Tradition

Opened in June 2010, the Patara soon became a leading reference in Thai cuisine and is already one of the go-to addresses in international Vienna. This Mecca of culinary refinement is in reality the Austrian ambassador of one of the finest tables in Bangkok. It stands out for the authenticity and modernity of its Haute Cuisine, offering innovative combinations of spices, flavours and preparation techniques. The restaurant is located in the splendid setting of the Petersplatz, adjacent to the Graben and boasts all the know-how, exclusive recipes and service philosophy of its Thai parent company. The chefs and kitchen staff are sent to Vienna from Bangkok after having trained there and having spent at least five years in the group's establishments. In a scrupulous concern for authenticity and freshness, ingredients are sent out twice a week from Thailand, and are used in combination with the finest local produce. A comprehensive list of wines, selected especially for their harmonious marriage with spices, rounds off a unique gastronomic experience, combining the best of the East and West.

History

Patara restaurants owe their success and their reputation to an extraordinary woman, Patara Sila-On. Patara, or "gracious girl", is the name the Thais give to a young lady who attentively cares for her family and friends. A product of good Thai society, Patara Sila-On has a pronounced sense of hospitality and welcome. A quality that was to come into its own when this enterprising woman, educated in Switzerland, the UK and the US, branched out into catering in 1973. Today, Patara Sila-On has become the leading reference in her country's gastronomy.
The group that she founded, S&P, is the world no.1 in Thai cuisine with over 300 restaurants in Thailand, nine abroad and more than 4,000 employees. Nevertheless, only a few jewels in the group's crown carry the name, including the recently opened Patara Vienna.
The site occupied by the Patara, in the hearth of the Austrian capital, is steeped in history connected with the Thai Royal Family and the Imperial Austrian Household. In 1897, the King of Siam, Rama V, was received by the Emperor Franz-Josef in Schönbrunn castle for an official banquet during his State Visit, the first to be made by an Asian Monarch in Europe. H.R.H. also attended a performance of the Fledermaus operetta conducted by Johann Strauss in person during a gala dinner given in his honour at the Imperial Villa in Ischl. The Maestro was on this occasion invested with the Order of the White Elephant.
A year later, on 10 September 1898, the Austrian Empress Sissi was tragically stabbed by an anarchist on the Quai du Mont-Blanc in Geneva. She was brought back to her suite at the Hotel Beau-Rivage and died there shortly afterwards. It is in this magnificent palace that the Patara Geneva opened in 1999!