The traditional one Hotel Stefanie, Vienna's oldest hotel, has Wolfgang Gumhalter as the new head chef of his eponymous restaurant. Gumhalter, who has been working for Schick Hotels Group will take over the management of an 18-person team. He will lead the culinary offerings of the establishment, founded in 1600, into the future. His long-time companion Dennis Nikolic will assist him as sous chef.
Peter Buocz , the hotel's general manager, expressed his pride in the appointment. He praised Gumhalter's commitment to quality and emphasized that promoting long-serving employees is an important part of the company's philosophy. The new management team under Gumhalter and Nikolic is expected to combine the hotel's culinary tradition with innovative touches and optimize internal processes. Gumhalter himself expressed his anticipation of running the restaurant with a blend of authentic Viennese cuisine and fresh inspiration, and of turning Viennese locals into regulars.
The restaurant "Stefanie" is known for its classic Viennese cuisine, which Gumhalter now reinterprets with a contemporary twist. One example is the so-called "Old Viennese Culinary Journey," a seven-course menu that tells the story of Vienna through food. Gumhalter also aims to cater to modern dietary needs and food intolerances, for example, by offering vegetarian options. In addition to à la carte dishes, the restaurant also offers a Sunday brunch and a lunch buffet.
Gumhalter began his career with the Schick Hotels Group as a junior chef at the sister hotel Erzherzog Rainer and moved to the Hotel Stefanie in 2010, where he held various positions, most recently as sous-chef. His sous-chef, Dennis Nikolic, has been with the hotel since 2017 and has worked closely with Gumhalter for several years. The Schick Hotels Group, a Viennese family business, has been operating for five generations and runs five four-star hotels in the Austrian capital.