The story
Winklers Chef's Table in Rattenberg presents a precise gourmet cuisine rooted in twenty-five years of culinary evolution.
Christian Winkler draws on extensive experience from renowned venues like the Auwirt and Neuwirt to shape this intimate project. His approach prioritizes the finest basic products, aiming to dissolve rigid culinary categories through technical precision. This philosophy creates an interactive service where guests may observe preparations or join the chef in the kitchen. The dynamic allows visitors to ask questions and engage directly with the cooking process.
The meal begins with small bites such as a skewer of suckling pig headcheese or a vegetable cracker served with trout tartare. Beef tataki follows, marinated in soy sauce, ponzu, and sesame oil. Subsequent highlights include delicately smoked Kirchbichler salmon trout on a salad of red cabbage, apple, celery, and hazelnuts. Richer elements appear later, featuring maroni soup infused with Alba truffles or Breton lobster finished with lemon thyme beurre blanc.
The dining space occupies the first floor of the Old Town Hall, designed to feel like private chambers rather than a formal restaurant. Christian describes the setting as an invitation into his home, creating a relaxed environment within the historic Baroque study. These accommodations allow for extended four-hour sessions where conversation flows naturally between the table and the kitchen. The concept's success is reflected in its seventeen-point rating from Gault&Millau.
Sigrid Winkler manages the beverage program, choosing wines that complement the menu with unexpected pairings. The all-inclusive ticket covers aperitifs, non-alcoholic options, and coffee alongside the selected vintages. Guests may also bring personal bottles for professional service, subject to a corkage fee. This attention to detail supports the overall quality of the gourmet cuisine served each afternoon.
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Over the past few years, Christian Winkler – known to us from legendary ventures such as the Auwirt, the Neuwirt, or the Schwedenkapelle – has cooked extensively in private kitchens for intimate foodie gatherings. It shows. His Chef's Table is an experience that places the enjoyment, conversation, and sheer pleasure of dining front and center. An afternoon spent with friends. Afternoon? Precisely! Winkler's Chef's Table begins at 2 p.m. Unconventional and bold, yet magnificent. And what will be served? First, small bites that already hint at the direction the afternoon will take. A small skewer of pork jellied meat, a vegetable cracker with trout tartare, beef tataki in a breathtaking marinade of soy sauce, ponzu, peanut, and sesame oil. The highlights from the (12-course) menu: subtly smoked Kirchbichler salmon trout atop a red cabbage-apple-celery-hazelnut salad. More coleslaw than Waldorf, but in combination – even with the Grüll caviar on top – simply a very refined start. Chestnut soup with Alba truffle, curly perch with Savoy cabbage, and the deboned Breton lobster with lemon thyme beurre blanc: highly refined and focused – world-class. Sigrid Winkler, Christian's partner, oversees the wine pairing, bringing both surprising selections and a steady hand to the task. It is wonderful to have the Winklers back. Südtiroler Straße 34, 6240 Rattenberg/Inn, Austria Contact: 0650 3008492 | info@winklers-cuisine.com | https://www.winklers-cuisine.com/ Opening hours: Fri–Mon 2–6 p.m. Team: Christian Winkler, Chef
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