I stumbled upon the Delaunay Counter, an Austro-Hungarian
Café, right after my little tea adventure at the Twinings Tea store the other
weekend. As a former student from the University of Vienna, I was curious and
drawn in by this little piece of Austria advertising Schnitzel in the middle of London.
First off some background information on the Delaunay dining
options: As I soon learned, the Delaunay Counter is the little brother of the
Delaunay restaurant. While the restaurant provides slightly more choice and
cuisine so haute it would definitely crash into my ceiling as a recent graduate,
the café does slightly more simple café food. The prices act correspondingly, with
Schnitzel option costing from £15 onwards in the restaurant, whereas Schnitzel
sandwiches are only £6 in the café. I do hope the restaurant portion is larger…
While the restaurant focuses on elegance and upper class,
the café is definitely more relaxed. Stylishly decorated with dark wood seats
and tables and with Austrian ads from the 50s plastering the walls, it has a
lovely charm. Even though I couldn’t say it looks like the coffee houses in Austria
exactly, it did remind me of Vienna. Anyway, scanning the adverts from a trip
to the Steiermark to the ‘latest’ Austrian movie (from 1957) was reason enough
for me to come here.
I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, enhanced greatly by the
fact that you order at the counter, which looks indeed as if it had been
imported from Austria with all its colourful little cakes and biscuits.
The portions are relatively small, of course it being no full restaurant, so
if you are very hungry and/or on a budget, think hard about whether this is the
right choice. With two “mains”, to be more precise the Chicken Schnitzel
Sandwich and the Chef Roast, two small bottles of apple juice and 3 desserts,
we left with a bill of £30. Had my friend not been quite full in the first
place, it would not have been enough.
However, I must say, in light of the quality, I actually
thought it was worth it. But then I am a sentimental fool, who will pay a lot
to get a taste of Vienna.
The Chicken Schnitzel, a breaded cutlet for those who have
not heard of this Austrian/German classic, came with a light mayonnaise sauce
to die for. While the accompanying potato ‘salad’ could probably more fittingly
be called ‘ration’ (I hesitate to call four half-slices of potato a salad), it
did come with a tangy mustard sauce, a twist on the usual potato salad dressing
of mayo or simple vinegar and oil.
The chef roast, though something rather English than Austrian
in my eyes, was spectacular. I am very picky with meat, but this roast spot on.
The juicy steak was cuddled into a spinach and mushroom filling, complementing
it perfectly. And for the crunch, the crispy flaky pastry – a match made in heaven.
The most genuinely Austrian bit about the Delaunay Counter
though, was its desserts. I could not resist the slice of Sacher torte smiling
at me from the counter, and the Apple Strudel did not get away either. Slightly
unconventional, the strudel included walnuts, but I think for those who like
them, it would work. Also, there was no offer of “Obers”,i.e. whipped cream
with either of the desserts, the major hint that this was not actually Austria. Won’t hurt your figure, though.
The only major drawback about this stylish, upmarket place
was the toilet. Even in a walk-in café having just one toilet for all the
guests, regardless of gender, is just not on.
But to end on a good note, I can say that if you are an
Austrian nostalgic or a tourist, who can’t see the real deal, the Delaunay
Counter is definitely worth a visit.
55 Aldwych
London WC2B 4BB
United Kingdom
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