Restaurant Amador — Restaurant in Vienna

UPDATED: after having many second thoughts after the initial rating (was 4, which I thought was overly generous), I decided to lower the rating down to 2, especially since the chef Juan Amador himself accused me of causing drama and demanded that I apologize to him after the misgendering incident. I was too intimidated, and I didn't want to miss out on it with the belief that I may not have a lot of time left on this earth so I gave in, but for the way he handled this thing was quite inappropriate.

Summary: Michelin 3* quality food without a doubt. But unsatisfactory service from the chef and staff being out of touch with LGBTQ+ people. Would be extremely cautious to visit the next time, most likely not again for fear of getting hurt by the insensitive owner.

This is my third 3* Michelin start visit, and overall my 13th Michelin star restaurant visit.

Food is absolutely 5/5 without a doubt! Beautiful presentation (especially walk in a forest – those small mushrooms in that snack was presented in a way that that makes me think of a family of mushrooms in a forest), and complexity in flavour. Overall a bit on the intense side, but the complexity (such as different tastes and texture competing/contrasting while harmonizing at the same time, giving the food complexity – reminds me of the Core Apple from CORE by Clare Smyth) that you'd expect at a restaurant with the 19/20 Gault&Millau score and 3* are very much there, for every food. Turbot had that umami fish flavour but is beautifully combined with that slightly sweet taste you'd feel in Spanish peas and arroz, for instance.

However, this was marred by one waiter who constantly called me 'sir' (no, I do not have that so-called baritone voice – my voice is androgynous, and can safely pass as female with the proper gender presentation, which I of course kept up with a long dress, curled hair, and so forth). This happened to be one of my my biggest triggers for dysphoria – specifically being reminded of how I am not 'she' enough no matter what I try – so my mood was unfortunately tanked down for the rest of the night.

While I could still feel appreciate the technique and complexity (and even can jog myself what I liked about the food while looking at the pictures), part of myself (maybe 35-40% of myself) felt like I was just putting the food in while feeling hurt and soulless. I was considering stopping the course as my mood was spiraling down, but I decided against letting what could be a one-time dining opportunity slip up, especially for my one-month Europe trip which could very well be my last trip for a long while (or possibly of my life).

Other waiters tried their best to salvage, but unfortunately that one waiter who misgendered me twice has hit the third rail. Appreciated the effort despite not me being responsive, but that was too deeply hurtful for my mood to bounce up back to how I felt at the beginning. I still find it hard to believe it was a simple mistake other than refusing to respect who I am especially with my own presentation, despite other staff telling me it was likely a simple mistake. Sorry, I am not convinced. That is just an excuse.

Outstanding food that you'd expect from a 3* level, perhaps a price point just a little too high for what I was offered despite outstanding quality. But consideration to LGBTQ+ clientele left a lot to be desired. I did not pay that high price to be reminded of how living as a transgender is deeply painful and full of hurts. In fact, I can easily name another Michelin restaurant whose service is top-notch and much better: 1* restaurant in Andorra called Ibaya.

If my health improves and should I visit Vienna again, I might give this place another chance; but with price tag in consideration, I must also balance with my worry that if I will end up paying high price just to be hurt for the...

Have visited numerous Michelin star restaurants for a decade now. On our recent trip to Vienna we dined at Apron, Amador, Mraz & Sohn and Konstantin Filippou.

So, Amador.

TL;DR - Foodies who are looking for a luxurious and exclusive dining experience and don’t mind paying a high price should definitely visit Amador. Others who have a different budget or preference for dining, I would recommend doing some research before booking.

First, the food. Food is measured, among other criteria, by whether or not we had at least one course that makes us want to revisit the restaurant. Amador offers a few unique and “indigenous” dishes that we’d love to have again. They start strong with Tapas & Snacks and finish the session strongest with: “Rhubarb | Scallop | Raspberry”. The highlight was: “NORWAY LOBSTER - Escabeche | Mara de Bois | Pine nuts”. Exceptional course! The Food at Amador is amazing. However, pace is not optimal. We waited 20-25 minutes for 3 or 4 courses.

Service. The risk in any high-end restaurant is getting a cold, military service. The challenge is to be extremely professional while giving a sense of warmth and welcoming. Amador delivers warmth and professionalism. We felt very welcomed.

Wine service. Sommelier was professional and attentive. Listen carefully to our preferences and successfully match all the right wines. Wine by the glass was a disappointment. The servings were considerably smaller than what I have seen in other countries. I felt that the price did not match the quantity. unreasonable to pay that much for that little. Also, the options for wine by the glass were slim and I felt that Vienna did not offer a rich and complete wine experience. I was looking for more variety, quality, and quantity in the wine selection, and I found it disappointing in Vienna. This was consistent with all the other restaurants in Vienna.

Atmosphere. Very memorable, warm and intimate. Unique ambiance that is pleasant to spend time in.

Value. The main drawback. Amador charges a premium for its quality and uniqueness. For us, we didn’t feel they deserve the extra pay.

Summary. Amador is a 2+ star restaurant. 3 stars comes with a special set of showmanship expectations that were missing. Also, the 3 stars credentials probably allowed them to raise prices to an...

Mixed feelings here. Food was excellent (for the most part), but the experience was terrible. I've dined at one 50 Three-star Michelin Restaurants and never had an experience as miserable as this one.

I'll start off by saying the restaurant is located very far away from city center and charges almost double what Steirereck charges in city center. The food is not any better. The only disappointing course was the venison, which was a shame since I usually love venison, but this was not good.

The most miserable part of the experience was the fact that the restaurant does not have a cell signal due to the thick brick walls. Nor do they have WiFi. For 400 Euros plus alcohol, they can certainly afford WiFi! And either way, notice should be given of this fact when making the reservation. I had something time sensitive I needed to do that didn't happen due to lack of signal.

The meal was three and a half hours, which is far too long to sit alone at a table without any data. Courses were 20-25 minutes apart for a few bites of food at a time. That means a couple minutes of thrills followed by 20 minutes of shear boredom. I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and could not enjoy my meal.

I am from out of town and came to Vienna to dine alone at Steirereck and Amador. Both had great food, but Steirereck has WiFi, better location, and WiFi. Highly recommend picking Steirereck over Amador if you can...