradish, and the ratio of meat to potatoes was off in my opinion. In the end, nothing was left on my plate except potato mash, and there wasn’t even enough sauce to add more flavor.
My friend chose the vegetable roast beef with roasted potatoes. It arrived as a generous portion and looked spectacular, with a nice piece of meat topped with plenty of root vegetables and a mountain of roasted potatoes.
vegetable roast beef @Sopherl am Naschmarkt
Unfortunately, the meat was overcooked, too dark, and oversalted. He ate it all anyway, since no one likes sending a dish back to the kitchen for fear of what might happen next. I tried a bite and had to agree with him: too salty and a little too tough.
It was disappointing that neither of us really enjoyed our meal. Sopherl am Naschmarkt deserves better, especially since it has been around for more than a hundred years. Perhaps this was just bad luck, and I should give it another try at a later date. Let’s see. The service at least was very friendly and quick. Yours, Pollybert
Sopherl am Naschmarkt
1060 Wien, Linke Wienzeile 34
Tel: +43 1 2080505
Email: team@sopherl.wien
Mon-Sun: 09:30-23:00
https://sopherl.wien/
