"Europafunk" was the name of a store near Westbahnhof when the Gürtel was still considered the demarcation line to the gray suburbs. Instead of mixers and radios, you now look into a smart room styled by designer Piotr Wiśniewski with brasserie ball lamps and an open kitchen. The "Boca" is part of the hotel "The Companion", run by the team behind the "Superbude" in the Prater and with "25hours Hotels" inventor Kai Hollmann as a partner. The Wilhelminian-style building has been renovated to a high standard, and there is also a fireplace and the "Calypso" bar. Another astonishing feature is that the kitchen is run by a real talent. Born in New Zealand, Lauryn Therin was Ottolenghi's recipe developer in London for three years and then culinary director of the NENI Group. The menu speaks English, as do most of the knowledgeable and remarkably friendly staff. The dishes are a Mediterranean mix with trips to Italy, France and Spain. "Matrimonio", aka "wedding", is a cheerful orange plate with two kinds of Cantabrian anchovies - top-quality fillets marinated in oil and pickled boquerones, served with herbs and olive oil. That's all you need. Fun: "Aubergine Octopus", octopus-shaped fried eggplants with lemon yoghurt and spicy mojo rojo. Tenderly seared tuna skewers with chopped pistachios in a marinade with tahini and sumac. Don't miss the "Seabass Crudo" with Taggiasca olives, sea fennel and slices of tiny green pickled peaches or the butter-tender short ribs with nut butter and cauliflower puree. Have fun eating, less fun drinking. 49 euros for a natural wine, which is available for less than 10 euros, hardly motivates you to buy a second bottle.
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