Nagano — Local services in Vienna

Nagano Vienna offers a refined and modern take on Japanese cuisine, blending traditional flavors with innovative twists. Set in a cozy, minimalist space, the restaurant delivers a unique dining experience that’s both visually and gastronomically impressive. Each dish is carefully crafted with attention to detail, resulting in an unforgettable culinary journey.

Dishes: Lotus Root Salad with Marinated Onsen Egg: This refreshing salad is a beautiful balance of flavors and textures. The preserved lotus root offers a slightly chewy texture, paired with vibrant edamame and sweet cherry tomatoes. The marinated onsen egg is perfectly soft, adding a rich, velvety element to the dish. It’s a refreshing and flavorful appetizer that sets the tone for the rest of the meal.

Beef Tartare Nagano's take on beef tartare comes with a unique Asian twist. The beef is finely seasoned and paired with crispy seaweed tempura chips, offering a satisfying crunch alongside the rich, creamy tartare. The kimizu sauce adds a delicate tang, balancing the richness of the beef. This dish is an excellent fusion of textures and flavors, showcasing the chef’s creativity.

Preserved Mackerel with Watermelon Jerky An intriguing dish that pairs rich, umami-flavored mackerel with the unexpected addition of watermelon jerky. The sweet and chewy jerky contrasts beautifully with the boldness of the mackerel, creating an adventurous and satisfying combination. Served with osuimono sud, a light and fragrant Japanese broth, this dish offers a harmonious blend of flavors and textures.

Crusty Crab Roll A true signature dish, this sushi roll is topped with a crispy snow crab croquette and filled with avocado-shiso cream, prawn, cucumber, and truffle mayo. Finished with black truffle and Parmigiano, it’s an indulgent, rich, and perfectly balanced roll that combines crunch, creaminess, and umami in every bite.

Karaage The karaage at Nagano stands out for its creative interpretation. While prepared differently than the traditional Japanese version, it still boasts incredibly tender chicken with a perfectly crispy coating. Paired with a tangy dipping sauce, the karaage offers a delightful crunch and bold flavor that make it a must-try starter.

Grilled Pulpo The grilled octopus is a true culinary highlight at Nagano. Cooked to perfection, the tender octopus is served with a rich black ink hollandaise that adds a velvety, umami-packed depth. The bell pepper jam provides a sweet and tangy counterbalance to the richness, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. This dish is a perfect example of how the restaurant elevates familiar ingredients with modern techniques and bold pairings.

Sakura Cheesecake with Yuzu Cream This dessert offers a light and refreshing end to the meal. The cheesecake is not overly sweet, which is characteristic of many Asian desserts, and the yuzu cream adds a refreshing, citrusy note. It’s a perfect finish for those who prefer a dessert that is elegant and not too heavy.

Homemade Yuzu and Blueberry-Rosemary Ice Cream Nagano’s homemade ice creams are a true treat. The yuzu flavor is bright and refreshing, while the blueberry-rosemary is more complex, with herbal undertones. Both options are a delicious way to round out the meal and leave the palate feeling cleansed and satisfied.

The service is excellent, with attentive and knowledgeable staff who provide insightful recommendations and ensure that the pacing of the meal is perfect. Each dish is explained with care, making the dining experience both enjoyable and seamless.

Nagano Vienna excels at blending the traditional with the modern, offering inventive and beautifully presented dishes that impress both visually and in flavor. From the indulgent Crusty Crab Roll to the intriguing combination of mackerel and watermelon jerky, the restaurant pushes the boundaries of Japanese cuisine in exciting ways. For an exceptional dining experience in Vienna, Nagano is...

Underwhelming, overpriced and just disappointing.

The cocktails were bland, two-dimensional and lacked a depth in flavor.

