Review: Weisses Rössl, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
A few streets back from the glacial shimmer of the River Inn and tucked beneath the watchful peaks of the Nordkette mountains lies the Weisses Rössl restaurant, Innsbruck’s unapologetic ode to Tyrolean gastronomy.

This culinary nook – not to be confused with the hotel of the same name at the same location – offers an unpretentious kind of charm that’s warm, welcoming and refreshingly unassuming, and has belonged to the same family for four generations.

The food
The restaurant offers traditional Tyrolean dishes, honouring recipes that have been passed down through the generations.
Adventurous diners will enjoy trying the escargots from Gugumuck – a Viennese snail farm – served with a garlic herb butter and toast. Andreas Gugumuck, a former employee of IBM, has been committed to reviving this once-popular Austrian delicacy for nearly two decades.

Alternatively, try the Beef Tartar, a classic Austrian appetiser here made from Tyrolean ox, and served with sliced red onion, butter and toast. It’s made with premium beef, such as local Alpine cattle breeds, prized for their tenderness and flavour.

Inspired by the traditional meat-based tartar, the vegetarian alternative – Gemüse-Tatar – is a vegetable tartar featuring finely chopped or diced vegetables combined with various seasonings.

There’s a selection of soups on the menu, too, including the celery cream soup served with truffle oil and a celery garnish.

If you’re feeling hungry, choose the Spinatknödel from the mains – spinach dumplings with Tyrolean mountain cheese and brown butter. It’s classic Alpine comfort food – hearty, flavourful, and perfect for a rustic meal – but exceptionally filling.

A less heavy but equally rustic dish to enjoy is the Tiroler Gröstl- roasted potatoes with beef, fried egg and bacon cabbage salad. It was originally created as a way to use up leftover ingredients and is typically cooked in a single pan, giving it a homely and comforting appeal.

Garnelen-Gröstl is a contemporary twist on the traditional Austrian Gröstl, substituting meat with garnelen (German for shrimps or prawns). This dish combines sautéed potatoes with shrimp and various seasonings, offering a lighter yet flavorful alternative to the classic version.

If you’re seeking a lighter, elegant dish that highlights the natural flavours of Austria’s lakes and rivers, choose the Saiblingsfilet, Alpine char that’s commonly found in Austria’s pristine mountain lakes and prized for its delicate flavour and tender flesh.

And for dessert? We passed, but there was the Austrian favourite Kaiserschmarrn served with stewed plums, as well as apple strudel, among the menu choices.
The chef
The soul behind the kitchen is Hans Ruetz, a local chef who started his culinary journey at Weisses Rössl. After some years as head chef, he decided to broaden his horizons with a culinary world tour, gaining experience in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. He returned in 2012, bringing international influences and years of expertise to every dish, with a focus on quality, craftsmanship and delivering great flavours. A visit to the restroom takes you past a window through which you can see the kitchen team at work.

The ambience
The dining room is typically Tyrolean with wooden panelling and sturdy furniture. It’s bustling when we arrive with what appears to be a good mix of local and international diners, yet all united by the enjoyment of good food.

The Alpine region’s religious and cultural heritage is depicted by a crucifix in the corner and angels hanging from the ceiling, the latter possibly just a seasonal decoration given that we were dining in January.

There’s also a terrace that can accommodate many more diners.

Everything you need to plan your trip in 2024
🌟 Luxury hotel deals from Booking
🏡 Vacation rentals from VRBO
✈️ Flights from KIWI
🛫 Private jets from Private Jet Finder
🅿️ Airport parking from ParkVia
🛋️ Airport lounges from Priority Pass
🚖 Airport taxis from Welcome Pickups
🚫 Flight cancellation help from AirHelp
🚗 Car rentals from Discover Cars
🚐 Luxury RV rentals from RVshare
🚴 Two-wheelers from BikesBooking
🚅 Trains from Trainline or Rail Europe
🚢 Cruises from Cruise Direct
⛵ Yacht charters from SeaRadar
🛥️ Ferries from Direct Ferries
🎫 Attractions tickets from Tiqets
🎭 Events tickets from Ticketmaster UK
🏞️ Tours from Viator or GetYourGuide
🌮 Culinary experiences from Eatwith
🏖️ Packages from Expedia US/CA or UK
🛡️ Travel insurance from Safety Wing
🏥 Medical insurance from World Nomads
📸 Vacation photos from Flytographer
🧳 Luggage from Case Luggage
🛅 Luggage storage from Stasher
📚 Travel guides from Lonely Planet
🗺️ Books and maps from Barnes & Noble
📕 eBooks from Kindle Unlimited
🎧 Audiobooks from Audible
🎬 Movies from Prime Video UK
🎵 Music from Amazon Music UK
💶 Travel currency from Wise
📱 SIMs from SimOptions
🌐 VPNs from ExpressVPN or NordVPN
🛂 Visas from iVisa
💸 Earn with Travelpayouts
📨 Seen a broken link? Please contact us!
The cost
Starters range from €5 to €20 while mains typically hover at a very reasonable €15 to €25 (with the one outlier being the Tyrolean fillet steak at €42.50).

The final verdict
Weisses Rössl doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Instead, what it offers is an honest, skillful homage to the flavours of Tyrol – rich, robust and unapologetically Alpine. It was our first meal after landing in Innsbruck and delivered a hearty welcome to the region, setting a high bar for the rest of our trip.

Disclosure: Our trip was sponsored by Innsbruck Tourism.
Did you enjoy this article?
Receive similar content direct to your inbox.
It’s interesting that some of the world’s great dishes come from the innovation of wanting to make use of leftovers. Tiroler Gröstl- roasted potatoes is a classic use of everyday ingredients to make a brand new meal.
There’s an Alpine restaurant about a 10 minutes walk from our house and we call in a few times a year.
It would be good to see how the Austrians do their cuisine on their home turf. I expect it could put my local restaurant in its place!
Ashamed to say that my usual post-skiing grub is pizza, chips, pasta, chips, steak, chips and chips. You’ve persuaded me that I ought to try something more local and healthier too.
I’ve made a note of this place. I’m probably going to be in Innsbruck on business in April and I deserve a good meal at the end of the day.
It’s many years since I tried snails in France and didn’t like them that much. I worry that I may be missing out as there’s so much fuss about them. Maybe I’d like them more the Innsbruck way.
So far I’ve not been a huge fan of Austrian food as it can be quite heavy. It looks as if the chef at the Weisses Rössl has a much lighter touch than many other Austrian chefs. I find this menu more appealing.
Mouth watering pictures of some of the plates. The food looks irresistible.