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Christian Petz
Executive chef
Palais Coburg Residenz, Vienna, Austria
Background
Christian Petz, born on 14 November 1963, grew up in the rural Austrian town of Grein on the Danube River. Already as a child he enjoyed helping out in the kitchen and serving food in his parents’ inn, Gasthaus Strudengau. After finishing his primary education, Christian Petz entered the College of Hotel Management in Bad Ischl. He left after three years to pursue a practice-oriented culinary apprenticeship at the Restaurant Café Gastein and continued his training at the Ifen-Hotel in Kleinwalsertal, Austria, while working at his parents’ inn in the summer.
After completion of his culinary training and apprenticeship, Christian Petz served as Chef de Partie at the Ifen-Hotel for two years and then continued his education by traveling and working for some of the finest restaurants throughout Central Europe:
the Restaurant Nösse, Jörg Müller, Sylt, Germany
Königshof, Munich, Germany
Restaurant Aubergine, Eckart Witzigmann, Munich
sous chef Hilton Plaza Hotel, Werner Matt, Vienna
Christian Petz was then appointed chef at the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Post in Lech am Arlberg, where he quickly raised the restaurant’s rating from 1 to 2 toques.
He then moved to Vienna and became chef at Palais Schwarzenberg, where he once again raised the rating from 1 to 2 toques.
In December 1999, Christian Petz was employed by the newly established Restaurant Meinl am Graben in Vienna’s historic center. In just one year he cooked his way to two toques in the Gault Millau guide; in the second year he was awarded 17 points and 3 toques in Gault Millau as well as the Gourmet Trophy for creative cuisine from the restaurant guide A la Carte.
In 2002, Christian Petz was named Trendsetter of the Year in the Großen Bertelsmann Restaurant & Hotel Guide. Also in 2002, Petz was honored as Cook of the Year in the Gault Millau guide. In 2003, Meinl am Graben was named Restaurant of the Year in the restaurant guide Wissen.de and received 18 points in Gault Millau and 98 points (5 crowns) in A la Carte.
In his cuisine, Christian Petz has the utmost regard for the quality and seasonality of the basic ingredients, and is a strong proponent of uncomplicated, unostentatious culinary arts. He enjoys finding inspiration in Mediterranean (Italian and French) cuisine. Petz is a wine lover and connoisseur and loves to cook with and for wine.
Palais Coburg Residenz
Vienna, Austria
