Forthuber in Gstaig

The story

Forthuber in Gstaig – Michelin Recommended Fine Dining in Mattighofen, Austria

Forthuber in Gstaig: A Chef-Driven Experience in Upper Austria

In the quiet village of Gstaig, near Mattighofen, Christoph and Doris Forthuber run a restaurant that feels both personal and precise. Christoph Forthuber is a chef whose career reads as a tour of Central Europe’s finest kitchens: the Esszimmer and Weyringer in Salzburg, Mochi in Vienna, Taubenkobel in Burgenland, and the legendary Tantris in Munich, followed by a stint at Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland. At Forthuber in Gstaig, he brings that depth of experience to a setting that is unmistakably his own.

Doris Forthuber, a native of Styria with a background in hotel management and a passion for wine, oversees the front of house. Together, they have created a restaurant that the Michelin Guide has recognized with a Recommendation, a sign of the kitchen’s consistent quality and ambition.

The cuisine here is built around tasting menus. The website presents two clear paths: a “Herzhaftes Menü” (hearty menu) and a “Federleichtes Menü” (feather-light menu), both available in three or six courses. Dishes change with the season, but the style is grounded in precise technique and regional ingredients. A recent example from the hearty menu includes a starter of mild goat fresh cheese with field cucumber and sour pickled apricots, finished with Styrian pumpkin seed oil. The fish course features trout from the herb sauna with a lemon sabayon and kohlrabi broth. A main of braised roebuck or beef shank with green asparagus, semolina dumpling, and pine shoots speaks to the kitchen’s affinity for game and forest flavors. The lighter menu offers a Wallersee whitefish with dandelion and elderflower buds, a Bergkäse panna cotta with nettle and redcurrant, and a soft-poached char with pea flan and black garlic.

For those who prefer a simpler midday meal, Forthuber also serves a three-course lunch menu from Wednesday to Saturday, a mix of traditional and modern dishes at a very accessible price point.

The restaurant is also a member of Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE), and hosts events like the Chef’s Roulette, where a mystery guest chef from the JRE network takes over the kitchen for a single evening, paired with a visiting winemaker.

At its core, Forthuber in Gstaig is a family affair—Christoph in the kitchen, Doris in the dining room—where the cooking is thoughtful and the hospitality is warm. It’s a destination for anyone seeking a genuine, well-crafted meal in Upper Austria.