The Greek chef who teaches Vienna how to eat in style

By Kostantinos Tsavalos

One of Vienna’s most up-and-coming restaurants is in the heart of the city: it’s called Konstantin Filippou, after its founder and chef patron, Konstantinos Filippou.

The son of a Greek and an Austrian from the province of Styria, Konstantinos Filippou was gently exposed to Greek and Austrian cuisine and was inspired by two different culinary cultures.

This multicultural upbringing, combined with experience gained in kitchens such as Restaurant Steirereck in Vienna and Arzak in Spain, is what helped him create one of the country’s most exciting restaurants in 2013, and in the process, he was named Austrian Chef of the Year for 2016.

Today, Chef Konstantin looks after both of his “children”, the two Michelin-starred restaurant Konstantin Fillippou, as well as the bistro and wine bar, O boufés.

Philippou’s restaurants combine local, Austrian flavours with Mediterranean cuisine and techniques that focus on the essence of the product. It’s no coincidence that the 2019 Michelin Guide – where the chef has two stars – refers to Philippou as “the man who taught Vienna how to eat in style”.