it doesn’t do the kussmaul any justice to call it a restaurant: not only is it patisserie, bistro, bar, and fine-dining restaurant at the same time (or rather as the day progresses), it is its own manufactory as well. from pickles to sourdough bread, from mustard to pralinés to all the greens that create a greenhouse-like atmosphere, as much as by any means possible is produced in-house.

“this way you really know what you work for all the time,” says owner and head-chef mario bernatovic. for a long time of motto am fluss-fame, this is the born-and-bred viennese’s first own project, which he proudly claims would work in any big city in the world. the impression of berlin, where bernatovic enjoys partying every now and then, is palpable, though – not least of all expressed in the minimal house music which gives the kussmaul a decidedly bold air.

a salon zur wilden renate live set is providing the soundtrack to savoring what bernatovic has picked for our lunch: a heavenly melting sheep cheese on a bed of quinoa and accompanied by basil, broccoli, and blood orange; and the key burger with homemade kussfries and fresh avocado. other gems on the menu include octopus (eggplant | baby spinach | cashew nuts | tomato | ink baguette), beef tartare (ashbun | parmesano | yolk | black radish), and should cut goulash (cottage cheese | spaetzle | young garlic | smoked pepper), with the meat coming from a local super-slow food farm.

there is a fanciful sense for detail as well: cocktails and high balls are named after characters from johann nestroy’s plays – nestroy being, if you will, a biedermeier colleague of adolf kussmaul’s. and some of the illustrations (by bernatovic’s artist friend franke) pick up on the area’s past: the streets behind what is now world-famous museumsquartier used to be the city’s red light district. there is some kink, too, to this beautiful place.