Salzburg is a beautiful historic city surrounded by mountains. It is the birthplace of Mozart and known visually as the backdrop of the film The Sound of Music. You feel that history when you walk through the town.
The historic Restaurant Herzl has been serving traditional fare since the 15th century and is located in the historic Hotel Goldener Hirsch. This seemed the obvious choice for dinner our first night because we were booked into the hotel.
The interior of the restaurant is cozy and gives the feel of a historic inn with modern touches. I do not specifically remember a fireplace, but the memories of this place give the feeling that there was a warm fire crackling as we enjoyed our evening. The decor highlights Austria's game and history of hunting. Adorned with scenes of hunts, nature and dark wood, it really gives makes you feel as if you are sitting in the room hunters would come to socialize in for a warm fire and a beer hundreds of years ago. The servers were informative and friendly but the wear traditional outfits they wear are somewhat gimmicky.
I ordered the beef special with roasted potatoes and onion straws. The beef was served in a savory sauce with a warm wine base. Although the beef is pounded very thin, it is cooked to a precise medium temperature. This is the type of dish that is easy to over-salt but the chef seasoned this perfectly. The potatoes were the ideal accompaniment to the steak. They had a slight crunch on the outside but were soft and creamy inside.
Mauricio had a sausage plate. Sadly, the sausages were gone before a photo was taken. He did steal some of my onion straws because they were super tasty.
We paired dinner with a 2017 Markus Altenburger Blaufränkisch “vom Kalk”. This is a typical Austrian house wine and was recommended by the server. The wine is a medium bodied, organic wine with a fresh taste. Although the dish was beef, it was not a heavy meal so the wine was a great complement to the meal.
In a word, the food at Herzl is savory. In three, it is savory, deep and warming. This the place you want to enjoy a warm cozy meal on a cold night in Salzburg. Herzl is well worth the visit for an authentic meal in a historical setting.
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