The stories behind Carte Blanched’s latest openings at The Hoxton, Vienna

BOUVIER
Bouvier is a relaxed, all-day modern bistro that comfortably straddles the old and the new. Its elevated menu features produce-led, US-meets-European food with creativity and sass. With Bouvier, Carte Blanched was inspired by the chic drinking and dining establishments in Paris and New York.

Open from morning to night for breakfast meetings, boozy brunches, late lunches, and even later dinners, Bouvier promises to have something for everyone. With a menu that has been carefully curated in partnership with Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra, the duo behind New York’s infamous Wildair, lunch highlights include the chicken Caesar schnitzel, a light yet wholesome vegetarian chard and ricotta gnudi, and Bouvier’s take on a classic salad niçoise. For dinner, highlights include a standout ratatouille with olives, basil and toasted focaccia, a cheesy grand gougère, indulgent moules-frites with tomato white wine sauce, and an unforgettable mille-feuille with salted caramel and burnt vanilla cream. The drinks list celebrates natural wine from global producers; cocktails are sharp and seductive with playful flavour combinations.

The restaurant, tucked off to the right of the lobby, is a bold space with a checkerboard terrazzo floor, deep red wall panelling, 1950s-inspired custom seating, and an open kitchen. Retro advertising posters hark back to iconic New York culture, while locally sourced vintage pieces pay homage to the restaurant’s immediate surroundings. Launching at the front of the property just in time for spring, Bouvier’s sprawling, 70-cover terrace out the front with fringed parasols, tiled table-tops and greenery, is the perfect spot for a spritz, iced coffees and leisurely lunches. Those looking for a quick grab-and-go option can swing by the Sandwich Shop off the lobby to pick up a coffee, filled focaccia or fresh pastry.

SALON PARADISE
Salon Paradise invites guests to step into a space that captures the essence of the creative, free-spirited, and experimental Beat Generation, the revolutionary counter-culture of the 1950s and 1960s, the individuals they inspired, and the individuality they have inspired. Somewhere to escape and be entertained at the same time, guests can sip expertly crafted cocktails and soak up the atmosphere with live music programming and a vintage 1920s Hoffmann Konzertklavier piano centre stage.

Traditional speakeasies from the 1950s inspired the design of the atmospheric underground bar: a burl-timber bar stands strong in the centre of the space, while corners feel cosy and snug with aged leather banquettes, textured fabrics, low ceilings, and hand-written postcards dating to the Prohibition era.

Carte Blanched looked to bring a mixologist-focused bar with distinction to Vienna, one that echoes some of the finest cocktail bars across the globe and a bar that ensures both locals and guests from afar stop in for a visit. Created in partnership with Rory Shepherd, an expert hospitality and drinks consultant, and the man behind Paris’ Little Red Door, for Salon Paradise’s drinks list. Recognised by multiple awards and accreditations, Rory has firmly created a legacy for being one of the most sought-after mixologists in the industry.

Salon Paradise provides high-quality cocktails, engaging menus, slick service and curated music in a cool, subterranean atmosphere, expressing a buzz of exciting liveliness and creativity in Vienna’s bar scene. Hero drinks not to be missed are Poet’s Dream No. 2 (gin, melon and Fino Sherry), Sal Paradise (tangerine sorbet, tartaric acid and Sekt sparkling wine), and the decadent dessert-like Big Slim (peanut butter cognac, banana and cream).

CAYO COCO
Carte Blanched was inspired by the golden age of travel in Cuba for Cayo Coco. It is a holiday, 24/7. Bringing big tropical energy through its food and drinks to The Hox’s rooftop, Cayo Coco is a fun and relaxed rooftop bar with a pool, open-air dining, and captivating almost 360-degree views over the city and out to the Austrian Alps.

As the elevator doors open, you’re transported to 1950s Cuba by way of its tropical interiors – think saffron hues, bespoke rattan furniture, and bright, bold artwork that captures the spirit of Havana.

Food at Cayo Coco is simple, fuss-free and satisfying day to night. Caribbean barbecued snacks, cassava cheese fritters, chocolate churros, and crispy coconut shrimps with pineapple salsa are sure to steal some hearts up here, but the drinks are the real stars of the show at Cayo Coco.

Inspired by Cuban drinking culture, supersized rum cocktails are the signature. Dive into a Spider Libre, the perfect poolside sip, a Negroni Tropica, or go big with ‘Where’s Your Head At’ — a giant glass skull designed to share with friends, filled with a secret blend of Caribbean rums, topped with fresh fruit and crowned with champagne and fire. Wine and crisp cold beers are served on tap – the latter in perfectly cold glasses.

Ennismore is set to open 15 hotels in 2024, and across those new destinations, there will be many more Carte Blanched restaurants and bars. We can’t wait to see what Carte Blanched’s next projects will have in store.