Someone mentioned in passing that Gasthaus Quell serves generous portions at reasonable prices, and when I heard that, I was all for giving it a go. Within a week, I had gathered a group of friends to meet there for dinner.
The corner entrance you can see online is closed, and the main entrance is around the corner. This allows the tavern to fill the main room to capacity. While we were having dinner, I noticed a constant coming and going. Gasthaus Quell appears to be really popular, and without a reservation, there is no chance of finding a table for a large group.
We sat in one of the little chambers off the main room, and both of them have terrible acoustics. So beware of that when booking your table. Overall, the tavern is lively, with a high noise level and very friendly service, albeit a bit slow due to the full house. The tavern still features its original interior, with wood panelling and dark wooden furniture. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures.
As the portions looked really rather large, no one ordered a starter, and we all went straight for the main course. Green beans in dill sauce with hash browns were a particular favourite and were ordered three times, once with extra boiled beef. The green beans had a really great colour, and the sauce was nicely seasoned and tasty, definitely heavy on the roux. I especially loved the potatoes, as we rarely see proper hash browns nowadays. This was a really nice dish.
green beans in dill sauce, hash browns, and boiled beef @Gasthaus Quell
The breaded and fried celeriac came with a small side salad and extra cranberry sauce instead of tartar sauce. My vegetarian friend was rather particular about this and wanted something sweet with her fried food. She really loved it, while I personally think tartar sauce would have given the dish a bit more acidity and depth. This was also a really big portion, and I am not sure I would have wanted to finish the whole plate. Not so my friend, who ate it all.
breaded and fried celeriac @Gasthaus Quell
The children’s menu offered a Wiener Schnitzel with French fries. The portion was definitely big enough for an older child. The nine year old we had with us ate half of it and took the rest home. As it came with ketchup, there were no complaints from him.
Wiener Schnitzel for kids @Gasthaus Quell
I, on the other hand, opted for Tyrolean liver, a dish I usually really like. My first mistake was not taking into account that the menu specified beef liver, which is never a particularly tasty cut. Usually, it is either veal or pork, but beef liver tends to be rather tough, and unfortunately, my suspicions were confirmed. And that was just the beginning, as the gravy was also too thick, unlike the usual clear sauce. The bacon and roasted apple slice were completely lost under all that gravy. Overall, it was not particularly good, although I did at least enjoy the mashed potatoes.
Tyrolean liver @Gasthaus Quell
In summary, I understand the appeal of Gasthaus Quell, despite the disappointment with the liver. The prices are reasonable, the portions are generous, and everything tastes home cooked. So a dish like the liver can be excused, especially since the menu clearly stated that it was beef liver, meaning the rather leathery texture and intense taste should have been expected.
The service was really friendly despite the crowds and the long waits between visits from the server, who had to make his way to the back room. This is a place where you can really enjoy Viennese food and hospitality. Yours, Pollybert
Gasthaus Quell
1150 Wien, Reindorfgasse 19 / Oelweingasse 1
Tel: +43 1 8932407
Mon-Fri: 11:00-24:00
https://www.gasthausquell.at/
