BAR/terre

Review

A place in the sun

Photo: Heribert Corn Right from the start, things didn't go so smoothly with the gastronomy at the Sofitel. In 2010, the restaurant Le Loft on the 18th floor of the Nouvel Tower with its all-round glazing and Pipilotti Rist plafond was eagerly awaited. However, it soon turned out that the view was the best thing about the restaurant. The concept of having a young chef create a menu designed by celebrity chef Antoine Westermann in Paris failed completely. After that, various other concepts with other chefs flopped; only the brief phase with Fabian Günzel (now Restaurant ænd) was exciting. The bar next to the hotel would be great in itself, but unfortunately it is very likely to be turned away by security at the elevator. And the café on the ground floor was never noticed for a reason. But on the one hand, restaurants right next to the Nouvel Tower are buzzing like a pig - Mochi, Ansari and the Spelunke are just a few examples. And the Sofitel managers in Paris obviously thought that they should be able to participate in this frequency. Which is why the café was given a slightly different design, its own snack menu, the new name Bar/Terre (bar and parterre, haha, brilliant!) and finally a small terrace in front of the glass wall, from which you can gaze gloriously south over to Schwedenplatz and also into the glowing center of the sun. Oh great, that's what you want now, after all it's been dark and grey long enough. Maybe that's why the tables inside the bar/terre are mirrored, so that the sun not only dazzles you through the high glass front, but also a second time from the table above. And maybe that's why from Monday to Thursday they only do daytime business, and consistently so: at 7.05 pm you can't even get a drink in the bar, which closes at 8 pm. But okay, if you're there on time, you can get "regional delicacies that taste of home" and "international food creations". Pastrami sandwiches, for example, or kabanossi. The six pieces of potatoes with sour cream and small pieces of melting mountain cheese cooked in their skins in the oven probably fall into the category of "regional delicacies" and are not bad at all, but at nine euros they are really cheekily priced. Apart from the presentation on wooden sushi plates and a few roasted hazelnuts in the filling, the wraps with chicken salad don't really differ from those you get in chain bakeries (€12), the espresso is okay and at €3.70 is almost a mezzie. It's a strange concept, you have to say. Was it devised by international specialists for a lot of money? Do they think it will be a hit? Perhaps. Summary: The most unspectacular of the three bars in the Hotel Sofitel has been given an update, where you can at least get a sunburn. Bar/Terre 2, Praterstr. 1, Tel. 01/906 16-6115,

More in Bar, Nightclub
Food & Drink in Vienna