"Standing up for it"

360-euro menu with cheap goods? How the chef reacts

Manuela and Konstantin Filippou promise to work on quality assurance ...

(Bild: Alexander Tuma)

Deliberate deception of guests or slander from dismissed employees? Viennese star chef Konstantin Filippou defends himself against accusations that he "cheats" on ingredients and drives his staff to burnout.

"Scallop. Almond. Truffle. Artichoke." and "Langostino. Grapefruit. Cochayuyo. Cabbage.". Or "Sea salad. Sardine. Clam. Cornichons."(see post below). Diners at Konstantin Filippou's restaurant in Vienna's posh first district are in for a treat. And you'll have to dig deep into your pockets: 360 euros for the nine-course dinner - without wine accompaniment, of course. You will be rewarded with dishes at "two-star level", the second-highest distinction awarded by the world-renowned Michelin Guide. 

And this is only awarded for the highest quality. Or is it? If recent media reports are to be believed, this was not the case with Filippou, who "cheated" cheaper Japanese scallops among the hand-picked, expensive Norwegian scallops advertised on the menu. Gourmet scandal of the highest star class?

"If mistakes have been made, we will take responsibility for them," Konstantin and Manuela Filippou respond via Instagram (see below). They will review all processes internally and tighten up the quality checks. The high-class restaurateur explains to the Krone how the accusations came about - and what is true about them.

Is it all just a mix-up?
They not only run the classy restaurant on Stubenbastei, but also the bistro "O Boefés", also in the first district, and "Mama Konstantina" in the 19th district - all three with different pricing and therefore different product groups. A mix-up in the documentation is one explanation, says Filippou to the "Krone". And yes, sometimes the origin of the products would change at short notice due to availability. But this would be communicated to the guests.

"Not true", former employees told the media. They would be required to keep such changes secret. Where did these statements come from? Reportedly from an ex-employee with whom the restaurateur had a legal dispute in the past. It would also be fitting that the accusation of cheating is accompanied by complaints about "miserable" working conditions: Verbal abuse, fear, burn-out, pressure. The chef counters the criticism by saying that kitchen hours have been reduced since 2025 and a four-day week has been introduced.

Gastro Olympus a long way off
Deliberate deception of guests or slander from dismissed employees? A pale aftertaste remains. Filippou wants to dispel this and announces a sensitization workshop for the team, a "Code of Conduct" that communicates values more clearly both internally and externally and the introduction of an anonymous complaints system for employees.

Filippou calls the situation "existentially threatening". And rightly so - because even if these measures take effect, his (gastronomic and economic) goal, the culinary Olympus, the third Michelin star, will be a long way off unless he can credibly refute the accusations. And thus remains reserved for only two gourmet temples in Austria: the "Steirereck" in Vienna's Stadtpark and Juan Amador's "Wirtshaus" of the same name, also in Vienna.