Albert

Review

The Albert Hall

Photo: Katharina Gossow When Albertgasse 39 opened in 2004, it was all very new. A place that was a bar, but still bright; a place that was a bar, but still served fine food; a place that was a bar, but still didn't play Dean Martin songs. Something like this was only known from television, something like this was new in the city. But that didn't help the pub either, the really great location changed hands frequently and didn't bring them much luck, but that didn't stop Mario Bernatovic from trying anyway. Bernatovic was one of the city's "young and wild" chefs 20 years ago, cooking at Weibel 3, Ilija, Motto am Fluss, Kussmaul am Spittelberg and then, since the beginning of 2017, at Kussmaul in Bäckerstraße, the former Albertgasse 39 is his first own restaurant. He got it for a reasonable price and you don't have to let karma get you down. The parquet floor of the former carpenter's workshop has been retained, the bar remains the focal point of the new Albert, with the large wall on the left used for soccer broadcasts and the "cozy" area on the right with velvet-upholstered benches, and there is also a non-smoking area separated by glass.
There is still a great atmosphere, pleasant music and, for the first time since the restaurant opened, a really impressive range of wines: Bernatovic has put together around 150 different selections, not just natural wines, but a lot of them. And because Bernatovic imports a few wines himself (from Croatia) and also has a very modern approach to pricing, you can get a decent bottle of wine here from around 20 euros. And also something to eat with it. A fairly extensive breakfast, for example, which is available on Saturdays and Sundays until 2.30 p.m., or things in the evening that you already know from the Kussmaul, but which Bernatovic has downgraded a little here.
The hour egg on potato cream with leaf spinach and deep-fried parsley root is served here with Perigord truffle instead of white truffle from Alba, but still very good and very tasty (€ 11.00), the crispy flamed green asparagus with chervil beurre blanc and yuzu gel is also very tasty, so you'll be pleased that Malvazia is also available by the glass (€ 10.90). Octopus arms are deep-fried in a special flour mixture to make extra-crispy octopus poppers, served with black squid mayo and pea and bacon puree (€ 17.00) and the chicken wings, which are stripped of their cartilage, boiled in chicken soup, deep-fried and doused with homemade hoisin sauce, are probably some of the best chicken wings in town (€ 8.90). Could work this time. Summary: A lounge bar where some have already tried it, but this time with really good food and really good wine. Albert 8th, Albertg. 39, tel. 01/956 71 14, Mon-Sat 11.30am-2am

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