Hasis Birthday lunch at the "Le Ciel"

It was Hasis birthday weekend, and to do something different for a change I had planned on inviting him for lunch to the famous "Le Ciel" at the ANA Grand Hotel in downtown Vienna.

This 5*hotel is situated at the Ring, right next to the Bristol, and what I told you about the "Sacher" ("don´t go there") is right the opposite here. I never felt so much at home at such a posh place before (well yes, maybe at the "Phoenician" in Phoenix, Arizona - but that is a different cup of tea) and I can really recommend (recommend, recommend!!) it.

You find the "Le Ciel" at the top floor of the ANA Grand Hotel, overlooking the Ring, and if you want to check it out a bit more here is the link http://www.leciel.at/.

When we got there early (we don´t like to eat late) we were the first to arrive, but when we left two hours later all tables were full. I recommend to book a table in advance, the Restaurant is not that big, and it is pretty well booked.

Champagne to toast with! After you are seated they instantly arrive with the drinks for you to chose from, and then they give you all the time in the world to contemplate on your courses. Honestly, I was never served by a more caring and more attentive staff! (And now I am also counting the "Phoenician", Phoenix, Arizona, the "Beekmans Tower" in NYC, NY, and the Raffles in Singapore.)

While waiting for our first course to arrive we had a quick peek at the terrace - another nice place to chill. It was a bit overcast so they did not lay the tables outside, but this is definately a place for next time!

Here we re-arranged ourselves a bit for the picture, otherwise it would have been too bright for the camera. Our table was table No. 12 - a big thumbs up, and a number to remember for next time.

The compliment from the kitchen was some cold "Asparagus and something soup". Then came the first course. Mine was "Spinach creme soup with quail´s egg" and some other things I can´t remember, Hasi had the Carpaccio, which was the best ever.

As a main course we both had the "Kalbsgeschnetzeltes" with Gnocci in a cheese crust. Yum!

Dessert was absolutely smashing! We had the "Petit four" (Stefan) and the "Selection of cheese" - for me the absolute highlight of a brilliant meal. The waiter who attends the cheese wagon will select the perfect choice of cheese for you - and it was a smash!! For me the best course of the meal!

 

And to show you how attentive the staff is: When I had booked the table I had not mentioned that it was Hasi´s birthday. When we arrived he told one of the waiters that I really had surprised him for his birthday - and that was all there was needed. After dessert suddenly the music was playing "Happy birthday" and the cheese wagon man arrived with a cake and a sparkler in it.... It was amazing!

 

 

We left happy and satisfied, knowing that we just had discovered a place worth remembering. We definately will be going again!

 

In Facebook talk: "Like!! Like!! Like!!"

 

 

 

Boatride on the Danube

Unfortunately Vienna does not have any direct access to the open waters. Our maior waterway is the "Danube" ("Donau" in German) which has been made famous worldwide by the Vienna Waltz "An der schönen blauen Donau" by Johann Strauss, a piece of music that usually concludes the "Austrian New Year´s Concert" which is broadcast all over the planet.

Most Austrians live far or even farer away from the Danube, and then we watch series like "Soko Donau", which plays more on less on the water, and we think, "What the...?" and "Where the...?" But yes, this also is a part of Vienna, even if we sometimes cannot believe it ourselves.

 

Friends had come up with the perfect idea to go on a boatride up and down the Danube on this beautiful Midsummer evening, and so we could kill two birds with one stone: Enjoy the Summer solstice from the water and celebrate the wedding anniversary of our friends. (Happy Anniversary again, Michi and Martin, and thanks for this wonderful idea!)

 

 

The DDSG (the former "k.u.k. Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft" - eat this, translation programs *gg*) organises boatrides with different mottos - ours came as the "Ratpacktour" which meant that the musicians were performing songs by the "Ratpack" Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis jr. But they also do themes like "Dancing", "Popular Music", "Autumn".... even "Halloween", where they obviously want you to show up in Halloween costume.

 

Dinner was served when we were sailing (I am told that "sailing" is a nautical term in this connection meaning "to begin a journey by water", our boat was in fact engine-driven), and it was excellent. Okay, I was so hungry, I would have eaten paper probably, but it was excellent nevertheless. Here a sneak-peak of the starters, but we also had loads of main courses and sweets.

 

 

How beautiful to munch on your dinner while gliding out of the harbour, enjoying a marvellous scenery....

 

 

I have to confess after dinner I was not very sociable - when on a boat I always need to be on the upper deck watching the scenery without any glass windows, I want to feel the wind and smell the smells of the water. Actually I prefer the sea - the High Sea, if possible - but the Danube is a pretty good substituate when no ocean is available.

 

 

Due to recent flooding the Danube was not "blue" at all, but it was amazing to see all the traffic that made its way down the river giving the impression of some serious waterway that connects many European countries and would even allow you to go as far as the Black Sea.

 

 

The song "I am from Austria" came to my mind. We just could not get the darn flag flying!

 

These gentlemen entertained the audience with other songs like "Take me to the moon" and "New York, New York", and I would say they did a pretty good job. It is difficult to set Austrians in motion, they usually sit there doing nothing during a piece of music, and at the end they clap obediently. Nothing like I have experienced in US bars where the audience happily sings and claps along. But these gentlemen really did the trick! It took the audience a while, but they sure warmed up.

 

 

We returned to Vienna much too soon, but the views we got were wonderful. Here are a few for you to see yourself.

 

 

 It was a lovely evening, something we had not done in a long time, and the fact that it also was Midsummer added some additional spice to it. And we were reminded again that Vienna actually is a place by the water with lots of opportunities for boating and water sports - and a waterway that can take you right across the continent if you allow it.