Bad news first. The sad closure of Vienna’s fabulous Steierplatzl not only left me broken-hearted (a tiny little bit), but also introduced much turmoil into my Brettljause ranking lists. Steierplatzl is now out of the Top 5 as well as the lists of best-tasting and most varied Brettljausen, having made space for very respectable, but slightly less impressive competitors.
The list of the best Viennese Brettljausen, which Steierplatzl used to crown, is now in a complete disarray. Romanian restaurant Bukowina, which is the new number one, has removed a one-person Brettljause from its menu and is now only serving a platter for two. (Though, if you ask them politely, they will probably make a platter for one, too.) Magdalenenhof, the new number two, has very irregular opening hours and unpredictable menu, so the availability of Brettljause is not guaranteed. Number three, Amador’s Wirthaus, is now called Restaurant Amador and is so expensive that I would not even dare walking in to enquire about a Brettljause. Honestly, if you ask me today where to go for a Brettljause in Vienna, I would advise you against that. I don’t lose hope to discover new locations in the coming months, but at the moment, the Brettljause scene of the capital looks very bleak.
The good news is there are alternatives, some of them not that far from Vienna. Mostviertel, for example, is just about an hour away if you travel by train, and is home to some of the best Brettljausen in Austria. The “Mostbaron” Heurige of the region are true Brettljause kings, all offering several types of cold cuts platters together with high-quality cider. A few of them require enjoyable but somewhat lengthy hikes to reach, but GenussBauernhof Distelberger close to Amstetten is an exception. Out of 37 Jausen I tried in 2025, the “Halbe-halbe” of Distelberger was a clear winner, having ingredients of superb quality and taste. The Heuriger’s homemade pear mustard is a special delight.
I ate my second best Brettljause of the year at Sonnenheuriger Schleinzer-Hollweger, which is also in Lower Austria, within walking distance from Retz (there is also a railway station close by, if you feel lazy). It particularly impressed me with its unique spreads and extremely fresh breads. The third place this year is shared between my good old friend Buschenschank Resch – the winner of 2023 and the home of the country’s biggest Brettljausen – and Freiburger Hütte, a hut in Vorarlberg with a great view over a mountain lake and a highly authentic snack board.
If you feel masochistic, or want to play an evil joke on someone, consider Gasthof zum Seewirt in Zell am Moos. It is the second time in a row that I eat the worst Brettljausen of a year at my hotels, so I am thinking of making “Don’t eat Brettljausen where you sleep” a rule for the future. Seriously, Seewirt’s Jause was not just boring, it was also warm, which is a terrible crime in the cost cuts world.