K.u.K. Restaurant Piaristenkeller — Restaurant in Vienna

A hidden Restaurant in the heart of the viennese 8th district. The restaurant has the K.u.K. seal, which stands for Kaiserlich und Königlich (Imperial and Royal). This seal stems from the Austro-Hungarian Empire times and refers to establishments recognized by the empire. Nowadays there aren’t many of these left, so you can be sure that you are entering a well-stablished restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised by the service. Vienna is known for rude, unsympathetic waiters but here they were nice and welcoming, our waiter Jimmy could speak many languages. To us, he talked spanish for example. He goes above and beyond in the hospitality, really nice guy. The ambience in the cellar restaurant is impressive. There are velvet curtains, paintings, statues and antique furniture, you feel like you travelled 100 years back in the past. While the waiter takes your coat, you can appreciate the historical hat collection displayed. When the waiter brings you to the candle-lit table, you notice the wine dispenser that seems to be there since the emperor times. The menu doesn’t have too many options, but enough to please different kinds of guests: from the classic viennese Schnitzel to local fish as well as vegetarian options. The prices were not as expensive as I expected – just a bit pricier than any normal Austrian restaurant in the city. The food was excellent, from the soup to the appetizers and main courses. Drinking wine out of the dispenser was a true experience as well. The place was quite empty, I believe they need more advertisement. I am sure many people would be interested in the experience of dining like the emperor...

Hard to review this one. We got recommended Piaristenkeller from a member of staff at the hotel we were staying in that's around a 10 min walk away.

We asked the staff member at the hotel for an authentic Austrian cuisine experience, this we got. In terms of decor and ambience the restaurant gets 10/10 however, the food does not.

My main dish had a very over-powering sauce that ruined the dish and the meat was chewy. The side which I think was a potato hash brown was tasteless, rubbery and oily. It actually made me gag. My wife's dish consisting of spaghetti and chicken also didn't fair well. The spaghetti was tasteless and the chicken was not great quality with a fatty consistency. It's as if the restaurant is stuck in a time warp - the same cooking and food preparation methods haven't been changed for 100 years! Maybe that's the attraction? I don't know

In the waiters defence we was thorough in explaining the menu and the fault does not lie on his shoulders. I NEVER leave food but this dish I could not eat, I feel bad, but in all honesty the food was disgusting.

Overall, we paid a lot of money for two dishes we only literally took mouthfuls of. There was no offer of a discount. Nonetheless, if you like gamey type food this could be for you, but in all honesty there are far better restaurants in the area and I would advise anyone to swerve...

The minute you enter the cellar, you’re transported back into the 19th century with Sissi and Franz Joseph, from the artifacts, the hats, the paintings and the general atmosphere and music.

While it is expensive, it’s a restaurant for really special occasions, not for an average night about town or tourism, and you do get what you pay for.

The waiter was incredible. He made us feel right at home, chatted with us and joked around, then held our coats for us as we dressed to leave.

The food:

the veal schnitzel, served with a side of parsley potatoes and salad, was juicy, well-seasoned and thin, and its crust moist yet not oily.

the melt-in-the-mouth carpaccio was served with bread, a spicy creamy sauce and rocket leaves.

the venison (deer) steak was warm, juicy, tender, slightly bloody in the middle, and served with croquettes, a mushroom sauce (the rosemary was a fantastic touch) chestnut mousse, a half-pear, and some grilled vegetables - in other words, perfectly cooked and paired with a variety of flavours.

the crêpes were crispy, tender and filled to excess with chocolate sauce or apricot jam, served with a portion of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

The drinks:

The beer could’ve been a bit cheaper, considering how expensive the food is. The spritzer was great (5.50€ for a mini-carafe/about 2...