Review: Koloman

 Worth A Try

TLDR: Pick your occasion and set your Resy notifications because you’re gonna want to have that next special night out at Koloman. Bringing a more relaxed feel to fine Austrian dining, Koloman is all about the details. Grab a spritz and get ready to ooh and ahh as each dish lands on your table.

When Koloman was first recommended to me I thought, really? Austrian food? What even is Austrian food? Well I’m here to tell you yes, Austrian food and yes, Koloman.

Koloman is the ideal place to take someone for a special occasion. The food is prepared thoughtfully, even beautifully (more on that in a sec) and the interior kind of sparkles with candles and mirrors. There may not be any white table cloths or a tasting menu here, but this feels more like a Michelin experience than a casual weeknight one (I did just go on a random Tuesday but every meal is special when you’re writing restaurant reviews ok?).

To get right to it: the food is bomb. For appetizers I really enjoyed the boeuf, which came served on a painfully cute tiered tray. The standout app though was the celery root tartare which had a shockingly rich taste for being a vegetable and was nice and mustardy just as it should be. You can skip the snapper crudo, which was easily the worst dish we ordered, but don’t sleep on the free bread – it was fresh and braided like a tiny challah with a side of butter that came in a mini dome. Cuteness KO.

The mains were truly remarkable – starting with the cheese soufflé. “Holy shit” were the exact words I used when I took the first bite of that puffy, cheesy goodness because I have never had a soufflé that light and fluffy before. I could easily have eaten the whole thing myself and was just the smallest bit devastated to split it 4 ways. Another highlight was the salmon, which is essentially the most grown up bagel and lox concept I’ve ever seen. Sandwiched between two thin toasts with herb spread, the fish was unbelievably soft and buttery and will have you asking yourself “but how did they do it??” every other bite.

The surprise winner of the night for me though was the veal schnitzel. This is an Austrian restaurant after all! This dish packed a punch of flavor and had the best crunchy breading without having a tough meat interior. Sipping one of their creative cocktails or a glass of Grüner Veltliner while eating it may transport you straight to Vienna if you click your heels three times. Eater beware.

Beyond the flavor itself, what makes this a good spot for a special occasion is the attention to detail. Everything is neat as a pin and even I, who outsources her blog photos, had to take a picture. It’s not a quick meal. Our party of 4 took about 3 hours, so I wouldn’t count on this as an alternative to a long pre-fixe or tasting menu – it’s probably the same price too.

Unfortunately for you dear reader, the NYT review just came out the same day I ate there, so what was once a hard reservation may be teetering toward impossible in the coming months. On the plus side, Koloman isn’t a spot I see myself revisiting again and again – that would ruin its special aura. Pick an occasion (birthday, anniversary, a Good Time™) and plan as far ahead as you can. Good luck 🫡