For five years now, the restaurant “schon schön” has been in the Lindengasse 53, in the 7th district of Vienna. A mixture of shop, hairdresser, toque-winning restaurant and cocktail bar which attracts a friendly and colourful mélange of guests. I sat down for a glass of wine with Hermann Seiwald, co-owner, who answered my questions about good food, parties and gay life in Vienna.
How did the idea come into existence to open up a restaurant?
After a few difficult years as a self-employed actor, I decided to put into practice my plan B and my long-living dream: an own restaurant. After many brainstorming sessions with my partner at the time, Claudio Studer, a hairdresser, and our friend Silvia who is active in the fashion business, we decided to open up a mixture of a restaurant, shop and hairdresser. Soon we had found a location in the heart of the trendy 7th district – and we started it! That was almost five years ago.
What is the concept of “schon schön”?
To bring together the desires of shopping, beauty and good food. In our shop, we offer selected goods, currently for example from the innovative Berlin label “Stoffrausch”, among others. Often, friends also bring jewellery from New York or Paris. It is a mixture of Streetwear and extraordinary fashion. As mentioned, Claudio will give you a great haircut and styling. And then, of course, there’s the good food. A meeting place for friends and colleagues – for open people who appreciate the nice things in life.
Your table has been, among others, awarded with a Gault Millau toque. What is so special about the food you serve?
We work with daily fresh and high quality products. We make everything ourselves, also pasta or chips. On the menu, you’ll find classic as well as creative dishes – and although the menu card is not too large, we always try to offer a variety. Also special orders or vegetarian alternatives are never a problem. Over lunch we offer a comparatively well-priced lunch menu that is very popular among the architects and advertisers from the offices in the area. In the evening, the dishes are more expensive, but also produced elaborately – and attract the gourmets in Vienna. And all of this in an elegant but still cosy atmosphere, at a large collective table for all guests. It’s as if you’d be giving a sophisticated dinner for friends.
There is a cocktail bar in the basement – where, often, there is not only the afterwork feeling but a club atmosphere. Is the “schon schön” also a party location?
The cocktail bar is now open five instead of three days a week. As it is our smoking area and we offer many cocktails, it is always a popular meeting point for the guests after they have had their meal. We also have DJs and – more and more – Jazz sessions by the known Ulrich Drechsler (next date: 9th December, from 8.30 p.m.). Two or three times a year we also throw parties, such as our party on Halloween, the „Blutrausch am Oktoberfest“ („Bloodlust at the Octoberfest“). The next party will take place in Mai – when “schon schön“ will be celebrating its 5th birthday.
When you have an own restaurant, it probably is difficult to go out to other places. If you manage to, where do you go to in Vienna?
Of course, most of the time I’m pretty clamped at the restaurant – and often, we party with friends at our cocktail bar then. However, if we find the time, we love to go to the Camera Club on Saturdays, which is just around the corner – when the Homo in Heaven parties by Tamara Mascara and Edgar Retro take place. Then also as drag queen, all dressed up for a glamorous party night.
You’re often also seen styled as drag queens. Can guests expect to be served the toque-awarded menues in a dress and high heels?
Originally, that was also part of the concept. But we soon found out that it is more than unpractical to carry plates through the restaurant until the morning hours in high heels. But at our special events, we always do that – and from time to time it can happen that guests will have their food served like that, which is always responded to very positively.
Gay in Vienna: curse or blessing?
Neither nor. I have been out for the last 25 years. You can live here comfortably and I have never had problems by being gay. Vienna, after all, is a capital city and metropolis, and I left all the insecurities back in the countryside years ago. Also, I am an entrepreneur, employ people, I contribute to society and pay enough taxes – I am a citizen like everybody else, people should bear that in mind. Of course, there are restrictions here and there but it takes two to tango. If somebody has a problem with me being gay I find that this is rather their problem than mine. I can say Vienna is a good city to live in as a gay man.
Definitely a place to be, check it out!
