Nestled in the heart of Austria’s Pannonian region lies Taubenkobel. The enchanting result of husband and wife duo Alain Weissgerber and Barbara Eselböck’s kinship with their pastoral home.
What Alain and Barbara have created is a world-renowend culinary retreat, founded upon a finely tuned interdepence where seasonal produce is king and every detail of the place is geniusly considered.
There is an unequivocal and infectious magic to Taubenkobel and here are ten good reasons why.
1. The Husband & Wife Team – The Power Couple.
Head Chef Alain Weissgerber with his wife Barbara Eselböck, co-owner and front of house, took over the property that was opened 37 years ago by Barbara’s parents, Walter & Eveline.
This French-Austrian couple are a complete force of nature. They have expanded upon what was originally one guest room and restaurant, transforming Taubenkobel into the magnificent destination that it is today: a triumph of culinary mastery, green paysage and 19th century design elements all magically combined with contemporary art and interior design.
2. The Chef.
French born, self-taught chef, Alain Weissgerber has called Austria home for the last 27 years. His unending passion and dedication to extolling the wonders of Pannonian cuisine has earned him the accolade of Chef of The Year in Austria 2018. This award is also the culmination of previous accolades for Taubenkobel, which span an 18 1/2 of 20 points by Gault and Millau.
As well as 5 stars in A la Carte and 96 points out of 100 in Falstaff – two of the most respected Germanic culinary publications. Forbes Magazine has also previously picked Taubenkobel as one of their “16 Cool Places to Eat”.
The kitchen at Taubenkobel takes you through a storytelling of the area and creativity mind of Alain Weissgerber, also leaving no doubt that a strong and dedicated man has created the menu.
Alain’s food has a deep feeling of the countryside,- alround created, combined and executed in a way that both comforts and conquerers eye, heart, tastebud and belly of the diner. It simply has terroir and blends perfectly in with the remaining experience of Taubenkobel. Supreme quality, creative, tasty as hell, fun and playful without being pretentious.
The restaurant at Taubenkobel was awarded with two Michelin stars up until the guide unfortunately stopped rating in Austria outside Vienna and Salzburg. stripping the Austrain countryside of some 30 stars.
3. Humble & Honest.
Taubenkobel is very much a home, it is where the Eselböck-Weissgerber family have firmly laid their roots and decided to raise their children. Their philosphy of unity, sustainabilty and the recognition that bounteous reward can be won by being completely in tune with your surroundings is all underpinned by their radiating warmth and humility.
Taubenkobel, a million miles from the ritz of a sleek city dining establishment and translating aptly, as ‘pigeon house’, is above all humble and unpretentious. A beautiful display of these humble roots is their usage of local Pannonian ceramics and tableware upon which each dish is served.
A nod to heritage and staying true.
Read also: Foraging with Alain Weissgerber.
Bread with local condiments.
4. The Unexpected.
Alain Weissgerber’s words “Austrians don’t think about food like, for example, the French”. Though with wonderful products Austria still lacks the culinary identity that other European countries like Spain, France and Italy posses.
In this way, Alain and Barbara are creating a new, unexpected culinary narrative full of possibilty, an Austrian one of innovation, that champions the diversity of local produce and the role of heritage. They are making their very own mark on the almost blank canvas of Austrian cuisine.
At Taubenkobel guests can enjoy a complete ‘bread course’, with accompaniments that include pork fat, thistle oil, sorrel, lardo, salami, brown butter and cooked ham. This course so succinctly reflects Alain and Barbara’s kinship with their modest origin yet is a simultaneous adulation of Austrian ingredients spoken with unexpected simplicity.
5. The Setting.
In the heart of the ancient Pannonian region, South-Eastern Austria, is the small town of Schützen am Gebirge where Taubenkobel lies among rolling hills.
It’s just 45 minutes from Vienna, 15 minutes by car from the Hungarian border, and if you were to travel from London you could arrive in under 4 hours. The gardens at Taubenkobel are verdant, teeming with life, fruit trees and even home to a small lake-come-natural swimming pool.
6. The Rooms.
Taubenkobel boasts 12 luxurious and unique guest rooms equipped with marble bathtubs, plush king sized beds and selections of fine liquer.
Each guest suite is a harmonious blend of 19th century architecture, enchanting interior design as well as playing home to the impressive collection of contemporary art Alain and Barbara own.
It is member of the Relais & Châteaux group, and has been for the last nine years, the group’s mission is “to spread its unique art de vivre across the globe by selecting outstanding properties with a truly unique character”. Taubenkobel is the very embodiment of this statement.
7. Sustainability & Seasonality.
Hand in hand with their heritage, the team at Taubenkobel collect wild herbs from the nearby meadows and forage from the hills around Lake Neusiedl.
Not only is foraging age-old, sustainable and indispensable to the kitchen producing dishes of unequivocal quality, it is just as Barbara’s own ancestors worked the land, foraging and raising livestock organically.
Working side-by-side with local farmers, meticulously planning and scheduling which produce is to be grown and when, and seldom cooking with food that has been imported, Taubenkobel affirms its place as one of the best restaurants in Central Europe.
8. The Flavour of a Place.
The dishes at Taubenkobel are entirely bound to what nature offers; meaning that each of Alain’s creations can be considered a physical representation of the delicate symbiosis of seasonality, skill and his mastery of taste.
Alain’s dishes are so firmly rooted in his environs, that it is impossible for each diner not to feel an astonishing sense of place.
This deep admiration for the surrounding countryside is also reflected in Alain’s unwillingness to overcomplicate his dishes. The pure nature of each plate is a stage for each ingredient sing of the distinctiveness of the Pannonian region.
9. The Wine.
True to Taubenkobel’s local philosophy guests can enjoy some of the finest natural wines from the area. In fact, Barbara’s sister, Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck, with her husband, produces one of the finest biodynamic wines of the region, the world-acclaimed Gut Oggau.
Taubenkobel is also home to a more informal wine bar and bistro next door: The Greisslerei, where guests can both dine and besides the food, peruse local produce and food related accessories in their shop. Even though be a very casual the Greisslerei continuously receives 16 points by Gault Millau.
Faces of Wine: Explore the universe of Gut Oggau.
10. Personality & Heart.
Taubenkobel is soulful, from Alain and Barbara’s children collecting wild garlic for the kitchen to the flair in the design of the place. It conjures an overwhelming sense of the handmade, built slowly, deliberately and meticulously. Every inch built with love, and this love manifests in the very walls of the place.
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Bonus: Their Viennese pop ups.
Wow. Just wow.
Taubenkobel’s annual Vienna-adventures are always highly creative and ‘a thing’ on the Austrian culinary/social calendar. Two years it was in an old train hangar, the year before in a giant post office; last year it was created in a grand forgotten ballroom. Magnificent. Spectacular.
Please view these impressions in Die Presse to get an idea of things.
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The diplomacy speaks to a strong network of 600 journalists, bloggers and writers, as well as 6000+ luxury diners around the globe.
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Hungry for more? Have a look at Taubenkobel’s website.
