Restaurant Casserolle

Description:

• One of the finest hotel dining rooms in Graz, this prestigious restaurant on the banks of the Mur offers a "taste of Styria." To go completely local, ask the waiter to bring you a Styrian Old Slivovitz, a schnapps made from plums. You can follow with a selection of hot or cold appetizers, perhaps Styrian speck (delicately cured and finely sliced ham garnished with grated horseradish). A homemade chicken-liver pâté with Cumberland sauce is also recommended, or you could begin with one of the day's soups, perhaps a clear oxtail broth laced with sherry. Both freshwater and sea fish are offered, ranging from John Dory to grilled filet of pikeperch. One of the chef's specialties is veal served in a casserole with Swiss-style sautéed potatoes. One entire section of the menu is taken up with Austrian beef specialties, not just the typically Viennese tafelspitz, but tournedos with a truffle-cream sauce and even chateaubriand (which requires two diners). Boiled beef Goldener Ochs (a slice of boiled prime beef) is even better than the tafelspitz. You can have a sweet dessert, such as a traditional apple strudel, or finish your meal, as many locals do, with a small cheese plate, perhaps Austrian Emmentaler, a mild nut-flavored cheese.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010