An absolutely outstanding dining experience worth trying when you’re in Vienna: Restaurant Z’Som (30. June 2024)

It is not entirely easy to find a good restaurant, which is open on a Sunday evening in Vienna, let alone one, which still has space on short notice. In any case, I was lucky enough to find the Z’Som, which is definitely worth visiting. They only offer a 6- or a 7-course-menu (EUR 109.00), which was my choice for the night. It started with a small surprise from the kitchen, a “Gazpacho made from fried salad hearts and dried cranberries” served with a “tartlet made out of fish and finalised with fish roe”. The gazpacho was nice, but the tartlet was outstanding. I was hyped after the first bites and was curious what more there was to come.

The first official course of the menu was “white asparagus (rhubarb, tonka bean, confit egg yolk, kohlrabi)”, which was rather outstanding. I had expected it to be a bit bland, but it turned out that it was actually incredibly rich.

The next course was “oyster mushroom (fermented potatoes, buckwheat, coal oil, truffle)”, which was definitely interesting. The texture of the oyster mushrooms is a rather particular one, hence, I was happy that there weren’t too many mushrooms, but the combination of flavours and textures actually worked a charm. And the fermented potato mousse was really kind of the perfect base for that dish.

The “red wild prawn (peas, seame, chile amarillo, maracuja) with a prawn ‘chicharrón'” was great. The peas had a nice bite to them, the soup in which they were served was rather rich, but light at the same time. And ultimately, the prawn chicharrón was definitely much smoother than an actual chicharrón. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed the dish.

Next in line was the “eagle fish (salicornia, algae adobo, tomatillo, hoja santa)”, which did look a bit boring, but which turned out to be delicious. The tomatillo sauce was really refreshing and built a good counterpart to the intensity of the fish. The hoja santa was smoked, so, there was a little smokey flavour to the dish without being dominant.

Then it was time for the “royal dove (chimichurri, black beer jus, roasted apple)”. I usually find ‘dove’ a bit challenging, but this one was great. The bird was incredibly flavourful, had great taste, a perfect roasting aroma, and went well with the intense jus reduction. And, surprisingly, even the three little mousse dots went incredibly well with the meat. I was very positively surprised.

Next in line was probably one of my favourite dishes, despite the fact that it was a dessert. The “white buffalo cheese (oatmeal, Sauternes gel, ajo negro, pear)” was an incredible combination of flavours and textures. The crunchiness of the oatmeal in combination with the sweetness of the pear ice cream and the dairy flavour of the cheese was just mouth-watering. Frankly, not a combination I had expected to work when it was explained to me, however, it really turned out to be exquisite.

The final official course were “strawberries (lavender, coconut, mint)”, which also worked quite well together. Especially the chip on the side was a nice, caramel texture like bite, which added to the overall dessert.

Last but not least, you would get two small chocolates to end the dinner, which were a final nice bite.

Personally, I was sceptical, when the 100+ online reviews ended up in a 4.9 on average, and I must say, that I ended up being super positively surprised after the evening. The food is gorgeous and delicious. The place is nice and relatively spacious, which allows you to have some privacy.

And last but not least, the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive – and that is true throughout. From the kitchen staff to the waitress to the owner – they really make you feel welcome throughout and take good care of you throughout the evening. So, the Z’Som is definitely a place I can highly, highly recommend if you’re looking for an exquisite and price-wise reasonable dining experience.

Rating:

Atmosphere:
Service:
Dishes:
Price-Performance Ratio:
Overall Rating:

Contact Details:

Restaurant Z’Som

Gußhausstraße 12

1040 Vienna (AT)

Tel.: +43 1 920 44 54

E-Mail: reservierung@zsom-restaurant.at

Homepage: http://www.zsom-restaurant.at

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.