Das Hegel has been on my list for a couple of months already, and I had already tried in vain to have breakfast there last summer. Despite making a reservation online, once we arrived in front of the coffeehouse it was on summer vacation for a month and therefore closed. This information had been missing from their website though, and I was quite angry that it was even possible to make a reservation in the first place.
But I am not one to hold a grudge and made another reservation for last weekend. I was still curious to see how this place would turn out, as it had really good reviews online. The weather was beautiful and the terrace seemed almost ready to welcome guests. Nonetheless, we stayed inside.
Das Hegel @Vienna
Except for one table the coffeehouse was still empty at that time and stayed like this for most of our visit. This is definitely not a busy place.
inside @Das Hegel
That made no difference to the service though, as it took the lone waitress about 20 minutes to show up with our coffee. Despite the little pack of sweets next to my cup, I was not particularly happy. Apparently the dishwasher is not working correctly.
dirty coffee cup @Das Hegel
The breakfast menu is short, with a couple of combinations including one hot drink as well as some egg dishes. My friend ordered the eggs with parmesan. According to the menu, two fried eggs with sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan awaited him. It sounded interesting and I was curious how the tomatoes and nuts would be incorporated into the dish. I should not have wondered, as they never materialized on his plate.
parmesan eggs @Das Hegel
What appeared was simply eggs with parmesan, but not at all what the menu promised. The scrambled eggs had seen fluffier days and there was a small sprinkle of parmesan on top. After tasting the eggs, we checked the menu again and then complained to the waitress. Her excuse was a change in the kitchen and a new cook. But is learning the menu not part of starting a new job in a restaurant? The problem with the eggs was not only the completely different appearance but also the taste. The scrambled eggs simply did not taste good.
The same unfortunately went for my breakfast. I had ordered a combination called “Bauernfrühstück”, or farmer’s breakfast. Scrambled eggs on a slice of bread, topped with ham and bacon, cooked au gratin with cheese, with arugula and cream cheese. It sounded like a rather mad combination, but I was ready for something hearty as I had a big dinner planned and needed something sustaining.
Bauernfrühstück @Das Hegel
The scrambled eggs were dry and had clearly been left too long in the pan. The bacon was fine, crispy and actually quite tasty, but the ham turned out to be slices of salami. Cooking something au gratin looks different in my opinion and usually has a bit of color, unlike this limp melted cheese on top. The cream cheese had not shown up either, but at least the arugula was there. Overall it took me one bite of the tasteless slice of bread and dry eggs to declare this dish unfit to eat.
So we both sent our breakfast dishes back to the kitchen but abstained from ordering anything else. I had no trust in this chef and rather finished my coffee out of the dirty cup. Das Hegel was the worst experience I have had in a while. And I have had a couple of other miserable breakfasts over the last few weeks, but this one took the crown. Yours, Pollybert
Das Hegel
1010 Wien, Johannesgasse 16
Tel: +43 664 2452002
Email: info-roo-rooms@gmx.at
Mon-Fri: 08:00-17:00, Sat: 08:00-15:00
https://www.das-hegel.at/
