Neon rockets and guitars on the ceiling, very colorful benches and even a magnificent marble floor - five years ago, real estate developer Hermann Rauter redeveloped the run-down Casino Zögernitz in Vienna-Döbling and also opened a restaurant there. He named the ensemble "House of Strauss" as a memorial to the Strauss dynasty with a ballroom and museum. And because Rauter's portfolio also includes the "Neusacherhof" on Lake Weissensee in Carinthia, it made sense to entrust the highly decorated chef there, Stefan Glantschnig, with the development of the Viennese restaurant. It has recently been renamed "Simon" because the local chef is Simon Steindl - a man with a wealth of experience in top gastronomy. The small menu is in the style of "bistronomy" - classics are given a twist. The beef tartare is unusually creamy thanks to the braised paprika emulsion, the nut butter yolk sits on top for you to mix yourself, and shaved Parmesan surrounds the meat. A visually and flavorful plate: pickled mountain trout with pickled ginger pear in a vinaigrette of lamb's lettuce and chives. Then classic braised lamb shank in a rustic chickpea and tomato ragout with hazelnuts from Piedmont. And for fans of combinatorial experiments: roasted, really crispy free-range leg of chicken on pointed cabbage, fregola sarda, tarragon oil and bouchot mussels. The really beautifully "juicy" orange cake "by Simon" with vanilla mascarpone and orange jelly leaves a much less weird overall impression. With the still rather small selection of wines, the drink-friendly pricing is pleasing.
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