Michelin Guide makes a comeback in Austria after 16 years - Steirereck im Stadtpark receives three stars

Michelin Guide recently unveiled its first nationwide list of Austria’s best restaurants since 2009, awarding two establishments with its top three-star ranking. Modern Austrian restaurant Steirereck im Stadtpark received its long-awaited three-star rating to loud cheers and applause in an award ceremony held at Hangar-7, an events venue in Salzburg on 20 January.

On Steirereck im Stadtpark’s cuisine, the guide’s inspectors commented: “Definitely not your standard cuisine. The dishes are not at all highbrow or overloaded. At the establishment, food is prepared lightly, freshly and with an impressive dose of elegance and tasteful complexity.”

In all, 62 restaurants across Austria received one Michelin star, and 18 were awarded with two stars. Two restaurants in Vienna — Amador and Steirereck im Stadtpark — secured the top three-star ranking.

Restaurants across all nine states in Austria were recognised. Restaurants in Tirol in Western Austria, which is known for its ski resorts in the heart of the alps, received 30 awards, while those in Styria in Southern Austria received 27 awards.

Well-known eateries in Alpine resorts such as Lech and Sankt-Anton were also singled out. Some restaurants also had their stars reinstated - the Michelin Guide had issued an annual printed Austria edition from 2005 to 2009.

“Our inspectors were quite impressed by chefs who are firmly rooted in their traditions, while at the same time being very creative,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.

He adds: “Across the country, the gastronomy scene stands out thanks to its regional characteristics. People are proud of the high-quality, domestic produce that they source from farmers based in the immediate vicinity or, in part, even grow themselves. Freshwater fish plays a major role, as do home-smoked meats and a variety of cheeses, to name but a few

According to the Michelin Guide, “Austria has clearly established itself as a must-visit destination worldwide over the last few years” due to the “expansion of its range of products and services”.

Since 2010, the Michelin guide had only covered Austrian restaurants in the cities of Vienna and Salzburg. Only 16 restaurants from these two cities received Michelin stars in these two cities.

But last year, Michelin’s anonymous reviewers once again fanned out to the country’s more remote corners.

As the prestigious star rating allows for international comparison, Austrian chefs feel like they have been invited to “take part in the Olympic Games,” said Michael Feiertag, head of the Styrian regional tourist office.

Austria’s cuisine has been shaped by many influences — from Central and Eastern Europe to the Alps — accumulated over centuries.

A nod to sustainability

31 restaurants also received their first green star, which recognises sustainable practices in the gastronomy world. Newcomers include Am Mahrbach in Königsdorf, which is styled like a traditional three-sided Austrian ‘Dreikanthof’ farmstead and Wirtshaus Steirereck am Pogusch in Turnau, set amidst lush greenery.

With about a fourth of all agricultural land certified as organic in Austria, the Alpine country of nine million people is also regarded as the European Union’s organic farming leader.

Poullennec adds: “The focus is on seasonal dishes, a lot of which is produced to organic quality standards. Numerous enterprises show an enormous commitment to sustainability, which they implement very consistently in well thought-out concepts. In this context, Austrian restaurateurs are blazing an exemplary and forward-looking trail.”

He adds that more restaurants in Austria have preserved culinary traditions, with its famous desserts and pastries married with modern influences. International influences such as those from Asia and South America have also become more apparent in Austrian cuisine and more restaurants serve high-quality wines that are made locally.

In recent years, Michelin says it has noted the “increasing potential of the gastronomic offer in Central and Eastern Europe”.

Created in 1900 by tyre manufacturers Andre and Edouard Michelin as a guide for motorists, it now has editions across Europe, Asia, North and South America.

Additional reporting by AFP