Zum Husaren

Has anyone ever told you about the curious case of the veal medallions that cost a king’s ransom? It happened right here at Zum Husaren, tucked away near St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Zum Husaren, a Viennese institution, has been serving traditional Viennese fare since 1933. It’s a place where the ghosts of three Hussar officers, the original founders, might still linger, approving of the rich culinary traditions upheld within these walls. Zum Husaren isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a time capsule, a portal back to a Vienna of elegant dining and old-world charm. One evening, a couple decided to celebrate a birthday at Zum Husaren. They were seated in a room adorned with antique paintings, the air buzzing with the elegant murmur of diners and the soft melody of a piano. They ordered a bottle of Austrian Chardonnay and perused the à la carte menu. A small salad of radicchio and endive seemed a light beginning, followed by veal medallions in a rich wine sauce, accompanied by snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and spinach phyllo. Before their order arrived, a tempting cart of appetizers wheeled its way to their table. Three small servings later, they happily anticipated their main course, unaware of the culinary ambush awaiting them. The appetizers, assumed to be complimentary, added an unexpected $60 to the bill. The meal concluded with a decadent white praline mousse, a sweet symphony of mango, coconut, and raspberry. It was a meal fit for royalty, but the $225 bill was a royal shock. Zum Husaren, it seemed, had a knack for transforming veal medallions into a king’s ransom. The couple, however, decided to dine like commoners for the rest of their Viennese adventure.