Countless churches from Australia to Mexico are called "Mary of Good Counsel". One of them is located in the very small village of Gstaig in the Innviertel region and also gives its name in giant letters to the pub next to it. The name has been retained as a tradition, even though it now also reads "Forthuber in Gstaig".
Doris and Christoph Forthuber ran the best restaurant in the region for six years in nearby Munderfing. He had learnt the ropes from Swiss chef Andreas Caminada, while she brought her passion for wine with her. The question of where to stay had been on their minds for some time. When an emissary of Hans Michael Piëch, who owns land and a stud farm in the region, as well as the aforementioned guesthouse, offered them the same, including seven rooms in two guesthouses, they accepted.
The mixture of fine dining plus "classics" as an everyday offer remained. The offer is amazingly large with the two six-course menus "Hearty" or "Light as a feather". Braised cauliflower is harmoniously combined with purslane, pea cress, capers and hollandaise. There is always an excursion into the Asian genre, this time with crispy skin gyoza - the pocket sticks to a deep-fried disc of dough - with kohlrabi mousse and coconut foam. Excitingly good: salmon trout; the magnificent fish comes from Kapeller in Seekirchen and is cooked very delicately in a pot "in the herb sauna", served with lemon-mustard zabaglione and a well-measured hint of wild garlic.
The wine list, which was centred on Austria at the relaunch, is to be gradually expanded. Beer culture is well positioned with Salzburg Augustiner on tap and Schnaitl from the bottle. Gstaig has a flag on the gastronomic map.