There's Nothing Cheesy About This Austrian Restaurant

It’s no secret that wine and cheese go well together. For the carnivores, add a little ham and the evening is complete. So when interior design firm Destilat designed Lingenhel, the restaurant not only had to include a shop, but a cheese dairy as well. Located in a historic building in Vienna’s Landstrasser Hauptstrasse district, the multifaceted venue immerses people in the entire process of aging cheese.

The shop is brightly illuminated to clearly show the products and guide guests further into the restaurant and bar. The restaurant mixes up minimal and industrial styles. Inspired by the Edison lamp, the modern lighting was selected to compliment the original arched ceilings and create a relaxing atmosphere.

Destilat worked to comply with the hygienic requirements for the dairy and create an inviting experience for guests. The tasting room and dairy are separated by a glass wall. The result puts the dairy on display. The communal table was a request from owner Johannes Lingenhel and Destilat designed the custom table to fit the function. “We think it is probably the core of Lingenhel: a place where he can share the experience of his culinary vision with other people,” Weimer says. “We proposed a rather archaic design for this table that refers to the history of the building. This is important as a contrast to the rather industrial atmosphere of the cheese dairy.”