Blue Marlin

Review

The old house and the sea

Photo: Katharina Gossow It is a very peculiar place: in the early 1960s, when Hietzing was briefly in the throes of modern urban planning, the ruins of the Hietzinger Hof hotel were replaced by the (then) futuristic Ekazent and the neighboring Parkhotel Schönbrunn also took the opportunity of a major fire to expand considerably, adding a large winter garden and five pavilions in front of it. However, the merciless 60s modernity soon seemed outdated; despite their prime location, they were never one of Hietzing's top locations. Vehbi Esmek went to school a few streets away, was with Umar am Naschmarkt from the very beginning, switched to Nautilus 13 years ago, also fish, also Naschmarkt, and has been looking for a place for a Hietzing fish restaurant ever since. And then he found this pavilion, which used to house a boutique. Esmek obtained all the necessary conversion permits and invested enormous ambition in turning this architectural relic into his small, fine fish restaurant Blue Marlin. With an open kitchen, 20 indoor seats and probably the first gastronomic use of the small plaza between these pavilions since the 1960s.
Yes, the tables are a little wobbly because the roots of the plane trees have always arched the clinker floor, but you sit here protected from the traffic noise, with a view of the church and Hietzinger Hauptstraße and, above all, Anati Petzke is in the kitchen, who has already cooked at the Schwarzes Kameel, Umar and then for a long time at Nautilus and really knows his way around fish.
The Blue Marlin's focus is essentially Mediterranean, which means that the fish is prepared somewhat "naturally" and served with rosemary potatoes, risotto or puree, as has worked well at the Naschmarkt for a very long time now. But there are also things that are less explicit, a clear fish soup with plenty of white fish and squid and vegetables in it, very pure, very fine (€ 8.90). Or, in addition to the inevitable octopus salad and the equally inevitable fish tartare trio, a tuna "Asia", raw, with plenty of pepper, bonito flakes and a soy-yuzu marinade, also very fine (€ 14.90). I simply couldn't resist the octopus and potato gröstl with bacon, horseradish and fried egg, not bad at all, I would perhaps reconsider the paprika, but the mix is good (€ 22.90). Good food, nice service, the prices for fish and Hietzing in the fair range, naturally all quite conservative to suit the crowd. But: a previously non-existent space is put to good use. Summary: Hietzing has its first explicit fish restaurant, which is completely central and yet somewhat hidden. Small, conservative, but great. Blue Marlin, 13th, Hietzinger Hauptstr. 16/Pavillon 2, tel. 0660/350 03 65, daily 11am-24pm,

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