Private Dining: Vienna Off Menu
Vienna Restaurant Mezzanin 7. “You made a mistake. This is definitely not the right place.” ...I know how to read my friend Sandra's odd looks. I pressed one of the many doorbells on a shiny brass plate of a town palace in Vienna's ninth district.
It was Sandra's local neighbourhood that she knows like the back of her hand. And there was certainly no restaurant located at this address.
We climbed up the immaculate staircase of the 160-year old residence to the ‘Bel Etage’ where Thomas and Martin awaited us. Together with Wolfgang, they run Mezzanin 7, a private dining space at a stone’s throw from Ringstrasse boulevard.
The 150 square-metre apartment was a showcase of classic interior design with a twist: spacious rooms, high ceilings and windows, French doors, boxed parquet flooring, a few generously arranged tables, and the most eclectic and lovingly decorated mix of Viennese vintage interiors I had ever seen.
Feasting Your Senses
Vienna Restaurant Mezzanin 7. “It took us eight months to decorate the space”, explained Thomas, a trained fashion styler who masterminded Mezzanin 7's eclectic look and feel. Thanks to his instinct for effortless harmony, diners feast among restored vintage cabinets and chairs, Viennese bone china, a quirky grandfather clock, peacock feathers, paintings and drawings, lamps and chandeliers with real candles.
Even the fresh vegetables stored in the converted recessed balcony displayed a still life of porcelain and brass objects on an adjacent vintage cabinet.
The town palace in Liechtensteinstrasse had been commissioned by a Russian countess in the mid 19th century.“Between brunches, afternoon teas and dinners I change round the interiors to accommodate different moods and settings”, outlined Thomas while other guests kept trickling in. Their 'Guten Abend' greetings reached us through a soft cloud of French chansons, opera and jazz tunes. It was like being invited to a secret dinner party.
Viennese Cuisine Made By Wolfgang
Vienna Restaurant Mezzanin 7. Like the interiors, the menu was tastefully Viennese with a twist: Roast pork with warm sour cabbage topped with green chilli, and dumplings; potato soup with mushrooms; dried prunes wrapped in crispy fried bacon with salad; home-made cream cakes.
All this and the dishes for the other dozen guests was cooked up by Wolfgang (cook, gourmet critic, gastronomic adviser, former owner of several local eateries) in a private-style though top-equipped kitchen.
Before we were off, Sandra had sounded out the terrain for her own next dinner party in her newly discovered extended living room. It felt like home, with a sophisticated twist.
How To Book A Table At Vienna Restaurant Mezzanin 7
You can visit Mezzanin 7 on Wednesdays and weekends for brunch, afternoon tea and dinner. To book a table go to website of Mezzanin 7.
Location: Liechtensteinstrasse 12/2/7, 1090 Vienna
NOTE: We were kindly invited by Martin, Thomas and Wolfgang. All opinions expressed are my own.
find out more about my favourite Restaurants in Vienna
go to What To Do In Vienna
back to Vienna Unwrapped homepage