Opus score by the 5D Sensograph of placescases.com: 4.8 out of 5.

May 2018

Seen              

Felt               

Heard                   

Smelled               

Tasted                                 

Aside from that I had a personal holiday on this day, I also had a real feast of senses in restaurant Opus, Vienna, the winner of a Michelin star and two Gault & Millau cooking caps. Thanks to Su-chief Stefan Speiser I felt very special and thankful that there are creative people like him, dedicate so much attention to detail in a culinary experience. My family enjoyed a real  time well spent thanks to the talent of this guy who is in the rankings of the top 50 chefs of Austria.

See….

…. Impressive outside and inside building of the famous Hotel Imperial, welcoming many celebrities as guests;

…. Elegant retro interior of the restaurant, decorated in the style of the 30s- wood panelling, marble, crystal chandelier, fresh orchids;

…. How each element in the plate harmonizes with the others and creates a masterpiece;

…. Right from the start the compliment starter brought a fun note in the dinner with its cheerful appearance and contrasting textures.

Felt….

…. Chef Stefan strives to put in every dish  a sense of tease with three basic textures to underline the main product- crispy chips, crumbs or vegetables, fluffy foam and gentle mousse;

…. The contrast between the crispy crust of home-made bread (white and black) with the fluffy, tenderness of whipped lightly salted butter!

…. The attention of the team of the restaurant to my holiday with a chocolate ball specially prepared for my birthday day with a candle and inscription Happy Birthday.

…. A mild sour mood and attitude as a teacher, who is ready to scold naughty students  by the maître d’hôtel, he even made a little comment  that while I was away from the table, our dishes got cold] here’s why half Heart dropped into category Feeling;

…. The lack of response to the email with which I tried to make a reservation- I was able to visit Opus, thanks to the people at the reception in my hotel;

You can read more about it in my review: Stay at Stephansdom, in König von Ungarn, Vienna

…. Besides the first two wines, the dessert wine in the final and the red wine of my husband, the rest were chilled too much and they needed a lot of time to open their fragrances and tastes. I assume that the simple reason is that the bottles stood open, on ice to be able to put to all guests wishing to consume the wine recommended to the dishes. In this way it is difficult to regulate their temperature. Another half Heart less by the 5D Sensograph, because I very much wanted to fully enjoy the local Austrian wines, especially in combination with such a virtuoso food and here my expectations have gone away with the real experience.

Listen….

…. At the beginning, when we entered, the neighboring saloon had a live performance on grand piano – it was great but quickly stopped because it was only provided for the afternoon. Then there was a quiet jazz music that gently caressed the ear, so it was very nice. On my comment on the entry for the beautiful music, the maître d’hôtel did not react at all, even he looked a bit annoyed.

Smell…

…. The combinations of fragrances were impressive- every dish had its own balance between the smell of the main product (fish, game, snail), in combination with the aromas of rhubarb (rhubarb), Morel mushroom (morchella) and spices;

…. An impressive combination of very lean salmon that develops its sea flavor against the backdrop of extremely soft avocado mousse and jalapeno, light ginger and crunchy grasses;

…. The snail that feels perfect among his friends- crispy parsley roots, parsley mousse, a little garlic in a fluffy, lightly sweetened foam.

 Tasted….

…. A Saint-Jacques with mousse and cauliflower sauce, chives, mousse of Morel,  crispy beautiful green broccoli Romanesko contrasting with the gentle skalop of the Saint-Jacques;

…. Golden trout, accompanied by lemon caviar, with a pleasantly aroma of lemon zest and bright green parsley mousse;

…. Rhubarb in dessert- Chef Stefan is the king of this specific vegetable, which can be prepared as a sweet dish;

…. Exclusive handmade candies, macaron and ice cream on a stick- the candy resepbling a pyramid is made of tofu and caramel, surpassed all my expectations, and the pink one was again with rhubarb. The ice cream rested on coffee beans, the candies- on stones- very spectacular presentation!

For some of the wines, unfortunately, I will refrain from commenting, because they could not opened enough their fragrances. However, I must say that they were a good addition to the dishes.The first wine Sauvignon Blanc Sattlerhof, Gamlitz Südsteiermark 2017 was very good with a distinct scent of green apple and light limestone. I was impressed by the sparkling Traminer Steilinger, Traminer Sekt 2015, Niederösterreich G.U. Reserve, which accompanied the Arzberg Silver Mine Cheese and finally by the Sweet Wine Forticus 2006 Vintage, Graf Hardegg, Likörwein, which accompanied the dessert.

Opus restaurant is located in the impressive building of a former palace, transformed in 1873 in the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. The latter has welcomed many famous guests such as Otto von Bismarck, composer Wagner, who has inhabited seven rooms with his family. Recently famous film and pop stars such as Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Barbara Streisand, Antonio Banderas stayed there. Right behind the hotel is the famous building of Wiener Musikverein – a Viennese Music Association, where the Vienna Philharmonic performs every year the famous concerts on 1 January with Viennese waltzes, that we watch on TV.

Opus is a place that can not leave you indifferent. Chef Stefan Speiser’s cuisine is at an extraordinary height and flawless in every detail, deserving the high recognition by Michelin guide and Gault & Millau. It is definitely in the fine dining category and highly positioned price. Do not be surprised by an account over 250 euros for 2 people. Unlike most restaurants in Vienna, it works on Sundays. Also, there is an optional full vegetarian menu.

Although the maître d’hôtel patiently waited for me to take the pictures of the dishes and the wine, I would have prefered the to be a little more customer oriented. I felt his attitude more like a barrier in communication with the creations of the team in the kitchen than as a way to make me enjoy the maximum of this great experience. I didn’t like that my comment on the good music was perceived with a stone face by him and the slight annoyance I felt when I asked about the products in my dishes. At the same time, this guy had a fun and cheerful laugh with other guests in the restaurant. I felt something like a discriminatory treatment. Maybe he was uncomfortable with us being with our kids together (by the way the kids behaved well), or that we had an eastern accent, or it just wasn’t his day. We are not angry with him, but he can definitely be more cheerful in his contact with all clients, not only with some of them.

All 5 hearts, in all 5 categories of the 5D Sensograph belong to Chef Stefan Speiser, the real star of restaurant Opus, with gratitude for the great surprise for my birthday with chocolate ball and a candle, but especially for the lovely dinner. If he opens his own restaurant, I’d love to visit it and enjoy again his creations.

A: Vienna, Hotel Imperial, Kärntner Ring 16

T: + 43 1 50110389

E: opus.restaurant@luxurycollection.com

Working time: Tuesday-Sunday 18:00-24:00

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