Steirereck sits in the Stadtpark behind a wall of glass, so you eat lunch among the treetops and dinner with the park going dark beyond the window. Heinz Reitbauer cooks here with chef Michael Bauböck, and in January 2025 the new Austria-wide Michelin Guide gave the restaurant a third star. The kitchen's most famous trick still arrives at the table: a fillet of char set in beeswax and cooked in front of you, the wax peeled away to reveal the fish.
The Kitchen
Steirereck is Heinz Reitbauer's restaurant — his family ran the original before he rebuilt it in the Stadtpark — and he cooks it now alongside chef Michael Bauböck, with Birgit Reitbauer running the room and sommelier René Antrag the cellar. The signature is theatre with a point: a fillet of char, lightly salted, sealed in warm beeswax in a frame and cooked tableside for about nine minutes, then carried back to be plated with marinated yellow beetroot, jellied beetroot juice and sour cream. Around it, Reitbauer builds menus from rare breeds, near-forgotten produce varieties and herbs grown on the building's own rooftop — Austrian ingredient obsession turned into one of Europe's most distinctive tables. The seven-course tasting runs €225–245, with an Austrian-and-Champagne pairing at €105–120, and you choose between two options at each course. In January 2025 the Michelin Guide raised it to three stars, the only restaurant in Austria at that level. Steirereck stands at Am Heumarkt 2A, in the middle of the Stadtpark, with a separate dairy bar, the Meierei, downstairs.
The Room
The dining room is a glass pavilion, all clean lines and daylight, wrapped by the green of the Stadtpark — bright and airy by day, hushed and low-lit at night. The sound is gentle, tables are set well apart, and a conversation across the table stays private. You can look into the kitchen through the pass. Dress is smart — a jacket reads right even though it is not strictly required — and the pacing of a long tasting is calm rather than rushed. For a city that guards its grand cafés, this is the modern counterpoint.
Practical Info
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Best for an Anniversary
Book Steirereck for an anniversary because it turns a meal into an afternoon or evening you remember in detail. Ask for a table on the park side, where the glass gives you treetops in summer and bare branches under lights in winter. The char in beeswax is built-in theatre to share, the pacing leaves room to talk, and the service — led by Birgit Reitbauer — handles a milestone with warmth rather than fuss. Tell them at booking that you are celebrating; they do quiet acknowledgements well. Time a long lunch if you want the daylight and the treetops, or come for dinner if you want the park going dark beyond the glass.
Not For
Skip Steirereck if you want a quick, casual bite — it is a long, three-star tasting at three-star prices, and the downstairs Meierei is the better call for a fast lunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Steirereck worth it?
Yes — it is Austria's only three-Michelin-star restaurant and one of the most distinctive kitchens in Europe. Heinz Reitbauer builds menus from rare breeds, near-forgotten produce and herbs from the rooftop, and the glass pavilion in the Stadtpark is a setting few three-stars can match. At €225–245 for seven courses it is a splurge, but a memorable, ingredient-driven one.
How hard is it to book Steirereck?
Book two to four weeks ahead for a weekend evening, less for a weekday or lunch. Steirereck takes reservations online and by phone, and the park-side tables go first, so ask for one when you book. If the dining room is full, the downstairs Meierei offers a more casual taste of the operation without the wait.
What should I order at Steirereck?
Let the kitchen lead with the seven-course tasting, but do not miss the signature: char cooked tableside in beeswax, plated with marinated yellow beetroot and sour cream. The menu changes with the season and leans on rare Austrian produce and rooftop herbs. You choose between two dishes at each course, and the Austrian-and-Champagne pairing at €105–120 is the natural match.
Is Steirereck good for an anniversary?
Very. The glass pavilion in the Stadtpark, the calm pacing and the generously spaced tables make it one of Vienna's best special-occasion rooms. Ask for a park-side table, tell them you are celebrating, and let the char-in-beeswax course be the centrepiece. It works for a long daylight lunch among the treetops or a dinner as the park goes dark.
How many Michelin stars does Steirereck have?
Three. In January 2025, the new Austria-wide Michelin Guide raised Steirereck to three stars — the only restaurant in the country at that level — and it held all three in the 2026 Guide. Heinz Reitbauer and chef Michael Bauböck run the kitchen, with the rooftop garden and rare-breed sourcing central to the cooking.