Rascal, a new destination restaurant in Vienna’s first district, has opened its doors at Wilde, Vienna Fleischmarkt, offering a playful, modern take on traditional Austrian cuisine in one of the city’s most historic settings. Housed in Vienna’s former grand post office, the brasserie breathes new life into a landmark building. Retaining its original character, high ceilings and original architectural details are complemented by Rascal’s confident, contemporary design, framing a setting that feels both intimate and lively.
The restaurant interiors come from the drawing board of Stephanie Barba Mendoza who spent a decade leading projects at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, and strike a balance between preserved architectural details and contemporary finishes, creating a space that feels both warm and quietly dramatic.
Layered bespoke detailing with rich materials has been introduced throughout the restaurant, to create a space that feels both elevated and warmly inviting. Sculptural brass wall lights cast a subtle glow across the space and a hand-painted chequered border frames the room, echoed by similar motifs on the back bar and subtly repeated throughout the restaurant to create a cohesive visual language. The effect recalls panelling once found in traditional Viennese coffee houses, where decorative devices were used to articulate walls and define the character of a space. Above the datum line, the ceiling projection begins, establishing a gentle visual transition within the interior.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Hotel Designs.
