Sitzwohl Restaurant in Innsbruck, Austria

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 1/01/2017

Sitzwohl Restaurant in Innsbruck, Austria

When you are planning a trip to Innsbruck and you are looking for a place to eat, it's imperative to go to Sitzwohl Restaurant because it is one of the best and one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Recently attaining 2 toques and 15 points at the Gault Millau's 2016 edition, Irmgard Sitzwohl and Elisabeth Geisler, the two outstanding female chefs who run the kitchen take the diners for a delicious gastronomic spin by putting together local delicacies with Mediterranean characteristics. Being robust and rich, Austrian cuisine is reinvented in their kitchen with simplicity and delicate touches of aromas and flavors.

Housed in a former primary school on Gilmstrasse, Sitzwohl occupies a spacious area with the restaurant on the second floor while the cocktail bar and the delicatessen are on the ground floor. At their deli, the Geislerei, you can buy artisan food products from selected producers and from the kitchen itself. In summer, there is also outside seating for dining al fresco under the big umbrellas. It's a place where you can go 360 degrees with your gastronomic needs.

On Austrian tables, the meals always start with bread and butter and at Sitzwohl, three small bowls are served with choices of Greek extra virgin olive oil, French butter and a mixture of mustard and prosciutto spread (which was outstanding). Beer and wine are both excellent in Austria so accompany your meal with either one. My choice for the night was a good glass of Austrian red wine.

A plate of chestnut risotto with cranberries and a slice of crispy prosciutto on top warmed me up to a delicious start. It had a good consistency and a moderate blending of flavors. The crispiness of the prosciutto went very well with the risotto.

This was then followed by a plate of beef tenderloin with Burgundy sauce, mashed pumpkin, and roasted roquefort square. The dish was a luscious composition of tastes and the beef was very tender and flavorful. For fish, sea bass with lemon mashed potatoes and fennel may sound simple but the result was excellent merging of delicate flavors.

Desserts are important in concluding meals and I usually look forward to the sweet dishes that the chefs have in the menu. Although it was hard to choose among the entries, I got the chestnut panna cotta with speculus crumble and amarena ice cream. The exquisite flavors were very refreshing while the mild sweetness lingered pleasantly.

Sitzwohl Restaurant changes the menu frequently according to the availability of ingredients so entries can vary from time to time but what remains permanent is the excellent quality of food that you get. The service is exemplary from the minute you arrive at the restaurant until you leave the place. A dining experience at Sitwohl confirms the raving reviews about the restaurant. It was indeed the best that I have tried in Innsbruck. Where else can you get efficient and friendly service with exceptional food?