Kipferl

Austrian actor Christopher Waltz eating popped into my head the other day. One of his characters, Hans Landa from Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, is the main antagonist of the film and possesses one of the most intimidating demeanors in modern cinema. In one particular scene, Hans interrogates a Jewish woman in hiding named Shosanna whilst tucking into a delicious-looking strudel with cream. For Shosanna, he is the worst man in the world, the man responsible for the entire massacre of her family. And to be in his presence, let alone sharing dessert with him, is beyond a feeling most could possibly imagine. But despite the horrifying context and ongoing hold-your-breath feeling, Tarantino’s writing and Waltz's acting (chewing), masterfully capture the satisfying experience of eating a fine dessert. The scene, more than anything, makes me want to eat a strudel.

I’d never had one before, and now I wanted one bad. So I looked up some Austrian restaurants that would both fit fooddialect’s criteria and serve strudel. I didn’t find much. Austrian food isn’t abundant in London. But then Kipferl, a patisserie and restaurant in Islington showed some promise. I shot off and got there in under an hour.

There is definitely a gap in the market here in London for Austrian cuisine to capitalise on. Hubert, the managing director and one of the owners, told me this is probably the only place in London that serves authentic Austrian food and drink. Why is there such a scarcity of Austrian options in London? Fuck knows. But Austria definitely isn’t as popular a holiday destination in Europe when compared to the likes of Italy, France or Spain. And so I can understand its cuisine having less of an affiliation with a significant population of Brits. Well, unless you were lucky enough to holiday in The Alps growing up.

I was. My mum and dad (separately), took my brother and me on a few skiing holidays as teenagers. Over a span of 5 years, we visited the Austrian skiing villages St Anton, Kitzbuhel, and Mayrhofen. All were a lot of fun in their own right. But I distinctly remember Austrians being kind-hearted and accommodating people. And their food, right up my street. I would pretty much have a Wiener Schnitzel with chips for lunch every day. If you don’t know, it’s veal pounded flat, breadcrumbed, and then fried until golden. Simple but delicious. Sometimes, I would have Gröstl, a notorious Austrian dish comprised of bacon, onion, potato, and an egg all fried together. Their food is real mountain grub. Salty, fatty and addictive. “You burn a lot of calories skiing, so you have to eat more”. This was the typical excuse for indulging in such tasty food. Maybe it was a fair justification, but I think the hot chocolate and occasional post-lunch decision to head back to the hotel or chalet slightly contradicted it.

In Kipferl, I ordered the Gröstl, I hadn’t had this dish for over ten years. Regardless, I might have eaten it in record time. I’m bigger than I used to be. The variation of pork cuts was a nice touch. They mixed in well with the buttery and golden thin slices of potato. The onions, caramelised until sweet hit the mark too. But the fried egg on top is what brings the dish all together. The vibrant yellow yolk oozed onto the other elements of the dish, making it wonderfully rich and creamy.

I never took my eyes off the strudels behind the counter. I couldn’t risk them running out. Luckily, I saw another plateful beside the various Austrian cakes. According to Hubert, these cakes are all strictly traditional and differ greatly from British lookalikes. I’ll be back soon to try them all. Just look at them.

I asked for the strudel to be served with whipped cream, just as Hans does. It is piped on top of the pastry, looking almost too perfect to disturb. For my own amusement, I tried emulating the way he eats in the film, imagining viewers watching me. I doubt I was even a third as elegant as he was during the scene. The pastry itself is layered beautifully, stable in its shape, and dusted with enticing-looking powdered sugar. The filling consisted of flavours of Winter. Sweet apple, refined down into an almost paste-like sugary and sweet treat. The cream reduces the sharpness of the apple, adding the necessary dairy component to the dish. Together, the 3 elements of pastry, fruit, and cream make for a really unique-tasting dessert. I can easily imagine it being a favourite for Austrians, a love that begins in childhood and carries on deep into retirement. An older British gentleman was sat next to me. We got chatting and he said he used to have strudel a lot when he’d go skiing. He hadn’t had it for years, claiming there was nowhere in London that served them anymore. His friend had told him about Kipferl, and he got his desired strudel. He left before me, a few calories over the limit but beaming regardless.

Vanillekipferl on the house.

The spot itself is filled with various cultural decorations. There are mountainous animal heads on the walls, taxidermy, skulls, the lot. An old set of wooden skis and walking boots hang majestically, and pictures of famous Austrians are plentiful. Arnold’s picture was my favourite. The place is like an Austrian oasis, somewhere celebrating the country in all its splendour. Austrians living in London come to Kipferl, reaffirm that sense of identity, and indulge in their country’s great cuisine. But more and more, it’s becoming a location for everyone in London to enjoy what Austria has to offer.

Now, Kipferl isn’t as cheap as my usual recommendations. But it’s still worth the visit. Not just for its food, but for its wine and Austrian significance here in London. So come to support Kipferl and soak up the Austrian atmosphere. Hang out, eat tasty sweet and savoury dishes, try a wine you haven’t before, and imagine you’re in a cabin in the Austrian mountains.

20 Camden Psge, London N1 8ED