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A week ago I had my birthday! Aside from getting a year older (which I am not really a fan of! Remember, Sophie, you are getting wiser though…), it is always nice to spend it with your loved ones. Even if I had to go to work in the morning, I still had the best of times afterwards, as I booked a table for two at a hidden gem, near Baker Street. I am telling you, this restaurant is beautiful, its staff is amazing and the food is heavenly! I am astounded that not many people know of it, but I don’t really mind.
Without further ado, the restaurant is called Fischer’s and its cuisine is Austrian. The decor inside is classy and understated and strongly reminded me of Brasserie Zedel (Actually, I was right in that, as the people behind Zedel own Fischer’s as well!). It was warm and inviting, a happy opposite from the cold and rainy London outside. As soon as we got in, we were ushered to our table by the maitre d’, who asked if we wanted our coats to be put in the cloakroom. My boyfriend declined, however I thought I would be uncomfortable with my coat behind me. As I removed it, the maitre d’ complimented me on my dress, as she said she loved it!
After all that, our server appeared with our menus and glasses of water that was refreshingly cool. So, the menu… For someone who has been to Germany many times when I was younger, I could imagine that the Austrian cuisine was a close relative. I found for example spätzle (a German dish, in essence from Wutterberg, made from egg pasta) is common between the two, as well as the potato salad. Have I told you how much I love a German potato salad? It’s so delicious and cannot compare with the one found in British stores! Another thing I love, but unfortunately wasn’t able to find (or maybe I didn’t look enough) is this German salad with iceberg, carrot and red cabbage among others with this amazing, yogurt-based (I believe) dressing that I haven’t found anywhere else and haven’t managed to recreate it either!
But enough of the things I love in German cuisine. I think it’s time to tell you exactly what we ordered! The menu is a mixture of German, French and Central European dishes, but I didn’t mind in the least! We had for starters a caramelised onion and gruyere cheese tart and an Austrian potato salad. When they brought the tart, the smell was overwhelming; it smelled of cheese, mixed in with happiness and sprinkled with warmth! And you know how much I love cheese! Other starters I’d like to try is their himmel und erde (which is a traditional German dish with blutwurst, fried onions and mashed potatoes with apple sauce) and perhaps their brötchen – German small breads that taste delicious.
For mains, I picked the Käsekrainer, which is the pork sausage with garlic, stuffed with emmental, while my boyfriend chose the veal bratwurst – the veal and chicken sausage with lemon and ginger. Both of them, we decided, to accompany with caramelised onions, sauerkraut and – what else? – potato salad, even though there was an option of selecting homemade coleslaw and salad. In hindsight, perhaps I should have picked the latter, just to change things up a bit. Being Austrian, another thing on the menu was schnitzels, of course! These schnitzels (either chicken or Wiener or Holstein) are served with jus parisienne (stock, lemon and butter) and the schnitzels is typically the size of a normal platter (I kid you not!). Visiting Germany, I think the schnitzel was my favourite dish!
After such a wonderful meal and enjoying our glasses of tasty, sweet sauvignon blanc, it was time for the highly-anticipated dessert! And being Austrian, what would you expect? Well, strudel of course! You cannot go more Austrian (or German in any case) than this! A classic apple strudel with cinnamon was chosen, served with the lightest whipped cream; even though my boyfriend wanted the chocolate and salted caramel pot. The strudel was very warm and the pastry was freshly made, which scored even more points for me! I would also like to try the Franz Joseph Kaiserschmarrn, which is a chopped pancake with plum compote, or even the Schwarzwald ice cream (chocolate and vanilla ice creams with cherry compote, whipped cream and hot chocolate sauce). Maybe next time?
Dining at Fischer’s is truly an experience, encompassing all the senses! It really feels like being transported into another era, what with all the polished wood, the tiles and mirrors everywhere and the paintings all around you. People are sitting next to you, work colleagues discussing about their day, families catching up, even a lone businessman reading his book while getting a bite. Apart from the food, Fischer’s is good for people watching and trying to imagine their story. I don’t know how I lived my life without Fischer’s, but I’m quite sure that this was not the first time I ate there. They are even open in the morning for breakfast and brunch, so when my parents came for a visit, a trip to Marylebone High Street is definitely in order! It may be pricey (we had to pay £90 for three courses and two glasses of wine, plus we were charged for a bread basket with a butter spread), but so worth it, in my opinion! The food was unbelievably tasty and the attention to detail is what makes a huge difference. So, if you fancy a trip to Vienna, but you mind the airport hassle, Fischer’s is your answer!
Till next time,
Sofia-Maria
It Happened Once 