Having tried spare ribs at Stöckl a year ago, I came to a simple and disappointing conclusion: this relatively new restaurant next to the Belvedere palace is OK when it comes to beer (particularly if one finds a table outside) but is sloppy on the food side. I would have followed my own advice and stayed away from Stöckl’s cuisine, had I not recently noticed a new addition to Stöckl’s menu: a Brettljause. And Brettljausen in Vienna are too much of a rarity to ignore.
Now I can tell you with complete confidence: it is fine to miss this Brettljause. Unless you are in Vienna for just one day and have already spent a half of it looking at Klimt’s “The Kiss” at Belvedere’s museum while dreaming of eating a Brettljause, you are better off going to Grinzing or trying a schnitzel at Figlmüller. The Jause of Stöckl is not only boring, it’s also criminally overpriced and occasionally rather bad.
Thickly cut slices created a positive first impression, but after a few bites I realized that the main reason for cutting thickly must have been to save time and effort. Of all the ingredients, only the Verhackertes was what I would call above average, though I wish it had been served a few degrees colder. The Speck had two parts: the one with more meat was quite tasty and nicely spiced, while the fatty one was hard to chew and disgusting. The Schweinsbraten was undercooked, tasting fat and leathery. The rest was simply boring – edible, but not leaving any desire to experience it again.
Thus, my verdict on Stöckl im Park holds: stick to beer and avoid the food.
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