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Hotel Schloss Lebenberg Kitzbuehel Austria Trend - Restaurant 1

The "Residenz" restaurant offers a great view: dinner and breakfast are served here.

HOTEL SCHLOSS LEBENBERG | Time in Kitzbühel – Part 2 – In the first of two parts of my Kitzbühel series, I told you about the Hotel Schloss Lebenberg, its history and highlights. In short, I'm In this first article, I also discussed the gastronomic concept and menu of the luxury hotel (…read it again…). Now I want to tell you in detail what I ate there, what creations are on the menu, and how the two integrated hotel restaurants, "Residenz" and "Das Lambergs," differ. Of course, I'll also share my breakfast with you.

Hotel Schloss Lebenberg Kitzbuehel Austria Trend - Frühstücksbuffet

With a buffet like this, you simply have to indulge!

A successful start to the day: Breakfast at Hotel Schloss Lebenberg

So, how are you all doing? A day without a good breakfast just can't be as good as one that starts with a generous breakfast buffet, right? Before entering the breakfast area (the "Residenz" restaurant also serves as the breakfast room), you'll be greeted by a friendly gentleman. As a guest, you'll be asked for your room number and informed that seating is unassigned. Afterwards, you can choose a nice table – I recommend one by the window with a view of the mountains and the village.

I really appreciate that the buffet area is separate from the dining area and located in a back room. No clattering dishes or hungry people assembling their breakfast right next to the table. Once you've found a seat, you can get started. Before making my selection, I first take a look at the extensive buffet. I usually walk around it several times to get a good overview. The breakfast buffet at Hotel Schloss Lebenberg offers pretty much every delicacy you could wish for in a hearty breakfast. EFor me, when it comes to buffets, the freshness and quality of the food is paramount. Nothing would be worse than food that's been sitting out for too long and that no one wants to eat anymore. That's certainly not the case here. Everything is fresh, preferably locally sourced (more on that later), and of the highest quality.

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A wide selection of different delicacies is offered.

Everything you could possibly want is on offer: fresh fruit, cheese, cold cuts, ham and sausages, salmon, various types of yogurt, real honeycomb, a live grill station for all kinds of egg dishes, freshly made waffles, numerous types of bread, braided loaves and rolls as well as toast, smoothies, water with and without added fruit, jams, numerous types of muesli, pastries, raw vegetables and fruit platters, and much more. No matter what time I went to the buffet during breakfast hours, everything was constantly being replenished and replenished. Thumbs up, this is how the day should start!

The two hotel restaurants: „Residenz“ and „Das Lambergs“

My dinner wasn't in the main restaurant, but rather upstairs in "Das Lambergs," a restaurant with a capacity of 24 guests. Before I discuss that restaurant in more detail, a brief explanation of the hotel's dining concept. The "Residenz" is the hotel's main restaurant. This is where you'll eat if you book half-board. Each evening, you'll automatically be served a different six-course menu, four of which are brought to your table, while the other two are available as a buffet. The menus at the Residenz feature international dishes as well as predominantly Austrian cuisine and ingredients. Even if you're on half-board, you're free to choose between dining at the "Residenz," which seats approximately 130 guests, or at "Das Lambergs.".

The à la carte restaurant "Das Lambergs" has been operating under this name and concept at Hotel Schloss Lebenberg since mid-December 2018. During my stay, I decided to put the menu aside and let Marcel Dornheim advise me on my dining choices. The "Residenz" restaurant and "Das Lambergs" intentionally offer a contrast to provide guests with ample choice – this is also reflected in the bar menu, which features only dishes not offered in either restaurant. Of course, you can enjoy excellent food in both restaurants, as the entire hotel prides itself on using only high-quality ingredients, offering diverse menus, and featuring creative dishes.

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The beef tartare with quail egg – delicious!

Now to my visit to "Das Lambergs." After being seated, we were served a trilogy of daily changing, homemade spreads (in our case, "Verhackertes," carrot cream cheese, and tomato hummus – for €3.50). Delicious and a great start to a wonderful evening. This was followed by two different starters and main courses, and a dessert, just for me. Anyone who reads my posts knows that desserts almost never grace my table and rarely impress me. In this case, however, Chef Dornheim's courage in serving me a sweet treat to finish was rewarded, as I thoroughly enjoyed my "Mojito 2.0." Prepared with panna cotta, Diplomatico rum, mint granita, raw cane sugar, and lime, it was a truly exceptional finale. The dessert demonstrates that Marcel Dornheim enjoys combining the classic with the extravagant and reinterpreting traditional dishes with finesse.

Before the main courses were served, I had cured salmon with a wasabi-honey-mustard dip and deliciously vibrant green balsamic pearls, while my companion had beef tartare with pickled vegetables, caper berries, a quail egg, butter, and tramezzini served in a basket (for €18.90). Afterwards, I was served the chef's current favorite dish from the menu: "Braised veal breast with a corn medley, bacon, pepperoni, and BBQ glaze" (for €21.60) – very good and not only a feast for the palate but also a wonderful display of colors on the plate. My companion's second main course was: "Pink duck breast with orange risotto, celery chips, caramelized leeks, and gingerbread jus" (for €23.70). I couldn't resist the jus and pilfered a spoonful. A great idea and variation of a classic jus for the cold winter months, which still allows a hint of the memory of the recently past Christmas season.

