12/11/08

Simply the Best!

by sect404

From the moment you walk through the door you are made to feel special by the owner and an amazing staff! Usually crowded due to it's immense popularity, and it's small size. These traits somewhat lend themselves to the restaurants atmosphere. Also nice is that the crowd has alot of regulars who are courteous and friendly as well.

In a city where good german/austrian fare is becoming harder to find, this place has filled the gap and is probably the #1 restaurant of it's type in the city! The "Spaetzle mit Kase"-tiny dumplings baked with cheese is unique to this restaurant and is a "must order" for any first timer. They use top notch ingredients in all of their dishes which is a necessity and it shows! Everything I've tried here is absolutely magnificent from the Wurst to the Goulash to their Homemade Potato Salad. The presentation of the meal is always special as well.

As far as beverages are concerned, I have to say that their tap beer is also the best I've found in the city. It's the ONLY place I've found that pours and tastes EXACTLY like I've had in Europe! I find Gosser Beer to be the best. Also, if you have the time after dinner and a little extra money, they have a large variety of Aperitifs. The Reisetbauer, also unique to this restaurant, is probably the finest money can buy (what Johnny Walker Blue Label is to scotch).

It is near the bar and club scene of the lower east side. Public transportation is easy being only a 3 block walk from the M,J,Z and F train stop on Delancy and Essex.

• Pros: Excellent Food, Beer and Ambience.
• Cons: Small location

03/08/08

Great food and atmosphere, very attentive staff

by vikinnyc

This is a great spot on the Lower East Side. I went there the 3rd time this week (1st and 2nd time was months and weeks ago) and the staff actually remembered me and made sure my friends and I were extremely well taken care of. The service is attentive, the beer is the best I have had in New York so far and the prices are relatively cheap for New York. Pretzels, Spaetzle and Sausages, can recommend them all. Make sure you try one of the liquoers after dinner.

• Pros: Great atmosphere, drinks and prices
• Cons: too small...

03/03/08

Hearty Eastern European fare is matched to killer quaffs at this itsy-bitsy Austrian cafe on the Lower East Side.

by Joshua M Bernstein

The Scene
Beer-induced boisterousness infuses this teensy cafe popular with downtown carousers and i-bankers alike. The snug, 25-chair eatery's no bigger than a railroad apartment, so prepare for mega-waits during prime supping hours. Beware that cheek-to-jowl seating means your privacy will be invaded by errant elbows.

The Food
Like meat? Like beer? Good, because there's little else on this limited, rustic-Austrian menu. Thankfully, the brews are stellar, such as caramel-note Aventinus or floral Ayinger Bräu-Weisse, which waiters pour into appropriate glassware. For accompaniment, skip the slapdash cheese plate and opt for a cool, beet-and-goat cheese salad or meat platter packed with fatty cured pork belly, paper-thin speck and transcendent liverwurst that'll alter your opinion of organ meats. While the homemade bratwurst is zingy and snappy, and the trout delicate without being fishy, the tender beef goulash is bland as Styrofoam. Yet this under-seasoned misstep is forgiven with the crumbly linzertorte and another sudsy quaff.

Hits: Hearty Teutonic fare and a global selection of beers are sold at prices that even the neighborhood's working artists can afford.

Misses: The waits for tables can verge on the ridiculous, especially given that the meaty meals aren't exactly blazing new territory.

10/30/07

Small, quaint, and utterly charming

by edwilde

I stumbed into this restaurant with my friends after party hopping. It is open late, the staff are WONDERFUL (even chatting with us about the hand-crafted pottery made by the co-owner), and the atmosphere is delightful. I'm vegan, and it's pretty hard to get vegan Austrain food. With only a slight adjustment to some of the veg dishes, I could indulge and enjoy. The pretzels are to die for, and they make this killer beet salad (and I loathe beets--seriously). I love this place the prices are great, the decor is stylish yet cozy, everything about it rocks!

• Pros: great staff, cozy atmosphere, delicious food, low prices
• Cons: small vegetarian/vegan selection

10/09/07

Delicious, intimate, and a bargain.

by lieblink

This tiny newcomer to Orchard Street has astonishingly refined -- particularly for the very low prices -- Austrian food. Don't miss the Ausschnitt Teller, a selection of sliced meats, sausages and homemade pickles - wonderful for sharing over a glass of wine or beer. The menu is small but comprehensive. Being Austrian, it's naturally heavy on meats and sausages, but salads are delicious, as is the hard-to-find (in this country, anyway) spaetzle. Great spot for a light dinner or lingering with friends over drinks and delectable snacks.

• Pros: wonderful food, low prices, friendly atmosphere, great for a meal or snack.
• Cons: aside from salads and spaetzle, light on vegetarian fare.

09/16/07

Best Austrian charm

by kimirene

If you're looking for a piece of Austria, you've found the right place. It's a home away from home for visiting and local countryman/woman which adds to it's charm. A quaint neighborhood bar with nibbles expertly prepared by proffesionals. They have an exciting beer line up and a most graceful, friendly staff. Love it.

• Pros: Moderately priced, excellent service and quality, nice ambiance
• Cons: fills up quick so get there early