The Crusty Crab roll has potential but it is ruined by its presentation. Instead of adding the crab in the roll, it is placed on top of the roll as a small croquette. Firstly, this results in the smallest sushi roll you have ever seen - because there is little left to fill it with when the main component of the dish is added on top of the roll. Secondly, as you take a bite, it feels like you are eating two separate dishes - a plain sushi roll and a crab croquette. There is simply a lack of harmony in this dish. Lastly, adding an invisible amount of black truffle that is impossible to taste offers the restaurant the classic excuse of increasing the price while adding little to no value to the customer.

To add insult to injury, the Hamachi Tiradito is a complete letdown of a dish that can only be saved by good quality hamachi, when the restaurant is able to supply it. A classic tiradito dish has multiple components that enhance the natural flavor of the fish - some of them are presented in the form of a sauce, while others are placed on top of the fish. The Nagano menu reads that the Hamachi Tiradito has figs, jalapeño, black truffle and yuzu. When the dish is served, you see two main components - the fish and the sauce. The fish was not bad, but the sauce lacks the flavors that are promised. Why this dish is extremely disappointing is the fact that what you read on the menu is not what you taste in your plate. Which leads me to the service...

When a dish like the Hamachi Tiradito is served, it is customary of a good restaurant to have the staff explain the dish and highlight its different components. This did not happen, and that's acceptable. But when I called the waiter to ask if the dish we were served with was indeed the Hamachi Tiradito (since they have hamachi in a few of their dishes), or if perhaps the kitchen forgot to add some ingredients (like adding slices of jalapeño on top of the fish, as is very common for tiradito), the first thing the waiter said was "Did you order the right one?". While I appreciate the insinuation that the customer made a mistake, what made this exchange even better was that the waiter reached over the table to my girlfriend's phone - which had the menu open - to check the description of the Hamachi Tiradito, only to then inform us that all the other ingredients of the fish were in the sauce. I must admit, when we arrived at the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed and expected similar service throughout the dinner, but this attitude is simply unacceptable.

I rarely take the time to write negative reviews, but this is one I couldn't let go. I am sure that Nagano might have better dishes in their menu, but I found nothing in my first visit that gives me the desire to give them another shot.

You will find much better (and similar) food and service in restaurants like Market, PACO (especially if you like tiradito), Mochi, Kikko Bā, among others. There are enough good restaurants in Vienna that offer similar flavor profiles for you to waste your money at Nagano.

p.s., the Tori Karaage was fresh and prepared well, and the tap water was...

We booked here for the "Restaurantwoche" - a great chance to get to know new places. And we were not disappointed. The starters (2) and dessert (1) were set, and we could choose from four options for the main course. My partner chose the beef, I chose the salmon - clearly a traditional division between male/female guests as it seems every couple in the room made the same choice. I'm sure it would be a fascinating study if anyone's interested. Anyway: the starters were both "lecker" - as the Germans say. The first started served very well as a teaser with its crisp texture (I forgot to take photos of the starters: I have yet to become fully fledged in the whole social media-thing where photos are everything - my apologies), and the second started was a fresh take on the traditional sushi with lovely, subtle flavours and wasabi that didn't seem to be thinned out with horseradish. The salmon was cooked to perfection and the rice had a lovely nutty flavour and my darling partner could not stop himself from commenting on how I stuffed my face. His beef was also great, though he struggled a little with the size of the pieces as they were somewhat more than bite-sized and not really possible to bite off. They could perhaps have been cut smaller just before serving, just for the sake of the diner keeping their dignity while juggling their chopsticks. The dessert could not be faulted for flavour, though the consistency was a bit of an acquired thing - like stringy wallpaper glue... sorry! I think I would have been absolutely delighted had I been five years old. I sort of feel that I let myself down by not having sake to wash it all down at the end, but I don't do well on my bicycle if I have any alcohol, so I stuck with mango with sparkly mineral water. My dahling had beer, only to discover that the first one he ordered was made on licence in Germany, the second one on licence in Italy. I suggested he let that go: it is probably better for the environment if they are made locally rather than shipped hither and dither. At least they were Japanese in name. Apologies for the photos of the half-eaten dishes. As mentioned - picture-perfect social media contributions is clearly not my thing. PS...