A Taste of Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel Travel Review

Kitzbühel, Austria’s  swankiest ski resort is particularly famous for its annual Hahnenkamm Race but the cute medieval town is a great place to go to throughout the whole year. It  is home to roughly 8000 habitants and hosts chic boutiques, bars and restaurants. Kitzbühel offers a great variety of things to do around the year. In the summer, it attracts golfers and hikers. In the winter it is a great place for skiers and boarders. The skiresort around Hahnenkamm offers a good variety of relatively easy slopes. The slopes around  Jochberg area on the other side of Kitzbühel are more challenging and suitable for experienced skiers. As both resorts are low in altitude the snow tends to get a little mushy on warmer days. The ski resort around Hahnenkamm is far from short of mountain restaurants which offer giant portions at astonishingly affordable prices (particularly when you are used to Swiss prices).

Where to eat

Kitzbühel offers both chic and trendy restaurants with gault millau and michelin starred cuisine as well as more rustic eateries serving hearty Austrian classics.

Petit Tirolia

Based in the eponymous Grand Tirolia  the Petit Tirolia  opened its gates in 2008. The  kitchen is now helmed by Steve Karlsch.

The interior is a trendy alpine mix of red accents and wooden elements which is also followed through in the hotel. The light is dim and somewhat dull. On a friday night the restaurant is  half full. The cuisine: We opt for a 5 course menu which includes water, a glass of champagne and coffee. We start off with a Scallop with water melon and goat milk yoghurt, an interesting but easily forgettable combination. The ray with heart of palm and sea wheat is good however requires a bit of overcoming if you are a diver. The ray is followed by Topinambur with Ginger which frankly speaking is unpalatable. The vension is good but nothing special and so is the entrecote. The pre desert of warm honey milk with forest fruit sorbet is our unexpected highlight of the evening. The de facto desert of avocado mousse and plum sorbet however brings the dinner to a rather underwhelming end. The service is friendly but a bit overbearing (We have never seen our water glass refilled so quickly). Somewhere at the end of the evening the chef comes by to greet the guests however forgets our table as we are seated  further from the other tables – an oversight but a bit unfortunate when there are only four tables occupied.

Conclusion: The obviously point – aspiring cuisine seems to have forgotten the main mission of every good restaurant – culinary enjoyment for its guests.

Saukaserlstube’n

This lovely restaurant located a bit outside of Kitzbühel is the epitome of cosiness. The restaurant has been around for 30 years and initially started out with two tables.

The restaurant divided into 4 tiny seating areas. Everything is made out of wood, even the menu. The rustic dining area has been decorated with a lot of attention for detail.

The menu offers a great variety of Austrian classics such as Cheese Spätzle, Viennesse Schnitzel and Cordon Bleu and seasonal specialities. We opt for a trilogx of seafood with matjes with cucumber yoghurt, salmon tartar and a shrimp cocktail which is simply fantastic and a pumpkin soup which is also good.The truffle cheese spätzle come with a salad and are excellent. The pike perch covered by potatoe rösti and root vegetables is mouth wateringly delicious. What else is there to add? Oh, the servings are simply enormous so opt for a light lunch before coming here and skip the calorie counting, the food is simply too delicious to be missed. The value for money is very good too. At the end, there is no more room for desert however the menu offers sweet Austrian classics such as Palatschinken. The service is very cordial and helpful and makes you feel at home instantly.

Conclusion: Great food in a cosy atmosphere, a must visit in Kitzbühel.

Where to stay

The Grand Tirolia is located 10 minutes from Kitzbühel. The luxury 5 star golf resort offers a stylish and modern alpine ambiance. The lavish rooms are very spacious with rustic wooden floors, complete with a large terrace. The bath is every girls dream with a huge bath tub and Bulgari products and even features an integrated TV. The hotel also hosts a beautiful 1500 square meter spa with an in- and outdoor pool, various saunas and steam baths – the perfect place to unwind after a long day on the slopes, The spa also offers variety of treatments and a private spa and the massages are super relaxing. Breakfast includes fresh juices, a large selection of bread, croissants and bread rolls, eggs and a variety of cheeses as well as champagne.