Pub Klemo’s mercurial owner Robert Brandhofer.
If you’re in that city to tank up on the museums, get your Freud fix and find yourself in need of something real to drink, put up with the cigarette smoke at Pub Klemo. It’s located in 5th district, which in its sleepy (but Brooklyn-hipster-before-hipster-was-rampant) way is a neighbourhood on the move.
This is a postage stamp-sized spot where we found a bottle of Clos Rougeard 2009 Breze for about 90€, and Testalonga, El Bandito, a subversively natural chenin from South Africa for about 35€. But then with a Francis Ford Coppola pinot noir on the list as well? The buying seems a little lopsided but is more on target at their fine wine shop across the way.
Beginning with a modest 600 strong wine list in 2006, Pub Klemo now boasts a selection of over 3000 wines.
For a more suave city experience, head to the Sofitel stacked above the Wien River. Le Loft, with its garish ceiling does actually proffer romantic city views. After dinner at Mercado (very expensive, not that tasty, but with a good wine here and there, like Salvo Foti’s), we headed over and ended up knocking back some 2011 chenin from Anjou Noir (Richard Leroy) with the likes of the sommelier from Noma, Roland Velich of Moric, and Christian Tschida, a sincere winemaker from the Neusiedlersee.
This is not a cheap joint. They make you pay for that view. But there’s quite a lot to choose from, including a line up of Rougeard (cheaper over at Pub Klemo), Moric back vintages and the best of Austrian natural (Christian Tschida’s cabernet francs for 110€, Gut Oggau for 85€). Internationally, there’s plenty but it gets pricey. Go for the delicious, rustic, rusty and yummy rarely seen Domaine U Stiliccionu (Corsica) for 79€ or a selection of 2003 – 2010 vintages from Johannes Hirsch (79€ – 90€). After all, there’s a reason this is thought to be the best place to drink in town.
Pub Klemo Margaretenstraße 61, 1050 Wien, Österreich +43 699 11091332 info@pubklemo.
Le Loft. Sofitel Hotel Praterstraße 1 +43 1 906160 1020 Wien, Austria
After all, there’s a reason this is thought to be the best place to drink in town
Alice Feiring