Schützen am Gebirge has fewer than 1,400 inhabitants and is located in the Austrian heart of what was once Pannonia, three quarters of an hour's drive from Vienna. Here, surrounded by history and nature, a couple runs a temple of Austrian haute cuisine with two Michelin stars. The history, present, and future of Taubenkobel, with a premise: “We believe in understated elegance. Our dishes are not designed to impress visually, but to speak through flavor, texture, and memory.”
The story
When we think of Austria, the first images that come to mind are its imposing mountains or the magnificence of Vienna, a capital city of rare, dazzling beauty. Once you get to know Burgenland, Austria's easternmost and most recently acquired territory, which became Austrian following a plebiscite in 1921 and was previously part of the Hungarian Crown within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, you discover this beautiful green flat and hilly area, where quality agriculture and viticulture are practiced, thanks to the mild climate and dry summers. Burgenland, land of castles, also includes Lake Neusiedl, one of the largest brackish lakes in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The small universe of good food and hospitality of Taubenkobel is located in Schützen am Gebirge, in the Austrian heart of what was once Pannonia, three quarters of an hour's drive from Vienna. The restaurant was among the ‘victims’ of the Michelin Guide's decision in 2009 to abandon Austria (except Vienna and Salzburg) for budget reasons; Now, however, Taubenkobel, which is also affiliated with Relais & Chateaux, has regained its two well-deserved stars, which the Red Guide reassigned after financial support from Österreich Werbung and the tourist boards of the nine provinces. Run for many years by Walter and Eveline Eselböck, it is now in the hands of their daughter Barbara and her husband, French-born chef Alain Weissgerber.
A place that exudes absolute tranquility, surrounded by greenery, with a private lake in the garden and 12 rooms, each more beautiful than the last, in the various buildings of the complex, transformed over the years into a unique destination that combines haute cuisine, nature, and 19th-century design elements with contemporary art. A country retreat, far from ostentatious luxury and, for this very reason, a luxury to be enjoyed, far from the chaos of any city.
The restaurant
The restaurant is elegant, with that warm welcome that only certain country restaurants have; next door is an excellent bistro, the Gleisslerei, which serves Austrian specialities and has a small shop selling local produce and wine. Barbara says: "I grew up in Taubenkobel: for me, this place has never been just a restaurant, but a living organism, constantly on the move. I had actually planned a life outside the industry, but somehow hospitality has always been in my blood. I worked in Vienna and London, including in luxury hotels, but in the end I wanted something more personal. Coming back here has allowed me to practice hospitality in the truest sense of the word, creating a space where people feel welcomed, cared for, and nourished."
Alain came here for love and then stayed: "I was born in Alsace, where you learn early on that food is never just food, but identity, history, a shared ritual. I trained in France with Dominique Le Stan. In 1993, at the age of 21, I opened my first restaurant, the Blaue Gans in Weiden, which was awarded a Michelin star. At the time, being very young, I worked every year during my restaurant's closures as an intern in the best restaurants in the world, starting with Robuchon and Arzak... But it was only when I arrived here that I was able to fully explore what I believe cuisine should be: not theatrical, but essential. Calm, honest, deeply rooted." Barbara and Alain have been working side by side for many years, but the harmony between them is palpable thanks to their two souls that have become one.
Barbara continues: “Working together means having a common vision, even when we approach it differently. We don't always agree, and that's the point. Alain brings precision, calm, depth. I bring energy, rhythm, maybe a little chaos from time to time. But what unites us is a deep respect for the guest and a shared desire to create something meaningful. Our relationship is a living conversation. Just like a great dish, it's based on contrast, balance, and mutual trust."
The wine list, curated by Barbara, certainly deserves a mention: "It represents an extension of our values: these are not prestigious labels, but producers with soul. We work mainly with biodynamic and natural winemakers, many of whom we know personally. The focus is on the terroir—Gut Oggau (which we wrote about some time ago) is so rich in character—but we also offer wines from neighboring countries with similar philosophies. The list currently includes around 600 labels. It is constantly evolving, just like our menu. Wine should be alive, just like food. And it should never intimidate, but only invite."
