The Central Cellar of Krems

Krems an der Donau is frequently called the capital of Wachau, a picturesque valley along the Danube river known for its quality wines. Surprisingly for a “capital,” Krems does not have many traditional wine taverns. Admittedly, the taverns around Krems are quite quickly and easily reachable, but as far as I know, Hueriger Müllner is the only tavern in the city center. Located in a very authentic (but slightly chilly) cellar, it is open for less than three months during a year and in the evenings only. As a result, finding a table there almost certainly requires a reservation.

Indeed, I remember two or three past occasions when I turned up at Müllner without a reservation and had to turn back. Today I very nearly faced the same fate, but fortunately noticed a table that, according to the reservation card on it, was still free for slightly over an hour. Certainly enough for a Brettljause, providing it is delivered quickly.

The service at Müllner is very efficient, so five minutes later I was already looking at the Brettljause, quite liking the sight. In terms of ingredients, it was somewhat biased towards Schweinsbraten, with Blunzen and Geselchtes featured only by a few slices. I suspect there were at least two Schweinsbraten types, because the slices on one side of the board had an annoyingly chewy skin. The Liptauer spread was creamy and fresh, but not particularly tasty, and the cheese was of the most boring sort. Actually, apart from the fiery horseradish, hardly anything in this Brettljause had a strong taste. It was a typical good quality but “no-thrills” Brettljause that the Wachau region is known for.

Although I generally liked my visit (it was over in about half an hour), I find it difficult to recommend Heuriger Müllner, since there are much prettier locations around. Let me put it like this: if you have guests who want to see Wachau and Krems and try local wines but absolutely hate walking, Müllner may be a good choice. For those who do not mind a short hike (or a bus trip), there are better alternatives nearby.