DEPARTURES TRAVEL LAND
DEPARTURES TRAVEL LAND OF PLENTY 32 “CAREFUL: GOOSE CROSSING” I read on a road sign coming into Rust, a historic village of colourful terracotta, green and pink houses and heurigen (wine taverns), deep in Burgenland, where time takes on a blissfully slow quality. Just as the beguiling biodynamically produced wines of Gut Oggau in neighbouring Oggau only gradually reveal their full character, this is a relatively lesser-known region of Austria with hidden depths, one which only shows its true charm and integrity to those who care about regenerative farming, slow food production, craftsmanship and authentic cuisine. Taubenkobel modestly bills itself as a “restaurant/bistro” ( taubenkobel. at) with 12 rooms. The establishment grew out of the literary and artistic salon-cum-bar opened by present-day owner Barbara Eselböck’s parents, Walter and Eveline. Their love of art, and natural bonhomie, meant that, just like at the legendary La Colombe d’Or (though with far better cuisine), they allowed some regular guests to pay in artwork. Today, what still looks like a modest family house is now a Relais & Châteaux hotel that extends far back, with a series of exquisitely dressed garden rooms and a number of former barns purchased over time and turned into quirky yet indulgent bedroom suites – many with their own artwork above the rustic bare-brick stone floor and mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings. There’s a large lily pond surrounded by sculptures that doubles as a natural swimming pool. Living symbiotically with the landscape is the leitmotif, not only of Taubenkobel, but the local wine and food producers that Barbara and her Alsace-born chef-proprietor husband, Alain Weissgerber, encourage guests to visit. Weissgerber’s cooking style uses classical haute cuisine techniques to interpret regional Pannonian dishes (from the crossroads of western Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia and Vienna), always combining rustic and elegant with creative wit and whimsy. The cuisine tastes of The Quiet Beauty of Burgenland Set in an unheralded corner of southeastern Austria, the country’s leastpopulous state is a dynamic and welcoming region full of culinary treasures. by Sudi Pigott the terroir, from the first bite of a creamed catfish croqueta, proffered on a young reed and exceptional onion brioche with brown butter, through goose liver with sorrel and vanilla, dramatically served in a copper pot, to delectable lamb, mustard seed, fried artichoke and always-wild herbs. The handcrafted ceramics from local makers, the familial warmth of service and the highly knowledgeable – yet approachable – sommeliers add to joyful dining. Breakfast, always a great indicator of a hotel that truly cares, is dazzling, and served in three acts. Without revealing its full and delicious charm, the unusually presented egg may be the best you’ve ever tasted. The windswept vines of Gut Oggau, on the banks of Neusiedl Lake © GUT OGGAU