So what is the philosophy behind Alain and Barbara's approach to food? "We believe in understated elegance. Our dishes are not designed to impress visually, but to speak through flavor, texture, and memory. The menu does not have overly long descriptions; we want the moment at the table to reveal itself. We use techniques such as fermentation, smoking, and preservation, but always to serve the ingredient, not the ego. A dish might be a humble piece of endive, carefully poached, paired with trout eggs and a cardoon broth. Simple on paper, but alive on the plate. That's what we aim for: a sense of place in every bite.
We want to convey to our guests that Taubenkobel is not just a restaurant: it is an invitation to slow down, listen to the landscape, savor carefully; a deeply personal reflection on what it means to nourish oneself and be nourished.“ Alain adds: ”I cook to tell stories: stories of the land, of the seasons, of our region. My style is defined by simplicity and clarity. I use regional ingredients, work with biodynamic producers, and avoid unnecessary complexity. It's not about impressing with invention. It's about creating dishes that taste of the place where we live. I believe that the more discreetly a dish speaks, the more clearly you can hear what it is trying to say."
The dishes
Dinner at Taubenkobel was one of my best experiences this year: a deliciously structured menu that perfectly matched Barbara and Alain's descriptions. Hearty dishes served on Pannonian ceramics and tableware. Elegant and incisive at the same time, like the first tastes to arrive at the table in a mouthwatering sequence: from egg, horseradish and caviar, to potatoes cooked in clay with wild garlic, to brioche with local butter and roasted sunflower seeds. This was followed by dishes such as trout filet delicately marinated in a mixture of wasabi and lemon, wrapped in pickled daikon and resting in an aromatic clarified whey, fresh parsley and lemon essence. The dish was completed with white carnation flowers and dots of lemon gel, adding purity and intensity of flavor.
The mushroom consommé with black pearl, hazelnuts, and miso is remarkable: a delicate mushroom broth is enriched with hazelnut oil and raw cauliflower. A black pearl, covered with corn flour and cassava starch, is fried and made perfectly crispy. It is stuffed with a tartare of the same mushroom, finely chopped and then sprinkled with porcini powder. The dish is completed with a hazelnut oil and miso mayonnaise: a delicate interplay of textures and deeply umami flavors. The versions with Neusiedlersee eel, with frozen foie gras and then again with apple vinegar, foie gras, and fried yeast are also delicious.
There is so much succulence in the kid belly, which is very tender, slowly cooked in its own fat, then glazed with a homemade BBQ sauce and covered with tender chard leaves. Alongside is a wild morel mushroom, delicately stuffed with a velvety goat filling and fried in tempura. The dish is finished with beurre blanc, which adds depth and harmony to every bite. The Odefey duck served with a spicy Sichuan pepper honey glaze and its confit leg is a wonderful bite. The duck is dry-aged for two weeks, gently cooked confit, and then grilled over charcoal. It is accompanied by a slowly roasted Stekovic onion stuffed with duck leg. Orange jelly, candied zest, and crispy duck skin complete the dish; a rich jus, prepared with the duck carcasses, binds the elements together.
A taste of excellent mountain cheeses followed by a bitter salad with rhubarb and clover. To finish, a spectacular dessert with layers of complexity: dark chocolate, Austrian ginger, and lemon. A lemon and ginger sorbet, fresh and spicy, is paired with a light, warm chocolate mousse that melts in the mouth. Under a veil of crunchy chocolate, delicately pickled Seewinkel ginger and preserved lemon. Even the final treat is worthy of a dinner of unforgettable elegance.
CONTACTS
Taubenkobel
Hauptstraße 27/33, 7081 Schützen am Gebirge, Austria
Phone: +43 2684 2297
