Michelin-starred cuisine, Mediterranean sophistication and the search for happiness: in an exclusive interview, top chef Iñigo Urrechu talks about his restaurant "Altia" at the "Meliá Vienna", the art of cooking and why true culinary art begins with the selection of the best products.
With a fine sense of flavors, uncompromising dedication to first-class products and a cuisine full of Mediterranean lightness, the Basque top chef creates a cuisine that evokes emotions. He ran Ironman competitions, cooked his way to the international top and has lived for the kitchen for almost four decades, with the same enthusiasm as on the first day.
With his latest project, the "Altia" restaurant on the 57th floor of the "Meliá Vienna", Urrechu has also made an impressive culinary statement in Vienna. High above the city, the stylish restaurant combines Mediterranean sophistication with urban elegance and offers a culinary experience that combines atmosphere, views and cuisine in a special way.
In an exclusive interview with Falstaff, Íñigo Urrechu talks about why true cuisine starts with the product and why happiness is the most important ingredient for him.
Falstaff: The name "Altia" means "high". Is it about the spectacular location or culinary delights at the highest level?
Íñigo Urrechu: The restaurant is located in the tallest building in Austria and in the whole of Europe, and Vienna can be proud of that. But "high" also stands for our aspirations. Not out of arrogance, but out of passion. After almost 40 years in the restaurant business, "Altia" is the best version of my cuisine to date: international, Mediterranean-influenced and with a Spanish soul, tailored to the taste of Vienna.
Why Vienna?
Our restaurant overlooks the Danube and this extraordinary city. Vienna has a special musicality. It is precisely this harmony that we want to reflect with our cuisine and service, like a symphony in which everything plays together perfectly.
What can guests expect?
I travel a lot and know the food cultures of Europe very well. In Austria, people love meat, vegetables, soups, potatoes and honest cooking. That's why I work with Austrian products, combined with my techniques and Mediterranean influences.
One example is our salmorejo. A Spanish classic, reinterpreted with vegetables, avocado and tomato. Or the braised Iberian pork cheeks with an elegant terrine of foie gras and potatoes. Our Norwegian salmon with potato gnocchi and Spanish refritos also combines Austrian preferences with Mediterranean sophistication.
Since 2019, you have been developing international gastronomy concepts together with the Meliá Hotels International Group. Was Vienna a project close to your heart?
Absolutely. The collaboration with "Meliá" is based on mutual respect and the desire to represent Spain in a modern culinary way. At the same time, we didn't want to create a touristy Spanish cliché, but a restaurant for Vienna. If I only wanted to appeal to tourists, I would have opened a classic paella restaurant. We want to address the Viennese guests and then the tourists.
You have been working in the catering industry since you were 17. Has cooking always been your dream?
Yes. I am the youngest in my family and spent a lot of time in my parents' kitchen. Even as a child, I knew that I wanted to be a chef. I started with Martín Berasategui, who didn't have a single Michelin star at the time. From him I learned to live this profession with absolute dedication and to live the kitchen every day with every pore. And I can still feel this enthusiasm today.
Is the product the focus of your kitchen?
Without a product, there is no chef. That's why my first task in Vienna was to get to know local producers, markets and restaurants. I work with regional vegetables, meat and fish. You can't expect to be accepted by a city if you don't respect its products. Vienna and its surroundings have excellent producers, and these products are used to create great dishes.
You are often referred to as the "marathon runner among chefs". Do you see yourself in it?
That's right. I love sport, run marathons and have taken part in Ironman competitions. Life is not a sprint, but a marathon. Nutrition plays a central role here, both in the kitchen and in life itself.
But my life is the kitchen. When I cut myself, the scent of thyme, potatoes or tomatoes comes out instead of blood.
What would you like to give your guests?
Happiness. I want my restaurants to feel like a home. Guests should be welcome and leave with a smile. Making people happy is the best thing about my job.
