The Gault&Millau Austria 2023 has arrived, awarded chefs and restaurants celebrates their trophies and toques

Published on 17/11/2022 at 00:00

Vienna,17/11/2022

The most important awards of the Austrian gastronomy industry could finally be presented in person again after a forced break due to Corona. The award winners earned much applause on 16th November in the modern ambience of the SO/ Vienna Hotel*. Being named Gault&Millau "Chef of the Year" is undisputedly the most important award in the Austrian culinary industry. The new title holder is Lukas Nagl from the Bootshaus restaurant on Lake Traun. Much attention is also always paid to whether there is movement at the top of the quality pyramid. In fact, we can congratulate an extremely talented chef on his fifth toque: Benjamin Parth from Restaurant Stüva in Ischgl.

Despite extremely difficult conditions for the Austrian gastronomy industry, the 2023 Guide Gault&Millau can boast no less than 762 toque restaurants, which in total bear 1,486 toques. This is a new record, there have never been so many. The newcomers can be found across the entire spectrum: 45 establishments were awarded toques for the first time, 36 were upgraded by one, two or even three points.

“This year we awarded eleven establishments with 18.5 points. Considering the tense situation overall, this is a masterstroke of the domestic restaurant scene“ - Martina Hohenlohe, Editor Gault&Millau Austria explains.

Tyrol is second only to Vienna among the provinces with the most toques - 115 establishments. The youngest of the five - hooded chefs also works here. Benjamin Parth is now in a row with the tried and tested Five-Hood-Stars: Konstantin Filippou (Vienna), Silvio Nickol (Vienna), Heinz Reitbauer (Steirereck, Vienna), Martin Klein (Ikarus, Salzburg) and Karl and Rudi Obauer (Werfen, Salzburg). In addition, Tyrol has more newcomers than any other province. As many as ten establishments earned more points this year than the year before.

The "Chef of the Year 2023" comes from Upper Austria: Lukas Nagl uses the rich treasures of the lake on the doorstep at the Bootshaus in Traunkirchen and combines them with vegetables and herbs from the region. "With his focus on the lake, Lukas Nagl has achieved

true mastery in recent years, and this award is well-deserved," says the Gault&Millau team.

Lisa Krispel from Styrian Krispel Winery won the Trophy Patissière of the Year 2023, while Judith Knittelfelder won the Service Award.

Newcomerin of the Year is Parvin Razavi, who combines oriental with European traditions, enchants fresh vegetables with juices and herbs to create highly complex dishes, and in her open kitchen at the Viennese restaurant “&flora”. Hedi Klinger, legendary owner of Gasthof Klinger was given a sustained standing ovation while receiving The Lifetime Achievement Award at the presentation of the new guide at SO/Vienna Hotel.