The “Falstaff Guide 2024” was presented in front of several representatives of the local top gastronomy on Monday afternoon in the coat of arms hall of the Vienna City Hall. In the industry, the restaurant guide is considered an important guide. In Falstaff, members of the Falstaff Gourmet Club rate the restaurants. The members are, so to speak, the jury for the Falstaff Guide and award a maximum of 100 points, which is equivalent to four forks. The founder, Wolfgang Rosam, sees the advantages in the breadth of the reviews. In total, more than 2,000 restaurants across Austria were rated this year, 155 of them in Carinthia.
“A sensational award”
As in the previous year, the Carinthian winner is Hubert Wallner’s “Gourmet Restaurant” in Dellach in the municipality of Maria Wörth with 99 points – this means second place in Austria. Wallner has been cooking in one of the most beautiful places on the southern shore of Lake Wörthersee for three years. “Like every year, this is a sensational award for my team and me. I’m very happy because you have to prove yourself over and over again and it really seems to work.”
For him, gastronomy is like a high-performance sport, says Wallner: “You have to constantly stay on the ball, do your best every day.” Wallner particularly emphasizes the role of his team: “Something like this is not possible alone, my hard-working and loyal ones are crucial Employees. We all believe in the same thing and that simply has an effect.” For Wallner, the renewed award is no reason for stagnation: “We try out new things every year and we will continue to do so, you can’t just move along quietly.” 1st place Although it shows that you are on the right path, resting on it is the first step to failure.
Close behind, the restaurant “Die Forelle” at Weißensee took second place with 98 points, and in 2023 Hannes Müller’s family business also landed just behind first place.
Fine Dininig as the best newcomer
In another ranking, a Carinthian restaurant was even able to secure first place in Austria: Gamskogelhütte Fine Dining by Stefan Lastin was rated as the best newcomer with 95 points. Does that mean anything to him at all? He answers firmly: “This is very important to me, because this is a score that I have never been able to achieve before. “It’s like a dream,” says Stefan Lastin, appreciating the award.
“So the hard work is really paying off, the whole team has done a great job. The influx of guests and the award prove us right.” According to Lastin, at least half of the success is due to the producers; they are the guarantee for the high quality. In the “ambience” category, the gourmet temple of the three-toque chef at 1,850 meters above sea level even achieved 10 out of 10 points.
Stefan Lastin is the best newcomer with his Gamskogelhütte Fine Dining © Markus Traussnig
The most beautiful terrace is in Pörtschach
In the category “most beautiful guest gardens and terraces”, La Terrasse in Seefels Castle in Pörtschach was voted first in Carinthia, true to its name. Overall, the jewel on Lake Wörthersee also performed excellently again, fourth place in the ranking of the top restaurants in Carinthia also makes the resident manager of Schloss Seefels, Florian Schmeichenbauer, proud: “We are particularly pleased that we have achieved the 95 points from last year again could achieve. We undoubtedly have the most beautiful view on Lake Wörthersee, if not in all of Carinthia.”
It’s no wonder that La Terrasse in Seefels Castle took first place in the “most beautiful guest gardens and terraces” category © Daniel Waschnig
You can be doubly happy at Seefels Castle: The second restaurant there, the Porto Bello, was able to gain another point (91) compared to the previous year. “This shows the stability of our cuisine. I am proud of my team, who have been there tirelessly for the guests for so many years,” says Schmeichenbauer, who is already looking forward to the reopening on Maundy Thursday.
The resident manager of Seefels Castle, Florian Schmeichenbauer, is pleased about the award © Daniel Waschnig
And what about nationally?
From a national perspective, there is something to be happy about in Salzburg. The “Restaurant Ikarus” by Executive Chef Martin Klein in Hangar-7 has caught up with the Viennese “Steirereck” and the “Amador” and can join the illustrious circle of 100-point restaurants. The guest chef concept and the great effort behind it were recognized by the Falstaff community and awarded the highest number of points.
Hermann Döllerer was honored for his life’s work. He founded his catering playground in Golling, which he continuously expanded over the decades. Today, son Andreas continues to successfully run the original restaurant as head chef and has made it one of the top restaurants in the country. Friederike Duhme was named Sommelier of the Year 2024 by Falstaff, and Peter Kaltschik from Stanglwirt in Going was named best sommelier. Oguz Akaltan from the Plachutta headquarters in Hietzing provided the best service of the year.