Joseph Brot – Bio Handwerks-Bäckerei

Review

Joseph, the fifth

Photo: Heribert Corn A year after opening, the small Joseph-Bagel-Manufaktur on Albertinaplatz became a full-blown restaurant concept that combines bistro, café, bakery and patisserie: the former 1950s fur store next door was taken over, given a sleek, modern makeover and combined with the bagel store. There are still bagels, but also veal cream goulash and pork cheeks. So if you're wondering why there's a queue of people on the corner of Führichgasse and Philharmonikerstrasse: there's bread! The hype surrounding good sourdough bread continues unabated - and that's a good thing. And it's also a good thing that Josef Weghaupt is taking advantage of the desire for good bread and pastries and opening his fifth business and second bistro-café in the triangle between the Opera House, Albertina and Imperial Crypt. It is also good that the restaurant has airy guest gardens on both sides and that the staff, young and always friendly, can explain what is going on with their hands and feet if necessary. It goes without saying that the clientele is a colourful mix: Americans, Japanese and Norwegians, who all want to know what, for example, "fig pure Bircher muesli" (€ 6.10) is. It is definitely delicious, soaked the day before and with lots of dried fruit, fruity and not too sweet. The "Vienna Philharmonic Etagere" - the breakfast special for two - looks particularly pretty at the next table. But it also costs € 42.80. "Bakery Masterpieces" includes the delicious "Avocado Toast" (€ 12.60), toasted multigrain bread with - no na - avocado as well as tomatoes, smoked tofu and puffed amaranth, finely marinated with sesame oil. "The Healthy" (€ 14.80), also a Masterpieces edition, is a toasted loaf lavishly topped with salmon, avocado cream, poached egg, cherry tomatoes and cottage cheese, served with a somewhat bitter granola pudding. This is accompanied by coffee, tea or smoothies such as "The Beauty & the Beets" (€ 4.90) with pomegranate, strawberries, beetroot, oranges and goji berries or matcha-ginger-lime iced tea (€ 4.40). So much for breakfast. As it's summer and Sunday, we continued our tasting in the evening. For example, a really good burger (€ 16.40) with a fine sourdough brioche bun and meat from Höllerschmid, roasted pink and seasoned with restraint, with mountain cheese, ox heart tomato, mustard mayonnaise, avocado cream and lettuce hearts. Or a "Wiener Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich" (13.90) - a funny combination of club sandwich and schnitzel roll - toasted toast (sourdough, of course), served with baked chicken schnitzel, lamb's lettuce and tartar sauce. Apparently, the handmade apple strudel made to Weghaupt's mother's recipe also tastes excellent - but it certainly looks good. Summary: A restaurant that always offers (almost) everything you could possibly want: Breakfast, salads, snacks, main courses, patisserie and bread - even on Sundays. Joseph am Albertinaplatz 1, Führichgasse 6 Café Bistro: Mon-Fri 8-22, Sat, Sun & Fei 8-18 hrs.

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