Hamburg has a great selection of restaurants, and I had been eyeing quite a few places online that I wanted to check out. Right after arriving in Hamburg, I therefore sat down in my hotel room to make some reservations. To my big surprise, getting a table turned out to be quite a challenge, and none of the places on my list had availability. Then I remembered reading about an Austrian restaurant, Bistrot Vienna, that didn’t take reservations but offered tables on a first come, first served basis. This was my chance, and I didn’t want to miss it.
I went already at 18:00 and was the first guest to arrive. The kitchen didn’t open until 19:00, so I ordered a glass of red wine to keep me company while waiting. Twenty minutes later, the restaurant was packed, and people were waiting at the bar and in a long line outside.
Apparently, most of the other diners knew each other as well as the staff, and people were chatting across the tables. A lady had brought her dog along, but it was too big to fit under the small table she shared with her friends. Some of the guests at a larger table suggested that the dog move over to them instead, which both the dog and the lady seemed perfectly fine with.
Everybody was very friendly and spoke to me in German. I think they felt a little sorry for me, dining out on my own, and some of them looked slightly confused when I started taking pictures of my food.
The three course menu seemed like a really good deal, but I was curious about the wild boar ragout, so I decided to order à la carte. I studied the handwritten menu carefully, but even if I had been fluent in German, I don’t think I would have been able to read it. And I thought my handwriting was difficult.
I ended up ordering Ferkelkopf carpaccio, which sounded tempting, even though I didn’t have a clue what Ferkelkopf was. It turned out to be baby pig’s head. It wasn’t raw, thankfully, but more like thinly sliced terrine. Not the most visually appealing dish, but the truffle vinaigrette and celeriac worked well with the meat, and it tasted good.
The wild boar was like a gamey version of slow cooked beef, and it was so tender I could have eaten it with a spoon. A big Tyrolean Knödel rested comfortably on top of the ragout. A Knödel is a kind of dumpling made from stale bread or potatoes with lard and onions. I’m usually not a big fan of Knödel, but together with the ragout, it was exquisite, and I enjoyed every bite. I skipped dessert because I was too full. Besides, the massive crowd waiting outside didn’t really make me want to linger, so I asked for the bill.
Dining at Vienna was a very nice experience, and in spite of all the hype, it still feels like a true neighborhood gem thanks to the staff, the very local clientele, and the dog. If you’re in Hamburg without a reservation, head over to Vienna, but make sure to come early, or be prepared to wait.
Bistrot Vienna, Fettstraße 2, 20357 Hamburg
