Located right next to the State Opera House, the Hotel Bristol Vienna has been a premier address in the Austrian capital for 130 years. Originally a residential building, it has evolved into one of the most modern houses on the block since its inception in 1892. After all, it was the first to have private bathrooms, an elevator and even a telephone! No wonder that the imposing Art Nouveau hotel promptly attracted guests from all over the world. On the occasion of its 130th anniversary, the iconic house is celebrating its proximity to art and culture with an extraordinary and artful fine dining experience.

High culinary art at Hotel Bristol Vienna. © Herbert Lehmann

Hotel Bristol Vienna, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Kärntner Ring 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Web: marriott.com
Tel.: +43 1-515160
Price: Dinner Experience at €395 per person

The fusion of gastronomy and art

At the Hotel Bristol, contemporary art, extravagance and exclusivity have always been part of the hotel DNA. This special liaison now extends to the food. "The Bristol already showed pioneering spirit when it opened in 1892 and, following in these footsteps, we are once again breaking new ground today," says Simone Dulies, general manager of the Hotel Bristol. In concrete terms, this means that two renowned artists were brought to Vienna. They created a multi-sensory, experimental dinner with live direction. Art, cuisine, tradition, avant-garde and enjoyment are thus linked in a special way.

Guests are seated at the long table. Fire extinguishers and glass flasks underscore the laboratory-like, experimental nature of the evening. © Herbert Lehmann

Bristol Lounge chef René Molnar collaborated with visual artist and media theorist Robin Treier to develop an 8-course art experience. A maximum of 20 guests are seated at a long table. The room: a synthesis of hotel history and progress, incomplete, in the making – an experiment. Candles and media projections bathe the room in a mysterious light. Each individual course is a new interpretation of a classic. And if silence prevails at the beginning, the setting quickly encourages people to talk across the long table. The guests become actors in the overall experience.

The creative team has reinterpreted what champagne on ice can look like. © Herbert Lehmann

Indulging in history

The unusual dinner is now available for booking. The plan is to offer the avant-garde fine dining experience, limited to 20 people, once a month. Allergies, food intolerances and dietary restrictions are, of course, taken into consideration and don't take away from the overall experience, which costs €395 per person, beverages such as creative cocktails (e.g. "onion beer") and juices, included. In addition to exceptional flavors, each meal stuns with its artful presentation. The event can also be booked on request. The next date is November 3, 2022.

Looks like ice cream, but it isn't: taleggio, walnut, dirndl and rosemary combine to create a creamy, salty flavor sensation. © Herbert Lehmann

In addition to this new food event, the chef has created other culinary innovations for the hotel's 130th anniversary as well. These can be sampled in the Bristol Lounge and include the anniversary edition of Bristol Cake, inspired by the signature dessert Peach Melba. Anniversary drinks, such as Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII pay tribute to the hotel's famous former guests. If you want to delve even deeper into the hotel's history, visit the two old telephone booths in the lobby, dial 1892 and let yourself be surprised. Chief concierge Dieter Ludewig personally guides guests through the history of the venerable walls. No one knows the house as well as him.

Hotel Bristol Vienna, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Kärntner Ring 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria
Web: marriott.com
Tel.: +43 1-515160
Price: Dinner Experience at €395 per person