The new Kaiserhaus restaurant at Capitol Piazza (Closed)

The Kaiserhaus restaurant is located in the heart of the new Capitol Piazza complex. It is situated in the Capitol Theatre block itself and occupies the second and third levels just above the theatre lobby. The Kaiserhaus restaurant serves cuisine from Central European countries such as Austria, Germany and Hungary, which is a nice change from the usual Mediterranean food eateries.

Unlike many of the other restaurants at Capitol Piazza, the Kaiserhaus restaurant is quite spacious. Befitting a restaurant with the name “Kaiserhaus”, the decor of the restaurant is formal and this also sets it apart from the other restaurants at Capitol Piazza. The sweeping curved staircase lends a touch of grandeur to the place and connects the two floors of the restaurant.

As you can expect, meat dishes feature prominently on the menu. On weekdays, there is a $17 set lunch menu which looked quite promising. Here are random pages from the Kaiserhaus menu.

We had two set lunches and a Kaiserhaus Platter. The set lunches came with a soup and a soft drink. There were three options for main course. We opted for the grilled chicken salad and the stuffed bell pepper (the third option was mussels).

The soup was quite ordinary but the stuffed pepper looked like a work of art. The bell pepper was stuffed with pork and beef, and eaten with the thick tomato paprika sauce. The various elements worked well together. It was quite a small portion and would be a good choice for those with a small appetite.

In contrast, the grilled chicken salad was served in a generous portion. The many pieces of chicken were grilled well. Slightly charred but not dry. The lettuce and the other vegetable companions made that a very good salad.

The Kaiserhaus Platter ($68) would be a welcome sight for any carnivore. Meant to be shared by two, it is described as a “selection of signature dishes from the former Austrian-Hungarian Empire.”

The food items on the platter are too many to remember. The main items were: a strong-tasting sausage; some crispy chicken that was not bad; and the roast pork which was very good. The sauce for the meat in the platter was most delicious. The platter was more than adequate for two diners.

Not being familiar with Austrian wine, we decided to experiment by ordering the most inexpensive wine on their wine list – an Ewald Gruber Grüner Veltliner wine ($65). It was so so. You get what you pay for I suppose.

Overall, it was an enjoyable lunch at the Kaiserhaus restaurant at Capitol Piazza. Pleasant and helpful staff, beautiful setting (both within the restaurant itself and the immediate vicinity of the Capitol Theatre) and good food combine to make the dining experience a great one. The one thing we would do differently would be – to be more careful with the wine selection.

The dessert display looked tempting enough but we had no room for the sweet stuff. We were also informed about a $28 high tea for two deal which sounds interesting but I can’t recall the details and its best to enquire with Kaiserhaus in advance.