Fabios

Description:

• This is the trendiest and most sought-after restaurant in Vienna, with considerable jockeying among the city's glitterati. The creation of the young and fun Fabio Giacobello, the space is bigger inside than you might think. Most of the visual distraction in this mostly black but plush and artfully lit environment comes from its fashion-conscious (and usually good-looking) clients and from walls of glass that seem to bring the visual details of Vienna's historic core directly inside. The menu might include warm octopus marinated with olive oil and parsley served on a bed of cold gazpacho cream sauce, crispy sesame leaves stuffed with warm goat cheese served with Treviso radicchio and honeydew melon, and roasted rack of lamb with cold marinated eggplant and tomatoes served with deep-fried polenta gnocchetti. Incidentally, don't overlook the value of this place's wine bar as a nightlife option. Enough drama unfolds around its rectangular surface to keep a few tabloid writers busy, and someone famous within the inner workings of Vienna's media and politics always seems to be popping up for air and a drink or two.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010