Zur Dankbarkeit

The story

Zur Dankbarkeit Podersdorf am See | Award-Winning Burgenland Restaurant

The chef and the kitchen

At Zur Dankbarkeit in Podersdorf am See, chef Martin Kugler steers the Burgenland cuisine toward honest, season-driven cooking. Gault&Millau awards this regional approach a 12.5 rating, praising the firm commitment to local produce. The menu rotates with the agricultural calendar while anchoring itself to proven classics like gesottenes Rindfleisch and Wiener Schnitzel. Guests frequently return for the pepper chicken, which critics call the finest in the province.

A building rooted in four generations

The stone walls of this property date back to Cistercian builders and later housed a Prussian count before becoming an inn in 1934. Markus Josef Lentsch now runs the establishment, preserving what he calls a comfortable house with a living tie to the Seewinkel landscape. Patrons spill into the wide beer garden during summer months and settle into the traditional wooden rooms when the weather turns. The family continues to operate the adjacent Podersdorfer Weinstuben and five guest bedrooms for travelers seeking quiet.

The cellar and seasonal pairings

Wine production began on site when Josef I planted vines alongside the original tavern renovation. The current list balances local selections like the Zweigelt DAC Reserve with imported bottles from California vineyards. Regular tastings bring visiting vintners directly into the dining room for guided flights. This steady rotation ensures every visit to the regional cuisine feels both grounded and quietly expansive.