Now to a crucial point regarding the menu and food: With the motto "A Piece of Austria," launched just over four months ago, the hotel places a strong emphasis on using regional Austrian products – whether at the "Residenz," "Das Lambergs," breakfast, or bar snacks. This motto permeates the entire culinary offering, and even the minibars in the rooms contain only Austrian products. The meat, as well as the fruit and vegetables, comes from the Tyrolean region. In addition, the hotel prioritizes high-quality products from local farmers. You'll also find only Austrian cheese, Tyrolean butter, and fresh mountain milk from Tyrol on the breakfast buffet. Nothing is offered "just because," but rather has always been carefully selected for Hotel Schloss Lebenberg. The cheese is a good example. The selection on the breakfast buffet, for instance, was curated with the help of a renowned cheese sommelier – fantastic, isn't it?

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Head chef Marcel Dornheim (right) with Maitre d' Jules Camara

The chef and master chef Marcel Dornheim
For me, it's not just the food on the plate that matters, but also the team behind it. I took my time getting to know head chef Marcel Dornheim. I appreciated that Marcel D. places great importance on treating his entire team equally, ensuring that the work is enjoyable, and allowing each of the 24 team members to develop within their area of responsibility. Dornheim doesn't cook everyday dishes and takes a new approach with his culinary style. "I learned to cook in a very traditional, old-school way. I really enjoy using this learned craft to reinterpret my dishes – sometimes with a slight tendency towards exaggeration," says Marcel Dornheim with a smile, describing his culinary style. "Of course, we also try to prevent food waste as much as possible. We implement the 'nose-to-tail' principle here in the kitchen. This means we only discard what can't be used further." I really like this philosophy in the kitchen – both in theory and in practice on the plate each evening. Convenience products have no place in the castle hotel kitchen. Naturally, head chef Marcel Dornheim also takes his inspiration from nature and the seasons. Depending on when you arrive, you might find pumpkin dishes, game, porcini or chanterelle mushrooms, and much more on the menu. It's always worth dining here – and you're welcome to do so even if you're not a hotel guest. You can dine anytime in the lobby, at the bar, or in the restaurants (last table reservations daily until 9:30 pm).

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The bar menu and bar

Ah yes, before heading to dinner, I took a seat at the cozy bar. There I met Marius, the head bartender of the hotel bar for ten years and "the man behind the cocktail" at Hotel Schloss Lebenberg. The bar menu is divided into drinks and dishes, which can be ordered and enjoyed at the bar or in the hotel lobby daily until 10 p.m. Since my stay unfortunately didn't allow time for a meal, I've made it my goal for my next visit on January 17th. Of course, I still took a look at the delicacies on offer. From the golden-breaded Wiener Schnitzel to the juicy burger and the crispy and very popular Tyrolean hot dog, the menu is hearty and, naturally, features local ingredients. From midnight onwards, a small snack menu is available – also at the bar – offering small cold platters, oven-fresh and hand-pulled pizzas, and other snacks to satisfy late-night cravings.

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Together with General Manager Johannes Lehberger and Head Chef Marcel Dornheim, we each ordered a drink. I relied entirely on the expertise of bartender Marius. Besides the classic Whisky Sour and Old Fashioned for the gentlemen, I ordered a "Bora Bora" cocktail with white rum, mango and orange juice, coconut syrup, and grenadine (for €11.90). I enjoyed it very much, and it was a great start to the evening. Crucially for me, the bar team, even in a luxury setting, had to be excellent when it came to cocktails – and this was definitely the case.

Another great thing: While we were sitting at the bar, the live music started in the lobby area. During the winter months, this happens almost daily, and you can enhance your nightcap, your start to the evening, or simply your relaxing time in the lobby with melodic sounds and live songs.

My conclusion

It's not hard to see that I was and still am thrilled, is it? There was simply nothing to criticize, and so I'm all the more delighted to be returning on January 17, 2020, to participate in the upcoming culinary event with Michelin-starred chef Oldrich Sahajdack and master chef Marcel Dornheim. I felt very comfortable in my room, complete with a bathtub and double bed, and was surrounded by friendly and attentive people all day long, feeling completely at ease. Hotel Schloss Lebenberg exudes charm, but without the over-the-top "Tyrolean chic" that one might – admittedly – fear in Kitzbühel. This luxury hotel is certainly stylish and special, but not pretentious or stiff. Even though the castle hotel belongs to a larger group of hotels, you feel very individually and uniquely cared for. There's no "one-size-fits-all" approach or cookie-cutter service here. So I'd gladly return anytime.

+++ This article was created in cooperation with Austria Trend | Hotel Schloss Lebenberg. Thank you! +++

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Austria Trend – HOTEL SCHLOSS LEBENBERG |Lebenbergstraße 17, 6370 Kitzbühel, Austria
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Details: Four-star superior luxury hotel with a 46-meter panoramic pool, fitness area, fine dining and perfect location

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