Lena Lapschina

First time in Vienna...

Once upon a time I was in Vienna for the first time. Maybe it was the second or third anyway, but not more.

Together with Jacob (an artistic director of a huge Russian museum) we tried to find a nice place for dinner. But no chance - every inner city-gasthaus was closed for the weekend or any other reason. We walked through the drab town of Vienna (what it was like in those days) but there was no hope. At nightfall we found ourselves in Loos-Bar, savouring martini, olives and a great interior Adolf Loos left over. After that we made a second try. But again with the same result of nothing. On the way we ran into the Onyx-Bar on the top of one building in the very inner city of Vienna. Very strict clothes-order. But Jacob wore a tie, as he always does, and we were inside. Very stylish designed, fine people, waitress in short skirts... „Back in Moscow I have to organize the same bar in my museum”, - whispered Jacob.

What did we eat? Difficult to say. Of course some oysters with Crimean champagne and an exquisite chicken soup with calvados, apple and truffle and enjoyed aurora borealis-cocktails. Sometime the night was over. I never met Jacob in Vienna again.