The story
Sandro Abel leads the kitchen at Löffelspitze in Mellau, crafting an elegant-modern fine dining menu that rewards careful attention to detail. Corina Steinfeld guides guests through service as maitre d'hôtel. Their focus remains squarely on balanced plates rather than theatrical gestures. Gault&Millau awarded the venue 15.5 points for 2026 and named the accompanying wine list of the year.
Hearty fresh vegetables dressed in sour cream open the tasting menu. A perfectly executed quail accompanied by red cabbage follows shortly after. These classic pairings avoid heaviness while delivering clear flavors. Each preparation lands correctly on the palate, reflecting Abel's consistent execution.
The elegant-modern dining room frames the experience with quiet precision and clean lines. Guests eat from distinctive ceramic pieces designed to reflect the surrounding terrain. One featured plate carries a detailed mountain range relief along its rim. This deliberate staging anchors the tasting menu firmly in its alpine setting.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Let's begin where we typically conclude a restaurant feature: with the wine. This is precisely because the Löffelspitze in Damüls received our "Wine List of the Year" award this year. A completely well-deserved honor, in our view. But more on that elsewhere. Within the elegantly modern Löffelspitze, Sandro Abel crafts a fine-dining menu that truly turns heads. Everything is presented on enchanting crockery, including a plate whose rim features a meticulously sculpted mountain range. On the plates themselves: robust, fresh vegetables with sour cream to open the meal, followed shortly after by a superb quail with red cabbage. It may sound traditional (and perhaps a bit plain), but it certainly isn't – quite the contrary: the dish is a visual treat and delivers equally outstanding flavors. Indeed, every single dish hits the mark at the Löffelspitze. Chapeau! Address: Oberdamüls 191, 6884 Damüls, Austria Contact: +43 5510 513, info@hotel-alpenstern.at, https://www.hotel-alpenstern.at/ Opening Hours: Sat–Mon 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Team: Sandro Abel, Chef; Corina Steinfeld, Maître d'
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