It is highly debatable if this “plate of starters” from Augustinerkeller, which is just next to the Albertina gallery, can be called a Brettljause. The restaurant itself does not call it so, it is not served on a wooden board, and it does not look like a Brettljause. It even has a slice of tuna on it, which almost made me firmly put it into the not-a-Brettljause category, especially considering that by the look of the tuna I expected it to be cold Schweinbraten. The reasons I have eventually decided to write about Augustinerkeller was because many people would go there expecting Heuriger-style food, because the rest of the dish tasted quite Brettljause-ish, and mainly because it turned out quite good at the end.
Apart from the “tuna surprise,” the plate contained a couple of slices of really good ham with horseradish, two very small and oily slices of Speck, some Liptauer spread (not exceptional but perfectly edible), a slice of soft cheese (tasty but I would have preferred it tastier and softer), and a very complicated jelly that could have been a perfect starter all but itself. Very unusually, the side dishes were on the plate not only for decoration, but actually carefully selected and arranged to add to the overall taste. There were even a couple of sauces that made the dish much more interesting and special.
Yes, it was more an expensive starter platter than a Brettljause. Augustinerkeller is also not really a Heuriger and actually not even a cellar, despite its appearance and name. On the other hand, there are more expensive and far less enjoyable Brettljausen nearby, as well as weird things that are listed in the menu as Brettljausen but have nothing in common with them. In comparison, Augustiner’s starters can be considered an “alternative” or “designer” Brettljause for those looking for something different. Though I would have really appreciated Schweinsbraten instead of that tuna.
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