Chef
Heinz Reitbauer
Head Chef & Owner, Steirereck im Stadtpark
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Vienna, Austria
Known for
- Contemporary reinterpretation of Austrian tradition using seasonal, local ingredients from Vienna and Styria
- Elevating overlooked ingredients like carp and employing private foragers
- Leading Steirereck to three Michelin stars and World's 50 Best rankings
i. Biography
In Stadtpark, Vienna, the bread trolley at Steirereck works as a register of Austrian baking rather than a garnish to service: classic and modern loaves move with time and season, giving bakers a visible place in the room. The Vienna and Austrian context around Heinz Reitbauer is tied to both gastronomy and agriculture; his parents, originally from Styria, opened the family tavern in Vienna in 1970. “We have always spent our summers in the alpine pasture, this is our second home.” Heinz has said.
Training and Lineage
Austrian restaurant craft in this line runs through formal hotel training, apprenticeship, and staged exposure to European kitchens. Heinz Reitbauer trained at Hotelfachschule before beginning as an apprentice at Restaurant Steirereck in Vienna, Austria, then as apprentice / culinary trainee at Restaurant of Karl and Rudi Obauer in Werfen, Austria. From 1989–1992, the frame widened through culinary stage / work experience at Alain Chapel in Mionnay, France, Anton Mosimann in London, United Kingdom, Joël Robuchon in Paris, France, and Laurent in Paris, France, before the work returned to Austria as Chef de Cuisine at the Pogusch operation in Turnau, Styria, Austria (1996–2005). The current structure keeps city restaurant, rural site, and dairy-side operation connected rather than separate. Today, Reitbauer is managing director of the Pogusch property (since 2001), Chef de Cuisine / Chef Patron of the Vienna flagship (since 2005), and operator / restaurateur of Meierei.
Today
The craft notes across those posts are concrete and operational: a bread trolley that changes by time and season; Austrian bakers represented through both classic and modern breads; and, at Pogusch, whole salmonids warmed by the fireplace over a full day before service the next morning.
Distinctions
The recognition attached to the work includes Three Michelin stars for Steirereck (2025), Best Restaurant in Austria for Steirereck (2014), Chef of the Decade (2016), and Continuously awarded two stars (2010).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Heinz
What does Heinz Reitbauer currently do?
Heinz Reitbauer is Chef Patron.
Where did Heinz Reitbauer train or study?
Heinz Reitbauer trained at Hotelfachschule.
What recognition has Heinz Reitbauer received?
Three Michelin stars for Steirereck (2025).
