Weinhaus Pfandler „Zu den Seligen Affen"

Review

The beauty of a clear line

Photo: Katharina Gossow Praise be to Hans Pitzl. Because his father opened a wine house in 1955, which he himself took over in the 1970s. Hans Pitzl is also praised because he kept the wine house in good shape over the decades, especially because in the past eight years, when his wine house was closed, he received many offers to take it over, but they all wanted to tear out the interior. And he said no to that, Mr. Pitzl.
The interior of Weinhaus Pitzl is almost archetypal for the "Viennese wine house" genre: a wooden floor, a lamperie up to two meters high, with coat hooks every 25 centimeters, not a single one missing; a dispensing and cooling system of archaic beauty, with a curved display case at the end, with a polished stainless steel dispenser, with marble covering of the tapping area, with terrazzo lining of the entire ensemble, there are only very few dispensing systems left that are still so well preserved; Wooden benches, Resopalt tables and then these two coat and hat racks made of turquoise-painted metal between the two table niches at the end of the bar, the landmarks of the Weinhaus - the Weinhaus Pitzl is perfect in its simple beauty.
And Roman Pfandler, who ran the Polyklamott and the Transporter Bar for years, saw it that way too, which is why he gave the wine house, now called Weinhaus Pfandler since July, the subtitle: "Zu den seligen Affen" (To the blessed monkeys). Like Hans Pitzl, Roman Pfandler took the matter very seriously, looked after, oiled, preserved, but also procured a few wines, just as people want to drink them today, and picked out a few good things to eat. The Grimm bread with roast fat from the Szabo butcher, or smoked meat and crackers from Geitzenauer in Litschau or "Mangerl" (a fabulous salt and poppy seed cookie) from Smetacek, also in Litschau. Among the things you can have covered with an already perfect vinegar-oil marinade and red onion, you have the choice between Knacker, Blunze, pressed sausage or egg, and if you choose pressed sausage, you get a compact slice of ham delicacy, hardly any sulz, just tender meat, wonderful (€ 5.90). The mixed platter is then quite full to the brim, with Gselchtes, Hauswürstel, a real Liptauer made with Brimsen, a really good Pfefferoni, three different sheep's and goat's cheeses and then the terrific Sutterlüty mountain cheese (€ 8). You'll take another glass, even if it means you have to go to the ATM on the Philadelphiabrücke ... Okay, it's all rather euphoric, I know. But it's true, the Weinhaus Pfandler is the most valuable new pub in a long time. And Mr. Pitzl comes by every day and is happy to be a guest here now. Summary A wine house as it is written in the book - simple, beautiful, with good wine and simple, good food. Weinhaus Pfandler 12th, Dörfelstr. 3A, Tue-Sat 4pm-10pm, www.weinhaus-pfandler.at

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